Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento press"

Midtown BierGarten approved with design tweaks

2013-03-21T22:40:08Z

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 changes but in the long run it's workable," Derfield said following the meeting. "Hopefully the next person who does a cargo project can learn off our mistakes and requirements."

Derfield's vision is to create an open-air restaurant and beer garden, serving only imported German and Belgian beer, and authentic, traditional food. It will include the use of cargo containers – one to house restrooms, and the other to house the kitchen – as well as solar power for nighttime lighting, and water reclamation to reuse rainwater for plants.

Long, traditional BierGarten tables from Germany will be used outside, and a bicycle rack will be installed nearby so patrons can store their bicycles in a safer location than on the sidewalks.

Our coverage of the meeting has it happened:

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Changes to The Sacramento Press contributor guidelines: Citizen journalism, marketing and everything in between

2013-02-20T03:12:54Z

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 share, then it will be all the more powerful if that story is told with an independent voice and perspective. Our community manager, Allison Joy, knows our contributors well, and helps them find the stories that fit their interests and areas of expertise. Though we cannot guarantee coverage, we feel that this method will better serve our readers and result in better, more compelling stories.

We will pay particular attention to story pitches that come from nonprofits, as nonprofits tend to have a sense of mission and community spirit that we hope is part of what The Sacramento Press represents. Notices about free events or fundraisers will be published by our staff as "Public Service Announcements." If you know of one, you can email us about it at psa[at]sacramentopress.com.

There will be cases in which local nonprofits whom we’ve established community partnerships with will be allowed to post on their own behalf. We’ll still require that the posts be in article format (not press releases) and that they tell a story (here's a good example). The criteria which governs this posts will evolve. In general, there will be kinks as we figure out the best way to implement this policy and we appreciate the patience of local organizations and our readership. Your feedback, as is always the case at The Sacramento Press, is welcome.

Of course, anyone who wants to reach our audience for marketing purposes should consider advertising on the site. We will allow clearly labeled advertorials, and sponsored live chats or Q&As. We see our advertisers as community partners, and we will support them in ways that are transparent and upfront with our readers.

I realize that many public relations professionals have been encouraged to post on the site and we're grateful for the contributions they've made over the years. My hope is that the spirit of this policy comes across as straightforward and reasonable, and it that it will ultimately make Sac Press a better and more credible source for local information and news.

The Sacramento Press is a platform for citizen journalism and civic discourse. This is a site where people can talk about what's going on in their neighborhood, or share what they think about the opening of a new brewery, the latest show to come to town or the last City Council meeting. Our audience has grown steadily over the last several months, and we have a lot of exciting projects in the pipeline, including a new website design with lots of new features.

There are more changes to come. Keep letting us know what you think and we'll keep listening.

Disclosure: Jared Goyette is the editor and general manager of The Sacramento Press. He can be reached at jared[at]sacramentopress.com or at 916-720-9245,

It's on: Journalism Open 2013

2012-12-05T04:51:43Z

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 putting together a jury of locals to help judge the contest and we've introduced a few new categories. There are, as always, cash prizes and a grand ol’ shindig we throw to give them all out, the "Community All-Star Party." (Mark your calendars now: it will be held Feb. 11 at Chops Steakhouse. Details to follow).

To participate, publish an article on The Sacramento Press anytime between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31. Be sure to tag it "Open2013." We will release more specific guidelines on how and what to write as well as the criteria by which content will be judged later in the month.

I'll work with our community manager, Allison Joy, to pass the best contributions on to our team of judges, who will pick the winners in each category. Readers will also be able to vote for their favorite stories, and the winning writer will receive the "People's Choice Award."

Here's the breakdown of the awards and prizes:

People's choice: $400

1st Place - Juried selection: $400
2nd Place - Juried selection $200
3rd Place - Juried selection $100

Photography prizes

1st Place $300
2nd Place $200
3rd Place $100

Category prizes

$50 and 2 free IMAX tickets: Most civic-minded
$50 and 2 free IMAX tickets: Most original story idea
$50 and 2 free IMAX tickets: Best interview

Have questions? Post them in the conversation below and we'll be sure to respond. We will also hold a workshop on Thursday, Jan. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in our offices to help answer questions. If you would like hands-on help and advice, come to our "write-in," on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. The collaborative work session will feature pizza, caffeine and the practice of citizen journalism.

You'll be hearing more about the contest, the categories and the judges in the weeks ahead. This is your time to shine, journos. Show us what you’ve got!

Coding Da Vinci

2012-10-31T18:23:17Z

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 sequel to Cereal Hack’s inaugural hackathon surfaces November 10th and 11th. Sponsored by the illustrious Intel, in collusion with The Sacramento Press, the event presents opportunities for the green and seasoned.

Last June’s Cereal Hack featured a collaborative concentrate of hackers, coders, designers, and biz devs. Orchestrated amidst Midtown's finest, veterans, as well as newcomers, will participate in this autumn’s event.

Inhaling the intense air of innovation -fresh code, budding developers- participants will be confined to Hacker Lab’s Headquarters for forty-eight straight hours. The adjudicating cast includes Chris Minnick, (CEO: Minnick), Steve Hansen (Senior Regional Manager: Genentech), Ben Illfeld (Founder: Sacramento Press, Adglue), and Adam Kalsey (Product Manager: Tropo). If serendipitous camaraderie is insufficient, a hearty grand prize equal to $2,000 will be given to the most gifted group.

All proceeds will go to support Hacker Lab, a Non-Profit and community-funded space.

Curiosity piqued? Inquire within for rules of engagment: http://cerealhack.com

Disclosure: Marie-Clare Treseder is the Content Curator for Hacker Lab and In-House Philosopher for Minnick.

Chat: Rebranding K Street to "The Kay"

2012-10-16T21:11:23Z

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 Google+

'Truckin' on the River' food truck event to benefit American River Parkway Foundation

2012-10-10T18:06:52Z

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 release.

The American River Parkway, often described as the jewel of the Sacramento region, faces problems with homeless camping, litter and other issues.

Entry to the event is $5 in advance and $8 at the door. All proceeds fund the American River Parkway Foundation, which works to maintain the the area.

William B. Pond Recreation Area is located at 5700 Arden Way. The event begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. Live music will be provided along with the food trucks. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the foundation's website.

Community Contributor Spotlight: Darren Hall

2012-09-26T18:51:11Z

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.

Sacramento District 4 candidates Joe Yee, Steve Hansen to hold forum Wednesday

2012-09-17T19:47:28Z

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 moderated by the League of Women Voters.

Questions will be centered on topics including homelessness and affordable, accessible housing; hunger; land use and community
equity. Questions from the audience will also be accepted, and questions can be on any topic.

Sacramento Singles Expo Trade Show and Dance Party on Friday

2012-09-12T18:39:18Z

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.

Pups in the Park takes over McKinley Park in East Sacramento Saturday

2012-09-12T18:10:16Z

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 what they do – maybe rainbow wigs and red noses if your family works as clowns for the circus.

Entering a dog costs $25, and entry without a pooch is $5. If you're looking to pick up a pup, on-site pet adoptions will also be available.

Proceeds raise funds for homeless animals in the area, and working together on the event are the SPCA, Youth Development Network, VIBE Foundation and Front Street Animal Shelter. Part of the proceeds will also benefit the Friends of McKinley Park Tennis.

Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.

Farewell to Melissa Corker

2012-09-10T17:32:32Z

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 didn't know, they find ways to do better, to improve."

Over the last year, the stories she most enjoyed working on were about people who helped others, like the workers at a state agency that seeks unknown victims entitled to restitution.

She also helped draw attention to community causes that might otherwise have been overlooked. This May, she was the first reporter to write about the city's plans to cut recreation programs for the disabled. The Sacramento Bee and TV news soon followed. Melissa stayed on the story and, with the media spotlight on the issue, the city decided to restore most of the funding for the program in question.

At the title company, Melissa will help track transactions to make sure each party complies with contractual obligations. The mastery of detail and ability to delve into complex processes that she learned while working in real estate served her well in government reporting, be it by following the path of a particular ordinance or explaining the ins and outs of redistricting.

Melissa stood out at Sac Press for her positive attitude, impressive work ethic and an ability to find humor in the little ironies and absurdities one encounters while working as a journalist. She tackled her job with earnest enthusiasm while never taking herself too seriously in the process.

She will still be in the area and may still write for us every now and then, time permitting. Around the office, she said she will be remembered for the ducks around her desk (go, Oregon!), her ability to consume copious amounts of caffeine and what she referred to as a "hummingbird mentality."

"I'm always buzzing around, always moving," she said. "I don't think I sat still for very long."

If if you have a message for Melissa, leave it in the conversation below this article. I, for one, wish her the best, and after having worked with her, I'm sure she has the smarts, personality and drive to be successful wherever she goes.

THE MELISSA CORKER FUN FACT FILE

* She has never, in more than 30 years of doing laundry, wound up with evenly paired socks out of the dryer.

* She repositions the eggs in the carton after she uses them so the carton is perfectly balanced before she returns it to the fridge.

* She met Tom Hanks on 57th Avenue in New York in 1987 when she was 17 – and she still has the Hard Rock Cafe bag that he signed for her.

* She climbed Mount Whitney (highest summit in the contiguous United States), ran a marathon in Paris, France, and scuba-dived in Mexico.

Bike ride, farm tour and cheese and wine tasting on Saturday

2012-09-05T18:59:54Z

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.

Riders are tentatively scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Edible Pedal, located in the alley between 17th, 18th and L streets and Capitol Avenue.

Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right in time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Water fight in Southside Park Saturday

2012-08-24T05:45:46Z

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 water supplies, but there are three filling stations in the park, and he will be supplying six to 12 large buckets for people to refill their squirt guns.

The event kicks off at 2 p.m., and participants must bring their own squirt guns. Water balloons are allowed as well, but people must pick up after themselves.

“We don’t want ducks and kids to have a choking hazard,” he said.

Participants won’t be divided into teams, and Flanagan said people will be on their own to form teams if they like.

Southside Park is located at 2115 Sixth St.

“When it comes to other forms of entertainment – music, poetry, comedy – some are limiting because they’re for 18 and over or 21and over or not appropriate for kids,” Flanagan said. “I want to keep these events open to all.”

With so many exciting events taking place in Sacramento each week, narrowing down the options can be a daunting task. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right in time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Midtown Cocktail Week: Blackbird's 'William Tell'

2012-08-21T18:16:35Z

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 there it was in front of me. And the name sealed it.”

O'Neill said he loves that the song inspired the drink, and he thinks there's nothing better than a drink with a story behind it.

“Guests love to hear that stuff, and I love to tell it. Pun intended,” O’Neill added. “William Tell has his legend, and I am glad I can pay it my respect.”

The William Tell:
Maker's Mark
Antica Carpano
Heerings Cherry
Luxardo
Orange juice

Blackbird Kitchen & Bar is located at 1015 Ninth St. in downtown Sacramento.

Notice something different in your inbox?

2012-08-06T18:34:20Z

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 pleasure
Video capabilities
More efficient sharing button capabilities

If you’re not on our email list yet, see below for a brief description and sign up links.

News Digest

We know that you might not have time to check the site every day, but we want to be sure you’re still “in the know.” Every Tuesday we highlight our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Peruse our article snippets and click through to get the rest of the story.

Sign me up for the News Digest!

Go.See.Do.

With so many exciting events taking place in Sacramento each week, narrowing down the options can be a daunting task. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, just in time to make your weekend plans. Each event listing includes the event date, location and links to more information.

Sign me up for Go.See.Do.!

If you have questions or feedback, let us know! Email us at support@sacramentopress.com.

Occupy Sacramento protests proposed law for City Hall

2012-07-24T17:38:57Z

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 violating the city’s curfew ordinance – which was upheld in the courts earlier this month.

City Hall is not a park and therefore was open for the group, but the City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee will discuss enacting a similar ordinance to the park curfew law today that would cover City Hall.

Occupiers wrote in a press release today that they believe the city is trying to take away their First Amendment rights by preventing them to assemble on the City Hall property 24 hours per day.

According to the Law and Legislation Committee agenda, the aim is to preserve the city’s capital investment in the City Hall property, and there will be an event-permitting process for people who want to demonstrate in the block bounded by H, I, Ninth and 10th streets.

No laws will be passed today, as any proposed ordinance will have to go to the full City Council for approval.

Bomb-exploding robot demonstration a part of Navy Day at air museum

2012-07-19T22:54:06Z

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 search-and-rescue operations as well as supporting special operations units such as SEALs.

Active-duty military get free admission for them and their families by presenting a military ID at the door. General admission is $8.

The museum is located at 3200 Freedom Park Drive in McClellan. The event runs from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., with the Destroyers concert at 1:30 p.m.

Sacramento Bacon Fest presents BLT Week 2012

2012-07-18T17:46:59Z

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 theinaugural BLT Bike Crawl 2012. Get info and buy tickets here, at Brown Paper Tickets, for $30, which includes all food, a few beers, a sweet Bacon Fest T-shirt. All the proceeds go to nonprofits, including the Center for Land Based Learning. THIS IS ALMOST SOLD OUT! HURRY!

AND THERE'S A PARTY? AND AWARDS??: Vote on your favorite BLT and attend the BLT PARTY AND AWARDS on Saturday night, July 21, at 6 p.m. at Bows & Arrows (19th & S streets). This event is FREE! Local chefs will win the BEST BELT award, special beers will be priced to drink, DJs will play, you will eat more bacon than you can wrap your head around. Or wrap around your head.

FIND THE OFFICIAL SACTO BLT WEEK POSTER ON FACEBOOK!

FIND OUT MORE:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacramentoBaconFest

On Twitter: @sacbaconfest

On Brown Paper Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/258594

PRAISE THE LARD!!!

A chat with Carmichael Dave, Isaac Gonzalez about arena future, railyards

2012-07-10T18:12:34Z

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 viable option for the railyards, and while Johnson mentioned looking at luring the Oakland A's to Sacramento, A's ownership told media outlets Monday afternoon that they aren't interested in Sacramento at this point.

A video of the chat will stream live here at about noon.

Editor's note: The chat is now over. Look for an artilcle with video highlights tomorrow morning on SacramentoPress.com.

Another MLB stadium saga, food fight at the Capitol, mermaids on stage

2012-07-10T15:01:47Z

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 stadium still hosts games, it's not the big leagues.

FOOD FIGHT: A recent resolution from Assemblyman Roger Dickinson to establish September as “Food Literacy Awareness Month” has some growers and grocers armed with rotten tomatoes over nuances in the resolution language. The resolution was intended to support the state economy by encouraging the purchasing of California-grown produce – but some food industry folks took exception to wording in the document about the nutritional value of organic food and the merits of local eating. A broad spectrum of opposition to the bill has come forward, including tomato growers, bean shippers, citrus growers and the California Farm Bureau Federation. Christina Jewett writes in California Watch that “in a state where half of the nation's fruit, nuts and vegetables are grown, seemingly uncontroversial statements about food draw intense scrutiny.”

FOUL BALL: Mayor Kevin Johnson’s announcement yesterday that Think Big Sacramento will work on a plan to lure a Major League Baseball team to the area didn’t fly with officials from neighboring West Sacramento, the current home of the Triple-A minor league team, the Sacramento River Cats. CBS Sacramento reports that West Sacramento Mayor Chris Cabaldon said he didn’t know about Johnson’s plans and isn’t too happy about them:

HOT, HOT, HOT: Get out the sunscreen and Slip ‘n Slides, folks – we’re headed into four consecutive days of 100-plus degree weather, according to Weather Underground. Today, Midtown woke up to a 60-degree morning, but the thermometer will hit a high of 108 by late afternoon. The good news is, temperatures will dip down to a cool(er) 93 degrees on Sunday. Yay.

SOMETHING TO DO

UNDER THE SEA: Tonight is opening night at Music Circus for the stage adaptation of Disney’s “The LIttle Mermaid.” Unsatisfied with her life in the sea, young mermaid Ariel longs to experience the human world above, so she embarks on a fascinating journey to discover her true self. Performances continue through July 22. Tickets range from $30-$70, and special $30 tickets are available in any seating section for kids ages 4-12.

LUNCHTIME GROOVE: Via Hot Lunch Concert Series Facebook page: “Food, including Hot Italian, Wicked 'wich, and Mama Kim Cooks Catering, fashion, GypsyMobileBoutique, live music by Hot Tar Roofers in Fremont Park today 11:30 a.m. - 1p.m ... bring your friends and family, including your dog!”

JUST BECAUSE: A rough sample of newspaper journos on our Facebook page seem to indicate that this is what they are reading this morning

Via the Onion:
Economically Healthy 'Daily Planet' Now Most Unrealistic Part Of Superman Universe
"I can totally buy into an epic battle in which Superman claps his hands and creates a sonic boom that sends Darkseid flying through 50 buildings," lifelong reader Richard Taft said. "But as soon as people start lining up at newsstands to read about it in The Daily Planet, I think, 'Doesn't anyone have a computer at work? Are there no smartphones?' Before I know it, I'm suddenly aware I'm reading a fictional comic book, and the spell's totally broken." Read more.

Speaking of which...

PSA FOR FELLOW JOURNALISTS: Online News Association Sacramento Meetup: Are you interested in mingling with fellow local journalists? Join us for happy hour at Blue Cue on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.. This is will be our inaugural meetup. No strings attached, just an opportunity to meet local media professionals.

This morning Wake-Up Call is brought to you by the well-caffeinated MELISSA CORKER, staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

'Casablanca' at the Crocker

2012-07-03T18:10:44Z

Too young to have seen "Casablanca" on the big screen when it premiered? Or maybe you want to relive the memory? Well, here's looking at you, kid: The Crocker Art Museum is screening the classic film outside at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Patty Felkner of Viewpoint Photographic Art Center will give a talk on the 1942 film's groundbreaking cinematography, according to the Crocker Art Museum's website.

At 8:30, the show starts, and you can relax in your lawn chair while Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman put on one of the classic love stories of all time.

Tickets are $5 for members, $6 for college students and $8 for non-members.

36th annual Fourth of July 5-miler

2012-06-27T18:33:46Z

Start your Fourth of July with a brisk run or walk at the 36th annual Fouth of July 5-miler next week.

The Buffalo Chips Running Club hosts the free event, which kicks off at Glen Hall Park. According to the event website, it's the oldest running event in the city.

Sign-in starts at 7:15 a.m., and everyone must sign a waiver.

Kids 10 and younger can run a half-mile race that starts at 7:45 a.m., and the full 5-mile race begins at 8 a.m.

Glen Hall Park is located at 5415 Sandburg Drive in East Sacramento near Sacramento State.

Sacramento Boat Show this Saturday

2012-06-27T18:21:38Z

The Sacramento Boat Show docks at the Sacramento Marina at Miller Park on Saturday, giving would-be boaters the chance to pick up their new watercraft in time for the Fourth of July.

Hundreds of boats, from Zodiacs to yachts, will be on show during the one-day event, according to the event website.

Also appearing at the show will be multiple local bands and a wakeboarding demonstration.

Food trucks including Drewski's Hot Rod Kitchen and Coast to Coast sandwiches will keep everyone fed while they shop for that new summertime toy.

The show runs from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park, 2790 Marina View Drive.

Michael Jackson cover band at Ace of Spades

2012-06-27T18:09:21Z

Dust off your moon-walking shoes for Thursday's performance at Ace of Spades by Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson cover band.

Ace of Spades is one of Sacramento's most popular music venues, enlivening the R Street corridor over the past year and a half.

Most people can probably sing along to any number of Michael Jackson songs, and Who's Bad will be performing them live starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Tickets cost $23.95.

Ace of Spades is located at 1417 R St.

Fourth of July fireworks at Cal Expo

2012-06-27T17:53:16Z

Head to Cal Expo this Fourth of July for the area's largest fireworks display.

In its annual partnership with Sacramento County, the California Exposition & State Fair will shoot off fireworks to celebrate the nation's birthday.

The free event begins at 6 p.m. and includes music from local radio station 107.9 The End and live music from the United States Air Force Band. Once the sun sets and the skies go dark, officials will signal the launching of the fireworks.

Cal Expo is located at 1600 Exposition Blvd.

Community contributor spotlight: Chris McClain

2012-06-27T17:29:14Z

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 Chris McClain:

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.

11th annual King of Feasts this Saturday

2012-06-23T00:03:34Z

Come join local restaurants, food trucks and even The Sacramento Press at the annual King of Feasts luau at the Sacramento Zoo Saturday night.

On-hand at the event will be premium local wines, beers and spirits, as well as food from some of the city’s best restaurants and, of course, food trucks, according to a press release.

Some of the vendors at the event include Chops Steakhouse, Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen and Original Po’Boys. There will also be a local Hawaiian shave ice dealer, according to an event organizer.

The Hawaiian theme will be prevalent throughout, and guests can walk around the zoo grounds as Hawaiian guitarist Kalei Kema and Na Aikane Ukelele Club fill the air with tropical tunes.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $60, and presale tickets for zoo members are $45 in advance.

