What will it take to propel our region beyond the present slump into a thriving vibrant future? That was the question asked to the community on Tuesday. The Sacramento Region Community Foundation, Capitol Public Radio and The Sacramento Bee have joined forces to organize civil discussions at local coffee houses. A total of eight coffee houses facilitated the conversations Tuesday. Locations were determined by City Council district. I attended the discussion at the Old Soul Coffee house in Oak Park. Each discussion had a mediator representing the Sacramento Region Community Foundation. To begin, the mediator set the ground rules, making sure all participants understood this event must rem

May is Bike Month, and this weekend is the best time to celebrate. Sacramento has earned a stop on the international tour of the Bicycle Film Festival. The festival will be held Friday and Saturday, with the festivities extending into Sunday as part of the Amgen Tour of California. The Friends of Fremont Park, along with pizza and panini bar Hot Italian, will host the event. The film festival starts Friday in Fremont Park with movie shorts. They will begin at 9 p.m., but the event will kick off at 7 at nearby Hot Italian, which also will be the site of the night's after-party. And it will continue "as long as people are there and drinking," Lepore said. "The Bicycle Film Festival is a co

Tom Myers has melded his passion for vintage postcards and love for Sacramento in his newest book, "The Postcard History of Sacramento," out now by Arcadia Publishing. For more than 42 years, Tom and Sally have been published photographers located in Sacramento. The last 35 years have been dedicated to freelance stock photography, where their company, Tom Myers Photography, houses more than a half million exclusive images available for purchase. "The Postcard History of Sacramento" features vintage postcards mailed from 1905 to the 1930s, including antique images of the Sacramento Valley. Each image reveals a scene from a dusty time, giving readers a glimpse into an era before Sacramento

It begins with utter disbelief and leaves you with a changed perspective on the human body. Saturday marked the public opening of "Bodies Revealed," located at 2040 Alta Arden Way. "Is THAT real?" was a reoccurring question uttered by patrons at the entrance on Saturday. To answer your question: It's all real. "Bodies Revealed" has returned, with many improvements and changes, to Sacramento after a two-year hiatus. More than 200 individual organs and 14 full bodies are currently on display, 11 of which were not part of the 2008 tour. All parts have gone though polymer preservation, a process of draining all liquids from an organ and replacing it with a liquid silicon rubber. After the pr

Sacramento's own indie press company, Flatmancrooked, showcased a number of rising literary talents Thursday in Davis. Elijah Jenkins, executive director and founder of Flatmancrooked, took over the "Poetry Night Reading Series" at the the John Natsoulas Gallery and spiked it up a bit. The first 100 attendees received a complimentary beer or wine, and were rewarded with a second if they purchased a book for $5. The crowd was lubricated, the talent was hot and the venue was intriguing. At one point in the night, I traveled through a secret door to a disturbed man printing unknown documents at night (requiring an entire ream for his hush-hush project), traveled up a cascade of stairs lined

Sacramentans participated on Wednesday to discuss the Sacramento Zoo's plans: Should it relocate or find a way to improve its current location? The meeting was held at the Belle Cooledge Center in Land Park, and hosted by the Sacramento Zoological Society, the Community Development Department, and the Parks & Recreation Department. The meeting was the first in a series intended to obtain feedback. The main topic was the Sutter's Landing Feasibility Study, a proposed relocation of the zoo to Midtown. The majority of Sutter's Landing, which is only accessible from the 28th Street entrance, is owned by the city of Sacramento. Other parts of Sutter's Landing are occupied by the Blue Diamond C

More than 1,200 fans attended the sold-out Passion Pit show Wednesday at UC Davis Freeborn Hall and were ready to get their groove on. An hour before the event kids were lined up, dressed to impress with glow stick and all, ready to stake their spot close to the stage. It was a spectacle to see such an interactive audience harmonizing, chanting and singing along. Passion Pit received quick success from its introductory ep "Chunk of Change," which was released in September 2008. Since the ep's release, the band has released a full-length album, "Manners," and is currently making its way south to play at this weekend's Coachella Festival in Indio Valley. The Southern California desert festi

