For the most part, the Newton Booth neighborhood is an average, safe residential neighborhood. Located between 24th and 29th Streets, and R and W Streets, it includes historic homes and several inexpensive apartment complexes. Some of those complexes, however, have become debilitated and covered in graffiti, turning some areas of an otherwise clean neighborhood into an eyesore. One such building, at the corner of 27th and U streets, is one of several apartment complexes in the area that have drawn the attention of the local neighborhood association. Police were called in mid-September to remove squatters who had settled in the apartment building, an eight-unit structure at 2031 27th Stree

What's a Newton Booth? A tiny building where you can buy cookies? Wrong. Newton Booth is a cool neighborhood in the lower right corner of midtown, and there are a bunch of artists who live and work there. On Saturday, October 6, from 11 am to 3 p.m. those artists are going to be making stuff, teaching stuff, showing their stuff, and, of course, selling stuff. Anybody who wants to visit the neighborhood that day will get an eyeful. Interested in welding? Gina Rossi will let us wander through while she's teaching a class. Her studio, tucked away on 20th street is a great place to see the fanciful bike racks she creates as well as the fused glass she both creates and teaches. Kristen Ho

Back-in angled parking has popped up one block at a time in Sacramento over the past few years, causing cyclists to breathe a sigh of relief – and making some residents fume. In the Midtown and downtown areas, the city is challenged with providing enough parking spaces for residents and their visitors and providing safe bicycle routes and lanes for the bicyclists that often share neighborhood streets with cars. One solution to this challenge is back-in angled parking, according to Ed Cox, Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Sacramento. The backlash from a recent attempt to install back-in angled parking as part of a traffic-calming plan in Alkali Flat caused a long thread of

The Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association (NBNA) is honoring Mike McKeever, Executive Director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), with the organization’s 2011 Growing Together Award for his role earlier this year as the volunteer mediator in a neighborhood development controversy. The NBNA represents the Poverty Ridge, Newton Booth, and Alhambra Triangle neighborhoods in Sacramento’s District 4. The award will be presented to McKeever Thursday, November 10th, at Newton’s Night Out, a neighborhood event to be held at Revolution Wines, 2831 S Street, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm.  McKeever will be in attendance. The Growing Together Award, established in August 2011, is gi

Though not nearly as widespread as Christmas decorations, many Sacramento homes and businesses are decking the halls with ghoulish adornments for Halloween. “This is Halloween you can see from space,” said Midtown resident Heather Scott outside her well-lit home at 24th and T streets. Emerging from the grave to greet – or scare – visitors is the “friendly Marcus the Carcass” in her front yard. Scott, who said Halloween is the best holiday of the year, took the decorating inside, filling the mantel with spooky accents and even letting a skeleton take up residence in the bathtub under a severed leg hanging from a chain. “I have an over-developed sense of the macabre,” she said, attri

A new policy that will notify residents when a structure is scheduled to be demolished will be considered Wednesday by the Sacramento Preservation Commission. The Community Development Department will present a report on the change to the current policy of notification when a structure that may have historical significance is proposed for demolition. Under the historic preservation chapter of the city code, there is a provision for the city preservation director to make a determination as to whether the structure may be eligible for listing in the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources. There is no requirement in the city code for giving notice to neighborhood residents,

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

Wednesday night's Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association meeting saw an increase in teenage members. Held at Temple Coffee's 28th and S streets location, the meeting was attended by Country Day high school students and several faculty members, including headmaster Steve Repsher. Though a long permit process lies ahead, the school is closer to the goal of moving into the vacant Newton Booth School, 2600 V St., by August. The neighborhood group consisted of residents from three areas: Poverty Ridge, Newton Booth and Alhambra Triangle. Richard "Bud" Halliday, Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association president, welcomed the school's representatives and invited them to attend future meetings.

Sacramento Country Day School soon could become the only high school in the grid. School officials are close to signing a lease for the Newton Booth School, 2600 V St., according to Stephen Repsher, Country Day headmaster. It also would mark the first time since 1976 that the Newton Booth School is being used as a school. Since closing because of earthquake concerns, it has been home to a medical insurance group and an environmental consulting group. "It could be in the next few weeks," Repsher said. "However, we still have to go to the city's planning commission and raise $1.7 million. We've moved a long way forward, but we're probably coming up in the next two to three weeks on some so

On Wednesday a wild turkey was spotted in the Newton Booth neighborhood...and not the sort you find at the Round Corner, but the feathered kind, at the corner of 27th and V in the field across from the old Newton Booth school. According to neighborhood resident Morris Lum: "a turkey was spotted at the vacant lot at 27th Vst it flew up the tree and walked across the freeway ramp and back he's peck'n around the grass watch out for the big claws wed 6pm I put out a plate of mashed potaoes and cranberries for it to eat . . . : )" Wildlife isn't unknown in Midtown, mostly creatures like opossums, skunks, and the occasional raccoon. A wild turkey is something kind of unusual around here, and

I received this letter representing Newton Booth Neighborhood Association's opposition to the proposed change of the tree appeals process. The process of change is being rapidly pushed along. I have a feeling there would be more opposition if there were more time, more review, or more media coverage. Normally, I would not post this kind of letter directly. I want neighborhood associations to speak for themselves using our tools. But because time is short and there is a meeting Monday, December 8th 5:30 pm I feel I have to post this letter. More information is here, here, and here. Newton Booth Neighborhoods Association P.O. Box 161466 Sacramento, CA 95816-1466 www.newtonbooth.org Decem