The 21-and-over crowd can expect to see the various local food and drinks vendors in different sections of the zoo.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the King of Feasts page.

The Sacramento Zoo is located at 3930 West Land Park Drive, and the event runs from 6 - 9 p.m. Saturday.

Sacramento Current Interviews Tom Negrete of The Sacramento Bee and Jared Goyette of Sacramento Press

2012-06-21T03:08:58Z

Tonight (right now in fact) Sacramento Current (Sacramento's oldest and best podcast about local public affairs. see www.sacramentocurrent.com) is interviewing Tom Negrete of The Sacramento Bee and Jared Goyette of Sacramento Press about the state of news media in our city and at large. We'll have the audio up just as soon as our friends at Third Bedroom Studios and RanSackedMedia.com can work their magic.

West African drum and dance classes this weekend

2012-06-20T20:02:52Z

You can learn the rhythm and beats of West Africa on Sunday at Firehouse 5 with a West African drum and dance class.

Amadou Camara, of Guinea, will be teaching drummers and dancers of all levels how to play the instruments and dance to the beats.

People with their own drums are encouraged to bring them, but limited numbers of both djembe – played with the hands – and dununs – played with drumsticks – will be available, according to event organizer Heather Dowling.

"It's traditional dance and drumming from West Africa," Dowling said. "It's open to people of all levels."

Those who don't want to learn how to drum or dance are welcome to show up and watch, free of charge, and there will be a boutique with West African attire on-site.

"It's high-energy," Dowling said. "You feel great, and you meet new friends. The energy you feel after being around a live drumming is unique."

Firehouse 5 is located at 2014 Ninth St. The drum class runs from 2 - 3:30 p.m., and the dance class runs from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for one class or $20 for both and can be ordered by calling 889-4288.

Mumbo Gumbo and Todd Morgan & the Emblems on June 8 Concerts in the Park lineup

2012-06-07T22:07:33Z

This Week’s Friday Night Concert in the Park features headlining act Mumbo Gumbo, which blends roots music with a few classic covers, and Todd Morgan & the Emblems will provide its unique sound, drawn from multiple genres. Rounding out the night will be DJ Mikey Likes It, and the after-party will be at Torch Club.

Mumbo Gumbo is a Concerts in the Park Veteran, and the below YouTube clip shows the band playing in Cesar Chavez Plaza.

The band blends many styles, including soul, rock, zydeco and afropop, according to the Mumbo Gumbo website. The septet has played for almost 20 years and has released eight albums.

Todd Morgan & the Emblems formed in 2007, and singer/songwriter Todd Morgan takes elements of multiple genres, including jazz and current rock and pop, according to the group’s website.

The group’s newest release is “Dance With Me,” an EP that came out Jan. 15, 2011.

The after-party will be at Torch Club, located at 904 15th St., recently celebrated 12 years at its current spot, even though it traces its roots back to the 1930s, when it was one of the first businesses to sell liquor once Prohibition ended.

The concerts are located at Cesar Chavez Plaza, 901 I St., and run from 5 - 9 p.m.

Live chat with mayoral candidates at 11 a.m. today

2012-06-04T16:57:05Z

Community leaders will join The Sacramento Press for live chats with incumbent Mayor Kevin Johnson and Jonathan Rewers, who currently serves as chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Questions will be chosen from those submitted by readers over the past week.

The first chat will be with Johnson at 11 a.m., and the second chat will be with Rewers at 11:45 a.m.

After the chats, videos will be posted on YouTube and featured on The Sacramento Press.

Editor's note: We're working on an article now that should be live later this afternoon. Thanks to everyone who participated. Sorry for the tech issues – this was our first time doing this and we had an equipment failure – but despite that, we got some good questions from readers and responses from the candidates. More soon...

Make a Movie This Summer - Cast & Crew Call TODAY 3-5 PM

2012-06-02T07:23:46Z

Access Sacramento invites actors, artists, film technicians, craft services spealists, and all who love seeing local movies on the big screen at the Crest Theater to come to the Coloma Center (4623 T St.) Auditorium today from 3-5 PM. Ten scripts have been selected and at 3 PM sharp, the ten writers now become producers and they ask for your help making their dreams come alive on the screen this summer.

Celebrating the thirteenth year, A Place Called Sacramento Film Festival starts with ten slected short scripts. Each filmmaker describes his or her script to the attendees and then the fun begins. All are invited to meet the filmmakers and suggest how they can help. By 5 PM, the core cast & crew for ten films are near completion.

Don't be left out - come early to this free event and get yourself video recorded as a potential filmmaker or actor. Copies of all these quick auditions will be shared with the ten filmmakers. Doors open at 1:00 PM with the "Express Yourself Festival" - Tour the community media studios of Access Sacramento. Meet representatives from local media including new Sac Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette.

In the past 12 years, 119 films have been completed, premiered at the Crest (this year on October 7), and can be viewed on the web site www.AccessSacramento.org. Don't be late - see you in the movies.

Disclosure: Ron Cooper is Executive Director of Access Sacramento

Sacramento Pride Parade and Festival this Saturday

2012-05-30T18:23:54Z

The 2012 Sacramento Pride Parade and Festival kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday with the parade’s start at Fourth and N streets.

The focus of the Sacramento Pride events is to bring gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans into everyday society, and there is no requirement of being gay to partake in the festivities.

Capitol Mall between Fourth and Seventh streets will be the scene of the festival and parade after-party, with dance pavilions, local DJs, a kids zone and plenty of food.

Last year’s event saw a huge turnout despite rain, and the weather this year is expected to be nice and sunny.

Tickets are $10.

For more information, check the Sacramento Pride website.

Open cockpits and aircraft flyby highlight Armed Forces Day at aerospace museum

2012-05-16T18:33:22Z

Explore the cockpits of legendary airplanes such as the Blue Angels’ fighter jets, the “Top Gun” F-14 Tomcat and the A-10 Thunderbolt as the Aerospace Museum of California celebrates Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 19.

A brief ceremony honoring the troops with a dedication of the McClellan Memorial Rose Garden will be held at 11 a.m. in the Air Park in conjunction with a Coast Guard C-130 flyby.

Guests will also have the opportunity to speak to original members of the Tuskegee Airmen from World War II and author Len Kovar, who wrote “WWII Prisoner of War: How I survived.”

Entrance is $5, and active-duty military members and their families get in free.

The museum is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and is located at 3200 Freedom Park Drive.

More events this week:

May 18
Walking Spanish concert
@ The Torch Club

May 19
West Coast Brew Fest
@ Miller Park

May 19
Boulevard Park Green Thumb Brigade
Boulevard Park

May 19
Community bike ride and underwear drive
@ 2197 Chase Drive Rancho Cordova

May 19 - 20
Pacific Rim Festival
@ Old Sacramento /Westfield Downtown Plaza

May 22
Sacramento Celebrates Harvey Milk Day
@ 1215 19th St.

Get Sacramento Press event picks every Thursday in our Go.See.Do newsletter. Sign up here:

Walking Spanish comes to the Torch Club Friday

2012-05-16T18:15:16Z

Local rock band Walking Spanish will perform Friday at the Torch Club, which recently celebrated 12 years in its current location.

Sacramento Press community contributor Lindol French saw the band last year at the Torch Club and characterized the performance as “a phenomenal, high-energy rock show, peppering their staggeringly good original material with a variety of tasty covers.”

Also playing will be special guest Parie Wood.

Tickets are $7, and the show begins at 9 p.m.

The Torch Club is located at 914 15th St.

More events this week:

May 19
West Coast Brew Fest
@ Miller Park

May 19
Boulevard Park Green Thumb Brigade
@Boulevard Park

May 19
Armed Forces Day at the Aerospace Museum of California
@ McClellan Air Park

Get Sacramento Press event picks every Thursday in our Go.See.Do newsletter. Sign up here:

West Coast Brew Fest this weekend

2012-05-16T00:21:04Z

About 3,000 people and 120 different brews are expected at this year’s West Coast Brew Fest in Miller Park on Saturday.

Started in 2000, the brew fest showcases California, Oregon and Washington’s influence in micro brews, and judges award ribbons in a blind taste test two weeks before the event.

Organizer Matson Breakey told The Sacramento Press last year that dedicated followers from as far away as Arizona and Washington show up to try the beers, hear the local bands and sample the food.

There are no tasting tokens, and festival-goers are given a cup upon paying admission, which gives them unlimited tastings until the event is over or the kegs are tapped.

For more information, visit the West Coast Brew Fest website.

More events this week:

May 18
Walking Spanish concert
@ The Torch Club

May 19
Boulevard Park Green Thumb Brigade
@Boulevard Park

May 19
Armed Forces Day at the Aerospace Museum of California
@ McClellan Air Park

Get Sacramento Press event picks every Thursday in our Go.See.Do newsletter. Sign up here:

A Farewell to News

2012-04-27T23:11:16Z

Today marks the end of my 135-week journey with The Sacramento Press. Here is my first and last editorial.

When I applied to be an intern for an online newspaper in September 2009, I never imagined it would lead me to being the editor-in-chief of anything.

In high school, I dreamed of being a writer for a newspaper or a magazine. In my college entrance exam, I wrote about how I wanted to make a difference through my writing. I wanted my voice to be heard.

I still remember when I interviewed for The Sacramento Press internship. I sat across from Ben Ilfeld and told him my goals of moving to New York to work for a major magazine. I told him I wanted to go to journalism school. Ben looked at me with a look of amusement and asked me what was wrong with Sacramento. I told him I wanted to get away from the small city and experience the “real world.”

He told me journalism school was a waste of money. Back then, I thought he just didn’t believe in “true” journalism – he didn’t have the background or the training, so what did he know, anyway?

I was part of the first group of interns, and we wrote stories as best as we knew how. I felt like a saleswoman at times, emailing city employees and selling them a product that didn’t exist yet. We sought out bloggers and asked them if they would write about Sacramento on a website and newspaper that hadn’t yet launched.

A few weeks later, The Sacramento Press went live, and our intern articles were prominently featured on the front page of this cool new online newspaper. We were lucky if we could update the front page every three days with new content.

The Sac Press had a never-ending stash of Red Bulls and plenty of gadgets to keep the co-founders entertained – a pogo stick, a remote control blow-up ninja, Nerf dart guns and a robotic dog.

In January, I was hired as journalism support manager and began training interns and coordinating workshops.

As I’ve been cleaning out my emails this week, it reminded me just how many people I’ve met from working at Sac Press. My fiancé jokes that we can’t go anywhere without seeing people I know, and 90 percent of the time I know them because of Sac Press.

I am most proud of the workshops I have helped to put together at Sac Press. We’ve hosted/took part in some 50-plus events, most of them being workshops. The collaboration was the most important part to me, and I am extremely grateful for the people we worked with in the very beginning who believed in us and who volunteered their time and knowledge to share with the community. (Ricardo Robles, Ronnie Ledesma, Jeff Marmins, Brandon Weber, Holly Heyser, Janna Marlies Maron, Jeff Louie.)

There are countless professors and media professionals who have given wonderful workshops at The Sacramento Press and I am deeply indebted to them. (Dianne Heimer, Doug Herndon, Molly Dugan, Clare Noonan, Max Whittaker, Sam Amick, Rick Kushman, JT Long, Jeffrey Callison and many others.)

Much of the time I’ve worked at Sac Press has been an uphill battle in gaining recognition and respect from both the Sacramento-area residents, but also the other media players in town.

A major breakthrough for me was when we hosted our first event with The Sacramento Bee. Our relationship with the Bee when we launched was not a friendly one.

We had to cancel one of our workshops early on because the Bee wouldn’t let its writer teach the workshop. This kind of attitude continued when we reached out to do a media panel on the topic of paywalls and charging for content. However, after an in-person meeting, we were able to break down that wall, so to speak, and have since worked on two major events together.

There were two events in particular where I felt a major sense of accomplishment. Those two events brought together representatives from the Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento Magazine, Midtown Monthly, KVIE, the Bee, Sactown Magazine, Capital Public Radio, the Sacramento News & Review and KCRA.

Seeing the competing media outlets in one room discussing journalism was an amazing feeling.

Much of what I’ve learned has been trial by error. I made mistakes of my own as a reporter, and I watched as interns made those same mistakes and I was the one apologizing on their behalf.

Being around Ben’s and Geoff Samek’s enthusiasm for Sacramento and for community journalism was infectious. You can’t help but be inspired when you hear them talk about how much they love Sacramento and how empowered our community can be with reporting tools and a platform to commit acts of journalism.

I became editor-in-chief unexpectedly in September 2011 after being managing editor for about a year and a half. It was difficult seeing my colleague and boss, David Watts Barton, leave The Sacramento Press. I was excited to take on a new role but it was at that time that I started evaluating if this was really what I wanted.

It was around that time when I stopped enjoying the daily grind of news. It feels so good to get the scoop on a story, but the satisfaction quickly fades as another breaking development wipes out the previous story from everyone’s ADD attention span.

I was in charge of the newsroom – everything that came in and out of it, which was an exciting challenge, but it began to wear on me. The news never stops, but Colleen does.

Tuesday nights were no longer Tuesday nights but a dreaded evening when I would be tied to my computer waiting for the City Council to vote on a report or duke it out over redistricting maps.

The repetitiveness of correcting it’s to its in intern stories or fixing subject-pronoun disagreement was driving me up the wall.

And to think at one point I was seriously considering getting “news” tattooed on my wrist.

But in all seriousness, I do hold The Sacramento Press and journalism in a very special place in my heart.

I’ve been so impressed and amazed by the people I’ve met along the way. Working with community contributors, our reporters and our interns has been so rewarding. The Sacramento Press took a chance on me as an intern in bringing me on to write and encourage others to do the same.

My views on journalism and on Sacramento have changed tremendously since I’ve worked here. I no longer wish to move to New York or work for a magazine. I have grown to love Sacramento, and I plan to stay here and raise a family.

I’m no longer so concerned with hearing my own voice or being heard. It’s ironic that my career path now involves working with those who can’t hear.

I want to become a sign language interpreter – I want to give voice to others. And you could say that this desire to give voice to others has been cultivated at The Sacramento Press.

As I sign off for the final time as editor-in-chief, I want to thank the community of writers and readers who have supported this growing publication. The Sacramento Press would not be successful or relevant if it weren’t for you.

The staff at The Sacramento Press are some of the most hardworking, dedicated and crazy (in a good way) people you’ll ever meet. To really understand The Sacramento Press, you need to meet the people who keep it running day to day.

And with this, I now become a community contributor.

Correction: Go.See.Do. dates for Family Fun, Bassnectar

2012-04-26T18:48:22Z

In Thursday's weekly Go.See.Do. newsletter, the date for the Family Fun Fest at Fairytale Town was erroneously listed as April 29.

The event in fact takes place on April 28.

For more information on the event, click here.

Also in Thursday's Go.See.Do. newsletter, Bassnectar is listed as occurring on on May 2, when it in fact occurs on May 4.

The Sacramento Press apologizes for the mistakes.

The Sacramento Press welcomes its new Editor in Chief: Jared Goyette

2012-04-23T17:05:58Z

We are excited to announce the newest addition to The Sacramento Press team – Jared Goyette.

Jared is the fourth editor in chief The Sacramento Press has had since it launched in 2008.

For the past three years Jared was the online producer for The Miami Herald, writing headlines, selecting the front page stories, editing images and managing social media accounts. On top of managing the morning shift at The Herald, Jared founded a hyperlocal publication called Open Media Miami.

Open Media is the community news partner of The Herald and covers the downtown and Midtown areas of Miami.

Jared said he started Open Media Miami because he “wanted to experiment with online news coverage … and immerse (himself) in the topics and issues that fascinate (him): local news, civic engagement on the web, urbanism and online journalism from the ground up.”

He has grown that site from a staff of one blogger (Jared) to an operation with two editors, a part-time writer, a small sales team and a handful of freelancers.

Having been the publisher of Open Media, he brings with him the experience of growing a neighborhood news site. He has organized community socials and candidate debates, served as a spokesperson and salesperson for Open Media Miami and worked tirelessly to break stories around the clock.

So why did Jared move across the country to take a job with The Sacramento Press?

“I believe that for local journalism to stay both relevant and sustainable, we must preserve what’s valuable from traditions of the craft while being unafraid to embrace the open, participatory, constantly evolving, and innovative nature of the web,” he said.

“The way SacPress is built, both as a company (as part of Macer Media) and as a site, reflects an understanding of this reality in ways that are hard to find in the industry. As a sustainable model for a news and social media operation that has both professional reporters and an active group of over 2,000 citizen journalists, SacPress is breaking new ground, and is one of a few sites across the country that is in the process of defining what the future of local news might look like. That’s exciting to be a part of and was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”

When asked what he is looking forward to about working at The Sacramento Press, he said, “The energy in the office is great and it’s going to be fun to work with a talented, small team, in which everyone knows each other and is working toward the same goals. It’s a privilege to work for a site with such an active community, and I’m looking forward to getting to know our readers and contributors at our events and around town.

“Also, there is a reason why journalists and reporters are so often featured in the movies or on TV shows – we’re right in the middle of the action. We have, as they say, ‘A front seat to history,’ and Sacramento, with the railyards, the arena deal, and so much else in flux, is at an interesting point in its history right now. I’m going to give this job everything I have and enjoy it at the same time. You can’t ask for more than that, and I’m eager to jump right into it.”

Jared joins a fabulous editorial team – City Politics Reporter Melissa Corker, Business Development Reporter and Copy Editor Brandon Darnell and Intern Coordinator Elizabeth Orfin. During my time here, I’ve really enjoyed working with Melissa, Brandon and Elizabeth. Here’s what I can say about our team:

Melissa enjoys reading city reports and attending City Council meetings more than anyone I’ve ever met. She is a self-proclaimed “policy wonk” and you could call her the energizer bunny when it comes to covering everything on her beat. She approaches all of her stories with zeal (and coffee in hand) and a bubbly sense of humor. She absolutely loves her beat and her job and we couldn’t be happier to have her on our team.

Brandon keeps our content clean and balanced with his keen, copy-editing eye. He edits all in-house content on top of being a full-time reporter. He also works closely with our interns, sharing his journalistic expertise and photography knowledge. Brandon is a great storyteller and does a wonderful job of focusing on the people behind the businesses he profiles, the surrounding area and the history behind the building.

Elizabeth loves to edit. She is a former Sacramento Press intern who now coaches our interns with reporting, writing and staying organized. She is extremely detail-oriented and is the glue that holds our internship program together. She is always looking for ways to improve how we do things and she’s extremely efficient so as soon as she has an idea it gets put into action immediately.

When asked what new approaches Jared plans to bring to The Sacramento Press, he responded by saying “Online journalism can have a lot in common with a radio. You have a live stream of content, you’re taking questions and input from your audience, and you’ve got to be on your toes to update any developing stories.

“I want to bring more of that live and interactive sensibility to SacPress. We’ll still have features, but there will be more immediacy to our day-to-day news coverage, with more reporting, and wider a mix story formats coming from our staff writers. We’ll do what the story calls for, be it a few graphs, a Q&A, or a full feature with a video, a searchable database and a map.”

Citizen journalism is at the core of The Sacramento Press, and when asked about citizen journalism, Jared compared journalism to an art form that should be shared.

“My view is that journalism and writing are crafts that should be celebrated and shared with as many people as possible. It’s the same with other crafts or art forms, like acting or playing the guitar. Say, for instance, I’ve been playing the guitar for a few years and you want to learn, so I teach you a few chords. Or maybe you already know how to play and you teach me some songs that you know, and vice-versa. Maybe we write a song together. Does any of this threaten me as a guitarist? Would it make sense if I started complaining that the price of guitars was too low and that therefore, no one was attending my concerts? Of course not, but that’s the kind of sentiment you hear from some critics of citizen journalism.

“If people are writing, in a civil and transparent way, about issues that are important to their community, that’s fundamentally good for society. I’m passionate about journalism and writing and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned from others, just as I’m certain that I still have a lot to learn myself,” he said.

Jared has a degree in geography and urban studies from Temple University, but all of the jobs he’s held after college have been at news publications, so I asked him how he got into journalism.

“I grew up in a household where we watched the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
every night and argued about politics. I’ve been an online news junkie since the time of dial-up modems and ‘You’ve got mail.’ I had planned to go into policy work or maybe law school, but I kept being drawn back to writing and journalism. I was, just as I am now, driven by the love of the craft, an intense curiosity, and the desire to use the tools of journalism to fight for what is right and fair,” he said.

“It may sound cliché or overdone, but George Orwell was a big hero of mine. One afternoon, while in an exchange program in Brazil about eight years ago, I was listening to a Christopher Hitchens lecture on the life Orwell, in which he said something to the effect of, ‘If any of you have ever thought seriously of taking up the profession of writer… don't give up. The life I have been trying to describe is an exemplary one. It will repay your study.’

“In that moment, something clicked. I decided to go for it, and haven’t looked back since. I volunteered, I freelanced, I interned, I got one job, then another, and another, until I eventually ended up at the Miami Herald, and now here. I love what I do, and I love the fact that if I do it well enough, I can help solve problems and improve people’s lives. It’s not like that all the time, but that possibility always exists, and that’s what makes me come back everyday wanting to do better than the day before.

