I’ve lived in the midtown area for almost a year now and the diversity among the citizens in the downtown area is remarkable. When you grow up in Elk Grove it seemed that everyone had the same taste in fashion. The community in a way looked like everyone took a bath in Forever 21 and all the guys went to the same store to get their snapbacks. Sacramento is not seen as a city that’s big on fashion and it’s in part because popular culture makes us believe that we need to be shopping at Bergdorf Goodman or Bloomingdales in order to be considered fashionable. Here at the Capital mainly the midtown and downtown area, there are a wide variety of people setting a new standard for fashion and b

Matthew Piner was on the phone with his parents, his wife was out shopping, and his son was on a bike ride Sunday afternoon, when he heard the screeching of the upstairs smoke alarm. When he reached the top floor – an attic converted into a master bedroom suite – all he saw was broken glass, flames and smoke. He tried putting the fire out with an extinguisher, but by then, it was beyond anything he could do. "It's my baby, it's my showpiece," said Piner, an architect and contractor who'd remodeled much of the historic, four-story home. The 1903 foursquare home on Capitol Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets,  "was deemed worthy of tearing down by some when it was purchased in 1989," acco

Sacramento Press Club presents the premiere of a blockbuster political drama for its annual holiday fundraiser for journalism scholarships. By Kevin Riggs Is is possible for the Capitol community--lawyers, lobbyists, legislators, staff, and media--to set aside deadlines, shelve partisan strife and lay down competitive arms for a night? The Sacramento Press Club thinks it can at the Crest Theater on Wednesday, December 5, by offering a little fictional political intrigue and drama: the local premiere of "Knife Fight." The Sac Press Club has hit on a formula to boost goodwill the last couple of years, with the Schwarzenegger "Gridiron Dinner" in 2010 and the "Dancing with the Capitol Star

A crowd of women activists and their supporters flooded the Capitol lawn Saturday dressed in lingerie, mini skirts and dresses for the inaugural Sacramento Slutwalk. A “slutwalk” is a rally and protest march against blaming sexual violence on its victims or trying to excuse or explain it with references to the victim’s clothing. Attendees often refer to themselves as “sluts,” and many come scantily clad to to help drive their point home. Rico Ozaki, human trafficking specialist at My Sister’s House Sacramento, said the main purpose at the walk, which drew about 150 people,  was to educate and offer support to victims or people who know someone in crisis. “We’re hoping people take the me

Thursday is Bike Fest at the Capitol, with everything from bicycle shop exhibits to bicycle safety checks and freebies for those who log their miles as part of May is Bike Month. “This year, it’s really taking off,” said Marilyn Bryant, executive director of the nonprofit Sacramento Transportation Management Association and one of the organizers of this month’s events. “We will have a lot of tables with of exhibitors, bike clubs, bike shops and transit agencies,” she said. “It’s a big social event and everyone has a good time.” Riders who have logged bicycling miles at the May is Bike Month website can print out their logs and bring them to the event for ice cream, freezes and May is Bi

  Two bills were on bikers’ minds Monday as they rallied at the Capitol. Hundreds of California motorcyclists, drivers and passengers, showed up for the yearly motorcycle rally sponsored by the American Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education (ABATE) Monday morning. They gathered on the Capitol building’s south-side in support of two bills that would change the state’s helmet law and throw out the motorcycle-only checkpoints. Legislators were scheduled to vote Monday afternoon after rally.  For results, CLICK HERE>>>

Early Sunday morning, over 4,000 runners from around the world participated in the California International Marathon, a 26.2-mile race from Folsom to downtown Sacramento. As the runners scaled the greater Sacramento area into the afternoon, hundreds of supporters lined the route carrying signs of support and yelling words of encouragement. Meadow Bailey, a 34-year-old homemaker from Rancho Cordova, was one of the many who came out to show their support. She said that although this was her first time coming, she had an enjoyable experience. “Everybody is cheering, and there’s a great sense of unity,” she said. Starting near Folsom Lake, participants headed east down Oak Avenue. Passing t

FatMan Cigars, located just six blocks from the Capitol, is the product of one man's two-decade infatuation with the cigar. Joey Madrid, 40, owner and operator of FatMan Cigars, said he discovered cigars as a navy electrician in 1990, and dreamed of opening a cigar shop since 1995. At the time, he was told he was too young to be taken seriously in the business. FatMan Cigars marks its first year in business on Tuesday. Unlike many cigar shops, it is one of the only places in Sacramento where you can purchase your cigar and smoke it inside. The standalone building, with separate ventilation systems for each floor, gives patrons the freedom to light up inside, a luxury for California smoke

An array of designs submitted as part of the Catalyst Capitol Mall Design Competition in an effort to spark a “big idea” for future enhancement of the corridor from Tower Bridge to 10th Street were reviewed by a jury Oct. 7, and winners will be announced Nov. 9. While the winner can’t yet be revealed, Kris Barkley, competition adviser to the city on behalf of the American Institute of Architects, described some key assets of the winning proposal. “The first-place winner, I think, is really, really focused on what I think the people of Sacramento are feeling will work there,” he said. “It’s a tree-centered development that improves the urban canopy we have in Sacramento and brings it more

Protesters took to Cesar Chavez Plaza Thursday to fight what they say is the richest 1 percent of Americans controlling 50 percent of the country’s wealth – and they plan to “occupy” Sacramento for at least a week. “I’m out here to fight for the people so we can get power back from the corporations,” said Neph Garcia, a diesel mechanic from Woodland. “The 1 percent is making the decisions, and the 99 percent suffers from those,” he added. “We have to be free from corporate decisions. The politicians are pretty much their puppets.” About 300 protesters with Occupy Sacramento assembled at Cesar Chavez Plaza downtown on Thursday morning before setting off on a march around the Capitol, cha

