This Saturday Midtown Neighbors, Business Owners & Community Members will come together to beautify the Midtown Community. Join them in celebrating the end of summer by cleaning up Midtown! The Midtown Business Association is partnering with the Midtown Neighborhood Association, the Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association, and the Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association to host a fall clean up with the support of The Volunteer Center of Sacramento. Volunteers will remove trash and help beautify the Midtown Community from 16th Street to 29th Street, from G to O Streets, or beyond if there is more litter to be found! Coffee and snacks will be provided in the morning when you

Dear Readers, When asked to explain what East Sac Give Back is I often say it a non-profit corporation in formation.  This may be a bit overly technical but what this means is that at this point East Sac Give Back is formally recognized by the Secretary of State of California as a Corporation.  The corporation filled its Article of Incorporation as a Non-Profit with the purpose of providing the neighborhood of East Sacramento a singular philanthopic entity which will reinvest resources back into East Sacramento proper, AND outside of the neighborhood boundaries.   As far as mission or goal, East Sac Give Back aims to use grassroots approaches to transcend traditional community "boundarie

Two years of conflict and debate over a potential McDonald’s restaurant in Oak Park came to an end Tuesday when the City Council unanimously voted to deny an appeal to build the project with a drive-thru. “I’m pleased that the council stayed focused on the real issue, which was the drive-thru,” Michael Boyd, president of the Oak Park Neighborhood Association, said after the meeting. “They listened to the community, which has spoken so loudly for so many years and wanted to be heard. We’re very grateful.” Franchise co-owner John Ritchey declined to comment on the denial of his appeal after the council vote, but a representative provided a prepared statement from the Ritchey family. “We a

Summer is a traditionally a time of fun for children – yet can also be a time for accidents. To help families approach summer in "safe style," South Sacramento nonprofit groups and businesses are teaming up to present the second annual free Kids’ Safety and Health Fair Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 5625-24th Street, Sacramento (off Fruitridge Road between Freeport Boulevard and Highway 99). In addition to a free BBQ hotdog lunch, there will be face-painting, karaoke, a magician, music and a children's bounce-house. Among the participating groups are the California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento City Fire Department, Sacra

Two articles were recently published in the Sacramento Bee about East Sacramento and Oak Park.  They deserve continued attention not only because of what they said about East Sacramento and Oak Park, but also because of what they did not say.  Don't get me wrong, both articles were well written and contained important information about health, community, and change.  I encourage everyone to read them regardless of their location.   The first article, "The have and the have-nots of health on display in East Sacramento, Oak Park" was published in The Sacramento Bee on April 20th, 2012 by Grace Rubenstein.  This article pointed out the dramatic difference in the quality of life experienced b

When teenage cousins Jen and Yumi Chen walked into the McClatchy Library Friday, Branch Manager Sally McGrath took the girls by the crook of the elbow – one girl on each arm – and led them from the small, crowded foyer and through a wide doorway into the adjacent room: a big, bright new space dedicated to some of McGrath’s favorite library visitors. “Can you believe it? This is for you now,” McGrath told the teens. The girls smiled and thanked McGrath as they looked around. They noticed the posters of Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Elvis Presley and others – one for each decade the library has been open – that McGrath bought with her own money to make the space "even more teen friendly.” Th

Have you ever attended Friday Night Concerts in the Park, grabbed a deal at Dine Downtown Week, shopped at the Downtown Farmers Markets, or skated at the Downtown Holiday Ice Rink? Most likely--even if you’ve lived in Sacramento for just a short period of time--you’ve crossed paths with one of these events. But, do you know who puts in all the behind-the-scenes work? It’s the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP), a hard-working organization dedicated to the ongoing preservation and improvement of the Downtown Sacramento area. In addition to producing fun-filled events, the DSP works tirelessly throughout the year to provide ongoing services and programs to the downtown neighborhood, comm

City Councilman Darrell Fong was recognized by District 7 residents Thursday for his part in establishing an event that brought more than 500 neighbors together for a common cause: the safety of their children. Valley-Hi residents James Shabazz, Donald Johnson and Joseph Sillands surprised Fong at the City Council meeting with a scrapbook of photos and letters from event attendees commemorating the Valley-Hi Safety Day fair organized by Fong and his staff in July. “It was important for us to find time to thank (Councilman) Fong for the work he did to put on the safety fair,” Shabazz, an apartment manager at Ridgestone Apartments in Valley-Hi said after the presentation. “We appreciate h

Alkali Flat is the oldest standing residential neighborhood in Sacramento, with homes and businesses that date back to the early 1850s. The story of Alkali Flat is etched in the constantly shifting cultural and socioeconomic climate and the homes and buildings themselves. Alkali Flat is nestled between Midtown and downtown. It lies within the boundaries of H Street and North B Street and extends from Seventh to 13th streets. I have lived in Alakli Flat with my husband for nearly six months. Curious about the history of the buildings that I walk by regularly, I started researching the stories behind the homes and businesses that surround us. Tom Tolley and James Scott’s book, “Sacramento

Now in its second season, the Oak Park Farmers Market provides neighborhood residents with fresh produce, live music and a sense of community, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at McClatchy Park. The market was started by NeighborWorks Sacramento, an organization whose mission it is to strengthen communities and create opportunities for affordable housing. NeighborWorks has made it possible for vendors at the market to accept EBT payments, and, thanks to funding from the Sacramento Hunger Coalition, EBT recipients receive an extra market dollar for every dollar they spend there.  The Sacramento Press staff paid the Oak Park Farmer’s Market a visit on Saturday and was not disappointed. W