Jared just moved to the heart of Midtown, which has been our main coverage area at The Sacramento Press. I asked him what excites him about living in the central city.

“It’s the right city at the right time. My wife and I have moved around a lot over the last few years, but she’s about to finish her doctorate in audiology and our daughter is almost two and a half. We wanted to be in a place where we could start thinking about schools, getting a house, and more long term plans.

“Every city has its challenges, but one thing that stood out about Sacramento for us is that it’s affordable, and that a higher quality of life is accessible here for middle class families than in places like Miami (where we came from) or than in bigger, more expensive cities like San Franciso or New York.

“We live right in the middle of Midtown, and I have to say that the grid is phenomenal. There are so many restaurants and cafes, each one with its own particular personality. The old Victorian houses here have character. It’s easy to get around – there are bike lanes and broad sidewalks, and the streets are lined with trees. I’ve walked for miles over the last week, through downtown and Midtown, and I still have a lot to explore. This is a great place to live.”

When I first started at The Sacramento Press, I was an intern, working to realize the founders’ dream of creating a neighborhood news site in Sacramento. I’ve seen a lot of changes and a lot of growth in the last three and a half years, but I’m very happy to be leaving the newsroom in such good hands.

Jared can be reached via email at jared@sacramentopress.com, on Twitter @JaredGoyette or on his public Facebook feed at facebook.com/JaredMGoyette.

Breaking the Ice Interview Workshop April 19

2012-04-06T14:13:16Z

Most people would jump at the chance to interview their favorite band, but when they actually sit down to do the interview, sometimes the questions and answers fall flat. With a limited time constraint and the pressure of hitting it off with the musicians you admire, the nerves and lack of preparation might make you wish you had a do-over when all is said and done.

Rick Ele will help you get the most out of your interviews – with musicians or the chef at the new restaurant – at his Breaking the Ice Interview Workshop. The workshop will be held at the Sacramento Press office, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, April 19.

Ele has been a DJ and radio host for 17 years at the freeform community radio station KDVS 90.3 FM in Davis. During his career, he has interviewed more than 100 bands, musicians, DIY record label honchos and authors.

The workshop will go over how to prepare for an interview, how to make the interviewee comfortable and how to come up with unique and creative questions that haven't been asked hundreds of times.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Sacramento Valley Station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking.

To RSVP for this workshop, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Community contributor spotlight: Mary Nares

2012-04-02T18:04:26Z

The Sacramento Press has approximately 2,000 contributors signed up on our site to voluntarily write articles. Without them, we wouldn’t exist.

Among this group, there is a small core of writers and photographers whom we work closely with on a regular basis. These contributors go above and beyond by taking assignments from us, having their articles copy edited and making us very proud as they represent us in the community.

To just tell you how great they are isn’t enough. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them.

For the past two weeks, we have been rolling out our “community contributor spotlight” video series featuring six of our top community contributors.

Without further ado, we present to you Mary Nares:

See last year’s video series here: Meet our community contributors

Community contributor spotlight: Aaron Davis

2012-03-30T18:08:49Z

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. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them.

Through next week, we will continue rolling out our “community contributor spotlight” video series featuring six of our top community contributors.

Without further ado, we present to you Aaron Davis:

See last year’s video series here: Meet our community contributors

Community contributor spotlight: Janna Haynes

2012-03-28T19:14:27Z

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. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them.

During the next week, we will continue to roll out our “community contributor spotlight” video series featuring six of our top community contributors.

Without further ado, we present to you Janna Haynes:

See last year’s video series here: Meet our community contributors

Community contributor spotlight: Barry Wisdom

2012-03-26T17:20:22Z

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. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them.

During the next week, we will continue to roll out our “community contributor spotlight” video series featuring six of our top community contributors.

Without further ado, we present to you Barry Wisdom:

See last year’s video series here: Meet our community contributors

Community contributor spotlight: Elaine Johnson

2012-03-23T17:37:52Z

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. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them.

For the next two weeks, we will continue rolling out our “community contributor spotlight” video series featuring six of our top community contributors.

Without further ado, we present to you Elaine Johnson:

See last year’s video series here: Meet our community contributors

Community contributor spotlight: Ron Nabity

2012-03-21T22:15:30Z

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. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them.

For the next two weeks, we will be rolling out our "community contributor spotlight" video series featuring six of our top community contributors.

Without further ado, we present to you Ron Nabity:

See last year’s video series here: Meet our community contributors

John Hernandez shares his experience with photojournalism

2012-02-22T22:48:35Z

Photojournalism is the creation of photos that don’t just please the eye, but tell an unbiased story, said Sacramento-based photographer John Hernandez during the workshop he led. Hernandez’s workshop stressed the importance of working hard to get real, dynamic photos in the moment, rather than faking good shots with heavy editing afterwards.

His discussion was organized around seven basic genres of photojournalism: news, features, profiles, photo illustrations, sports coverage, photo essays and photo-audio slide shows. He provided unique tips about each topic, ranging from how to take head shots for profiles to making sure sports shots include reaction alongside action.

Hernandez taught the photojournalism workshop to 21 community members on Tuesday at The Sacramento Press. Audience members included photographers, journalists, photojournalists and others interested in entering the field.

Photographer Michael Torres, 44, owns three photography businesses and said he was attracted to the workshop because of its emphasis on journalism and storytelling.

“I know how to work a camera, but don’t know how to make my images tell a story,” Torres said. “This workshop introduced me to techniques about how to shoot things that viewers will be able to take away information from.”

Hernandez shared his knowledge about photojournalism as well as his experience working in the field.

He opened with an story about his entry into the field.

“I’m a Filipino immigrant, and ~~my father~~ I wanted me to be an engineer so that I could make money,” he said. “But I couldn’t shake my passion for photography, and my passion and dedication has allowed me some really great opportunities as a photographer.”

~~Elk Grove resident and novice photographer Elizabeth Delgado, 44, said she found Hernandez’s story inspiring.~~

“As a beginner in the field, it’s good to know that not everyone’s path is crystal-clear, but sometimes rocky and full of obstacles,” she said. “I like that this presentation is given by a newcomer in the field because it makes photojournalism seem more attainable to normal people.”

Bravery was the first of three characteristics that Hernandez repeatedly stressed throughout the presentation as vital to becoming a successful photojournalist.

“Photojournalists need to leave their shyness at the door,” he said. “It’s important to get close enough to get a good shot.”

Creativity was the second key attribute that Hernandez suggested photojournalists strive for.

“Don’t think that maintaining journalistic objectivity means that you can’t be artsy,” Hernandez reminded the crowd. “Photography is an art, and photojournalists can be creative if they work hard enough to get the right angle or perspective.”

Lastly, Hernandez identified willingness to put in long hours as another trait that will aid photojournalists.

“It’s important to be willing to arrive early and stay late, because that’s where some of the most descriptive shots happen,” Hernandez said. “Remember, you’re telling a story, so you have to have a beginning and end in addition to a middle.”

“He gave a lot of applicable and useful information,” Delgado said. “I did not know that there was so much technique in photojournalism.”

Elk Grove resident and public relations intern at the American Lung Association in California Baryo Dee, 21, said that this was the fourth workshop that she’s attended at The Sacramento Press, and she plans to come back.

“I thought the presentation was informative and well worth my time,” Dee said. “It was interesting to hear about John’s real-word experience, and I liked that he gave so many doable tips instead of just talking about theory.”

Editorial Note: Corrections were made to this article after it was published. The incorrect information was struck out and the correct information added.

Photos: The Sacramento Press Community All Star Party

2012-02-15T01:02:13Z

Thanks to everyone who came out to The Sacramento Press Community All Star Party last night! Below are some of the highlights from the party, which was held at Mayahuel:

Photo Credit: Photos by Tia Gemmell, Riverview Media Photography. See the complete album at PhotoTia.com.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2012 Journalism Open!

2012-02-14T07:33:17Z

It was a very tough decision to choose the winners of The Sacramento Press 2012 Journalism Open.

Fifty-three community contributors shared 93 stories about the greater Sacramento area and the quality of submissions this year really impressed the judges.

Thank you to all of you who made this year’s Journalism Open a success.

The Sacramento Press judges were Casey Kirk, Director of Community Outreach, Brandon Darnell, Copy Editor and Reporter, and Colleen Belcher, Editor-in-Chief.

Each story was judged on newsworthiness, research and sources, spelling and grammar and how interesting they were. Each winner could only win one prize. Click here to read the complete judging criteria.

First place and $600 went to Ron Cooper for his story, “10 Reasons Why a 50-Year Parking Agreement is Bad for Sacramento.” Ron’s article was a thoughtful and thorough analysis of Sacramento and why its residents don’t need a 50-year parking agreement. His story was very timely and showed a genuine knowledge of and concern for the city of Sacramento.

Second place and $400 was awarded to Eileen Wilson for her story, “Women fight breast cancer - and win. Dr. Ernie Bodai shares his thoughts.” Eileen’s story brought to life the toll that breast cancer has on women. She also highlighted how it is becoming more common for younger women – in their 20s and 30s – to develop breast cancer. The real-life story of her mother Rita’s triumph was very powerful.

Jillena Hernandez won third place and $200 for her story titled “Corti Keeps Tradition of Balsamic Vinegar Alive.” Jillena opened our eyes to the world of traditional balsamic vinegar and Darrell Corti’s involvement in making it more accessible. We all learned quite a bit about the food industry – and we even learned that Corti has the equivalent of knighthood in Italy.

The three $100 honorable mentions went to Sherrie Cramer, Aaron Davis and Heather Ireland.

Sherrie shared the two-part story of her daughter’s brave battle with leukemia and the importance of blood marrow transplant donors titled “A Journey of Hope Part I” and “A Journey of Hope Part II.” Sherrie openly shared the painful story of losing her daughter to help bring awareness to the need for donors and how vital they are in saving lives.

Aaron’s article, "The indelible soul of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band," illustrates how powerful the force of music is, especially in New Orleans. Despite the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, music survived and kept people going as they picked up the pieces of their lives and tried to move forward. Aaron’s interview with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band showed how this band takes the jazz and history of New Orleans music with it wherever it performs.

Heather Ireland’s story “Local Man Fired for Feeding Cats” broke the record for most views on The Sacramento Press with nearly 15,000 views. Her in-depth look at 7Up employee Larry Ottoviani who lost his job for helping stray cats caught the attention of readers nationwide and even internationally. Because of her story, emails and phone calls have been pouring in to support Larry and a website is being set up for donations.

We chose four winners in the photography category: Steven Chea, Kati Garner, Marcos Hernandez and Ron Nabity. The $500 for this category was divided up evenly meaning each won $125.

Steven captured a great action shot of the crowd at a Wallpaper concert. The perspective makes the viewer feel like she is there in the crowd. Click here to see the article.

Kati covered the Crocker Art Museum’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration and her unique framing of the two singers around the grand piano caught our attention. Click here to see the article.

Marcos shot a photo to accompany his wife Jillena’s article about traditional balsamic vinegar. The photo is of a bottle of balsamic vinegar being drizzled over an Asian pear topped with goat cheese. The lighting and focus of the photo make it a true work of art. Click here to see the article.

Ron wrote a story about the Bike Lane Project on Freeport Boulevard and his accompanying photos really illustrate the need for bike lanes on the busy street. He attached his camera to his bike to get the winning photo, which shows a creative angle of a bike riding side by side with a car. Click here to see the article.

Again, we want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who entered the Journalism Open. We enjoyed seeing and meeting many of you at the Community All-Star Party Monday night.

Until next year!

Intro to Photojournalism Workshop Feb. 21

2012-02-07T01:08:27Z

Photographs are an important part of storytelling and can often tell a story on their own. After a brief workshop hiatus, our first Sacramento Press workshop for 2012 will be on photojournalism. (The Journalism Open workshop wasn't a typical workshop for us.)

John Hernandez will teach an introductory photojournalism workshop from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Sacramento Press office called "Introduction to Photojournalism."

Hernandez is a Sacramento-based photographer. He has professional experience in wedding, portrait and social documentary photography as well as various multimedia platforms, including audio slideshows. He has freelanced for ABS-CBN, a Filipino American news channel, and interned at The Sacramento Press. He has a journalism degree and Asian American studies minor from San Francisco State University.

He will discuss photojournalism – what it is and what it isn’t. Hernandez will also talk about equipment, tips for shooting and demonstrate how to make an audio slideshow.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Sacramento Valley Station station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges, and we cannot cover the cost of parking.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Reporter interns

2012-02-06T20:24:20Z

We are currently seeking highly motivated reporter interns to cover local stories in our community.

Your Role:
As an intern at the Sacramento Press, you will be a huge part of our day-to-day success. Function as a writer and cover local beats. Explore a variety of story types – profiles, sports and event coverage, reviews, press conferences and more. Meet story deadlines and generate story ideas. Be a resource for our other writers, encourage and recruit. Form and cultivate relationships with local businesses, clubs, and resource providers (PIOs, librarians, ombudsmen, historians). You will be armed with the resources (digital cameras, voice recorders, professional photographers) to do on-the-scene reporting and really fine-tune your journalism skills. Most of all, this is an opportunity to be creative and find new stories to tell and identify the people who can best follow those stories.

In addition to writing and editing, build skills to:

Create videos that tell stories
Learn how journalists use Twitter
Better understand your audience
Dialogue directly with your audience

These are the skills you will need to be successful in a changing media climate.

Hours
This position is 15-20 hours per week for 15 weeks. If you are a CSUS student you can earn 3 units of credit, per the guidelines for approved CSUS internships. UC students can also earn units for completing the internship. This is an unpaid position.

Location:

Downtown Sacramento

How to Apply:
To apply for this position, send your resume, cover letter and up to three relevant writing samples to colleen@sacramentopress.com.

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Sales, Marketing and Advertising intern

2012-02-06T20:22:44Z

We are seeking a highly motivated Sales, Marketing and Advertising Intern. The successful candidate will assist the Department with various projects and tasks that will give them a well-rounded understanding of business operations.

Your Role:

Distribute marketing materials for Sacramento Press and clients
Coordinate advertising efforts and help design email campaigns for prospective clients
Research thoroughly via the internet for information to create effective marketing plans for clients’ businesses
Compile leads from online and other listings and add them in a database
Assist with client management by making sure our clients receive the highest level of sales and operational customer service
Attend local events to build accounts, including weekend and evening events on occasion
Assist with the creation of persuasive sales presentations using market trends, creative ideas and The Sacramento Press analytics
Assist with the development of cutting edge marketing and advertising campaigns for clients
Perform various administrative tasks for the department as needed

Job Requirements:

Strong interpersonal skills, excellent writing skills, ability to prioritize assignments and multi-task, attention to details, and the ability to work independently. Graphic Design skills a huge bonus (Creative Suite Mac).

Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business Administration and other related majors are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply:

Send a cover letter and resume to: dina.neils@sacramentopress.com

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Social Media intern

2012-02-06T20:22:03Z

We are currently seeking a highly motivated social media intern for Agency M at The Sacramento Press.

About the position:

The Social Media Intern will have a large role in maintaining and updating our clients' social media accounts, gathering data for regular reports, and helping with strategy. You will be expected to understand the in's and out's of every social media platform we use, and be able to think strategically and apply that understanding.

You are the ideal candidate if you can work independently and as a team member, if you have the drive to go above and beyond what you've been asked, you are creative and love to write, you are "social", you are constantly exploring new possibilities, you are an excellent researcher and you are very responsible.

Your responsibilities will include:

Maintaining and updating client social media accounts
Crafting original content for distribution on client's social media platforms
Live streaming video, tweeting and posting photos at local events
Promoting events on all event sites and across all social media platforms
Gathering data and creating monthly reports for each client
Working with clients to meet their expectations
Photo and video editing

This is a 16-week internship. We want to see you in the office 10 hours a week plus occasional events.

Please apply with the materials listed below:

i. A brief cover letter explaining why you would like this position.
ii. Your resume or the link to your LinkedIn profile.
iii. Links to the social media sites you use.
iv. Anything else that's creative and shows a bit about who you are.

Send to chris.brune@sacramentopress.com.

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Graphics intern

2012-02-06T20:20:46Z

We are seeking a highly motivated Graphics Intern for immediate hire. The successful candidate will assist with various projects that will help them gain real world professional graphic design experience in a fast-paced and deadline driven environment.

Job Description:

The successful candidate will assist with various web and print projects from concept to completion. Our Graphics Intern will work on a wide range of projects including, but not limited too, web banners, club cards, posters and pamphlets. Will support various departments at Sacramento Press including Sales, Marketing, Advertising and Operations.

Requirements:

Must be currently studying Graphic Design at an advanced level or have a Graphic Design degree.
Must have an advanced knowledge of current graphic design principles and practices.
Proficiency with CS3 Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign) is required.
Strong project management skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Must enjoy collaborating, learning from others and working as part of a team.
Proficiency with Macs is preferred.

Location:
Downtown Sacramento

Hours:
The position is 12 hours a week for 4 months. Flexible schedule available. This position is unpaid but eligible for school credit.

How to Apply:
Send a cover letter, resume and samples of your work to: dina.neils@sacramentopress.com

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Editor-in-Chief

2012-02-06T20:18:34Z

The Sacramento Press is seeking a dynamic editor-in-chief to oversee the day-to-day operations of the newsroom. This position will play a key role in expanding the presence and reach of The Sacramento Press into the surrounding media market.

We’re looking for someone who is ambitious, confident in their ability to learn quickly, and focused on creating compelling content for the local communities. Excellent writing and reporting skills and good editorial judgment are essential.

The ideal candidate will bring lots of ideas for new ways to present stories online, through text, photos, or videos.

Experience in using a content management system is a plus, as is experience in podcasts, editing video, conducting and moderating panels. Experience working with technology teams is also preferred. Ability to edit HTML and other light coding would be outstanding.

Ideal candidates will have:

Passion for journalism and an understanding of how it can transform a community

At least three years previous newspaper and/or other publication experience

A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university

At least two years editing experience

Experience with online publications

A deep understanding of the demands of 24/7 websites

Experience leading a team

Ability to edit copy quickly and always improve stories

Understanding of how to promote stories via social media

Ability to speak confidently when appearing on TV and radio

Enthusiasm to create and sustain relationships with stakeholders and neighborhood leaders

Excellent news and editorial judgment

Strong diplomatic skills and ability to interact with journalists at all levels of the newsroom

Excellent organizational skills and ability to work under pressure

Proven ability to break news and generate outstanding story ideas

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Enthusiasm for working with a technology team to envision the future of news

Light coding skills and competence at HTML manipulation

Your job responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

Make Sacramento a better place to live
Maintain engaging and relevant splash pages that are refreshed daily
Seek out ways to incorporate graphics such as surveys, charts, video, etc. in content
Write editorials
Will help maintain site and produce weekly electronic newsletters
Track daily and weekly deadlines
Compile monthly analytics and reports
Adapt to changing organizational forms and help other department heads meet goals
Supervise, train and develop a staff of two reporters, an intern coordinator and up to six unpaid interns
Plan scope and content of all editorial content and assign stories
Ensure content is factually accurate, and does not violate copyright laws or contain libel
Identify and pursue ways the Sacramento Press can increase editorial outreach into local communities
Responsible for quality of online content and layouts
Curates journalism workshops

The Sacramento Press offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including medical, dental and vision plans.

This is a fast-paced role in a high potential growing company. This is a unique opportunity to be a critical piece of our growth. This position is located in Sacramento, CA.

Compensation:
This is a full-time contract-to-hire position.
Upon hire, it is a full-time salaried position.

Ready to apply? Submit your resume, portfolio or clips and any other helpful information to colleen[at]sacramentopress.com.

Journalism Open Workshop Jan. 17

2012-01-11T01:13:59Z

Need a push getting started on your article for The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2012? We've got a workshop for that.

Bring your story ideas and questions about the writing contest to our Journalism Open workshop Tuesday, Jan. 17.

We will go over how to enter photos: standalone or accompanying, judging criteria, past winners and how to develop your stories by including sources and doing research.

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at The Sacramento Press office.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Sacramento Valley Station station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges, and we cannot cover the cost of parking.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

New 'To Catch an Error' contest starts today!

2012-01-02T00:04:11Z

The Sacramento Press’ “To Catch an Error" contest has ended for the month of December. We are excited to announce our winner, Steven Chea!

Chea received a total of 46 points for catching minor spelling and grammar errors in stories by community contributors and editorial interns.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

If you missed last month’s contest, it’s time to start hunting again. Beginning today, we will wipe the slate clean and start our January contest. January’s winner will receive two tickets to see Paula Deen in the meet and greet section. One runner-up will receive a $15 gift card to Monsoon.

The deadline for entries will be midnight on Jan. 31.

See below for complete rules. If you have any feedback or questions about the contest, please email support@sacramentopress.com.

What is the contest all about?

