The Sacramento Old City Association is organizing a public forum on Mckinley Village on June 8 at the Midtown Village Cafe. The Sacramento Press will be live streaming and blogging the event. To get emailed when the action kicks off, register here: I sent SOCA Chair (and Sac Press Elite Contributor and all-star commenter) William Burg a few questions about the event and its goals. His response are below. SP: Why did SOCA decide to do a forum on McKinley Village? WB: Our mission statement is based on achieving balanced and harmonious relationships among residential, commercial and employment uses. Change happens whether we like it or not, but engaged citizens can direct change in posi

Update: The Sacramento Old City Association is organizing a public forum on Mckinley Village for June 8 at the Midtown Village Cafe. The Sacramento Press is an official sponsor and will will be live streaming and blogging the event. After Midtown and East Sacramento neighborhood associations have expressed concerns about the McKinley Village project proposed for vacant land near Sutter’s Landing Park, developer Riverview Capital Investments pushed back in a recent interview. They made their case for what they see as a "21 Century Urban Village" that will provide the city with much needed urban infill development while fitting in well with surrounding area. "I feel like we're honoring t

UPDATE - On May 15, 2013, Knecht was charged with two additional counts of burglary. Detectives recovered additional stolen property from Knecht’s home taken during two separate burglaries to the same location. The Burglaries were to a closed business in the 800 block of 57th Street that occurred on May 4, 2013 and May 8, 2013 in the early morning hours. Most all property was recovered. Burglary Suspect Caught The Sacramento Police Department has arrested 43-year-old Gregory Knecht for multiple counts of burglary to businesses in a specific area of Sacramento. On Tuesday, May 14, 2013, at 4:28 p.m., Sacramento Police detectives executed a search warrant at Knecht’s residence on the 1500

This past Tuesday, May 7, I had the pleasure of meeting with Trisha Rhomberg, co-owner of Bows and Arrows, to do a shoot on the latest merchandise hitting the floor. I’ve always checked out Bows and Arrows for the variety of vintage, handmade and new items. I loved the funky eclectic vibe of the shop; you walk in and see stuff that is truly unique. When talking about personal style Trisha said, “Fashion should be fun … I was sick of being concerned about trends and what others thought about what I wore, I like to dress to have fun!” It reminded me of how everyone follows a trend, or tries to avoid the trend, when fashion shouldn’t be about trends, but be a form of self-expression. Fashion

There is nowhere else in the world I want to live but Sacramento, Calif. Bold statement? Not for me. Let me explain why. Two recent life events have reopened my eyes as to why this place is unique. I’ll get to those in a minute, but first it’s important I define Sacramento. When I say Sacramento, I think of one place: the grid. That’s the area from Old Sacramento on the west to Interstate 80 Business on the east, and from the American River to the north to the WX Freeway on the south. It’s a roughly 900-square block area that contains world-class food, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, art, recreation and businesses. It also has acres of parks, a beach (no, I’m not telling you where),

Friday, May 3, 2013 MIDTOWN: Suspicious Circumstances, 24th Street/P Street, 10:06 a.m. The victim reported that a suspicious parcel was delivered to her door. It was determined that the package was in fact sent from a known friend of the victim; however, the item appeared suspicious to her. Officers arrived and determined that there was nothing dangerous regarding the package and the currier was notified for further follow up. DOWNTOWN: Resisting, 7th Street/F Street, 12:46 a.m. Parker Caldwell, 24, was taken into custody for resisting arrest after officers contacted him in the area. Witnesses reported seeing Caldwell knocking on doors in the area and he became aggressive upon officers

The executive director of the Midtown Business Association will be stepping down to take a job with the City of San Diego. Elizabeth Studebaker took the helm art the Midtown Business Association at the beginning of last year. She was a constant presence in the neighborhood and at local events. Her most recent initiatives include a project to improve street lighting and the launch of the Midtown Farmers Market, which has drawn large crowds in its first two weeks. This is a quick update - we're working on a full story with more details now.  The full press release is below.  --- Press release:  Midtown Business Group Seeking New Executive Director Current Director Accepts Economic Deve

Fought and Fled – Help Us Identify The Sacramento Police Department is looking for your assistance in identifying multiple subjects involved in a physical altercation. On Sunday, April 14, 2013, at approximately 1:59 a.m., the Sacramento Police Department responded to the 1500 block of 21st Street for a report of a large fight that left multiple people injured. Responding officers and detectives were able to obtain a description of at least two of the involved vehicles. One was described as a white Chevrolet Suburban and the other was a white 2-door compact car. Multiple subjects got out of the white SUV and without provocation, began challenging and fighting random people in a parking

Say goodbye to Mongo Mongo and say hello to the new Thai restaurant, “Sawasdee,” which also means “hello,” in Thai. The family-run restaurant held its cold opening last week at 1830 J Street, the location of the short lived mongolian barbeque place, Mongo Mongo, which recently closed in March. There have been two restaurants at this location over the past two years, but this hasn’t deterred the new owners who say they’re ready to be there for the long haul. Sawasdee will be entirely family-run by the Chaipants, who are new to owning a restaurant but aren’t rookies to running one. “We’ve all had lots of experience working at various Thai restaurants in the area,”, said 27-year-old Amm Cha

April's Second Saturday Art Walk drew the highest attendance of the year. More visitors and vendors enjoyed warmer weather as they visited the various art galleries and events in Midtown. Sacramento law enforcement made its presence known as they patrolled Midtown on foot, bicycle, horseback, patrol car and I even saw a helicopter flying in the 20th and J Street area, The added security made some people feel safer. “I like to see the police out here. I've heard about people getting robbed and assaulted the past few months around here and I do feel safer walking the streets,” said Grant Martin. Other people walking with Martin's agreed with his comments as they nodded. 20th Street betw