Citizens advocacy group Friends of the Swainson's Hawk on Saturday hosted "Return of the Swainson's Hawk," presented by the California Raptor Center. People at Sutter Landing Park were treated to an up-close encounter with Swainson's hawks Grasshopper and Evie. The event was held at the park because members of Friends of the River discovered a Swainson's hawk nesting site close by. After a presentation by the California Raptor Center, people were led on a nature walk along the American River during which relevant nature sites were pointed out and discussed. Swainson's hawks are "listed as threatened by the state," said Judith Lamare, president of Friends of the Swainson's Hawk. "The Sacr

Axis Gallery, at P and 19th streets, will host a Pi exhibit Saturday. Husband and wife duo Jiayi Young and Shih-Wen Young have combined math and art, using the power of Pi to educate and stimulate art lovers. Numbers are represented by lines, shapes, and colors, giving the audience an alternative perspective of the mathematical constant. Shih-Wen Young, an artist and physics professor at American River College, said, "I try to teach the simplicity of randomness." "Pi is hidden everywhere," Shih-Wen said. "When I go through Pi, I am taken back: My birthday, my mom's birthday, the day she got in her car accident." The Pi exhibit is an homage to the symbol that is about much more than just

Looking for something different to do on Second Saturday? Cafe Americain is offering a solution that will not only please the taste buds, but educate them as well. There will be a single malt scotch whiskey tasting and seminar at the restaurant from 5-9 p.m. Saturday. Mike Wahba and his wife Natalya, owners of Cafe Americain, are hosting the tasting seminar, which has been on hiatus for a couple years now. This will be the inaugural event for the the couple, with hopes of successfully revitalizing it to become an annual occurrence. Although the Cafe Americain is only a few months old, it has already begun to pique the interest of locals with its unique style offerings. The restaurant is

Saturday, the vintage boutique Bows and Arrows is hosting returning Sacramento native artist Kevin Best. Known for his comic book-influenced pop-art and unorthodox choice of canvas, Best will be showcasing and selling some of his artwork and clothing. Best currently lives in Los Angeles and commands a style that capitalizes on the current high-speed world. Inspired by tabloid media and harnessing the power of the Internet, he has attempted to upload himself in the public eye, "taking the last six months very seriously to expose my art," Best explained. Celebrity gossiper Perez Hilton and "Californication" creator Tom Kapinos are two art owners who have caught on to Best's work. He connec

Saturday, the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen and the Friends of Fremont Park are holding the inaugural Sacramento Bicycle Swap Meet in Midtown. The swap meet, which is planned to be an annual event, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fremont Park, located on the block bordered by P, Q, 15th and 16th street. Vendors will set up shop, trading and selling bicycles and accessories. One man's trash will become another man's treasure on Saturday morning, and some might find the diamond in the rough they have been looking for. Vendor spaces start at $10 and are available up to the event, and all proceeds will go to the nonprofit organizations Friends of Fremont Park and the Sacramento Bike Kitch

All aboard! This weekend kicked off this year's first run of the Excursion Train, a 27-year-old attraction put on by the Sacramento Railroad Museum. The ride spans six miles on the original Sacramento Southern Railroad route. Looking out from the antique passenger cars, scenic views are decorated by the serene river waters and color-splash of spring leaves. Between the guides, conveniently posted in every car, and the speaker announcements, patrons are bombarded with facts throughout the tour. The Excursion Train ride will run every weekend for the next seven months and, for an additional price, offers a unique experience on the El Dorado, a renovated 1924 first-class observation car. I