"To Catch an Error” is a monthly contest that we hope will improve the quality of content on our site. We know mistakes are inevitable, but we want to do our best to eliminate as many as possible.

That’s why we're asking for your help to catch errors in articles on The Sacramento Press! Each month, we want you to submit any spelling, grammar or factual errors you catch to contest@sacramentopress.com.

Errors will be accepted until midnight on the last day of each month (unless stated otherwise). Throughout the month, errors will be evaluated and corrections made to articles at our discretion.

At the beginning of each month, we will announce the winner from the previous round along with the errors he or she caught, wipe the slate clean and start all over!

Errors will be assigned different values, using the following point system:

* Minor grammar and spelling error = 1 point
* Misspelling name of person = 3 points
* Factual error = 5 points
* Error in editorial intern story = 3 bonus points
* Error in staff reporter story = 5 bonus points

Note: The Sacramento Press follows Associated Press style for most spelling and word usage.

Each month, the person with the most points will receive a prize, a merit badge on his or her profile and a little bit of social media love. Prizes will vary from month to month.

Official contest rules

Eligibility: To be eligible, contestants must be registered as a user on The Sacramento Press.

Note: The same person cannot win two months in a row.

Deadline: All errors must be submitted by midnight on the last day of each month, unless otherwise stated.

How to enter: You can enter as many times as you like each month, and multiple entries can be submitted at the same time. Entries must be submitted by e-mail and will not be accepted through social media or as comments on articles.

To submit an error, send an email to contest@sacramentopress.com with the following:

* Your first and last name, along with your Sacramento Press user name
* A link to the story where you found the error
* Copy and paste the entire sentence or paragraph as it appears in the article, along with the error

If clarification is needed, a Sacramento Press staff member will follow up with you. When an error is submitted to us, a reply will be sent, verifying the number of points earned within 24 hours.

Submit errors as soon as you catch them! If an error has already been caught and a correction issued, points will not be given for the error.

Corrections: Errors will be verified by the Editorial and Community Outreach departments, and normal editorial correction policies will be applied. We will edit minor spelling or grammatical errors. More serious errors, such as factual inaccuracies, will be investigated on a case-by-case basis. Please note, we are under no obligation to issue a correction for every error submitted.

Note: The Sacramento Press has the final say in all errors being submitted.

Prizes: Prizes will change every month, and we reserve the right to change a prize at any time without notifying contestants.

Good luck!

A thank you to our talented community contributors

2012-01-01T02:19:45Z

Another year has passed and it’s time for reflection. The Sacramento Press has been lucky to form new relationships with some very talented contributing writers and photographers while strengthening our relationships with contributors who have been with us all along.

Our region had many notable events that will forever ingrain 2011 in Sacramentans’ minds.

When the “99 percent” occupied Cesar Chavez park and when Gus Vina left his post as City Manager, our community contributors were there to report. When the first cars inched their way down K Stree t and when the Sacramento City School Board considered relocating campuses, our community contributors were ready with notepads and cameras.

Our community contributors live and breathe the issues that impact our region and are truly the essence of The Sacramento Press.

This year, we reached a milestone that we are very proud of. In September, the 10,000th article was posted on our site. It would not be possible to reach that accomplishment if it weren’t for our dedicated community contributors.

Earlier in the year, some of our best contributors were recognized in short videos.

As one more small token of appreciation, we have put together digital showcases of articles and photographs posted by our Top Contributors.

Below are the community contributors who have gone above and beyond, working closely with us and submitting high-quality content that we are proud to recognize.

We hope you’ll take a moment to see what they have accomplished throughout the year! Click on the names below to see individual splash pages.

Aaron Davis played a significant role in helping us reach 10,000 articles this year. Aaron briefly worked in the Community Outreach department, supporting our contributors while continuing to contribute himself. He is a man of many talents, writing about everything from Osama Bin Laden’s death and the infamous Kings relocation debacle (yes, in the same article) to playing April Fool’s jokes on our readers. We can’t wait to see what he will write about next.

Alejandra Gonzalez is a woman about town who has embraced the essence of Sacramento. This
year she captured everything from wine-swirling at Grape Escape to tutu-twirling of the Sacramento Ballet. Whether it’s tea parties, fundraisers or concerts, Alejandra is our go-to gal for all things culture.

Amabelle Ocampo delves deep into important issues affecting our region, such as the Occupy movement. She isn’t afraid to explore delicate subjects like foster care or cancer and manages to write about them eloquently.
She balanced the seriousness by perfectly capturing the playful spirit of events like Wanderlust and Fashion’s Night Out.

Barry Wisdom has an eye for theater photography, which is almost guaranteed to come with a list of shooting restrictions. However, given a few minutes or only a dress rehearsal to work with, Barry always manages to capture the heart and emotion of every performances, putting the viewer right in the moment. His photo essays tell stories better than any article can.

Bill Burgua has truly honed his skills as a theater reviewer this year, and his passion for theater is simply contagious. He has a standing invitation to review performances at the many theaters he frequents, where we are proud to send him on our behalf. His reviews are often
boasted proudly on theaters’ websites.

David Alvarez’ talents run the gamut. Whether it’s a somber parade honoring our soldiers, a lively cultural festival or sporting event, David knows how to capture the perfect shot to convey the energy of the moments he shoots. He often serves as both the writer and photographer at the events he covers, which can be a difficult feat, but he manages to do it well.

Elaine Johnson’s feisty MidLife GridLife article series has given us an exclusive and intimate peek into her personal life. This year her readers have been privy to her first date mishaps, her relationship highs and lows and her thoughts on being called a “cougar.” We never know if we’ll laugh or cry while reading Elaine’s work and are always left wanting more.

It is almost impossible to describe the enthusiasm Kati Garner has for photography with just a couple of sentences. Her passion for the subjects she shoots run deeps and her photos speak to our readers. She kicked off the year with a stunning image of the Wells Fargo Center and ended it by lighting up our site with images of local holiday displays. In between, she treated us to the shots of the zoo and Fairytale Town’s newest critters, moving tributes on 9/11 and frame-worthy images of local scenery. Kati is unstoppable!

Much to our delight, Mary Nares has become our go-to writer if there is a choral performance in town; we know we can count on her. She often teams up with Kati Garner to review choral performances and together they make a dynamic duo. A member of a local choir herself, Mary has been welcomed with open arms to local groups’ performances who enjoy her writing as much as we do.

Mark Needham is an expert on all things black and purple. His devotion to the Kings is infectious, and we know we can always rely on Mark to go where the action is happening. This year, he took that enthusiasm to Raley Field, where we proved to be an equally fantastic River Cats writer. We’re grateful that he has chosen The Sacramento Press to express his enthusiasm for local sports.

If you’ve ever driven by the scene of a crime or an accident and wondered what’s happening, it’s almost guaranteed that the Maverick Photography team, made up of Ed Fogle and his team of photographers can tell you. The talented team live and breathe breaking news and are always at the forefront of the action. The Maverick team has filled an important gap on our site.

Patricia Willers’ passion for two topics became apparent this year: She loves beer and music. She reviewed notable concerts like Cake and American Idol Live! and sipped brews at Oktoberfest and the California Brewers Festival. This year, we were lucky enough to have Patricia become a copy editor for our community contributors. Her talents have helped developed the skills of our contributors’ and we’re happy to have her as part of our team.

Randy Miramontez was on fire covering big-name acts this year. While photography is his area of expertise, he collaborated with himself (writing and shooting) on close to 20 concerts at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort and a
handful of others at Power Balance Pavilion. Despite his packed concert schedule, Randy somehow finds the time to operate a local blog, Sac and Beyond (http://sacandbeyond.com/). He has grown his impressive portfolio immensely as both a writer and photog since we first met him.

Rik Keller's photos are a treat for the eyes. He has a knack for turning ordinary shots into exquisite pieces of art that make you stop and stare. Whether it’s a mobile food truck festival or a subdued protest rally, Rik has a knack for finding the beauty in every scene. He has given us a whole new appreciation for local surroundings.

Ron Nabity started out the year by impressing us with his drool-worthy shots of Dine Downtown menu items. Ron spent the rest of 2011 exciting us with his action shots of our local sports teams, the Capital Airshow and the Amgen Tour of California. He conveys the exhilaration of the moments he captures through his still shots, putting our readers right at the sidelines with him.

Rorie Oliver built an impressive archive of articles this year, covering everything from the legendary Beach Boys at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort to the community events like Picnic Day and the Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Rorie gives every story, no mater how small or large, the same amount of dedication and enthusiasm.

Sandy Thomas is new to our pool of Top Contributors and we are lucky that she found us. She often collaborates with writer Trina Drotar and the pair have proved to be a very gifted duo. Together they have tackled powerful stories like poetry readings and a holiday blues concert fundraiser benefiting children in need.

To say Steven Chea’s photos are stunning is an understatement and, in fact, it might be impossible to find an adjective that appropriately describes his work. While he produces top-notch photos every time, his concert photos are the true gems in his portfolio. Steven is on his way up to big things in the photography world.

Trina Drotar’s words have helped delivered the impactful messages of the local poets and artists she has covered. While writing is not her full-time job, she gives every story her all as if it were. We are looking forward to seeing what the pair will collaborate on next year.

Last but certainly not least, we can’t forget about our weekly columnists. They have continued to educate us and give us something to look forward to on a weekly basis.

The “Pet of the Week” series, written by the Sacramento SPCA’s Julianne Byer, has helped place the local animals featured in loving homes.

“Real Relationships” is an article series dreamt up by contributor Janna Haynes, has helped solve readers’ relationship dilemmas and has weighed in on important issues many are dealing with but are hesitant to talk about.

The Sacramento Public Law Library’s weekly article series, “Ask the Law Librarian”, has proven to be a valuable resource for readers facing legal dilemmas.

Officer Michelle Lazark has put a friendly and welcoming face to law enforcement, inviting readers to ask her questions in her weekly “Ask Officer Michelle” series.

We would also like to give a shoutout to Ann Freeman Clement. It didn’t make sense to lay out a page with events that already passed, but we want to thank you for never missing a week of posting your thorough local guide to all things music.

Thanks to every single contributor who has posted an article in 2011. You are the very foundation of The Sacramento Press, and we can’t thank you enough for all that you do.

Happy new year to everyone from all of us at The Sacramento Press!

The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2012 begins Jan. 1

2011-12-05T07:22:58Z

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to publish your first article, consider the rewards of doing it on The Sacramento Press.

Last year we gave out thousands in cash prizes to winners of The Sacramento Press Journalism Open, and we’re ready to do it again.

This is the third year that we’ve hosted The Sacramento Press Journalism Open. The contest is pro-am, meaning writers of all skill levels are welcome to enter.

If you aren’t familiar with The Sacramento Press, we’re a hyperlocal online newspaper that focuses on community news. We aim to be the best source for local news and we would like you to help us achieve that by sharing your stories. No reporter knows more than you when it comes to issues affecting your neighborhood, your stance on why your daughter’s school should stay open, or an event you witnessed firsthand.

More than 1,700 people have written articles on The Sacramento Press since the site launched in October 2008. We look forward to seeing many new bylines – including yours – as the contest heats up.

We awarded prizes to 12 individuals last year, and this year we have $2,000 in prizes to give away.

The winning article for the Journalism Open 2011 was about the state of Sacramento’s bridges and was written by Isaac Gonzalez.

To see the list of last year’s winners, click here.

Before you publish your story, we highly recommend submitting your story for copy editing. We offer free copy editing to catch spelling errors and/or grammatical mistakes in your articles. To submit your story for copy editing, email the story to journalism@sacramentopress.com. Your edited story will be returned to you within 24-48 hours.*

*Depending on the volume of submissions being sent in for copy editing, it might take longer than the normal 24-hour turnaround time.

If you have questions about the copy editing process, email support@sacramentopress.com.

Publishing an article on The Sacramento Press is easier than you might think. To start writing, simply go to the top of this page and click the "Sign Up" button and follow the prompts. You will be asked for information and to accept our terms of use agreement. After you are signed up, click the "Write" button at the top of the page, create a Storyline and start writing.

We suggest that you write your story in a separate writing application (i.e. Word) and then, when you've finished and had it copy edited, cut and paste it into our site.

Important: Every story you enter/post on the site must be tagged "Open2012" in the tag section. Just write those words in the space provided under tags. You should also add tags to you story, especially choosing one of our “section” tags – Culture, Business, Politics and Sports – depending on which ones fits the story best.

Hit "Publish," and you have posted your first story on The Sacramento Press. You've also been entered in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

To enter a photo that is accompanying someone else's story, tag the story with the following: open2012yourname (example: open2012JoshRamsey).

Remember, no story is too small. Are you concerned about the safety of your neighborhood park? Do you have insight into the upcoming City Council election? Have a favorite landmark that you’d like to share? Write about it on The Sacramento Press and you could be walking away with the $600 grand prize.

So, what are you waiting for? Commit acts of journalism and be a part of the growing community of citizen journalists.

CATEGORIES & CRITERIA FOR JUDGING

Entries will be judged by our editorial staff, and that judgment will be subjective. But we will be using criteria for what we think good journalism is. Among those criteria are:

Accuracy: Facts, spelling and quotes should be correct. Double-check everything and use your computer’s spell check.
Writing style: Writing should be clear, concise and enjoyable.
Local focus: Stories should be set in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer or El Dorado counties.
Sourcing: Include a minimum of two living, breathing sources in your story. Quotes from people who know what you’re writing about will always enliven and improve your story. Aim to include different perspectives. Wikipedia, About.com, press releases and book or newspaper excerpts are not acceptable sources.
Impact: Your story will also be judged on how readers react in the conversation on The Sacramento Press, as well as how it is received in the real world.
Mostly though, we’ll judge entries based on how interesting they are, if they’re news or a new approach to an old story, how well-researched they are, the quality of the writing and the quotes.

Stories can be any length, but they must be original nonfiction about the Sacramento area.

Stories may not be re-posts from blogs or other publications, print or online.

Finally, we will give extra weight to high-quality photographs, either accompanying stories or standing on their own with explanatory captions.

RULES

To be eligible, stories must be posted on the site, by you (using your real name), between 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2012 and 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2012. We will be able to help you post either over the phone or in our office.*

*Appointments must be made for in-office help. Contact support@sacramentopress.com to arrange an appointment.

You must live or work in one of our four home counties listed above, and be at least 18 years of age. High school students under the age of 18 can enter if they have a parental consent form.*

*Parental consent forms must be signed in person by a parent or legal guardian of the minor entering an article. To arrange for this, please email support@sacramentopress.com.

You may enter as many different stories as you like, but please enter/post each story only once! Make sure to tag it "Open2012" in the tag section or it will not be counted as a submission. There is no charge to enter.

Be sure to reread and double check what you've written; once it is published on the site, it cannot be modified.

PRIZES

First Prize $600
Second Prize $400
Third Prize $200
Three $100 prizes for honorable mentions
$500 in prizes awarded to best photos

Entries will be judged by The Sacramento Press editorial and community outreach departments. All decisions will be final. Limit one prize per entrant. Winners will be announced on the site, Feb. 13, 2012.

Addendum: You must be 14 years of age or older to publish an article on The Sacramento Press and to enter the Journalism Open.

To Catch an Error contest starts Monday!

2011-11-14T05:09:43Z

We are excited to announce "To Catch an Error," a monthly contest that we hope will improve the quality of content on our site. We know mistakes are inevitable, but we want to do our best to eliminate as many as possible.

So, starting Monday, we're asking for your help to catch errors in articles on The Sacramento Press!

Each month, we want you to submit any spelling, grammar or factual errors you catch to contest@sacramentopress.com . Errors will be accepted until midnight on the last day of each month. Throughout the month, errors will be evaluated and corrections made to articles at our discretion.

At the beginning of each month, we will announce the winner from the previous round along with the errors they caught, wipe the slate clean, and start all over!

Errors will be assigned different values, using the following point system:

Note: The Sacramento Press follows Associated Press style for most spelling and word usage.

Each month, the person with the most points will receive a prize, a merit badge on his/her profile and a little bit of social media love. Prizes will vary month to month. For the month of November, we will be giving away a free car wash from Scrub Boys.

Ready to start proofreading? Read the official rules below.

To Catch an Error contest rules

Eligibility: To be eligible, contestants must be registered as a user on The Sacramento Press.

Deadline: All errors must be submitted by midnight on the last day of each month.

How to enter: You can enter as many times as you'd like each month, and multiple entries can be submitted at the same time. Entries must be submitted by email and will not be accepted through social media or as comments on articles.

To submit an error, send an email to contest@sacramentopress.com with the following:

If clarification is needed, a Sacramento Press staff member will follow up with you. When an error is submitted to us, a reply will be sent, verifying the number of points earned within 24 hours.

Submit errors as soon as you catch them! If an error has already been caught and a correction issued, points will not be given for the error.

Note: The Sacramento Press has the final say in all errors being submitted.

Prizes: Prizes will change every month, and we reserve the right to change a prize without notifying contestants at any time.

If you have any questions about the contest, leave a comment below or email support@sacramentopress.com . We will check back often.

Happy hunting!

See what stories we're working on at The Sacramento Press

2011-10-27T20:03:11Z

After seeing that The Guardian newspaper had made its list of stories public to its readership for a two-week trial and invited them to participate by contacting its reporters, we thought it would be a good idea to do the same at The Sacramento Press.

Often, our editorial team learns about important facts and sources after our stories have been published. We value the knowledge and contributions that our readers and commenters add to the conversation thread, and we’d love to incorporate that into our stories as we are reporting.

We would also like to encourage more people to get involved as community contributors. Casey Kirk, director of community outreach, works closely with a group of community writers to coordinate press passes and interviews for concerts, arts events and other shows happening in the Sacramento region.

A live list of stories has been published on The Sacramento Press site. By going to the footer, where it says “Assignment List,” you can view stories our reporters and editorial interns are working on, as well as upcoming assignments that will be covered by our community contributors.

On that same page, there is also a list of assignments that have not been claimed yet. We reserve the privilege of arranging press passes for only our top community contributors. To learn about how to become a top community contributor, please contact support@sacramentopress.com.

Above or beside each story assignment, there will be a name of the reporter/contributor who will be doing that story. If you click on the name of the writer, you can email him or her tips, suggestions for sources or other information you feel is pertinent to that story.

For unclaimed stories that you are interested in covering, please email support@sacramentopress.com.

The lists will appear like this:

With your help, we can further develop stories and report on a broader range of hyperlocal news that is important to our readers.

To access the list of stories, please click here or visit this URL: www.sacramentopress.com/site/assignmentlist

Not all of our stories will be published to the web, as we want to keep some of our breaking stories private until they are posted online. Additionally, some of the assignments on the community contributor list will not be made public, so that our top community contributors are given precedence to the bigger-name events.

Please note that there is a lot of switching around on the reporters’ stories. Sometimes sources don’t get back to us in a timely manner or the story doesn’t turn out how we thought it would, so we assign a different story in its place and either push back the date or abandon the story altogether. We will keep the assignment list as up to date as possible.

We look forward to your input and suggestions in our reporters’ and interns’ stories. It is our hope that more of you will be encouraged to sign up to cover assignments when you see the list published online.

The Sacramento Press wants to help you write!

2011-10-23T22:18:14Z

Here at The Sacramento Press, we want to provide you with the tools you need to confidently deliver your message to readers. To help polish your voice, we provide free copy editing to all of our community contributors. While we don’t require you to have your article edited, we strongly encourage it since articles are permanent once they are published. It’s always helpful to have a second set of eyes review your work!

The best part is, it’s a fast and easy process. Just send a draft of your article to journalism@sacramentopress.com and an edited copy will be returned within 24 hours, ready to copy and paste. We offer copy editing every day except Saturdays.

A couple quick tips about the copy editing process:

* It’s best to send your draft within the body of the e-mail instead of an attachment to be sure our editors can view your article.
* It’s not necessary to send images to copy editing.
* If you have questions about posting on the site, please direct them to our support staff at support@sacramentopress.com.
* Our copy editors typically only edit for spelling and grammar, but if you would like more feedback, just let the editor know when submitting your draft.
* Your article will be returned to you, ready to copy and paste. Please specify if you would like to see the edits that were made.

If you have any questions about copy editing or becoming a community contributor, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. If you're not a contributor yet, we will walk you through the sign up process. Just contact us at support@sacramentopress.com or (916) 596-1963. We're here to help!

News10 reporter shares tips for video storytelling

2011-09-24T01:10:29Z

“The nature of the media is changing,” said KXTV News10 reporter George Warren at Thursday evening’s video storytelling tips and shortcuts workshop, hosted by The Sacramento Press.

Warren is an Emmy-winning reporter/multimedia journalist. He recently celebrated his 30th anniversary working with News10. He started started creating videos when he was a senior in college and has shot with primitive videotapes and 16mm film.

“The equipment today has gotten so good that it’s easy for one person to go out and produce really good content in just a short amount of time,” Warren told the audience of about 30 aspiring writers, journalists and community members.

Warren used his own recent videos to demonstrate examples of what a single person can do to produce quality videos and tell memorable stories in as little as an hour and 15 minutes.

