Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Allison Joy

'Taste, Review & Brew' at New Helvetia Brewing Company

2013-05-17T14:55:55Z

The Sacramento craft beer industry is growing more robust by the year, becoming a facet of the city that residents can take pride in – and visitors should take note of. Rubicon and Sudwerk helped put us on the map, and now new microbreweries such as Ruhstaller, Knee Deep, Track 7 and New Helvetia are working to enrich our scene, with the potential to make it a defining characteristic of the city. Chase down your farm-to-fork dinner with a local brew – what’s not to love?

Whether you are an über beer nerd, or simply love a cold one on a hot Sacramento day, our Sacramento Beer Writer wants to help you get the most out of your brew experiences. Join us at New Helvetia Brewing Company, 1730 Broadway, at 6:30 p.m. on May 29 for “Taste, Review and Brew,” when we’ll cover all the bases of beer. Food will be provided courtesy of Broderick’s.

First, you’ve got to know how to drink it. During the free tasting, New Helvetia brewmaster Brian Cofresi will talk you through the nuances of a stout, a lager and an IPA, and how to judge each beer as you drink it.

“First, ask yourself, ‘is this beer in my all-time top ten favorite beers?’ Then, how well does the beer you’re evaluating fit into the classic style it’s supposed to be. So if you’re drinking a Vienna-style beer, how close does it actually come to that classic style? Third, I’ll go back and re-taste the beer to see if there are any nuances or complexities that I may have overlooked in the initial taste.”

Think you can handle that? Cofresi will be on hand to tell you what all of this looks like – or, more appropriately, what it tastes like – during the tasting.

Tyler Martin pours all of his free time into Sac-On-Tap, an in-progress informational site designed to inform craft beer lovers when and where they can find their favorite beers.

According to Martin, “The most important thing to remember when reviewing a beer is the type you’re drinking. You need to have an understanding of how the beer is supposed to affect your senses to get the most out of it.”

Tim Clark has been running Brew, Ferment, Distill (BFD) for almost three years. A brew hobbyist up until then, he opened his shop because he thought many Sacramentans, including himself, would brew more often if the supplies were made readily available. He’ll bring those supplies to New Helvetia for a tutorial on how to get the best of your homebrewing experience.

“Brewing is artisanal,” says Clark. “You’re basically creating flavors, and there are no wrong answers. Don’t overthink it; don’t trip on it. I find beer to be very forgiving.”

One of our own Sacramento Beer Writers, Patricia Willers, has been putting pen to page on the intricacies of beer for three years. She has been homebrewing for over six.

“When homebrewing, cleanliness is more important than you can imagine,” she advises. “Also, when fermenting, imagine where you would want to be stored if you were aging peacefully- in a dark place with a stable temperature.”

Whether you fancy yourself an expert, or are a novice just dipping a toe into the craft beer pool, come over to New Helvetia on May 29. Have a beer, eat some food, mingle with our experts – and most importantly, get ready for a summer filled with delicious brews made right here in Sacramento, or perhaps your very own home.

Tickets are $20 presale online and $25 at the door, though we can’t guarantee day-of availability. One ticket gets you:

through the door and in a seat
a tasting courtesy of New Helvetia
a brew tutorial courtesy of BFD
a slider and fries courtesy of Broderick’s

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Live chat with the writer of 'I hate Sacramento'

2013-05-15T18:03:46Z

Our editor Jared Goyette will be sitting down with Thomas Dodson at Bows and Arrows on Wednesday afternoon, May 19, for a live chat.

Dodson recently posted an op-ed professing his love for our city, telling the haters to either get proactive or move on.

Our readers weighed in onsite and via twitter.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Sacramento Tech Week starts Friday

2013-05-09T18:57:17Z

Are you looking for something to spice up your Mother’s Day week? Sacramento Tech Week, a city-wide collaboration between startups, think tanks and coworking spaces, starts on Friday, May 10th.

Sponsored by SacStarts, Upstart Sacramento, Hacker Lab, SARTA and the Urban Hive, tech week aims to offer a little bit of everything. There are a ton of events lined up throughout the week, so you’ll have to pick and choose.

Friday, May 10th 4-6 p.m.
You can ease into the week at Startup Happy Hour at Streets of London on J Street. Stop by and chat with local techies over a drink and fear not, nametags are not required.

Saturday, May 11th 9 a.m.
Check out the third installation of Barcamp Sacramento at the Urban Hive, at no cost. Organized by Adam Kalsey and comprised of “technology and geek culture,” BarCamp welcomes speakers on any subject. Show up and sign up to give a talk, or just listen in.

Monday, May 13th 6:00 p.m.
SARTA’s monthly meetup and mixer, Beer and Geeks, coincides with tech week this month. According to SARTA’s Laura Good, it’s for more than just geeks – beer lovers and geek lovers are welcome too.

Wednesday, May 15th 8:45 a.m.
Lean Startups: Radical New Ways to Build Your Business Faster and Launch Your Idea Stronger – the name might be a mouthful, but the concept is simple. Startup success isn’t random, and the seminar’s purpose is to unearth the path from startup to full-fledged company – the emphasis being on when to retool your ideas and how to find your market (before you run out of cash).

Thursday, May 16th 6:30 p.m.
SacRuby is a monthly meetup focused on ruby programming language, and the group will be holding a mini hackathon at Hacker Lab in honor of Sacramento Tech Week. Teams will have to work fast, with only four hours to put together a working prototype before putting it to an audience vote. Not a programmer? Thought ruby was just a gem? No problem – all skill sets are welcome.

Friday, May 17th 8:00 a.m.
If you missed the last TEDxSacramento Salon, make sure to catch their Morning Salon at the Guild Theatre. TEDx is all about sharing ideas. There will be live speakers as well as video TED talks, snacks and ideas flowing freely. Organizer Brandon Weber of the Urban Hive said that, while this final Salon will have more of a tech focus, the speakers will appeal to a broad audience – including those without a background in tech or development.

That’s just a small dose of what’s in store. Hacker Lab has even more for the tech-saavy, Sacramento Social Media Club will offer its advice on PR for startups, and SARTA is hosting a total of six events throughout the week. Visit the Sacramento Tech Week website for a full list of events, details, and ticket information.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Startup of the Month: Nicolas'Garden

2013-05-08T18:35:42Z

There are a lot of exciting things happening in Sacramento right now, including the farm to fork movement, signs of growth in the central city and our ever-evolving art scene. We also have a burgeoning startup community, and small companies are springing up all over the city (and online). In order to help highlight these, The Sacramento Press will be featuring monthly a local startup we think is worth keeping an eye on.

To kick things off, who better to start with than 8-year-old Nicolas Come, who pulled up his chair to the farm to fork to table last November when he pitched his idea at Hacker Lab’s Cereal Hack II.

Nicolas sought to help his friends and other kids get healthy. His product? Nicolas’Garden, an online platform for exchanging healthy recipes and healthy tips for kids and families that includes a gamification component – just to keep things fun.

At Cereal Hack II Nicolas, with the help of his father, Stephane Come, was able to put together a team of five and, though he didn’t take home first prize, Nicolas’Garden was founded in December of last year.

“Feedback from beta users has revealed that while for kids, adults really like the app to find easy-to-make and healthy recipes for the entire family,” said Stephane Come. “Our steps by steps (with pictures), appeals to everyone.”

Six months later, the dedication that brought father and son to Cereal Hack II has yet to wane. They’ve received a bit of seed money, and will launch a mobile app on May 19th at Soil Born Farms open house, A Day on the Farm.

We asked Nicolas and Stephane to tell us a bit more about their product, their journey, how son inspired father (and vice versa), and where they are headed next.

SP: How did you come up with idea for your startup? Was there an “ah-ha” moment?
Nicolas: I was working in the garden with my dad, and he was telling me about all the vegetables we planted and how they are good for you. I told him that I wanted to share this with all my friends online, and their friends. I asked him if we could make a website. He said that I should pitch my idea to a local hackathon and see if some programmers would be interested. I got a team and we won 2nd place. A few days later, a local company called my dad to help us write the mobile app. I’m excited that it is done and that my friends and their friends will be able to use it.

SP: What has been the biggest challenge so far?
Nicolas: We need to provide as many healthy options as possible. We have been working on gathering recipes, but it is slow. Hopefully when we are live and people come to our site, they will want to help us and submit more recipes.

SP: Are there any key individuals outside of your organization that have been of great help to your startup? What has helped you get to where you are right now?
Stephane: There are many wonderful people here in Sacramento willing to help. First, this would have not been possible without the Hacker Lab for hosting the Cereal Hack hackathon. Gina Lujan spearheaded this effort, and it gave us the opportunity to present an idea and get it started. During that weekend, Devon Latzen, Jay Miller and Kathryn Lastufka joined Nicolas’ team and worked under his direction. Next, AppMatrix Inc., a local mobile app provider reached out to us soon thereafter and helped us create the app and the website we have today. Page9 Inc. for the support of the idea and some seed funding. also, Tracy Saville and Drisha Leggitt of Possibility Media have embraced our efforts and are helping promote not only the app, but Nicolas’ vision. And last but not least our energetic Mayor Kevin Johnson for enabling the Farm to Form movement and declaring Sacramento the Capital of Farm to Fork.

SP: What are you most looking forward to for the app launch on the 19th at Soil Born Farms?
Stephane: We can’t wait to meet the kids and their parents and help them find yummy recipes that are easy to make. While somewhat stealth, we have received much interest from local chefs about uploading their recipes on our platform. We are going to make sure healthy foods are fun!

SP: What advice would you share with early stage or new entrepreneurs?
Stephane: I think both efforts can be very challenging. They key is to vet your idea first, have a clear picture of the vision, and being able to mockup a prototype with the resources on hand before going too far and spending much money. The 32-hours at the hackathon enabled us to get to this point and get instant feedback from the judges and the audience. In our case, we were very lucky that both funding and talent came to us, because the people behind it believed in the mission and the potential to help many families.

SP: What advice would you share with early stage or new entrepreneurs?
Stephane: I outlined some advice on the SARTA blog earlier this year, but I would add this – be ready! Be ready to accept that not everyone will like your idea. Be ready to adapt your plan quickly based on what you learn along the way. Be ready for your idea to take longer than planned. Be ready for the ups and downs. Be ready to embrace it!

SP: Stephane, how do you feel about your son’s budding entrepreneurship?
Stephane: When Nicolas was born, I left my day job at a large software company to be with my family each night instead of traveling. My son was my inspiration for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a way of life, it’s the “how to” mantra instead of the “why not.” My job as a dad is to prepare my kids to leave the house at age 18. If they can’t be on their own, I failed. Here are a few steps that I believe contributed to Nicolas’ entrepreneurial spirit:

Teach: Teach your kids something new everyday. At home, in nature, at the grocery store, on the soccer field. Every moment can teach us something. Use these moments.
Listen: Listen to your kids and their ideas. Some are silly, some are great, but none are impossible. Don’t ignore what they have to say. They don’t have the same constraint as you do, and that can be a good thing.
Enable: Enable your kids to pursue their imagination. Take the time to be involved, to discuss and participate. Create projects for them. Allow them to fail and allow them to succeed.
Support: Don’t just shut down an idea because you don’t have time. Support it. Find a way to make it happen. They will remember it for a lifetime.

One night I was tired, it was almost time for bed and Nicolas said, “Dad, can we start my company?” I wanted to answer with, “not tonight!”, but what message would that send? Nicolas then picked up my laptop, opened it in front of me and said, “Can you help me now?” That night we only purchased nicolasgarden.com domain, but for Nicolas, we started his company! I will never forget the expression on his face.

SP: What are your thoughts on Sacramento’s startup community? What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the community? What would personally like to see?
Stephane: Just a couple of years ago, the words “startup” and “Sacramento” were seldom used in the same sentence. Today, numerous local and online communities are here to support entrepreneurs and startups. From the Urban Hive, Hacker Lab, SARTA – to name a few – and the hundreds of meetups with volunteers giving their time to help and inspire people, Sacramento is stepping up to the startup scene. The main strength is the momentum going on right now. We need to sustain it and we will see some success stories emerge. On the flipside, Sacramento is a large government town and is still very risk-averse. I’m encouraged to see people and groups rise up like the Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy, the UCEA, the Sacramento Angels and a few venture capital firms like Velocity Ventures.

SP: What do you need most right now?
Stephane: RIght now, recipes and outreach are our main currencies. We are looking for trusted users that can contribute healthy recipes to our site and share them with their online friends. As a movement for healthier kids, we are also planning to add features to the app to get people and local communities connected. We are actively looking for sponsorships and/or partnerships to develop these features this year. Help us make Nicolas’Garden not just another app, but a cause kids want to be part of. Help us make a difference. Help us bring back the family around the table and have fun.

SP: Anything you’d like to add?
Stephane: This story is a testament that if you believe you can achieve something great and start with just the first few steps, anything is possible. This was a young boy’s idea with someone telling him that if this was important to him, he needed to take action – and he did. Nicolas and his team would like to thank the local community and everyone participating in enabling Nicolas’ vision.

Got a recipe that might make Nicolas’ cut? Email the recipe and photos to nicolas [at] nicolasgarden.com

Have a startup in mind that you’d like to see featured? Nominate them by sending an email to startup [at] sacramentopress.com. Be sure to include “Startup of the Month” in the subject line.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Disclosure: This interview has been edited and condensed.

Our original Elite Contributors: Alex Cosper

2013-05-07T16:45:43Z

How's your New Year's resolution coming?

Part of The Sacramento Press's New Year's resolution involved some new contributor rankings. We selected six Elite Contributors to pave the way. You've met Barry Wisdom, Nancy Flagg, and Kati Garner already. Now it's time to learn a bit more about Elite Contributor Alex Cosper.

Cosper's posts can almost be timed down to the minute. He posts his column reliably every Monday afternoon, which usually complements work and research he's done for his own company, SacTV, and always incorporates a video interview.

SP: How long have you been with The Sacramento Press?
AC: I've been writing articles for SacPress since April 2012.

SP: How did you get started with The Sac Press?
AC: I was interviewed by The Sac Press when my site SacTV.com was launched in December 2011. Then I had more convervations with people at the site and wound up writing weekly articles.

SP: What issues do you most enjoy covering, and why?
AC: My favorited topic is music, which I think is both a local and national issue. Since I also like to study economics, I explore the conditions for artists and entrepreneurs to have successful careers.

SP: What is the most memorable experience you’ve had covering something for The Sacramento Press?
AC: I enjoy writing about radio since that was my career for a few decades. One of the interview series I did that stands out as historic was when KZAP returned to KDVS. It was one of those events that doesn't happen often and had people examining freeform radio.

SP: What do you enjoy about being a citizen journalist?
AC: I enjoy the idea of community voices coming together on a shared platform. We get a better variety of sources that way. Alllowing writers to do what they do best helps give The Sac Press and its contributors a great community image.

Read up on Alex Cosper's weekly columns here.

The body as a canvas: Tattoos in the workplace

2013-05-03T19:29:42Z

The cover of this month’s issue of Comstock’s asks, “Are anti-tattoo policies prejudice?” Perhaps the implied questions is, “Are anti-tattoo policies wrong?”

I should say that I do not have any tattoos – not as a result of any particular social stance; only because I am terribly fickle.

These days, I often wonder if I’m not in the minority. A number of my friends sport ink, many of them able to talk at length about the stories behind their art and the life experiences their tattoos represent. Clearly this is something meaningful.

On the other end of the spectrum are the friends with tattooed eyebrows and eyeliner. Not really an emotional connection there, but I suppose it does blend in at the workplace. I’m not sure I’d let anyone near my eye with a needle, though.

A number of tatted-up Sacramentans weighed in for Allen Young’s article, The tattooed professiona l (a good read), as well as local employers wishing to remain anonymous.

“If you are a business owner considering prohibition or restricting piercings and tattoos,” said one such employer, “make sure you have a valid reason and always consider the thoughts, interests and opinions of your employees. Micromanaging them may lead to resentment, management/employee tension and more.”

Fair enough, though instituting a policy that affects current employees isn’t exactly the same as weeding out those with body modification from the applicant pool.

Another employer, again anonymous, had this to say: “Freedom of expression and professionalism collide at the intersection of your world viewpoint and your self image at the expense of others. In other words, it’s not all about you.”

Some Facts

According to Young’s article:

Almost one-half of millennials have at least one tattoo, and about 70 percent of them hide their ink.
careerbuilder.com says, as of 2011, 31 percent of employers are less likely to grant a promotion, based on a visible tattoo.
Sacramento’s Laser Skin Surgery Center has seen the number of tattoo-removal procedures double in the last five years.

“Opinions about body art have grown as diverse as the images themselves,” writes Young. “From snowflakes to swastikas, some people see self-absorption where others see self-empowerment.”

What do you see?

Farm to Fork: Where's the Teeth – as it happened

2013-05-02T01:12:08Z

From the moment the Mayor Kevin Johnson declared Sacramento to be the Farm to Fork Capital of America, Sacramentans have been flooding the scene, anxious to help, hurt when they're left out, and in many ways, confused about what it all means.

Based on interviews and research from Amber Stott's article, "Farm to Fork: Where's the Teeth," The Sacramento Press brought together key players working on Farm to Fork efforts. This dynamic panel discussed their visions for the city's Farm to Fork Week, dispelled myths, answered burning questions from the audience, and explained how everyone can be part of the delicious movement.

Panel participants:

Adam Pechal, Restaurant THIR13EN & Tuli Bistro

Mike Testa, Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau

Josh Nelson, Selland's

Amber Stott, California Food Literacy Center

Shannin Stein, Feeding Crane Farms

If you missed out on the action, catch up on the highlights and audience responses below.

TEDxSacramento expands mission to open minds

2013-04-26T14:08:56Z

There’s a global conversation going on, and some dedicated volunteers want to make sure that Sacramento is a part of it.

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to “ideas worth spreading,” and the speaker series can be found on the web, via Netflix, and live – right here in Sacramento. Until recently, TEDxSacramento hosted one event each year that spanned a full day. After a couple of test runs last year, this year the organization is adding in a number of morning and evening salons (smaller events that span roughly three hours) for those interested in dipping their toe into the TED experience.

“It’s a great way to get a taste of the experience,” said Brandon Weber, who heads up TEDxSacramento in addition to owning the Urban Hive. “We like to say that it is only part of the day, but the whole heart of the TEDx experience.”

TED stands for “Technology, Education and Design,” and the “x” in TEDxSacramento represents an independently organized TED event. TEDx events take place locally around the globe. According to Weber, Sacramento hosted one of the first TEDx events in the world in 2009. At TEDxSacramento’s first evening salon of the year, Weber also boasted that Sacramento is home to one of the largest TEDx communities in North America.

“It’s an immersive event experience,” said Weber, “during which we encourage people to forget the outside world for a time and join us on a journey filled with brilliant speakers, live performances, TED talks and community.”

TEDxSacramento’s Evening Salon #1, entitled “From Struggle to Strength: Thriving Through Creative Thinking,” was held Thursday, April 18 at the Guild Theater. The event featured Seattle-based former performance artist Patti Dobrowolski, who spoke on the power of imagination, and former U.S. Marine Corps sergeant turned photographer Carl Costas, who shared his thoughts and experiences on the relativity of happiness. Sacramento’s own Liz Salmi closed things out, discussing her experience fighting brain cancer and how, through creative outreach, she built a global community of brain cancer survivors.

Dinner was served in the courtyard adjacent to Old Soul at Forty Acres, catered by Wicked ‘Wich and Broderick’s, followed by a performance by local all-girl jazz band Cave Women back at the Guild Theater. In-person speakers were complemented by video TED talks also focused on the power of creative thinking and community.

“As a TED attendee, I have experienced the power of ideas and witnessed how a single event can make an impact on a global scale,” Weber said. “On a local scale, we hope to facilitate the same kind of impact in our city. Like the rest of our team, I love Sacramento. And there’s no reason for Sacramento not to be part of the global conversation.”

That team Weber spoke of includes between 30 and 40 volunteers who meet regularly to put together TEDxSacramento events. Another 60 or so help out on the day of, from setting up to cleaning up, photography and filming, and anything else necessary to ensure things move along smoothly. Weber says that without support from the community, TEDxSacramento could not flourish.

“We receive no financial support from TED and our staff is made up completely of volunteers. We have no paid staff, just people who are passionate about making a difference.”

Interested in attending? The next event will be a morning salon on May 17 entitled, “The Next Thing.” The organization’s big project of the year will be an all-day event on June 28, and City 2.0 is also in the works, slated for October. There will be additional salons planned throughout as well. Join the TEDxSacramento conversation on Facebook or subscribe via their website to keep yourself in the loop. Volunteers interested in joining the team can apply here.

Single in Sacramento – lucky you?

2013-04-25T17:42:54Z

Good news for all of the bachelors and bachelorettes out there. According to the team over at Movoto Blog, we couldn't have picked a better spot to be single.

So what does a city have to do to make the cut? The criteria included the percentage of the population already hitched, low median age, percentage of drivers and cost of living as well as the number of bars and romantic restaurants in the city.

Single guys and gals, if you're still getting around on four wheels, you might want to reconsider – according to Movoto, the more walkable Sacramento becomes, the more likely it is that you'll bump into the beau of your dreams.

Thoughts? All of my friends are married, I commute daily, eat food from to-go boxes and drink beer from the refrigerator. Clearly no one polled me on this.

Questions unanswered after missing Davis resident is found in Lake County

2013-04-22T23:57:12Z

A Davis resident, who had been missing for over a week, was found near Indian Valley Reservoir in Lake County on Sunday, April 21.

After over a week of waiting and a weekend of searching, Daniel Brian Thompson’s friends, family and colleagues can breathe a bit easier.

Thompson had been last seen at his apartment on Friday, April 12 and his last communication was on April 13, a text message sent to a friend confirming plans for that same evening.

According to Lieutenant Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff’s department, a passerby saw a vehicle off Walker Ridge Road, what the lieutenant called a rather remote part of Lake County near Indian Valley Reservoir. The passerby was able to enter the vehicle, where he or she found a wallet and ID. Upon seeing the Davis address on the ID, the individual then contacted the Davis Police Department and was advised that Daniel Brian Thompson was missing from his home in Davis. Lake County deputies checked the area and located Thompson at Indian Valley Reservoir.

“It’s a little odd from here, “ said Lt. Brooks. “The guy basically said he was driving to go camping and drove (the vehicle) off the road, and had been there a week. To be real honest it’s a little hard to believe, because people access that area quite a bit.”

According to Brooks, the deputy on site said that Thompson was dehydrated and hungry. Fire personnel transported him to the nearby unincorporated town of Clearlake Oaks, where Thompson made a phone call and was subsequently picked up.

According to Thompson’s father, Brian Thompson, Daniel called his home in Utah around 5 p.m. PST to tell them, “he got in a car wreck, walked away from the car to find his way out of the mountains to get help, got disoriented and was lost for a week.”

Brian Thompson does not believe his son had taken off work nor that he planned to be gone for as long as he was.

Shortly after Thompson was reported missing, friends set up the Facebook page Bring Daniel Brian Thompson Home. Thompson’s disappearance was reported in the Davis Enterprise, Sacramento Bee and Davis Patch. Search efforts, organized by friend and colleague Marissa Tidrick, initially focused on Davis and the area surrounding Putah Creek in Winters. However, when it was confirmed that Thompson had purchased both an Amtrak ticket and rented a Zip Car in Sacramento, search efforts broadened to also include Sacramento.

The Facebook page, which has since been taken down, reported around 6:30 p.m. on April 21 that Daniel had been found.

The Davis Police department has closed the case.

“Once a person goes missing, our job is to find them and make sure they are okay,” said Lieutenant Glenn Glasgow of the Davis Police Department. “Once we were notified by Lake County that he was okay, we closed the investigation.

According to Mondavi Center for Performing Arts Director of Operations and Thompson’s boss, Herb Garman, Thompson is still employed as a senior scene technician. Garman also stated that Thompson is not speaking to the media, saying Daniel hopes simply to go back to work and, “life as normal.”

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Speakeasy Fundraiser: Win tickets courtesy of the Sacramento Artists Council

2013-04-16T23:29:27Z

The Sacramento Artists Council will hold its Speakeasy Fundraiser, May 18 at the Antiquite Maison Privee in Midtown. It’ll be flapper dresses and fedoras galore at this Prohibition-themed fundraiser for the S.A.C. Snacks, Monte Carlo gaming, and a complimentary cocktail are all included in the price of the ticket. Local swing band the Twilight Drifters will be performing live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Sacramento Artists Council is a nonprofit organization that supports local artists of all mediums. It also generates scholarships for high school seniors, and works to keep art alive in public education through its Adopt-A-School Art/Music Program.

Tickets are $52, but The Sacramento Press is giving away two free tickets to one lucky reader. All you need to do is fill out the form below, sign up for at least one of our newsletters, and you will automatically be entered in a raffle to win. We will announce the winner on Friday, May 10. You can find more information on our newsletters here.

So turn up the jazz, grab a bottle of moonshine and sign up to win!

Loading...Editor's note: This contest originally started in January prior to the event's change in date. All entries have been saved and those who entered the contest in January will still be entered to win. The article has been edited to reflect all other changes to the event lineup.

Our original Elite Contributors: Kati Garner

2013-04-16T17:22:58Z

Part of The Sacramento Press's New Year's resolution involved some new contributor rankings. We selected seven Elite Contributors to pave the way, and now we're back on track with our resolution.

Kati Garner won first place at this year's journalism open, and rightfully so. She is one of the most talented photo journalists contributing to The Sac Press, and also one of our most prolific posters. To say our site would not be the same without her is an understatement.

SP: How long have you been with The Sacramento Press?
KG: About four years.

SP: How did you get started with The Sac Press?
KG: Shot a photo of Amy Goodman for Ron Cooper to accompany a story he wrote about her.

SP: What issues do you most enjoy covering, and why?
KG: I pretty much enjoy a variety of non-static things where I can capture people's expressions, scenics, accidents, fires, floods and, most recently, up close to a lot of bees. I like a good challenge

SP: What is the most memorable experience you've had covering something for The Sacramento Press?
KG: It always feels surreal/funny when I photograph someone like a celebrity who I've been aware of for most of my life – like Maria Shriver and Arnold, Jerry Brown, Montel Williams. Poking fun at myself, a funny thing that started happening was I'd get excited getting out of my car to shoot something and I would lock my keys in the ignition. The last time while the car was still running.

SP: What do you enjoy about being a citizen journalist?
NF: It helps me feel connected to Sacramento. Sacramento is so full of diversity, which is great for a photographer. I've shot more photos here in four years than I did working for a weekly newspaper covering an area of about 40,000.

Peruse Kati's work here, or check out her profile.

Firefighter app takes first place at Sacramento Startup Weekend

2013-04-08T18:31:13Z

One of the country’s premier hackathons was in Sacramento over the weekend, and it was a long 54 hours of creation and critical thinking for budding Sacramentan entrepreneurs.

Hacker Lab had roughly 90 participants in a competition all about launching ideas, when it hosted Sacramento’s first Startup Weekend from April 5-7. Fourteen teams presented at the awards ceremony on April 7, many of which intend to keep working on their startups with the hope of turning them into viable companies.

Startup Weekend, which takes place in cities around the globe, follows the standard format of a hackathon. Startup Weekend Sacramento began Friday, when anyone with an idea could make a pitch to the crowd of coders, designers and business developers. The best pitches drew a team, ideally made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds, who then worked together over the weekend to bring that vision to fruition – building not only the product itself but a viable business plan.

On Sunday the teams presented the final product to a panel of judges, which then chose a winner.

And the winners are...

Best Community Startup: Farm2Family sought to get food to low-income “food deserts” that lack access to fresh produce. To do so in an affordable, efficient way, project manager and recent graduate from the California Food Literacy Center Aimee Darville sought to collaborate with local farmers’ markets, purchasing excess produce and selling it below market rate via a mobile food truck.

Farm2Family won $200,a one-hour mentorship session, and one month of free coworking at Hacker Lab.

Darville’s next move is to meet with Amber Stott, the Director of the California Food Literacy Center, to craft a business model and plan the initial steps for making Farm2Family a reality.

“California Food Literacy Center is thrilled by Aimee’s win on this project,” Stott said. “Bringing increased food literacy and access to fresh produce will fill a critical need. We can’t wait to see this mobile truck on the road.”

Third Place: GlobalCastingPro is an online resource for actors and casting directors, founded by Sara Bachelder who co-owns casting agency Casting Valdes. A searchable talent database designed to streamline the casting process for all industry professionals, GlobalCastingPro seeks to allow easier collaboration across borders.

The team plans to move forward with their database , the beta testing version having been released over the weekend.

“We already have talent signed up from nearly every continent and several U.S. based directors signed up to use the site,” said team member and music video producer and director Stefan Anderson. “Of course, Sara and I will use GlobalCastingPro for casting all our future projects. We are excited!”

Global Casting Pro won one-month of free coworking at a local space, a one-hour mentorship with Sac Angels and a startup book bundle courtesy of Upstart Sacramento.

Second Place: Caleb Hodges swooped in for his dea pitch armed with loads of research and wearing a Superman costume. His vision? Appraise Blaze, a software program designed to streamline processes for commercial appraisers that included a mobile inspection app and automated form-filing.

Appraise Blaze won two months of coworking at a local space, a two-hour mentorship with Sac Angels, a book bundle from Upstart Sacramento and one year of free Adobe Creative Suite.

“I’m definitely going to move forward with this whether I get investments or not,” said Hodges. “I already have a few people interested in investing smaller amounts of money. I’m planning on selling it to the clients, getting them discounted rates so that I can use their money to fund the actual development of this product.”

First Place: Doug Ridley led his team to creating Mobile Instant Command Control to address the outdated “whiteboard” system currently in place for responding firefighters to record and process information when out on calls. MICC is a mobile application that will enable first responders to act and record more efficiently. The product not only aims to make it easier for firefighters to respond to emergencies, but because data that would previously have been wiped off a dry-erase board can now be stored, MICC would also help facilitate more effective training.

“We’re going to build it,” Ridley said. “We’re going to look for some grant money, some funding, and we’re going to get it built, launched and implemented.”

MICC will receive two months of free coworking at loca spaces, a showcase pitch with The Founder Institute, a three-hour mentorship with Sac Angels, a year of Adobe Creative Sweet, and two passes to sit in on a Sac Angels dinner meeting.

The winning teams of Startup Weekend Sacramento ran the gamut – the arts, business, agriculture and public service, proposing solutions to a diverse set of problems.

Lloyed Lobo, co-founder and head of marketing for Boast Capital and the Startup Weekend facilitator sent to help the Hacker Lab crew run the show, had some advice for those teams hoping to keep the weekend’s momentum. He stressed the importance of customer validation, urging teams to talk to five to seven individuals in their target market each week in order to stay on track.

“And find resources,” he said. “Connect with guys like Hacker Lab, connect with accelerators and see how you can take this idea further. Fill the gaps in your team and just build. Sell shit and then build shit.”

Live coverage of the weekend below:

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Follow Startup Weekend Sacramento with The Sac Press

2013-04-05T13:42:43Z

Haven’t you heard? Startup Weekend is coming to Sacramento, and it’s kind of a big deal.

Things kick off on Friday, April 5, when local coders, designers and big-picture thinkers will gather at Hacker Lab to meet and mingle. The idea pitches will start at 7:30 p.m., followed by team formations. The teams will work on their products and business plans all through Saturday and into Sunday. At 5 p.m. on Sunday the teams will present their hard work to a panel of judges, and the awards ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m.

The Sacramento Press will be at Hacker Lab over the course of the weekend, live blogging the idea pitches, checking in on the progress on Saturday, and giving readers a play-by-play of the presentations and awards ceremony.

Readers, participants and attendees can join our live blog via twitter by using the hashtag “#swsac” or commenting directly into the feed. Participate in the discussion and grab a virtual front row seat.

For more information on Startup Weekend Sacramento, visit their website.

Tapigami joins emerging art scene at Downtown Plaza

2013-04-02T23:59:51Z

Sacramento social media was abuzz on Tuesday with news that local artistic darling Tapigami had secured a place in Downtown Plaza, one previously occupied by a Hyundai dealership.

Tapigami is a collaboration between business partners Danny Scheible and Tre Borden – Danny, the artist, creates works of art out of masking tape while business manager Borden brings entrepreneurial acumen to the project.

“It’s almost unbelievable how fortunate we are to have this opportunity,” said Borden. “This is just an example of the support we’ve gotten from the community. Danny has been doing this for eight years. He came back to Sacramento from Santa Cruz for the sole purpose of changing things, and to prove that one person can make a difference through art. To be part of this revitalization is huge. With things like Turn Downtown Around you really feel the energy that this is the time that Sacramento has been waiting for, and we are excited to be a part of that.”

Demetri Gregorakis is cofounder of TDA, a community-led initiative to bring vibrancy back to the central city.

“Personally I think this is great,” he said. “Midtown has Second Saturday, but there is no artistic focal point downtown for people coming in to go and experience local art. I think Tapigami might draw other artists, so hopefully we can get something going that’s like Second Saturday but for downtown.”

Tapigami will be joining ranks with a couple of other local art collaboratives that currently call Downtown Plaza home. ZuhG Life Store, run by members of the local band ZuhG, started out as a stationary merchandise booth for the group but has evolved into what store owner Bryan Nichols (also vocalist and guitarist for the band) describes as, “an outlet for anyone doing anything crafty in Sacramento to sell their stuff and make some money.”

“I think it’s awesome that (Tapigami) is moving in,” continued Nichols, “but all of this talk about an arena – I can’t imagine trying to open a store here right now. Assuming the mall stays open though, that’s awesome if it will go in that general direction – local art and music, local shops. That would be great to see.”

Downstairs from ZuhG Life Store is Flywheel, the Arts & Business Coucil’s artist incubator, which provides not only coaching but a space to sell to a variety of local artists – including Tapigami.

“The Downtown Plaza has been a huge supporter of the Flywheel program,” said Executive Director Michelle Alexander. “We are really excited to see one of our incubator clients able to benefit from that connection as well. They will be able to get exposure to a huge new audience and have space to work. It’s like the whole family is moving in, so we couldn’t be more pleased.”

Alexander is optimistic that space for art and a new arena needn’t be mutually exclusive.

“Artists and members of the creative community are helping to activate vacant spaces and contribute value right now. Being a hopeless optimist, I believe there will be a place for that activity as these new developments evolve and become reality.”

Nichols is prepared to roll with the punches.

“If they want to build an arena here,” he said. “I’ll be excited to see what other projects I can take on. But if the arena doesn’t come, I would be excited to be a part of what is going to happen next, hoping the new owners fill it with local art and businesses instead of empty spaces and little foot traffic. I’ve been here for two years, so I’m ready to either get out or to see things pick up. I’m just waiting to see what happens – I’ll accept either outcome.”

“Whether they get kicked out or not,” Gregorakis concluded, “just the fact that they are in there right now – I think that’s what matters.”

Borden, Scheible and friends got to painting the space as soon as it was theirs. Now Scheible is working on moving his entire body of work into one location – the first time he’s been able to do so in many years. The duo has their spot until January 31st of next year.

“I’m not really concerned about the arena,” Borden said. “We’re just going to knock this out of the park in the next year, hopefully building a model that other developers can use as a good example of urban revitalization – partnering with artistic startups and creative professionals.”

Regardless of what happens to Downtown Plaza, Borden is optimistic about the potential of Tapigami’s new space.

“We get ten months to prove that we can do this. Who knows what other doors and opportunities it can open.”

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Startup Weekend puts Sacramento on the map

2013-04-01T17:45:42Z

The Sacramento startup scene is about to be initiated into an international community of coders, designers, entrepreneurs and outside-of-the-box thinkers as Hacker Lab, a self-labeled coworking and makerspace, gears up to host Sacramento’s first ever Startup Weekend.

