Firefighters stumbled upon a house fire while leaving a medical call in Oak Park early Sunday morning, and got the family out the home before it was destroyed in the flames. A firefighter crew was leaving a medical call when they noticed a column of smoke down the street, and arrived at the corner of 21st and 34th Streets to find a fire in a detached garage spreading to two homes, according to Sacramento City Fire Battalion Chief Craig Wiedenhoeft. Firefighters evacuated both homes. The house on the corner was gutted by the flames, but a neighbors house only sustained damage to the attic, Wiedenhoeft said. The Red Cross arrived to help the families find a place to stay. Neighbor Rowlan

Friday, May 3, 2013 MIDTOWN: Suspicious Circumstances, 24th Street/P Street, 10:06 a.m. The victim reported that a suspicious parcel was delivered to her door. It was determined that the package was in fact sent from a known friend of the victim; however, the item appeared suspicious to her. Officers arrived and determined that there was nothing dangerous regarding the package and the currier was notified for further follow up. DOWNTOWN: Resisting, 7th Street/F Street, 12:46 a.m. Parker Caldwell, 24, was taken into custody for resisting arrest after officers contacted him in the area. Witnesses reported seeing Caldwell knocking on doors in the area and he became aggressive upon officers

An artisan coffee roaster and baker brought their old world values into a new world context when they created the Old Soul Co. boutique coffee roaster and bakery in midtown. Roaster Jason Griest was co-owner of the Naked Lounge when he met baker Tim Jordan, who was one of his early customers. The two realized that they both shared an old world appreciation for true craftsmanship and for quality products that spoke for themselves without the need for glitzy advertising methods. Old World Model Griest said that he and Jordan pictured American immigrants, from the 1700’s and 1800’s, arriving in New York on boats and bringing their strong work ethic and craft to the new world to make better

Food trucks, a singing competition, a classic car show, live funk and soul music, bounce houses, face painting and plein air painters. If the aforementioned sounds like a street fair, you're right. And it's all happening this weekend in one of Sacramento's more historic neighborhoods – Oak Park. The Fourth Annual Painters Paradise Community Street Fair (which is free to attend) will take place Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., at 35th Street and Broadway. Organized by the Oak Park Business Association, the event aims to entertain, while creating community and featuring the business corridor, says OPBA Project Manager Lisa Cordell. "It just gets the word out about Oak Park, and it really adve

A man was killed early Friday morning in South Oak Park after being shot multiple times. At 35th Street and 26th Avenue, police responded to reports of shots fired in the area and found a man lying in the street shortly after 4 a.m. The man, who was in his 20s, was unresponsive and appeared to have multiple gunshot wounds. Sacramento Fire Department personnel declared the man dead at the scene. Sacramento Police Department homicide investigators were called to the scene and are continuing the investigation.   "At this time there is no known motive for this deadly shooting and detectives continue to investigate this incident," a SPD press release stated.  A dark sedan was seen in the ar

Among the colors on Patris Miller’s life palette are three that she holds most dear: a love of teaching, a passion for creating art and a zeal for revitalizing Oak Park. With one stroke of her paintbrush, she mixed the three dissimilar elements together when she opened Patris Studio and Art Gallery. Her Oak Park-based studio and gallery offers education, events and exhibits and is a vital art center for the local community and the larger community of artists. It is also a dream come true for the Montana native. Patris originally known as Patti Miller, came to the Sacramento region and became an educator after earning her teaching credential from California State University, Sacramento. I

Old Soul Co. at 40 Acres in Oak Park offers a delightful assortment of coffee and tea selections to go along with a breakfast and lunch menu. This month artists Kristen Hoard and Jessi Brooks are displaying an array of beautiful works of art for customers to enjoy. As part of their February Second Saturday Art Walk Old Soul will display the metal sculpture artistry of Hoard and Brooks until Mar. 7. The sculpture and metal wall art are bent into incredible shapes and the use of color brings life to their work. Hoard and Brooks have their own studio in midtown and their exhibits can be seen at many venues. I found their Old Soul venue selection comforting and inviting. I can't think of

