On February 26 2013, the Sacramento City Council will likely vote on altering Ordinance 2010-037, the law that governs the medical marijuana dispensaries and their permitting process. The council will be deciding whether to alter the sensitive-use requirements from 600 feet away from schools and parks to 1,000 feet away. The medical cannabis community has been lobbying for weeks now in an attempt to make the city council understand how negatively this will impact our community. The common justification for modifying city law to match federal law is that children need to be protected. There’s a fear of minors walking past dispensaries and smelling cannabis, or being harassed or harmed by l

Despite uncooperative weather that pushed the growing season to a late start, local farmers markets are getting ready to open throughout the city once again. “We’re starting the (growing) season a little late this year, but the weather is warming up, and we’re going to have a lot of wonderful produce to offer,” said Renae Best, assistant market coordinator for Sacramento Certified Farmers Markets. Of the 12 farmers markets in Sacramento, three are open year-round. Six are slated to open the first week in May and the others will open in June, Best said Thursday. Joany Titherington, operator of the Oak Park Farmers’ Market in McClatchy Park, said there are a lot of “new and exciting thing

Never Felt Better Vegan Shop, which reopened Nov. 4 in a new location at 19th and P streets, offers not only vegan food, but a range of products made in what the owners say are ethical methods by local vegans. “Everything we offer is vegan-friendly,” said Jen Fosnight, co-owner of the store. “Nothing here was tested on animals, and there are no animal products in anything here.” She said the shop is not just for vegans, but for anyone who wants a wide range of goods. The boutique offers non-leather belts and wallets, vegan nacho cheese, vegan tamales, other assorted vegan and fair-trade food items, soaps, artwork produced by local vegans and even clothing made locally that promotes anim

A proposed amendment to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op bylaws is being seen by some as a necessary procedure to ensure equality, while others see it as an attempt to take the members’ voice away on certain issues. All 12,000 co-op members will have the chance to vote on the amendment, which must pass with at least a two-thirds majority in the next election cycle, scheduled for late summer or fall, said Board Member and Policy Committee chairwoman Michelle Reynolds. According to Reynolds, the amendment proposed at the June 7 board meeting is a procedural process designed to ensure that the co-op has written anti-discrimination policies in its bylaws after a restructuring of its polici

The Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op has become a battleground for Middle East politics as some members are trying to get the board of directors to sign off on a boycott of Israeli products. Arguing that Israel is violating human rights by occupying Palestinian territories, the group of members says that the co-op should not sell products from Israel because that supports human rights violations. All co-op members are considered partial owners as well. Co-op General Manager Paul Cultrera said he does not support the boycott in the store. “We’re here to run a store,” he told The Sacramento Press Wednesday. “I think that the issue about Israeli human rights violations – it’s a valid issue.

In these tough economic times, everyone is looking for ways to save money. From cutting back on the daily lattes to at-home “staycations,” people are getting more and more creative in the ways they choose to spend – or not spend – their money. One trend that seems to be really taking off lately is couponing: clipping out and saving up those little 20-cents-off and buy-2-get-1-free offers that grocery stores put in the inserts of the Sunday paper. Recently, TLC network aired a new reality show about this very topic, “Extreme Couponing.” This isn’t your momma’s coupon-clipping, however. In “Extreme Couponing,” we get to see folks who are crazy-good at saving money on their groceries. (Or

Grocery stores aren't as cool as bars. But what a difference a grocery makes. Neighborhoods that thrive – neighborhoods where people live – need grocery stores. Grocery stores may not be sexy, but they keep us alive. The opening last week of a Midtown Grocery Outlet selling fresh produce, prepared foods and many of the staples of the run-down convenience stores that dot the Grid, is a big deal to those of us who live here. The fact that their prices are roughly half that of the nearby Safeway is a significant bonus. For anyone who wants Sacramento’s Central City to thrive, the opening of the Grocery Outlet in the old grocery at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue is unalloyed good news. A c

A Capitol NewsLink camera was outside Grocery Outlet at 1700 Capitol Ave early Thursday afternoon as a steady stream of potential customers waited outside the closed doors. One unsigned city permit apparently was holding up the well publicized opening scheduled for 7 a.m. Shortly after noon a crowd of about 50 to 70 had gathered while officials from the Berkley based Grocery Outlet were on hand to answer questions from the eclectic crowd ranging from seniors to state workers, local residents and a couple of vocal street people. As our camera left a promise of snacks and drinks was offered to quell a mild sense of unease in the crowd with negative comments being directly toward the City's B

Raley's heir Michael Teel and partners will open a new cafe, wine bar and market called Good Eats in East Sacramento Monday. Similar to Selland's Market-Café and Corti Brothers, which operate on other end of East Sacramento, the kitchen will offer hot and cold takeout foods, wine and coffee. The specialty grocery will include wine, butchered meats, seafood, cheeses, bakery items and flowers. On Thursday, Good Eats official Julie Rollofson led food and wine tastings to prepare for a soft opening set for 6 a.m. Monday. The opening follows a lengthy renovation of what used to be Andiamo restaurant and the Rosemont Grill at 3145 Folsom Blvd., near Alhambra Boulevard. The establishment promi