At only a year old, Hacker Lab might be the new kid on the Sacramento tech scene’s proverbial block, but what a difference that year has made. The organization has hosted two popular programming competitions, or hackathons, dubbed Cereal Hack I and Cereal Hack II, and they’ve brought the different facets of Sacramento’s startup scene together under one roof through a number of monthly meetings and workshops, and through classes geared toward both youth and adults that its members teach at the lab's learning center.

The arrival of Startup Weekend, to be held at Hacker Lab from April 5-7, is, observers say, a testament to the Hacker Lab’s ability to help bring together what was once a slightly fragmented community.

According to Geoff Sakala of UpStart Sacramento, this new collaborative spirit has created a critical mass of startup activity in Sacramento, which in turn helped draw Startup Weekend to the city.

“Things like Hacker Lab and Cereal Hack have really laid the groundwork to host something like this,” he said.

Laura Good, SARTA’s director of programs and operations as well as curator of Sacramento’s StartupDigest, agrees.

“Hacker Lab has really brought a lot of energy to Sacramento,” she said. “They’re more focused on software, apps and hardware, and they’ve found a group that SARTA wasn’t really connected with.”

Startup Weekend is a Seattle-based not-for-profit organization sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation, Google and Microsoft. Around the world they aid local hosts like Hacker Lab in putting together 54-hour events that bring together developers, designers, marketers, project managers and startup enthusiasts to collaborate, build and launch companies.

Started in 2007 in Boulder, Colo., the organization has grown from humble beginnings into a global movement with events hosted in over 300 cities around the world. Soon Sacramento will be on that list.

“Startup Weekend is one of the top hackathons in the world,” said Gina Lujan, who will be hosting the event alongside fellow Hacker Lab co-founder Eric Ullrich. “These events go on worldwide, and it’s important to have them in Sacramento in order to be recognized by the rest of the world.”

Startup Weekend follows the standard format of a hackathon. The event kicks off on Friday, April 5 with registration at 6:30 p.m. After time to mingle, at 7:30 p.m. anyone with an idea can make a pitch to the crowd of coders, designers and business developers. The best pitches will draw a team, ideally made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds, who will then work together over the weekend to bring that vision to fruition – building not only the product itself but a viable business plan. On Sunday the teams will present their final product to a panel of judges, who will then choose a winner.

And if you think you need a background in computer programming to get involved, think again.

“Startup Weekend is interesting because you really want a holistic view,” said Capsity Community Activator Jeff Louie. “It’s not just the techie who is going to be hacking at his computer – it’s the storyteller, the designer, the teacher, the politician – all of those roles are really important.”

While the actual prizes for Startup Weekend are still being decided, winning a hackathon has its own reward. Hacker Lab’s Cereal Hack hackathons can boast their own successes, Cereal Hack I’s Radaar and Cereal Hack II’s Nicolas’ Garden among them.

Raidarrr, Cereal Hack I’s winning product, is a smartphone application that allows users to create or discover virtual “boxes” of digital content such as music, books and art associated with the user’s geographical location. Users can access or “discover” content in a particular location by using Radarrr via a smartphone or tablet. Raidarrr ended up taking its team members to Startup Bootcamp Berlin where they procured enough seed money to build and prepare to launch their produc.

Nicolas’ Garden, a social platform that helps children and families live healthier lives through interactive meal-planning and nutritional education, was the brainchild of 8-year-old Nicolas Come, who pitched the idea with his father at Cereal Hack II. The two were able to put together a team of five and take home second place. The website is currently in beta release, and the team works out of SARTA’s offices.

Though no strangers to hosting a hackathon, this time around Lujan and Ullrich will have the added benefit of an informed mentor. Startup Weekend will send a facilitator to Hacker Lab to help guide Lujan, Ullrich and all other hands on deck in the best processes for conducting the event.

“They bring experience, from planning to day-of operation,” Lujan said. “We get a road map for how to do a hackathon from one of the best in the world.”

Though Lujan and Ullrich will serve as the event organizers, it’s the across-the-board local collaboration that makes this a significant milestone for Sacramento’s startup and tech communities. Hacker Lab will receive organizational support in terms of promotion, facilitation and mentorship procurement from:

The Urban Hive, a membership-based community of entrepreneurs, startups, ad creative independent professionals (founder Brandon Weber also facilitates Sacramento’s TedX talks)
Sacramento Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA), a nonprofit organization that focuses on nurturing tech startups in our region
Capsity, a co-working space that caters not just to technology, but a variety of startups
UpStart Sacramento, an organization that connects entrepreneurs and investors to foster collaboration for startup in the Sacramento region

“Startup Weekend leverages the idea of collaboration, and I think that Sacramento has a lot of bright people with great ideas and a hunger to do something with those ideas,” said Weber. “One of the things I’m really excited about is this collaboration between a lot of organizations. In order for the tech scene here to evolve and continue to grow, it’s going to take a large community and a lot of collaboration.”

If you don’t speak C++ and couldn’t Photoshop your way out of a cardboard box, fear not. Startup Weekend not only has a place for you, it is the place for you. All you need is a great idea and the perseverance to see it through.

“You don’t just need people who can write code,” said Good. “You need the whole ecosystem necessary for starting a company. I haven’t been to a hackathon or Startup Weekend before, but if I can get a couple people interested in my idea I might actually compete. I’m not a technologist; I just have an idea.”

Vision and skill may help but frankly, a cup of coffee from time to time probably won’t hurt either. Building a company in 54 hours is no easy task – but for Weber, a chance to engage in the creative process is enough reason to get on board with Startup Weekend Sacramento.

“You come together and you create something,” he said. “No matter who you are, if you are excited about ideas, you are going to get a reward out of being a part of Startup Weekend.”

Stay tuned, as The Sacramento Press will be live blogging the action from Hacker Lab over the course of the weekend.

Editor’s note: The 16th paragraph has been edited to reflect that Nicolas' Garden did not win the People's Choice Award.

Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Turn Downtown Around open forum – as it happened

2013-03-18T23:05:34Z

We'll be live from the Downtown Plaza tonight for Turn Downtown Around's open forum. Get in on the action via Twitter with the hashtag #LetsTDA or by commenting here.

Downtown Beer Bust offers a little bit of everything

2013-03-13T21:27:37Z

Didn’t get enough brew during Sacramento Beer Week? Fear not – there is still time to grab tickets for tonight’s Downtown Beer Bust. Join the party at Downtown Plaza to sip local brews from the likes of New Helvetia Brewing Co. and Ruhstaller, nosh on selections from local restaurants including Red Rabbit and LowBrau and enjoy the beats of Paper Pistols, DJ Blackheart and more.

“We’ll also have live art,” said Demetri Gregorakis of Turn Downtown Around, one of the organizations working on the event. “Joe Rigdin is a performance artist who did street performance in San Francisco for eight years and now lives in Sacramento, and he’ll be doing live interactive art with the attendees. We’ll have a couple additional artists featured as well.”

The event is a collaboration between the Downtown Sacramento Foundation and Turn Downtown Around, and all proceeds will go to the DSF’s Downtown Mural Project – intended to beautify a vacant lot at the corner of 8th and K by offering local artists the opportunity to make their mark on the gate surrounding the lot.

“We all had in mind to rewrap (the building),” said Gregorakis, “to bring more people to the area and bring attention to the art and The Kay, and to bring consumerism and support to the businesses here.”

Artists who want to submit a proposal for consideration have until Friday March 15 and can find the application here.

Those of us 21 and over who simply want to kick back for great food and drinks, local tunes and art all while donating to the beautification of Sacramento can purchase tickets here.

Midtown’s Mongo Mongo closes

2013-03-11T22:53:18Z

Sac Press readers started sending us tips last week about the closing of Mongo Mongo Mongolian BBQ & Fusion Boxes.

It would appear the restaurant has joined the ranks of other former occupants of the location at 1830 J Street. Plum Blossom shut its business in early 2011. Garlic Shack opened in the same location the following July, only to close its doors a mere three months later. Mongo Mongo then moved in Jan. of 2012, after Garlic Shack vacated, and appears to have shut its doors as well.

Mongo Mongo’s Yelp reviewers run the gamut, from disgusted diners to über fans, and owner Jonathan Ng could not be reached for comment.

So you tell us – what happened? Bad food, bad business, or is the southwest corner of J and 19th simply cursed? What do you think?

Editor's note: The final paragraph has been edited to identify the correct corner of J Street.

Sacramento Fashion Week: The runway as it happened

2013-03-01T18:33:51Z

If you missed Sacramento Fashion Week 2013, fear not. The Sacramento Press was on hand for Friday's Spring/Summer and Saturday's Fall/Winter Showcases, live blogging all of the action.

Friday night’s Spring/Summer Showcase highlighted some of the hottest trends in fashion, from the edgy separates of KingsTribe, to Maisha Baharait’s bold prints and the sultry sheer textiles of Nelli Rosh.

Here’s what some of Friday night's designers had to say about their collections:

“Some of the biggest trends are very form fitting and flattering to the curves and shapes of a woman’s body, which is something that I play off of in my personal style,” said San Francisco designer Rebecca Cahua. “I love crop tops, which are really hot right now, as well as big chunky wedges.”

“The UK flag is everywhere,” said Parris Harris, creative director for Britboy Fashions. “And we can’t seem to get enough of neon, or military print.

Jason Powers of The Rampant Cooperative was inspired by the contrast of tribalism and Mother Nature cast against stark city scapes.

“I like using what we are calling ‘material blocking’,” Powers said, “and using denim and leather, or very classing mens suiting and leather to create shapes and lines into a piece. My line is really a peek into the future of classic looks.”

Joanna Durkee looked to a different set of contrasting relationships for this season’s rendition of her line, Niv Elliot.

“My collection started with a study on bodies and how they age...Each item in my collection reflects either strength or fragility, and sometimes a balance between the two. I’ve been very purposeful in my use of colors and materials to reflect a ‘strong vs. fragile’ approach."

“I’m always inspired by the lifestyles of both the city and the open country,” said Samuel Parkinson of KingsTribe. “The colors and shades I chose are natural with splatters of color...I want the audience to question my intentions of using traditional silhouettes with nontraditional materials...I researched the traditional to make sure I could go against it.”

What was trending for spring and summer on Friday? Lots of white as well as mint and peach or nude for spring/summer, separates, bold graphics and florals, peek-a-boo cutouts and of course, sheer is just hot right now.

Live coverage of March 1st Spring/Summer Showcase:

Saturday night's Fall/Winter Showcase did not disappoint. There were beautiful gowns from LOVE by Janelle Cardenas, Nolan Kouri and Vasily Vein. There was also quite a bit for the boys in terms of menswear. Of note were Dottie Charles' comfortable yet chic urban streetwear and R. Douglas' impeccably tailored suits modeled by local businessmen.

The evening was rife with historical throwbacks complemented by modern twists, as well as a touch of tailoring and feminine silhouettes. We spoke with some of the designers about their collections prior to Saturday's show.

Yennie Zhou, the first of eight designers to send a collection down the catwalk on Saturday, has a background in architecture and gets her inspiration from, “nature, art, architecture and life itself.”

9-1-1 dispatcher turned designer Karisa Gold enjoyed her debut at this year’s SACFW.

“For this collection,” said Gold, “you can expect to see ultra feminine silhouettes, a tight color palette of rich hues, opulent embellishments, and romantic textiles...I always like to create a fusion of sophistication and sensuality in my designs...I like to say that I mix the class of Audrey with the sass of Marilyn.”

Tawnya Jackson’s line, Dottie Charles Co., is a tribute to her grandmother Dottie Beverly and her father Charles Jackson.

“What inspired my collection this year was the pop culture of various decades. I hope to provide the feel of the 1930s and 40s but still stick to the style of Dottie Charles, which is urban chic...I like the luxury look with brocades, beautiful beaded work on dresses.”

Like Jackson, Hawaiian-born and Sacramento-raised Janelle Cardenas also looked to historical references for her collection, LOVE.

“The collection I’ll be showcasing is my interpretation of Studio 54 with a modern edge,” Cardenas sad. “My explanation of LOVE is that it can be smooth at times, yet has its hills and valleys...I have always been a fan of contrast...I love the mix of soft with an edge.”

Northern California designer R. Douglas designs clothing based on the individual wearing it. (Editor's Note: R. Douglas will showed a spring/summer collection on March 2, as opposed to fall/winter. He was the only designer to do so.)

“As a custom clothier, I differ from ready-to-wear designer,” said Douglas, “and offer unique styling and designs for each of my clients...Oftentimes they permit me to include subtle styling details and color accents to bring a bit of fun to the mix. This Saturday’s runway show will feature local celebrities and successful businessmen in the greater Sacramento area. Real people, wearing appropriate clothing for their lifestyle...My clients bring the most inspiration.”

Michael Kouri is the Sacramentan designer behind Nolan Kouri, and he too looked to the past for inspiration this year.

“What inspired me for this collection was old Hollywood glamour and in particular, Veronica Lake,” he said. “I used a lot of 1940s silhouettes with a little modern update such as silver metal zippers and silver hardware and buckles.”

Bygone eras also sparked creativity for Russian designer Vasily Vein.

“I was inspired by European Renaissance Art in my newest collection,” said Vein. “When I use the word fashion trend, it means something very specific to me...It comes down to a level of respect for design and the actual art of creating beautiful clothes. There’s not one mode that’s better than the other. It all comes down to personal preference.”

With so many iconic periods being touched upon, the Fall/Winter Showcase had a little bit for everyone. Creative Director WIll Rodriguez closed the week-long event by telling the crowd, "We want to change Sacramento. Why not bring a new fashion hub here?"

Why not, indeed. Bring on the next year of Sacramento's fashion scene.

Live coverage of March 2nd Fall/Winter Showcase:

Top Five Fridays: Local business and local beer rule the week

2013-02-22T16:46:40Z

Are we all ready for the weekend? Whether you're rocking Beer Week or Fashion Week, splitting time between both or playing it a bit more low key, before you get started make sure to check out the list of The Sacramento Press's most-viewed content of the past week.

Community Contribution:

5. Former Crest Theatre manager shares history by Alex Cosper

4. Cookbook author event series launches in Sacramento by Dawn Balzarano

3. Bless Me, Ultima plays at Downtown Plaza's Century Theatres by David Alvaraz

2. Kris Allen comes to Sacramento by Edgar Alejandro Hilbert

1. Holy Helvetia! Broadway brewery draws packed house by Aaron Davis

Overall:

5. Kris Allen comes to Sacramento by Edgar Alejandro Hilbert

4. Plan for city-wide plastic bag ban being tinkered by Karen Wilkinson

3. Not your typical Thai – Davis' Thai Canteen comes to Midtown by Allison Joy

2. Holy Helvetia! Broadway brewery draws packed house by Aaron Davis

1. Navigating Sacramento Beer Week 2013 by Patricia Willers

Sacramento Fashion Week – it's about more than pretty clothes

2013-02-22T16:29:42Z

Sacramento Fashion Week is in full swing, and as anyone familiar with the cutthroat nature of the fashion industry knows, with haute couture comes huge egos. But don’t bank on this year’s catwalk getting catty. Co-producer Will Rodriguez and the rest of the SACFW team have something a little different in mind.

“What we are trying to do is unite the fashion community,” Rodriguez said, “and promote this idea of working together, because we all want the same thing – to improve our city and improve our economy through collaboration.”

SACFW has been growing since it started as a one-day event in the spring of 2006. In 2011 Sacramento was first listed on the International Fashion Week calendar, and it now spans one full week, this year from Feb. 24 to March 2nd.

“If you were to compare this year to the first couple of years, Sacramento Fashion Week has literally exploded in terms of size as well as the quality of talent,” Rodriguez said.

SACFW has amped up its outreach by adding panels and workshops that involve the local community. By showcasing Sacramento retailors in addition to emphasizing branding and marketability in the designer selection process, there are also elements of local economic restoration in play at this year’s SACFW.

“We want to create an environment that is safe for designers to nurture their skills, collaborate with local businesses and keep designers in Sacramento,” said SACFW Public Relations Coordinator Maria Serquen. “We want artists to have a voice, and for editors and buyers to come take a look at and potentially do business with the talent we have here Sacramento.”

The major additions this year include the Boutique Show and Shop on Feb. 28, during which local retailers will showcase their wares on the catwalk. Attendees will be able to purchase their favorite pieces directly following the show.

Social Gone Vogue and Fashion on Film are also new to this year’s SACFW. Hosted by Sacramento Social Media Club, Social Gone Vogue will feature a panel of fashion experts discussing how social media works in fashion. Fashion on Film, hosted by the California Film Foundation, will showcase a number of short films all about fashion produced by regional and local filmmakers.

Model and former winner of America’s Next Top Model Naima Mora will also be in Sacramento for this year’s fashion week. Mora first came to Sacramento in 2009 to serve as the mistress of ceremonies at Sacramento’s International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT) fashion show and has been hooked on Sacramento and its student designers ever since. At Sac IADT she met and has since collaborated with local avant garde designer and former Sac IADT student Richard Hallmarq, currently featured on Lifetime’s “Project Runway."

“I love Sacramento,” said Mora. “People in Sacramento are very supportive of one another. Its fashion industry is blossoming more each year...I don’t think people realize the level of talent coming out of Sacramento in terms of design and fashion. Schools like IADT and CSUS have some of the most active student design programs in the country.”

One of the many things on Mora’s agenda for this year’s SACFW will be Monday’s Fashion Forum at CSUS where she, along with other fashion industry experts, will talk to students about her experiences in the industry and offer advice to up and coming designers. She will instruct particpants on how to be fierce during the Runway: 101 Workshop at Sac IADT on Feb. 26 and will aslo host a signing for her book “Model Behavior” at Face It Salon on Feb. 27 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Those proceeds of Mora's book will go to the Junior League of Sacramento, the benficiary of this year's SACFW.

Sacramento Fashion Week will culminate with weekend runway showcases on held at the Elks Tower Ballroom on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2 at 6 p.m. According to Rodriguez, this year’s selection process for designers was more vigorous than ever.

“We look for originality and consistency within an entire collection,” he said. “We look at the quality of construction...The new thing we added this year was marketability. We want to start focusing attention on branding and how the designers represent themselves. There is this whole business aspect of fashion that might get neglected, because designers work from passion and not business.”

You can find a full list of the featured designers for the spring/summer collections here and the fall/winter collections here. According to Rodriguez, Sacramento fashion followers can look forward to a keen focus on well-constructed ready-to-wear pieces that can be taken straight from the runway to the street and reflect much of what is currently trending in fashion nationwide.

The Sacramento Press will be live-blogging Friday and Saturday’s runway showcases. If ready-to-wear trends are indeed what is in store, a few of many things this writer will be on the lookout for are sheer or lustrous fabrics and bold patterns that call back to Mother Nature – think floral or animal print – as well as dramatic silhouettes created by everything from exaggerated or otherwise accentuated shoulders and voluminous sleeves to peplums, flowing backs or open, loose-fitting forms.

However, it’s not always all about trends. Let’s also look forward to seeing innovative ideas unique to Sacramento that will leave the crowd gasping for more. With George Clinton is coming to Sacto early next month, I’m hoping to see SACFW designers bring in just a little bit of funk as well.

“We’ve got a bunch of surprises in store,” Rodriguez said, in closing. “That’s all I can say.”

For a full list of Sacramento Fashion Week events, check the SACFW website.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Not your typical Thai: Davis' Thai Canteen comes to Midtown

2013-02-20T22:17:58Z

It’s been an eventful month for the crew at Davis’ Thai Canteen. This week the California Aggie named them the best Thai restaurant in The Best of Davis 2013. Last week? They were finally able to start renovating what will become the restaurant’s second location and first foray into Sacramento, in Midtown between P and O streets at 1510 16th Street.

“I think Midtown will be perfect for us, and our customers in Sacramento wanted us to have a location there, because right now they have to drive,” said co-owner Suvijak Devahasdin, known around Davis simply as “T.” He owns the operation with his elder sister Nipanuj “Bua” Devahasdin and her boyfriend Rungsun “Deo” Suwannapracha.

Inside the Davis location, the vibe is casual and welcoming with a hip, urban feel. Though orders are made at the counter, multiple food runners ensure that service is prompt and efficient. When crafting a business plan, the crew paid close attention to their clientele, primarily college students, with the intent to offer quality food at an affordable price – all day. Thai Canteen serves from 10 a.m. until 2 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and until 10 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays, a schedule that will carry over to the Midtown restaurant.

T plans to stay true to what has worked for Thai Canteen in Davis, but will elevate the dining experience to cater to the more diverse clientele he expects to see at the Midtown location. Counter service will still be the norm, though the biggest change will be an additional standing bar where customers can order from their server for a more traditional dining experience.

He also hopes to include more intricate specials that wouldn’t necessarily be practical with his predominately college-aged crowd in Davis.

“Right now our menu has about 20 to 30 percent of what Thai food has to offer. So we still have about 60 percent we would like customers to experience,” said T regarding what diners can look forward to at the new location.

Thai Canteen’s Davis location opened in November of 2010, and breaking even within one year to profit by the second was no easy feat, particularly because the place was Davis’ eighth Thai restaurant. It took a lot of hard work for these newbies to stand out in the crowd, work that started long before the restaurant opened its doors in November of 2010.

At the time, T was a student affairs director at Stamford International University in Bangkok. Bua, already living in northern California, wanted to open a restaurant and reached out to her little brother.

“My sister told me that I could stay in Bangkok at my job, and it wouldn’t change my life. But she said, ‘If you move here and we open this business, it might change your life.’”

After he made the decision to venture overseas to open the restaurant, T started doing his homework. He spent six months at Mlpuang Thai Cooking School, where he learned the finer points of food preparation. During that time he also collected family recipes and ventured to all corners of his native country – east, west, north and south – to gather ideas that would eventually form Thai Canteen’s eclectic menu.

T’s attention to detail shines through in the dishes served at Thai Canteen. From traditional dishes such as kao nar bpet (honey-roasted duck over rice) to specials like koa low nuer (flank steak, beef stew and meat balls with Chinese broccoli in Thai-style beef stock) and Pad prik king (green beans, bell peppers, kaffir leaves and choice of meat stir-fried in prik king chili paste), the menu is authentic while offering its own unique fusion of local cuisine from all over Thailand.

While doing his research, T also paid special attention to Thai street food, particularly those vendors which focused on perfecting and serving just a single dish, whether it be skewers, soups or noodles because, as he said, “When they are only doing one thing, you know they are doing it the right way.“

It must have paid off – if Yelp and DavisWiki are to be believed, Thai Canteen serves the best pad kee mao, or “drunkard’s noodles,” in town.

“I grew up with Thai street food,” said T, “and that’s why I want you guys to experience that as well...Street food is not always fast. Some takes time to make it perfect. And everything has to be perfect.”

The restaurant menu offers 38 constant items and currently has a rotation of almost 50 specials. The specials are created by T, Deo, or Bua and go through three to four trials. The plates don’t make the menu until all three of the co-owners are satisfied. These creations are the product of much hard work and are not to be missed – the grilled pork belly special takes over 20 hours to prepare and is based around a secret family recipe.

During the first six months at the Davis location, T worked from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily to make sure operations ran smoothly – a work schedule he is more than willing to recommence when he moves to Sacramento, to ensure that their Midtown location is as successful as their spot in Davis. He also spends his day off driving around Sacramento to personally select all of the ingredients used in the kitchen.

Thai Canteen’s Midtown location is slated to open in May. T and Bua’s parents, who were unable to make the trek from Bangkok for the Davis opening, have already promised to be in attendance. While opening a new restaurant may come with its inherent trials and tribulations, regardless of whether the name has been established elsewhere, T is up for it.

“It’s not just a job,” he said. “These people are all my family. And I’m young and still have a lot of energy. I’m ready for it."

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Congrats to our Journalism Open 2013 winners

2013-02-20T00:36:17Z

Well, that’s a wrap – congrats to all of the winners and entrants who submitted to our Journalism Open 2013. We had 76 written submissions this year and 114 photo submissions, and it wasn’t an easy job to narrow either of those categories down.

But somehow we all managed. Myself and editor Jared Goyette narrowed down the top 12 articles which were then tallied by our panel of guest judges. Photos were judged by myself and Goyette. You can find a complete list of judging criteria here.

Our $400 People’s Choice Award was a close race between Stephania Erkenbrecher’s article on Verge Center for the Arts and Ron Mullins’ piece on medical cannabis. I spent much time calling around to verify votes, and it is with the utmost of confidence that we honored Ron Mullins for his thoughtful article, The state of medical cannabis in the city of Sacramento.

First place went to Seth Sandronsky’s Private money and public schools, an in-depth discussion on “the power of corporate-funded philanthropy to shape public policy.”

Second place went to Stephania Erkenbrecher for her very in depth and personalized spotlight on Verge Center for the Arts.

Third place went to Nick Hunte for After school program gives kids a chance to live a healthy future, which focused on Amber Scott and California Food Literacy Center’s work at Aspire Capitol Heights Academy in Oak Park.

Best Interview went to Patricia Willers for her interviews with The Davis Beer Shoppe’s Taylor Ramos and Capitol Beer and Tap Room’s Ken Hotchkiss for her article The finest of beer proprietors.

Most original story idea went to Talecia Bell for her spotlight, Precious cargo – snapshots of the light rail culture, which highlighted our diverse community of transit riders.

Most civic-minded went to Mary Beth Barber for her op-ed Teachers versus The Guns, an analysis of CalSTERS investments in gun manufacturers.

First place photo went to Kati Garner for her collaboration with Mary Nares in Dancing the dream, about the Dancing in the River City same-sex ballroom dance competition. Kati caught an amazing shot that truly evokes the passion of dance.

Second place photo went to our resident music photog Steven Chea for an amazing shot of Muse’s Jan. 29 show at Sleep Train Arena. You can see more of his photos as well as read Heather Dender's review of the show here.

Third place photo went to Amy Scott for another great concert shot, this one of Tremor Low’s Jan. 10 performance at Townhouse.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to Chops Steakhouse on Tues. Feb. 12 to celebrate this year’s open with us. It was great to meet and shake hands with everyone whom we know so well as email addresses and usernames. Congratulations to all of this year’s entrants who kicked off 2013 hyperlocal style by sharing their local news stories. We couldn’t do what we do without you.

Editor’s Note: The second place photo prize was originally awarded to a photo that was deemed ineligible upon further inspection. The issue has since been taken care of, and I apologize for the oversight.

Top Five Fridays: Local brews and much ado about the Kings

2013-02-08T18:21:33Z

We’re on the cusp of an important week – not only is Valentine’s Day just around the corner, The Sacramento Press is gearing up for our Journalism Open 2013 Awards Celebration. You’ll be there, right? Don’t forget to order your presale tickets and RSVP so we know to save you a spot.

But before you get to shopping for boxes of chocolate or a new ascot to impress your favorite Community Manager, make sure you haven’t missed anything awesome this week on The Sacramento Press. Check out our most-viewed content of the week.

Community Contribution:

5. Obituary: Sheila was a regular presence in the central city and beyond by Bill Burgua

4. Old Sac Mardi Gras 2013 this weekend by Mike Ibe

3. Sacramento Fashoin Week introduces designer lineup by David Alvarez

2. George Strait says farewell to Sacramento by Nancy Flagg, photos by Steven Chea

1. The finest of beer proprietors by Patricia Willers

Overall:

5. Councilman: 25 millionaires have backed effot to keep Kings in Sacramento by Karen Wilkinson

4. The finest of beer proprietors by Patricia Willers

3. People's Choice: Your vote counts by Allison Joy

2. Midtown fire damages historic home, displaces family by Karen Wilkinson

1. Mayor Kevin Johnson press conference: Sacramento Kings and the state of the city – as it happened by Jared Goyette

Awards Party 2013: Celebrate citizen journalism with The Sac Press

2013-02-06T20:04:27Z

Are you ready to party with The Sacramento Press?

The Journalism Open 2013 closed on Jan. 31, so don’t forget to check out the written and photography submissions that our contributors worked so hard on. The top finalists have been selected, and now our panel of guest judges are working hard to select this year’s winners. We also need your help in selecting who will win $400 for our People’s Choice Award.

Soon all the work will be over though, and it will be time to kick back with good snacks and even better friends to announce the winners and honor this year’s writers.

Please join The Sac Press staff, Journalism Open guest judges and contributors at Chops Steakhouse downtown on Tuesday, Feb. 12, for our Awards Party. We’ll celebrate citizen journalism, as well as the contributors who have helped us all kick off 2013 hyperlocal style by sharing their neighborhood news stories.

Tickets are $10 presale and $12 (cash only) at the door. This goes toward:

One glass of beer or wine. Cheers to citizen journalism!
A sample of select Chops Steakhouse appetizers – caprese bruschetta, shrimp dim sum and more. Yum.
An eco-friendly limited-edition Sac Press canvas bag – what is good for the environment is also good for our community and local news, right?
One raffle ticket and the chance to win gift cards from some of your favorite Sacramento restaurants, including Zocalo, Kru and more. Each additional raffle ticket is $1.

Make sure to save some cash and let your friends know that you support your community’s local news. RSVP by ordering your tickets online here. We can’t wait to see you there!

People's Choice: Your vote counts

2013-02-04T23:00:15Z

Welcome to February, when the Journalism Open contest really gets good. This is the time when our contributing writers get to stop toiling and start celebrating all of their hard work.

While editor Jared Goyette and myself will forward on the top ten finalist entries to our panel of guest judges to score, we’re also asking you, our readers, to get in on the action.

Below you’ll find, in no particular order, the People's Choice contenders, which were selected based on a combination of article views and thumbs ups received. We’ll count votes received up until 5 p.m. on Feb. 11. The winner will be selected soley based on approval rating. Vote for your favorite articles by giving them the coveted Sac Press thumbs up as seen here:
We’ll award the writer with the highest approval rating their $400 check at our Awards Party on Feb. 12. Join us at Chops Steakhouse in downtown Sacramento for drinks, snacks and general merriment when we will announce all of the winners of this year’s open. Save yourself some cash by getting your tickets early here.

Since we are only accepting one entry per writer for the People's Choice, we submitted the article with the highest approval rating for any writer who made the list twice.

All right, check it out. Start clicking and get voting – we can’t do it without you!

1. Verge Center for the Arts poised to push limits by Stephania Erkenbrecher

2. Zero Dark 30: The bad guy gets killed by Gary Chew

3. Opinion: Experience the Sactown Hopper by Mackenzie Pitts

4. The state of medical cannabis in the city of Sacramento by Ron Mullins

5. Obituary: Sheila was a regular presence in the central city and beyond by Bill Burgua

6. Opinion: Private money and public schools by Seth Sandronsky

7. Occupy Sacramento rallied for homeless by Kati Garner

8. The finest of beer proprietors by Patricia Willers

9. SacAnime’s growing pains by David Alvarez

10. Old and young jitterbug together in intergenerational program by Nancy Flagg

11. 301 Capitol Mall six years later by Michael Zwahlen

12. Hoops raises food for needy by Chris Shannon

13. After school program gives kids a chance to live a healthy future by Nick Hunte

14. Ella features only vegetarian dishes for Dine Downtown by Rich Beckermeyer

15. My kind of town Sacramento is by Kathleen Johnson

Editor’s note: Join The Sacramento Press on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Chops Steakhouse to honor Journalism Open winners. Get tickets!

Top Five Fridays: Food, art and cannabis – we've got it all

2013-02-01T19:40:06Z

What a week – Journalism Open 2013 submissions are in, so all of our contributors can kick back and relax this weekend. Before you rush out to stock up on burgers, beer and bean dip, take a minute to make sure you didn't miss anything on The Sacramento Press.

This week's top content below.

Community Contribution:

5. Old and young jitterbug together in intergenerational program by Nancy Flagg, photos by Phil Kemp

4. Opinion: A pre-show fiasco at Shawn Colvin by Steve Martarano

3. Verge Center for the Arts poised to push limits by Stephania Erkenbrecher, photos by Phil Kemp

2. Opinion re: City to vote on medical cannabis ordinance Jan. 29 by Ron Mullins

1. Local chef on ABC's 'The Taste' by Chad Avakian

Overall:

5. Uber car service launches in Sacramento by Karen Wilkinson

4. Wicked 'Wiche's grand plans begin with the Downtown Plaza by Karen Wilkinson

3. Farmers' market to hit Midtown this spring by Karen Wilkinson

2. La Paloma Cash and Gold owner shot by Sacramento Press Staff

1. No decision on stricter medical marijuana zoning changes by Karen Wilkinson

Our original Elite Contributors: Nancy Flagg

2013-01-30T21:51:19Z

Have you forgotten your New Year’s resolution yet? They can be tough to stick to, so let’s do this together.

Part of The Sacramento Press’s New Year’s resolution involved new contributor rankings. Earlier this week we put the spotlight on arts-enthusiast Barry Wisdom. Today it’s Nancy Flagg’s time to shine, and we couldn’t be more proud to call her one of our Elite Contributors.

Nancy has a passion for local business that she channels into her monthly column, Locally Owned, which profiles local establishments and their owners. She is always quick to cover heartwarming community stories as well, and her passion for the Sacramento region shines through in her work on our site.

SP: How long have you been with The Sacramento Press?
NF: Since 2010

SP: How did you get started with The Sac Press?
NF: Photographer Kati Garner started the fire.

SP: What issues do you most enjoy covering, and why?
NF: Smaller feel-good community events, especially ones where people are being creative or are doing something together that brings out the best in folks. I also love interviewing local business owners and finding out why they chose the path they did.

SP: What is the most memorable experience you’ve had covering something for The Sacramento Press?
NF: They're all memorable!

SP: What do you enjoy about being a citizen journalist?
NF: Being an integral part of the fabric of the community, getting to meet people and be part of events that I otherwise would never have met or done, and giving folks a chance to tell their story.

Find Nancy’s column, Locally Owned, here or peruse her body of work by visiting her profile.

Our original Elite Contributors: Barry Wisdom

2013-01-28T23:04:43Z

How is everyone doing on those New Year’s resolutions? I’m still eating dinner hot from the microwave most nights a week, so hopefully our readers are doing better than I am. Earlier this month, The Sacramento Press shared its own New Year’s resolution with readers, and that one we’re sticking to.

Part of that resolution involved new contributor rankings, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to one of our seven original Elite Contributors, Mr. Barry Wisdom. He has spent his two-and-a-half years with The Sacramento Press sharing his theater expertise with our readers, and providing amazing written and photo coverage for numerous local productions. While to say that Wisdom is a lover of the arts would be accurate, it does not address the instrumental role he plays promoting local performers and stages that might not otherwise enjoy their moment in the limelight.

SP: How long have you been with The Sacramento Press?
BW: I have been a Sacramento Press contributor since July 2010.

SP: How did you get started with The Sac Press?
BW: As a public relations professional I “discovered” Sac Press as an interview source for Sac Press staff/contributors. I soon joined their ranks.

SP: What issues do you most enjoy covering, and why?
BW: An arts-and-entertainment writer-editor since high school, I still love to write and shoot theater, music, dance and fashion events.

SP: What is the most memorable experience you’ve had covering something for The Sacramento Press?
BW: There have been many memorable experiences in the past two-and-a-half years – from getting up-close-and-personal to shoot such music acts as Diana Krall, Elvis Costello and Shakira, to sitting down with Shirley Jones (and her son Patrick Cassidy) during a break in rehearsals for the Music Circus production of “The Music Man.”

SP: What do you enjoy about being a citizen journalist?
BW: The best things about being a citizen journalist is to be able to share my passion for the arts, and the opportunity to inform, entertain and promote the diverse (and ever-growing) arts scene here in Sacramento – especially theater.

You can find more of Barry's work here, or by visiting his profile.

Top Five Fridays: Our CC's shine during a crime-ridden week

2013-01-25T20:03:52Z

Another week, another Top Five Fridays. Our community contributors (mostly) gave us a reason to smile during a busy week for both the Sacramento Police Department and reporter Karen Wilkinson. And let’s not forget – the Kings are still leaving.

Before you dive into your weekend, take a look at The Sacramento Press’s most popular articles of the week.

