A plan to make it easier for big-box stores like WalMart to open in Sacramento will be considered by a city comission Thursday. The proposal to repeal the city's "Superstore Ordinance," ending the requirement that city study the economic impact of any big-box megastores planning to locate in Sacramento, will go before the Design and Planning Commission during their 5 p.m. meeting. Several business groups have written letters of support (Metro Chamber, The Natomas Chamber, Asian-Pacific Chamber, Regional Builders), but the idea has also drawn opposition from activists concerned that it could make it easier for a Walmart to open in the city. "We feel that the city council was visionary to

Officers with the Sacramento Police Department took underprivileged kids shopping this weekend at a local Target store in what's dubbed the "Target and Blue" program. "It was amazing to see the children smiling, with ear-to-ear grins," SPD Spokeswoman Michelle Gigante said. "They were humble, sweet and grateful kids." On Sunday, Dec. 16, officers accompanied 10 pre-selected children on a shopping spree at the Target on 65th Street and 4th Avenue. Each child received $220 to buy gifts for themselves and/or others. The children and their families were selected by local elementary school representatives and officers. "This is another great example of the partnership between Target, the Sac

My recycling container has disappeared again.  It's only the second time in nine years and, frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened more often.  But it's still annoying.  This isn't helped by the fact that the last time I needed to get a new container, the City couldn't seem to figure out that I lived on a street corner and needed the new container where my driveway is (and where the other containers are) and not halfway up the front path on the way to the front door.  It took three attempts to get a broken container replaced for the same reason. I haven't even requested a new one this time.  I live about a block and a half from a commercial recycling center and this neighborhood is gro

You may have seen the phrase “gluten-free” on products in your local supermarket, but do you know what it means? If not, prepare for a quick refresher course on nutrition and biology. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and malts. It’s that special something that gives the ingredients in foods like bread, crackers and cake their ability to stick together. It is commonly referred to as a “binder,” and it can be found in a wide variety of food items. For most people, consuming gluten is no problem. However, for the estimated 10 percent of people in the United States who have a sensitivity to gluten, avoidance becomes a full-time task. This is especially true for people with cel

Thanksgiving evening at 11pm, Ed Fogle and I joined forces to capture the Black Friday shopping frenzies. Our adventure began at Arden Fair Mall. Here is a timeline: 11:49pm - Thanksgiving evening Traffic at Arden Fair Mall was ongoing. Busses continuously dropped shoppers off. 12:01 AM At the front of the mall, the line's tail-end of shoppers were sprinting to get through the doors. 12:04 AM Elevators were packed. Shoppers were packing into stores! Apple was busy! Shoppers with bags streamed out of Macy's. 1:47 AM Fry's Electronics at Northgate Blvd had a long line of shoppers trying to stay warm in 34 degrees. The woman in the blue cap arrived at 10am Thanksgiving.  

Quick updateTarget's new East Sacramento store at the corners of 65th and 4th Streets has all the looks of opening soon. The parking lot is ready, the exterior walls and signage are up. One of Target's newest, this 135,000-square-foot store along 65th Street just south of Hwy 50, is scheduled to open this October. Visit: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/25184/New_Sacramento_Area_Target_to_Open_This_Fall SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

The Target store at Riverside and Broaway will begin a remodel Monday that will serve as a “facelift” to the store, said John Lukas, store manager. In addition to fixture upgrades and a new floor, the store will be getting a much-expanded grocery section with a supermarket feel. “The biggest thing is definitely the groceries - that’s what it’s all about,” Lukas said Thursday. “We have a very limited grocery right now. The new one will be immense.” The work is scheduled to be completed in mid-October, said Tammy Robertson, a spokeswoman for Target. She did not have exact figures for the cost of this remodel, but said they typically cost between $2 million and $4 million per store. The s

I feel compelled to confess this simple truth: I love Target.  My Wife and I shop there all the time, not to say we shop excessively. We both think of ourselves as modest and frugal, and we rely on their affordable prices to get the products we need regularly: food, clothes, and household goods.   We loath Wal-Mart, and at the same time, I realize it is completely hypocritical to give Target a free pass,  since they too are a large faceless multinational corporation, easily vivified.  I also realize that this is not a perfect world, and we’ve all got to make our own way in it.  That being said since I heard that a new Target Store was going  to be built in walking distance from my front do