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

Sensory Perception: an exhibition of mosaics by Sacramento deafblind artist Mary Dignan, opens at the SMUD Art Gallery, 6301 S Street, Sacramento on Monday, March 4, 2013. The public is invited to meet the artist and view her work at a FREE opening reception on Friday, March 1, 2013, from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibition showcases over 30 ceramic tile and mixed media art mosaics created by deafblind artist Mary Dignan. The mosaics offer an insight into the unique perspective of an artist with Usher Syndrome, a genetic disorder which is the leading cause of deafblindness. Dignan’s mosaics bring onlookers into the fantastical world of her own metamorphosis, as she navigates through what it is to

¡Viva la Vida! Sacramento Area Artists and the Art of Dia de los Muertos, features the work of 12 Sacramento area artists and opens at the SMUD Art Gallery, 6301 S Street, Sacramento on Thursday, September 6, 2012. The public is invited to meet the artists at a FREE reception on Thursday, September 6, 2012, from 4 to 6 p.m. The exhibition includes works by Raul Mejia, Rob-O, Gustavo Reynoso, Ryan “El Dugi” Lewis, John S. Huerta, Lila Solorzano, OC Thomas, Rosita Favela, Trent Harger, Ivan Rubio, Francisco Franco, and Sergio Martinez. Paintings, tapestry, tattoo art, cut paper, and sugar are just some of the media being explored by these artists to illustrate the traditions and symbolism o

Launch 2012 presented an exciting evening full of art and music on 20th Street between J and K Streets. The front of the Midtown Art Retail Restaurant Scene (MARRS) building served as the stage for some great music. The Honey Trees, I’m Dirty Too and Doombird played and also featured a CD release and performance by Exquisite Corps. Terra Lopez of Sister Crayon was also on hand and served as DJ for the event. The first band to perform was The Honey Trees. The band is composed of musicians from Sacramento and San Luis Obispo. Becky Filip and Jacob Wick founded The Honey Trees in 2008. The current line-up includes Jacob’s brother, Aaron Wick on drums and Austin I'Anson on bass. In betw

Midtown residents asked Sacramento city staff for a solution to the lack of parking spaces available to renters and owners at Monday’s Neighborhood Advisory Group (NAG) meeting. They complained that business patrons are using their residential spaces. “As someone who lives down here and can’t park, I have concerns about residential parking,” said Karen Jacques, a member of the Midtown neighborhood association. “We’ve got to have some way (the potential solution) really keeps the business customers out of residential parking.” Greg Sandlund, associate planner for the Community Development Department told NAG members that his department is actively working toward a plan that will balance t

Join your peers at the Sacramento Regional Inclusion and Diversity Conference "Building Bridges" scheduled for Thursday, January 26, 2012. The event is sponsored by VSP Global, Anthem Blue Cross, CalPERS, America at Work, Kaiser Permanente, My Sister's House, Wells Fargo, Delta Dental, Microsoft and the City of Elk Grove. The conference provides businesses the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from Northern California inclusion leaders and innovators. Keynote speaker, Dr. Steve L. Robbins, is a powerful communicator, insightful facilitator and inspiring motivator who can simultaneously challenge and encourage people with a dynamic use of story-telling, humor and extensive knowledge

     The Sacramento County Airport System has received a $150,000 rebate from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) for energy efficiencies built into the design and construction of Terminal B at Sacramento International Airport. SMUD director Rob Kerth (Ward 5) will present the SMUD Savings By Design Program check to the Board of Supervisors at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 700 H St.     According to SMUD energy advisers, measures in place at Terminal B would yield a greenhouse gas reduction of 793 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of planting more than 33,000 trees or removing 165 cars from the road.      The airport’s Big Build design team worked clo

The City Council approved $400,000 in funding from new sources Tuesday for upgrades to the Sacramento Intermodal Transportation Facility project, including energy-efficient lighting and new power cabinets that will help reduce air emissions at the new facility. The project is being built at the downtown railyards and is currently in the first phase of development. City officials say Phase 1 should be completed by mid-summer 2012. The project is planned to accommodate rail freight movement, heavy passenger trains, light rail transit and intercity and local buses, according to a city staff report. It will also provide facilities for bicycle and pedestrian transportation modes and – potenti

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Association (SARTA), as part of its Clean Start initiative, held the 2011 Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase last Monday, October 24, 2011. The showcase, entitled, “Green Innovation: Engine of Growth,” was the fifth annual showcase and was held in the California State University Sacramento Union. SARTA CEO Meg Arnold welcomed everyone to the Union Ballroom and acknowledged the governmental leaders present. Mayor Kevin Johnson, a strong supporter of bringing clean tech companies to Sacramento; Dr. Joseph F. Sheley, Sacramento State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, a strong supporter of clean tech in Congr

Sacramento Municipal Utility District offices will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The following regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, September 6: Residential customer phone service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1-888-742-SMUD (7683) Commercial customer phone service 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1-877-622-SMUD (7683) Customer lobby service 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customer Service Center, 6301 S St., Sacramento Business offices 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SMUD's 24-hour electric outage number, 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) will continue operating throughout the holiday. If power goes out, customers should notify SMUD immediately. In the event of an electrical problem, customers

