“Canada’s Tar Sands are perhaps the most visually compelling example of all that is wrong with our addiction to fossil fuels and why we must change or face dire consequences for all life on Earth.” —Garth Lenz The province of Alberta, Canada has the largest and most intact forest ecosystem but also the largest and most ecologically devastating industrial project the world has ever known - the Alberta Tar Sands. Internationally acclaimed photojournalist Garth Lenz has captured the detailed reality of what happens when a pristine landscape is confronted by an industrial project. His work as a photojournalist has won him top awards at Pris de la Photographie Paris and the International Ph

Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington, D.C., public schools, is one of the most admired and reviled school reformers in America. Frontline was granted unprecedented access to Rhee during her tumultuous three-year tenure as she attempted to fix a broken school systen. As Rhee returns to the national stage, Frontline examines her legacy in Washington, D.C., including her battles with the teachers' union and her handling of a cheating scandal in the District. Frontline: The Education of Michelle Rhee will premiere on Tuesday, January 8, at 10PM on KVIE channel 6. Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your week

National, State and Sacramento Regional Transportation officials gather to celebrate ongoing U.S. Transportation investments that continue to positively impact the greater Sacramento Region.  The California Central Valley is blessed with inland ports, major rail lines, trucking hubs and interstate highway systems to build new clean technology transportation systems.. U.S. Transporation Secretay Ray LaHood and Congresswomen Doris Matsui continue to lead transformation through U.S. Civil Rights Law throughout the global reach of U.S. Transportation systems.  Rosa Parks legal team continues to work on the "Nervous Freedom" Sparking Change in U.S. Transportation Law.  Job creation, career adv

A Palette of Leaves by Edythe Haendel Schwartz Mayapple Press ISBN 978-1-936419-14-2 2012, 70 pp., $14.95 Poetry – Local Author This latest book by Davis poet Edythe Haendel Schwartz is a must for artists and poets alike, and is one of the best poetry collections I read in 2012. Beginning with the cover featuring the poet’s art, "A Palette of Leaves" surprised and delighted me. Several ekphrastic poems, beginning and ending the collection with Alice Neel, are spread throughout the three sections. Haendel Schwartz examines subjects like aging, stroke, biopsy and familial relationships, without sentimentality. Don’t confuse sentiment with emotion, and expect these poems to evoke a range of

Q. Greetings, I was hoping to find out information on laws surrounding self storages and the return of personal property such as pictures and personal papers. I recently had a storage unit sold that contained many personal papers (contracts and agreements) and boxes full of family photos (current framed and past pictures of living and deceased members). The storage company has stated these items were to be returned and would look into the matter, but, have yet to return calls or answer when we call. I know certain states have laws requiring these types of items be returned; does California have such a law? Thanks and kind regards, DaShon A. During the holidays, while we were visiting

On Saturday, Jan. 5, Sandy Thomas will teach three separate introductory self-defense workshops for women. In each two-hour workshop, women will learn basic defense techniques that may be used against an unarmed assailant, and each attendee will learn the five weapons every woman possesses and the four offensive target areas on the would-be assailant. Each workshop is appropriate for women of all ages. The workshops are affordable at $25.00 for each session (only one session is required), and Thomas donates 20% of each fee to the Sacramento Poetry Center, which is where the workshops are held. Bring a friend, sister, mother, daughter or co-worker and learn some important defense techniqu

Promised Land Directed by Gus Van Sant *CONTAINS VAGUE PLOT SPOILERS* In “Promised Land,” Matt Damon plays an up and coming employee of a natural gas company that’s in the process of entering into contracts with land owners to allow the company to drill for and extract gas from under their property. Their modus operandi is to arrive in a new location and quickly and quietly secure enough contracts to make the process viable before there’s any groundswell of opposition or any involvement from environmental groups who might not be so fond of the “fracking” gas extraction process. I say “up and coming” as he seems primed for advancement, but he’s not a junior employee - the film starts wit

Advocates for the homeless held a rally on the north steps of the Capitol building all day of this chilly third day of the new year. It was to support a legislative proposal to expand civil rights and anti-discrimination laws to include homeless and low-income people as well as those with mental illness or physical disability. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, introduced his Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) early last month. A long read, a part of it states; "This bill would enact the Homeless Person's Bill of Rights and Fairness Act, which would provide that no person's rights, privileges, or access to public services may be denied or abridged because he or she is homeless, has a low incom

“Promised Land” film review by Gary Chew “Promised Land” is not an effort to revive big screen bible epics. The land promised is that which is likely to have millions of dollars worth of natural gas in it. The people who own the land are being paid to promise (sign on the dotted line) that what lies below goes to a large natural gas corporation. That's where Matt Damon and Frances Mc Dormand come in. As Steve and Sue, they're salespersons of a global-sized gas company. Their job is to persuade locals who live in natural-gas-rich regions that allowing the energy firm to bring up what's locked in the rock will make property owners wealthy. Extracting natural gas this way has come to be cal

The six-county Sacramento Region experienced another decline in annual job growth in November 2012. Preliminary data show that the number of jobs on payrolls in the Region increased by 0.5 percent in the past 12 months, which equates to a gain of 4,300 jobs. This rate of growth is notably lower than what the Region posted just four months ago when annual job growth was at 2.5 percent. While this job growth dip was not unexpected according to CSER’s Sacramento Region Business Forecast, the rate of growth is slightly lower than anticipated. For the past six months, the Yuba-Sutter area has seen consistent annual job declines, while the core four-county Sacramento metropolitan area only start