Community Contribution:

5. How public radio helps indie artists by Alex Cosper
Weekly columnist and owner of SacTV Alex Cosper turned his attentions this week to the role public radio plays in the success of indie artists, as well as our community as a whole.

4. No injuries after RT light rail train and car collide by Kati Garner
Kati Garner snaps round two of the epic Light Rail vs. vehicle match up. No one was injured, though we can’t say the same for the Subaru.

3. Music Circus announces 2013 lineup; season tix on sale Monday by Barry Wisdom
Wisdom, a local theater expert, detailed the upcoming Music Circus lineup as well as his interview with California Musical Theatre Executive Producer Richard Lewis.

2. Sum 41 rocks out Sacramento by Ashley Hassinger, photos by Steven Chea
Sum 41 hit up Ace of Spades, and according to Hassinger, “Strong and creative bands IAMYDYNAMITE and Hunter Valentine were a perfect collective sound to open for the evening’s headliner, Sum 41.”

1. My story: Watch your back, pray and bring Mace by Kathleen Johnson
Johnson shared her personal story of being assaulted while waiting for the bus, providing details and cautioning area residents to be on the lookout.

Overall:

5. Police cancel perimeter search in South Sac following high-speed chase
Luther Burbank High School was on lockdown following a high speed car chase that police suspected may have been in relation to a shooting in Oak Park.

4. PHOTOS | SWAT team responds to despondent subject
The SWAT team took over 5600 block of Nolder Way in response to a “despondent subject.”

3. DUI woman hits pedestrian in Midtown entertainment district
A DUI accident in Midtown ended with the victim hospitalized and sparked a discussion in the comments section about inadequate traffic lights in the area.

2. Man surrenders in Tahoe park standoff, had warrant for arrest
Antwan Adger’s high-speed car chase resulted in a hostage stand-off in Tahoe Park. Police apprehended Adger that same afternoon, and the hostage was not injured.

1. Maloof family finally announces agreement to sell Kings
Once again, the Kings and their on-again off-again relationship with Sacramento ruled the week, this time with the Maloofs announcing another “end” to this torrid affair.

Top Five Fridays will provide a brief countdown of the most popular content posted in the past week overall, as well as our top-performing community contributors of the past seven days. These weekly lists allow us to give credit where credit is due, as well as keep you clued into some great info you may have missed during the weekly grind.

Top Five Fridays: Film review, medical marijuana and grid crime

2013-01-18T19:37:09Z

TGIF, am I right? Fingers crossed as the 49ers take on the Falcons this Saturday, and don’t forget that BaconFest starts on Sunday. Whether you prefer pigskin or pork fat, take a minute before heading out for the weekend to make sure you didn’t miss anything this week on The Sacramento Press.

Community Contribution:

5. Outside the Cage: Max 'Pain' Griffin by Ahsan Awan
Ahsan Awan offered a preview of what’s in store at this year’s West Coast Fighting Championship that included an interview with local fighter Max “Pain” Griffin.

4. The state of medical cannabis in the city of Sacramento by Ron Mullins
First-time contributor Ron Mullins tracked the history of our state and city’s relationship with marijuana, and addressed recent legislation that will further hinder outdoor growing of cannabis.

3. Opinion: Thoughts on homelessness and human rights by Sonny Iverson
Iverson took issue with what he saw as the vilification of Sacramento’s homeless population and the mob mentality that he saw in comments sections on many online news sites. The discussion grew heated as many of our readers joined the debate.

2. New film: Zero Dark Thirty by Tony Sheppard
Moviebriefs columnist Tony Sheppard broke down Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty thematically, offering his own explanation as to why the film is so controversial.

1. Zero Dark 30: The bad guy gets killed by Gary Chew
Gary Chew of Chew’s Reviews takes home the gold this week with his own review of Zero Dark Thirty, this one focusing on the historical significance of the film as well as its character development.

Overall:

5. New film: Zero Dark Thirty by Tony Sheppard
4. Vehicle crashes into restaurant patio in Midtown by SacramentoPress Staff (photos by Kati Garner)
Thankfully no one was seriously injured when a vehicle crashed into the Crepeville patio in Midtown. Contributor Kati Garner got some great shots of the accident, and the comments section went spiritual.

3. Zero Dark 30: The bad guy gets killed by Gary Chew

2. Woman found dead after accident at Chevron gas station on 65th and S streets by SacramentoPress Staff
Last week ended on a tragic note, when a young woman was found dead of a gunshot wound early Saturday morning, Jan. 12.

1. Woman shot after resisting mugger in Midtown by Jared Goyette
The increasing trend of robberies almost turned deadly when what appeared to have started off as a mugging ended with a young woman being shot in Midtown. Thankfully her wounds were not fatal, and police are investigating the incident.

Developers break ground for Township Nine's Cannery Place

2013-01-17T01:34:06Z

The River District continues to move forward. California Lottery moved in mid-2011, followed by a Light Rail Green Line station in June of last year. Popular food truck Krush Burger will open its first establishment on the ground floor of the California Lottery building in two weeks, and on Wednesday,Township Nine officially broke ground for its first housing unit, Cannery Place.

Scott Syphax opened the groundbreaking ceremony by pointing out the the tilled earth of the mostly vacant lot which had previously been home to Bercut-Richards cannery, before it was demolished to make way for Township Nine.

“Back in 1999, this place looked like the set of Robocop...at the end of the movie,” said Syphax, President of NCRF Holdings and CEO of The Nehemiah Companies, primary backers of the project. “Cannery Place is the culmination of hopes, dreams, hard work and creativity.”

The apartment complex will include 180 units, all of which will be wheelchair accessible, a community center and interior courtyard. The building is slated for completion by October of 2014. It, as well as all further buildings constructed in Township Nine, will be LEED certified and use state-of-the art technology with a fiber optics system in each unit.

The developers’ vision for Township Nine and The River District as a whole is to create a sustainable community with easy access to all that Sacramento has to offer.

“Imagine 7th Street closed off, and a street fair along the parkway,” said Ron Mellon, the developer for Township Nine.

Township Nine will ultimately also include a playground and a 4,000-person capacity amphitheatre to host outdoor events on the riverfront. Mellon also pointed to connection the American River bike trail leading to Folsom, Discovery Park across the river and easy access to Downtown, Midtown and Old Sacramento.

The next step, though, is more housing. More specifically, a 150 unit market-rate multi-family apartment complex, followed by a 185-car garage for the River District’s first residents in many, many years.

Currently developers are building from the back, with the front portion of Township Nine reserved for a potential office complex. According to Mellon, Township Nine is partnering with a significant office developer, with the hope of bringing in a significant state tenant to the site. If that doesn’t work they’ll look for a smaller business or possibly build more housing.

Mayor Kevin Johnson lauded the project for its contribution to the local economy, pointing out that project will create 200 construction jobs, in addition to the 3,000 jobs Township Nine will create upon its completion.

“The only thing better than a ground breaking is a ribbon cutting,” said Mayor Johnson, “so we’re on the right track.”

The development plan will use the light rail and bike paths as well as pedestrian walkways to connect neighborhoods within the district as well as to the nearby areas of downtown, Midtown and Old Sacramento. The intention is to create a walkable area in which people can work and live.

“This is a model of what we’ve been talking about,” said District 3 Councilman Steve Cohn. “Having people live, work and play in an area where they don’t have to have cars.”

Cohn is eager to see Cannery Place’s first residents pave the way for Township Nine’s future.

“They will be the first people to live in this area in a very long time – the first of many to come.”

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Council to consider police funding from Measure U

2013-01-15T17:29:49Z

Just as Sacramento is facing an increase in gun crime city wide, and a rash of muggings on the grid (including one Friday in which a woman was shot), the City Council is tasked with the decision of where to funnel funds resulting from the passage of the Measure U sales tax. What no one disputes is that the Sacramento Police Department has endured serious cuts, the question in front of the council now is how the department should be restored.

On Tuesday night the council members will vote on city staff recommendations regarding the usage of Measure U funds, and those recommendations will then be finalized with more detail in the city’s budget, which will go before the council on Jan. 29.

The Measure U funds must go to the restoration of services lost, not new ones, though those restored services may not look the same as before. Public safety services approved for restoration include 9-1-1 response, police officers, gang/youth violence prevention and fire protection and emergency medical service, according to the city staff report . Additional services that could benefit from Measure U include park maintenance, youth/senior services and libraries.

We reached out to the council members to get their thoughts. These are the responses we’ve received so far, we’ll update if anyone else chimes in.

Steve Cohn, District 3

“Public safety is the number one priority, to restore service with sales tax Measure U money. We told people that would be the priority and it still is. We cut back police too much, as well as other departments, but the police we really cut to the bone...

“Patrol is the most important, but ironically in order to save cuts from patrol we cut so much in other areas, such as detectives and crime scene investigation...We’ve cut so much that it’s very difficult to prosecute someone on a burglary. Patrol first and foremost, but even CSI and detectives – those departments need to be restored as well.”

Jay Schenirer, District 5

“The first thing we need to do is maintain the minimum of the current force .We have a federal COPS grant that will be expiring at the end of the year, so we want to ensure there is potential for using Measure U to retain those policemen. After that, it really is a matter of sitting down with our new police chief, whoever that might be, and talking about an overall strategy.

“In addition to that, when you talk about public safety, it’s more than just police. It’s about strong neighborhoods. So I think there is a number of things we need to talk about that go beyond the numbers...We need to look at the entire picture.”

Kevin McCarty, District 6

"I hope we can hire at least 100 new officers. I have confidence that the City Manager and the Police Chief will devise a specific deployment plan, however, I am hoping that patrol units will be fully staffed, and we are able to restore depleted and eliminated units such as gang intervention, POP/Neighborhood policing teams, Community Service Officers and illegal gun suppression."

Darrell Fong, District 7

“The city manager, chief of police and the staff will make recommendations. I don’t want to comment; I want to see what plans they bring forward. This is the time to look at different procedures and programs to address crime.

“Just because a unit existed in the past doesn’t mean they will be brought back in the same shape or form. This is not going to get us back where we were before, but to a place better off than we were before...This is about restoring services and public safety.”

What are your thoughts on restoring services to our city? What areas need the most attention, and how can the city best use these funds to ensure the public safety of our community? Share your thoughts in the conversation below.

Area youth design a new McKinley Park playground

2013-01-14T18:28:02Z

It was all about young minds with bright ideas at McKinley Park Playground Design Day on Friday, Jan. 11.

Dennis Wille of Play By Design, an organization based in Ithaca, NY that specializes in community building through “custom designed and built play structures”, along with members of the Rebuild McKinley Steering Committee, visited area schools to ask the students themselves what they wanted for their new playground. Children answered a questionnaire and also drew pictures of their unique individual visions.

“It was awesome,” said Cathy Schulz, one of three coordinators on the committee. “The teachers were great, the principals were supportive, and the kids were so excited.”

Katie, a local 5th grader, described the drawing she worked on with her friend and classmate, Jayden.

“We drew a treehouse and a rock climbing wall to get to the treehouse and also a dome climbing thing.”

Justin, a 3rd grader, hoped for, “a tire swing, and a bridge you can go onto a slide from.”

Katie and Justin’s father, Brett Greenfield, just wanted to know what he could do to help. He remembered the effort to rebuild Fort Natomas after it burnt down.

“It was tragic, but it brought people together,” he said. “So I was compelled to find out what I can do.”

Leah Horner and Chelsea Saurer, both seniors in high school and members of the Rebuild McKinley Steering Committee, hoped to see some reference to the original design in the new structure.

“Our biggest idea is keeping it as traditional as possible, because we grew up with this park and we loved it as it was,” Horner said. “We obviously want to improve where it can be improved, but keep its core.”

Saurer added, “It’s great because we’re all coming together to build it. We’re on the committee, and when we were deciding how to rebuild it we had the option of having a crew come in and do it in a shorter amount of time. But we chose to have a community build.”

Wille unveiled his preliminary design, which he had produced Friday afternoon after his school visits, to upwards of one-hundred residents, almost half of them area children, at 5:30 p.m. that same evening at the Clunie Center. Over 1500 crayon-drawn playgrounds hung from the walls.

“We’re really into the fun part, where we can focus on getting this thing built,” said city councilmember Steve Cohn before introducing Wille to the crowd.

Wille asked all of the children to gather around where he stood in front of his initial design. With animated facial expressions and a melodic flow to his voice, he told a story to the crowd of small heads huddled at his feet.

He described an idyllic summer day spent at their new playground, with mom and dad enjoying coffee and the newspaper on one of many nearby benches. It was clear that Wille had indeed listened throughout the afternoon, as the most popular requests shown in the students’ drawings had made their way into his initial plan. He brought the children up the rope ladder and across the cable bridge, urged them to hide from a calling friend in the treehouse, then sail down the twisty slide and out to greet said friend before heading off through the obstacle course, over the dome climbing wall and to the tire swing.

“Can we do this?” he asked them, and was met with a resounding, “Yes!”

The next step in the design process will take place back in Ithaca, where Wille and his team will edit the design and develop a materials list. He’ll send the design and list back to the committee within the next two weeks, and using their feedback will come up with the final design in roughly two months.

“I hope enough people come out so that it’s built well,” said steering committee member Jim Bacchini of Natomas. “Then we can make it extra special. It’s endless, what you can do, and the more people the better.”

Cindy Ann Mendes coaches Girls on the Run, an advocacy program that promotes empowering girls. She plans to help with the rebuild.

“I don’t have kids,” she said, “but I want to volunteer because it’s such a beautiful thing for my community."

The build itself will take place over the course of six days in June. The project will utilize 11 or 12 local volunteer team captains who will work all day every day, starting early in the morning and working, with periodic breaks, until 9 p.m.

“At the end,” said Wille in closing, addressing the parents this time, “you will realize you haven’t just built a playground, you’ve built the dreams of your children, and you’ve built a stronger community.”

Interested in volunteering? Fill out an application here, or contact the Rebuild McKinley Steering Committee at mckinleyplayground1213 [at] gmail.com

Donations can be made here by selecting “Rebuild McKinley Playground” from the drop-down menu.

Editor's note: The second and third paragraphs have been edited to reflect the accurate names/spellings of Dennis Wille and Cathy Schulz.

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Q&A: Meet your Journalism Open judges

2013-01-11T20:16:44Z

The Journalism Open 2013 submissions are in. Editor Jared Goyette and I have started sorting, and soon we'll pass the finalists' submissions off to our panel of local guest judges. Choosing our winners will undoubtedly be a difficult task for them, but luckily for The Sac Press, our top entries are in good hands.

Don't forget to get your ticket to our Journalism Open 2013 Awards Ceremony here. The event will be held at Chops Steakhouse, where we will announce the winners as well as hold a raffle giving away giftcards to some of your favorite local restaurants.

Now, onto the judges:

Carina Lampkin is the owner and head chef at Blackbird Kitchen and Bar, housed in what was formerly two historic buildings off of K Street. Lampkin moved to Sacramento after attending culinary school and cooking in San Francisco for almost a decade. At Blackbird, Lampkin hopes to offer “gourmet food at hipster prices” while doing her part in the development of K Street, or as some now call it, The Kay.

SP: What is “citizen journalism,” in your own words, and what is its value to the community?
CL: Citizen Journalism is essentially when an individual in society brings news to others attention through the usage of written mediums. It's value to the community can come from promotion of business, spreading the word on new ideas, and bringing a community together.

SP: What makes a good news story great?
CL: What makes a good news story a great news story is factual drama, resolve and resolution.

SP: What made you want to get involved with the Journalism Open as a judge?
CL: To get more involved with the community as a whole.

SP: What are your “writing pet peeves”?
CL: The improper use of an apostrophe.

SP: What will you be looking for from this year’s submissions?
CL: Some real, hard truth.

Jeff Knorr is a well-published poet, writer and essayist, as well as the current poet laureate for the city and county of Sacramento. He was the 2008 winner of the Ray Bradbury Award in poetry and also served as founding co-editor of Clackamas Literary Review. Knorr is currently an English professor at Sacramento City College.

SP: What is “citizen journalism,” in your own words, and what is its value to the community?
JK: Citizen journalism is journalism based in the interest, research and perception of an engaged citizenry. I love the idea that citizen journalism is dynamic with opinion and thought that we don’t seem to get in traditional “objective” journalism from the big papers. Of course, the value to the community is that we get views that are diverse and vibrant and those views create lively discourse among readers.

SP: What makes a good news story great?
JK: I think a good news story is great when the human element is found. And, in this, I’m not just talking about some narrative—I like narrative and think that’s the start and what can carry a good news story—but I’m talking about the deeper human element that allows us to see how the story is really about all of us.

SP: What made you want to get involved with the Journalism Open as a judge?
JK: First, I like the idea of citizen journalism and being involved in a contest around that.
Second, as a writer, I believe that I need to be a literary citizen, so that means being
active in my community and the broader community of the region and state as someone
who is literary. So, when I was asked, this was something that seemed an interesting
project to be part of.

SP: What are your “writing pet peeves”?
JK: My biggest writing pet peeve is a writer that is trying to be overly clever or tricky. I ascribe to Ray Carver’s old feeling of “No tricks!” And like him, I run for cover when I see tricks or someone trying to be clever—that’s trouble. I like a writer that’s honest and humble and genuine who will unbend in their work.

SP: What will you be looking for from this year’s submissions?
JK: I’ll be looking for stories that capture the flavor, interests, and significance of the city and region in a unique fresh way. And, of course, there’s just no substitute for good solid writing. I’m always just looking at the line work and how stylistically adept someone is at turning a phrase.

William Burg is the closest thing there is to a living, breathing Sacramento Encyclopedia. He’s a historian and author of numerous books on Sacramento history including K Street: Where Our City Was Born. He is a board member of the Midtown Neighborhood Association, President of Sacramento Old City Association and Vice-President of the Sacramento County Historical Society.

SP: What is “citizen journalism,” in your own words, and what is its value to the community?
WB: Citizen journalism is the modern form of the old tradition of debate in the public forum. Older traditions of public speaking in the city square were superseded by print media. When print media became centralized and subject to official control, citizen journalism continued via newsletters, handbills and underground newspapers, small community newspapers, samizdat media and zines. Online media broke the business model of printed newspapers and creates the opportunity for citizens to offer the same challenge to official sources. A citizen journalist also faces the challenge of the public forum because the public can react directly to the story, challenging not only the official story but the journalist's analysis of the story. Instead of encouraging readers to passively accept news, they become part of the media.

SP: What makes a good news story great?
WB: A challenge to the reader. People like seeing their assumptions validated, not challenged, but that challenge is often necessary. A good journalist should never worry if their work will alienate people--if they never alienate the reader, they probably aren't any good.

SP: What made you want to get involved with the Journalism Open as a judge?
WB: Jared asked, and it sounded like fun.

SP: What are your “writing pet peeves”?
WB: Trying to remain detached from the story. If you don't care about the issue, why are you writing about it?

SP: What will you be looking for from this year’s submissions?
WB: Trouble.

Maya Wallace is a passionate community advocate and a board member of the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center and the Sac State Hornets Policy and Politics Alumni Chapter. She has recently resurrected her blog, Post Cards from Sacramento, which celebrates life in the city of trees. If it’s after 5 p.m. you can find here everywhere that’s anywhere on the grid.

SP: What is “citizen journalism,” in your own words, and what is its value to the community?
MW: Citizen journalism occurs when residents make an effort to inform our community or provide perspective regarding issues that directly affect our friends, neighbors and colleagues. For me, this includes coverage of arts and culture, policy and politics, public safety, the foodshed - restaurants, farmers markets, urban farms and nutrition education, local economic issues, schools and parks, etc. Its value lies in the ability to power community engagement by fostering dialogue among residents, business owners, artists, politicians and others who care about Sacramento and helping them to develop their own informed opinions and perspectives on the issues of the day. It also provides a venue for perspectives that are not driven by a unified editorial vision or political machinations.

SP: What makes a good news story great?
MW: The most important thing is a point of view. Regardless of the facts on the ground, a great story provides a coherent narrative that enables fellow residents to understand the issues and can empower folks to take steps to support and improve our community.

SP: What made you want to get involved with the Journalism Open as a judge?
MW: I like Sacramento Press and I believe that expanding the pool of folks who can report on local issues is critical to its success. This city is full of intelligent, passionate people that make significant contributions to our quality of life and I'm eager to recognize those who've taken the time to contribute to our understanding of and appreciation for the city in which we live, work, and play.

SP: What are your “writing pet peeves”?
MW: I am a stickler for proper punctuation and effective word choice. I also cringe at an overly conversational tone, especially for a news story.

SP: What will you be looking for from this year’s submissions?
MW: I prefer a straightforward, journalistic writing style that makes distinctions between facts and opinions. I want to see adherence to basic journalistic standards: a structured narrative and verified information with quoted sources rather than speculation or unsubstantiated rumors. A little sarcasm can be good, but too much snark is a turn-off for me. I believe that, as a city, we get more out of being positive than writing an angry screed (unless it's really funny).

On the whole, however, I'm open to the possibilities. I am looking forward to seeing what people do with the form, and I'm hoping we discover the next Isaac Gonzalez. Or the print version of Huell Howser (may he rest in peace).

Ed Fletcher is a reporter for The Sacramento Bee, where he covers local, county and state government. He used to be a board member of Access Sacramento, and is a current board member for the Sacramento Press Club. In his spare time, he makes films about zombies and dances Gangnam style on YouTube.

SP: What is “citizen journalism,” in your own words, and what is its value to the community?
EF: While I don’t view citizen journalism as a replacement to the traditional journalism model, I think it can play vital role. Citizen journalism puts more eyes on the streets, at school board meetings and in the community. Even in the best of times, newspapers and broadcast outlets were unable to cover important community news events. It also opens an additional route in which one interested citizen journalist to bring a story into the mainstream that might otherwise have not been covered by mainstream outlets for whatever reason.

SP: What makes a good news story great?
EF: Great news stories shine a light on the human experience and like a good book can stand the test of time. They are both surprising and familiar at the same time. Great news stories move people to action and inspire.

SP: What made you want to get involved with the Journalism Open as a judge?
EF: Good work needs to be rewarded. Without the financial incentive, it’s extra important to recognize and celebrate the good news judgment and skilled news writing.

SP: What are your “writing pet peeves”?
EF: Here are two peeves: Writers that chose the hard way to say something when the simple route would do and writers that needlessly put themselves in the story.

SP: What will you be looking for from this year’s submissions?
EF: I’ll be looking for stories that are clear, concise and logically organized. I value stories the respect the reader’s time. I’ll be on the hunt for stories that either tell something important or offer a glimpse into the modern human experience.

Isaac Gonzalez won the Journalism Open in 2011. Gonzalez is a lifelong Sacramento resident and owner of the blog RanSACked Media. He writes on local government, history, community leaders, business, crime, infrastructure, schools and neighborhoods. He’s also a prolific podcaster – you can listen to him on Forum, which focuses on neighborhoods, and Current, which dives deep into local politics.

SP: What is “citizen journalism,” in your own words, and what is its value to the community?
IG: Citizen journalism to me is people looking around where they live, work and play, and sharing the things that impact their lives. It can be something they love or something they wish was different. It’s people taking back the power of the media from the large institutions and focusing on a micro level on the things that we as a community should be paying more attention to.

SP: What makes a good news story great?
IG: When a news article not only informs the reader, but causes them to take action, to become a change agent, it becomes good. When it does this by just reporting the facts, and without preaching and beating the reader over the head with the morality stick, it becomes great.

SP: What made you want to get involved with the Journalism Open as a judge?
IG: As a prior Journalism Open winner, it seems only natural now to stop and recognize the work of others and encourage the writers of tomorrow to dip their toes into the water of Internet publication

SP: What are your “writing pet peeves”?
IG: If you use the word “I” and you are referring to yourself, you’ve just hit my biggest pet peeve. Take yourself out of the story as much as possible. You’re not the news, the story is. Also, extraordinary statements require sourcing and/or context. Don’t assume your readers are experts of the same subject matter you happen to be writing about.

SP: What will you be looking for from this year’s submissions?
IG: Quotes from people who have a different last name than the author. Pictures that the author took themselves or have permission to use. A good narrative, with a beginning, middle, and an end. And lastly, it has to be newsworthy! I’m glad your grandma makes the best oatmeal cookies, but that’s not news! Go outside and tell us about something right in front of our faces that we’ve never bothered to see before!

We'll be featuring more interviews with this year's judges next week. Readers, feel free to chime in with your own answers to these questions in the comments section.

Editor’s note: Join The Sacramento Press on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Chops Steakhouse to honor Journalism Open winners. Get tickets!

Top Five Fridays: SacAnime and the Seattle Kings

2013-01-11T19:39:00Z

It should be an action-packed weekend for Sacramento. The 49ers are up against the Packers for the NFC championship on Saturday, Dine Downtown will be running through the weekend and next week, and the hogs are scheduled to overtake the city for the Easyrider bike show at the Convention Center.

But before you dive in, make sure you didn’t miss anything this week on The Sacramento Press.

Community Contributors

5. Sacramento's Newest Rising Star by Emilie Cameron
Everyone loves to see a local artist edge their way into the national spotlight. Local photographer Ryan Greenleaf is on his way.

4. ‘My Kind Of Town Sacramento Is’ by Kathleen Johnson
Kathleen Johnson connected with readers by sharing her very personal story of having lived homeless, and her love for Sacramento.

3. The National Danish Performance Team Visits Sacramento by Rob Brundage
Sacramento365 intern Rob Brundage made the list with his very first article for The Sacramento Press – a great preview of the upcoming Zoom show this Saturday at the Memorial Auditorium.

2. The Sacramento Kings .... a soon to be distant memory by David Spohn
Are the Kings moving to Seattle? We’re not sure yet, but the popularity of Spohn’s piece, which recounted the history of the Kings’ potential relocation, shows just how interested local residents remain.

1. SacAnime's growing pains by David Alvarez
Long-time contributor David Alvarez makes his first appearance on the list with his review and photo journal of this winter’s SacAnime. Attendees flocked to the comments section to discuss their mixed feelings on this season’s event.

Overall

5. Open Thread: Yahoo! Sports reports Kings to be sold by Karen Wilkinson
Yahoo! Sports first broke the news of the Kings potential move to Seattle, and readers were eager to discuss their feelings on yet another potential move for the team.

4. Frontline Special Focuses on Education Reformer Michelle Rhee by Kate Gonzales
KVIE PR assistant Kate Gonzalez shared the news that Michelle Rhee, wife of mayor Kevin Johnson and former chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools, would be featured on Frontline.

3. The Sacramento Kings .... a soon to be distant memory by David Spohn

2. Community meeting to be held on crime in Midtown by Jared Goyette
After a string of pedestrian robberies, readers were eager for details about the upcoming public safety meeting in Midtown.

1. SacAnime's growing pains by David Alvarez

And congratulations to contributor David Alvarez, for publishing the most-viewed story on The Sacramento Press this week.

Reality TV dreams come true: Chef Adam Pechal to appear on 'The Taste'

2013-01-09T22:03:00Z

Adam Pechal has dreamt of landing a gig on the small screen for years. Not for his stage prowess though, but for his culinary artisanship.

Chef Pechal – the head chef and owner of The Tuli Restaurant Group – is in it to win. He’ll make his debut on ABC’s new reality cooking show, “The Taste,” on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

“I’ve been trying to get on a show for a few years with not much success,” said Pechal. “I have a casting director who’s always been in my corner and liked what I did. She gave me a call and told me there was a new show. I went and tried out and it stuck this time.”

Pechal has been whipping up culinary delights in Sacramento since he started cooking at the age of 17. A graduate of New York’s Culinary Institute of America, Pechal is now the chef and owner of Midtown favorite Tuli Bistro, the sophisticated Restaurant THIR13EN and the more personalized Tuli Catering.

“I’ve come and gone, but I started cooking here in Sacramento, and I’ve now been cooking for over half of my life,” Pechal said. “What I love most about my job is that no two days are the same. Each day is a whole new set of challenges, new obstacles and new adventures.”

During his 15 years in the business of crafting cuisine with his own distinct urban flare, Pechal has worked in New York, Napa and Seattle and under renowned chefs Mark Miller and Thomas Keller. He has a known preference for locally grown seasonal ingredients, only one factor that makes him one of the top chefs in the Sacramento restaurant scene.

“The Taste,” however, is not your typical Friday night spent in the weeds of a dinner rush. The show features celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson and each episode pits teams of professional and home chefs against one another. The dishes are then submitted to the teams’ mentors for a blind taste test.

Did Chef Pechal make the cut? He’s not telling.

“Basically the first show is going to be the audition phase. Sixty people go down to LA, and the judge/mentors pick their teams, four people each. Hopefully one of those judges picked me. You’ll have to see.”

Join Pechal at Restaurant THIR13EN on Tuesday, Jan. 22, to find out for yourself. Tickets are available online for $25. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Appetizers and one free drink come with the purchase of a ticket. The premiere of “The Taste” starts at 8 p.m, but there will be a special surprise at 6:30 p.m. for those who arrive at Restaurant THIR13EN early.

As to just what that surprise might be, Pechal had this to say: “There is going to be some additional entertainment, but it’s actually a surprise even for me. I think it’s going to something along the lines of ‘This is Your Life.’ There were talks of a roast, but I happen to hear something ahead of time, and put the kabosh on that...

At least for now.”

Top Five Fridays: Sac's downtown, NYE shooting and the Kings

2013-01-04T19:12:10Z

It’s time for the first Top Five Fridays of 2013! Scroll down for The Sacramento Press’s most-viewed articles of the past seven days.

Community Contribution

5. New Year’s Eve fireworks in Old Sac | Photos by Kati Garner
Making one of her regular appearances on Top Five Fridays, Kati Garner comes in at No. 5 with another great photo journal.

4. Django Unchained by Luke Soin
This movie is HOT right now. In the words of Mr. Soin, “People are throwing the word masterpiece around this movie like they throw cigarette butts on the ground at a Depeche Mode concert, and rightly so.”

3. Tune up cycling skills with free Bikeology 101 Workshop by Bonnie Osborn
Free bike info? Sign me up! Don’t worry, there’s still time. The workshop will be held Saturday, Jan. 5 at noon in Discovery Park.

2. Johnson hits gamewinner versus Knicks in crazy home game by Mark Needham, photos by Darren Hall
Mark Needham recapped a game in which the Kings went from a 27-point lead to eking out an unlikely win in its final moments.

1. Where did the downtown population go? by William Burg
Sacramento history expert William Burg discusses the evolution of downtown, tracking the population drop between 1950 and today.

Overall

5. Farewell 2012: Our top 12 articles of the year by Allison Joy
Rocking out the end of 2012, we recapped our 12 most-viewed articles of the year. The coveted top two spots went to community contributors.

4. Bicycle thefts up on the grid, bait bike remains underused by Karen Wilkinson
With bike thefts at an all time high, we learned that depleted resources led to an infrequently used bait bike despite the past successes of sting operations.

3. Johnson hits gamewinner versus Knicks in crazy home game by Mark Needham, photos by Darren Hall

2. Where did the downtown population go? by William Burg

1. Tragic end to 2012 by Jared Goyette
A bar fight in Old Sacramento ended in a tragic shooting on New Year’s Eve that left two dead and three injured. Community contributor Kati Garner was on the scene for photos.

Journalism Open 2013: Photography submissions

2013-01-03T21:28:14Z

Reminder: Journalism Open workshop tomorrow

2013-01-02T23:12:35Z

The Journalism Open 2013 has officially started. Don't forget to stop by our offices tomorrow at 6:30 for our info session. Myself and Editor Jared Goyette will talk about what makes a good article great as well as answer any questions attendees might have.

Here's our agenda:

I. Introduction
II. Review of Criteria
III. Past entry analysis: Those attending might want to read this entry from last year. We'll also provide copies on site.
IV. Q&A

Interested in joining us? RSVP here!

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

A new year’s resolution for The Sacramento Press

2013-01-02T22:52:05Z

In honor of a new year, we’ve decided to shake things up a bit here at The Sacramento Press. Our New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to get back to the heart of what drives this site: our community, our neighbors and their stories. That is to say, both contributors and our editorial staff will turn a keener eye to local issues that generate community discussion in an effort to achieve our overarching goal, which is to enrich the lives of local residents while making our city a better place to live.

We are eager to hear input from our readers and writers – what do you want to see and what do you want to share?

Which does not mean that the many awesome events going on in our area don’t have a place on The Sacramento Press. We will continue to encourage our contributors to write about local events from their own perspective. Hearing about your experience at a local event is great! The only problem is that when we hear about it after the fact, we get sad that we did not find out sooner and attend ourselves. Reviews are best when they have followed a preview.

Speaking of our contributors, The Sacramento Press would not be what it is without the help of our massive team of community contributors. They work hard to share their local perspectives, and those of their fellow residents, with readers on our site. That’s why we want to start doing a better job of giving credit where credit is due.

As our regular readers might know, The Sacramento Press denotes ranking and achievements on our site through a system of identity and merit badges. Identity badges are included beside the names of all writers, and merit badges are visible upon visiting a user's profile. You can find more information on badges here. Until now, contributors have only been eligible for the verified contributor badge (description below).

The system is about to change. Starting on Jan. 1, all community contributors will be eligible for three potential identity badges. The new system's purpose is two-fold: It is designed to make it easier for readers to assess a given contributor's commitment to the site and coverage reliability, as well as show our appreciation for our most active and reliable contributors.

The new badge system will work as follows:

Tier 3: Verified Contributor

While we don’t require identity verification, we feel that owning your place in the community as well as your voice in our discussion is an important part of civic dialogue. We encourage anyone posting on the site to attend a workshop or set up an appointment with me, the community manager, to stop by the office and show your driver’s license, passport or other form of government-approved identification.

Tier 2: Top Contributor

Top Contributors are those verified individuals who post quality coverage on a monthly basis. They accept local story pitches from our Community Outreach Department, and all event reviews are accompanied by a preview. Top contributors frequently post community-themed pieces on local artists, businesses or neighborhood issues. They generate discussion amongst our readers that enriches our site and our city.

Tier 1: Elite Contributor

Elite Contributors are our soldiers on the street. They post multiple times per month and not only accept pitches from our Community Outreach Department, but regularly propose their own story ideas as well. Elite Contributors have their eyes on the community and their fingers on the pulse of our region. They don’t just generate discussion amongst our readers, they also engage in the comments section themselves, responding to questions and feedback to follow up on the issues they cover. Elite Contributors can be nominated by readers or other contributors by emailing feedback [at] sacramentopress.com. Editor Jared Goyette and I will assess nominations. Look forward to an upcoming announcement of The Sacramento Press’ Original Elites to be posted early in the new year.

Elite Contributors will be assessed quarterly and given seasonal merit badges that are visible upon viewing his or her profile (which will be permanent, as opposed to the identity badges which can be exchanged depending on the level of participation). This is to ensure that dedicated contributors are not forgotten if he or she falls off the radar for a month or two. Just because you were preoccupied over the summer does not mean we’ve do not still appreciate the hard work you put in during the months preceding.

We hope you’re as excited about these developments as we are. As always, we strongly encourage feedback, so questions, concerns and comments about the new system can be posted in the comments section or emailed to feedback [at] sacramentopress.com.

Bring it on, 2013!

Here they are: your Journalism Open 2013 judges

2012-12-31T21:34:24Z

The new year starts in less than 24 hours, and you know what that means – tomorrow we will start accepting submissions to our Journalism Open 2013.

We’ve shared some details with you, including the fact that we’ll be giving away over $1,500 worth of prizes. What we haven’t told you, however, is who exactly you are trying to impress. Our panel of judges includes one of our favorite reporters at The Sacramento Bee, a local historian, a poet (not just any poet, but the poet laureate of Sacramento), two of the city’s best independent bloggers, and to add some spice, a local chef and business owner.

Submissions will first be filtered by Community Manager Allison Joy and Editor Jared Goyette. After much contemplation and perhaps a little bit of darts, we’ll take the top 15 finalists and pass them off to our six guest judges who will have the final vote.