“You usually want to start with your strongest element,” Warren said. “But on the other hand you want to build to the big finish.”

Warren showed an example of this through his story about a shoplifter caught on a surveillance camera stealing $300 worth of merchandise. The piece began with the footage of the woman filling her bag multiple times with stolen merchandise. It built up to the final kicker: the shoplifter was only caught because, at the end of her spree, she filled out a raffle ticket with her full name and contact information.

“Think about how you’re going to start the story, think about how you’re going to end, and the rest will fall into place,” he said.

Warren added that when planning the beginning and end of the story, the reporter must choose strong pictures for both.

Prosumer camcorders and microphone kits are available in the $5,000 range, though small handheld cameras, camcorders and video phones work well and get the job done.

If using smaller cameras, it is important to invest in a tripod, he said. Smaller cameras are very sensitive to any type of movement – even simply the pulse in your hand, Warren joked.

For those serious about video journalism, it is not ideal to depend on the camera’s built-in microphone, he added. Investing in external wireless microphone options allows for improved audio, particularly in windy or less ideal situations.

Images should be shot wide and should not be head on. The subject should fall off-center onto the left or right third.

“Shooting people wide allows them to use their hands and guarantees they won’t lean out of your frame,” Warren said.

Other tips included: let people and cars in the background enter and exit shots; let shots linger as you film; allow natural sounds in the background; shoot more video than you think you need; avoid excessive head room; film in tight, medium and wide shots; and avoid panning and zooming in and out. These practices allow for best overall footage and edit points.

To narrate the story behind the footage, Warren emphasized the use of an active voice opposed to a passive voice. “To be” verbs such as “was,” “is” and “were” should generally be avoided. Action verbs provide a direct approach to conveying the message and setting the scene.

Narrations should be kept simple and should reinforce the videos. The audio should not retell what is already seen on the screen.

It’s important to have a specific shot in mind for every piece of narration written. To reiterate this, Warren shared the common saying, “If we didn’t shoot it, it doesn’t exist.”

Jason Silva, an architect who often makes videos about future projects, said he took away a lot of information about composing the pieces.

“It’s not just about taking shots and building it later,” he said. “It’s about building it first in your head, narrating it in your head and then filming to match that.”

“While I don’t shoot video,” said Trina Drotar, who recently started writing articles for The Sacramento Press, “I thought there were a lot of really good tips that he gave us for even taking photographs that accompany our articles as well as (for) writing our articles.”

Every year, the number of people watching local news on television drops. Because of this, Warren said there is a move toward experimenting with unconventional methods to present news in videos outside the traditional package.

“They’re encouraging us to kind of push the envelope, to be uncomfortable, to take chances.” Warren said. “Anything goes.”

Video Storytelling Tips and Shortcuts Workshop Sept. 22

2011-09-07T21:17:19Z

Thank you to everyone who attended Jeffrey Callison's workshop on "The Art and Craft of Interviewing" last month. If you missed the workshop, you can read the recap and watch the video here.

The Sacramento Press has another first-time workshop presenter for September: KXTV News10 Reporter George Warren.

Multimedia journalist Andrew Nixon taught a workshop in July titled "Intro to Video Storytelling;" we'll resume the topic of video storytelling with Warren's workshop: "Video Storytelling Tips and Shortcuts."

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at The Sacramento Press office.

Warren will discuss how to produce memorable stories with minimum time and effort. Warren will go over how to do more (interviewing, shooting and editing videos) with less - a staff of one.

Warren just celebrated his 30th anniversary as an Emmy-winning reporter/multimedia journalist with KXTV News10.

He started in the business by shooting his own stories in a small market (on 16mm film!) and in recent years has come full circle - working by himself once again.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

The Art and Craft of Interviewing with Jeffrey Callison Aug. 9

2011-07-25T18:27:39Z

The Sacramento Press is excited to announce that Jeffrey Callison will be teaching a workshop at our office in August.

Interviewing is part of the foundation of journalism. It’s how reporters get a lot of their information, including the personal angles and anecdotes that make stories come alive.

But how do you conduct a successful interview?

There are some simple rules, but you also must know when and how to break them.

Jeffrey Callison has interviewed many thousands of people over the years – both as host of Capital Public Radio’s daily program “Insight” and as a reporter. On Tuesday, Aug. 9, from 6:30 - 8 p.m., he’ll discuss “The Art and Craft of Interviewing” in a workshop at the Sacramento Press.

Callison was born in Scotland. He majored in English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and studied improvisational theater at L'Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris.

He moved to California in 1989 and started his radio journalism career at public radio station KUSP in Santa Cruz. He joined Capital Public Radio in 1996 as a classical announcer, but soon returned to radio news as a reporter and local "All Things Considered" host. He became KXJZ's news director in 2000, and he was named the first host of “Insight” in 2004.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Intro to Video Storytelling Workshop July 27

2011-07-18T22:13:19Z

We had a great turnout for our sports writing workshop earlier this month. Thanks to Sam Amick and those who attended. To read the workshop recap, click here.

Video is an important part of storytelling that can be difficult to incorporate without the right equipment and editing knowledge. Andrew Nixon will teach a video workshop from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 27 at the Sacramento Press office called "Introduction to Video Storytelling."

Nixon is a Sacramento-based multimedia journalist. He has professional experience in photojournalism, as well as various multimedia platforms, including motion graphics, web platforms, and video journalism. He has freelanced for Patch.com and interned at the Sacramento News & Review. He also worked as a staff photographer for Gold Country Media.

He will discuss the capture and editing of footage to create compelling video stories. The workshop will be geared more toward Mac compatible programs, but he can answer questions about other equipment and editing software.

In August, Capital Public Radio's Jeffrey Callison will teach a workshop called "The Art and Craft of Interviewing." A separate email invitation will be sent for that workshop later this month.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

This workshop is filling up fast and will probably have a waiting list. To RSVP, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you here!

Sam Amick to teach Sports Writing Workshop July 12

2011-06-29T08:48:50Z

Thanks to those of you who came to our Bias in Journalism workshop earlier this month. If you missed it, you can read the recap here.

For July, we are excited to announce a new workshop presenter – Sam Amick.

With the Sacramento River Cats season well under way, the Sacramento Capitals tennis team starting in July and the buzz building for the next Sacramento Kings basketball season – there will be plenty of sports stories to be covered on The Sacramento Press and on blogs, etc.

Amick will teach a workshop on sports writing at the Sacramento Press office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. July 12.

Amick is currently an NBA columnist for Sports Illustrated at SI.com.

He received his degree in journalism from Sacramento State in 2000. He began working in The Sacramento Bee's sports department on a part-time basis during his final two years of school, then returned after a short internship at The Record in Stockton during the summer of 2000.

He became a full-time member of the writing staff in 2002 and covered everything from high school sports, college sports, pro baseball and pro football before turning his attention to the NBA in 2004.

He was the beat writer for the Kings from 2005-2010 before taking a national job covering the league at AOL FanHouse and eventually landing at SI.com.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Bias in journalism?

2011-06-15T22:04:08Z

It is every journalist’s duty to provide the facts as they are, but does bias still manage to exist in journalism? This was the question posed by Clare Noonan, editor of 11 East Bay Patch.com sites and speaker at Tuesday’s workshop at The Sacramento Press.

While both Noonan and almost all 14 participants answered yes, Noonan said there were ways to pinpoint personal opinion as a reader and avoid it as a writer.

In order to provide objectivity, Noonan said that writers should make sure that facts are accurate and that the reporting is fair.

Referencing a University of Michigan website, Noonan listed five areas where bias can occur: word choice, omissions, limiting debate, story framing and sources.

Taking a closer look at each of these areas can help a writer to maintain the integrity of an article and a reader to recognize the presence of opinion in what he or she is reading, Noonan said.

The group included a variety of writers, community activists and the general public. Most, if not all, vocally expressed how extremely difficult, if not impossible, it is to find neutral reporting.

Finding unbiased sources is important, said Linda Maher, mother and regional sales director for Extended Day Hotels. She said she is worried about how her children will often take information at face value without considering the background.

“I’m not a writer, but I was just personally interested in the subject matter,” Maher said. “I’m hoping the workshop will teach me how to be an even more cautious reader by showing me how to recognize bias in writing.”

Noonan began the evening by defining bias as prejudice for or against someone or something.

Though characterization or stereotyping were noted as prevalent forms of bias, such as issues of gender, race, religion and country of origin, Noonan said these were very obvious means of bias.

“These are the type of subjects that often tick people off the most when they suspect a bias or prejudice,” Noonan said, “but there are many other ways to influence an article with bias without necessarily addressing any of those issues.”

Structured as an open forum, Noonan created and facilitated discussion around these topics and other areas where bias could be present, including but not limited to frequency of coverage, story layout and advertising. She also provided examples and excerpts from various pieces of writing.

Omissions and sources were community activist Darlene Anderson’s biggest concerns.

“I came to the workshop because I feel that journalism today is very biased and always trying to persuade the reader,” Anderson said. “For example, when it comes to public policy, the stories of the policy makers are provided, but not that of who the policies affect and how that process (is omitted). When forming an opinion, it’s important to hear all the perspectives of a situation.”

By the workshop’s end, it was the group consensus that bias exists and is unavoidable. Noonan pointed out the group’s jaded attitude and in hopes of lightening that, insisted that unbiased journalism and journalists do, in fact, exist. Quoting a co-worker, Noonan said with a laugh, “A journalist without bias is one whom both sides hate equally.”

Art Happens 2011

2011-06-07T19:22:59Z

The 2011 Art Happens, hosted by the Sacramento Artists Council, took place June 4 in Midtown. The venue was held inside the Sacramento Art Complex on 2110 K Street.

This was a benefit event to support art in Sacramento. Sutter Middle School and Nevada Union High School students exhibited works of art by their students. Artwork created by the students also helped their school art programs as ~~one~~ 100 percent of sales was given to the respective school’s art program.

The event was sponsored by Sacramento News and Review, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Press and others. A day full of art, music, food, wine tasting and great music contributed to the festivities.

The Sacramento Art Complex was full of guests and they were able to partake in activities at the main gallery where artwork by Nevada Union High School students was exhibited and available for purchase. A stage for performers was also set up here as was a prize table for raffle winners to select prizes. A merchandise table was also set up for musical guests to sell their CDs and other items. The Sacramento Press had also set up a prize wheel and give-away area and provided streamed live media coverage of stage performances.

The back patio had activities for kids and face painting by Christine Conklin and friends. Artwork by Kristen Hoard was being shown and sold. Coconut Al’s Catering cooked some delicious food in the back patio as well. Out in the sculptural Garden, Steve Cook’s artwork was available for viewing and purchase.

Susan Rabinovitz, at one point took the microphone to say, “Once again thank you so much for supporting Art Happens and the students and local artists. Thank you also for watching all of the great bands that have been playing and really hanging out with us today. It’s been awesome.” she then announced some winners from the raffle. In between acts she came up and announced raffle winners who were then able to pick a prize from a table that held all the prizes and winners had to be present.

The event is set up to raise money for art related scholarships and grants. Art Happens assists artists and musicians to exhibit and sell their product. Sponsor support creates most of the generated funds that go toward grants, scholarships and school artwork exhibits.

The event began at 11 in the morning and Julianna Zachariou, a 2010 Jammies winner and a Sacramento Artists Council scholarship 2010 winner, was scheduled to perform. When I arrived at the gallery Parie Wood, 2011 Jammies 3rd place and Judge’s Award Winner as well as Adam Lewis had already performed. I arrived when Alyssa Cox and the Flatland band were already on stage.

When I first arrived Alyssa Cox and her group had already started their set. I walked in and heard the sweet vocals and melody of “Less Than Comforting”. This was the first time I’ve heard them play and their melody was quite captivating.

I walked around the main gallery and looked at the art hanging on the walls created by Nevada Union High School students.

I met with Mark Rabinovitz, Vice President, Sacramento Artists Council and he filled me in on the art being exhibited. The Nevada Union High School of Grass Valley artwork was in exhibit at the Main Gallery and the Sutter Middle School gallery was set up towards the back.

Sutter Middle School’s art instructor Miss O’Neill said the art on exhibit was from the 7th and 8th grade classes and art club. “I’m their art teacher Miss O’Neill, the assignment was that it had to be something colorful, anything they chose had to have a rough draft and for their second coat they had to use all mix colors. They couldn’t use anything straight out of the bottle. That was the only criteria.” she said when asked to say something about their art.

Her enthusiasm was great to witness and her passion for the arts came through as she discussed her student’s work.

O’Neill is the only art teacher at Sutter Middle School. As friends and family members came to see the artwork she was able to direct them straight to where that particular student’s art was. All had a number to help identify each art piece and she seemed to know where each piece of art was situated.

In the back patio Coconut Al’s Catering was serving some delicious dishes. I tried their Pinchos which was skewered chicken with a very tasty Caribbean pineapple sauce. This catering service is available for private parties, corporate events, cocktail receptions and festivals. For more information on their services you can contact Coconut Al’s at 916-549-9517.

Other Coconut Al’s recipes offered were Steakbites, Chilean Empanadas, Spinach and Queso Blanco Empanadas, Tomato/cucumber/cilantro salads, Dan’s Potato Salads, Arroz con Pollo and guava based ribs along with other delicious dishes.

Alex Perez can provide further information on the items mentioned as well as other available dishes. Perez said they had been in business for about a year and a half and concentrate primarily on Latin cuisine. He lived in Puerto Rico for a while and had the chance to taste many of their best dishes. He’s also been to the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru and was able to draw from dishes he’s been able to enjoy.

The food I tasted was delicious with spices that were quite tasty and not very spicy. Alex indicated that he’s been busy doing some graduation parties and other functions that have kept him busy.

The covered back patio was also used for children’s activities. Music from the front gallery was heard back there as well. As I returned to the front Alyssa Cox and the Flatland Band were finishing up their set.

Alyssa is a singer and songwriter whose vocals are quite pleasing. Her original songs and melodies are well accompanied by her backup vocals and band. I only caught a couple of their songs and wished I had gotten there earlier to catch more of their performance.

As I walked through the gallery I met resident artist Gary Garley who introduced me to Steve Cook (another resident artist). We talked about their current and future projects and each, as always, had something in the works.

Deborah Edward, from Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office came to the stage to say a few words. Edward is involved with the "For Arts’ Sake" initiative in Sacramento and indicated that the work being done at the event was a great example of things that should be going on around Sacramento to promote the arts.

Edward noted that she’s seen the growth of art in Sacramento and was happy to be at the Art Happens event noting the fine work the Sacramento Artists Council has been doing. “What I see when I walk around here today is artists who are established and artists who are new. We all know that art in the schools are really hard to come by today. A lot of schools in the area are not providing or are cutting back on art.” she said and again complemented the Sacramento Artists Council on their work.

After her speech Edward and I talked about the event and indicated Mayor Johnson has had a very busy schedule lately but wanted to show his support and Edward was glad to be at the function. She noted Johnson had participated in the Pride parade earlier in the day. I had also attended the parade but did not get a chance to see the Mayor. The parade and Pride event took place under a cloudy and at times rainy day.

Jaxx the 2011 Jammies winner soon took the stage to start their performance. After a quick sound check they dove into “The Unknown Return”. The talented young band from El Dorado Hills then played “March of the Elephants” a Jaxx composition.

After “Waterfall” they played Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” showcasing their guitar playing skills. From time to time one of the kids’ dads would go up to help with sound and stage as Jaxx played and enjoyed putting on a great performance. “Vagabond” an original composition came next and that song worked well with each player complementing each other and is one of their smoother and softer harmonic pieces.

“Debbie’s Rejoice” another of their original songs played to a receptive audience. The song started somewhat slow and increased in tempo to end with an energetic note. Another original composition followed as they played “Prisoner 13”. Their last scheduled song was “Tongues” another song showcasing their instrumental abilities.

As they were about to leave the stage they were told they could play some more and proceeded to play “Hey Joe”. They ended their performance by playing Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”. After their last song they graciously thanked everyone for the opportunity to perform.

Susan Rabinovitz, Founder and Executive Director, Sacramento Artists Council came to the microphone and thanked Jaxx for their performance and announced other raffle winners and then introduced Fishlips.

Fishlips opened with a cover song by the Rolling Stones “Miss You”. “Crossroads” was another cover performed by Fishlips. They moved from one song to the next and in between encouraged visitors to take a look at the art and purchase something for a good cause.

I enjoyed their interpretation of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and Should Never Be” as well as the Jimi Hendrix tune “The Wind Cries Mary”. Actually their whole repertoire was quite excellent.

After a couple of more songs that I did not recognize they played The Doors “Roadhouse Blues” and then took a break. During the break more winners were announced.

An appropriate song was performed by Fishlips after their break as they launched into Bill Withers’ “Ain't No Sunshine”. My favorite cover of the night was their rendition of ZZ Top’s “La Grange”. Fishlips ended their set with their rendition of “Feeling Alright”.

Elaine Hunter was a member of last year’s winning Jammies band (One Eyed Rhyno) and was at the event to perform. As was the case with other performers and young artists she was supported by the presence of her parents and friends.

“Hello everyone I’m so happy to be here, my real name is Elaine Hunter, my stage name is Elaine Kate but what I really want to go by is Buttons del Rio.” she said and continued “I will be accompanied by Matt Swartzendruber but I would rather refer to him as Bobo (I did not get the last name).” She renamed the band since James Hunter is in London. Elaine, Matt and her brother James make up One Eyed Rhyno.

Elaine initially went on stage alone and began her performance starting off with an excellent interpretation of “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles. She followed with Anna Nalick’s “Breathe (2AM)”.

This is the first time I’ve really been able to enjoy Elaine’s vocals and is the first time that I can remember not seeing her playing the drums. As part of One Eyed Rhyno she keeps rhythm for the band and it was such a delight seeing her perform and show her vocal range. Her personality and radiance makes the audience feel at ease and helps her voice draw the audience to her musical talent.

Elaine sang an original song she wrote “Some Day” and then followed with an interpretation of a Regina Spektor tune. Soon after she followed with a Corinne Bailey song “Like a Star” both which were very well done. Matt Swartzendruber sitting by her side on some songs switched back and forth between two guitars he had on stage.

In between songs Elaine noted she had walked around the gallery and liked the work and said her mom was an artist. Elaine went on to talk about a great painting her mom, Mary, had made of a cow. The audience enjoyed her description of the cow painting.

One of the first songs I ever heard Elaine sing was “Sea Of Love” by Phil Phillips, she still does a great interpretation of this classic and I was glad she sang it at this event. Matt accompanied Elaine for this last song and she mentioned that Matt was going off to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston after graduating from high school.

Currently there’s a “Sing Like Lady Gaga Competition” where the winner has a chance to meet Lady Gaga, have a sit-down with a representative from Lady Gaga’s record label and receive an autographed synthesizer. Elaine said she has entered the competition and if you log on to www.singlikeladygaga.com under the End Sacramento 107.9 tag you can help her win when you vote for her video. You can vote as many times as you want. Elaine then proceeded to play “Speechless” by Lady Gaga.

The final act was Musical Charis. I’ve seen them play several times and have yet to see the same line up twice. I’m not sure if I was around when they played their first song but I was able to enjoy “Changed” which can be found on their Electra City Church Bells EP.

Blake Abbey spoke to the audience about supporting local music and artists and helping by purchasing art. Abbey indicated they had played a show in San Francisco the previous night and Jessie Brune drove back after the show. She didn’t mind since it was, I believe she said, doughnut day and they stopped to get some coffee and a doughnut before coming back home.

Abbey introduced the next song “Big Ball” followed by “Eye Candy”. “Thank you guys for listening to us this next song is called “The Life” Abbey said introducing another song. Jessie called out “Buy art!” and Abbey emphasized that as well.

Musical Charis talked amongst themselves as to which song they should play next. I guess this type of interaction is what separates them from other bands that may have a set list and perform only the songs on the list. Musical Charis seems to improvise what songs they play. With revolving band members on stage I guess that can happen but at the same time this gives Musical Charis the charm that brings in new followers especially when they involve the audience to participate.

The song decided upon was a song written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore and recorded by Johnny Cash in ’63. That year it was number one on the Country Charts and number 17 on the pop charts. They introduced “Ring of Fire” saying, “This one was written by Johnny Cash’s wife, June.” There’s actually a great story behind the song, its meaning, about who wrote it and why.

Somewhere in the middle of the song someone forgot the lyrics and they stopped for a couple of seconds and continued to perform the song until they finished. They are so much fun to watch them play and interact with each other.

Musical Charis always has a couple of tambourines around so that audience members can join in the fun. They asked if anybody wanted to play and someone onstage pointed out Byron Tobin who usually plays the congas but was not around to join the band when they started. He took up a tambourine and joined his pals on stage for “Jezebel”.

“Tell Me”, another sweet harmony followed and then they took a break giving Shawn King and Bradley Abbey, two members from the Musical Charis School of Music a chance to take the stage and perform. They had played at the Hot Lunch Concert Series with Musical Charis on Thursday and seemed more confident as they performed a couple of songs.