  The candles are no longer lit, but here you will find mementos of his life, pictures with his friends, a poster demanding justice and a rock painted green that reads, “Rest in peace my son 3-17-13.” This is the where he was fatally beaten, only a few steps from his home. This is the lamppost memorial at 18th and P streets. On March 17, early on St. Patrick’s Day, Josiah Humphreys, 28, had a physical altercation with three men near his apartment in midtown Sacramento while on his way home from a local bar and restaurant. Seriously injured, his neighbors administered first aid to him, but he later succumbed to his injuries at an area hospital, according to the Sacramento Police Departmen

A vehicle ran into the Safeway on Alhambra Boulevard Monday morning, making a mess out of its floral department and creating a big hole in its facade.  Shortly after 9 a.m., emergency and law enforcement personnel responded to 1025 Alhambra Boulevard to a report of a vehicle that crashed through a commercial structure.  A female driver in her 60s pulled into the parking lot, and into a spot, and the vehilcle accelerated and went into the building, said Sacramento Police Department Spokeswoman Michele Gigante. Someone inside was hit with debris, but no one was seriously injured.  The traffic investigation is ongoing and the driver is being cooperative, Gigante said. 

A woman was robbed of her phone Wednesday night while walking near I and 20th streets, according to the Sacramento Police Department. At 10:04 p.m., the woman was approached by four men who surrounded and distracted her before one grabbed the phone from her hand. The suspects fled, no weapons were used and the woman wasn't injured, the SPD reported.  The suspects were described as black male adults in their 20s, between 5'10 and 6'. The primary suspect was described as wearing a white T-shirt and having dreadlocks.  

A little too much coffee and the desire to divert attention from hairstylist Jake Desrocher’s low retail sales is what spawned "Fly Fest," an annual mashup of music, art, fashion, vendors, and tattoo and body piercing demos. He wanted to create a mini Lollapalooza inside Spanish Fly Hair Garage – the hip J Street hair salon – and show that Sacramento isn't just a little cow town, but is teeming with talent. Six years later, he claims his event is one of the biggest shows during April's Second Saturday. "If I gotta brag, that's the reason why – it's a really kick-ass event," said Desrochers. "We're not doing it for the money, we're doing it for the event itself, seeing the community pull

For the first decade of its nearly 17-year history, Two Rivers Cider was close to a one-man show, with founder and owner Vincent Sterne at center stage. While building his hard cider business, Stern worked behind the bar at Rubicon Brewery, rubbed elbows with those in the homebrewing community and sought advice from wine and beer makers. Back in the mid-’90s, there really wasn't much ado about cider. The bubbly, alcoholic apple drink was in its infancy when Stern broke into the industry, and mostly big brewing companies made fermented fruit suds. "It was mainly large companies I was in competition with, and they weren't giving away their secrets," Sterne said. "When I started there wasn't

Trish Wallis didn't used to walk around her Midtown neighborhood carrying a personal taser, nor did she leave her purse at home when going out at night. But a few months back, when a wave of pedestrian robberies hit her neighborhood, she started taking extra safety precautions, and even stopped walking her dog at night. "It seemed like it was out of control," she said of the crime spree. “I keep my money and services within a few block radius from my house, so I don't want the recent crime to change that. That being said, I'm not stupid and want to be safe.” Wallis, a self-described activist at heart, starting pushing for more lighting on 26th Street, between G and E streets, and notifyi

Multiple shots were fired into the Buckhorn Grill restaurant at 18th and L early Friday morning, breaking windows and hitting the front windows of the adjacent apartment lobby, immediately north of the restaurant. There was no report of shots fired in the area, according to the Sacramento Police Department. California Highway Patrol officers discovered the broken windows and bullet holes on routine patrol. An investigation is underway. Officers believe they will be able to find surveillance footage from surrounding businesses, but won’t be able to secure that footage until the businesses open later in the morning.  

While the Midtown and greater community is uniting to raise money for the Josiah Humphreys reward fund, police are chipping away at the homicide investigation. Sacramento Police Department detectives are reviewing hours of surveillance video from businesses nearby P and 18th streets, where Humphreys was beaten to death in the early hours of St. Patrick's Day, Spokesman Doug Morse said. "Detectives are very pleased with the amount of surveillance video they've been able to collect and receive in the area surrounding the scene," he said. "As of [Wednesday] we haven't IDed anyone, but it's just a matter of sitting down and looking at all that, which they're doing now." Police suspect thre

Did you know that Sutter Middle School was built atop a former cemetery, and room 302 gives people the heebie jeebies? Or that a prostitute killed in the building that houses Biba restaurant on Capitol Avenue supposedly haunts its halls? Maybe you weren't aware that Paragary Bakery produces 2,000 pieces of bread daily for all its restaurants, from a discrete building next to Ink Eats and Drinks. Or that Coffee Works roasts 600 pounds per week, and that light roasts contain more caffeine than its dark counterparts. If this local trivia wasn't part of your general Sacramento knowledge, consider yourself in good company. And if you want to attain a deeper understanding of Sacramento's histo

It’s hard for Veronica Humphreys to explain how the loss of her younger brother has impacted her life. The grief never ceases, she said, and normal activities like eating and sleeping have become a rarity. “Every time I close my eyes I see his face and think, ‘Why did this happen?’” she said. “The rest of my life will be changed forever, I will never have my brother back.” The death of Josiah Humphreys, a 2003 Jesuit High School graduate, has shaken and outraged the community. The 28-year-old died early St. Patrick’s Day morning on his way home from a bar. He was found lying in the grass on the corner of P and 18th streets, not far from his Midtown home on P Street. He died of traumatic