The judges

Isaac Gonzalez is a lifelong Sacramento resident and owner of the blog RanSACked Media. He writes on local government, history, community leaders, business, crime, infrastructure, schools and neighborhoods. He won the Journalism Open in 2011 and regularly gets scopes before the mainstream media. He’s also a prolific podcaster – you can listen to him on Forum, which focuses on neighborhoods, and Current, which dives deep into local politics.

There you have it – your Journalism Open 2013 judges – all of whom are eager to read what you have to say about the greater Sacramento region. So get writing! We hope to see you at our free info session on Jan. 3 (RSVP here) or our write-in on Jan. 16 (RSVP here).

Farewell 2012: Our top 12 articles of the year

2012-12-31T20:46:57Z

It’s been an eventful year here at The Sacramento Press. We said bittersweet farewells to some key staff members and welcomed new ones to the team. We will be sharing our New Year’s resolution with you later, but for now let’s take a look at what had readers clicking in 2012.

In case you missed anything, or if you’re just looking to take a trip down memory lane, here are 2012’s hottest items from The Sacramento Press:

12.) Broderick: stiff drinks, big portions coming to West Sacramento by Jared Goyette
In another food truck/concrete establishment match made in heaven, Chris Jarosz and Matt Chong from Whicked ‘wich food truck joined forces with Steve Hamm, Marvin Maldonado and Thaxter V. Arterberry to open Broderick’s in West Sacramento. Head over tonight for live music and free champagne. Five-dollar cover after 10 p.m.

11.) Zoellin to open Bacon and Butter in Midtown May 20 by Brandon Darnell
Former Golden Bear chef Billy Zoellin opened his own breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant on 21st Street. It’s closed for New Year’s, but stop in some Friday for all-you-can-eat flapjacks between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.

10.) Carmichael Dave: I’m coming back by Brandon Darnell
Radio-personality “Carmichael Dave” Weiglein pledges not to fade into obscurity after being fired from KHTK 1140 The Fan. You can now find him at The CD Networks.

9.) Pour House opened Friday in Midtown Sacramento [Photos] by Jared Goyette
Pour House put taps at their tables and opened its doors to offer a “Prohibition-era speakeasy” vibe. Head over tonight for cocktails and The Golden Cadillacs. No cover!

8.) Invisible Children: KONY 2012 by Rachel Aquino
If you didn’t know who Joseph Kony was in 2011, you probably do by now. The Ugandan warlord is now famous for his brutal tactics which, among other atrocities, target children. Rachel Aquino’s article about local opportunities to engage in the movement to hold Kony accountable had everyone clicking.

7.) "The Grey" - Part 2: Interview by Tony Sheppard
MovieBriefs columnist Tony Sheppard complemented his film review of “The Grey” with an interview with actor Frank Grillo as well as director and Sacramento native Joe Carnahan.

6.) Baroque Philharmonia: A softer side of the Mondavi Center by Chad Avakian
Contributor Chad Avakian attended a symphony performance by the Philharmonia Baroque at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. While Avakian gave the ensemble a rave review, The Sacramento Press found itself in want of a classical music expert, and musical baroque masters nationwide voiced their disappointment.

5.) Jimmer Fredette capitalizing on limited playing time by Chris McClain
Kings contributor Chris McClain hit a nerve when he opened a debate on the fate of “Jimmermania.” Fans across the board debated Fredette’s value to the Kings and how head coach Keith Smart utilized (or did not utilize) him on the court.

4.) A look at Purgatory, the grid’s newest restaurant-lounge by Melissa Corker
Corker previewed a new restaurant-by-day, dance-club-by-night establishment which sought to provide a spot for sinners to mingle with saints. No info on how things are going thus far. Update us if you have the scoop.

3.) New Orleans fare coming to Broadway by Brandon Darnell
New Orleans native Eric Crawford brought some of the bayou to Sacramento when he opened Original PoBoys with his family at Broadway and Alhambra. Almost a year out they are still satisfying residents’ cajun cravings.

2.) The Hobbit - Frame rates, 3D/2D, and second thoughts by Tony Sheppard
Columnist Tony Sheppard makes the list again with his detailed review of one of 2012’s most anticipated films. His review was accented not only by detailed technical analyzation but also by his commentary on how well the popular novel transferred to the big screen.

And the No. 1 read article on The Sacramento Press from 2012 is:

1.) Local Man Fired for Feeding Cats by Heather Ireland
Ireland pulled heartstrings and invoked strong reactions from readers on both sides of the issue when she chronicled Larry Ottoviani’s story. Ottoviani was fired from 7UP Bottling Company after seven years of employment. His crime? Feeding feral cats. Ottoviani and his employers disagreed as to whether he was tending to the strays on company time and property.

There you have it – our year at a glance. Thank you to all of our readers, writers and those who stick strictly to the commentariat. You are truly what makes our site, and each day at the office, great.

Top Five Fridays: Theater fundraiser, mall brawl & Louis C.K.

2012-12-28T19:12:39Z

Fasten your seatbelts – it's time for the final Top Five Fridays of the year. So who's popular this week?

Barry Wisdom hit it big, making the list both with his piece on Big Idea Theatre's post-theft fundraiser as well as his review of Pamela Hayes' "The Nutcracker." However it was Wednesday's mall brawl, courtesy of local youth, that topped off the week.

Community Contribution:
5.) Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet Theatre to present fun, frothy, fantastical 'Nutcracker' by Barry Wisdom
4.) A wild shoot-out at Sleep Train Arena by Fredric Hayward, photos by Ron Nabity
3.) New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular in Old Sac by Traci Rockefeller Cusack
2.) Comic Louis C.K. coming to Sacramento by Jim Carnes
1.) Big Idea Theatre staff hopes to offset theft with holiday fundraiser by Barry Wisdom

Overall:
5.) Lowbrau to open with New Year's Eve show featuring St. Lucia by Jared Goyette
4.) Women beware – Pedaling purse snatchers hit Midtown by Karen Wilkinson
3.) UPDATE: Elderly man struck by light rail train Friday pronounced dead at hospital by SacramentoPress Staff (paid staff collaborative effort)
2.) Sacramento police officer arrested for rape of elderly woman by Karen Wilkinson
1.) UPDATE: Three teens arrested after mass brawl in the Arden Fair Mall food court by Jared Goyette

Top Five Fridays: The Hobbit, more Fab 40s, and a Facebook fail

2012-12-21T21:10:52Z

Check it out – The hottest content of the week on The Sacramento Press. Who made the list?

Tony Sheppard struck gold with The Hobbit, Kupros Bistro's social media gaffe created quite a stir, and photos of the Fab Forties are always a hit. Writer Mary Nares and photographer Kati Garner prove to be quite a team – this is the third consecutive week they've made the list.

Community Contribution:
5.) Arts Grown Locally: the arts flourishing in Yolo County by Rik Keller (& Natalie Nelson)
4.) Humor, fresh faces to distinguish Pamela Hayes' 'Nutcracker' by Barry Wisdom
3.) Master Singers' Celtic Christmas is a joy by Mary Nares, photos by Kati Garner
2.) Fab '40s Christmas Lights 2012 - Part 1 [Photos] by Kati Garner

And the number one community contributor article of the week is:
1.) The Hobbit - Frame rates, 3D/2D, and second thoughts by Tony Sheppard

Overall:
5.) This trip wasn't to Disneyland: Lisa Serna-Mayorga arrested by Karen Wilkinson
4.) Men walk downtown streets with shotguns to protest gun control by Jared Goyette
3.) Fab '40s Christmas Lights 2012 - Part 1 [Photos] by Kati Garner
2.) Facebook fail? Kupros Bistro fights discrimination accusations online by Karen Wilkinson
1.) The Hobbit - Frame rates, 3D/2D, and second thoughts by Tony Sheppard

Amidst the drizzle: double rainbow photos

2012-12-21T17:34:39Z

View the story "Double Rainbow in Sacramento " on StorifyDouble Rainbow in Sacramento Pro-am photogs about the city snapped shots of an early morning double rainbow. Storified by The Sacramento Press· Fri, Dec 21 2012 09:42:32

The weather may feel a little bah humbug on the cusp of this pre-holiday weekend, but the sun did peak through long enough this morning, giving everyone reason to take out their phones or cameras and start snapping.

Here are some Storified shots of today's double rainbow.

Happy Friday, happy holidays and happy puddle jumping!

Double rainbowxlillou777x Photo by Karen WilkinsonThe Sacramento Press On the day of the #endoftheworld I wake up to fire red sky's and double rainbows. I see today as the dawn of a new Era.alopezbl Blessed that the world didnt end! Instead i woke up to the prettiest full rainbow i ever saw. I wish i had a panoramic camera! #rainbow #friday #goodmorning #blessednataliaveronica Photo by Karen WilkinsonThe Sacramento Press All the wayadrienne2850 Photo by Kati GarnerThe Sacramento Press The sky this morning, taken at almost the same time just facing a different direction! So gorgeous!#sky #beautiful #endoftheworld #rainbow #naturefarrenjanel #picstitch #crazy #sky #sunrise #dawn #apocalypse #endoftheworld #rainbow #doublerainbow #eastsac #scary #beautifulheyamanduhh Photo by kellybellc * Instagramkellybellc

How and what to submit to the Journalism Open

2012-12-18T19:57:55Z

The holidays are almost here, which means it’s almost time to start taking submissions for the Journalism Open 2013. Below you’ll find how to post, what to post and how to monitor submissions.

We will also hold a workshop on Jan. 3 at our office where we’ll talk about the criteria, what you need to do to win, and you can ask further questions. This will be held at The Sacramento Press office at 431 I Street, Suite 107. Please RSVP here. We will hold a second write-in on Jan. 16, also at the office, during which you can work on your submission and ask Jared or myself for feedback. RSVP here.

Writers can submit their entries simply by tagging their articles “open2013.” You can confirm your submission has been received by clicking “Journalism Open” from our front page and locating your article in the feed at the bottom of the page. You may enter as many different stories as you like, but please post each story only once. Stories and photos posted on the site prior to Jan. 1, 2013 or after Jan. 31, 2013 will not be eligible to win. There is no charge to enter.

Photographers can submit photos via Twitter, Instagram or Flickr. With Flickr, add the tag “SPopen2013.” Include your name and brief description in the photo caption. For Instagram and Twitter, use the hashtag “#SPopen2013” and include your name and brief description in the comment or tweet. We will have a Storify, which will display all submitted photos, on the Journalism Open page. This will enable readers to see all entries in one place. Please check back 24 hours after submission to ensure your entry has been received. Photo submissions will be judged by myself, the community manager and Jared Goyette, our editor-in-chief.

On Feb. 1 the ten articles with the most views will be selected as “People’s Choice” finalists and posted to the site. You will be able to view the top ten and vote for your favorite until Feb. 10 at midnight.

First, second and third prizes, as well as the category prizes, will be determined by Jared and myself in collaboration with panel of community judges who we’ll be announcing soon. Jared and I will select the top 15 articles which will then be handed off to our guest judges.

Winners will be announced on Feb. 11. Details to follow.

CRITERIA FOR JUDGING

Accuracy: Facts, spelling and quotes should be correct. Double-check everything and use your computer’s spell check. You may also submit articles to be copy edited to journalism@sacramentopress.com
Writing style: Writing should be clear, concise and enjoyable.
Local focus: Stories should be set in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer or El Dorado counties.
Sourcing: Include a minimum of two living, breathing sources in your story. Quotes from people who know what you’re writing about will always enliven and improve your story. Aim to reference authoritative sources and include different perspectives.
Impact: We will assess how well the story is able to draw attention to a previously overlooked or under-publicized issue, and the piece’s potential to bring lasting changes to the community
Engagement: Your story will also be judged on how actively readers engage in conversation via comments on The Sacramento Press as well as how it is received on social media outlets.
Mostly though, we’ll judge entries based on how interesting they are, their value to the community, how well-researched they are, the quality of the writing and the quotes.
Stories can be any length, but they must be original nonfiction about the Sacramento area. You can repost content from your blog, etc., but keep in mind that timeliness and exclusive content may be a factor in judging.
Photographs will be judged on the story they capture, difficulty level and the ever-elusive “wow” factor. Photos should only be edited so that they can better reflect what was seen with the naked eye (don’t get crazy with Photoshop and certainly no Instagram filters).

RULES

To be eligible, stories must be posted on the site, by you (using your real name), between 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2013 and 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2013. We will be able to help you post either over the phone or in our office. Appointments must be made for in-office help. Contact support@sacramentopress.com to arrange an appointment.

You must live or work in one of our four home counties listed above, and be at least 18 years of age. High school students under the age of 18 can enter if they have a parental consent form. Parental consent forms must be signed in person by a parent or legal guardian of the minor entering an article. To arrange for this, please email support@sacramentopress.com. You must be 14 years of age or older to publish an article on The Sacramento Press and to enter the Journalism Open.

Now, let’s get writing! Leave any questions in the comments section, and we hope to see you at our office on Jan. 3.

Editor’s note: Join The Sacramento Press on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Chops Steakhouse to honor Journalism Open winners. Get tickets!

What's With That: Meggings to take Sacto by storm?

2012-12-18T19:12:07Z

Gentlemen, have you ever found yourselves watching a period film, King Lear perhaps, and thought, “Damn, I wish I could get away with those tights?”

Well apparently now is your chance, so you’d better strike while the iron is hot. The Guardian reports that Uniqlo and Nordstrom are stocking up on “meggings,” the hottest new male trend since Joey Buttafuoco pants. Just in time for Christmas, too, for the special Steve Tyler-wannabe man in your life who already has everything.

“Leggings are comfortable, affordable and easy to style – three main pointers to a hot-ticket item,” said August Larson, a Sacramento native and denim craftsman who specializes in artisan materials and tailoring methods. “In the men’s demographic, I’d say very few would wear ‘meggings.’ Sure, they’d be stylish, but I feel the average male would stick to a pair of jeans rather than polyester tights. I prefer wearing a durable fabric that I know can withstand a workweek.”

Lauren of Swanbergs on J said, “I’m an expert on Hawaiian shirts. These meggings are OK for Mick Jagger, but not for the Sacramento crowd. A guy would need to be lean and hung to pull it off.”

“Interesting!” said Elizabeth Sweet, a doctoral candidate in sociology at UC Davis and expert on gender branding. “Certainly points out how certain styles of clothing are gendered beyond function. Historically, many men wore tights, so the idea that tights or leggings are strictly for women is a relatively recent one. But I would imagine, given their current association with femininity, that these ‘meggings’ won’t gain a wide appeal. I can see them gaining cache amongst groups (like hipsters) who sometimes challenge traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity through dress. But the next big trend? I doubt it.”

Angelo, a local employee for a high end men’s clothier, had this to say: “When I was younger we used to call those ball huggers. I remember that Mick Jagger wore, not what they called meggings, but tight pants. So they aren’t anything new – it’s just a circle of fashion. They’re being rebranded because society is changing. It’s OK for a man to look more feminine and people are accepting of it. I wouldn’t wear them. I don’t want the women to be confused.”

It seems the pants don’t leave much to the imagination, to say the least. I did once date a guy who could wear my pants, leggings included, and it’s not something I’m too intent on revisiting. That being said, to those who have the, umm, guts to sport meggings, I say go forth and good luck! Also, consider pairing them with boots and a wool sweater. It’s chilly out, ya know?

Top Five Fridays: New Helvetia, Fab Forties, and 'The Nutcracker'

2012-12-14T21:57:19Z

It's that time again. Who made the cut?

Community Contribution:
5.) Galena Street East's 'Holiday Tapestry' is youthful homage to Welk, Williams by Barry Wisdom
4.) County Animal Shelter mourns loss of beloved veteran Animal Control Officer by Chris Andis
3.) Fab Forties Christmas Lights by Kati Garner (Kati Garner's beautiful Fab Forties photos were so widely searched that the piece, originally posted in 2010, was reposted to our front page. Now that's what I call staying power.)
2.) SCSO comes home for the holidays by Mary Nares, photos by Kati Garner

And the number one most-viewed piece written by a contributor is...

1.) 'The Nutcracker' takes a flight of fantasy by Jim Carnes, photos by Barry Wisdom

Overall:
5.) Comedian Katt Williams arrested for Sacramento charges by Jared Goyette
4.) More local coffee flavor coming to East Sac by Karen Wilkinson
3.) 'The Nutcracker' takes a flight of fantasy by Jim Carnes, photos by Barry Wisdom
2.) No vacancy – Clarion Hotel to shut off lights for good by Karen Wilkinson
1.) Now open – New Helvetia Brewery on Broadway by Karen Wilkinson

Top Five Fridays will provide a brief countdown of the week's most popular content overall, as well as our top-performing community contributors of the past seven days. These weekly lists allow us to give credit where credit is due, as well as keep you clued into some great info you may have missed during the weekly grind.

Let us keep you in the loop: Sign up for our newsletters

2012-12-12T21:58:22Z

Did you know The Sacramento Press has five separate newsletters? We know you receive numerous emails every week, and the last thing we want to do is send you anything you won’t read. However, we work hard to send out quality content that we really think you will love.

Here's a bit more on what we have to offer:

Sacramento Beer Writer
The Sacramento Press now has a column entirely and completely devoted to the booming craft beer scene. Sacramento Beer Writer pieces will examine the craft brewing industry, feature local breweries and their taps, and even provide wisdom for those interested in homebrewing. We will also keep tabs on the great events and festivals that take place in the area in honor of beer.

News Digest
We know that you might not have time to check the site every day, but want to be sure you’re still “in the know.” Every Tuesday we highlight our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Click on story snippets to catch up on what you missed!

Go. See. Do.
With so many exciting events taking place in Sacramento each week, narrowing down the options can be a daunting task. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right in time to make your weekend plans.

Workshops
As a citizen journalist, we want to be sure you have all the tools you need to report on your neighborhoods. That’s why we host regular workshops covering a variety of journalism topics. Sign up for this list to receive invites first!

Sacto Politico
This weekly political newsletter will include a summary of the week's political news affecting the capital city, with links to all the interesting, must-read stories from newspapers, magazines and blogs, along with extra analysis and reporting from Sac Press staff.

The Insider
Highlighting updates in digital advertising, online marketing and social media strategies, The Insider aims to provide solutions for the local business owner. Once a month, subscribers will receive an exclusive peek into the digital media industry.

Deck the halls of The Sacramento Press

2012-12-10T17:28:13Z

By now most of us have had plenty of time to recover from the turkey and stuffing coma courtesy of Thanksgiving, climb a ladder and deck our halls with lights, holly, plastic snowmen or whatever happens to suit your fancy.

From the Fab 40s to Midtown, Old Sacramento, Roseville to Davis and back again – even your own backyard might be bursting with holiday spirit.

The Sacramento Press wants in on some of that action. We've got the office decorated, and now we need all of our readers to help us get our site up to par.

Snap some shots of your local lights and and post them on the contest site here. You can also enter via twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #SPlights. After submitting, don't forget to check back and vote!

The photo with the most votes will earn its shooter two free tickets to "Spiritual Journeys", put on by the Camellia Symphony Orchestra at the Sacramento City College Performing Arts Center on Feb. 9 of next year.

Get snapping – you know Santa’s watching!

Editor's Note: Holiday photos lacking lights will not be disqualified.

Top Five Fridays: Prop 8, running in the rain, and soccer mania

2012-12-07T18:26:50Z

Happy Friday, readers! We are trying something a little different this week, and hopefully each week going forward.

To clarify, the top two most viewed pieces are number one on the list.

Without further ado, I present to you the Top Five for the week of Nov. 30 - Dec. 7:

Community Contribution top content:
5.) California International Marathon (CIM) : Photos by Mike Ibe
4.) Sac State's 'Robin Hood': Its aim is true by Barry Wisdom
3.) California same-sex couples on high alert once again by Ken Pierce
2.) SGMC concert Lights your World by Mary Nares, photos by Kati Garner
1.) Vigil to be held for Prop 8 by Ken Pierce, photos by Kati Garner

Overall top content:
5.) SGMC concert Lights your World by Mary Nares, photos by Kati Garner
4.) Vigil to be held for Prop 8 by Ken Pierce, photos by Kati Garner
3.) Megabus: 'We're not your grandfather's bus company' by Karen Wilkinson
2.) Revenge porn: made in Sacramento? by R.V. Scheide
1.) Pro soccer team coming to Sacramento by Jared Goyette

Check back next Friday morning to see more pieces that had us all clicking.

The Found Footage Festival brings laughs and 'The Sexy Treadmill Workout'

2012-12-05T19:52:53Z

What do ferret care, yo-yo pranks and an angry Winnebago salesman have in common?

They have all been part of The Found Footage Festival, a unique blend of media mayhem and stand-up comedy that features quirky video clips complemented by witty commentary courtesy of hosts Nick Pruehner and Joe Pickett.

Movies on a Big Screen (MOBS) is partnering up with Sacramento State’s Hornet Film Society to host the festival in what is certain to be a laugh-out-loud sort of night at The Hinde Auditorium on Thursday, Dec 13 at 7 p.m.

Pruehner and Pickett got their start in Wisconsin back in 1991 after stumbling upon a discarded McDonald’s training video entitled “Inside and Outside Custodial Duties.” Since then they’ve pilfered through piles of videos at thrift stores, garage sales, in warehouses and wherever else one discards their unintentionally hilarious footage.

This may not be the pair’s first stop in Sacramento, but they’ve got fresh new content in tow. New clips featured in this year’s program include but are not limited to:

- “Hand Made Love” out of Vancouver
- Footage of a woman so stoked on craft sponging that she “borders on psychotic”
- “The Sexy Treadmill Workout”

You had me at “craft sponging.” Buy your tickets here, and click quickly – these two know how to fill a room.

Movember: The votes have been tallied

2012-12-04T01:11:39Z

The votes are in!

Well, what did you think this was, the D4 (or D2) City Council race?

Even though Movember is over, we still have movie tickets to dole out. Last week we asked all our local Mo Bros and Mo Gals, who had been sporting mustaches to foster awareness and raise funds for men's health, to send in their photos. Then we asked readers to vote on which Sacramentan had the most styling 'stache and so deserved two free movie tickets for his (or her) efforts.

Congratulations to our Movember winners!

In third place we have a tie:

Congratulations to Chris Ryan, founding partner of Insight Coffee Roasters, and Rylan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee.

In second place:

Community contributor and man behind local podcast "No Nipples on the Suit" Johnny FLores took home 11 percent of the vote.

And in first place...

Nicely done Adrian Engel of Sacramento, who took home a whopping 45 percent of the vote!

A huge thank you to all of our Mo Bros and Mo Sisters – well grown, everyone! Also a big thanks to Esquire IMAX Theatre who provided the two tickets and free popcorn each of these gentleman will be taking home.

Winners can contact yours truly at support [at] sacramentopress.com to retrieve your winnings. See those 'staches next year, right?

Behold, Sacramento's stylin' 'staches

2012-11-30T19:28:22Z

All right, so check it out.

Tomorrow is December 1, which means that Movember will officially come to a close. For the past month men (and women) around the globe have been sporting mustaches to promote and raise funds for men's health issues.

As Dr. Eandi told us earlier this month, one of the greatest contributors to diseases like prostate and testicular cancer is an aversion to seeing the doctor. All right then, boys – hopefully for at least the next few months you won't be able to see a 'stache without reflexively reaching for the phone to schedule a checkup.

Insight Coffee Roasters will host their Movember Finale on location tomorrow at noon. Come on down for one last Movember celebration, and a complimentary shave provided the weather doesn't scare their barber off.

Yesterday we asked readers to vote in our Sac Press mustache contest. The ballot had Accounts Manager Randy Balzarano up against Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette.

After a tight race during which both candidates had multiple moments to enjoy a lead, Balzarano ended up taking home a whopping 68 percent of the votes. Congratulations, Randy. Jared, we'll see your mustache next week.

But that's not all. We also have a great group of of 'stache-sporters throughout our community. They've submitted their photos to The Sacramento Press for your critique. Cast your vote for the best mustache, and the top three winners will take home two free movie tickets and free popcorn courtesty of Esquire IMAX Theatre.

You can find our Movember photo album on our Facebook page here.

Tell me, readers: Which Sacramento 'stache is the most stylish?

The atmospheric river: How we fared

2012-11-29T00:06:06Z

Dec. 2, 9:15 p.m.: Be careful what you wish for. After days of hearing what havoc the atmospheric river would wreak, late last night and early this morning finally yielded some real results. Heavy rain accompanied by high winds caused flooding into today. The California International Marathon brought runners braving the elements while leaving drivers with fewer alternatives to avoid standing water in local streets.

Dec. 1, 8:16 p.m.: What at anticlimatic day. Drizzle, drizzle, drizzle, for the most part. Allegedly the worst should hit around 11 p.m. tonight. I'll believe it when the real rain starts – or after a tree branch crashes through my window. Whichever comes first.

Here is what The Weather Channel has to say (it's all in caps, so you know this is serious).

Nov. 30, 4:06 p.m.: Well how did we all fare on Day 2 of "the storm that almost"? I definitely saw some dicy driving conditions on my commute today, and even the trip next door for my morning cup of coffee was a little more intense than I typically prefer.

That being said, from what I hear the real fun is yet to come. Let's hope these extreme flood warnings end up being precautionary rather than reality.

Nov. 29, afternoon: There have yet to be any reports of citizens drowning in the atmospheric river we've heard so much about. In fact, the sun was shining as I entered the office this afternoon.

However, that's not to say that "the storm that hasn't, yet" didn't provide a few photo ops.

My most recent research/visit to weather.com states that the real deluge won't start until Saturday. It's (possibly) time to stock up on canned goods and galoshes, Sacramento.

Write your storm tips in the comments section! If you catch photos, post them to our Facebook page or mention us on Twitter with @sacramentopress. You can also email photos (including your photo credit) to journalism@sacramentopress.com

Sac Press mustache madness – We need your vote!

2012-11-28T19:58:45Z

Movember, the annual mustache growing charity event to promote awareness of prostate cancer, is coming to a close. Soon it will be time for men across the globe to to sharpen those razors and shed the lip sweaters they've spent the month so fondly grooming.

But not quite yet.

Voting starts today in the face-off between Sac Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette and Accounts Manager Randy Balzarano. The gentleman with the least amount of votes will proudly sport his 'stache into mid-December.

Got your own mustache? Post a photo to our Facebook page showcasing your crumb catcher, or email a pic to journalism@sacramentopress.com with your first name and general locale. We'll put it to a vote Thursday the 29th, and the top three mustaches will take home two free move tickets and free popcorn courtesy of Esquire IMAX Theatre.

All right, let's get to it. For the past month Goyette and Balzarano have grown and combed meticulously to go from this:

to this:

Let's hear it, readers – who's got the best 'stache? Cast your vote

Mustache Team 5000 on how to rock Movember

2012-11-21T19:25:47Z

We’re halfway through the month, Sacramento. How’s that ‘stache looking?

Nick Leonti is the leader of Sacramento’s own Mustache Team 5000 and an avid Movember advocate. He and his teammates kicked off Movember with a mass shave, courtesy of fellow Movember supporter Jason Iverson of Barber Blues. Throughout the month Jason and his crew have and will continue to donate the price of any shave or haircut to the Movember cause -- just stop by Barber Blues at 625 14th Street and say the word.

Leotoni’s team is one of thousands around the globe preening mustaches for a higher cause -- raising awareness and funds for men’s health issues, such as prostate and testicular cancer.

He was kind enough to share his own Movember story with The Sacramento Press via email.

SP: How many years have you been doing Movember, and what motivated you to participate?
NL: This is my third year leading a team. At first, it was just a great excuse to finally grow a mustache, but it's definitely deeper than that. I know this may come as a surprise, but we men are pretty awful about going to the doctor. And, of course, we've all been affected -- on some level -- by cancer and other men’s health issues -- whether it was ourselves, a family member, friend or whoever. Movember raises funds and awareness for men’s health issues, and I use it as a reminder to myself that I should probably make a doctor's appointment. We all should.

I think men avoid the doctor because we hate waiting around the doctor's office with a bunch of sick people reading a heavily worn issue of Sports Illustrated. We also hate the part where the doctor tells us we're fat and need to exercise more. I think we always just kind of assume that what we don't know won't hurt us. Turns out it does. So even though, in a lot of ways, a trip to the doctor is a total nightmare, we need to suck it up and go. To me, that's what Movember is all about and why I'm growing this ridiculous thing on my lip.

SP: Tell me about your team.
NL: I think we're up to like 32 guys. Pretty impressive. My team, Mustache Squad 5000, doesn't have any formal connection between its members. Mostly it's just a bunch of guys I know -- some through work, some through school, some from who-knows-where? We aren't all in Sacramento either. We have a couple fellas up in Tahoe, one in Arkansas and we recently expanded into Bakersfield. So we pretty much have all the major cities covered....

Last year we were known as Mustache Squad 2000 because our fundraising goal was $2,000. We ended up blowing that out of water because of our general likability and dashing good looks. So this year we stepped it up to Mustache Squad 5000 and we're already well on way to reaching our goal.

SP: What kind of response do you see in Sacramento for Movember?
NL: Sacramento is a good Movember town for sure. People here love a mustache. We've gotten great support from the community. Good Day Sacramento put us on TV. Jason over at Barber Blues barber shop taught us how to shave properly. Athletics Unlimited is stepping up to get us official team T-shirts. And Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co. is hosting our end of month Mustache Party.

SP: Anything else you’d like to say to Sacramento?
NL: Go see the doctor and support your local mustache.

Don’t forget to post your own mustache photos to The Sacramento Press’s Facebook page, or tweet us with the hashtag #sacpressstache. Look for our photo gallery at the beginning of next month to vote on which Mo Bro deserves free IMAX tickets courtesy of Esquire IMAX Theater.

You can donate to Nick Leonti and his sexy ‘stached crew here.

Racing for a Reason: Delia Estrada

2012-11-19T19:07:21Z

Lace up, Sacramento – we’re only days away from turkey, stuffing, and the 19th annual Run to Feed the Hungry.

This 5k and 10k walk/run is not only a local Thanksgiving tradition, but it also benefits Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, an organization integral to the service of Sacramento’s less fortunate – particularly during the holiday season. So break out those sneakers and on Nov. 22 join roughly 30,000 of your closest friends, relatives and acquaintances at the starting line on 6000 J Street.

Until then we’ll be rallying past and present runners to sit down and share their stories with The Sacramento Press, to tell us their personal reasons for racing.

There is still plenty of time to register to participate, and if you (like myself) do not consider yourself so much the running type, why not sign up to help with crowd control, at water stations, or cleanup and course monitoring? Every little bit helps!

Without further ado I’d like to introduce you all to Delia Estrada:

Occupation: Community Benefit at Sutter Health (we work to improve the health of the communities we serve, outside of the walls of our hospital facilities)

SP: How many years have you been doing the run?
DE: Run to Feed the Hungry was my first 5k ever - literally my first rodeo into the world of organized run/walks. I've been a Sacramento resident for almost a decade and I finally took the plunge! Now I know what 25,000+ people are talking about every year when they say how much fun they had on Thanksgiving.

SP: How many people do you run or walk with?
DE: I did the event with my friend, Amber Davidson. She and I both were newbies!

SP: Do you run or walk outside the event?
DE: I do now. Since doing the run last year, I have joined a few training groups (Fleet Feet's No Boundaries programs) and I credit RTFTH for motivating me to make some positive changes in my life.

SP: What motivates you to be part of this cause?
DE: I wanted to do something healthy on Thanksgiving and thought RTFTH was the perfect way to justify that extra slice of pumpkin pie I knew I would indulge in later in the day! I also like knowing that the funds I help raise goes to support all the wonderful services that the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services provides for our community. It truly is the best of both worlds.

SP: What is your favorite thing about Run to Feed the Hungry?
DE: Compared to the other events I've done, Run to Feed the Hungry is by far the most fun! I'm a big fan of live music and RTFTH offers plenty of entertainment along the course. You definitely don't have to worry about bringing your iPod and headphones when you do this race. There's just too much to see and enjoy than worry about your playlist.The people-watching is on hit!

SP: Do you have a favorite T-shirt design from over the years?
DE: I only have 1 shirt to pick from (2011's) and I love it! I wear it all the time. Black is very slimming, ladies.

SP: If you could make one wish this Thanksgiving, what would it be?
DE: First, I'd wish for two wishes. One wish: to have an entire week off work to prepare for the holiday. I love to cook, but I love to prep even more. Second wish: I would do anything to have two of every major appliance in my house, including an extra oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave (to heat up lots of leftovers)!

SP: What are you most thankful for this year?
DE: I have a lot to be thankful for, especially on this particular Thanksgiving. My parents are traveling to the Philippines (where my mom was born) so this is the last little "hurrah" with our family before they bounce. And it's my dad's birthday. So I guess I'm most thankful for the time that I still get to have with my parents, most of all.

Want more? Visit our site for Run to Feed the Hungry 2012 or check out SFBFS's Facebook page.

Cyclist memorialized on Stockton Boulevard

2012-11-16T19:35:24Z

A riderless 'ghost bike' sits chained to a telephone pole off of Stockton Boulevard and Lawrence Drive in memoriam of a cyclist killed near the interesection on Nov. 11.

The driver of a the white pickup truck that struck and killed 61-year-old Molly Arndt in a hit-and-run last Sunday remains at large.

The accident follows the approval of the Freeport Boulevard Bike Lane Project, and has sparked further discussion regarding potential improvements to ensure the safety of local cyclists.

Local baking talent competes nationally

2012-11-14T19:51:01Z

Stephanie Nuccitelli’s knack for culinary detail has landed her in the national spotlight. With her Mini Salted Caramel Mocha Cheesecakes, she is one of three finalists in Crock-Pot’s search for the Ultimate Crock-Star. If chosen, Nuccitelli will be flown to New York City to film an episode the Cooking Channel’s “From the Kitchens of...”

Nuccitelli grew up in Davis, where she received her bachelor’s degree in both child development and psychology before relocating to Sacramento. She recently spoke with The Sacramento Press about the competition and her love for baked goods.

SP: So tell me about this contest.
SN: Crock-Pot is trying to find a slow cooker enthusiast who creates unique and unexpected original slow cooker recipes. They narrowed down all the submissions and picked their favorite three based on originality, creativity and overall appeal. The public is choosing the winner by voting over the next two weeks.

SP: How long have you been baking, and how did you start?
SN: I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my dad would bake cookies a lot of weekends and I’d help him. One year I remember getting a cookbook for kids and trying out new recipes. I just kept going and trying harder recipes as I got older. Since I started blogging three years ago, I bake very often and have honed my skills. I’m self-taught, but I have enough experience that I can spot recipes that won’t work and successfully tackle new recipes.

SP: Where does your passion for cupcakes come from?
SN: I started baking cupcakes a few years ago and just fell in love with them. What’s not to like? They’re cute, delicious and the perfect individual size. You can easily customize them with different cupcake wrappers, and they’re fun and easy to decorate. I’m a sucker for any cute, miniature desserts, and cupcakes fit the bill perfectly.

SP: Tell me about your entry.
SN: I wanted to make a dessert, both because that’s my area of expertise and it’s not what you’d expect in a slow cooker contest. Lots of people have made cheesecakes in slow cookers, so I gave them my own spin by adding a unique flavor and cooking them in little Mason jars. I brainstormed flavor ideas, trying to think of something that was original, creative and the most appealing, and eventually came up with salted caramel mocha. Salted caramel is a hugely popular flavor, and by adding in elements of chocolate and coffee, I thought they would be a big hit. Little did I know they would actually end up being my boyfriend’s favorite dessert out of all the hundreds of desserts I’ve made over the years!

SP: Where do you hope to take your craft? What’s the “big dream”?
SN: I love baking and coming up with creative and beautiful desserts. I’d love to continue creating and developing recipes, whether for my blog, brands, or for a cookbook.

Voting for the Ultimate Crock-Star runs through Nov. 25. Click here to view all three finalists, and help send our local girl to NYC! You can also find Nuccitelli on her blog, 52 Kitchen Adventures.