Our “California Grown” international holiday seeks to share a broader perspective of Kwanzaa throughout the world. California remains one of the world's leading Agriculture region.  The past, present and future contributions of Black Farmers and Agriculturalists remains a 365 day avocation utilizing the principles and symbols of Kwanzaa.  Our ancient future, role and responsibility is seen today in the source documentation from Ancient African Civilization harvest festivals. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, is slowly breaking down cultural barriers globally, "at America's Last Plantation," our United States Department of Agriculture truly is undergoing a cultural transformation and “A New Day

Django Unchained Film review by Gary Chew If revenge is really sweet, then Quentin Tarantino has a sweet tooth. He's really indulged himself in the writing and directing of his latest screen splatter, “Django Unchained.” But Quentin has never been known to not overdo things. Fortunately though, he does make for a broader diversity of movies. Tarantino is the movie freak's movie freak. He knows more about movies and directors, probably, than the likes of 10 Pauline Kaels. Two strong influences in “Django” are borrowed from directors Sam Peckinpah and Mel Brooks. At a recent screening of “Django Unchained,” I had to remind myself more than once that I wasn't watching “The Wild Bunch” and

Django Unchained Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino I already listed “Django Unchained” as one of my recommendations for holiday gift tickets – so it’s no surprise to find that I enjoyed it, a lot. That said, it’s not a very holidayish movie and many will find the subject matter and the violent content objectionable. But for folks who don’t mind exploding blood packs and a fairly brutal story, this one’s a winner – in fact it’s already received an American Film Institute Movie of the Year Award and has been nominated for five Golden Globes. The story revolves around an ex-dentist turned bounty hunter, played by Christoph Waltz, who is initially searching for three wanted men. Howe

Hyde Park on Hudson Directed by Roger Michell This is the latest film in a recent run of releases that focus on larger than life figures, with vast careers and records, by concentrating on brief but defining and/or representative periods in their lives. In “Lincoln” the attention was on the passage of legislation that became the Thirteenth Amendment. In “Hitchcock” it was on the making of “Psycho.” And in “Hyde Park on Hudson,” it’s a weekend meeting between Franklin D. Roosevelt and King George VI. As with the other subjects, one could make epic movies about Roosevelt – he was a four term President who took the country from the depression era through the Second World War, dying in offic

This Is 40  &  Hyde Park on Hudson             film review by Gary Chew Laughs for Americans during the winter holidays this year may be in shorter supply with  domestic tragedy and misfortune filling so much of the plate.  Let me put you on to a couple of new movies just now in Sacramento that give an opportunity for having a good chortle or two.  They're something you might find useful. Judd Apatow has a shiny new film to entertain called “This Is 40.”  Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann return in their characters first seen in Apatow's  riotous “Knocked Up.”  This is another foible-filled family trek through the simple, embarrassing and humorous intimacies of a set of parents and their two yo

3 Gifts of Entertainment If you’re still trying to figure out gift options, here are three recommendations that are easy to purchase without dealing with crowded shopping malls. And tickets have the added advantage of being easy to wrap. How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular Mix the storyline and production company behind the excellent animated film “How to Train Your Dragon” with the animatronic masterminds behind “Walking with Dinosaurs” and you get this amazing show that’s touring arenas around the country. Not only are the dragons awesome enough to thrill ‘children of all ages’ (myself included) but the show incorporates some really cool mixed-media techniques that put the char

If you're like many people, you may have forgotten one or two gifts, but never fear. With several shopping days left before Christmas, Book Talk can guide your car to some interesting stops. Maybe you'll even find a gift for yourself. Books make wonderful gifts, but you don't have to buy the titles listed on the top ten or bestselling lists, and you really don't have to buy those gift books that weigh more than an old-school laptop. In fact, you don't even have to buy new books. Consider shopping at one of the many used book stores in the Sacramento area. Several are affiliated with various Friends of the Library, including the newest storefront in Rio Linda at 440 Elkhorn Blvd. This sto

With the new year, neighborhood associations in Sacramento are focusing on their resolutions, and Southside Park is working on its top three. 1. Making sure that the Southside Park pool is open again, with lower prices and a longer season Earlier this year marked the first time since 2010 that the pool was used.The Southside Park Neighborhood Association is hopeful that the city is looking favorably to the “Y” running the pool program again next summer. The pricing structure is also of concern to the community, which many feel was too high, especially given the general income level of the kids served. 2. Regaining access to the community clubhouse The Southside Park Clubhouse, located

Disneyland trips, stays at hotels in Las Vegas and coastal towns, clothes, makeup, iTunes games, music, movies and entertainment apps, meals at restaurants and more.  No, this isn't a Christmas wish list, though it could easily be mistaken for one. These items are just a few of the now infamous laundry list of items that a former aide to Mayor Kevin Johnson allegedly bought using a city credit card that was meant to be used strictly for city business. Lisa Serna-Mayorga allegedly spent more than $19,000 making personal purchases with the card over nearly three years, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. On Tuesday, Dec. 18, their investigation into Serna-Mayorga

Contrary to popular belief, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free very many from enslavement.  The US Civil War measure  announced freedom for those enslaved in the Confederate States that had succeeded from the Union. Salient to the Presidential Executive Order was the official announcement and call for Black Soldiers to join Union Soldiers to fight for freedom and help end the U.S. Civil War.  The proposed National Emancipation Day requires education and advocacy to share the authentic legacy. You are cordially Invited to celebrate Freedom's Eve ~ 150th Anniversary of Emancipation Proclamation California Black Farmers and Agricuturalists Association co-hosts the celebration with