When it comes to a showcase of events from Sacramento’s black community there is only one event that stands out and that is the annual Sacramento Black Expo exhibit held at the Convention Center this weekend from February 19-21. From people shopping to vendors selling goods it’s a chance to experience a lot of what the culture of African-Americans is all about. Whether its business, health, spiritual, finance, fashion, music, food, and education there is something for everyone. Among special events include a “Youth Talent Show”, “Glory Awards”, Soul Food and Exhibitors”, and “Gospel Sunday Program”. There will be a host celebrities and personalities in attendance. Major sponsors include S

The federal government has awarded $5 million in stimulus funding for Sacramento-area alternative energy projects, including the state's first "solar highway," U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui announced Friday. The U.S. Department of Energy has set aside money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for projects to install a section of the state's first "solar highway" — a system of photovoltaic panels erected along a freeway — and to build facilities for sustainable biogas energy production from food and dairy animal waste. The latter also is intended to also reduce the smell and pollution around two Sacramento County dairy farms. The funding is part of $20.5 million in stimulus grants be

The final demolition of a former Sacramento police building has been halted again while concerns over an adjacent power station are worked out. Advantage Demolition was preparing to demonstrate Monday how the last two exterior walls could be pulled down safely next to transformers at a historic power station, now known as SMUD Station A, at Sixth and H streets. The station, whose origins date to 1895, supplies power to up to 40 percent of downtown Sacramento, said Sacramento Municipal Utility District spokesperson Dace Udris. Demolition of the building at Seventh and H streets began several months ago to make way for a 160-unit affordable housing project being built by the Sacramento Hou

The Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce will hold its 3rd Annual Installation Dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Radisson Hotel Sacramento. Guy Farris, co-host of News 10’s popular TV magazine program, Sacramento & Co., will serve as Master of Ceremonies. The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and live auction with auctioneer David Sobon of Maximum Benefit Auctions at 6:30 p.m. Auction offerings will include fine wine and dining packages, exotic travel and other luxury items. All proceeds from the dinner and auction will benefit the Rainbow Chamber Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting programs for at-risk youth and other causes. The evenin

Summer is here. Our winter wardrobe has been placed in the back of the closet and the air conditioner is fired up. And in times like these, there is not anything more appealing than shade. Shade is exactly what the Sacramento Tree Foundation (STF) offers. They have been collaborating with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) more than 15 years to provide Sacramento area residents free trees to create shade, reduce heat expose and help conserve energy. The Foundation has been working with businesses, homeowners, schools and parks to reach their goal of planting five million new trees by the year 2025. To reach that goal, the organization has developed a map called the “Greenpr

Representatives from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District are attending 52 community meetings in May to inform area residents about the utility district’s planned rate hikes. SMUD’s board of directors will meet June 4 to consider whether to approve two sets of fee increases. The first fee hike would appear on residents’ bills beginning September 1 – fees would jump about 9.5 percent. Residents can expect a second fee increase of about 3.5 percent starting January 1, 2011. Rosanna Herber, SMUD’s supervisor of community engagement, said district representatives are attending the community meetings because they feel it’s important for customers to know what is happening with the utili

Random hanging pairs of shoes on power lines has always been a source of confusion for me. I attempted to solve this mystery by calling the Sacramento Police Department, PG&E and SMUD. According to Sgt. Darrell Martin, the hanging shoes are not a sign of gang activity, at least not from local gangs. Brian Swanson, spokesperson for PG&E, told me that the hanging shoes could cause two major problems: 1. The shoes can weigh the wires down which can impact traffic. Tall trucks such as garbage trucks may snag the wires and cause power outages. 2. The shoes can also bring the two wires together which can short circuit the wires and cause damage to the electrical equipment on power poles, suc

Our aquamarine Frigidaire refrigerator has been around since the Eisenhower Administration. It came with the house we purchased in Hollywood Park a few years ago. The fridge had a lot of “vintage” charm to it. It’s actually made by General Motors….so it’s outlasted most of the GM cars. Recently, it’s been making some loud rattling that competed with the noise of the leaf blower guy. But hey, it still worked! Then we found out about a refrigerator recycling program offered by SMUD. Wanna save money while you save the environment? Recycle your old power-hungry refrigerator and SMUD will pick it up for free, plus they’ll give you a $35 rebate. Since our fridge is “old-school” it was sucking