Hundreds of people gathered at our state’s capitol Thursday night to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day. Voices rang proud and flags swayed high, as both the American and the Mexican national anthems were sung in tribute to the mixture of these heritages. Americans of all cultural backgrounds stood in solidarity, reveling in the significance of this day, when, 201 years ago, Mexico waged war against Spanish rule and tyranny. Still for many, the festivities were more than just remembering what happened two centuries ago, or eating too much of the amazing food provided by Sacramento’s mobile food trucks. Instead, they represented the struggle of Mexican Americans here in the United States

More than 70 design entries have been submitted for the Capitol Mall design competition to redo the section of the street west of the Capitol building, and organizers said Thursday that they expect to get up to a total of between 150 and 200 over the next couple of weeks. The competition’s goal is to draw interest from international designers, architects and urban planners as well as from locals, with the winner taking home a $20,000 prize. “We’ve been really pleased with the turnout,” said Kristopher Barkley of the American Institute of Architects Central Valley Chapter, which is advising the city on the competition. He added that the 70 entries have come from all six inhabited contine

On September 15th, at the Capitol, 12 awesome food trucks are getting together to help celebrate Mexican Independence Day! I know what you are thinking, isn't Cinco de Mayo supposed to be for that? Oh contrare! September 16th is the actual day. If you went to the last SactoMofo food truck festival at Fremont park back in April, then you know just how crazy popular this has become in Sacramento. It was packed from the moment it opened until the time it closed! The organizers weren't expecting such a huge crowd, and unfortunately most trucks weren't prepared to handled that many people. Wait lines were horrendously long, and a lot of people stood in line for hours just to hear that the food

For weeks, a sign saying “so close you can almost taste it” hung in the window of the storefront vacated by Le Petit Paris last year, and on Tuesday, Sacramentans got their chance to go in and sample authentic Italian gelato in Midtown when Devine Gelateria & Cafe opened. “The opening went really well,” owner Elizabeth McCleary said Wednesday morning as she prepared to make gelato and sorbetto from scratch for the upcoming day. Originally planning to close at 8 p.m. on the opening day, there was a line of people as late as 7:45 p.m., and McCleary said she might adjust her hours to stay open another hour if the trend continues. Flavors include roasted almond, pistachio, dulce de leche, b

Please join us on Wednesday evening, August 24th beginning at 5:45pm for this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). “Complete Streets” is the inspiring story of the planning, re-design and transfiguration of West Sacramento’s main street area: West Capitol Avenue. The project completely transformed a portion of old highway US 40 with a wide variety of improvements including new, widened sidewalks, re-structured roads, contiguous bicycle lanes, pocket plazas, landscape plantings and iconic bus shelters which celebrate the City’s unique identity. The re-development of this area has served to foster community spirit by addressing the needs of West Sacramento’s residents and employee

Before guests could hit the dance floor and mingle with friends at a non-profit organization’s 10th Anniversary celebration, local community leaders gave a “Celebrity Show” posing to be celebrities of the last decade to say a few words. The emcee introduced the first celebrity – Hillary Clinton. Walking and gracefully waving to “Stand by Your Man” by Tammy Wynette from the back of the ballroom to the podium is Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s (D-Sacramento) District Director Susan McKee. Guests stood up from their seats to take videos and photos while others clapped and laughed. “I told the President that C.C. Yin has always been my man and all of you know I stand by my man,

What did the pioneers do for fun in the 1840s? Visitors at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park were able to see firsthand on Saturday a few of the things pioneers did for fun and what life was like for families during that time. Sutter’s Fort hosted a “Hands on History” event called “Spring Has Sprung!” a hands on event that focused on toys from the 1840s. Spring Has Sprung! is dedicated to fun and games. Demonstrations of barrel-hoop races, the game of Graces, tug-o’-war, jump rope, marbles and parlor games took place throughout the day. Children in pioneer wear showed visitors the many games. Pioneer games gave people a chance to get together, helped children develop and build lasting

Some of the world’s top bicyclists will be racing into Sacramento Monday to finish the second stage of the sixth annual Amgen Tour of California at the Capitol. Racers will enter Sacramento from the northern city limits on Sorrento Road to Main Avenue, then head to Highway 160, where they will then enter the central city on 12th Street, according to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Linda Tucker. For the race route and road closures, click the interactive map below. View Amgen Tour of California Route in a larger map “You’ve got the opportunity to watch some of the best athletes in the world ply their trade,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, which owns the race. “

I regularly walk my dog in Capitol park and enjoy the sights and sounds in the area.  Most times it is pretty low key with a few lawmakers and tourists wandering around and the occasional exhiled spouse reading on a park bench. Today though was pretty interesting.  I was curious about this whole Cindy Sheehan thing and wanted to see if she was having any impact. The teachers tried to take the spotlight but honestly they fell short. CTA met in Gallegos Square and on the steps of the Cathedral.  They had a decent sized group but apparently they weren't quite as organized as I would expect from teachers. As I approached they were praying.  Sorry, I did not know you all were praying since I

Rare artifacts will be unveiled this month in a new exhibit documenting the culture and contributions of California's first people at the California Museum in Sacramento. A huge stuffed condor from the Smithsonian, Modoc chief Captain Jack's buckskin jacket and a cape and arrowhead that belonged to Ishi, reputedly the last Native American to live a primitive life in California, will be showcased in "California Indians: Making A Difference," which opens March 31. "We have some objects that have never been on exhibit before," said curator P. Christiaan Klieger, an anthropologist affiliated with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. "It's not your typical sort of basket exhib