Insight Coffee gets its Movember on: One brother’s story

2012-11-13T20:10:21Z

Hey Sacramento, how’s that ‘stache coming?

If what’s happening around our office is any indication, you’ve got a caterpillar with alopecia crawling above your upper lip.

In addition to Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette squaring off with Accounts Manager Randy Balzarano, there is a diverse array of Sacramentans sporting mustaches in honor of Movember, including the crew from Insight Coffee Roasters.

Insight Coffee Roasters opened its doors in December of 2011 on the corner of Eighth and S streets with the mission to “provide outstanding coffee products, knowledge and techniques through engaging and sustainable practices.”

You can get in on the action by attending one of their weekly Movember events. Insight Coffee Roasters will host Movember Week 4 on Nov. 21st at 5 p.m., Movember Week 5 on Nov. 29th at 5 p.m., and their Movember Finale on Dec. 2st at noon.

These guys are super into mustaches right now. Founding partner Chris Ryan elaborates:

SP: Tell me about Movember.
CR: Movember is a very personal cause for our family here at Insight. One of our founding investor partners, Mike Ryan (my younger brother) was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the spring of 2011 at the age of 30. This was one month after company formation and one week after the birth of his first child, Logan.

He was fortunate to get scheduled for surgery in Minneapolis quickly after the diagnosis . However, he was unfortunate to learn from pathology a few days later that he had “the bad kind” of testicular cancer, which is highly likely to return without further intervention. Given his status, he opted for a second surgery that was much more invasive at Mayo Clinic, being opened up from sternum to pelvis to remove more tissue and lymph nodes to prevent reoccurrence. Pathology delivered a more positive (prognosis) the second time around in the midst of his long recovery, declaring him cancer-free.

Mike was fortunate to end with a positive outcome, but it wasn’t without times of extreme uncertainty, and it will require a lifetime of vigilance to continue testing, which currently occurs every three months. It was a difficult time for our family, yet it is sad to think of many others whose encounter with cancer has a much worse outcome. Given that many cancers are treatable when detected early, it is great to be able to raise awareness for men to get checked out at various stages in life.

SP: Tell me about your Movember team.
CR: We have 10-plus people on our Movember team and countless others supporting Mo’s and our events. Primary people on our team include:

Lucky Rodrigues – founding partner and coffee roaster extraordinaire. Lucky is a major supporter of men’s health and proudly rocks the beard all year long.
Chris Ryan (myself) – founding partner
Mike Ryan – founding partner and cancer survivor
Luke Rasmussen – our brother-in-law and key sponsor to Movember at Insight
Mike Laudicina – Cafe manager and the face of Insight, serving great coffee daily to our loyal patrons. Mike has one of the best mustaches to date, raising maximum awareness to all.
Patrons – we have many other faithful patrons on our team growing the Mo for Movember and many others who support the Mo all year long. We are very thankful to have the best customers in the world.

SP: What kind of upcoming events have you done or will you host for Movember?
CR: We are hosting a Movember party every Thursday in November with live music, food, coffee and fun. Thanksgiving week will be on Wednesday, plus a grand finale on Saturday, Dec. 1 to remove the Mo with the help of a local barber.

You can also look forward to seeing the Insight Coffee Roaster Mo Team’s ‘staches on The Sacramento Press at the end of the month. To donate to the team or learn more about its members, visit the donation page here. You can also find further details regarding Insight’s Movember events on the Facebook page.

Just a reminder that The Sacramento Press will be awarding the top three mustaches with two free movie tickets and free popcorn courtesy of Esquire IMAX Theater. To participate, simply post your awesome mustache to our Facebook wall, or tweet it to us with the hashtag #sacpressstache.

Keep it up, Mo Bros!

Editor's note: Chris's first and second answers have been modified for accuracy per his request.

Racing for a Reason: Laura Mason-Smith

2012-11-12T21:17:25Z

Lace up, Sacramento – we’re only weeks away from turkey, stuffing, and the 19th annual Run to Feed the Hungry.

Until then we’ll be rallying past and present runners to sit down and share their stories with The Sacramento Press, to tell us their personal reasons for racing.

Without further ado I’d like to introduce you all to Laura Mason-Smith:

Occupation: management consultant

SP: How many years have you been doing the run?
LMS: Our group of family and friends have been doing the race for about 15 years.

SP: How many people do you run or walk with?
LMS: Our group usually includes about 20-30 family and friends. Our kids, friends' kids, nieces, and nephews have grown up walking the RTFH, and we have so many great memories of doing this together. Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without starting the day with the RTFH.

SP: Do you run or walk outside the event?
LMS: I used to run a lot, but now I'm a walk-a-holic and walk every day
with my dog and also love to hike and walk with family and friends on the
weekend.

SP: What motivates you to be part of this cause?
LMS: RTFH is one of the most inspirational events. There is a joyous spirit in the group of thousands who join together to support feeding and helping others who are less fortunate in our community. The weather is usually sparkling, and it really feels like fall with the crisp air and with leaves falling all around. The music and anticipation are contagious. It's exhilarating to be in such a huge mass of people all doing something good together and having fun. The route from Sac State through East Sacramento is gorgeous. The snacks and celebration at the end are great. The t-shirts are a badge of honor, and walking the event makes me feel less guilty about all the food I'll be eating later in the day!

SP: What is your favorite thing about Run to Feed the Hungry?
LMS: Our "tailgate" pre-race brunch, hearing the starting gun go off and Blake start the event, walking through the arch of balloons, talking with everyone along the way, seeing friends throughout the course, laughing at the Elvis impersonator -- the whole event!

SP: Do you have a favorite T-shirt design from over the years?
LMS: I'm wearing my favorite t-shirt design from 2010 in the picture (as well as holding a picture of some of our walking tribe from that day).

SP: If you could make one wish this Thanksgiving, what would it be?
LMS: I wish that everyone in our community was well-fed, well-housed, well-loved, healthy, and had the opportunity to create a fulfilling life for themselves and their family.

SP: What are you most thankful for this year?
LMS: I am eternally thankful for my husband and children, family, friends, and health. I'm also so thankful for the wonderful people at Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services who selflessly make the world a better place every day of the year for so many people in our community.

Want more? Visit our site for Run to Feed the Hungry 2012 or check out SFBFS's Facebook page.

Disclosure: This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.

Dr. Jonathan Eandi on Movember and preventative health measures

2012-11-08T18:15:58Z

I’m not sure if you all heard, but we are getting super into mustaches here at The Sacramento Press this month. Post your Movember mustache to our Facebook wall, or tweet them to us with the hashtag #sacpressstache.

We’ll give two free movie tickets and a free popcorn courtesy of Esquire IMAX Theater. I highly recommend you use these tickets, along with your awesome new ‘stache, to score a hot pre-holiday date. Trust me, these things work.

Dr. Jonathan Eandi is a urologist with the Sutter Medical Group here in Sacramento and first-time “Mo Bro.” He was also kind enough to share his thoughts on Movember and men’s health with The Sacramento Press.

SP: Tell me about Movember.
JE: I was not aware of it until last November. One of our male nurse practitioners started growing a mustache. He told me it was for Movember and I was like, “You’re kidding, right?” I looked into it and thought it was a great idea, so we talked about doing it this year.

(Movember) has a very good website which tells you a lot about the history of the movement. Compared to organizations for women, there is very little out there promoting awareness for men’s health issues. For example, for the month of October the amount of support throughout the community for breast cancer awareness was overwhelming. The NFL was decorated in pink for the month. Prostate cancer awareness month is September and there was minimal recognition. Movember helps fill that void as it focuses on raising awareness of men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer. Overall it’s a great trend, and it’s definitely gaining popularity nationally and internationally.

SP: Talk to me about preventative health, in relation to men in particular.
JE: I think the biggest thing that all of us as men are guilty of is not just not going to see the doctor. Women may get evaluated annually, but young guys especially won’t go to the doctor unless there is a problem. I’ve seen some terrible things come into the emergency room by men who just thought that the problem would go away. I think it’s really important to foster awareness because guys just don’t go to the doctor.

In regard to preventative health, it’s common sense, really. There’s no one magic pill that will help us stay healthy and live a long time. We all know what is good for us, but just don’t do it. Things like exercise, maintaining a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, not smoking tobacco - all of these things maximize our health and minimize our risk factors for disease.

SP: What sort of resources are available to men in our area?
JE: There’s not really a lot of information or facilities out there. Just recently we are seeing some of the bigger universities in the country develop men’s health clinics, but it is relatively new in the last decade. There really is a shortage of men’s health information. If you talk to most men under 40 or 50 years of age about prostate cancer, they tend to know very little about it unless they have a relative who was impacted by it. There are very good websites about these things, but men need to be proactive.

For more information, Dr. Eandi recommends the following websites:

Providing pets to politically conscious locals

2012-11-07T00:29:36Z

The City of Sacramento's Front Street Shelter wants you to get out and vote today - so much so that their staff is willing to bribe you with discount "demi-cats" and "re-puppy-cans."

Starting Wednesday Front Street Shelter will honor "I Voted" stickers with a fifty-percent discount on the pet of your choice. Their "I Voted" pet adoption project will extend through November 14.

Okay, so what you are waiting for? Get to the polls! Geez, there are kittens on the line here, people. Kittens.

Racing for a Reason: Shauna Bambino

2012-11-06T19:49:01Z

Lace up, Sacramento – we’re only weeks away from turkey, stuffing, and the 19th annual Run to Feed the Hungry.

Until then we’ll be rallying past and present runners to sit down and share their stories with The Sacramento Press, to tell us their personal reasons for racing.

Please meet Shauna Bambino:

Occupation: Regional Catering Sales Manager for Panera Bread

SP: How many years have you been doing the run?
SB: This will be the 4th year.

SP: How many people do you run or walk with?
SB: Anywhere from 40-60.

SP: Do you run or walk outside the event?
SB: I just got back into running again.

SP: What motivates you to be part of this cause?
SB: I love what this organization represents and it's a great event to get my Panera cafes involved in.

SP: What is your favorite thing about Run to Feed the Hungry?
SB: Seeing so many people come together and take time on their Thanksgiving Day to support the community.

SP: Do you have a favorite t-shirt design from over the years?
SB: I have loved them all especially ones with a fork on it.

SP: If you could make one wish this Thanksgiving, what would it be?
SB: To have more people just slow down and enjoy life...this includes me.

SP: What are you most thankful for this year?
SB: My family...I have a 1 year old daughter that has brought so much joy to our lives over the last year.

Want more? Visit our site for Run to Feed the Hungry 2012 or check out SFBFS's Facebook page.

Quick Tips: How to cover a story

2012-11-06T06:29:32Z

Get to the good stuff first: If you only had 30 seconds to discuss the event, what would be the first thing out of your mouth? Whatever it is, put that at the beginning. Hook your readers immediately so they are drawn in and actually read your story through to the end. Remember that when your story appears online, only the first few lines appear on the page, so make the first paragraph strong.

Mind your “W’s”:

WHO is involved, and whom does the story affect?
WHAT is happening? Tell me!
WHEN is it going on or was it held? If it occurred within a week of the date of publication, you can use the day of the week, otherwise be sure to include the date.
WHERE did this take place?
WHY are you covering the event? WHY did the venue host it? WHY should I care? A choir performance is nice, though it falls a bit flat. But wait, they are debuting a recently imported and restored 16th-century Bavarian organ? AND it’s a fundraiser to benefit infants with cancer? Wow. Now I am invested.

Ledes that lead: A “lede” is the first paragraph of a news story. Make sure your lede includes not just the important facts, but alludes to the point of your article. “The PTA held a meeting at McClatchy on Wednesday” is pretty bland, and I am left to wonder why the heck I am even reading this article. “Members of the McClatchy High School PTA held a grueling three-hour meeting Wednesday to discuss bullying as well as the impact of a local youth’s suicide on the student population.” OH, okay now I get it. Thanks!

Value the source: Make sure to interview people. Surely people came out for the event, concert, or festival you are covering in the community. Find out why they are there, and what their stories are. Your sources will help your story sing, and make it stand out in a way that the facts, though important, simply cannot.

Be wary of the sponsor: Oftentimes a source affiliated with the event you are covering or previewing will be anxious to discuss the event sponsors. This is fine, as it is their job to promote these organizations. However, it’s not necessarily yours, and typically it is unlikely your readers will care. Sometimes there is a compelling reason to include the sponsor. For example, if the local NRA chapter were to sponsor a peace vigil, you might want to mention their involvement. Otherwise, leave it to the advertising team. In the same vein, posting PR fliers in your article is highly discouraged. Instead, ask for photos of the event from the host or venue, request a photographer from your Community Manager, or take them yourself.

Show, don’t tell: “Lady Gaga put on a great show for all fans lucky enough to attend her concert last Friday night” will put your readers to sleep before they have a chance to start your second sentence. “Initially taking the stage dressed head-to-toe in monarch butterflies, Lady Gaga wowed more than 15,000 screaming fans last Friday night at the Sleep Train Arena,” paints a picture for your reader. Follow this up with a quote and her opening number, and you’ve got yourself a fantastic lede.

Quick Tips: How to conduct a successful interview

2012-11-06T06:23:23Z

Be prepared: Brainstorm ahead of time. Don’t just wing your interview, or you will end up at home later that evening wishing you hadn’t forgotten that special something. Have a list of six or seven questions ready ahead of time, and use these as a base for your interview. Of course there will be followup questions, and if you are lucky, surprising tidbits of information you never would have thought to ask. Include your basic questions and a few deeper ones, and bring them with you to the event.

Relax: Don’t be shy, regardless of whom you are interviewing. Little leaguers and Oscar-winning actresses are all just people. If you’re unsure how to start, try something simple like verifying the spelling of your interviewee’s name. Ask if this is a good time to chat and then work your way through questions and points of interest from there.

Don’t forget the basics: For the most part, no question is “too obvious.” Even though the answer to something might seem obvious, you can’t use it in your article unless you can cite your source.

“Yes” and “no” are not your friends: Don’t ask a lot of questions that can be answered with a yes or no. During your interview, you have to goals – to learn enough to write your article and to get some great quotes. Yes-or-no questions will not provide you with knowledge or content. The “how, why, and what” will prove far more useful.

Be quiet: Most people get uncomfortable when silence hangs in the air, because it makes them feel uncomfortable. Use this to your advantage. f you ask a question and only receive a partial answer in return, don’t say anything – especially if the content in controversial. The idea is that your source might scramble to fill the silence and in the process provide some juicy info you might not otherwise have gotten.

Clarify: If you’re unclear on something, ask. If your interview subject says something and it raises additional questions, make sure to ask them, and do not be afraid of sounding stupid. The reason you are conducting the interview is because you lack information, so don’t feel bad about that. If you don’t ask, someone will. Then you’ll either have to call your source back or remove the content form your piece. This also goes for name spelling, quotes and anything else. People will appreciate knowing that you are taking the time to get the information correct. If you’re nervous, stop by the office to borrow a voice recorder, then ask your source if he or she is okay with having the interview taped.

Connect: Ask everyone you speak with for their email addresses and phone numbers. EVERYONE. This will pay off if you have followup questions, or want to send your coverage out to those you spoke with. Failing to obtain contact information may lead to headaches for you later on.

And before you leave: End things with, “Is there anything else you’d like to say?” Always. Oftentimes the best information comes out when you’re lingering at the end of the interview. You can get your best quotes at this time, as your source will oftentimes attempt to summarize what you’ve discussed. After that, give him or her your contact number in case he or she forgot anything.

Quick Tips: How to post your first story

2012-11-06T06:22:17Z

So you've read the Writing Guidelines, you've written your article, and you're ready to share your story with The Sacramento Press. Now it's time to get technical (it's not too difficult, I swear).

Just follow these steps to join:

Sign up for the low, low price of $0 by clicking the "Sign up" button at the top of the page on SacramentoPress.com
Before posting, say "hi" to our copy editors! Send a draft of your story to journalism@sacramentopress.com by 6:00 p.m. One of our wonderful copy editors will proofread your piece for spelling and grammar, and to ensure it abides by Associated Press guidelines. Your edited draft will be returned to you that same day, ready to publish.
Once you are signed in, you will see a "write" button at the top of the page. Click the button, fill out a form, and watch a short tutorial.
Next, you will be prompted to create a storyline: Click "Add New Storyline." This is the topic you intend to write about, and readers will be able to search all articles you publish under the same storyline. Be sure your storyline is broad enough to encompass a number of articles you may potentially post. You do not need to enter a description of your storyline. Click "Create Now!". This will take you back to the writer's dashboard. Click "Write New Article." All of the storylines you have created will show up on this screen. You are only given four storylines to begin with. Contact support (support@sacramentopress.com) when you need more. Be sure to check the box next to your preferred storyline before writing. You also need to come up with a title or headline for your story. A note on headlines – do not capitalize every word. The Sacramento Press only capitalizes the first word and proper names in headlines.

You can start typing your text directly into your browser by using the writer's dashboard, or you can copy and paste your article from a word processor. You can also save your draft on our system and come back to edit the draft later.

It is best to copy and paste your edited, revised story into the content box. There are three clipboards. To ensure that your formatting doesn't get crazy, use one of the three. The first and second clipboards both paste the copy as plain text. They do the exact same thing. The third clipboard is for when you are copying and pasting from a Word document. Word adds extra formatting that needs to be stripped before publishing on the site. To insert an uncommon character, click the icon on the far right that looks like a horseshoe. To insert a photo within the text of your article, as opposed to the slideshow, click the photo icon beside the character icon. The image of the globe with a chainlink across it adds hyperlinks to your story.

First highlight the text you want to link from. Then click the icon. This box will appear: Paste the URL that you want linked to in the URL box and click, "OK." The linked word will appear in blue text on your dashboard and in orange once your article is published.

To add video to your story, send your editor the URL for the video and he or she will embed it for you after you have published your story.

Be sure to tag your article with one of our section tags (culture, business, or politics) as well as any other appropriate keywords. You can tag names of people in your story, businesses you mention, etc. Using tags will make your article easily searchable.
All stories should have accompanying photos. You can embed photos within your text using the photo icon (see above). You can also upload them so they appear in a slideshow at the top of article. To attach photos, click "Upload New" at the bottom of the page. You will chose a .jpeg from your computer's files to attach. If you are writing about an issue/person/place you've written about before, you have the option of using photos you've used in the past. When you click "Use Existing," a box will appear with all of the photos you've uploaded to other stories on The Sacramento Press. Make sure to provide photo credit. Captions can also be helpful.
Once you've added links, bolded, italicized, underlined as desired and added photos, make sure to take one last look before publishing. Click "Preview" to see how your article will look once it's published. Look for formatting problems, incorrect links, copy editing notes that might not have been deleted, and other mistakes. This is your last chance to look everythin over before your article is released into the wild worldwide web. Of course you also have the option of saving your article as a draft and returning to it later.
Please note that once you hit "Publish," your story will be posted to the site and cannot be edited without the help of an administrator.
Don't forget to check back to see the community reaction, read and respond to comments.

The Basics

2012-11-06T06:21:07Z

What should I write about?

Our region! All stories must pertain specifically to Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, or El Dorado counties
We welcome reviews of local restaurants, articles about city and county politics, local sports, theater, or fashion coverage,and stories about issues impacting your neighborhood.
If you're still unsure of what to write about, email us at support@sacramentopress.com and we can help.

Copy edit!

Once you hit "publish" your article is posted for all to see. You cannot do any further edits.
We strongly encourage all contributors to take advantage of our free copy editing services. Email your draft to our copy editors before 6 p.m. at journalism@sacramentopress.com. Once edited, your draft will be returned to you later that same evening.
Copy editors edit for spelling, grammar, and to ensure your article follows Associated Press guidelines.
We provide services Monday through Friday and Sunday. The earlier you send in your draft, the earlier you will receive it back. Drafts received after 6:00 p.m. will be edited the following day.

Be transparent

Always use your real name on the site.
If you're writing about an issue, business, or event with which you are affiliated, please let everyone know how you're connected by using the "disclosure" field on the writer's dashboard.
We also recommend editing the "about me" section of your profile to include any affiliations if you plan on writing about the same topic often.
If you have a strong bias on the issue, that's fine – we love passionate contributors. However, please lable your article accordingly by putting "Opinion:" at the start of your headline.

Avoid posting "advertorials"

We do not allow self-promotion. Stories that read like advertisements will be taken down immediately.
Nonprofit oranizations, fundraising events, and certain events such as theater productions or other community events may be exempt from this rule. Please email support@sacramentopress.com with questions.
If you are posting a press release, please modify the text so that it reads like an article. Should you have questions, email support or better yet, send your article in for copy editing.

Never plagiarize

This is obviously not OK, and frankly kind of lame.

We love photos!

Photos enhance your article by allowing you to share a more complete story. They also increase the chance of your article being on our front page, included in our newsletters or on our social media platforms. All you have to do is upload them from your computer.
All posted photos must be credited. Those not credited or inappropriately credited will be removed, as it is illegal for us to share them on our site. Public domain photos must also be credited appropriately. Email support with any questions.
We encourage you to use actual photos and ask that you please avoid using graphics or fliers. These make your piece feel like an advertisement and are unlikely to be featured.

What's With That: Star Wars goes Disney

2012-11-05T18:38:30Z

Holy bantha horns, have you heard the news? George Lucas is giving up his position at the helm of Lucasfilm and selling Star Wars to Disney.

For the low, low price of only $4.05 billion, Robert Iger’s Disney now owns not only the Star Wars legacy, but also Lucas’ effects business Industrial Light & Magic, as well as audio operation Skywalker Sound and a whole slew of merchandising goodies.

So, more new Star Wars films ... released by Disney. Uberfans certainly have strong opinions on the matter, and a few local self-described Star Wars nerds were kind enough to share theirs with The Sacramento Press.
“I was four years old when ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ was released on May 21, 1980, which was the first Stars Wars film I saw,” offered self-proclaimed local nerd Kimberly Coleman Berger. “I could hardly contain my excitement as we waited in line at the Century Theater on Ethan Way here in Sacramento. Three years later in 1983, I couldn't sleep the night before my uncle took me to see the trilogy: Star Wars (‘A New Hope’), ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ and ‘The Return of the Jedi,’ as a triple feature. I sat mesmerized, wearing Princess Leia Organa Underoos underneath my R2-D2 T-shirt.

“Fast forward to 1999, when my own 3-year-old son saw his first Star Wars film, ‘Episode I: The Phantom Menace.’ He was entranced. I was able to witness the same sense of wonder and joy I watched with years earlier. We were able to find the VHS trilogy, and he watched every film over and over until they would no longer play. I don't know who enjoyed it more.”

“The trilogy … really is imagination and creativity at its finest, plain and simple,” said Elizabeth Manna, longtime Sacramento resident and SW superfan. “It’s a compelling story of good versus evil. To create a stage for filmmaking by hand, camera angle and pure art to me leaves so much more room for appreciation. Not to mention Princess Leia’s ‘stick-it-to-the-man’ attitude - this was so great to watch as a young girl. I am of course referring to the first three Star Wars. I refuse to acknowledge the last three that are mostly CGI … Jar Jar Binks, enough said about that.”

“My mom took my little sister and me to see ‘Return of the Jedi’ at the UA Theater inside of the Arden Mall in ‘83,” recalled Johnny Flores, the man behind the podcast “No Nipples on the Suit,” which boasts to be “for nerds by nerds.”

“I was about 7 or 8 years old at the time. As the story progressed, I was getting more and more overwhelmed by the movie, especially when the three major battles were happening at the same time … At some point, in the middle of all of this chaos, I lost my little mind. I jumped up, started making blaster sounds while imagining my hand was Han Solo’s laser blaster, and started shooting everyone and everything around me.”

The three had differing viewpoints on what fans could expect, now that their beloved galaxy has changed hands.

“George Lucas made technologically brilliant films,” Berger said, remaining hopeful. “Each is an important chapter in the Star Wars saga - and each more cutting-edge, record and trend-setting and a masterpiece of special effects and rich storytelling.

“I see the Disney purchase of Lucasfilm as an opportunity to continue the legacy of exceptional storytelling. I have high hopes that any new Stars Wars film will transport me instantly to an age of innocence and fantasy. I hopefully will get to someday feel a bit of that wonder again and see it on the faces of the next generation, my grandchildren.”

“This sale almost represents the Star Wars story itself,” Manna lamented. “Lucas is giving in to the dark side. My heart sank a bit when I read the article because it seems to me he has given up on his open mind of creativity, and as an artist it is very hard to see this. Disney will now make this campy and cheap. I am very much against what has happened. I know Lucas is ready for retirement, but it seems unfortunate to go to Disney.

“I will not give in despite this recent travesty, and will teach my kids the way of the Force by VHS and DVDs!”

“I know some people (nerds, to be more specific) will be angry that Disney has got its mitts on Lucasfilm,” said Flores in closing, “but I’m very optimistic about this surprising turn of events. Disney owns Marvel Studios and they’ve been turning out terrific adaptations of their comic books since partnering. Marvel Studios has two directors leading the direction of the Marvel Movie Universe who love comics and understood how to bring that magic to screen, first Jon Favreau and now Joss Whedon. There are so many people in their 30s and 40s that grew up with Star Wars, get Star Wars and can return Star Wars to the greatness it once knew.

“My 37-year-old self can’t wait to lose my mind, like my 7-year-old self did all of those years ago, when ‘Episode VII’ is finally released.”

I’m more of a purist myself, and stopped watching after ‘Attack of the Clones’ was released in 2002. Anakin’s “Jordan-Knight-circa-1991” rattail was too much to handle, perhaps.

But that’s just me. Any other superfans care to weigh in?

"What's With That" aims to find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "What's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas!

Racing for a Reason: Jennifer Fearing

2012-11-02T16:50:18Z

Lace up, Sacramento – we’re only weeks away from turkey, stuffing, and the 19th annual Run to Feed the Hungry.

Until then we’ll be rallying past and present runners to sit down and share their stories with The Sacramento Press, to tell us their personal reasons for racing.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to Ms. Jennifer Fearing:

Occupation: Legislative advocate for the Humane Society of the United States

SP: How many years have you been doing the run?
JF: 10+ -- half the years as a runner, the other as a volunteer.

SP: How many people do you run or walk with?
JF: I’ve run or walked with family and friends, and when I volunteer I join with hundreds of others!

SP: Do you run or walk outside the event?
JF: Yes – I used to be more competitive, but now I just run to enjoy my neighborhood and trails along the American River.

SP: What motivates you to be part of this cause?
JF: I love everything about the Run to Feed the Hungry. Thanksgiving is a day known for counting blessings and eating plentiful food. So it is great to enjoy a community tradition that engages Sacramentans in a healthy, family-oriented outdoor activity that benefits the year-round efforts of Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services to help our neediest neighbors. This spirited event is meaningful for every participant - whether runner, a walker, a donor, or a volunteer.

SP: What is your favorite thing about Run to Feed the Hungry?
JF: I love seeing all the families walking/running together with huge smiles on their faces.

SP: Do you have a favorite t-shirt design from over the years?
JF: I loved the t-shirt design with the running shoes on the “carving” plate.

SP: If you could make one wish this Thanksgiving, what would it be?
JF: My wish this Thanksgiving is for accelerated progress for the humane treatment of animals.

SP: What are you most thankful for this year?
JF: I am always thankful for every day that I rise feeling healthy and fulfilled – which I am extra thankful is every day.

Want more? Visit our site for Run to Feed the Hungry 2012 or check out SFBFS's Facebook page.

Join us for our Movember mustache contest: Things are about to get hairy

2012-11-01T18:48:55Z

Toss those razors gentlemen and show me your mustache – it’s for a good cause.

Movember, which takes place during the month more commonly referred to as November, is an international charity and awareness drive that raises funds and fosters awareness for men’s health issues, primarily prostate and testicular cancer. “Mo Bros” around the world groom their ‘staches to serve as billboards for the cause, and they look fly as hell while doing so.

So what does this mean here at The Sacramento Press? Well, first, start Movember clean-shaven. Our very own editor-in-chief and captain of the Sac Press ship, Jared Goyette will be facing off with our account-managing guru Randy Balzarano. On Movember 30 we will put their respective mustaches up to a popular vote, and the loser has agreed to stave off shaving for an additional two weeks after the end of the month.

Take heed to record your flourishing facial hair, and let us know – are you going for the handlebar or the toothbrush, or perhaps the chevron a la Tom Selleck? Track your progress and tweet your updates to us using the hashtag #sacpressstache, or post photos to our Facebook wall.

At the end of the month we will highlight our favorite ‘staches, and the winner will have his (or her!) masterpiece featured on the front page of The Sacramento Press for an entire day, in addition to enjoying the warm fuzzy feelings that come from getting goofy for a good cause.

So, are you in? Let us know, then get thee to your bathroom sink. It’s the first of the month, and you’ve gotta start fresh.

Racing for a Reason: Peter Larimer

2012-10-25T18:47:31Z

Lace up, Sacramento – we’re only weeks away from turkey, stuffing, and the 19th annual Run to Feed the Hungry.

Until then we’ll be rallying past and present runners to sit down and share their stories with The Sacramento Press, to tell us their personal reasons for racing.

Without further ado I’d like to introduce you all to Peter Larimer:

Occupation: Landscape Architect

SP: How many years have you been doing the run?
PL: This year will be my third year.

SP: How many people do you run or walk with?
PL: I try to organize a group of five to 10 people and make it a fun group outing.

SP: Do you run or walk outside the event?
PL: Yes

SP: What motivates you to be part of this cause?
PL: Two reasons. It raises much-needed funds for those that are less fortunate, and two, it’s a great way to rationalize eating that second helping of Thanksgiving dinner.

SP: What is your favorite thing about Run to Feed the Hungry?
PL: My favorite part is seeing how big the event has grown over the years and feeling like we’re making a difference in our community.

SP: Do you have a favorite T-shirt design from over the years?
PL: I really liked last year’s shirt.

SP: If you could make one wish this Thanksgiving, what would it be?
PL: That everybody in Sacramento gets to enjoy a warm meal for Thanksgiving.

SP: What are you most thankful for this year?
PL: I’m most thankful for God, my family and my friends that have helped me get through a tough year.

Want more? Visit our site for Run to Feed the Hungry 2012 or check out SFBFS's Facebook page.

Cesar Chavez Memorial Plaza a national contender

2012-10-24T21:16:09Z

Hey everyone, Cesar Chavez Plaza is famous!

While within these nifty fifty states there might be roughly one gajillion parks/plazas/sushi bars utilizing the same moniker, only one made the American Planning Association’s “10 Great Public Spaces” this year. Hint: it’s ours.

According to CNN, the APA has been looking to highlight the park but was waiting on recent renovations which were completed in May. Although only phase one of a three part renovation, the landscaping upgrade and extended walkways mean that the park was primed for its closeup.

For my birthday a couple of years ago, and after a seriously margarita-laden celebratory lunch, my family and I strolled over to Cesar Chavez to relax and sleep it off. We brought only a blanket, a sack of almonds, and tons of laughter and silliness. But you know, it’s all about the ambience and that was one of the most idyllic days I’ve had the pleasure to bask in. I’m admittedly bias, yet don’t quite care - so I say congrats on some well-deserved recognition!

Thoughts? Memories good or bad? “Hell no!” or “Aw yeah!”? Did Cesar Chavez Plaza earn it’s spot on the list? Why or why not?

What's With That: Charles Manson, Israel, and monkey business

2012-09-27T19:37:31Z

What’s with the news: Maybe you’ve heard of this guy, Charles Manson? He’s one of the nation's most beloved murderous sociopaths. Also, he recently released an album.

Okay, okay, he did not technically release the album. Manuel Vasquez, small business owner and part-time music producer, did. Using funds he raised on Kickstarter, Vasquez released 500 copies of never-before-heard Manson recordings.

Surprisingly, despite Vasquez’s belief that Manson is a misunderstood man who deserves a retrial, he didn’t find a ton of support for the project. I guess some people just can’t get over a grisly rampage now and again.

Yet the money was raised and the album released. Though the single track previously available to the public has been removed from the Kickstarter page, you can still sample some of Manson’s musical stylings from his debut album “Lie: The Love and Terror Cult.”

What’s with us: Bradley Abbey plays electric guitar with the other Sacramento-based “retro-inspired folk rock darlings” that make up the band Musical Charis. He’s got a weakness for vintage vinyl and is here to share his thoughts on Vasquez’s project and Manson’s merits as a musician.

“Upon reading the article, I was first intrigued, then curious,” said Abbey. “I think it’s really interesting that someone would create a Kickstarter for such a project. It’s admirable in my opinion. I know many would disagree with Vasquez’s pursuits, but I believe he is a fellow ‘muso,’ — simply in it for the love of music.

“I believe music is the foundation of the project, but the blocks used to build it were laid by Manson’s hands, which is what I find so intriguing! It’s known that he grew up in an era littered with drugs, and everyone knows what he did and who he was, but that only adds to the aesthetic of the album. And I feel Vasquez’s motives are genuine — I am no one to judge.

“Upon listening to ‘Lie: The Love and Terror of Cult,’ I was happy to hear some of Manson’s work. It really reminds me of Devendra Banhart — I wouldn’t be surprised if he took a lot of inspiration from Manson himself. Their music has very similar characteristics, both have a lo-fi sound, and at times their songs start off with some kind of interaction, generally with someone sitting in the room while they were recording. Manson is a good writer. I like listening to lyrics, and some of his songs are well-written in my opinion. I was honestly expecting it to be rather drab, but the few songs I listened to were pretty short and upbeat. I am most fascinated with the thoughts behind Manson’s mind when writing these songs, and that’s what I feel Vasquez’s inspiration for this project is as well.

“I think there would be a few folks interested in being a part of something like this,” Abbey said in closing. “My first thought was, ‘I wish I would have known about this.’ I love history, and vinyl, and I love listening to new music. It’s not to be discredited just because it’s Charles Manson.”

Interesting. Chris Brown is probably totally pissed about some old guy vying for his crazyass misogynistic d-hole spotlight.

What’s with the news: Maybe some of you watched the Republican National Convention at the end of last month (not everyone did, if you’ll recall). In response to presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech, a reader emailed me, of all people. If you’d like and need to get up to speed, you can find both an audio and textual version of the speech in question here.

Robert writes in,

At 33:52 of Romney's acceptance speech, he makes reference to Obama throwing Israel under the bus. What's with that? One, he hasn't. Two, is it really ok to falsely accuse the President of murdering Jews? Given the tendency of some to actually murder Jews, it doesn't seem it's ok to cry wolf here, let alone accuse the President in such a way.
What’s with us: Zeev Maoz is a political science professor at UC Davis, and also a distinguished fellow at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. Formerly he served as head of the Graduate School of Government and Policy at Tel-Aviv University. He was kind enough to offer a breakdown of the U.S.’s Israeli policy, both past and present.

“On the issue of throwing Israel under the bus, and the broader issue of abandoning allies and engaging nonallies — or enemies,” said Maoz, “there is a significant debate in the policy community. With regard to Israel, U.S.-Israeli relations have always had many elements of agreement and mutual support — the U.S. sends Israel $2.6 billion every year in military and economic aid. At the same time, there were quite a few disagreements on policy. The most salient issue of disagreement was Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied territories, which the U.S. — under all administrations, Democratic and Republican, viewed as ‘an obstacle to peace.’

“There were cases where Republican presidents — Reagan, George Bush—have severely criticized Israel. Under the Reagan administration, there were a number of cases of high tension, with the U.S. suspending weapon shipments to Israel. Bush (Sr.) refused to provide loan guarantees to Israel due to its settlement policy.

“Obama’s Israel policy is not different. The U.S. continued to be critical of Israel’s settlement policy, but at the same time blocked a Palestinian attempt to be admitted to the U.N. as a member state. The U.S. under the Obama administration also intensified sanctions against Iran way beyond those that had existed under the Bush administration. Currently, the key issue of contention concerns American refusal to draw a ‘red line’ for Iran, as the Israelis request. On the other hand, U.S.–Israeli military cooperation continues, and involves Israeli provision of port services to the Sixth Fleet, joint maneuvers and strategic coordination on a large number of issues.