The city's fourth homicide of the year stems from a shooting that occurred 36 years ago in Oak Park, which left a man paralyzed until he died Monday of complications. Walter Johnson, 62, died of medical complications that arose from being paralyzed after a shooting in 1977. The shooting occurred April 9, 1977, at about 3:48 a.m., at San Carlos Way between 13th and 14th Avenues. Johnson was driving to his parents' home when he was approached by three Hispanic men, who blocked the roadway with their car at the intersection, according to the Sacramento Police Department. The men walked toward Johnson, who was seated in his car, and confronted him. A struggle ensued and Johnson was shot in

This past Tuesday, February 5th, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity Construction Site Supervisor Scott Higgins discovered that his site, 1017 Frienza Avenue, had been vandalized and over $2,800 in tools were missing. The tools were being kept in a locked storage container located on site behind a locked fence.  Suspects broke the lock which was concealed inside a metal chamber located on the exterior front of the storage container and removed the construction tools inside which included a Yellow 6000W Generator on wheels (valued $2,100), a skill saw, a cordless drill set, and various other miscellaneous building items totaling $2,800 in losses for Sacramento Habitat. Frienza Avenue is one o

Sacramento, CA)  Sacramento Habitat for Humanity’s newest homeowners, Chula Yang and Mai Kao Thao, will receive the keys to their new home this Saturday, February 16th, 2013 at 10:00 a.m thanks to a full home sponsorship by JPMorgan Chase. The Thao/Yang Family came to the United States from Thailand in November of 2004 in hopes for a better quality of life.  “In Thailand,” explains Mai Kao, “there is no way to better your life.  No way to get work.  We moved here to give our children a future.” Upon coming to the United States the Thao/Yang’s initially settled in Georgia with relatives.  Mai Kao recalls, “I felt we must have made a mistake.  In Georgia, we found ourselves in more poverty

Police arrested a man suspected of robbing a bank at gunpoint Thursday morning in Oak Park. The robbery was at the U.S. Bank in Oak Park, at Broadway and 34th Street, and occurred at 9:50 a.m. Following the robbery, the suspect got into a gray pickup truck and hit a parked vehicle and police cruiser, before leading police on a car chase down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He eventually collided with a van while heading southbound on Martin Luther King Boulevard, at 12th Street.  The suspect was identified as 45-year-old Ruben Rodriguez, and was arrested on suspicion of robbery, assault on an officer, evading and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. A search of his truck rev

The Sacramento Coalition for Working Families will host it’s final Taxes Done Right Super Event this Saturday, February 9th from 9am - 2pm at Grant High School. To prepare a return, participants need to bring: A copy of last year's return. Their Social Security or ITIN number (and for all family members). Photo identification. Any tax related forms received from their employer or benefits provider. Documentation or receipts for deductions and credits. Their child care provider's Tax ID number (if applicable). A voided check to use for direct deposit of refunds. Up to 200 people are expected to attend. Call 211 to schedule an appointment. Additional events will take place at t

Things are warming up in the Oak Park area. The Salvation Army officially opened the “Hot Spot” drop-in center at its Ray Robinson Oak Park Community Center on February 1. Every Friday night, from 7 to 11 pm, the “Hot Spot” will provide teens, ages 13-19, an opportunity to utilize the multiple activities—like basketball, board games, art projects, video games and a computer lab—at the community center. Snacks are also given to the teenage attendees. “People can come down and play instead of being on the streets,” said Oshe, a 17-year-old high school student who came to the opening night of the drop-in center to play basketball. “You always hear about kids getting shot, but this is a plac