City Planning commissioners gave the go-ahead Thursday to a residential building project at 24th and T streets that has been a source of contention between the developer and residents for months. The proposed two-building, five-unit residential apartment complex met opposition from neighbors almost as soon as it was proposed by developer Andrea Rosen last September, and the project has since undergone numerous changes in both concept and design. “It’s been over 10 months and staff put up with a lot of twists and turns on the route and destination,” Rosen said. “But I think this is an exciting, well-designed project, and it will add value to the neighborhood for decades to come.” Initial

Celebrating our 25th year of incorporation, the nonprofit community media center Access Sacramento hosts the annual membership meeting Thursday June 16 7-8 PM . You are invited to attend the event in the television studio at the Coloma Community Center or just watch the event on cable TV channel 17 or streamed on the web site www.AccessSacramento.org to any computer in the world. The 15 member Board of Directors will offer highlights of the year past and look forward to another year of Hometown-TV events, Game of Week football and basketball, "Listen Up, Sacramento" local music, and arts and entertainment reporting weekly on "Livewire". Ten new films are in production in the 12th Annual "

Francis House held a benefit concert from 7 - 10 p.m. Friday night at The Guild Theatre. The concert featured Victoria Vox and The Boulder Acoustic Society. The concert was held in memory of Greg Bunker, former executive director of Francis House, who passed away unexpectedly days after Christmas last year. About 100 people attended. The music was an old-fashioned folksy blend of eclectic sound. The Boulder Acoustic Society opened with keyboards, drums, upright bass and banjo. The keyboardist switched to accordion and the drummer to a marching band bass drum. Victoria Vox, 32, lives in Baltimore, Md. She sings and plays ukulele. She said she finally quit her day job in 2003 to tour and

Seeing a lack of regular jazz shows in the central city, Grady O’Bryant sought to fill that void with a weekly series called Jazz on J at Shenanigans bar on J Street. Jazz on J features a local jazz band every Thursday. The first Jazz on J show was on Feb. 17. Grady worked with saxophonist Ava Lemert to create Jazz on J, which had its fourth show Thursday. Lemeret performs every week before the featured band. “Grady and I met up at Shenanigan’s to talk about putting something together,” Lemert said. “He and I are the creators of the series. Grady had the idea that he wanted to put something together. Maybe have something every week.” Every Thursday, from 6 - 7 p.m., local jazz artist A

The Vibe Foundation held Cake Craze Saturday night. The Vibe Foundation hosted their Cake Craze fundraising event Saturday night, pitting nine local bakeries against each other in a cake-decorating contest themed “Generation Y” at 1725 K St. The event was fundraising for the organization’s opening this summer. Julia Hidalgo,18, another Christian Brothers senior, is the chair of Vibe’s youth board. “The fundraiser is really just to get our doors open,” Hidalgo said. Hidalgo expressed her vision of Vibe as molding to the needs of the youth community that leads it. “It’s all about what kids want,” Hidalgo said. “If kids want free SAT classes, maybe we’ll do that,” Hidalgo said. “We’re ho

Access Sacramento is putting together a network of news bureaus in the South Sacramento area. The goal is to get youth to report for their communities, producing news stories about South Sacramento. The effort is based around a website that access Sacramento has set up called accesslocal.tv. Ron Cooper, executive director of Access Sacramento, said that besides being known for negative news, South Sacramento seems to be absent from the news altogether. He wants to help revitalize the area through empowering the youth to become news reporters and serve them by developing their journalism skills. “South Sacramento is big area with lots of people and lots of ethnic diversity,” Cooper said.

Ladybug Ladybug opened its second location at 2512 J St. last November, where they sell greeting cards and gifts. “It’s kind of your one-stop gift shop,” said Sheila Istvanick, 40, Ladybug Ladybug’s owner. Istvanick opened her first gift card store in San Francisco’s Noe Valley at 24th and Sanchez in 2002. Since opening the store, Istvanick has had three daughters. She recently moved to Sacramento to be closer to her extended family. Istvanick worked at Papyrus before partnering with a friend to open the first Ladybug Ladybug. She said she really values small business and locally sourced products. From cards to gifts, Istvanick tries to find and promote local items. “I hope to carry m

Sacramento native and humorist Jack Gallagher is returning to the 24th St. Theatre/Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community after his sold-out performance of “The Joke’s On Me” last year. His encore show, “The Joke’s On Me....Again,” will run twice on Feb. 26. The show will be a combination of music and personal stories, Gallagher said, with a mix of music from the last four decades and will be performed by the Dick Bright Band. The stories will center around Gallagher’s life as a performer. Band members will recount their experiences with some of the original musicians of the covers that will be played. Members of the Dick Bright Band have played with prominent musicians like Todd Rund

The Sacramento Food Bank was filled with about 50 people Thursday night as Mayor Kevin Johnson spoke at the Oak Park Neighborhood Association meeting. Johnson spoke about the green economy, downtown development, the state of Sacramento’s schools, volunteering in the city and homelessness. He emphasized the need for a strong and vibrant downtown and a growing green economy. “You kill two birds with one stone,” he said. “No. 1, you improve the environment, and No. 2, you can create jobs.” Johnson said he is a proponent for building the sports arena downtown. “Our community deserves a world-class facility, and I’d like to see that downtown because it creates jobs, and all the other busin

The Friday, January 21st hearing at which development firm Petrovich Development planned to request a permit from the City of Sacramento to remove Heritage Trees from his Curtis Park Village site has been cancelled until a future date. The postponement is the  result of a meeting arranged between Sacramento Councilmember Jay Schenirer and members of the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA) on the evening of January 19th. Representatives of SCNA’s Neighborhood Concerns Committee who attended the meeting are encouraged about what transpired, and feel that what was agreed upon and what is still being discussed amounts to good news for trees at the future site of the development proj