“During presidential campaigns, both sides compete in who is more pro-Israeli while accusing the other of not being pro-Israeli enough,” Maoz said in closing. “In practice, there are really no significant differences between Republican and Democratic administrations (Obama’s administration is no different) in terms of the level of friendship or disagreements between the U.S. and Israel.”

So. There you have it. Mitt Romney’s comment was just another inconsequential sound bite during an election that is, once again, rife with inconsequential sound bites that offer voters nothing of much substance. I bet you’re all just itching to get to those polls, right?

What’s with the news: Monkeys! Not just monkeys, but new monkeys! Way to go, scientists in the Democratic Republic of Congo!

The lesula is only the second new species of monkey to be discovered in the last 30 years. Don’t make him feel weird about it though; lesula are reportedly hella shy.

What’s with us: R. Harrison Edell is the general curator at Sacramento Zoo, where he manages resources and operations for Sacramento Zoo’s Department of Animal Care, supervising animal husbandry programs that lead to the highest quality of care for a diverse collection of approximately 500 animals of 120 species. He agreed to share his thoughts regarding the scientists’ finding, as well as some other fun monkey facts!

“Depending on which biologist you speak with, there may be as few as 2 million, or as many as 100 million nonbacterial species on our planet,” Edell said. “New species are discovered all the time. However, most newly discovered species are not big vertebrates. Instead, most ‘new’ species are small, and easier to overlook, while a ‘new’ vertebrate is unusual. Humans have explored most of the Earth’s habitats, and have cataloged most big vertebrate species, so when a mammal (like a monkey) that is new to science is discovered, many of us wonder how we missed it previously!

“The discovery of any new species is exciting, as it gives us the ability to better understand the world around us, as well as the relationships between the species with which we share this planet. Central Africa is a difficult place for wildlife, though. Unfortunately, this species may be threatened with extinction, despite the fact that we’ve only just recognized that it’s here.

“The recently published ‘Handbook of the Mammals of the World’ lists 470 species within the order ‘Primates,’” Edell continued. “The order, however, is extremely diverse, having evolved to fill lots of different niches in lots of different habitats. Even within only one habitat, like the Congo’s rainforest (home to the Lesula Guenon), biologists have cataloged a huge diversity of primates … Each of these species is characterized by its own distinct geographic range and social systems, and in situations where related species share the same habitat, we find that, in the interests of limiting competition with one another, they often make use of different food resources. Primates are very diverse. Unfortunately, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature currently lists 206 primates as being either ‘Critically Endangered,’ ‘Endangered’ or ‘Vulnerable,’ which means that nearly half of the world’s primates are headed for extinction unless we can do more to protect them.

“While we like to think that we’re very different from animals, scientific data indicate that we’re not that different at all from our closest relatives. Genetically, humans and chimpanzees differ by less than 2 percent. Much of our biology links us very closely to primates (including not only apes, but also monkeys); we have the same internal organs, the same bones, many of the same blood type systems and individual-specific fingerprints. Behaviorally, we demonstrate some of the same characteristics, including significant parental care, maintenance of close family bonds over multiple generations and the ability to build tools and solve puzzles. On a more complex level, primates can understand certain aspects of language and recognize relatives, even after periods of separation.”

I also asked Edell to explain the stereotype of primates as disease-spreading psychopaths (think “Outbreak,” or “Dead Alive,” if you’re into that sort of thing). He had this to say:

“In order to extract resources from rainforests, we build roads. These roads carry timber and minerals to shipping centers, so that they can be exported to factories around the world. Unfortunately, in the case of African rainforests, these roads also allow hunters to transport meat to urban markets. Hunting which once put food on the table, and which was at that time sustainable (since subsistence hunters rarely killed more than they needed), now satisfies commercial demands. Animal populations in many African rainforests are crashing as the impact of the ‘bush meat’ trade grows. Antelope, elephants, buffalo, pythons, tortoises, birds, apes and monkeys are all now hunted, often at unsustainable rates. One of the scarier side effects of this trade is a higher exposure rate to diseases carried by primates. Primates don’t carry more diseases than any other taxon, but their biological and genetic similarity to humans makes it very easy for their diseases to ‘jump’ to humans. Monkey carcasses are now sold commercially in some of Africa’s largest cities; exposure rates to primate pathogens, therefore, are likely much higher than historic rates.”

I don’t have any jokes to make about this. Here’s a picture of a monkey, though - OMG ISN'T HE ADORABLE?
One more thing guys: I’ll be taking another brief hiatus whilst I attempt to get my life shit straight. Finding out what’s with stuff is way more time-consuming (and enjoyable!) than I had ever imagined, and my other writing projects miss me like lost little puppies. Give me a few weeks max and I’ll be back atcha. Until then keep it classy, and email me!

Each week(ish) "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "What's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas! Or, if you’d like to be added to the WWT mailing list, send me an email with the subject line “LIST.”

What's With That: Women's work, standardized tests, & a supersized ban

2012-09-20T23:16:01Z

What’s with the news: Last week, “Good Morning America” picked up a piece on Treds Tire and Wheel, an all-female tire shop located in San Antonio, Texas.

The shop is run by Margaret Rodriguez and her 19-year-old daughter Andrea. It was Andrea’s idea to make the shop all-female, a business strategy resulting from the fact that several tire businesses had already failed at the same location.

Despite the occasional naysayer, the shop now employs six workers and one intern, and business is thriving. Given their work ethic, mix of male and female patrons, and a lack of low-cut tops, I think it’s safe to assume their success is about something more than their boobs.

What’s with us: Kelly Rivas is the president of Fem Dems of the Sacramento Region, an organization that promotes “the feminist principles of equality, diversity and inclusiveness,” while fighting “disenfranchisement both within the Democratic Party and the community at large.” She’s agreed to shed some light on what feminism is, and Treds Tire and Wheel’s relevance to the modern feminist movement.

“Upon first read of the headline,” said Rivas, “I thought, ‘Well, of course it's thriving. Changing tires isn't about gender, it's about safety — about trusting the person to ensure your wheel won't come off your car.’ If that person is motivated and dedicated enough to have personalized tools, they're going to pay attention to every detail to make sure the job is done well.

“Changing a tire isn't a difficult task. The only thing that really matters is whether or not you trust the person doing the work. I'd trust a tire shop full of motivated women over the average shop because a motivated woman is a powerful asset. If she has something to prove, she'll work 110 percent every time, making sure it's done right — without taking shortcuts.

“(Men’s work) simply means work that has historically been done by a man, and so much so that over time when describing it, it is simply referred to as ‘men's work’. I'm fine with it being used as a benign and outdated descriptor, but when it is used in a way that places judgment upon either gender or an individual, that's when I have a problem. For instance, when a detractor says it's a man's job and a woman should stick to making sandwiches, well, that signals to me they don't embrace the principles of inclusion, equality or diversity, and thus actively dismiss feminism.

“Feminism is simply those principles and pursuit of inclusion, equality and diversity,” Rivas said in closing. “The tire shop provides a space in a male-dominated trade for women to be included, considered equal, and therefore creates diversity in the tire shop trade and market. I don't see the shop as working for or against the feminist movement, I see it as just another business, one that is diversifying the market and competition. What I do see, however, are the women of this tire shop. They're empowering themselves and the community by challenging stereotypes, creating a discussion about feminism, but most importantly by learning a skilled trade and the sense of independence that comes from growing a successful business with that skill. One that's thriving in the exact same spot where others failed."

When I first read the headline, I expected to see something akin to a wet T-shirt car wash, college coeds changing tires in bikini tops and coochie-cutter shorts. Not the case — these ladies are legit. I’m not a huge fan of the pink tire jack and polka-dot tools, but that rant is played out and I won’t reiterate it here. Instead I’ll say rock those tire gauges, ladies, and I totally dig your respectable V-necks.

What’s with the news: Who here can say they don’t genuinely love a good standardized test? Sweaty palms, a complete lack of fresh air and that jerk who won’t stop clicking his stupid electric pencil.

Aah, but last year the National Assessment of Educational Progress finally got on board, administering the annual writing exam via computer, instead of requiring pencil and paper.

The results? Computers make you dumb, and today’s children have forgotten how to write. A mere 27 percent were capable of creating well-developed essays. It’s a miracle these kids can compose their own names. Unless, of course, there’s a possibility that standardized exams are incapable of telling the whole story. Blasphemy!

What’s with us: Paul Heckman is a professor and Associate Dean of the UC Davis School of Education. He and his two colleagues, Professor Jamal Abedi and Professor Emeritus Sandra Murphy, sat down together to complete an email interview with The Sacramento Press regarding the details and relevancy of the NAEP exam.

“At first glance, we were surprised to read that computer-based writing, as compared to pencil-and-paper writing, did not apparently advance student performance on this writing assessment. However, in further considering the point, the NAEP results, as they are reported in the article, do not lead to a conclusion that students performed more poorly. NAEP did not do a comparison study between comparable students who responded to the NAEP prompts using a computer and students who only used paper and pencil with similar prompts.

“In considering the nature of the assessments, your readers should also be reminded that, for each prompt, students only had 30 minutes to develop their written response. The evaluation that followed then focused on a first draft. Writing is often characterized as rewriting multiple drafts. The students had little time to do that in light of the 30 minute timeframe provided to complete the task — from considering the prompt, thinking about possible ways to go to discuss what they had in their minds, and then expressing those thoughts in written form.

“With regard to the gender disparities, it is difficult to tell how significant the differences are in the scores and if those differences make a substantial difference in light of the report. For example, if there is an 8-point score difference between girls and boys out of a total score of 300, that difference could or could not be meaningful. Determining that significance requires other statistical tests, which do not appear to be reported on in the article.

“Many (youth) participate in a digital world, and a world that is very different from that of their parents, other adults in the society and youth in the past. That fact does impact their classroom efforts. Nonetheless, not all youth have access or participate in the same ways with these technologies.

“With regard to the socioeconomic status (known as SES) disparities in test scores, these have remained for a long time. And, the gaps seem not to be decreasing. As a matter of fact, national economic data demonstrates that more and more children are becoming poorer, as is the case for many adults as well. The redistribution of income upward has left a large swath of families in poverty or what some call near-poverty for a family of four. Given the persistent relationship between economic poverty and test scores, as well as school success, it is not surprising that these disparities appear so strongly in the NAEP writing assessment.

“With regard to the SES effects on computer use on these scores, the reported digital divide that exists between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in our society provides a plausible explanation for the differences reported. Some schools have more digital technology available; others, far less. Unfortunately, it is more likely for more technology to be available for more well-to-do students and less for economically poorer students. These experiences matter when it comes to how well or not the use of computers will positively or negatively influence students’ performance on assessments like NAEP.”

First drafts are crap. Mine are littered with cigarette ash, despair and the occasional complete sentence. There is nothing new to see here, folks. Computers are great, but being poor still sucks. Now go mail that old laptop to a high school in Detroit. Or better yet, keep it local and go through Sacramento’s Court Appointed Special Advocates, which donates school supplies to children in need.

What’s with the news: Last week New York City blazed yet another trail when the city health board slipped into their babysitting pants and passed a ban on oversized sugary drinks. Oh NYC, you’re so cutting-edge.

Unless you run a grocery or convenience store, you best throw out those supersize cups or face a $200 fine. All you Diet Coke-heads needn’t worry, because diet sodas are excluded.

So let me get this straight. Someone can walk into a McDonald’s and order a triple cheeseburger, a grocery bag full of fries, and a monster-sized diet soda. However, if you’ve been running twelve city blocks from a knife-wielding maniac and stop in for a giant Coca-Cola to quench your now debilitating thirst, because artificial sweetener gives you hives, you’re SOL. Sure, makes sense.

What’s with us: Margaret Scheller, RD-CNSC, is a clinical dietician at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. She’s here with the skinny on health and weight management, and to offer her thoughts on whether or not Mayor Bloomberg’s ban will do anything to fight obesity.

“I do not believe outlawing sugary drinks of any size by the New York City mayoral-appointed health board will ‘curb’ or resolve obesity,” said Scheller. “I agree obesity is a big problem, but a ban like this is not the solution. Take responsibility for doing what it takes to lead the most healthy lifestyle you can lead. It may include eating healthy, exercise, stress management and disease management (example: diabetes). When I am thirsty I regularly consume water. Other alternatives to sugary drinks are water with lemon, nonfat or low-fat milk or milk alternatives, and moderate amounts of 100 percent juice.

“Portion control is one of the important keys to successful weight management. Check food labels for portion size and corresponding calories. Frequently, people eat more than they think. Measuring and weighing food once in awhile can help make sure portions are appropriate.

“Many times people make changes that last only a short period of time, then revert back to their old habits. Healthy lifestyle changes are realistic, manageable and able to be modified over time to last a lifetime.

“In my daily practice,” Scheller concluded, “I encourage people to make healthy food and beverage choices daily. I provide them with tools and education so they can make informed decisions. I find no matter how persuasive I try to be, sometimes people do not want to select healthier alternatives or limit portion sizes, and that is their individual freedom to do so.”

Seriously, has this “mayoral-appointed city health board” not heard of free refills? How many calories can getting up to walk over to the soda fountain three times over the course of an 8,000-calorie meal really burn? Here’s my advice, Mayor Bloomberg (you know he’s waiting with bated breath): First, find a real problem. Example: Public health is a real problem; paper-cup size is not. Second, find a real solution. Discount gym memberships for the poor or something, I don’t know. I’m not a mayor for a reason, but I don’t have to be a politician to know that this ban is wack.

What's With That: Unemployment, sex changes, & minding your manners

2012-09-13T18:12:18Z

What’s with the news: Once there was (is, don't worry she's not dead) a woman named Holly Stuard, whose husband thought he was some wacky sitcom dad. The whole family was on their way out to dinner when Stuard's jaw dropped at the sight of herself, job qualifications, and "Please Hire My Wife" plastered across an enormous roadside billboard.

Stuard has been searching for a job ever since she was laid off from her teaching position at the University of Toledo due to budget cuts last year. After months of watching his wife struggle in the unforgiving job market, husband Brandon decided to take matters into his own hands.

Despite admitting that she would have vetoed the billboards had her husband discussed the idea with her beforehand, Stuard admits that the $700 for one week of advertising will be worth it if it helps her find a job. She can say what she will to the reporters, but I imagine there was at least a week of dinners soaked in awkward silence while Brandon sat wondering what happened to the laugh track.

What’s with us: So what is with the job market? Terri Carpenter is the public information officer for Sacramento Works Inc., the career and job training arm of the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA). She has over 15 years of hands-on experience working with first-time job seekers to career professionals, who are seeking advice after a layoff or looking for a mid-career change. Carpenter was kind enough to share her thoughts with The Sacramento Press via email.

“The article is reflective of how the loss of a job impacts an individual’s entire life and family,” said Carpenter. “Not only are we talking about loss of income, but the impact of what a job loss does to one’s career plan. Job loss and finding the right job is one of the most stressful events many individuals face in their lives. Many are willing to try anything to get back into the workforce, and because of the competition you find individuals trying tactics that they think will help them stand out.

“With the current job front being so competitive, with so many qualified applicants and so few good opportunities available, the man was willing to try an extraordinary tactic to find employment for his wife. While the billboard is a creative strategy, I doubt that she will be able to get a teaching job from the billboard advertising. While some school official or acquaintance may inform the woman of a job opening in education, she will still have to go through a structured hiring process that the billboard advertising will not be able to influence.”

Regarding our local job market, Carpenter had this to say: “On the Sacramento job front, we are beginning to see more job opportunities, but not enough to account for the number of those unemployed. The starting salaries are lower than most people expect, want or need, and that is causing many job seekers frustration. Many individuals are finding themselves making 50 percent less than they were before they were laid off or lost their job through circumstances beyond their control in the ‘great recession.’ Job seekers are trying to remain competitive, but find that it is hard to remain positive in an environment where there are so few well-paying jobs.

“The best industries with projected hiring growth are health care, technology and administrative services. For Sacramento, the sectors which have caused the economic downturn to be sustained in this region are declining in government hiring, and most importantly, the government layoffs especially at the local level. Two important sectors where the jobs were decimated are construction and the mortgage and financial industry.

“The biggest mistake I have seen is that many job seekers wait until their unemployment is exhausted before beginning their job search. Then, because of the finances, they are desperate and need a job right away, but with the economic environment being what it is, many individuals are finding that it takes them six months to one year to find a decent job.

“The best advice I can give someone is to start the job search process sooner rather than later,” Carpenter offered to job seekers. “Also, change up your resume and make it specific to each job application. Brush up on your interview skills. The days of calling an employer and handing them your resume are over. Post your resume on all the major job boards. Network — go to chamber mixers or professional networking groups such as Sacramento Professional Network. Tap into the free resources in your community. Sacramento Works is a federally funded program where employment and training services are free.”

If anyone wants to foot the bill for a $700 billboard with my resume and winning smile — go for it. My qualifications include the knowledge of an array of useless trivia, sarcasm, and an enviable sense of style. Seriously though, my heart goes out to those waist-deep in the unemployment muck. Keep at it, and remember that you are not alone.

What’s with the news: U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf is making waves as the first federal judge to provide sex-reassignment surgery for a transgender prison inmate.

Michelle Kosilek was convicted as Robert Kosileck for the murder of his wife Cheryl in 1990. Michelle has received hormone treatments and now lives as a woman in an all-male prison, and Judge Wolf ordered the taxpayer-funded surgery as the only treatment for Kosilek’s “serious medical need.” He has left the decision on where and how to house Kosilek after the surgery up to prison officials.

Opponents to the decision call the surgery an elective procedure, and therefore not medically necessary. However, the Department of Correction’s own medical experts testified otherwise. I have the sneaking suspicion that this is going to piss off a lot of fiscal conservatives (or, you know, every fiscal conservative).

What’s with us: Ben Hudson is the executive director at the Gender Health Center, focusing on the needs of transgender and gay individuals and their families in Northern California. Hudson is also the co-founder of the Sacramento Transgender Coalition and Trans Families. He’s here to discuss the implications of Wolf’s ruling, and to address misconceptions regarding the trans community in general.

“Decisions and legislation like this are coming out all across the United States surrounding various systems of healthcare,” said Hudson. “The statement is simple: trans people are entitled to the same healthcare rights as anyone else. The plaintiff in this case is very articulate about explaining why her health needs should have the same priority as any other prisoner’s needs. I believe in equal access to healthcare for every human, especially in the wealthiest country on the planet. Trans-related healthcare needs are just as valid as the healthcare needs of anyone else.

“What is also clear is that decisions like this force research and data compilation about an ignored segment of our population, and when the numbers are crunched it becomes obvious that the population of trans individuals in any healthcare system is so tiny that granting coverage for all trans people’s healthcare needs up to and including genital reassignment surgery makes almost no financial impact on the group of individuals covered through that healthcare system.

“It’s important to remember that it’s the individual who gets to decide for themselves how they identify, whether that be in regards to gender, cultural heritage, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. If a person identifies themselves as transsexual, they are likely indicating that their sex at birth was either male or female, and they plan to or have already undergone medical treatment to transition their sex to the opposite sex.

“One misconception is that a person’s transgender identity or experience is obvious by their appearance, whereas, in reality many transgender individuals pass easily as having been born the gender they transitioned to,” Hudson said, in closing. “Trans people come in all shapes, sizes and sexual orientations. Gender identity and the experience of transitioning one’s gender identity is not a lifestyle choice. Gender identity is one’s internal sense of how they conceptualize their own gender.”

I can’t even get a pap smear without hyperventilating, so at the point that someone is willing to have their swimsuit parts cut open and completely reconstructed, I have to believe that shit is seriously necessary. You can’t psychoanalyze someone out of their gender identity, just like you can’t psychoanalyze me into having a third arm. Judge Wolf (appointed by former president Ronald Reagan, by the way) is indeed breaking new ground. I tip my hat to you, sir.

What’s with the news: To any of you planning a trip to Brussels, you best be prepared to act a lady or gentleman. Recent legislature now makes “rough jostling” and slinging insults punishable by law.

Fines range between 75 and 200 euros (or about USD 95-260) for shoving or pushing wherein no harm is caused, or insults that are “racist, homophobic, or otherwise.”

Now I'm from Wisconsin, where we greet strangers on the street as if we have any idea who in the hell they are. I'm the kind of person who makes idle chit-chat with the cashier at my gas station, the barista at my coffee shop, and anyone else who smiles and seems willing to engage in some cheery yet inconsequential conversation. I highly appreciate good manners and just general friendliness. However, this whole thing has a bit of an Orwellian feel to it.

What’s with us: Rebecca Black is a credentialed teacher, etiquette professional, writer, and founder of Etiquette Now! and Got Etiquette? She creates and teaches custom etiquette workshops; writes articles, booklets and lesson plans; and answers questions daily. No one cares about good manners more than Black. So what’s she got to say about all of this?

“On first glance, I found myself thrilled at the prospect of a rude-free zone or city," Black said regarding the story, "That is something I welcome and encourage daily. After the first few seconds, however, I considered the reality of the law. As much as I would like all people to be nice to each other, I do not agree with legislating behavior such as this. Monitoring others’ manners is in itself ‘rude.’

“Etiquette is basically the behaviors most commonly found and expected when we are out in public. For the most part, we learn these rules by paying attention to what is the most well-mannered behavior exercised by the masses. For example, in our society it is considered rude to step in between two people talking without saying ‘Excuse me.’ We all know this. When a person breaks this rule, we regard this as rude. When we break these societal rules, we appear clueless. When we choose actions or behaviors that will affect others in a positive manner, we are using good manners. When we don’t consider others’ feelings and behave as if we are entitled, we are behaving ill-mannered.

“It is unfortunate that so many don’t know what is thought to be common manners, such as allowing elderly people to exit an elevator first. Respecting our elders seems to be a lost behavior. However, the worst good-manners offense, in my opinion, concerns cellphone use in public. Many people do not realize that the person sitting with them is more important than their cellphone. When two or more people are together, they should concentrate their attention on each other, and not on a little box.

“Basically, I think most people have good manners or at least try to behave well-mannered," said Black. "Many don’t know what is proper, but they appear to want to know. Of course, when the likes of Angelina Jolie and Sean Ditty Combs take etiquette classes, one should notice that etiquette is now ‘cool.’”

I highly doubt the U.S. government will start legally enforcing etiquette any time soon (see: ever). I do wonder, though, if in Brussels I could get them to fine my weird neighbor who is always throwing rocks at my cat. That shit is hella rude.

Each week "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "What's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas! Or, if you’d like to be added to the WWT mailing list, send me an email with the subject line “LIST.”

What's With That: Arctic rainforests, reality TV, & vintage gaming

2012-09-06T18:11:07Z

What’s with the news: So, a while back, a bunch of scientists in Antarctica were digging stuff up, and they happen to stumble upon some fossil pollens that prove the existence of a near-tropical rainforest that covered the continent millions of years ago.

Turns out that the average temperature at the time was about 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which might as well be a million degrees Fahrenheit when you consider that at the time of publishing this column it is a balmy minus 44 F in McMurdo, Antarctica (where the Polar Plunge is simply an exercise in Darwinism).

What does this all mean in terms of climate change? Is it proof that anyone who doesn’t drive a hybrid is Pinkie-and-the-Braining human existence into oblivion? Or is climate change just a bunch of hippie (vegan) baloney because, clearly, Earth has been up to these sorts of shenanigans since well before we humans ever showed up and started posting handmade patio furniture on Pinterest?

What’s with us: Ian Faloona was a postdoctoral fellow in chemistry and microscale meteorology at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. He currently serves as associate professor and bio-micrometeorologist for the UC Davis Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources. Frankly, I only have half a clue what any of that even means, but he’s here to explain the crap out of this rainforest.

“This geologic period is of particular interest because it is believed to be the warmest of the past 65 million years and could hold clues as to how the future Earth might behave in the event of unabated fossil fuel emissions of CO2,” said Faloona regarding the importance of the findings. “During this period it is estimated that the global temperatures were about 10 C warmer than present, and the levels of CO2 are believed to have been more than three times greater than now. The evidence of tropical vegetation on Antarctica then tells us something about how the Earth responded during this very warm period. These must have been some desperate trees that in fleeing the heat of the tropics they were willing to live though the darkness of an Antarctic winter. It should be kept in mind that this warm period of about 55 million years ago, referred to as the PETM, Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, also ushered in a mass extinction that heavily influenced the evolution of early mammals.

“In the case of the PETM, it is believed that a period of intense volcanic activity, associated with the tectonic drift creating the North Atlantic Ocean, released huge amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, which caused the intense warming. Over these long geologic spans, the Earth can recover because CO2 is consumed by chemical reaction with surface rocks (chemical weathering.) So in the broadest sense, on these vast time scales, it's mostly volcanism and rock weathering that cause and control the large swings in CO2.

“But here's the rub: In the past, some have considered this past warm period as proof that what we're doing now, even if we continue to emit CO2 in huge quantities, is not that different from a past state of the planet. However, recent work has shown that the buildup to the very warm period of the PETM was accomplished by CO2 emissions that are about one-tenth as large as what we are currently emitting. So, sure the climate was warm but it took over 20,000 years to build up that much CO2. We are now pushing on the climate much harder than ever before, with consequences that are not fully understood, but are most likely unprecedented in Earth's entire history. It's a very impressive feat.

“We cannot completely control climate change. We cannot control volcanoes or asteroids (not yet, at least), but the pace at which we are increasing atmospheric CO2 is much greater than ever before on Earth. The chances that this will not have a large impact on the climate are pretty slim. And the big change is thought to be coming in the course of the next few human generations because of the rapid rate of input. So, while there are always things in life that you can control and plenty of things you can't, it seems utterly foolish not to control those within your power.

“Given what we know about Earth's rich and storied past, I do not think there is any question that she will persevere,” Faloona said, in closing. “The question is, as it usually is in the course of human affairs, how will we be able to survive, and what kind of life might we all collectively share on the planet.”

So, just because climate change might be based on naturally occurring phenomena does not mean that your refusal to turn the bathroom light off isn’t helping to push things along quite nicely. Way to go, jerkface.

What’s with the news: Hey guys, did ya’ll catch the Republican National Convention? Didja see Clint Eastwood talk to a chair? Did you sit back and reflect upon what Mitt Romney has to offer this country in comparison to President Obama?

Or did you watch a 6-year-old pageant princess mix and slug a Red Bull and Mountain Dew cocktail?

The RNC came through with some respectable ratings, nabbing second place on the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 29. First place? Well, that went to former "Toddlers and Tiaras" contestant Alana Thompson and her TLC reality series “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” I guess Honey Boo Boo is her nickname, because this show wants me to hate it before I even have the chance to watch it.

Now, I’m not trying to get into whether you or I bleed red or blue, dear reader. I don’t care if you heart elephants or donkeys or whatever it was Eastwood was smoking moments before he took that stage. But, and correct me if I’m wrong here, this whole election is supposed to be a big deal, right? We’re talking babymurdercivilrightsunemploymentepidemic big deal. And the RNC represents half of the people involved in this ongoing debate. Shouldn’t we be paying attention?

What’s with us: Dr. Debra Moore is a licensed psychologist, as well as founder and director of Fall Creek Associates. She has served in the past as president of the Sacramento Valley Psychological Association, and is on board to offer her thoughts on our (seriously disheartening) viewing patterns.

“Humans love a good story,” Moore said, regarding the popularity of shows like HCHBB. “All cultures have traditions that revolve around the retelling of universal themes. Television is the modern version of folklore, the Greek myths, the 19th century melodrama and so on. Reality television is the latest incarnation.

“We're drawn to common motifs such as stories about coming of age, the triumph of the underdog and good winning out over evil. Reality TV capitalizes on this. Also, people are drawn to what they are already familiar with and relate to. If they're unfamiliar or uneducated about political issues being debated, and there are no other obvious ‘human dramas’ surrounding a particular politician, they may not feel a connection to the process.

“For people who are informed and believe the issues directly impact their lives,” said Moore, in closing, “the political process becomes compelling. And if the speakers embed the issues within ‘a good story,’ people form an especially strong personal connection to the political process.”

So, perhaps if Jerry Springer had hosted the RNC, and thrown in, say, an illegitimate children or two, and exposed someone’s history of alcoholism, people would have tuned in. Good to know. I’m going to dig a hole and shove my head into it now.

What’s with the news: Nerd alert! GameStop, the largest video game retailer in the galaxy, is going hipster by adding vintage games to their inventory. Someone call Horders, this shit is an untapped market.

I’ll level with you — I'm terrible at video games. That little guy in the cloud is always giving me the hairy eyeball for driving the wrong way in my Mario Kart, and any game with even remotely realistic graphics that includes guns, zombies, or scantily clad women frightens me far more than it awakens my competitive edge. My awfulness knows no console. I suck on Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and any arcade game I come near. In short, I have no idea what I am talking about.

What’s with us: You know who does? Johnny Flores — illustrator, co-owner of Sacramento-based mobile gaming party company Event Gaming, and trusted What’s With That ally.

Regarding the popularity of vintage games, Flores had this to say: “When my buddy and I set up our business, one of the priority purchases we made was a vintage Nintendo Entertainment System, specifically because of how much people, not just ‘gamers,’ love this system. People of all ages, from tiny children who have grown up in the era of the gorgeous graphic power of the PS3, to baby boomers whose own adult offspring played these games as children, love to pick up the old rectangular controller of the NES and play Super Mario Bros. 3, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, or any of the old school titles. We love watching smiles creep over a person’s face when they see these old game titles on our larger HD TV.

“That being said, I’m not a big supporter of some corporation like GameStop going out and buying up these games, which you can usually pick up from just a few bucks to around $20, and jacking the prices of these games up beyond what they go for now. Of course, people may still find these games in a local store, or through an eBay store, that has lower prices.

“One thing we’ve learned the hard way is that some of the cartridges are so old that the metal teeth that connect the game to the console, where the data transfers so that you can play the game, are worn down, and the game doesn’t work. Perhaps they have technicians that can fix this, but we haven’t figured out a way to do that. They’re also doing battle with PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, making these games available for download via the networks these consoles have. Although, there’s nothing like actually seeing these old cartridges and being able to pick them up in your hand.

“Rumor has it,” said Flores, “the next generation of consoles are likely to be releasing new games as downloadable content only, basically circumventing the need for a disc, because GameStop’s used game discs have put such a dent in the game publishers’ income. These modern games are ridiculously expensive to produce and the publishers have been complaining for some time to the console manufactures about this lost revenue.

“Perhaps they’re pursuing this new market because they can see the writing on the wall.”

Yay for downloadable content! I will say that I rocked the shit out of Donkey Kong Country for Super NES. What a wonderful world it would be if I could get that game for my Netflix Box (or Nintendo Wii, for those of you who don’t live in my apartment). Then again, I might never leave the house.

What’s With That: Cream puffs, HPV, and Barbie

2012-08-09T17:21:20Z

What’s with the news: Tokyo-based confectioner Hirota has joined forces with Yamani Soy Sauce to release a new, slightly unusual dessert.

Soy sauce ice cream and … soy sauce cream puffs? Wow, that sounds terrible. Naturally, palates are impacted by culture and geographic locale. Slather some Vegemite on your toast tomorrow morning and experience the jarring phenomena for yourself.

However, there is a greater purpose behind Hirota’s venture. Yamani is located in Rikuzentakata, a city devastated by last year’s tsunami that left over 15,000 people dead and even more without food or shelter. A portion of the ice cream and cream puff sales will go toward aid efforts in Rikuzentakata.

But seriously, are people actually going to eat this stuff?

What’s with us: Renowned sushi chef and Mikuni Chief Dreaming Officer Taro Arai was born in Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. In 1987 he and his family moved to Sacramento, where they opened their first Mikuni, now one of the most successful restaurant businesses in our region.

“I appreciate their thoughtful project,” said Arai. “I really like the unique idea — to use soy sauce flavoring. Maybe they are trying to catch people’s eyes by creating something different. It makes sense to work with Yamani. At Mikuni, we sold over 4,000 Rescue Rolls at $12 each to raise money for the tsunami fund. I think, to raise money, it might work better to create very tasty soy sauce-flavored rice crackers, which are already popular, with some unique shape to represent the city or city mascot. Or they could create a special bottle with an eye-catching package and announce that some percentage of the sales will go to the tsunami fund.

“The Japanese palate is different from the American palate. When I had just moved to America from Japan, I thought all the flavors were too strong. For example, I thought cake tasted too thick and sweet. The Japanese palate is more simple, delicate and light.

“I would try it though!” Arai said about the desserts, “I used to make wasabi yogurt, but I can’t imagine that soy sauce-flavored ice cream would be my favorite. My family members said it sounded disgusting — we use soy sauce in everything except for dessert. It is somewhat too salty. I don’t think Americans would like it, definitely. I haven’t seen any ketchup or mustard-flavored ice cream or cream puffs.”

I like to fancy myself a culinary adventurist, but I certainly won’t be making the trek to try these any time soon. There are easier ways to support relief efforts, ones that don’t require a Coke back.

What’s with the news: Not too many parents worry about their 11-year-old contracting venereal disease, but a number of health organizations are suggesting that perhaps they should.

The debate centers around the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, traditionally recommended for women ages 11-26, though the topic of male immunization is also growing more popular. The vaccine prevents cervical cancer in women, and both genital warts and other forms of cancer in men and women. While HPV is traditionally associated with sexual intercourse, research suggests that any genital contact can easily pass the virus.

A lot of people think the vaccine is great. A lot don’t. If you don’t like those links, a quick Google search should still prove that I am not lying to you. Parental hesitance in regards to overvaccination is not necessarily new. However, it seems that the mere idea of one’s preteen bumping uglies is extra unsettling, and perhaps a bit too much for a lot of parents to swallow.
What’s with us: Jessica Brown is a public heath prevention specialist who has worked with Planned Parenthood, Sutter Physician Services and the Department of Health Care Services. She currently works with her nonprofit, the Encouraging Life Organization, to create community health initiatives for the purpose of eliminating disparities in underserved communities. Last month she weighed in on quick-fix weight loss methods, and this week she’s here to talk HPV.

“HPV is very common,” said Brown. “Approximately 20 million Americans are currently infected and 6.2 million become infected with it each year. Fifty percent of sexually active men and women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.

“There are a lot misconceptions regarding HPV. One is the belief that a person can only get HPV by having vaginal sex. This is clearly not true. A person can get HPV by engaging in any sexual contact with a person who is infected with HPV. Another is the belief that a person can only get genital warts if the warts are visible. This is not true either. The virus sheds on top of the skin and can still be transmitted to another person without being visible.

“Cervical cancer typically does not have symptoms until it is quite advanced. It is important for women to get regular checkups such as pap smears, which screen for abnormal cells that are linked to HPV. However, there is no routine test for HPV. With the exception of cervical cancer screenings, there is no routine test for genital warts, and patients are usually tested only after exposure and the appearance of symptoms. There is no approved test to find HPV or other related cancers in men.

“The vaccine prevents females from contracting genital warts and cervical cancer,” Brown concluded. “In males the vaccine prevents HPV cancers and genital warts. There are no known side effects of the vaccine, except reports of soreness of the arm after the dose is administered. Planned Parenthood offers the vaccine and has a program that can assist with getting the shots for little or no cost.”

At the end of the day, "genital warts" simply doesn't have the same acceptable ring to it as "rubella" or "polio". Honestly, it probably doesn’t matter whether a parent believes HPV is caused by sexual intercourse versus sexual contact. To people opting out of the vaccine for their children on such grounds, splitting hairs is unlikely to change anyone’s mind. While the whole issue of required vaccination is dicey at best, there’s something to be said for being better safe than sorry. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t care what they are carrying, and even more simply do not know.

What’s with the news: Barbie is back in the news, because we all know that bitch doesn't get nearly enough attention. Model Katie Halchishick, co-founder of Healthy is the New Skinny, posed for a photograph with Barbie’s proportions outlined on her own body a la “Dr. 90210" to illustrate just how weird and wholly unnatural Barbie's body is.

