In the past four days there have been two rocking chairs stolen from the front porch of my house near Winn Park, both chairs were smashed against the steps and the pieces were left on the sidewalk. Because this is the second time someone (perhaps the same person) has targeted this house and this particular type of chair, it is suggested that people living in the area make sure they do not leave valuable or cherished furniture on their front porches because someone out there is on a vandalizing rampage. In comparison to the other recent criminal behavior happening around Midtown, this event surely pales in comparison, but as a community it seems like something that should be shared.   If

I've changed lately into recognizing the value of my college education. I've even been faced with the realization that someone with a college education should know more about 7th grade mathematics than what I remember, and tutoring has already taught me more about myself than I expected to learn this soon in the experience. I've got some homework to do. That said, I wanted to share the way tutoring middle-school students feels and looks in Sacramento, from the point of view of a rookie looking to make an impact.  (I've changed names, just to be safe, and will not mention the name of the school for the same reason). Tutoring Day Two: I'm asked to introduce myself. “I graduated from Sonom

CARES (the Center for AIDS Research, Education & Services) is across the street from the Townhouse, which is quiet at 4:00pm on a Monday afternoon long before they open up for Open-Mic night. I walk there after my obligatory after-work nap, still a little groggy, stopping at Old Soul for a mocha to keep my hands warm and bumping into customers who find it strange to see me on the other side of the counter. Mocha in hand, I’m heading across Midtown through the alleyways and wondering if the sun-turned-overcast sky is going to turn to rain, which would put a damper on the bonfire plans I’ve set in motion for later in the day. Over at 21st, I make a right and tell a homeless man I’ll help him

There are not many restaurants in Sacramento where bicycle wheels spin above the bartenders and the menus are printed on the back of old record covers. Spin Burger offers this and more at its new location at K and 16th streets. Replacing Bistro 33, Spin Burger has been open since Nov. 26, and General Manager Brian Spence said business is doing well. “Lunch is picking up, which is what we wanted, and the night life is about the same,” he said. The menu features customizable hamburgers as well as garden, buffalo, ostrich or poultry burgers. Other options include such items as shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, chili, fries and macaroni and cheese. For dessert, there is a Nutella milkshake, r

Allan Hida, 82, paid a special visit to the Southside Park Clubhouse Wednesday night to share his experience as a Japanese youth sent with his family to internment camps during World War II and shed light on an often-overlooked part of Sacramento history. He began the presentation by asking the 40 members of the audience to imagine being told they had one week before being forced out of their homes and to figure out what to do with their pets and belongings. This is what happened to Hida and his family after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and with only one week to prepare, they had to spend more than two years in internment camps. The event was put together by President Beverly Bumpa