Musical Charis took the stage one more time to finish off the musical entertainment for the day. By this time it almost seemed more like an intimate house party. “Anatomy” preceded a short improvisation of “Hey Jude”. They pointed out Adrian Bourgeois who was in the audience and invited him to come up on stage. Musical Charis ended the evening playing “Forward”. Musical Charis is scheduled to perform at Harlow’s on June 16.

Thus ended the 2011 Art Happens event with a cozy musical ending to a great day of art, food, wine, beer and musical entertainment. Community support allowed the two schools to raise $1000 to save their art programs. A successful event ending to a delightful day of community partnership.

Musical Charis Opens the 2011 Hot Lunch Concert Series

2011-06-04T00:13:13Z

On Thursday, June 2, Sacramento saw the start of another year of the Hot Lunch Concert Series and a new free music event playing at Cesar Chavez Plaza; “Fiesta en la Calle” (Street Party).

The Hot Lunch Concert Series is a collaboration between Hot Italian, Sacramento News and Review and Friends of Fremont Park. Musical guests perform on Thursdays from June 2 to September 1 during the lunch hour (11:30 to 1p.m). Promoter Jerry Perry has put together a great lineup. Fremont Park, located on the corner of 16th and P Streets hosts the event.

Musical Charis was the first band scheduled to perform this year. The weather cooperated and made for a delightful lunch concert. People from around the area brought their lunch or took advantage of being across the street from Hot Italian and ordered their lunch from there.

Musical Charis had already begun their set when I got there and about 100 people or so where sitting in front of the stage. Children were running around enjoying the outdoors on a mostly sunny time of the day.

Locals and others enjoyed the music and company of neighbors and friends. Andrea Lepore, co-owner of Hot Italian took a little time to listen to the band and chatted with Jerry Perry and Tais’ immediate family.

I noticed two outdoor booths from two partners of the concert series; Metro PCS and Sacramento News and Review. Other partners for the concerts include CADA, Yelp, Midtown Business Association and the Sacramento Press.

Blake Abbey from Musical Charis at one point reminded the audience that the Hot Lunch Concerts will be held at Fremont Park. He also mentioned that Concerts in the Park is being held on Fridays at the Cesar Chavez Plaza. Both concert events are free and suited for music fans of all ages.

As they finished playing “Forward”, Abbey said they were going to be playing a few more songs and then a couple of kids from their musical school were going to perform. Musical Charis not only performs but also runs the Musical Charis School for Music. They offer a wide range of music programs including private music lessons, Music 4 Tots (for kids age 5 and below), song writing workshops, vocal boot-camp, recording sessions, recitals and more.

“Anatomy” from their 2009 Electra City Church Bells EP followed as they continued to play in front of the Fremont Park audience.

A harmonica intro started off “Tell Me” from their People People CD. A great mixture of guitar, bass, keyboards, harmonica, tambourines and congas created a great sound as Musical Charis played their set especially when they played their rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”

“I Candy” was introduced by Abbey saying, “This song is about the over abundance of bands that moved to L.A. to try to make it but they ran out of make up so they didn’t make it.”

“We’ve been teaching music classes for about two and a half years in Sacramento. We started in Oak Park but we’re now located at the K Street Mall by the food courts. So if anybody has kids or adults that want to learn how to play music, first lesson is always free, and we’re really nice people on the weekends, and on the weekdays too.” said Abbey as he introduced Shawn and Bradley.

Their first song selection included a great acoustic guitar intro as a Sarah Teasdale poem was made into a song. They followed up with “For Sale” and ended their short set.

Musical Charis came back after their short break and played “Passport”, "Catwalk", "Fish" and "Heavy".

Back on the microphone Abbey said, "Promote local music and local art here in Sacramento. It’s a great place for it and encourage the economy to improve by buying some Hot Italian. Thank you again, thank you Jerry Perry, thank you Hot Italian and thanks to all of you."

Musical Charis ended their set with one of their signature songs “The Life”. As people left you could hear a couple of them whistling that same tune. Musical Charis will next perform on June 4th at the Second Annual "Art Happens" benefit event at the Sacramento Arts Complex located at 2110 K Street.

This was a great kick-off to the Hot Lunch Concert Series. If you plan to attend one of the concerts, you can call Hot Italian at 444-3000 and order any pizza and pick it up before going to the park. You can also get the Hot Lunch (a panini or insalata + a drink for only $10, tax included). Below is the schedule for the rest of the season.

2011 HOT LUNCH Line Up
6/2 – Musical Charis
6/9 – The Bell Boys
6/16 - Walking Spanish
6/23 – Richard March
6/30 – Kepi Acoustic with Dog Party Acoustic
7/7 - Shannon Curtis
7/14 – Gerald Pease Combo
7/21 – Island of Black and White
7/28 – Exquisite Corps
8/4 – The Freebadge Serenaders
8/11 – KB & The Slingtones
8/18 – The Nickel Slots
8/25 – Gillian Underwood
9/1 – Larrisa Bryski & Willie Seltzer

Video and audio layouts on The Sacramento Press

2011-06-03T01:21:05Z

We are excited to announce a new feature that you will see on our front page and other section pages.

We now have the ability to display audio clips and videos on our layouts.

Every week, we will include the audio clip from "Insight" on Capitol Public Radio where Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton discusses what's going on in the city and what stories our reporters are working on that week.

Our reporters are beginning to incorporate more videos into their stories and we look forward to highlighting those videos as well as your videos on our front page and in the other sections.

Friday's front page will feature our first featured video, produced by HellaTV on Josh Fernandez's new book, "Spare Parts and Dismemberment." Make sure to check it out and give us your feedback on the new site features.

Indie rock brings a crowd to Cesar Chavez Park

2011-05-23T05:24:26Z

Local indie bands offered up a hearty dose of energy and a touch of theatrics to the 1,000-plus-person crowd at Cesar Chavez Park Friday night for the latest installation of the Concerts in the Park series.

On the sidewalk leading up to the stage area, vendors were selling gyros, drinks, necklaces and earrings. The CHP had a tented booth, as did radio station Radio 94.7 FM and The Sacramento Press.

The night’s diverse crowd included families, neon-haired teens and seniors, all basking in the glow of live music and sunshine. Friends spread out islands of blankets on the grass, and children ran around with balloons attached to their wrists.

Siblings Juli and Tyler Lydell of The Dreaded Diamond got the night started with their impressive mix of keyboard, drums and emotive, soaring vocals in the vein of indie-pop duo Tegan and Sara.

Tyler played his drums with the finesse of a jazz percussionist, hitting the high hat with exacting strokes of the wrist to produce shimmery and drawn out hisses of vibration. Singer and keyboardist Juli gelled effortlessly with her brother’s rhythm, producing waterfalls of notes and singing heartily from the pit of her stomach with a raw-yet-controlled delivery.

Jerry Perry, the event’s host, called the 15- and 19-year- olds “incredible” as he watched their performance from behind the stage.

Next up, Los Angeles-based Golden Ghosts charmed the crowd with their gracious attitude and twangy Southern-inspired brand of rock ’n’ roll.

Drummer Justin Goings and guitarist Riley Bray were dressed like 1960s rock stars in leather vests and skinny jeans. Bray’s chin-length hair and tassel-adorned vest swayed in unison as he delivered lines like, “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone,” head swiveling with sass.

Brave audience members danced in front of the stage as hoots issued from the crowd during heady jam “Heart of Coal.”

“We couldn’t have picked a better day and couldn’t have asked for a better crowd,” Bray said.

Between bands, Kasey Cooper from Radio 94.7 took the stage to hand out guitar picks to eager hands and encourage audience members to enter a radio-sponsored raffle for a chance to win a $100 iTunes gift card.

As The Kelps started tuning up their instruments, a youthful crowd formed in front of the stage. Three teens stood side by side in homemade black Kelps T-shirts.

As their set got under way, it became clear why The Kelps appeal to a younger crowd: The energy of their live performance is unstoppable. Singer Cory Barringer’s howling vocals brought to mind an enlivened preacher describing hellfire, bassist Cameron Betts hopped joyfully from one foot to the other, and drummer Tony Reye’s flailing arms conjured images of another beloved bit of sea life: the octopus.

Before headliners Agent Ribbons took the stage, Perry spoke to the audience briefly about his experience touring with them a few years prior, describing it as “one of the great adventures of [his] life.”

Drummer Lauren Hess assembled her pearlescent kit center stage while guitarist Natalie Gordon bent down to sign an autograph for a pint-sized fan who, in a vibrant paisley top and jeans, appeared nearly as inspired by fashion as the women of Agent Ribbons themselves.

The theatrical duo donned pink masks with cartoonish eyes printed on them for set-opener “The World Is a Cigarette,” proving their skill as fine-tuned tour veterans capable of playing their songs expertly, even without the luxury of sight.

The girls delivered a studio-perfect version of “I Was Born to Write Sad Songs,” with Gordon’s throaty croon sailing to the back of the park as Hess rapped heartily on her toms.

This Friday, Concerts in the Park will host Rick Estrin & The Nightcats. Join the fun from 5 to 9 p.m. at Chavez Park on 10th and J streets.

Friday Night Concert in the Park, watch Agent Ribbons here

2011-05-19T00:35:40Z

The weather forecast is positive for this Friday Night Concert in the Park.

Join The Sacramento Press at Cesar Chavez Plaza for an eclectic evening of indie music with a visit from headliners Agent Ribbons, former Sacramento girls.

This week’s show kicks off at around 5 p.m., runs until 9 p.m. and will also feature sets from Roman Funerals and Golden Ghosts.

Located between Ninth and 10th and I and J streets, this free, all-ages outdoor concert series will run every Friday until Aug. 12. See a full schedule of this season’s lineup here.

Remember, street parking can be a challenge. If you want to avoid hunting for a spot or parking blocks away from the action, parking is available at the City Hall Garage (10th and I) for $5 after 5 p.m.

In it’s 20th year, Friday Night Concerts in the Park remains the best way to start off our warm summer weekends and showcase Sacramento’s vibrant music scene.

Friday Night Concerts in the Park attracts huge crowds of music lovers from all walks of life. Bring the whole family and enjoy an inexpensive summer evening full of fantastic live music, interesting vendors and delicious food stands. The ever-popular beer garden provides some of the best people-watching of the summer season.

To add to the fun, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership has launched a new SCVNGR Trek for the Concerts in the Park. Download the SCVNGR app before you head out to the show so you can play the “Friday Night Concerts” trek. Complete the challenges to earn points all season long for a chance to win prizes each week.

Stop by the Sacramento Press booth and pick up a free balloon for the kids, sign up for our weekly newsletter and weekly events local page Go.See.Do. You can even rent a blanket to sit on while you watch the bands. All blanket rental proceeds will be donated to charity.

If you can’t make the show, The Sacramento Press will also be live-streaming video of each band’s performance, which can be found in this article on the day of the show:

Come by and check out all the fun!

Free live streaming by Ustream Free video chat by Ustream

Sac Press Tools and Tricks workshop May 26

2011-05-13T23:28:51Z

Thanks to those of you who attended our review writing panel Thursday with Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller. Read the workshop recap here.

We will have another workshop this month titled, "Sac Press Tools and Tricks." Geoff Samek, vice president of product for The Sacramento Press, will highlight some of the newer and lesser-known features of the website.

Samek will also give a quick overview of important web technologies that come in handy in the current media world. He will answer any questions you may have about the site and its functionality and features.

The workshop will be from 6:30 - 8 p.m. May 26 at our office.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Meet our community contributors

2011-05-10T20:59:46Z

The Sacramento Press has close to 2,000 contributors signed up on our site to voluntarily write articles. Without them, our site would fail to exist.

Among this group, there is a small core of writers and photographers whom we work closely with on a weekly basis. These contributors go above and beyond by taking assignments from us, having their articles copy edited and making us very proud as they represent us in the community.

To just tell you how great they are isn’t enough. So we’ll show you a tiny snippet of why we love them in the six videos below. Without further ado, we present to you six of our fabulous top community contributors.

See these videos and "like" The Sacramento Press on Facebook.

Video by Chris Brune of Agency M. Editing by Vanessa Vasquez

Review writing panel May 12 with Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller

2011-05-04T05:45:12Z

With Concerts in the Park kicking off Friday and the California Music Circus season around the corner, there will be lots of opportunities to review shows, both indoors and outdoors.

Looking to share your great or not-so-great experiences with others? The Sacramento Press will hold a panel on review writing at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12. Three panelists will teach you the do’s and don’ts of review writing and share some of their own experiences.

This is a great opportunity to ask the pros how they review concerts, theater, comedy and other performances.

The three panelists are Rachel Leibrock, Carla Meyer and Nick Miller.

Leibrock writes about arts and culture for the Sacramento News & Review. She also teaches journalism at Sacramento City College and previously worked at The Sacramento Bee as an arts and entertainment writer. You can find some of her work at thursdayafternoongirls.wordpress.com and www.writegrrrl.com.

Meyer is an entertainment writer at The Sacramento Bee. She was The Bee's movie critic from 2005-2009. Carla came to The Bee from the San Francisco Chronicle, where she wrote film reviews and features and co-wrote "Stein & Meyer: Movie Insider," a twice-weekly column about film and the film industry. Meyer also once worked as an assignment editor for the datebook and sports sections of The Chronicle.

Miller edits Sacramento News & Review's news and arts sections and writes a weekly column on the local music scene. He got his start as a distribution driver and is now associate editor.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here – one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

The Sacramento Press turns purple for #HereWePurple

2011-04-21T05:57:52Z

Thursday, April 21, The Sacramento Press site will be Sacramento Kings purple instead of its normal green color.

We are changing our site's colors to support the #HereWePurple effort. For more information on the NBA visit to Sacramento and the pledges to keep the Kings in Sacramento, read Sacramento Press staff reporter Suzanne Hurt's article here.

We encourage you to take photos of the purple you see Thursday or share photos from Kings games or events you've been to in the past. We will put together a splash page for Friday with some of the submissions.

If you have any questions about how to post, email support@sacramentopress.com.

Dust off your purple clothes, and be on the lookout for businesses supporting Here We Purple by offering specials to purple patrons and being creative with the color purple.

Tell us about what you see in Sacramento Thursday in the comment section below.

Here We Purple!

Table Talk Sacramento brings together local food community

2011-04-15T05:46:50Z

The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press teamed up Wednesday night to host Table Talk Sacramento inside the Sacramento Bee building at 2100 Q St. The two-panel discussion addressed the need for a variety of local food writers and various trends being seen within the food and dining communiy.

The first panel focused on the state of Sacramento food writing. Moderated by Chris Macias, the Bee's food and wine writer since 2008, the discussion featured local blogger Catherine Enfield of Munchie Musings, Niesha Lofing of The Sacramento Bee and Micah Rousey a member of the Yelp Elite Squad for his bulk of restaraunt reviews on Yelp.

“The purpose of this is to get people into a room, get people talking,” Macias said in his opening comments.

He then opened the panel discussion with a question about the purpose of food writing and what types of stories the food panelists find the most valuable.

“What I enjoy most about food writing are the stories that draw you in, that tell a fantastic tale that you can relate to,” Lofing responded.

The panel went on to address the need in the community for food writers, reviewers and bloggers. Macias made the point that everyone has to eat and that focus has to be put on different audiences and demographics.

“I would like to think I'm writing from an average, everyday person’s perspective,” Enfield said about her blog. She added that bloggers should use their blogs to promote local community involvement, like the SactoMoFo Festival on April 30.

SactoMoFo, which stands for Sacramento Mobile Food Festival, is being organized by Enfield and others to promote reasonable city ordinances for food trucks.

The panel closed with a discussion of coming trends. Lofing noted how sustainability, far from being just a trend, is becoming more practical and there are more people eating within a local radius.

“My impression is that Sacramento has always been a farm to table sort of town,” Macias added.

The second panel focused on food and dining trends. It featured Ella Dining Room and Bar Executive Chef Kelly McCown, Preferred Meats, Inc. corporate chef John Paul Khoury, Corti Bros. Market store director Rick Mindermann and was moderated by Allen Pierleoni, a senior writer at the Bee.

Mindermann addressed the issue of trends in the market being cyclical.

Khoury said that the trend is definitely toward more sustainable food and dining but also that the industry continues to change and expand toward more relationship-based production and consumption. By this, he meant creating a connection with the farmer and the animal.

“The change I see is that I bring something into Sacramento now that wouldn't have sold 10 years ago,” he said. One example he gave was humanely grown and sustainable beef.

This change, he said, more specifically is creating a link from farmer to distributor to restaurant. As distributor, he works directly with the farmer and can then pass on the origin of the product to the restaurant. It creates a trust, he said, and that trust helps create a new experience where people might venture out and try different foods.

McCown said he has noticed a large trend in the market with cocktails. He has noticed a swing toward unique, hand-crafted drinks. Just like food, he said, they are created with a full chef-like experience of presentation.

Most of the panel participants largely discussed the complex network it takes for food, and more specifically meats, to get to the restaurant.

But trust, they all agreed, has to be maintained.

There was a wide variety of attendees. Some operated local blogs on food, recipes and dining, while others were just interested in the topic.

Sacramento locals Abby Fox and Heather Kirkpatrick came to the panel together. They came because they read local food blogs and have also attended other food festivals and events.

“The whole scene is just fascinating from a consumer’s point of view,” Kirkpatrick said.

Fox said she lived near an Almond Orchard in Modesto at one point in her life, and this developed an understanding and interest in agriculture.

“More and more, it’s important to me to know where my food is coming from,” she said.

Also in attendance was Kimberly Morales, author of local food blog Poor Girl Eats Well. She said she came because she likes to see what other members of the local food community are talking about.

Morales said she likes to support those who provide insight into what bloggers have to offer the local community.

“I liked the diversity of panelists they chose,” she added.

Morales added that the second panel’s discussion of trust and quality were very similar to her own delivery of recipes and the relationship she hopes to have with her readership.

After all of the talk about food, attendees were treated to a seafood and chorizo paella from Source Global Tapas, which was prepared and cooked on site.

Interviewing Techniques workshop April 7

2011-04-04T21:48:26Z

Thanks to those of you who came to the "Writing about Wine and Spirits" workshop in March. Read the recap here.

We have two journalism workshops planned for April.

Clare Noonan will teach a workshop on interviewing techniques at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, April 7.

Noonan has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kentucky. She currently edits 11 East Bay Patch.com sites. She worked at The Modesto Bee for more than 20 years as a reporter for business, news, feature and sports while also copy editing. She also worked as assistant news editor and assistant city editor in charge of the Crime and Safety beat during her time at The Bee. She has been a copy editor for The Sacramento Press.

Noonan has taught other workshops for The Sacramento Press, including "Research and Fact-checking," and "Improve Your Writing with Self Editing."

The workshop will focus on conducting a successful interview, including how to prepare, techniques for putting people at ease and getting them to talk to you, and how to end the interview on a high note.

"Intro to Journalism" is the title of our second workshop in April. Doug Herndon will teach the workshop which will also be held at The Sacramento Press office from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, April 19.

Herndon was an English and journalism professor at Sacramento City College and adviser to the college's newspaper, The Express. He has been a professional writer for more than 15 years and has worked for Sacramento Magazine, The Sacramento News & Review and The Sacramento Bee.

A separate invitation will be sent later for the "Intro to Journalism" workshop.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, email workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an email to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

The Bee, Sac Press present 'Table Talk Sacramento' April 13

2011-03-23T19:01:04Z

Do you love talking about food? Do you flip to the food section of the newspaper before even reading the front page? Is a trip to the grocery store an excursion? For all you foodies, bloggers and lovers of Sacramento’s restaurants and food: The Sacramento Bee and The Sacramento Press have teamed up to bring you “Table Talk Sacramento: The region’s food community comes together for an evening of lively discussion.”

There will be two panels addressing different topics, including “What Sacramentans Eat” and the quality of local food writing.

Chris Macias will moderate the food writing panel. Macias has served as the Bee’s food and wine writer since 2008. The panelists include:

Niesha Lofing, who writes food and family stories for the Bee as well as a parenting column, Mom.me.
Catherine Enfield, a state worker by day and a local food blogger by night – or whenever she can sneak away to a computer. She is also a food truck advocate and co-organizer of the SactoMoFo mobile food festival scheduled for April 30.
Micah Rousey, who eats out at least five times per week and shares his experience on Yelp. He has contributed dozens of restaurant reviews and been named a member of the “Yelp Elite Squad.”

Allen Pierleoni will moderate the second panel, “What Sacramentans Eat,” which will cover local food trends. This panel consists of:

Rick Mindermann, an internationally known grocer and wine merchant and store director of Corti Bros. Market. He has 34 years in the food and wine business and acts as a personal assistant to Darrell Corti, who has been called “the man who knows the most about food and wine in the world.”
John Paul Khoury, the corporate chef for Preferred Meats, Inc., a premium meat company in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a focus on sustainable husbandry and smaller farm operations. He is also certified as a chef de cuisine with the American Culinary Federation.
Kelly McCown, the executive chef at Ella restaurant and a 1990 graduate of the California Culinary Academy. He was worked in the kitchens of Martini House, Flying Fish, Fleur de Lys, Hayes Street Grill and others, and he has been named “a rising star” and “top young chef” by several magazines, including Bon Appetit and Japanese GQ.