Barbie on a real girl is more than a bit horrifying, especially when you note that Barbie’s waist is only slightly larger in diameter than this model’s freaking bellybutton. And those eyes are borderline extraterrestrial. What on earth are we teaching young girls, or boys, for that matter?
What’s with us: Elizabeth Sweet is a UC Davis doctoral candidate in sociology whose current research examines the role of gender in children’s toys and toy advertising over the 20th century. She is also the mother of a 10-year-old daughter who she considers to be her best research assistant on toys. She offered her thoughts on not only Barbie-imposed body dysmorphia, but also gendered toys in general.

“I would say that Barbie is definitely emblematic of the changes that have been happening in children’s toys, especially over the past 40 years,” said Sweet. “Not only have toys become increasingly gendered over this time, but the messages about both the body and gender roles have become, in my opinion, increasingly problematic. While Barbie has never been representative of real women’s bodies, the doll has undergone several transformations over the years that have exaggerated both her unrealistic body proportions and her über-femininity.

“In terms of bodies, we see the same kinds of exaggeration going on for action figures aimed at boys. The earliest action figures look a lot different than those of today. Researchers have actually studied the changes in body proportions of figures like G.I. Joe and have found them becoming more and more muscled over time, to the point where now they seem like a gross caricature of the masculine form. So both boys’ and girls’ toys seem to be growing more distinct from one another, and convey increasingly exaggerated and stereotypical ideas about masculinity and femininity.

“The problem that I see with toys for girls these days is the messages they convey about what it means to be a woman, and the same thing is true of the messages about masculinity embedded in toys for boys. Girls’ toys tend to emphasize characteristics like beauty, domesticity, nurturing and being sexy — and rarely relate to other characteristics like strength and intelligence. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that girls are grappling with serious issues related to body image at increasingly young ages.

“The toy industry tends to argue that they offer what people want, and that what we see happening in toys is demand-driven,” Sweet said in closing. “To some extent this may be true. Nevertheless, it seems surprising that toys are becoming more gendered while, in some ways, our actual society is moving closer toward gender equity. My hunch is that as men’s and women’s roles have become more similar in both the workplace and the home, things like gendered toys become a means of reinforcing the idea that the two genders are still really quite different. It maintains the status quo in terms of our ideas and stereotypes about men and women, and makes the fact that we’re doing more similar things seem less threatening. But researchers have found that ideas and stereotypes matter a lot in terms of what people actually do - they can steer people towards some things and away from others. So if the idea that science is for boys and nurturing is for girls becomes even more prevalent than it was in, say, the 1970's, this may have worrisome consequences for increasing gender equity down the road.”

So to tie it all together, everyone get your daughters that damn HPV vaccination. Barbie has already given her a license to tramp around town anyway.

Sad news all - "What’s With That" will be on sabbatical for the duration of the month while I make a sojourn back to the land of my people, the great state of Wisconsin. I shall return though, more insightful and hilarious than ever (if you do not think I am hilarious, you are wrong). I know this will be difficult for all of us, but fear not - absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Each week "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "What's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com
with your ideas!

Disclosure: Allison Joy is employed by Mikuni Restaurant Group Inc.

What's With That: Eagle Scouts, curing AIDS, and anger management

2012-08-02T17:43:53Z

What’s with the news: Across the U.S., Eagle Scouts are returning their hard-earned medals in protest of the Boy Scouts of America’s policy on homosexuality.

The BSA policy reads, “While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

Come on, BSA. DADT is so five years ago.

What’s with us: Eric Morgan has worked for Davis Senior High School for seven years, where he currently teaches English and leadership while working to keep students connected and invested in their school by maintaining an inclusive atmosphere that values individuality. Over the past several years he has also worked to engage students in dialogue regarding how the student body conducts Dance Royalty elections with regards to students outside the gender-normative sexuality routine. In addition he grew up as a Cub Scout and earned his Eagle Scout medal at the age of 18. He also worked at Camp Winton in El Dorado National Forest, where recently ten staffers quit in protest over the firing of a gay co-worker.

Morgan shared his thoughts about the BSA controversy and those returned medals with The Sacramento Press via email.

“At the time I earned my Eagle Scout medal, it meant that I knew how to follow through,” said Morgan. “And that I knew how to work with a team to take action and influence the world, instead of remain passive in it. It helped empower my confidence to make the world a better place through even small actions.”

Morgan continued, “Now it means that I am among the highest achievers in an institution that chooses to see sexuality as one of the most important driving forces in what determines the quality of our character, and who finds it impossible to be a strong leader and role model while being gay … While I feel proud of the work I put in as a scout, and while I am proud of what I was able to teach younger scouts when I served as a staff member at my summer camp, I don’t feel proud to be so affiliated with the organization anymore. It’s weird to be a high achiever with an organization when I so strongly disagree with their stance. It has made me consider sending back my award over the years.”

In regards to the recent movement of Eagle Scouts returning their medals, Morgan said, “They are letting the BSA know, in a very quiet and powerful way, that not all scouts agree with the current view of sexuality in scouting. Few people are willing to give up the honors that arise from this kind of work, and that they are willing to do so to educate this institution illustrates how important they see this issue to be. It means that they are doing what they believe is right.”

But Morgan also sees potential for change down the road.

“I would hope that the BSA changes its stance on gay scouts and leaders. This will be difficult, because currently the BSA is very closely tied with religious institutions who predominantly look down on homosexuality. I don’t have much faith that current scout leadership will change their minds. However, many churches are evolving their views on sexuality, and these churches can sponsor troops who share that value. Also, many of the folks I speak to about this disagree with the BSA’s current stance on homosexuality. These folks are becoming parents and are natural leaders, people who are considering the mark they want to leave on scouting as adults. These new leaders will want to see scouting change and grow into the modern world, and they’ll have the power to do so.”

“There will be challenges,” Morgan said in closing. “There will be groups that will choose to dig their heels in, and many will pull their children out of scouting, and the BSA may even fragment over this, but in some way the institution is going to have to change because there will be enough leaders dissatisfied that some sort of accommodation will need to be made. These are challenges I believe the BSA should face and be prepared to weather in order to do what is right.”

Anti-gay policies come across as more and more archaic each year, and each day the world moves closer to leaving behind those that hold such beliefs. As a former Girl Scout, I am proud to say that Girl Scouts of the USA holds no discriminatory membership policies in regards to sexual preference. I can only imagine how heartbroken I’d be to see that stance change.

What’s with the news: On July 24, Timothy Ray Brown, the “Berlin Patient” spoke at the International AIDS conference, assuring the room that he is still HIV-free.

Brown was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1995, and received anti-retroviral therapy for 11 years. In 2006, when Brown’s health began to deteriorate, doctors used a stem cell transplant to treat his leukemia, which is thought to have both cured his leukemia and eliminated the HIV from his system.

What’s with us: Dr. Joseph Anderson is currently an assistant professor at UC Davis in the Department of Internal Medicine's Division for Infectious Diseases. He also works with the UC Davis Stem Cell Program, and is the head of the HIV Disease Team. This whole “AIDS cure” thing is a little complex, and Anderson was nice enough to try to break it down for us.

“Research is now heavily focused on eradicating HIV in the body by flushing out viral reservoirs which hide in immune cells, and developing new drugs to activate and kill viral reservoirs aimed more towards trying to eradicate HIV from the body,” said Anderson.

“A smaller number of labs are actually focusing on stem cell gene therapy as a cure for HIV. Timothy Brown, who is the only documented case of someone being cured of HIV, was treated by being transplanted with HIV-resistant cells from a donor. There is, however, no worldwide database which screens for the CCR5 delta-32 natural HIV-resistant gene, and it would be extremely difficult to find a matched donor for every infected individual. Therefore, our lab focuses on genetically engineering a patient’s own stem cells which are being artificially genetically modified to become HIV-resistant, compared to Timothy’s case where naturally HIV-resistant stem cells were used."

“This method would more than likely work with both populations of patients who are HIV-positive and those who have progressed to AIDS. However, patients with clinical AIDS are more fragile and morbidity during the process is more likely.”

In regards to the implications of Brown’s case on future treatments, Anderson said, “As Timothy Brown is the only documented case of an HIV-infected patient being cured, we hope more research and funding will be directed towards stem cell gene therapy approaches. This method of transplanting HIV-resistant stem cells has been the only cure for HIV so far. My lab is currently in the regulatory stages of getting our stem cell gene therapy clinical approved and we will be starting our trials in the near future."

“Timothy Brown’s case shows that a cure for HIV is possible. Some critics say that it is too expensive of a procedure to use a bone marrow transplant to cure an infected patient, but if the tables were turned I am sure that cost would not be of concern. Therefore, more research and funding should be directed towards that goal. No matter the cost of the procedure, patients deserve a cure and funding should be directed towards that. Underdeveloped countries should not be overlooked, but we need to find a cure first and then figure out how to reach everyone worldwide.”

You know, stem cells fascinate me more than Santa Claus; it seems they have the potential to fix a lot of scary stuff like cancer and AIDS, and maybe eradicating reality television. Kudos to UC Davis — someone ought to find a cure and it sure won’t be me.

What’s with the news: Feeling pissed off? Did that barista make your latte with whole milk instead of soy? Maybe your kid sister used your cashmere sweater for bedding in her hamster's cage. Well if you’re in Germany, you don’t have to humiliate yourself by losing your marbles in public or with anyone you’ll have to see at the office tomorrow. You can call “Schimpf-los,” or “Swear Away” in English.

That’s right. For the low, low price of 1.49 euros, or about $1.82 U.S. dollars per minute, you can swear your face off to a complete and total stranger.

What’s with us: Dr. Catherine Cohen is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, former editor of “Sacramento Valley Psychologist” and former president of the Sacramento Valley Psychological Association. Last month she discussed Jeremiah McDonald’s YouTube video with us, and she’s back this week to talk about anger management and the therapeutic value of lashing out at strangers.

Regarding the popularity of such a service, Cohen said, “It’s much easier to discharge aggression onto complete strangers because it’s easier to dehumanize them. The caller then doesn’t have to deal with the attendant guilt or competing positive feelings which complicate things when we are angry at those we care about."

“Hypothetically speaking, the value of this hotline is to allow callers some sort of catharsis. Instead of using a punching bag to get out anger or frustration, the person who receives the call is the punching bag. Because it’s another human being, it ostensibly gives the caller a way to work out feelings in a more related manner."

“Of course some angry callers are likely to be abusive in their anger. This is not helpful for either the caller or the listener, particularly since the hotline is only for anger discharge. This sort of release is not necessarily therapeutic. Some things really are best when they are not acted upon."

“I don’t think it’s unacceptable per se,” Cohen said in closing. “You could make a case this service is more appealing in cultures which tend to be emotionally repressive. Having the hotline creates some parameters around the expression of intense (and) unacceptable words and emotions, and charging per minute makes it transactional. Therefore, people could feel safer in doing something they normally prohibit. Like other behaviors we feel uncomfortable with, there is typically also a thrill involved. But do we really need to encourage more angry exchanges in the world?”

When I first stumbled across the article and the “Schimpf-los” service, I thought it was amusing at best, and a sad reflection of our society at worst. However, having recently been dumped by a complete moron who shall remain nameless, I feel I’ve been too quick to judge and shall purchase an international calling card immediately for further research. Wish me luck!

Each week "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "what's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas!

What's With That: Ben Spurr's wrath, Rotten Tomatoes, and foie gras

2012-07-26T18:07:22Z

What’s with the news: Anita Sarkeesian is causing waves in the gaming world. She is the proud recipient of a deluge of hate mail, and now a game designed by Ben Spurr allows players to digitally beat her face in.

So what’d she do? Surely something awful, like swallowing Skyrim whole or force-feeding her Xbox to a lion.

Not exactly. Anita Sarkeesian set out to raise funds via Kickstarter for her project entitled Tropes vs Women in Video Games — a project that seeks to explore the limited roles that female characters occupy in the gaming world.

What’s with us: Johnny Flores, illustrator and co-owner of Sacramento-based mobile gaming party company Event Gaming, weighed in on the value of Sarkeesian’s project and the motives behind those who so desperately hate her.

“I've listened to some of Anita's videocasts before and I agree with her views about female characters in video games,” said Flores. “One of the more popular games to come out recently is Batman: Arkham City. One of the major, playable characters is Catwoman. She wears a skin-tight suit, like Batman, and she's every bit as intelligent, insightful, skilled, and intuitive as he is. Unfortunately, the game writer and designers decided to over-emphasize her sexuality. Even when you are privy to her inner thoughts, she speaks in this over-the-top sexpot voice and walks around with her breasts spilling out. Her attack moves often involve her defeating thugs in very erotic ways, while Batman gets to just pummel the s--- out of them without any sort of sexuality.”

“The gaming industry caters to a lot of males of all ages. Maybe if more men were willing to speak out against the objectification of women in these games, game designers would start making female characters that were complex and well thought out. There are very few games with a strong female character who doesn't show off her body in an alluring way or isn’t a damsel in distress. Very few.”

When asked what he thought motivated Spurr and his army, Flores replied, “These guys are immature, pathetic, and spiteful. I don’t understand them. I don’t want to understand them. I hope if they are ever lucky enough to love a woman as an equal, that they reflect back on the way they behaved and remember that they were on the side of objectifying women, and threatened a woman who tried to shine a light on something she felt morally obligated to speak about. I hope they realize how wrong they were and just how dangerous their actions were. Maybe if that day ever comes, one of them will have the backbone to find a way to apologize to Anita.”

Preach.

What’s with the news: Film-review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes was, for the first time, forced to shut down its user-generated comments after a couple of bad reviews for the film "The Dark Knight Rises" led to a slew of hate speech and death threats in the commenting section.

And while a lot of speculation, primarily taking place on Twitter, lays blame at the feet of Internet trolls, the fact remains that the act of shutting down their comment section is unprecedented for Rotten Tomatoes. Don't Batman's fans have day jobs?

What’s with us: Tony Sheppard is a professor of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration at Sacramento State. He has been writing film reviews for over a decade and also serves as co-director of the Sacramento Film and Music Festival. He talked cult followings in film with The Sacramento Press via email.

“The idea of a cult film has changed somewhat over time,” said Sheppard. “In the past it was more likely to be used to signify a film that had a core group of followers, often relatively small, and perhaps a film that didn’t gain much mainstream support or success. But mainstream films can also gain cult status, with a very loyal group of followers.”

“It seems fair to say that what has become known as “The Dark Knight Trilogy” has a cult-like following — but I’m not sure that it’s entirely similar, and it seems unlikely to be as long lasting … The Batman character has been around for decades and has had generations of fans … You also have a very popular cast that have followings of their own, and a director who might even be labeled as having his own cultish following. So you potentially have multiple levels of fandom involved in the outcome and a great vested interest. It’s a quasi-religious experience for some fans.”

“I’ve been posting (on Rotten Tomatoes) for over nine years, and it’s not unusual for people to track the reviews as they come in and comment on the first negative reviews for popular films,” Sheppard said in closing. “But I think there’s a bigger change that has occurred over time … What you’re seeing is this strange combination of factors that have turned films into something more like sports have traditionally been … Now if you’re a big fan of a project, it’s not just about how well it’s produced, it’s about how it stacks up against other projects measured at the box office. After all, the deep, quality dramas have their awards shows to separate out the wheat from the chaff, but the giant effect-laden comic book and action movies are rated by their fans in the box office competition — and it’s just like a sport with home teams and rivalries.”

Sheppard’s review of “The Dark Knight Rises” is up on The Sacramento Press, and readers can look forward to his full analysis on why we love our movies so much later this week.

What’s with the news: A statewide ban on foie gras, “fatty liver” in French, approved in 2004 in the state of California, finally went into effect on July 1 of this year. The ban was fueled by those questioning the ethical treatment of force-fed fowl, but many fans of the cuisine and those in the restaurant industry see things a bit differently.

On July 18 a federal judge refused a motion to temporarily stay the ban, though he set a new hearing for Aug. 29.

What’s with us: Molly Hawks is executive chef and co-owner of Hawks Restaurant in Granite Bay, where she “blends modern cuisine with locally farmed ingredients.” Prior to the ban, foie gras had been one of many popular dishes served at Hawks, and she was kind enough to share her knowledge of foie gras production and her thoughts on the ban.

“Foie gras is a long-rooted culinary tradition,” Hawks said. “Ancient Egyptians discovered that the livers of certain migratory waterfowl were distinctly better at certain times of the year — times nearing migration. In preparation for migration, ducks eat in excess to store fat in their livers and beneath their skin … With the domestication of animals, farmers have simply replicated this naturally occurring phenomenon.”

“We purchase our foie gras from Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York, where the ducks are free to roam in free-feeding barns until 12 weeks of age. They are then moved to another barn where the ducks are grouped into open pens where the 18 to 21 day gavage occurs. The term gavage, French for “gorge,” refers to the hand-feeding of ducks; a feeder inserts a tube into the esophagus of each duck and funnels in a cupful of feed. The entire process is said to last approximately 30 seconds per duck. Upon receiving a lobe of Hudson Valley foie gras at the restaurant, if we notice that a lobe is imperfect in any way, that lobe can be traced back to a particular feeder … this leads me to believe that there are tight controls on the process.”

Regarding foie gras in the media, Hawks continued, “I do think there is a difference between what many perceive to be happening versus reality. Time and again we are subjected to photographs of ducks in tiny cages covered in what appears to be yellow vomit. These images do not ring true with the practices set forth by our nation’s foie gras farms. I cannot speak to the farming practices in other countries, where such photos are thought to have originated."

“When Guillermo Gonzalez of California’s Artisan Foie Gras approved the bill which led to the current foie gras ban in California, he did so because he was promised that funding would be provided for independent research to determine whether foie gras farming was humane. Guillermo was confident that the research would show that foie gras practices are indeed humane. However, after the bill was signed the research funding was pulled.

“I think the California ban has impaired the ability of California chefs to compete on a national scale,” Hawks said in closing. “We worry that California’s young talent may choose to pursue culinary careers in other states where they can learn to work with such luxuries as foie gras. In addition, it’s sad to see something with such significant culinary history just disappear.”

What do you think? I personally don’t eat the stuff — it’s too pedestrian for my "refined" starving artist palate. Yet anyone who’s driven past a certain cattle farm headed south on a certain interstate might consider — which battle ought we be fighting?

Each week "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "what's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas!

What's With That: D. Tosh, Higgs boson, and Skinny Gurl

2012-07-19T16:59:33Z

What’s with the news: By now you’ve probably heard about the controversy Daniel Tosh caused at the Laugh Factory in LA recently. If you haven’t, I’d first like to thank you for pulling your head out of the sand long enough to read my column. Really means a lot.

There are a couple different accounts of what happened. One has Tosh bringing up the issue of rape himself and then outright suggesting that audience members gang rape a heckler. The other has a different audience member responding to Tosh’s call for joke ideas by suggesting rape, followed by Tosh pontificating on a female audience member’s experience with rape based on her aversion to the idea of a rape joke.

Since then you cannot get people to shut up about this guy. Bloggers, comedians and members of the Internet mass have stepped out in retaliation against both the outrage directed toward Tosh as well as his contributions to rape culture.

The Sacramento-based California Coalition Against Sexual Assault called Tosh’s rant, “another example of misogynistic and callous attitude and behavior aimed at silencing women and survivors of sexual assault and rape - not to mention making light of sexual violence overall.”

In short, a lot of people are very, very angry.

What’s with us: Cheryl “The Soccer Mom” Anderson is a local comedian and founder of the stand-up group “The Real (funny) Housewives of Rio Linda”. She agreed to weigh in with her thoughts.

“Comedians are inappropriate by definition,” she said via email with the Sacramento Press. “Whether it was or wasn’t the right thing to say isn’t relevant. Comedians try different jokes and reactions to hecklers. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Comedians have the responsibility to say what they’re thinking and it’s up to the audience to decide whether or not they want to listen. If they don't like it, they can leave quietly.”

“Comedians aren’t speaking from a position of authority. They’re pointing out absurdities, irony and sometimes just being silly,” Anderson continued. “People have to know that when they enter a comedy club they may hear outrageous things. Comedians are going to say things that are stupid, unpopular, ill-informed, and brilliant, insightful … Comedians have to fail in order to perfect the material. If society insists that certain topics are off-limits, and if they microanalyze everything someone says, then we’ll miss a lot of great material.”

“On the other hand,” she said in closing, “If people hate what he said, they should stop watching his show and not buy tickets to see him live, that is perfectly justified. They shouldn’t try to stop others who might enjoy him though. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all in comedy. What is hilarious to one person is horrible to another.”

Here are just two of my 8 million cents: The thing about being an artist - and this is whether you are crafting a joke, releasing a novel, or displaying your interpretation of the Venus de Milo eating a hamburger - is that once your art is released to the public, the next step is public discourse. Art creates dialogue. Your burger-guzzling Venus de Milo might make a bunch of people feel fat. They may hate you for it, boycott your gallery openings, proclaim you a hack from the tops of their lungs. Tough potatoes, that’s the biz you’re in. People might find your joke both utterly devoid of creativity AND repugnantly misogynistic, and they might take to the proverbial streets to talk about it - loudly. They should.

What’s with the news: Earlier this month, CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) put out a press release that got not only the attention of the scientific community, but the media at large.

According to CERN, “ICHEP2012 in Melbourne, the ATLAS and CMS experiments presented their latest preliminary results in the search for the long sought Higgs particle. Both experiments observe a new particle in the mass region around 125-126 GeV.”

Awesome! And also...what?

Since then the media has been all atwitter over the discovery of the so-called “God particle”. I for one don’t understand a lick of it, but I gather that it’s pretty important.

What’s with us: Luckily James Dolen, a Ph.D. student at UC-Davis studying high energy particle physics and member of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoi — say that three times fast) experiment at CERN was kind enough to break it down for all of us.

“The atom is composed of protons, neutrons and electrons,” said Dolen, “And protons and neutrons are composed of other particles (electrons are fundamental, meaning they cannot be broken down into other particles). The proton and neutron are composed of quarks … We also believe that the quarks are fundamental. The Higgs is a separate particle that is not contained within the proton or neutron.”

“The Higgs boson is a fundamental particle just like quarks and electrons. Most importantly we think that particles such as quarks and electrons acquire mass by interacting with the Higgs particle. We have a mathematical model which for the past 30 years has done an excellent job of predicting the particle properties and their interactions, but the model can only explain particle mass if the Higgs particle exists.”

But why the “God particle”?

“Physicists really dislike that name!” Dolen responded. “The term originated when physicist Leon Lederman wrote a book called ‘The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question?’ The story goes that he wanted to call the book ‘The Goddamned Particle’ because the particle was so hard to detect, but his editor changed the name to ‘The God Particle.’ Within the field of physics people refer to the particle as the Higgs particle.”

In closing Dolen added, “It’s a big piece of the puzzle in explaining how the universe works. Without Higgs the universe would not have stars, planets or atoms, and the particles in the universe would be very different.”

So to recap, we can’t really prove the existence of God, but we are starting to figure out why patio furniture can be so cumbersome. Congratulations, you’ve all just earned your Ph.D. in Laymen’s Physics. (No, that’s not really a thing. Please don’t send me angry emails.)

What’s with the news: Heard of Skinny Gurl? It’s an anonymously written mainstream fashion blog that focuses on weight issues in the fashion industry. “Oh,” you’re thinking, “Another redundant rant about emaciated models launching an epidemic of body dysmorphia. So late 90s.”

Not really. Skinny Gurl lauds the now standard body frame of high-end fashion models, and takes every opportunity to ridicule full-figured models and what she sees as the “Fat Pride” trend.

Unfortunately for Skinny Gurl, her blog garnered attention from Reddit followers, which led to a DDoS attack on her site that forced her to change hosts. On July 8 she issued “Some Changes” to her site while apologizing out of one side of her mouth and defending herself from the other.

But what does it mean, not only that there is an incredibly mainstream site designed solely to keeping plus-size women out of fashion, but also that said site has so incensed the Internet community that it was attacked, and the blogger in question attempted concession?

What’s with us: Latonya Williams in the founder of Sacramento-based full-figured and plus-size modeling agency Contour Jewlz. She is also in the process of starting her own nonprofit geared toward full-figured women empowerment, and she was kind enough to share her thoughts regarding Skinny Gurl and the evolving role of plus-size women in fashion.

Regarding the massive backlash against Skinny Gurl, Wiliams replied, "I believe that this forum received so much publicity because of the vicious way that she attacked plus-size women. The reality of the United States today is that plus size-women are the majority. In the modeling world, high fashion models are deemed plus-size if they are above a size eight. In society it is custom to be considered plus if you are size twelve and above. Here is a woman who has probably never been overweight, and so has absolutely no idea why or how others are this way. I bet if she took the time to interview several plus-size women, she would find out that they each have a story behind their size."

"I don’t think that 'Skinny Gurl' nor her fans understand the statement, 'big is beautiful' or the 'Plus-Size Trend' as one reader put it," said Williams. "The entire mission behind the plus-size movement is self love. We are finally openly saying, 'I have curves and I'm proud and I love them.' This was not accepted by society until recently. I definitely do not think that she would have gotten the same response ten or fifteen years ago. We have to make a stand and a place for ourselves in the media - they are not going to just open the door for us. We have to keep pushing for our rights in the fashion world. "

Though Williams did agree on a few points. "I agree with Skinny Gurl that health should be a priority, and that society should not have the attitude that it is all right to be obese or unhealthy. I also agree that society views commenting on a plus-size woman’s weight as unacceptable, but will openly ridicule a thinner woman about her weight, by questioning her well-being."

"My company’s creed is: 'Women of all sizes should be celebrated & have the opportunity to model'," Williams said in closing. "I truly believe this. All sizes are beautiful, no one size is 'right' or 'wrong', although there are cases where a woman can either be too thin or too big and health becomes a major issue. It is true that most plus-size women would like to lose a little weight, whether it be five or fifty pounds. But our beauty is not defined by those pounds. We are beautiful just the way we are, and that is the whole point of the Plus-Size Movement."

Hear that ladies? Eat your veggies and WORK.IT.

Each week "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "what's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas!

What's With That: Diet goggles, Mommy Pitt, & talking to yourself

2012-07-12T17:04:57Z

What’s with the news: Last month researchers at the University of Tokyo shared their innovative “diet glasses” with Discovery News. I however only stumbled upon them recently, and I think they are insane. Hence their inclusion in this week's column.

The goggles are designed to drastically reduce one’s doughnut intake by making the food appear larger than it actually is. They also allow the wearer to look incredibly ridiculous while out to brunch with friends.

The goggle team’s experiments show volunteers consuming 10 percent less when their food appears 50 percent larger, and 15 percent more when food appears two-thirds its actual size.

Who needs the gym when you’ve got good old reliable innovative technology to bail you out?

What’s with us: Jessica Brown is a public heath prevention specialist who has worked with Planned Parenthood, Sutter Physician Services, and the Department of Health Care Services. She currently works with her nonprofit, the Encouraging Life Organization, to create community health initiatives for the purpose of eliminating disparities in underserved communities.

“I am impressed with the advancement of technology, but I definitely have some concerns,” Brown said via email. “Our society is fixated on ‘quick fixes’ to chronic problems. Most people won’t seek help for overeating until a traumatic event occurs, such as a stroke or being diagnosed with diabetes. That person will seek medical advice and possibly be prescribed medication to quickly repair health issues. He or she may then look for a quick and easy solution to prevent future issues – three-week diet plans, magic weight-loss pills … diet goggles.”

She continued, “For someone who is struggling with weight loss, recommendations would be to increase fruits and vegetable intake, decrease sugary drinks and increase water intake, and increase daily activity. The use of something like diet goggles takes away those key factors of healthy weight loss. It fails to encourage the idea of incorporating healthier foods into one’s diet. One should consider that … even though they may be losing weight, continuing to eat unhealthy foods can still put a person at risk for chronic illness such as diabetes and heart disease.”

Yeah, but they’d be a great way to scare off a bad first date over dinner.

What’s with the news: On July 3 Jane Pitt, mother of well-known actor and activist Brad Pitt, penned a letter to the editor of her local newspaper, the Springfield News-Leader.

The letter has since been reposted and evaluated by just about every major newsource in the country.

The letter urges Christian voters to support Republican Party candidate Mitt Romney despite his Mormon background. Mrs. Pitt cites Obama’s policies on abortion and same-sex marriage, reminding readers, “Any Christian who does not vote or writes in a name is casting a vote for Romney’s opponent …”

Which begs the question, is it really possible to pigeonhole voters based solely on their spiritual beliefs?

What’s with us: Aurellia Anderson received her Master’s of Divinity degree from Duke University Divinity School and is currently a Licensed Minister of the Evangelical Covenant Church. She agreed to weigh in with her thoughts on how our current political quagmire impacts followers of the Christian faith.

“I personally believe Christians struggle today, politically,” she said. “They are asked to choose between moral/ethical issues and social justice issues. If we are to label Jesus’ theology, he was a liberation theologian...he believed in social justice. I think a person’s social consciousness can influence their political stance, and when engaging in politics social justice issues outweigh a person’s moral commitments.”

She continued, “I do not believe there is a candidate today (or if ever) that adequately fits the Christian belief system. Christians are forced to choose between two candidates of a seemingly two-party system. This is usually swayed depending on the personal lifestyle of the voting Christian (race/ethnicity, class, etc).”

“Because Christians are human beings, they will disagree and tend to think their opinion and choice is the most accurate,” Anderson said in closing. “So if there was a way to vote, I believe Christ would not even answer the question, and instead tell the Church (the body of Christian believers) to reject it all and take care of the world’s problems themselves.”

So being Christian does not necessarily make any one individual’s decision at the polls, or ability to maintain faith in our political system, much easier than it is for those who don’t adhere to any particular religious belief system. Now let us all band together in frustration, and stop hating one another.

What’s with the news: Last Thursday filmmaker Jeremiah McDonald uploaded a video of himself on YouTube titled, “A Conversation With My 12 Year Old Self: 20th Anniversary.”

The video sets a rambunctious 12-year-old McDonald beside his cynical, whiskey-sipping current self at the age of 32. For just under four minutes, the two Jeremiah’s discuss current and former pets, the Internet, and McDonald’s forgotten dream of becoming an illustrator.

As of Thursday morning, one week after the video was uploaded, Jeremiah’s conversation with Jeremiah has received over 6.5 million hits. I can personally account for only a few hundred of those.

What’s with us: Dr. Catherine Cohen is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and former editor of “Sacramento Valley Psychologist.” Dr. Debra Moore is a licensed Psychologist, as well as Founder and Director of Fall Creek Associates. Both women have served in the past as President of the Sacramento Valley Psychological Association and agreed to weigh in with their thoughts on the video.

“In terms of popularity, it’s very novel and well done. Also, the subject matter is essentially human psychology and that is always fascinating,” said Dr. Moore. “One hundred percent of us have had experiences of looking back at ourselves as a kid and trying to put the pieces together — how the heck did we get here, why did we turn out this way, what were the influences.”

According to Dr. Cohen, “Our culture has always been preoccupied with youth, but in the current climate of difficulty (seemingly endless wars, economic hardship, melting planet, exorbitant college tuition, etc.) I suspect most of us have had increasing questions about the future, and whether it will be an improvement on days gone by.”

“The filmmaker has an edgy curiosity with his youthful self — as if he could interact with himself again and redirect the decisions which got him to the stagnation he alludes to,” Cohen continued. “The optimism of youth is noteworthy, and optimism seems especially desirable today. As the filmmaker documents his growth from boy to man, he’s portraying important forces at work: optimism and realism — and the quest to balance these given the external factors of life.”

“He’s cynical, but there’s a sweetness to it all,” Dr. Moore said in closing. “He’s looking at himself with a kind of affection for his younger self. Like a little brother — he bugs you but you love him.”

I for one would love to chat with little Allison over a cocktail, if only for a chance to warn her against the impending awful perm she’d eventually demand.

This One’s for the Queen: T-Mo’s “I am a Queen” Part II

2012-07-09T18:05:03Z

It was another impressive turnout for T-Mo Entertainment’s I am a Queen: Women’s Empowerment Conference II, held at the Guild Theater in Oak Park on Saturday.

The last “I am a Queen” conference, held in May, was a huge success and Terry Moore had stated at the time that he wanted to hold such conferences on a regular basis. He has since held true to his word.

Bravo Dogs provided refreshments just outside the entrance to the Guild. Inside the lobby, Nicci Ray displayed her handcrafted selection of accessories. Dafna Gauthier of DPG Mindsets was also on hand with her line of conversation-starting, inspirational t-shirts.

Olivia Armstead was in attendance on behalf of God’s Glamour Girls, which hosts a monthly outreach breakfast for women of all ages and colors for the purpose of “spirituality motivating a woman’s soul and body.”

Armstead gave away one free ticket to GGG’s “Let’s Ride” Aug. 3 bus trip to the Los Angeles Garment district. Tickets are $90 and can be purchased by calling 916-256-5353.

Marlynn Smith started the show with her sultry rendition of “Unforgettable,” which she dedicated to the crowd, reminding them, “We are all unforgettable - women of greatness, beauty, and destiny.”

Emcee Lee Rodriguez then introduced the event’s first speaker, USDA civil rights officer and political activist, Sonya Jones.

During her talk entitled, “Accepting the Challenges of Life,” Jones urged the crowd to find strength in the foundation God has laid for them. She also stressed the importance of using the past as a lesson on one’s own worth and potential.

“Turn your strife into your story, your motivation,” Jones said.

The always vibrant Aurellia Anderson took the stage after Jones. Anderson is a motivational speaker and the owner and president of Hidden Gem, a company which “seeks to inspire and empower women to discover the gem inside themselves.”

Anderson told the crowd to find their purpose and follow their passion. She offered advice to women in the crowd trying to balance their pursuits alongside 9 to 5 jobs, families and daily obligations.

“We don’t have time to wait,” she said, “Know what job you’re supposed to have, what you were created for. Live your best life on purpose.”

Leticia McCoy Lewis, founder of Majestic Ministries International, then spoke on the psychological conditioning of the black female. She read excerpts of Willie Lynch’s 1712 speech regarding methods of psychological warfare designed to keep slaves in bondage and outlined the historic breaking process of the African female. The process instructed slave owners to breed fear, distrust and envy for control purposes.

Lewis urged the crowd to stop hating one another, and to instead love and embrace each other.

“We are not victims,” she called out, “we are victors.”

Contractor, motivational speaker and author of “Thoughts are Things,” James E. West Sr. took the microphone to offer a man’s perspective. He urged the ladies to be cautious with their relationships and stressed the importance of reflection and self-construction prior to pursuing sex and romance.

“If a relationship doesn’t make you get up in the morning, hungry to get up and go,” West said, “then you’re in a bad relationship.”

Comedian Jammin’ Jay Lamont took the stage after West to relax the crowd and provide a few minutes of light-hearted comedy. Lamont has previously appeared on Def Comedy Jam, BET Comic View and America’s Got Talent. His beatboxing and spot-on impersonations of artists such as James Brown, Patti LaBelle, and even President Barack Obama, had the crowd doubled over with laughter.

Jones then spoke again on the meaning of being a strong woman. She stressed the importance of self-esteem and asking others for help.

“Strength is not carrying the baggage,” Jones reminded the crowd, “It’s realizing you can let someone else lend a hand.”

Wife, mother and site administrator in the Elk Grove Unified School District Ilesha Graham followed Jones to discuss the many hats women wear. She dug an array of them from her bag, including the police hat needed to get her kids off to school in the morning, her chef’s hat for dinner time, and the riot hat needed for the occasional family reunion.

She urged women not to define themselves by any given hat they might wear. She referenced the Creation and told ladies, “The solution to the very first problem on the face of this earth, was you. You are the solution.”

As she put a tiara on her head, she closed her talk saying, “This is the only hat I need.”

Panelists Sparklyn Bruner and Jessica Brown closed the show, each providing a few brief words.

