When Jim Ferry couldn’t get help from Sacramento Mercy Hospital he armed himself with paintbrushes and fought back. Smokers from the hospital were plaguing him, sitting on his wall, smoking under his windows and dropping butts. Ferry went to hospital meetings, asked for help and complained through all the appropriate channels. All for naught. Patient and employee smokers in the neighborhood were not on the top of Mercy’s list of concerns. The smokers needed a close by place when a craving hit and Jim’s house was a good place to go. It’s right next to the front of the hospital on 40th and J Streets and has a convenient short-wall fence. Perfect sitting height. Last year the hospital adopt

The weather was perfect. The parade grand. And the turn out––astonishing. One of the officers estimated that more than 1500 people came to march around two city blocks. The mayor and his bride smiled. Children ate, grined and giggled. Dogs gazed around in confusion and jokers wore a variety of odd costumes...including a golf cart full of Elvises. Enjoy the photos.

Residents of many tree-lined streets in Sacramento are worried that a proposal to reduce the frequency of green waste pickup by “The Claw” will leave their neighborhoods overgrown and unkempt when leaves start falling in autumn. The issue is the main subject of the East Sacramento Preservation Association meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday at Clunie Community Center, 601 Alhambra Blvd., and some residents have made their opinions clear. “This is a joke!” wrote Sacramento resident Julie Neller on the organization’s Facebook page. “The claims of what good it will do (saving money and better for the environment) don’t justify the end result of what is really going to happen.” Steve Harriman, integra

The first thing that customers will notice when they enter La Bombe Ice Cream & More, East Sacramento’s newest ice cream shop, is the team of “scoopers” who serve colorful scoops of Gunther’s ice cream as well as many of the shop’s signature desserts, Les Bombe Glacés, or domes of layered ice cream, wafers and condiments like jam and marmalade. “It’s still a work in progress, and we’re going through a little bit of growing pains, but it’s very exciting to be open,” owner Jennifer Sparks said. “I’m interested in bringing people what they want while also introducing them to new things.” The French-style ice cream parlor, located at 3020 H St., opened on May 19, and offers other unique froz

Salon Cuvée and Day Spa hosted “Joy and Refresh” an evening of indulgence, fashion and fun. The Wednesday, March 21 event was held in partnership with various local East Sacramento businesses including Article Consignment Boutique. Guests were treated to massages, hairstyling, art, music, wine tasting and a fashion show. Renowned for their talented team, Salon Cuvée offers incredible services at a great location. The salon has been serving its clientele since 1997 and owner Brenna Mekow was on hand to welcome guests and introduced other local merchants. Abe Sanchez, Owner/Partner at Article Consignment Boutique also addressed the audience after the fashion show. The fashion show inclu

Soaked turkey hats, rain gear and lots of slogging marked the 18th year of Run to Feed the Hungry. It was wet, but it was wonderful. East Sacramento Preservation set up a camera at the Y—45th and J Streets, where the 10k and the 5k split. The rain thinned out the throngs, and weakened the resolve of some to peel off the sheets, but the turn out was still enormous. The charity race is a cultural event in East Sacramento. You can’t watch without a smile and a warm heart, even on the wettest, dampest of days.

When Jim Ferry (an East Sacramento resident) contacted his neighbors to address the impacts of Mercy Hospital using J Street as their primary loading dock, he got a lot of supportive response. The neighborhood is stressed by Mercy's inconsideration. Mr. Ferry has done an admirable job of documenting a fairly shocking misuse of the public way for a loading dock through his blog at http://mercygeneral.blogspot.com. More than any petition, Mr. Ferry's blog uses photos to show the truth. A picture truly is worth a thousand words. The loading situation on J Street is patently hazardous. There are frequently semi-tractor trucks parked in a seven foot wide space that impinge upon the west-bo

Tarzan The longhaired, blue-eyed punk scaled a 30-foot tree and got himself stuck in the canopy for eight days. He made the evening news. A tree-trimming crew bagged the bad boy and rappelled him down. He then spent time in the pokey until Happy Tails bailed him out. With three of his nine lives ticked off, he is one lucky kitty. Cats like Tarzan are “second chance cats” and they are Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary’s specialty. Rescued from an uncertain fate at the Sacramento City Animal Shelter, he was brought to Happy Tails on Folsom Boulevard for a second chance at adoption. He was cleaned up, chipped, checked, vaccinated and neutered. Happy Tails won’t refuse a cat. “But first do everyth

Finders seekers! Here's our second East Sacramento Preservation's ‘Where in the Neighborhood Is This?’ If you can find this spot in East Sacramento you’ll win a free yogurt from HeavenLys Yogurt in East Sacramento. You must tell where it’s located and why it's there. Place your best guess in the comments section of the East Sacramento Preservation web site. First correct entry wins the prize. All Sacramentans are welcome to try. The location is in the traditional boundary of East Sacramento. Pull out your binoculars and hit the road. It’s out there somewhere!

When parents collect students at Sacred Heart, traffic comes to a stand still. It’s one of the worst traffic jams in East Sacramento and it’s caused by a school. Sacred Heart Parish School was relocated to the west side of 39th Street between J and H Streets in 2010. The school is new and has 310 students. The campus was developed as part of Mercy Hospital’s expansion currently under construction in East Sacramento. At three o’clock vehicles are often backed up all the way to J and sometimes to H Street, two major East Sacramento thoroughfares. The worst of the congestion only lasts for about 10 or 15 minutes during morning or afternoon student drop-off and pick-up. There is a school mo