“Table Talk” will be at The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St., at 6 p.m. April 13. Source Global Tapas will provide light snacks.

The event will be live-tweeted by @sacramentopress using the hashtag #SacTableTalk.

The event is free, but registration is required. If you do not register, you will not be allowed to enter. Registration is limited to 160. To sign up for “Table Talk,” click here.

Come join the conversation as we discuss Sacramento’s rich food and restaurant culture.

Writing about Wine and Spirits workshop March 24

2011-03-17T17:56:51Z

The Sacramento Press will be hosting a new workshop for the month of March. We are excited to have our first "Writing about Wine and Spirits" workshop, taught by Rick Kushman.

The workshop will be at the Sacramento Press office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Thursday, March 24.

Kushman will discuss techniques for writing about wine and touch on how to write about spirits and beer. The primary focus of the workshop will be wine. He will also discuss terms and phrases to avoid when writing about wine or food.

Kushman is an award-winning journalist and former columnist for The Sacramento Bee, where he spent two decades. For the last five years he wrote about wine, food and life in Northern California. His writing has appeared in publications ranging from Time Magazine to Sommelier Journal and Daily Variety.

He is a founder of the new California Wine Marketing Group, a unique business that teaches wineries, wine groups, restaurants and others how to market and talk about wine in real English sentences, not winespeak. He believes that anyone who makes wine too complicated or too scary should be sentenced to drinking low-carb beer.

Kushman earned his Certified Wine Professional credential from the Culinary Institute of America and teaches culinary journalism at the Art Institute of California.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. Space is limited to 20 people. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Cesar Chavez Plaza prepares for St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T01:29:15Z

Crews started setting up Wednesday morning for the 12-hour party at Cesar Chavez Plaza for St. Patrick's Day.

The event is expected to draw thousands of people, according to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. St. Patrick's Day Party in the Park will start at 10 a.m. and end at 10 p.m.

Cesar Chavez Plaza is located at 910 I St.

Access Sacramento Celebrates 25 years.

2011-03-13T22:17:09Z

Access Sacramento opened its doors and studios to the public to mark its 25th year of offering community media for Sacramento County.

For 25 years, nonprofit organization Access Sacramento has been “making a difference, one voice at a time,” through its commitment to covering local entertainment, high school sports and cultural events. Saturday’s event will showcase what local media has to offer the community and how attendees can play a major role in community reporting.

I was 'the media covering the media' as I roamed around snapping photos for a couple of hours. Here are some shots:

Many special guests including Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, City Councilman Steve Cohn, Supervisor Phil Serna, and Chris Flores representing Congresswoman Doris Matsui dropped by.

Folks had the chance to meet local media organizations like The Sacramento Bee, KCRA, News 10, FOX 40 and others.

The Media Lab showcased the public launch of the new web site AccessLocal.tv with content from our five "Neighborhood News Bureau" partner organizations.The television studio hosted performing groups to demonstrate studio television productions skills.

Students from Luther Burbank High School in above photo: Vanessa Pagan, Jasmine Owens, Mo Lee and Sebastian Nand promoted March12-18 as a Week of Peace, a collaboration among students from Sacramento area schools, churches, Youth Organizations, After School Programs, City Park and Recreation, and all workplaces.

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.

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

Access Sacramento's 25th Anniversary Celebration March 12

2011-03-10T23:17:04Z

News is no longer designed for idle consumption: It is becoming more and more interactive as bloggers, community journalists, Twitter users and witnesses equipped with smart phones make their mark in distributing news. Access Sacramento will be hosting its 25th anniversary celebration Saturday and invites you to be seen and heard by telling your stories through digital media.

The event also kicks off “Sunshine Week” (March 13 - 19), a national effort promoting the freedom of information and open government. To help celebrate Sunshine Week, Congresswoman Doris Matsui and city, county and state agency representatives will be in attendance.

Access Sacramento is having an open house from noon - 4 p.m., where you’ll have the chance to learn how to make your own TV or radio program, write stories about your neighborhood and meet local media organizations like The Sacramento Bee, KCRA, News 10, The Sacramento Press and others.

Participants can get a taste of streaming radio programs live on the Internet, posing as an anchor in the television studio, recording musical performances and using the new Neighborhood News Bureaus’ website, accesslocal.tv.

Bring your best Ron Burgundy or inner DJ voice while you try out the Access Sacramento equipment and facilities.

Nonprofit organizations are also welcome to attend, as demonstrations will be given on how to create public service announcements using the green studio.

The Sacramento Press will have a booth at the event, encouraging citizen journalism and answering questions about the site and how we operate.

Whether you’re looking to learn more about community journalism, or have been wanting to create your own TV or radio program, or you’d like to meet some of the local news organizations, Access Sacramento is the place to be Saturday, from noon - 4 p.m.

The Coloma Community Center is located at 4623 T St.

For more information, visit www.accesssacramento.org.

Share your Kings memories

2011-03-08T01:13:15Z

Now that the Maloof family has been granted an extension on the deadline to file paperwork to move the Kings – possibly to Anaheim – it seems the professional sports team’s tenure in Sacramento is coming to an end.

The possibility of losing the Kings has been the topic of several press conferences from Mayor Kevin Johnson, and fans are doing all they can to keep the Kings in Sacramento with the “Here We Stay” campaign, but we likely won’t know their fate until mid-April.

We asked some of The Sacramento Press staffers to share their memories of attending Kings games. Their responses are below. Feel free to share some of your Kings memories in the conversation at the bottom of the story.

Denise Coleman, operations manager

At my old job, when I used to be a lumber purchaser, one of my vendors had season tickets for seats on the floor. The Kings were doing fantastic. It was 2003, maybe, or 2004, somewhere around there.

Every seat was selling out, it was really high-energy: We had Peja Stojakovich and Chris Webber and Scot Pollard and Mike Bibby. It was an incredible experience. We would sit two rows off the floor right behind the visitors’ bench. It was really cool because you were right there in it ... you were right there in the action. The place was so incredibly loud. It was like going to a rock concert, and your ears would be ringing afterward. The energy was really positive. It was a really great experience.

Chris Brune, social media lead

My first Kings game must have been in the early ’90s – the Wayman Tisdale, Spudd Webb era, with the old-fashioned jerseys. It was awesome. My dad took me and my sister. I think they were playing the Trail Blazers. I think that was actually the last Kings game I went to.

Randy Balzarano, advertising account manager

My first game was in, I think, ’93. I was going to Chico State, and my girlfriend at the time took me to a Kings game for my birthday. It was the first time I ever went to Arco. We sat up in the nosebleed section. I was pretty impressed. I loved the size of the arena, and the intimate size of the crowd. That was when the fan experience – the Kings at Arco were at the top in the NBA. It was a really cool experience.

Dina Neils, account services representative

I watched the Kings and Warriors two years ago. I’m from the Bay Area. I was rooting for the Warriors. The Kings won, and I was upset. I’m not a Kings fan, but I enjoyed having them here because of the spirit it brings to the city, and the business.

Kathleen Haley, staff reporter

I’ve only been to one game. It was last year, and they lost. The junk food was fun.

Geoff Samek, vice president of product development, co-founder

A memory that sticks out was back in the day when I went to a playoff game early on. This was back when Corliss Williamson was on the team the first time. I think they were playing the Sonics in the first round of the playoffs. I was just a teenager, or maybe 11 or 12. That one stuck out the most. I just remember how loud it was and all the cheering and the fact that we were in the playoffs, and the crowd had all this pent-up energy since they hadn’t been in the playoffs since the first year they were in Sacramento. It was just really exciting being there. I was way up in the nosebleeds in the $10 standing-room-only area. I remember it being crazy loud.

Brandon Darnell, staff reporter

My first Kings game – I don’t remember how old I was, maybe 10 or 12. I went there with my dad and maybe my mom and my sister. The Kings were playing the Detroit Pistons, and I just remember it being really loud, and that was kind of when I got interested in basketball and started playing. I was never any good at it, but I always liked watching the Kings. I think maybe a week later I went to Sportmart in Roseville, and Wayman Tisdale was there signing autographs, and I had that hanging on my wall for several years.

Ben Ilfeld, chief operations officer, co-founder

Celebrate Beer Week at Golden Bear and bring your moustache

2011-03-01T00:00:42Z

Looking to make Beer Week an out-of-body experience? Add a moustache to the mix.

Thursday, The Golden Bear in Midtown is hosting “Moustache Party,” with DJ Shaun Slaughter playing Disco music and drink specials on the Lagunitas Sacramento Fusion, which was made specifically for Beer Week.

They will be serving $3 pints of Sac Fusion, also known as the Paradime Sac, from 9 p.m. until close, or until it runs out. There will also be a surprise whiskey pairing, which will be announced at the event. Read Adam Saake’s article in Submerge for more info on the Paradime Sac.

Bring your own moustache or slap one on – Golden Bear will have plenty of cookie dusters to go around. There will be prizes for best male and best female moustache.

The Sacramento Press will be at Golden Bear helping you photograph your ’stache using LiveShare. All of the photos taken on LiveShare will be posted to this article and also Golden Bear’s Facebook page.

You can install LiveShare on your smart phone before Thursday, or you can sign up Thursday between 8:30 p.m. and midnight. Instructions are below. The Sacramento Press staff will be on hand to walk you through the process so you can share your beer moustaches with everyone.

Hope to see you and your moustache there!

The Golden Bear is located at 2326 K St.

LiveShare instructions

Requirements:

* iPhone with iOS 3 or higher
* Android phone
* Have a Facebook account

iPhone users can simply download the app at the iTunes store. Android users can simply launch the Android Market and then search for "LiveShare" and install it – it’s free.

Once you have the app, you can use your Facebook credentials to log in. Then simply select "Golden Bear Moustache Party" event, which will pop up under March 3 events. You will see a live gallery of pictures that everyone else at the event is taking. Click the camera icon in the upper right corner, and you can add pictures of your own right from your phone.

Do you know how to express your opinion?

2011-02-25T22:46:08Z

Everybody has an opinion. But being able to express your opinion is unique, Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton said during his opinion-writing workshop at the The Sacramento Press Thursday night.

“Your goal should be able to really express what you want to say as clearly as you can, so people understand what your opinion is,” Barton said.

Barton explained that people first respond to your writing tone.

“If you come across as angry or unreasonable, you‘re going to alienate people before you even have a chance to tell them what you think,” Barton said. “Maintain a tone of sweet reasonableness.”

Theater critic Bill Burgua heard about the workshop through e-mail and enjoyed several points that Barton made. “I learned about identifying the nut graph and conciseness,” Burgua said. The nut graph is the paragraph in any story that tells what the story is about.

Barton made another point that although everyone is entitled to an opinion, it doesn’t mean it’s valuable. “What’s valuable is how you back it up,” Barton said.

According to Barton, what people should focus on is making an argument, backing it up through reporting and research, and knowing what the people you disagree with think.

“If you don’t respect other people‘s opinions about things, number one, they’re not going to respect yours, and, number two, your opinion is not going to be very solid because you don’t even know what you’re arguing against,” Barton said.

Another point he made was that when you respond to other people’s opinions, you shouldn’t react to them.

Also, if you tear people’s opinions apart, they won’t listen to you.

“You want people to listen to you–you want to be convincing,” Barton said. “The most powerful people who write opinion pieces are people who acknowledge the other person.”

Paula Lomazzi also learned about the workshop via e-mail. “I think I liked the part about acknowledging what the other side believes,” Lomazzi said.

When you acknowledge what the other person is saying, you open them up to accept what you’re going to say, and you open yourself up a little bit more to what they are saying. Through this process, you might see a change and growth in your opinion, according to Barton.

“It’s not about winning,” Barton said. “It’s about opening yourself as an offering to them in hopes that they’ll open themselves up a little bit, and you can keep talking.”

As you write an actual column, it’s important to figure out what your focus is. Don’t go too broad. Keep your topic small so you can work with it.

The main point in writing a column is to approach it with humility, generosity, and openness, he added.

“Say, ‘I’m approaching this with humility, in that I may not be right. This is what I think right now.’ Say, with generosity, ‘I respect you...you have another point of view that comes (from) your experience that I may not share, but I respect that because you’re another human being,‘ and openness, which is the result of having these two opinions,” Barton said.

Opinion Writing Workshop Feb. 24

2011-02-21T06:17:12Z

The next workshop hosted by The Sacramento Press will be on opinion writing. It will be held at our office from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 24.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will discuss the importance of backing up your opinion, doing reporting and keeping your column focused.

Barton worked at The Sacramento Bee from 1985-2007. He was the pop music critic until 1994 and in addition to writing reviews, he wrote weekly columns called Poplife and The Beat.

As editor in chief of The Sacramento Press, Barton writes editorials on a regular basis.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2.00 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for this workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Congratulations to the Journalism Open winners!

2011-02-14T08:34:20Z

The results are in and we’re very excited to announce the winners of The Sacramento Press 2011 Journalism Open.

More than 50 community contributors accepted the challenge to commit acts of journalism. In January, 134 entries were submitted, many by writers who are new to The Sacramento Press.

Thank you to those of you who participated and those who helped spread the word about the contest.

There were three Sacramento Press judges who reviewed the entries and determined the winners: Casey Kirk, Recruitment Manager, Brandon Darnell, Copy Editor and Reporter, and Colleen Belcher, Managing Editor.

We were looking for stories with a minimum of two sources, stories that incorporated research and stories that kept us reading. Each winner could only win one prize. Click here to read the complete judging criteria.

Without further ado, the winners are:

Isaac Gonzalez, whose story, “A Towering Challenge,” won first place and $700.

Laura O’Brien, who wrote “Fave moms mag stops presses,” won second place and $500.

Corinna Fish, the third place winner of $200, wrote a two-part story titled “This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land: Looking Back at 50 Years of the Capitol Area Plan” on the Mandella Garden and the history of the Capitol Area Plan.

There were five $100 prizes, which were awarded to Eileen Wilson, who wrote about domestic violence and its lasting effects on children, Deb Belt, Mary Nares, Ron Nabity, who wrote about the heroes of the Red Cross and Brandy Tuzon. Click on each name to see the winning story by that author.

The $350 in photography prizes was divided into four amounts: three $100 prizes and one $50 prize.

The winners, in no particular order, are David Alvarez for his photo of the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival, Marc McLaughlin for his photo of the Professional Bull Riders show at Arco Arena, and Kati Garner for her photo of the Wells Fargo building in the fog. Steven Chea won an honorable mention for his photo of Deerhoof’s drummer playing a show at Harlow’s.

Click here to see the winning photos laid out side by side.

We asked the winners how they felt about winning the competition. Here are some of their responses.

Mary Nares, who wrote about the Crocker Art Museum’s new Education Center, said in an e-mail, “I'm amazed and honored to be selected. I was really impressed with the caliber of the submissions for the Open. I saw some great writing and photography, and the wide range of intriguing topics was inspiring.”

Marc McLaughlin said in an e-mail, “It is always an honor to be rewarded for the work you do. Being able to document our community through photos is something that I am thankful for.”

We were also curious to find out what each winner thought about citizen journalism.

Deb Belt, who wrote about an alley project in Boulevard Park and the controversy it created, said in an e-mail, “Citizen journalism is a new frontier and gives people the power to bring a story to light. It places responsibility in writers' hands to be accurate, fair and ethical and provides support for them. When citizen journalists meet this challenge, they forge new territory.”

Brandy Tuzon is the publisher of the Natomas Buzz and the author of the story on Natomas Unified School District’s fiscal crisis. She said in an e-mail, “I believe independent, citizen journalists are capable of providing some of the best local news coverage in the Sacramento region. We are not sitting at a desk in an office being assigned a beat to cover, instead we are living in the community and experiencing stories first-hand, as they happen.”

David Alvarez said in an e-mail about citizen journalism, “I think it's great. It's the voice of the people that can inspire, make you laugh, let you see life through other people's eyes, make you think or help get an important story to light. As a sole voice or as a voice for many in our community, citizen journalism has its place if nothing else to read another person's perspective.”

Thank you to everyone who entered. We enjoyed meeting new people, like Mama Cobb, hearing new insights, like what current students think about Sacramento High School, and discovering new places, (Firehouse 5), or history (stone sisters houses), and seeing Sacramento and its surrounding areas through many lenses (written or camera).

Upcoming workshop: Write Smarter Feb. 16

2011-02-07T22:38:42Z

We have two new workshops scheduled for the month of February.

The first is scheduled from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at The Sacramento Press office.

JT Long will teach this workshop, titled "Write Smarter."

Long is an independent journalist and SEO copywriter for publications such as Engineering News-Record, Comstock's Magazine and PublicCEO. She creates communities by telling stories.

Long will discuss how to get the most out of your stories so you can use them in different publications. She will cover how to improve your interviewing skills, so you can gather enough information for multiple stories, how to come up with targeted leads and other tips that will benefit freelancers.

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton will teach a workshop on opinion writing from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Feb. 24. More information on this workshop will be available later this month.

Badges will be awarded to participants for attending the workshop. To become a verified community contributor, please bring a government-issued ID.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $2.00 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP for either workshop, e-mail workshops@sacramentopress.com. If you RSVP and decide later not to attend, please send us an e-mail to notify us that you will not be coming so we can have an accurate head count.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

SCC: What's The Reason?

2011-02-01T06:51:12Z

What’s The Reason?
By Shani Lee
Sacramento Press Open 2011

It’s a tale as old as time. The school needs computers, or books right? I can remember that being said time and time again as far back as elementary school. Well in this economy it’s the adults who need some help at school. Students at Sacramento City College are from a wide variety of backgrounds, & races, and create an even more diverse group of professionals. Did you know that a group of SCC’s film students won the 2011 Winterfest Sacramento Film & Music festival? Seeing first hand the passion of these students in every aspect is amazing, and encouraging. In such tough economic times it’s good to see people eager to achieve their professional goals. By doing so each emerging entrepreneur will be resuscitating our economy.

Students taking the MIDI class are composers, songwriters, filmmakers, rappers, singers, producers, or just love music. Professor Knable and his students have been directly hit by continued budget cuts in SCC’s Introduction to MIDI (Reasons) courses are working with an old version of Reasons; Reasons4 which was released in 2007. The newest version, Reasons5 was released in 2010, and will only cost $3500 to purchase for all of the classroom instructional computers. The Final Cut (Film) editing class on the other hand; is working with the newest version of Final Cut, but they seem to be the lucky ones. This is only because their professor “Is the Mac Certified Pro Trainer, and the school has a contract to be a training center, so he automatically gets the newest version to teach” (DonCarlos S., SCC MIDI & Final Cut student). Many students have this benefit and also experience the disappointment of this disadvantage. “In my film class (Final Cut) I’m lucky to be learning the newest version. I wish it were the same story for my Reasons class.” (DonCarlos S., SCC MIDI & Final Cut student).

While learning the old version of Reasons, the students get the overall picture of how the application works and allows creativity using simulated “real” instruments, or a synthesizer. However they are not equipped to compete creatively with those learning the most current version. We have to give our community a fighting chance when vying for jobs creating music, soundtracks, stage plays, musical scores, and even better teaching the art of music to our youth in this technical day in age. So let’s support our Sacramento City Panthers and get them the programs they need to realize their goals and stimulate our local economy.

“I feel like it’s imperative that we learn and have practical experience with the most current version. I mean why would I want a degree and still not be able to compete with all of my counterparts in the industry?” (Fidel C., SCC MIDI & Final Cut student).

Today's the last day to enter the Journalism Open 2011

2011-01-31T21:06:14Z

The procrastination must come to an end. There are only hours left to enter The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2011.

Entries must be published by 11:59 p.m. You must tag your article open2011.

There are hundreds of dollars in prizes waiting to be doled out to the winners. First place prize is $700, second place is $500 and there are cash prizes for photos, too!

If you would like to have your article copy edited, it must be sent to journalism@sacramentopress.com by 6 p.m. Any articles sent after 6 p.m. will have to be published without copy editing.

One last thing: there are three judges for this year's contest. One of the judges changed from what we announced at the Journalism Open Workshop. David Watts Barton will no longer be judging. The judges are Managing Editor Colleen Belcher, Copy Editor/Reporter Brandon Darnell and Recruiment Manager Casey Kirk.

Check out the splash page for any last minute questions. Below the page are all of the entries we've received so far for the contest.

The clock is ticking. Entries published after 11:59 p.m. will not be counted as part of the contest.

Winners will be announced Monday, Feb. 14 on our site.

Good luck!

What are you waiting for? Go, See, Do!

2011-01-28T22:46:33Z

It is an understatement to say that there is an overwhelming amount of concerts, art showings, theatre performances and other exciting events taking place in Sacramento every day.

In fact, it’s pretty mind-boggling that anyone can keep track of all of them when planning how and where to spend that rare commodity known as “free time.” That’s where we come in to make your life a little easier.