SMUD received an electrifying down payment of sorts with the delivery this week of 11 plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) pickup trucks. Three more will be arriving later as part of a $97 million Chrysler demonstration project in select markets. “We were a logical partner for Chrysler because we’ve been testing alternative fuel vehicles for more than 20 years in an effort to improve the Sacramento region’s air quality,” said SMUD General Manager John DiStasio. “Environmental leadership is one of the SMUD’s core values.” Chrysler manufactured 140 of the Ram hybrid trucks under a U.S. Department of Energy stimulus grant that was awarded in the fall of 2009. “These vehicles were still in the co

Anne Dunlap-Kahren’s old refrigerator was in her kitchen for 13 years. She bought a new one and relegated the old one to a place where a lot of old refrigerators go, the garage. The problem is these older refrigerators use more household energy than anything else in the home. They use as much as three times the energy of newer models, and can cost up to an additional $125 per year to run. When Anne heard about SMUD’s Refrigerator Recycling program, she called to make an appointment. Within a few days, JACO Environmental, a SMUD recycling contractor, was at her door to pick up the old one and give her a $35 check for it. By recycling, Anne is saving money, energy and the environment. “Fo

Summer’s hot temperatures are here! With a little planning, you can keep your home cool and save money on summer energy bills. The easiest way to keep your home cool is not to let it heat up in the first place. Hot Weather Tips Good insulation, caulking and weather stripping help keep the heat outside. Shade trees, overhangs, awnings and shades and limiting the use of household appliances that emit heat also help keep it cool. Keep windows closed during the heat of the day, and draw blinds and draperies during the day to keep the heat out. Set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher in the summer. There is about a 5 to 10 percent savings on the operating cost of an air conditioner for e

The Green Capital Alliance presented “Road Map to 3,000 Jobs” at the Sacramento State University Alumni Center Thursday June 9th. The Green Capital Alliance describes itself as “a broad partnership of people and organizations aiming to make the clean technology sector a defining feature of Sacramento’s economy.” The centerpiece of the meeting was the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and the Californis State University Sacramento (CSUS).  The MOA formally regonies work started last year between the two institutions.  The MOA basically ties together the smart meter progran at SMUD and he California Smart Grid Center work at Sac

Party with Pride 2011 this Saturday at Capitol Mall. More than 20 performers will entertain festivalgoers with dancing, drag queens, cheerleaders and more at this annual event to raise money for the Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center. Guy Farris, Emmy award-winning anchor of “Sacramento & Co” will lead the parade as this year’s Grand Marshall. Don Geronimo, host of Sports 1140 KHTK, and LaRoy, a gay radio correspondent, will emcee. Club queen singer Luciana Caporaso and Sacramento native Raquela bring raucous disco while Miss Coco Peru does her unique brand of storytelling in a day of non-stop entertainment. “We were extremely lucky to book Luciana, Raquela and Miss Coco for the festival,”

Hundreds of Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) residential and commercial customers will soon be able to take advantage of generous rebates to help pay for comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits thanks to a federal grant. Using stimulus funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), the Neighborhood Performance program provides rebates to single-family and multifamily residential customers and small and large commercial customers in the downtown and midtown areas of Sacramento and the Rosemont area in Sacramento County. Those areas were chosen based on customer profile and peak energy usage. SMUD received about $2.8 million in the grant, which was awarded to Los

Mayor Kevin Johnson joined public utility officials and private business developers at Depot Park Tuesday for a ceremony to dedicate the largest private solar project in the Sacramento region. The 3-megawatt project, located in the Depot Park business complex on Florin-Perkins Road, includes an array of 12,600 solar panels and is designed to meet nearly 40 percent of the annual power needs for the 3 million-square-foot facility, according to information released by the mayor’s office. “I believe this area has the opportunity to be the greenest region in the country and a hub for investment in clean technology,” Johnson said in his prepared statement. “Today’s dedication demonstrates that

In a display of symbolic death to the local workforce, a man dressed in a grim reaper costume stood with scythe in hand in front of the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District building on 65th Street Monday morning along with a half dozen other workers from the Carpenters Union Local 180. Protesters passed out fliers claiming that SMUD outsourced labor for the Solano Wind project to an out-of-state general contractor who made $830 million in 2009, but SMUD calls the protest a disruption of business with "false and inaccurate claims" about the project. SMUD states as many as 180 local construction jobs will be available in the Solano County area because of the project and that they didn't

Sacramento is looking to use its abundant sunlight to cut down on energy costs and pollution by partnering with Solar City to install more than 8,000 solar panels throughout the city. Solar City is the nation’s leading provider of solar panels for homes, businesses and government organizations, according to its website, and it has taken on a number of projects in Sacramento in the past. This partnership, however, is slated to be the largest, according to the company. The systems are expected to produce 2.6 million kilowatt hours in the first year while the average U.S. home uses about 10,000 kilowatt hours in a year. The solar energy produced in one year will be enough to power 260 homes

SMUD offers kite flying safety tips: When flying a kite, the sky’s the limit but remember to fly with caution. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) offers these simple safety tips to help make kite flying a safe experience. Build or buy kites made of wood or plastic. Only use cloth for the tail. Fly kites in wide, open areas, away from power lines. Only use cotton, linen or nylon string. Never use metallic thread, wire or wire reinforced string as they can cause a fire, serious injury or death if they come in contact with energized electrical equipment. Only fly kites in dry weather. When kite string gets wet it becomes a stronger conductor of electricity. If a kite gets