The city of Sacramento gave Der BierGarten its stamp of approval Thursday afternoon, paving the way for another German pub in Midtown. But the OK came with a few conditions to modify the design.  Design Director Greg Taylor wants the following changes made to the design:  • More significant landscaping between Der Bier Garten and The Golden Bear. • The front patio to be heightened, similar to patio height at The Golden Bear.   Slated to open in July 2013, owner Sean Derfield of Old Sacramento's River City Saloon has been planning this project for the corner of K and 24th streets for the past two years. Currently the site is a vacant lot next to The Golden Bear.  "We have a couple chan

We're announcing an important change in our community contributor guidelines. The Sacramento Press has recently gone through some restructuring, and we’ve had to think hard about everything we do, with the goal of becoming more sustainable and serving our community better. It is within this context that we've decided to ask that businesses or organizations no longer publish articles about themselves or their clients on SacramentoPress.com. Instead, we ask that they submit these stories as pitches to our editorial staff and community contributors. This can be done by email at localnews [at] Sacramentopress.com or via our submit a pitch form. If an organization or a business has news to s

A talented local blogger once told me that he wasn't a journalist because he did not have a degree. I had to correct him. Journalism is something you do. If you're asking questions, writing about problems in your community, or offering fellow residents the low-down on a new restaurant down the block you are, in that moment, practicing journalism. Do it enough and people will call you a journalist. That philosophy underlines a lot of what we do at The Sacramento Press. It is captured in our slogan, "Commit Acts of Journalism" and it's also at the heart of our yearly contest which is about to kick off again, the Journalism Open. This year we're doing things a bit differently. We're puttin

Hacking, that rare word which is both violent and devised as an insult, today ironically indicates intelligence and computational prowess. As showcased in 1995's cyberpunk masterpiece, "Hackers", the profession lends itself to the criminally curious. Rife with turn-of-the-millenium wit; a la coding a computer named Da Vinci, the emblazoned mantra "Crash and Burn", and an infamous rollerblading chase, the film monumentalizes the import of this vocation. Albeit slightly less cinematic, Sacramento lays claims to a similar enterprise. Cereal Hack, a competition of ideas and escalating pitches, promises the spontaneous creation of temporary teams in pursuit of delivering a product. This seque

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership is proposing to rebrand the stretch of K Street between Seventh and 13th streets to “The Kay.” Join The Sacramento Press for a live chat with guests DSP Marketing Director Lisa Martinez, local historian William Burg and business owners Andrew Lopez of Broadacre Coffee and Carina Lampkin of Blackbird Kitchen & Bar, as they discuss the rebranding. Hear about the initial proposal, the process and what it means for the community that is K Street. Are you part of the Seventh-to-13th block? What is your reaction? What would you like to see our guests discuss? Post a question in the conversation below. To keep up with Sac Press Live chats, add us on Goo

You're used to seeing Sacramento's food trucks in parks, on the streets and, maybe, delivering to your office. But on Saturday, Oct. 13, you can expect to see a gaggle of mobile food vendors at the William B. Pond Recreation Area hosting an event to support the American River Parkway Foundation. Food trucks belonging to the Northern California Food Truck Association will be in attendance, including OM Karmabile, Wicked 'wich, OMG Burger, Fuzion Eatz, Pizza Box, Kombucha Kulture, Squeeze Inn, Mama Kim On the Go, Leila’s Lumpia, Off the Mapp Mobile Espresso, Papa Dale’s Drivin’ Diner, Miz Shirley Marie’s, California Love, Willie’s Burgers and Gypsy Mobile Boutique, according to a press rele

The Sacramento Press has approximately 2,000 contributors signed up on our site to voluntarily write articles. Without them, we wouldn’t exist. To just tell you how great they are isn’t enough. In an effort to show you why we love them, we will be putting the spotlight on a new contributor every month in our “Community Contributor Spotlight” video series. Without further ado, we present to you Darren Hall:     If there's a particular contributor you would like to see featured, let us know! Send us an email at support@sacramentopress.com. To meet contributors featured in the past, visit our Community Contributor Spotlight splash page.