We are very proud to introduce to our users “Go.See.Do.”, your personal guide to upcoming local events.

Every week, we handpick a few events that we believe are worthy of your valuable time and deliver them straight to your inbox.

Film festivals, fashion shows, poetry readings, food and cocktail weeks, you name it! You will find all of this (and much more) in “Go.See.Do.”

The newsletter is sent out every Thursday morning and features events taking place through the following week. Each event title and photo is clickable and will take you to websites, articles and social media sites where you can check out complete information.

Sneak a peak at last week’s “Go.See.Do” here.

To sign up to receive “Go.See.Do.”, all you have to do is register as a user on our site. Click “sign up” at the top of the home page, fill out some basic information and you’re done! If you have any questions about the sign-up process, feel free to e-mail us at support@sacramentopress.com.

Also, if you have an event that you would like considered for inclusion, please submit the following to goseedo@sacramentopress.com:

- Name of the event
- Date of the event
- Where the event is held (name and address)
- A photo to accompany the listing (that you have permission to use)
- Event website
- When available, links to a Facebook or Twitter account, either for the event or for the venue
- Any additional information you feel is important

When choosing events, we will showcase both big acts that readers might be surprised to see coming through Sacramento and small, but great, events that haven’t received a lot of exposure.

In addition to the e-mail you’re sending from, please be sure to include any additional contact information. Every event will be considered equally.

What are you waiting for? Go.See.Do.

Journalism Open 2011 workshop Q&A

2011-01-14T00:24:00Z

In case you missed the workshop Wednesday night, here are some of the answers to some of the questions asked and some tips shared by Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton and Managing Editor Colleen Belcher with community contributors about Journalism Open 2011 entries.

Q: Are quotes a must?
A: No, but as for some basic guidelines: They make your story stronger. The more you get people into your story, the more it helps – even if you’re doing an opinion piece, because the more sources you can point to, the better.

Q: Is there a limit to how long the story is?
A: The limit is how long it’s interesting. One thing to watch out for is when you talk to people who are good talkers. You can quote them at length, and your story can sometimes get away from you. There are a lot of ways a story can get away from you. Read it over and pick out unnecessary paragraphs.

Q: Is it OK to submit video?
A: We’re not well equipped for video, and the thing about words is that they’re super accessible. If you want to say, “Here’s my video and here’s what’s interesting about it,” then that might work. It also might work if you narrated the video.

Q: People are talking about doing heavy investigative stuff, but what about the lighter stuff? Like going to a concert or covering a butchering class?
A: Everything is fair game.

Q: What if you decide to write about something, but then you realize someone is already covering it?
A: That’s fine. It won’t count against you in any way. Each article will be judged separately. If you want to see if someone else is covering your topic, you can contact Casey (casey@sacramentopress.com), and she might know.

Q: Does it matter if it’s written in first, second or third person?
A: It depends on what you’re writing. First person can work, and people like reading first-person stories because they can identify with the writer. But it’s something you have to get good at, because otherwise it’s easy for every sentence to start with “I.” Use first person sparingly.

Q: Is there a cutoff for the copy editing?
A: Yes. 6 p.m. on Jan. 31 is the deadline for copy editing.

Q: What about tags?
A: The most important tag for you guys is “Open2011.” You will need to add this tag to your story in order to have it recognized as entered in the Journalism Open 2011.

Q: How do you choose a good headline?
A: Headlines need to be short. Try to limit yourself to five words, and use words that are pretty identifiable. If you’re writing about a particular person or business, try to put that in the headline. It may not seem super creative, but just getting the basic information is fine.

Tips for brainstorming, writing, editing and entering your article and/or photos:

No story is too small. You’ll do better and have a better story if you keep it small. Really try to localize it.
Try writing about a topic you’re interested in, and not necessarily one in which you’re already an expert.
If you’re trying too hard to make a story work, maybe you need to reframe it.
One way to find a good story is when you read something and it makes you ask a question.
If you see an article on our site and you want to respond or tell your side, that’s a good way to find a topic, too.
For the basic structure of your article: First, you want to entice the reader. Then it should be apparent why he or she should care about it. You have to give people a reason to keep reading.
Before you send it to us, let a friend or family member read over it. Ask them what they think, what parts they would cut, etc.
A picture is worth a thousand words. But if you have a photo and 200 words underneath the photo, it’s going to explain it a lot better and make it much more interesting.
Take 25 photos and pick three.
You want something visual that’s going to get people’s attention.
Photos of people are generally the most interesting. Getting pictures of people doing things is really good.
If you have a friend who’s a photographer who doesn’t like to write, then he or she can add photos to your article and enter the photos in the competition and that will count for an entry for the photographer as well.

If you’re stumped on a story and need feedback or help with what direction to take it, you can contact Colleen by emailing her at colleen@sacramentopress.com

Sac Press Journalism Open workshop Jan. 12

2011-01-10T20:23:34Z

The Sacramento Press Journalism Open is well underway and we're very pleased to see new bylines popping up on our site because of the contest.

The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. Jan. 31, so make sure you've posted all of your entries and tagged them open2011 by that deadline.

First place wins $700, second place $500, and there are many other cash prizes, including prizes for best photos.

For those of you who have questions about the contest, we will host a workshop Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at our office. We will be happy to give advice and suggestions on how to develop your story ideas.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107, in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour, and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

To RSVP, send an e-mail to workshops@sacramentopress.com.

For the complete rules of the contest, click here.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at the workshop!

How to enter photos that accompany someone else's article in the Journalism Open

2011-01-03T23:52:38Z

Many articles posted on our site are a collaborative effort, with one person writing the text and another person taking photos.

This brings up the question of how a photographer can enter his or her photos in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open 2011 if the article has the byline of the writer.

To enter your photos from an article with someone else's byline, use this tag:

photosyournameopen2011

So if your name is Joe Schmoe, the appropriate tag would be: photosjoeschmoeopen2011

E-mail support@sacramentopress.com if you have any other questions.

A thank you to our community contributors

2010-12-24T02:14:13Z

We have a lot to be grateful for at The Sacramento Press. We celebrated our two-year anniversary in October, and we expanded our office over the summer. We are most thankful for our community contributors – you take the cake.

Your comments fill in the blanks of questions unanswered. You keep us honest and accurate by pointing out errors. Your thoughts and opinions spark a stream of community dialogue.

Your stories and photos document Sacramento’s history in the making. Your firsthand accounts often break stories like the evacuation of the Roseville Galleria Mall or give us an up-close at, say, a fire in Midtown.

A lot of what comes in is unexpected: a letter written by Thomas Enterprises addressing the foreclosure, video of political sign stealing, photos of an upside down rainbow or a lunar eclipse. We’ve had stories about rescued animals, commentary on a Second Saturday Art Walk shooting and plenty other unique and extraordinary stories.

There are a dozen or so community contributors who we work with on a regular basis. These all-stars take on multiple assignments, many of them working around their full-time jobs. We’ve been happy to work with them as they prepare for a big interview with a celebrity, or give them feedback on their sports coverage or emphasize the importance of meeting deadlines.

As a way of saying thank you to those who have really gone above and beyond in volunteering their time and energy to The Sacramento Press, we created “splash” pages to highlight some of their articles.

Lindol French, a new Sacramento resident, has entertained us with his musings on just about everything. We’ve been there for his first breakup with a Sacramento bar. We got to share his interview with Anthony Bourdain and experience the Neo-Crocker Party. And who could forget his Lindol-isms like this one from when the San Francisco Giants were in the World Series: “This is the kind of torture doled out by a beautiful woman with hot wax and a feather.”

Ron Nabity, a professional photographer, has really brought his love of sports to The Sacramento Press. He has captured stunning action shots, whether it be at a Sacramento Capitols game or of a running back sprinting down the field at a UFL Mountain Lions game. His engaging perspective, both in writing and behind the lens, are a real treat.

Alejandra Gonzalez first approached us with interest of becoming an intern. Her busy school schedule prevented her from committing fully to an internship, but that didn’t stop her from taking on assignments. She has done a wonderful job of highlighting local charities and fundraisers in the area, as well as writing captivating reviews of performers like Shakira and the Eagles.

Bill Burgua first participated on The Sacramento Press as a resident and neighborhood advocate and has since created his own niche. He has become one of our best-known theater reviewers, frequently quoted next to The Sacramento Bee’s critics in e-mail blasts from local theater companies. Bill has worked diligently, doing research and diving headfirst into his assignments. His appreciation of local theater shines through.

Marc McLaughlin has been contributing since August, and has really wowed us with his photos. Marc first introduced us to the Sacred City Derby Girls, with some great shots of mud wrestling and that captured the intensity of the sport. He has taken on some big performers, from Jay Leno to Justin Bieber, and has done telephone interviews for previews (the Judds, Tony Orlando, etc.)

David Alvarez has contributed 89 articles since May of this year! We’ve been lucky to have his coverage of many of the events in Folsom (Sutter Street construction, Ghost Train and Folsom Live!). David has tackled all sorts of stories, from fashion shows to cultural celebrations and festivals to Concerts in the Park. What sets him apart is his interactions with the people involved in the events he covers. As readers, we learn what he has learned as his curiosity leads to a deeper level of reporting.

Barry Wisdom is another fantastic photographer we’ve been lucky to work with. He has worked a lot with Bill Burgua in covering theater, doing many of the previews and showing up to dress rehearsals to get shots of the actors. He’s been there to indulge the eyes at Ginger Elizabeth’s Cupcake Day and showcase the art at Chalk It Up! Sacramento. Barry has a lot of fun doing his articles, and it shows.

Delgreta Brown has highlighted Sacramento’s music scene with her soulful music writing. She really makes you feel as if you’re right there in the audience.

Steven Chea continues to amaze us. He has blossomed from someone who has dabbled in video and photography to a valuable reporter and photojournalist. Steven is able to snap photos and capture both amusing and intense facial expressions. He is noted for taking his camera into the crowd, where the other action is.

Mark Needham is a true Sacramento Kings fan. As the 2010-11 season ramped up, Mark was there at every practice, interviewing players, sharing his predictions for the season and creating a presence for the Kings on The Sacramento Press.

Aaron Davis has his finger on the pulse of Sacramento’s music scene. He’s shared details of the Smashing Pumpkins coming to Sacramento and kept us in the know with his weekly roundup. His writing is fun to read and a pleasure to have on the site.

Ed Fogle has been with The Sacramento Press from the very beginning, chasing down some courageous shots. He has been there on the scene alongside ambulances, yellow tape and blazing fires, getting the photos and sharing them with the rest of us. Ed seems to be everywhere and anywhere the police scanner alerts say the action is.

Steven Bloom is becoming synonymous with the word “comedy” in Sacramento. He has interviewed the likes of Cedric the Entertainer and shared his reviews of Robin Williams, Howie Mandel and Conan O’Brien for those of us who couldn’t make it out to their shows.

Last but definitely not least is Kati Garner. She has taken her camera and breathed life into local media coverage. Her photos are Sacramento. She is there for major political events, for the installation of the Capitol Christmas tree, at the American Idol auditions, Sacramento’s Pride events and everything in between. She was there taking panoramic shots of the Railyards as construction was beginning, and she’s one of the first people we turn to when we hope to get photography. Kati, who has 313 articles to date, is a living camera, leaving a flurry of visual memories in her path.

Take a look at the contributors’ splash pages if you’d like by clicking on their names.

Thanks to everyone above and to everyone we haven’t mentioned. We would be nothing without you.

Sacramento Press Journalism Open returns in January 2011

2010-12-13T05:19:05Z

The first Sacramento Press Journalism Open was a success, and we’re ready to do it all over again! We will have some exciting prizes for our top submissions, and your stories could be chosen for our section pages or newsletter for thousands to read and enjoy.

Becoming a published writer is easier than you think, and we’re here to walk you through the process and get you committing acts of journalism.

I'm David Watts Barton, editor in chief of The Sacramento Press, our area's top hyper-local news website, where we focus on up-close, in-depth coverage of neighborhoods like yours. We aim to spread the traditional habits of good journalism – accuracy, fairness and a diversity of opinion – across the Web. We do it with a mix of professional and amateur writing from around the community.

We're hosting this contest because we want you to join us. The future of journalism may depend on you. Your ideas, your questions and the answers you find will increase the amount of good, local information you and your fellow citizens need to make informed decisions, whether it's about city government or where to go for entertainment. And once you've asked the questions you want answered, we want you to write for The Sacramento Press – because citizens like you are The Sacramento Press!

This contest is a pro-am, where writers of all skill levels and points of view – writers like you – are welcome to write about what interests you.

No story is too small for The Sacramento Press. Do you have a business you love, a community volunteer you admire, a trend that disturbs you, people who give you hope, city employees who drive you crazy? What don’t you understand about City Hall? What do people need to know about your neighborhood? What’s old and admirable? What’s changing?

Any of those questions could lead you to people you don’t know as well as you’d thought, or introduce you to people you didn’t know. And you can share that new-found knowledge with your fellow citizens.

That’s where The Sacramento Press comes in: In addition to providing the platform to publish, we also offer free copy editing and workshops on various aspects of journalism, from interview techniques to photography to ethics. We will do everything we can to help you create the best journalism you can.

And we have cash prizes!

For more on that and on how to enter your work in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open, read on!

To start writing, simply go to the top of this page and click the "Sign Up" button and follow the prompts. You will be asked for information and to sign off on our terms of use agreement. After you are signed up, click the "Write" button at the top of the page and start writing.

We suggest that you write your story in a separate writing application and then, when you've finished and had it copy edited, cut and paste it into our site.

To utilize our free copy editing, simply e-mail your story to journalism@sacramentopress.com, and we'll send the edited version back to you within 24 hours.

For specific questions, you can contact our customer service expert, Casey Kirk at casey@sacramentopress.com. She can help you along in the process.

Important: Every story you enter/post on the site must be tagged "Open2011" in the tag section. Just write those words in the space provided. You should also feel free to add tags to you story in the space provided, especially choosing one of our “section” tags – Culture, Business, Politics and Sports – depending on which one fits the story best.

Hit "Publish," and you have posted your first story on The Sacramento Press. You've also been entered in The Sacramento Press Journalism Open!

CATEGORIES & CRITERIA FOR JUDGING

Entries will be judged by our editorial staff, and that judgment will be subjective. But we will be using criteria for what we think good journalism is. Among those criteria are:

Accuracy: Facts, spelling and quotes should be correct. Double-check everything and use your computer’s spell check.
Writing style: Writing should be clear, concise and enjoyable.
Local focus: Stories should be set in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer or El Dorado counties.
Sourcing: Include a minimum of two living, breathing sources in your story. Quotes from people who know what you’re writing about will always enliven and improve your story. Aim to include different perspectives. Wikipedia, About.com, press releases and book or newspaper excerpts are not acceptable sources.
Impact: Your story will also be judged on how readers react in the conversation on The Sacramento Press, as well as how it is received in the real world.
Mostly though, we’ll judge entries based on how interesting they are, if they’re news or a new approach to an old story, how well-researched they are, the quality of the writing and the quotes.

Stories can be any length, but they must be original nonfiction about the Sacramento area.

Stories may not be re-posts from blogs or other publications, print or online.

Finally, we will give extra weight to high-quality photographs, either accompanying stories or standing on their own with explanatory captions.

RULES

To be eligible, stories must be posted on the site, by you (using your real name), between 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2011 and 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2011. We will be able to help you post either over the phone or in our office during our normal business hours (10 a.m. through 6 p.m. Monday through Friday).

You may enter as many different stories as you like, but please enter/post each story only once! Make sure to tag it "Open2011" in the tag section or it will not be counted as a submission. There is no charge to enter.

PRIZES

First Prize $700
Second Prize $500
Third Prize $200
Five $100 prizes
$350 in prizes awarded to best photos

Entries will be judged by The Sacramento Press editorial department. Decisions will be final. Limit one prize per applicant. Winners will be announced Feb. 14, 2011.

There will be a workshop from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 at The Sacramento Press office to answer your questions. Be careful that you're happy with what you've written; once it is published on the site, it cannot be modified.

You must live or work in one of our four home counties listed above, and be at least 18 years of age. High school students under the age of 18 can enter if they have a parental consent form.*

*Parental consent forms must be signed in person by a parent or legal guardian of the minor entering an article. To arrange for this, please e-mail Casey Kirk, casey@sacramentopress.com.

Editorial Note: The rules have been changed to allow for people who work (not just who live) in one of the four counties we cover (Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Placer) to enter the contest.

Man on the Street: What are you thankful for?

2010-11-24T08:13:40Z

During the holidays many people reflect on what they are thankful for in their lives. The Sacramento Press polled people in Sacramento to share some of these sentiments.

Feel free to add what you are thankful for in the comment section.

Vince Hernandez, City Employee

The Sacramento Press caught up with city employee Vince Hernandez at a benefit for Loaves & Fishes on Monday. Hernandez, a tree pruner for the city’s Urban Forestry division, said he knows a few people who are out of work. He said he is thankful he has a job.

He also talked about his pride in his son and daughter-in-law, who both work for the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. “I have a boy, and I’m thankful for him, too,” Hernandez said.

Janet Green, Loaves and Fishes

It didn’t take long for Janet Green to think about what she was thankful for this Thanksgiving.

In response to a question from The Sacramento Press, Green, the outreach development director for Loaves & Fishes, said, “I am definitely thankful for my family, my health and my Loaves & Fishes community.”

Mandy Nguyen Wright, Office Assistant, The Specific Chiropractic Center in Elk Grove
Elk Grove resident, 41

“I’m thankful that I’m breathing and in good health and that (my husband and I) are able to take care of patients. I’m thankful for family and friends to help support us with transitions and events we hold at the office.

“I’m also thankful that I don’t have to cook this Thanksgiving, because I’m going to my family’s house.”

Joseph Phillips, full-time student at Carrington College, part-time cop
Oakland resident, 23

“I’m thankful to be a cop. I had wanted to be a cop since I was 5. My father works for the L.A. County Sheriff’s department. Before that he was a football player, and he had always wanted to be a cop. I’m trying to make him proud up here.”

“I’m thankful for the family – the little bit that I have. Family’s always good when you have it.”

Phillips came to Sacramento to visit his mom in Elk Grove and spend Thanksgiving there.

“I’m thankful for mac and cheese. My Aunt Lisa makes the best mac and cheese.”

Christopher Barry, full-time student at Sacramento State, part-time sales associate at Nordstrom’s, sales intern at The Sacramento Press
Downtown Sacramento resident, 25

“It’s been a busy year for me with school and work. I’m thankful for all of the support I get from my family and friends. I’ve been taking a back seat in hanging out with friends because I’m so busy, but they’ve been supportive. All of their positive motivation keeps me going as I finish my last semester at Sac State.”

Russell Glover, high school student at American Legion, Sacramento resident, 16

“I’m thankful for my family and for the food I’m going to eat on Thanksgiving.”

Glover said his favorite is turkey, and he looks forward to sharing it with loved ones this holiday.

Theresa Fitz, San Francisco resident

Fitz arrived Tuesday by bus from San Francisco, where her brother-in-law picked her up.

“I’m really thankful for my family,” she said.

“Some family is here, so I came up to see them for the holiday,” she added.

Dorothy Malcolm, Sacramento resident, 85

"I'm going to have a bunch of my family here. For the first time in the 30 years I've lived in Sacramento, I have a son and daughter-in-law living nearby. I also have two daughters, a son-in-law and six grandchildren coming. There'll be 12 of us for dinner in my small house. And seven of them are staying overnight."

Elden Bartley, homeless in Sacramento, 50

"I live on the street. I'm thankful that God keeps me alive every day and keeps me safe. And I stay warm with one blanket. I go to church every Sunday. And I've got two good friends out here. So right now, it's working. I'm just very thankful for that. I've been out here four years."

Maritess Oandasan, Granite Bay resident

"[I'm thankful for] family, and that I have a steady job that's possibly promising, and honestly, that's it! Family, because I've had some things happen. And good food."

Matt Minehart, Sacramento resident

"We are thankful for family, great friends, our health, and of course, good music."

Sacramento Press editorial staff Kathleen Haley, Colleen Belcher, Brandon Darnell, Suzanne Hurt and David Watts Barton contributed to this article.

How to use Liveshare to post your RTFTH photos

2010-11-24T01:14:32Z

You’ve taken some great photos from the Run To Feed the Hungry race and now you want to share them. How do you upload them on our site? Below we’ll show you how to do it.

Requirements:

iPhone with iOS 3 or higher
Android phone
Have a Facebook account

For iPhone users you can simply download the app at the iTunes store. For Android users simply launch the Android Market on your device then search for "LiveShare" in the Android Market and install it, it’s free!

Once you have the app you can use your Facebook credentials to login. Then simply select The Run to Feed the Hungry event, which will pop up under Nov. 25 events. You will see a live gallery of pictures that everyone else at the event is taking. Click the camera icon in the upper right corner and you can add pictures of your own right from your phone!

It’s as easy as that.

Although you won’t see much until race day, you can check out the gallery now on SacPress.