Bruner is a motivational speaker and life coach, as well as the founder of Motivation.Is.Key.Sparksfly. She outlined ten-steps to better living and urged the ladies to, “Listen to your heart, and follow your dreams.”

Brown is a public health prevention specialist and the founder of Encouraging Life Organization, an organization dedicated to eliminating health disparities in underserved communities. She stressed the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the ties between physical and emotional health.

In closing poet and T-Mo Entertainment founder Terry Moore took the stage. He was greeted by a warm round of applause when he told the crowd that he would be hosting another women’s conference on Sept. 15.

“Raise your hand if you feel like a queen!” Moore said.

Hundreds of hands shot up, and the cheers of roughly 150 empowered women filled the theater. Mission accomplished.

What's With That: Cooper's Outing, TomKat Split, BronyCon

2012-07-05T18:46:06Z

What’s with the News: Anderson Cooper has officially outed himself by giving Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast permission to publish an email the news anchor sent Sullivan regarding an Entertainment Weekly piece entitled, "The New Art of Coming Out in Hollywood".

“The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud,” Cooper said in his response.

While Cooper’s sexuality has been widely presumed and accepted for years, he has in the past chosen to keep his personal life private, and these are his first public, definitive statements on the issue.

What’s with Us: The Sacramento Press asked Bill Snyder, current Communications Coordinator and former President of the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center to share his thoughts.

“More people have come out this year than the last several years combined. A lot of the famous people coming out get a nice bounce out of it, and their approval ratings go up after their announcements,” he said.

Cooper’s story is such a hot item partly because of his place at the forefront of media, but also, according to Snyder, “being LGBT is no longer seen as being evil, sinful, or deviant by most people. Today most people see those coming out as being brave after suffering long enough. Also a lot of people think, for example, ‘He is just like my nephew who showed so much courage coming out to our family’.”

Snyder says more people, LGBT or not, have personal ties to the movement and therefore feel they can relate to Cooper, which leads to the outpouring of support he’s received not just from Hollywood and New York but the vast land between.

Kudos, Mr. Cooper. Now we ought to let you get back to what you do best - the news.

What’s with the News: People Magazine shocked celeb gossip junkies worldwide last Friday when they announced the now inescapable story of TomKat’s split. We’ve since been told that Katie Holmes is filing for sole custody of the couple's daughter Suri, and that Tom Cruise was blindsided when Holmes filed. What happened to sweet Joey Potter, and that crazy in-love, couch-jumping maniac the world had grown so obsessed with?

What’s with Us: Carolyn Rich Curtis, Ph.D is the founder and Executive Director of the Relationship Skills Center in Sacramento, which provides marriage education programs to couples in the Greater Sacramento Region.

"We are all facinated by gossip, and relationships in particular are incredibly facinating," she said during a phone interview with the Sacramento Press.

But why the split?

According to Curtis, the initial stages of a relationship are aided by the same neurotransmitters associated with obsessive-compulsive disorders. The impacts of these neurotransmitters wane around 18 months and are replaced with hormones (oxytocin for women and vasopressin for men) that breed feelings of attachment. These hormones fuel us for roughly four years.

"I think it's interesting that they are breaking up at that five-year mark," Curtis continued. "The hormones that previously sustained the relationship have dissipated, and now you have to do the hard work."

"Twenty-five percent of married couples and fifty percent of cohabitating couples split at that five-year mark. It's the point where you really need to work hard to make the relationship work. It takes huge emotional strength when you're not feeling attached," she said.

See? Celebrities are just like you and I!

What’s With the News: Dave Collins of Associated Press got into the thick of it when he covered BronyCon 2012 in Secaucus, NJ this past Sunday. BronyCon is for bros who love ponies - My Little Pony by Hasbro in particular. What was once a handful of bronies in an NYC meeting room has exploded into a nationwide movement of men proud to dress up, dance, and sing the praises of a brony lifestyle.

What’s With Us: The bronies feel themselves a misunderstood lot, seen as creepy manchildren instead of young men in support of a movement for friendship and unicorn hats. UC-Davis Professor Emeritus and author of From Panthers to Promise Keepers: Rethinking the Men’s Movement Judith Newton weighed in.

“Men in their twenties have fathers who lived through an era when men’s movements and a more sensitive, more fully human sent of masculine ideals were in the air and in the media. These new masculine ideals embraced qualities that were associated with women: crying, expressing love to other men, being vulnerable, showing more empathy, being playful.”

Newton also cited the current job market and financial climate.

“The current economic crisis has hit young adults especially hard. The innocence, protection, playfulness, and freedom from worry associated with childhood, especially as idealized here, must seem attractive,” she said. “It’s much harder to have a family and be middle-class than before. So there’s a very long adolescence for men. Maybe childhood is being extended here too.”

Well, no harm no foul, right? Play on, brony.

Each week "What's With That" will find local experts from the Sacramento area to weigh in on national and international news stories. Stumble across an interesting item? Wondering, "what's WITH that?" Email whatswiththat.sacramentopress@gmail.com with your ideas!

Beyond the Cookies: 100 Years of Girl Scouting

2012-06-25T10:23:16Z

Roughly 350 Girl Scouts, alumnae and community supporters were in attendance on Friday evening at the California Museum for the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GS HCC) 100th Anniversary Gala.

The gala was part of an ongoing national Girl Scouts of the USA anniversary celebration. It included an art exhibit dedicated to the history of Girl Scouting, guest speakers Randy Roberts and Linda Farley of the Crocker Art Museum, as well as a fashion show that featured designer Caren Templet and showcased Girl Scout uniforms throught the years. Refreshments were provided by culinary specialists from Mulvaney’s B&L.

The evening was ripe with reminiscing. CEO Pam Saltenberger recalled the night a bobcat found its way into her troop’s campsite, Board Chairman Robin Kren fondly regaled her three weeks spent backpacking through Wyoming with the Mitten Bay Girl Scouts, and Farley shared the tale of how her troop earned their first aid badges by tending to her cut toe while on a wilderness excursion.

It was 1912 in Savannah, Ga. when Juliette Gordon Low first conceived what would become the largest organization in the world dedicated to the growth and cultivation of young women. According to legend, her decision to teach girls how to play basketball was so progressive that she was forced to construct a tent around the court to prevent gawking onlookers.

Today girls all around the world play basketball freely, but Low’s groundbreaking vision is still evident in the Girl Scouts’ ongoing mission to build “courage, confidence, and character” in young women throughout the country.

As stated in the GS HCC event press release, “Girl Scouts created radio programs to mobilize relief efforts during the Great Depression, led initiatives and held events nationwide to support civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s, and created a national environmental program in the 1970s.”

Martin Luther King Jr. himself described the Girl Scouts as “a force for desegregation.”

In honor of their 100th anniversary, Girl Scouts of the USA has initiated ToGetHerThere, a national program designed to change the face of leadership in the United States over the next generation.

“Right now, so few women are in public office, very few women are CEOs of major Fortune 500 companies, but the women that are were Girl Scouts,” said Saltenberger, who has served as the GS HCC CEO for fifteen years. “We really want to change that face of leadership so women are much more represented, and the way to do that is to start when they are young girls.”

What that looks like on the ground level varies from council to council.

“They’re hoping to really help girls break through a barrier and think about science, technology, math, and engineering,” said Kren, a former Girl Scout from Bay City, Mich. “They get women in those fields to come and connect with girls and be role models, examples they can see.”

Laurie Marshall of DPR Construction and Karla Turner of S.D. Deacon Corp of California are two such role models. Together the two women help facilitate the Under Construction program.

“It’s a camp program that introduces the girls to alternative and nontraditional choices for when they get older,” Marshall said. “They actually build a cabin at the campsite for their use and the program teaches them the means and methods to do that.”

“The introduction course teaches them the properties of wood and about tools and safety and working together,” Turner added. “When we go there we see some shy, timid girls and by the time we’re into our second week they’re full of confidence. Our core purpose is to enhance the success of women in construction. The purpose of Girl Scouts is to build courage, confidence, and character. We see that right before our eyes.”

GS HCC also provides the Girl Scout Outreach Program to area scouts.

“We’re committed to making sure that every girl who wants to be a Girl Scout can be. There are places where we don’t have adult volunteers readily available,” Saltenberger said. “We serve 8-9,000 girls and we’re in places like juvenile halls, migrant camps, pregnant and parenting teen centers and homeless shelters. These programs are wonderful and they really make a difference.”

Fundraisers like Friday night’s gala also help pay membership dues and camp costs as well as provide books and uniforms to over 10,000 girls.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about Girl Scout history and California Girl Scouts both past and present while perusing the art exhibit on the California Museum’s second floor. The exhibit illustrates achievements of former Girl Scouts like civil rights activist Dolores Huerta and journalist Lisa Ling. It also offers a look at historical handbooks and uniforms.

“The Girl Scout Promise: 100 Years of Girl Scouting in California” will run through September at the California Museum. Interpretive planning and support was provided by the Crocker Art Museum. The majority of the display was provided by the GS HCC council.

The crowd had an hour to mingle in the courtyard, enjoy refreshments and explore the art exhibit before Tina Macuha of Good Day Sacramento kicked off the courtyard presentation by telling the crowd what the Girl Scouts signified to her.

“The road to independence,” she said, “Stand tall and stand up for what you believe in. It’s about service, and teaching others how important it is to help out a friend.”

Kren then took the stage to emphasize the importance of the Outreach Program and ToGetHerThere.

“Our community and our country are facing serious challenges,” she said. “We must develop solutions to the challenges of today.”

In closing she introduced Randy Roberts and Linda Farley, both former Girl Scouts, for their talk entitled, “Leadership Lessons from the Girl Scout Brownie Handbook.”

Farley wore her badge-laden sash on stage and carried the handbook in her arms. The two women read excerpts from the handbook on trusting the power of one’s troop, being a discoverer, being a self-starter and ready helper, and being a friend-maker. Both ladies urged the crowd to remember that such lessons were timeless.

Irene Farley, Linda Farley’s mother and former troop leader, waved from the audience.

“One of the greatest things I’ve learned is that from the beginning, Juliette Gordon Low was really committed to diversity,” said Roberts prior to the speech. “She really understood that each person is valuable, every girl matters and every girl is capable. It’s more accepted now but for her time she was very cutting edge.”

And over these past 100 years, what hasn’t changed?

“What hasn’t changed is that girls are still incredibly awesome,” Farley said. “We each have our own way of seeing, but we share a common vision.”

The fashion show began shortly after Farley and Roberts left the stage. Local area Girl Scouts modeled an array of uniforms from past to present. The show closed with a uniform of the future as conceived by fashion designer Caren Templet, who worked with eleven local Girl Scouts to create a more modern look.

“We wanted to change the typical vest because it’s not super attractive,” said Autumn, who modeled the very first Girl Scout uniform designed by Juliette Gordon Low in ~~1812~~ 1912. “We changed it to make it fit everyone better, and we wanted to make it so that instead of it looking like an obvious uniform it would look cute enough that you’d wear it out to the movies with your friends.”

Caren Templet is a British designer who has resided in California for nine years. The girls interned with Templet at her shop on L Street in Sacramento for three weeks, during which they discussed all elements of their ideal future uniform. As a team the ladies focused on creating a uniform composed of versatile pieces that could translate to a wide variety of activities, from an outdoor camping trip to the mall.

“Girl Scouts aren’t about screen t-shirts. They’re better than that,” said Templet backstage shortly before the fashion show. “They’re going to be the head of the Red Cross, running cancer organizations...They’re going to be involved in fashion, economics and politics. If I can inspire them, then absolutely I’m going to do it.”

Pam Saltenberger closed the program by thanking all those involved in making the evening a success, and urged anyone who had not yet visited the art exhibit to take a few moments to explore the collection.

These women truly are making history as part of a national movement to instill young women with confidence and a vision for their futures. According to Girl Scouting Works, The Alumnae Impact Study conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute in conjunction with an independent research firm, Girl Scouting does indeed work. Alumnae report a more elevated sense of self, a higher inclination toward volunteerism and community work, more advanced education, and higher income and socioeconomic status than non-alumnae.

Lindy Beatie was a Girl Scout in Santa Clara and became a troop leader in Folsom while her daughter was a Girl Scout. She attended the event with her husband Gordon, who served as the first and only male board chair of the Tierra del Oro council before it merged with Muir Trails.

“The entire event was fantastic,” she said. “The fashion show was cute, and it gave a visual perspective of how things have evolved, and what an inspiration and true visionary Juliette Gordon Low was.”

“So many people just think of us as an organization of white middle-class girls that sell cookies, but we are so much more than that,” Saltenberger said. “We really are a tremendous organization helping girls. Juliette Gordon Low was absolutely way ahead of her time. We are way ahead of our time, but the core values are still there. We’re there for the girl. The girl is always number one.”

To learn more about the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, to make a financial contribution or to donate supplies, please visit their website.

Editor's note: An edit has been made to the year the girl scout uniform was first designed.

Disclosure: Allison Joy is proud to be a former member of Troop 344 and a Chalk Hills Girl Scout Camp alum.

Fact Meets Fiction with Rick and Sandra Dee Richardson

2012-06-11T08:19:56Z

Rick and Sandra Dee Richardson are the types of individuals one instantly feels at ease with. Separately they are both equally warm and engaging, but it is their collaborative creative efforts that set them apart from the average married couple. To interview the two of them is to be in the presence of true love, and the inspirational effect they have on one another is immediately clear upon meeting the duo.

Sacramento Press had the privilege of doing just that at the couple’s book signing held outside of the Kennedy Art Gallery on Saturday for their recently released novel “Southern Secrets: Sins of the Past,” published by Outskirts Press.

Rick and Sandra (pen name Sandra Dee) met while Sandra was working as an event planner in San Francisco.

“Luckily this handsome gentleman showed up at one of the events,” said Sandra. “That was many years ago. We just fell in love.”

"Working with your spouse, when it's good, it's good. When it's bad, it can be very trying at times," said Rick. "We always strive for the middle ground. She's my harshest critic and biggest supporter."

The two have been working on their first novel for three years. Theirs is a work of historical fiction that melds the true stories of Rick’s ancestors with fictional elements.

As described on the book jacket, “ ‘Southern Secrets’ is a riveting fictional story based on true facts of the adventures of the last slaves brought to America. Almost fifty years after the importation of slaves was outlawed, a mysterious group of southern gentlemen made an unforgettable bet that would change the south forever. Strength, unity, and perseverance were crucial to the last slaves building their new lives in America. African-American history, American history, and African history take root in this spellbinding story.”

Rick Richardson hails from Mobile, Alabama. The book chronicles the last slaves brought to America on the Clotilda, the final slave ship, which docked in Mobile Bay.

“I talked to a lot of my relatives; a lot of it was passed down through the generations,” said Rick about his research for the novel. “I’d go fishing with my father and he’d tell me stories. I looked online to see if it was actually true and it said the last slave ship was called the Clotilda. My great-great grandmother was actually on that ship.”

“His father was the one who introduced him to the piece of the ship that was in Mobile Bay,” added Sandra, “but it’s gone now.”

Clifton Richardson is Rick’s 81-year-old father, and he too remembers the days spent fishing with his son amidst pieces of the ship’s wreckage. However it was the lessons of Clifton's late grandfather, Philip Robinson, that formed his initial concepts of personal and African-American history.

“He was the greatest man I ever knew — worked eight hours a day, took care of the farm, and he was a preacher at two churches. He made his own wagon wheels and axles, an overall handyman and go-to guy,” said Clifton. “I was wondering how he could’ve done all that. I could have learned a lot from him, but I didn’t want to know. I was too young and stories of those days were too sad for me. I just didn’t want to know.”

When asked how he felt about his family’s history being woven into a fictitious novel, Clifton smiled before replying, “History is man-made. All history has a little bit of fiction in it. So I guess all this is okay with me.”

“We’re really focusing on getting kids to understand history and to know more about black history,” said Rick upon being asked his motivations for writing the novel. “The only way that can be done is if the older people share their stories and you know, you do your research.”

In addition to co-authoring their first novel, Sandra serves as president and Rick as vice president of the couple’s fledgling publishing company, Rich Books Inc.

“We knew we wanted to write, but there are so many people out there with so many stories and who want their story told, and a lot of people can’t afford the large publishing companies,” said Sandra regarding the decision to start their own company. “We decided okay, we’re pretty good writers and we’re really good editors. I’m a marketer and my daughter is a communications specialist. Let’s pull all of these talents together and start helping people, especially young people, who are very talented. Let’s go into the schools and help them learn more about history and at the same time learn how to write and put their stories into books. So we decided to start a publishing company.”

The couple has a nationwide book tour planned for the summer. Starting this fall they plan to use Rich Books Inc. to work with schools and inspire local youth to make the most of their creative talents as well as provide struggling writers a gateway into the publishing world.

Additionally the two are currently working together on a screenplay entitled, “Casino Royale.” Readers can also look forward to a sequel to “Southern Secrets” and a novel based on Sandra’s life story.

All of these efforts have a strong familial foundation. While Rick and Sandra are at the helm daughter Rachael Gallodoro handles public relations, and the couple’s son Julian Richardson is the graphic artist who created the video trailer for “Southern Secrets.”

“Thank you to the community for their support. We are overwhelmed,” said Sandra in closing. “And encourage kids to read. People are bored with reading but reading can open up your eyes to a lot of things. If people, especially children, are interested and they don’t have a way to put their writing into book form, contact us and we’ll be able to help you.”

“Everyone has a story to tell,” said Rick, “every one of us, so don’t be afraid to just start writing, and writing and writing. Tell your story.”

Rick and Sandra Dee Richardson’s first novel, “Southern Secrets: Sins of the Past” is available in hardcover and paperback through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Outskirts Press.

Onto the Page with Norm Schriever

2012-06-09T07:54:58Z

In 2010 Norm Schriever was living what many might consider the American dream. His work in real estate, finance, and law afforded him a lavish lifestyle, and he lived in what he describes as a “fun house,” a 1940s grocery store in East Sacramento that he converted into his residence and where he hosted charity fundraisers and art showings.

But Schriever had always wanted to write, and in 2011 that desire led him to sell or donate everything he owned - the cars, the house and most of his possessions. He moved to Costa Rica, settled behind a wooden desk, splashed some Bailey’s in his coffee and began to work toward his dream of becoming a novelist.

One year later Norm Schriever returned to Sacramento, this time to start his cross-country journey to promote his first book, “Pushups in the Prayer Room.”

“Pushups in the Prayer Room” chronicles a trip around the globe which Schriever embarked on in 1999. After one year of working three jobs and never leaving the house to spend a dime, he was able to save up enough money that, when aided by credit card debt, allowed him to touch down on six continents and spend time in more than 20 countries. What began as a year-long intercontinental party trip would, ten years later, evolve into the story of one man’s quest to uncover his purpose in this world.

Schriever was kind enough to share his thoughts and experiences with the Sacramento Press via email.

On life in Costa Rica:
I was out of my comfort zone every minute of every day, and I’ve never felt so alive! Costa Rica was my first stop in 1999, and so it made sense to write the book there. I lived in Tamarindo, a sleepy little surfing village on the Pacific Ocean. Most of the roads are still dirt and they don’t have mailing addresses. Though a tourist mecca during the high seasons, the base population is around 500 people. Real friendships are able to take root because people are so detached from outside circumstances. But it wasn’t vacation, because there are also a lot of conflicts and complexities - everyone is jockeying for money or market share with the tourists, whether selling seashell necklaces or cocaine. You had to be very careful but I found if you gave love and respect to the people you would get it back. It was perfect for a writer.

On the ritual of writing:
I like sitting in the same physical space. Down there I found my place - a simple wooden desk that faced the sliding glass doors out onto the balcony. From my perch I could look up and see the tops of the jungle trees that led down to the ocean and the sailboats in the bay.

In the morning I drank Costa Rican coffee with Baileys, at night a glass of red wine. I'd open the door to let the ocean breeze in. Thursday through Sunday I knew the drunks, cokeheads, and thieves were running around so I'd keep a big knife handy in case anyone tried to enter and mess with me. I’d put on my oversized headphones and listen to groovy music at full volume. The rhythms give me energy and the artistic process of music is one that closest resembles my writing.

On the everyday challenges of his work:
When I write the most difficult thing for me is not thinking of what to write next. When I’m in the zone I lose time. It may feel like twenty minutes have passed but when I look up it’s actually been three hours. The challenge is to get back into that place and it’s definitely not at will. I’ve always been blessed with this imagination and creativity, and my challenge is getting it out of my head and onto the page before it’s lost.

On the magic of the written word:
My writing is nonfiction so in that regard I just have to recall and document real life experiences. That being said there is an incredible amount of creativity in the presentation - what angle to come from, what pace, what voice, what kind of humor to interject, and how to visually weave it all together through words. I am part of the eternal human conversation, and it’s an unbelievable thrill to be able to add one small line to it. Writing allows me to reach someone on an emotional level, to have a visual conversation. Writing moves and grows and takes you on a journey. I am the tour guide into a brand new world.

On learning the basics:
Originally I had been telling stories with photos on Facebook and then my blog. The feedback was so great and I had always wanted to write a book. I literally knew not a damn thing about not just the writing, but the publishing process or literary publicity. I had great help and guidance from Authority Publishing, a self-publishing service in the Sacramento area. I made it my full-time job to learn the game by doing it - observing and stumbling forward each day. Now I send out press releases, do radio, TV, and print interviews, coordinate giveaways and charity work with the book, release parties, and a ton of social media to garner interest.

What’s in a name:
“Pushups in the Prayer Room” has both a literal and a metaphorical meaning. The book isn’t so much religious as it is spiritual with a warmly human message.

I did pushups and situps every day during my travels. My hotel room in Chang Mai, Thailand was so small that I couldn’t stretch out to do my pushups. I walked down the hall and found a room that was labeled “Prayer Room” in ton of different languages. It was empty and spacious so I started doing pushups, and as I did I started thinking about that room, and how people were all pretty much the same no matter where I went. They wanted the same things - to make some money, put food on the table for their families, to have a safe place to rest their head at night, the hope for their children to have it better than they did, and the chance to pray for all of these things. But as human beings we are so mired in creating divisions and focusing on differences - class, race, ethnicity, politics... these false divisions create a lot of fear and strife among mankind. I began to ponder what I could do to help break down these barriers, and that is the origin of “Pushups in the Prayer Room.”

On the journey back home:
Since I was a long-time Sacramento resident, I wanted to spend as much time as possible here when I returned stateside to promote the book. It was like a homecoming, and the warm reception by old friends, former business associates, neighbors, new readers and the community at large was so unexpected.

The message of the book is ultimately about all of us trying to leave this world a better place than when we found it, and I was overjoyed that our Sacramento community received my message. So many people were eager to join this positive movement. I am truly proud of our city!

On what happens next:
At the end of June I’ll finish my U.S. tour and return south, this time to San Juan Del Sur, a fishing town in Nicaragua. I plan to set up shop and get to work on my next book, "Get Happy", which will chronicle my journey from Sacramento, selling my possessions and moving to Costa Rica to pursue my dream of writing “Pushups in the Prayer Room.” I’m looking forward to a spartan apartment, adopting a street dog and doing charity worked with underprivileged local kids.

Last words to our Sacramento readers:
Thanks for all the love and support! I’ll see you next year when I’m back in town promoting my next book, and you’re going to love it! If you ever find yourself down south, in the sunny side of the world on the lip of the ocean where people are pregnant with happiness, then look me up - mi casa es su casa!

Norm Shriever’s book, “Pushups in the Prayer Room,” is available on Amazon and through his website.

How to Feed a Lady's Soul: T-Mo's "I Am a Queen" Women's Empowerment Conference

2012-05-21T07:42:53Z

Over one-hundred women of all ages and walks of life showed up for T-Mo Entertainment’s I Am a Queen: Women’s Empowerment Conference held Saturday at the Guild Theater in Oak Park.

Poet and founder of T-Mo Entertainment, Terry Moore, saw a need for more events geared toward the empowerment of women.

“We want to offer something intellectual to the working women, single moms and all those ladies who are in pain,” he said. “We want to build them up, feed their souls and get them well.”

Angie Harry and her Bravo Dogs crew provided refreshments just outside the theater. Attendees were encouraged to receive a free health scan courtesy of Priscilla Wheeler of Pharmanex. Free massages were also offered by Lakiesha Douglas, a student at the National Holistic Institute.

Inside, ladies were invited to peruse the beautiful fashions of Zina Beard of Z Boutique and Artisan Jewelry by Teesha. Zina, whose company features her own Z Shoes and specializes in shoe parties, brought with her an array of attention-getting heels. Teesha’s dazzling, hand-crafted bracelets and necklaces were statement pieces that could not go unnoticed.

Katrina Jones of Kats N Defense was also on hand with her selection of non-lethal self-defense products, specially designed to keep the modern woman protected at all times while ensuring she still looks fabulous.

Attendees Alicia Jackson and Karyn Peeler-Rose arrived early to secure their seats near the front row.

“We came to be empowered,” Peeler-Rose said.

“I’m ready to hear other women’s stories, and discuss how we all relate,” Jackson added.

The pre-show was a plus-sized fashion show put on by Latonya Williams’ Plus-Size Prototype that dazzled the crowd with innovative plus-sized designs by Georgina Scott and Monakia Williams’ Church Chick.

Host and site administrator for Elk Grove Unified School District, Ilesha “CoCo” Graham, kicked off the event by reminding ladies to take time for themselves amidst their constant multitasking.

Graham first introduced Aurellia Anderson, a youth pastor and the owner and president of Hidden Gem, a company which seeks to “inspire and empower women to discover the gems inside themselves.”

Though small in stature, Anderson’s presence was larger than life.

“Ladies,” she asked, “Are you a ‘wow’ woman?”

She encouraged women to recognize their inherent value, to ignore the low paychecks and long hours, unsupportive family members or unrequited love causing them to feel unworthy.

According to Anderson, every woman should write a mantra to reinforce the fact that she is a woman of worth. She instructed the audience to go home and look in their mirrors to tell themselves that they are “wow” women.

She encouraged those suffering from depression to seek clinical help, saying that no woman is superwoman and that, while spiritual health is vital, not all pastors are equipped with the knowledge to deal with the intricate details of mental illness.

In closing she asked the audience to stand and tell her, “I am a Wow Woman!’

The effervescent Sonya Jones was up next to explain how to effectively approach those goals in life that seem so impossible to attain.

Jones demanded each woman ask herself what she wanted to accomplish, and to reflect upon what was holding her back. She offered a pragmatic approach, instructing women to create a timeline, define a personal brand and be diligent in measuring progress.

Jones also explained that the impact of dressing for success is not to be underestimated.

“Go in looking like a queen. If someone has a problem with you looking too good, well that’s just fine,” she said with a smile on her face and a swagger in her strut.

Jones instructed audience members not to begrudge fellow sisters their own successes or assets, advising to instead offer support to those struggling. She pointed out that not everything a queen has to offer comes at a price.

“Be good with your verbiage,” Jones said, “Don’t hate your sisters; lift each other up. Be your queen. Rock you.”

During the subsequent segment, “The Power of a Praying Woman,” Graham invited audience members to share their own personal experiences of overcoming obstacles to achieve success. Tears were shed and hugs offered easily as women stood to share their stories of strife and accomplishment.

Leigh Daniels then took the stage to laud diversity and demand that each woman love herself, pointing out that so often females tear one another down.

Daniels quoted her elder brother, "She’s so beautiful, for a dark-skinned woman,” and asked each woman to reflect upon this brand of toxic thought. According to Daniels, internal insecurities motivate a person to qualify positivity with underlying notes of negativity.

Daniels promoted introspection as the key to better appreciating and affirming one another.

“Be loyal,” she said in closing, “Maintain integrity. Learn how to love one another in a different way.”

Carla Fleming then stunned the crowd with her soul-searing vocals set against the backdrop of Garrett Perkins’ melodic saxophone.

Her first song, “Magic,” was a heartfelt tribute to the importance of believing in the unique magic that lives within us all.

Her second number and new single, “Rise Again,” was an inspirational and upbeat number that got the women on their feet.

“If you see me/And I’m not shining/It’s just a shadow/Blocking out the light,” she sang.

As Fleming’s powerful vocals filled the theater and everyone stood to sway before their seat, more than a few eyes needed dabbing.

Afterward Ruth C. Anderson took the stage for her talk entitled, “Why We Love.” Anderson has a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and was there to speak on behalf of the Relationship Skills Center.

Utilizing statistics from anthropologist Helen Fisher’s book entitled, “Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love,” she stressed the important role that serotonin and dopamine levels play in romantic relationships, creating varying degrees of lust, romantic love and attachment.

She handed out cards marked “T” and “F” for true and false, and asked the audience to weigh in on a number of relationship-related questions.

Following a particularly resounding call of “False,” Anderson told the crowd that, statistically speaking, men were in fact just as interested as women were in emotional attachment and connection.

“Which ones?” called out an audience member, followed by, “Can I get a phone number?”

The Relationship Skills Center recently received a federal grant to offer paid relationship counseling for both singles and couples. Anderson encouraged audience members to take advantage of this unique program so that they might find and enjoy more enriching romantic relationships.

Anita Johnson, a professor at Brandman University, was at the conference to instruct the women on how to better manage their finances.

She offered a ten-step plan for learning how to engage with a budget and instructed women to “make a date” with their finances each week to sort through all bills due and receipts gathered throughout the week.

While acknowledging the importance of keeping things fun and putting aside money for entertainment, Johnson said women needed to be more realistic with their finances. Everyone needs a savings plan, and despite the fact that paying off a mortgage, all credit card bills, and a car loan in one year is not realistic, it is not justification for all-together ignoring financial obstacles.

Andre Jordan provided a male perspective in his talk, “Thank you,” delivered on behalf of the African-American male community that owed their women some much-needed edification.

“Thank you,” he said, “for being the spiritual anchor in our families... for never settling for second best, for speaking with wisdom and guidance... and for taking a chance on your man.”

Moore then took a brief moment to thank the crowd. He told the ladies that to offer a women’s conference once per year was akin to administering cough syrup only once for a cold and that, therefore, T-Mo Entertainment would host another women’s conference in July and again in September.

He was rewarded with a warm round of applause.

Moore encouraged women to forget the thirty men at the club who were waiting for a scantily clad one-night stand and to instead hold out for the one man who would truly be worth it.

He then read his poem entitled, “The Perfect Imperfect Woman,” a tribute to the imperfections women perceive in themselves that in fact make them perfect in the eyes of the men who love them.

Theaudrey Carruth, a therapeutic behavior specialist and soon-to-be-published author of “Tea Cakes & Conversation,” closed the event with her talk entitled, “Where my Boaz (Husband) At?”

She told women wondering why they were still single to start with their own plan, and advised those who had given up to let go of the bitterness holding them back.

“When you say, ‘I’m done with men’...what you are saying is, ‘I’m done with me’,” said Carruth, a powerful force in full suit and tie accented by a killer pair of stilettos.

She stressed the importance of being complete without a romantic relationship so as to get the most out of future relationships, as well as believing in one’s own intuition.

In closing she demanded that every woman avoid married men.

“His wife ain’t got him and you ain’t got him either. There is nothing worse than a soulless relationship,” Carruth said. Men separated from their wives? Well, don’t even get her started.

Lesah Jones and Sandra Smith, friends for almost a decade, attended the event together.

“This was straight from the heart. This is the stuff you want to hear and just isn’t talked about,” Jones said.

As everyone filtered out into the late afternoon sun, there was much hugging and many words of affirmation. Whatever challenges lay ahead, these ladies were armed to the teeth to meet them, heads held high, as women of worth.

Sushi in the Streets! Mikuni Restaurant's Second Annual Japanese Street Festival

2012-05-19T07:21:49Z

The weather was beautiful, the audience enthusiastic and the performances eclectic and equally outstanding for Mikuni Restaurant’s second annual Japanese Street Festival Thursday at the Fountains in Roseville.

Mikuni pulled out all the stops this year to promote cultural awareness, but also to simply foster community togetherness and show its appreciation for its many loyal customers.

Visantha Dunn took the opportunity to spend quality time with her mother Susan and two sons, Logan and Arturo, ages four and six.

“The dancing, martial arts, face-painting, the oragami - they’re just loving everything,” Dunn said of her boys.

When asked his favorite part of the event, Logan proudly displayed the Mikuni sumo wrestler etched on his fist, “My tattoo!”

Emcee Michelle Dobin kicked off the event by thanking the crowd and introducing Sacramento Taiko Dan, the premiere Japanese drumming ensemble in the greater Sacramento area. The crowd was held captive as the group’s emphatic beats filled the air.

Kovar’s Satori Academy picked up where the drummers left off, showcasing their martial arts training in choreographed form that was part fight and part dance. Members of all ages displayed their skills, some even utilizing authentic staffs and nunchaku.

Debbie Barker Brune took the stage next with her Japanese koto, the national instrument of Japan. Fern Chan's haunting vocals blended seamlessly with Brune's strings and the backup stylings of Musical Charis, a local retro-inspired folk rock band.

As Chan crooned, "If only you could find me from where you are/ I do believe I will see you once again," the Na Maka Polynesian dancers moved onto the lawn in front of the stage to perform under the guidance of hula instructors Janet Auwae-McCoy and Tanisha Reshke. With all pieces in place, the performance was truly breathtaking.

Additional dance performances included Sacramento-based hip hop troupe Boogie MonStarz and sister crew Press P.L.A.Y. (for Passion Love Art and Youth). Both groups melded urban beats with their own unique styles and energy. The UC Davis Japanese American Student Society (JASS) showed off their traditional Japanese dance moves, and the Sacramento Kendo Club engaged in the ancient art of kendo in full uniform.

Patrons of all ages were invited to partake in oragami, face-painting, fan coloring, and fishing for prizes at any one of a number of stands set up to facilitate the impressive crowd. Mikuni’s sushi bus was parked in back, offering $3 bites that included their famous Fair Oaks roll, pork gyoza, chicken teriyaki bowls, and edamame. Green tea smoothies provided by Wellness Depot were a subtle and refreshing dessert.

The excitement reached its apex when the time finally came, after months of anticipation, to announce the winner of a Honda Fit provided by AutoWest Honda of Roseville and raffled off in celebration of Mikuni’s 25th Anniversary this month. Each of the five finalists selected a key, one of which would start the Honda Fit parked in back. After three failed attempts it was Steve Bones, a patron of Mikuni Elk Grove, who was finally able to start the car.

“What a great event with great people. This is just fantastic!” he said from behind the driver’s seat.

The other four finalists did not walk away empty-handed. One by one they chose from an array of valuable prizes: a spa package provided by Simple Serenity Day Spa, his and hers watches from Guzetta and Company Fine Jewelers, two bikes from Bicycles Plus, and a six-month gym membership for a family of five to California Family Fitness. Everyone departed with smiles on their faces.

“We are diehard Mikuni people since 1990,” Ruth Dreshner-Brown said while bopping to the contagious beats of the drums with husband Vern at her side. “I’d do anything to see Taiko Dan, but the dancers were exceptional,” she said. “I’m just really impressed. Taro did it again!”

As the event came to a close, many of the patrons weren’t quite finished. It was standing room only at Mikuni Kaizen, just around the corner from the performance stage.

Mikuni owner and Chief Dreaming Officer Taro Arai could not have been more pleased with the execution or reception of the street festival.

“Twenty-five years ago, we only had a few Japanese restaurants in Sacramento and I felt like one of the “gaijin” (Japanese for “foreigner”)," he said, "After all these years of partnering with our community in various ways and the growing popularity of sushi, I feel like I’ve found a great family! I can’t thank our customers enough for their love and support over the past twenty-five years.”

The Mikuni festivities will culminate this Tuesday at their 25th Anniversary party to be held at Mikuni Elk Grove. Tickets are available at any Mikuni location or by calling (916) 576-2641 x41.

Kanpai! (Cheers!)

Disclosure: Allison Joy is employed by Mikuni Restaurant Group Inc.