Police have cancelled a search in South Sacramento for suspected car thieves after being unable to confirm whether they were involved in Thursday's fatal drive-by shooting in Oak Park.  "There is no confirmation that this is related at this point," Sacramento Police Department Spokesman Doug Morse said.  A police perimeter had been established around an apartment complex at Munson Way and Florin Road around 9:30 a.m., following a high-speed chase of a stolen vehicle. Luther Burbank High had been on lockdown, it's since been lifted.  Our earlier story:  Luther Burbank High School is on lockdown, and police are searching vehicles leaving an area on Florin Road following a high-speed chas

Police are investigating the deadly drive-by shooting of a young man in Oak Park, but haven't released a suspect or vehicle description, and have no known motive.  The incident occurred Thursday on the 3100 block of 39th Street at 12:44 p.m., Sacramento Police Department Spokesman Doug Morse said. The victim – identified as 19-year-old Anthony Navarro – was shot multiple times while on foot near the suspect vehicle, and died later at the hospital, police say.  Police had detained several people who may have been witnesses, at Martin Luther King and 7th Avenue, and a large number of officers – including some from the gang unit – were on scene. Several shell casings could be seen on the gr

Old Sacramento’s Laughs Unlimited packed a full house for stand-up headliner Tyrone (Ty) Barnett and all for a good cause. Hosted by Sacramento-based “Correctional Workers Who Care,” all of Thursday’s proceeds went to the organization’s holiday party for children. The holiday party will include a wrapped gift and a picture with the legendary Santa Claus. With openings from Sacramento comic veterans E. Clark, Tristan Johnson and an even goofier Michael Calvin acting as Master of Ceremonies, the hysteria was absolutely inevitable. Although the venue was at capacity, empty seats scattered the front couple rows, with patrons crowding the outer perimeter instead. Only the brave sat front and c

When a man stole Russell Rawling's iPhone earlier this month – from his wheelchair, in front of his home on 1st Avenue – the first thing the Oak Park man did was notify the police. Using a phone tracking app, Rawlings was able to trace the stolen phone back to an apartment complex just down the block from his home. But without a specific location – the GPS only detected the complex and not the unit number – the police couldn't go in, Rawlings said. "Unfortunately it's one of those things, in an urban environment, when your moral compass is way off," Rawlings said. "I'm sure it was a target of opportunity type thing." Rawlings is wheelchair-bound and has limited mobility. He's a well-kno

This past Second Saturday, I ventured off the midtown grid, away from the usual suspects, to a cultural hotbed at the Brickhouse Art Gallery in Oak Park. The occasion was the launch party of HAIRitage: Celebrating the Legacy of the Barber Shop with Art, Poetry and Jazz, a book full of black and white photos taken at the Master Barber Shop and Beauty Salon by local artist Gerry “GOS” Simpson, and poetry centering around the barbershop experience and its positive influence in the black community. And community is just what I found there, in spades. The exterior of Brickhouse was topped with a painting of President Obama, his smile shining like a beacon of hope and solidarity, and the atmosp

One of the large residential complexes being constructed in Oak Park is The Arbors, "55 units of affordable housing for seniors which will also include 4,000 square feet of market rate retail space," according to a press release. A representative of the property, Steven Oh, has been unreachable for a conversation due to a busy schedule. It is on the south side of Broadway and is between Martin Luther King Blvd. and 39th St. Oh confirmed the press release issued in May 2012 is still accurate. The completed facility will offer a library/multi-purpose  room, fitness center and a Resident Services Program. According to the press release "Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) p

T-Mo Entertainment’s annual Holiday Jam showcased local talents’ finest this past Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Guild Theatre. For only a $10 admission, the show was affordable to all, with proceeds going to local homeless shelters and T-Mo’s Boy to a Man workshop. The theatre is illuminated starkly in the quaint Oak Park neighborhood - truly a diamond in the rough. Local vendors lined the theatre walls with a vast array of handmade jewelry, music and clothing. Jennifer Bernard, founder of Haute Baubles Jewelry & Accessories, was one of many vendors in attendance. Her handmade glittering jewels sparkled across black velvet fabric, enticing, yet affordable. Bernard, who works full time, explai