Saturday morning, Cesar Chavez Park came alive with 1,500 marchers participating in the 10th Annual Cesar Chavez March. Cesar Chavez Park marked the finishing point for the marchers, who initially began at Arteaga's Supermarket in West Sacramento. Al Rojas, first vice president of the California State Employees Association and executive board member for the Sacramento Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, said he believes the march had "a lot more enthusiasm, spiritually, compared to last year." The march has local significance dating back to 1965, when Chavez led grape pickers on a 340-mile march from Delano, Calif. to Sacramento. Jobs, education and immigration reform were some

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Sunday marks the Sacramento Tweed Picnic Ride, an event where bicyclists dress up as old-fashioned dames and gents. 'Tweed' can conjure up the classic image of a newspaper boy yelling the morning headlines, which is exactly why the sight of more than 100 passing bicyclists, cloaked in tweed, would cause a double-take. The bike ride will start at 8:30 a.m. at The Zebra Club for breakfast and finish at 4:30 p.m. at Hot Italian for dinner. After breakfast, riders will cruise to The Sacramento Bike Kitchen where coffee will be provided by Temple Coffee. Riders will then trek over to the Capitol, capture a group photo and make their way to Land Park for a picn

A keyword search of "Thunder Valley" brings up a lot of press about the casino's new hotel expansion and the accompanying 600 new jobs. Even the San Francisco Examiner reported on the mass hire. sfexaminer.com/entertainment/Thunder-Valley-is-hiring-to-staff-expansion--87388637.html Six hundred new jobs are a ray of light during these rough economic times, and people would be willing to commute or relocate to find employment. Thirty-six hours after the job-hire press release, 640 applications had already been fully completed, and the average 2,300 website hits per day skyrocketed to a quarter million hits per week. So, with so much collective interest, what's the casino's course of action

The Crocker Art Museum is hosting a new children's program combining books and art projects at local libraries. The series of free events will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Colonial Heights Library on Stockton Blvd. The idea of a series event stemmed from Wee Wednesdays, a free event inside the museum for kids ages 3-5. Emma Moore, manager of Experiential Learning for The Crocker Art Museum, has teamed up with local librarians to create "Stories and Art." Each library features a different storybook that will be read aloud by a librarian and serves as the inspiration for a different on-site, hands-on art project for the children that will follow each story. Moore said she believes

De Vere's Irish Pub held its inaugural St. Baldrick's event Monday, raising more than $81,000 for cancer research, $10,000 of which came from De Vere's. The pub's roped-off sidewalk was packed with spectators trying to get a glimpse of local participants shaving their locks to conquer kids' cancer. De Vere's had 221 shavees lined up for their turn to get snipped. Publicly displayed on the patio, shavees winced when they felt the cold steel clippers reach deep down to the scalp. The participants' reactions caused perpetual laughter, since there was a four-barber-rotation, and each head took only a minute to shave. The crowd stirred when Shawn Eldredge, a City Council candidate for Distri

Rick Nahmias’ Photography exhibit, “The Migrant Project,” is currently on display at The Sacramento Railroad Museum. “The Migrant Project” has toured from gallery to gallery for eight years and was transformed into a book two years ago. However, The Sacramento Railroad Museum might be its most unlikely stop. Initially, Nahmias sought out the Sacramento Capitol Museum to display the photos to the public. Due to the Capitol being booked, Nahmias and his colleagues had to think outside the box. Nahmias’ colleagues are very committed to his message and his work, which is why he trusted their proposition of the Railroad Museum. The museum’s old produce car has been converted into “The Migran

Photojournalist Robert Durell's exhibition "Decade Under the Dome," is at the Capitol through March 12. Fifty-eight photos, shot during Durell's long career at The Los Angeles Times, are on display. Durell's work included coverage of the riot incited by Los Angeles police beating Rodney King and the 1994 U.S. invasion of Haiti, which won three group Pulitzers. In 1998, the Times switched to digital cameras. This meant photos could be sent over the Internet and photographers could be based anywhere. Durell relocated to Davis, taking over The LA Times' Northern California region, and began taking photographs in and around the Capitol. Durell said he believes the Capitol is a human-built Yos