One of Sacramento's hotly contested City Council races will be the subject of a forum Wednesday, as Joe Yee and Steve Hansen vie to represent downtown, Midtown and Land Park in November's election. Yee is a longtime Sacramento resident who currently lives in Land Park, while Hansen lives downtown. The two areas are decidedly different, and the challenge for each candidate will be how to represent both. Each candidate has been supported by city unions. The Sacramento Press recently chatted with Yee, and Hansen was endorsed by local firefighters last week. Hansen and Yee will square off from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Pioneer Congregational United Church of Christ, 2700 L St., in a forum

You don’t need – nor do you want – a date for Friday’s Sacramento Singles Expo Trade Show and Dance Party. Hundreds of singles are expected at the Hilton Hotel Arden West, 2200 Harvard St., from 7 p.m. - midnight for the chance to meet that special someone. And folks – dress like you don’t want to stay single. Women will generally be wearing cocktail dresses, and men are expected to show up in dress shirts with slacks or suits and ties. No tennis shoes or casual jeans are permitted. Exhibits, prizes and multiple no-host bars will be available. Entrance prices vary from $12 - $25. View the event page for more details.

Costumed canines are set to take over McKinley Park from 9 - 11 a.m. Saturday for the fourth annual Pups in the Park costume contest and parade. The Kyle Rowland Duo will provide musical entertainment as dogs and their best friends wander about the park, visiting vendor booths, spiffing up for photos in the Pup Photo Booth and, of course, parade in their costumes. One of the canine celebrities in attendance will be Bodie, the Sacramento Police Department dog who was shot on duty earlier this year. Prizes will be awarded for best costume, best Lady Gaga impersonator and best dog/owner lookalike duo. Co-workers or friends or families can enter as teams, dressing their dogs to represent wh

Our political beat and early-morning reporter, Melissa Corker, will be leaving The Sacramento Press to return to her previous job, working with an escrow officer for a title company in Natomas. Melissa joined The Sacramento Press as an intern in the fall of 2011, and was hired as the political reporter that June. She arrived, she said, with “stars in her eyes” and considered it her dream job. The culture, the people and the workspace (especially the pingpong table) at Sac Press impressed her. Melissa’s drive as a journalist – and as a person – was, and is, community service. "That's the whole reason I want to write," she told me. "It's information for people – they find things they did

Sacramento bicycle shop Edible Pedal is leading a bicycle ride and farm tour of Del Rio Botanicals in conjunction with the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op on Saturday. According the the co-op's website, Del Rio Botanicals is a West Sacramento Certified Organic farm on the Sacramento River, and Proprietor Suzanne Ashworth is an authority on seed saving and grows many unusual varieties. On the tour, which costs $20, cyclists will ride at a leisurely pace to the farm, where a tour will be given and there will be tastings of goat cheese, farm-fresh tomatoes and local wine. Event organizers recommend bringing sunscreen, a bicycle helmet and comfortable shoes for walking around the farm. Ride

Southside Park will turn into a battleground Saturday as the inaugural Water Fight Sacramento is expected to see more than 100 people show up to douse each other with squirt guns as the end of summer nears. Mike Flanagan, organizer of Pillow Fight Day and Sacramento Man Hunt, said he likes creating events the whole family can enjoy. “It’s something that’s free, all-ages, family-friendly and community-building,” he said. As of Friday morning almost 700 people were signed up to attend on the event’s Facebook page, but Flanagan said he expects far less to attend – between 100 and 300. “It’s going to be pretty intense,” he said, adding that he is asking participants to bring their own wate

Blackbird Kitchen & Bar, which opened about four months ago, and Bartender Patrick O'Neill said a song inspired his addition to the Midtown Cocktail Week offerings with a drink he calls the William Tell. “I was taking light rail to work on a Monday – we are closed on Mondays so I like to come in and workshop some drinks and see what happens – but I was listening to the Brand New song 'You Won't Know,' and there are some references to William Tell in that song,” O’Neill said. “(I) got to work and started playing around, and all (of a) sudden I had this cocktail. I was happy with everything in it. Then I threw a slice of green apple over a rock cube and threw a cherry on top of it, and ther

It’s not only people that need makeovers. Over the past month we have worked closely with local email marketing company Streamsend to revamp the designs for two of our email newsletters: The “News Digest,” which goes out on Tuesday mornings, and our Thursday morning event newsletter, “Go.See.Do.” We are excited to unveil the updated looks in your inbox this week, starting with Thursday's edition of  “Go.See.Do.” We will still be delivering the same great content but will be doing so with a more aesthetically-appealing and user-friendly touch. Additionally, we’ve added several upgrades we hope you’ll love as much as we do: Mobile-friendly templates Larger photos for your viewing pleas

Occupy Sacramento will protest proposed legislation today at 2:45 p.m. at City Hall that would prevent protesters from holding events without permits on the City Hall property. [Update: Occupy Sacramento City Hall discussion put off till Aug. 9] The Sacramento Press held a live conversation Tuesday with the Vice Chair of the ACLU Board of Directors Cres Vellucci, who works with Occupy Sacramento and is opposed to the city's counci's move. The Occupy group has gone from a large marching protest and occupation of Cesar Chavez Plaza to a small core of protesters on the front lawn of Old City Hall. The group left Cesar Chavez Plaza last year after 110 protesters were arrested for violat

Friday is Navy Day at the Aerospace Museum of California, and visitors can see a wide array of Navy equipment, from the F-14 TOmcat made famous in the movie "Top Gun" to today's high-tech bomb-disposal robots used to clear roads of improvised explosive devices as seen in the G4 cable show "Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan." The robot will be demonstrated by San Diego-based Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 3, and The Destroyers, a Navy band, will play their tunes for attendees. A flight simulator and a video-gaming SUV will give visitors somehting to get their hands on, and the Navy's MH-60S Seahawk helicopter will have its cockpit open for exploration. The helicopter is used for combat s

Bacon is back this week! (Along with your good pals lettuce and tomato, too.) That's right: Bacon Fest Sacramento presents BLT Week 2012, July 16-22. WHAT HAPPENED: Heirloom tomatoes are (thank God, finally) in season. Sacramento's chefs are stoked. WHERE CAN I GET THE DAMN BLTs?: At these 916 restaurants all week: The Golden Bear, Bacon & Butter, Mulvaney's B&L, Restaurant Thir13en, Grange, Blackbird Kitchen and Bar, Shady Lady Saloon, Magpie Cafe and Caterers, Fat Face @ Bows & Arrows. Even a doughnut BLT at Doughbot! WHAT ABOUT THIS BLT BIKE CRAWL?: On Saturday, July 21, some 60 lucky bike riders will nom-nom on bite-sized BLTs and sip beers at all the above restaurants during thein

Join The Sacramento Press as we talk to Here We Build architect Carmichael Dave Weiglein and arena skeptic Isaac Gonzalez about their thoughts on the future of the railyards site and whether it's appropriate for it to be an arena or a Major League Baseball stadium. After talks with the Maloof family fell apart earlier this year, Mayor Kevin Johnson explored the possibility of building an arena without an anchor tenant such as the Sacramento Kings. Arena operator AEG was not on board with the idea sans anchor tenant, putting a gaping hole in plan B. Plan C, announced Monday, is for Think Big Sacramento to take a couple of months to explore whether a Major League Baseball stadium is a via

Welcome to another edition of the our a daily blog,  a rundown of items that we're working on, found interesting, or otherwise thought you might want to know about today. As is always the case here at Sac Press, suggestions are welcome. WHAT WE’RE READING FIELD OF DREAMS: With all the talk this week about the potential of building a Major League Baseball stadium at the railyards, a look at another example bears mentioning. According to The Atlantic Cities, the city of Buffalo, N.Y., banked on building an MLB stadium without a team, hoping that an MLB franchise would see the appeal of a new stadium and pull up stakes for a move to Buffalo. That, however, never materialized, and while the