Newest articles and comments on The Sacramento Press written by Melissa Corker

Melissa Corker on "Nov. 15 election update: Hansen extends lead to 160 votes"

2012-11-16T00:03:14Z

I believe the county can give vote counts by precinct- but it might be a little while before such a report is available.

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

2012-11-14T04:54:56Z

Even my almost 18-yr old son is in on Movember. Excellent!

Melissa Corker on "28 votes separate Hansen and Yee, Measure U set for approval "

2012-11-07T15:02:37Z

Excellent coverage, friends. I'm proud of your hard work.

Melissa Corker on "Voter questions and followups: How the Sac Press debate with Hansen and Yee will work "

2012-10-22T19:21:09Z

Goyette will do an excellent job moderating, and having Foon Rhee and Brandon Darnell in the mix will definitely make this a valuable and informative debate. (I'm not Doubtful in the least!)

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-17T20:56:02Z

That's kind of you to say, Mark. I know Jared and the crew at Sac Press are going to keep the ship afloat bringing the best to our communities. Jared is right, though: YOU and do many others play an active role in helping get the news out... Keep it up!

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-17T20:53:14Z

You too, Chris. I know you'll be keeping your eye on North Sac for us! I look forward to seeing more of your contributions and comments on Sac Press.

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-17T20:52:05Z

I appreciate the thoughts, although I never want to send the cosmos into a spin. Wait. What? Ah, you understand! :-) Thanks for the kind words.

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-17T20:50:31Z

Thank you, Mark.

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-17T20:50:02Z

Definitely! I'm only a phone call (or a Tweet!) away!

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-10T23:16:35Z

Thank you, Carlos. I'll be keeping an eye out on Sac Press for more of your great photos! They are always such an asset to the articles.

Melissa Corker on "Farewell to Melissa Corker "

2012-09-10T23:15:27Z

That's what I say! My husband, on the other hand, thinks I just need better hand-eye coordination to successfully navigate the refrigerator. :-)

Budding effort to recall Kevin Johnson faces long road ahead

2012-09-07T16:24:46Z

An anonymous individual – who currently goes only by the moniker “Citizen X” – started a petition on Change.org to recall Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, but it looks like the person is facing an uphill battle: The road to citizen recall of an elected official is long and arduous and only rarely succeeds.

The petition cites Johnson’s nonprofit activities and recent disclosure shortfalls as some of the reasons for the recall effort and has, so far, gathered 41 signatures. A Facebook page supporting the recall effort was also started Thursday, and it garnered 91 likes by Friday morning.

According to the city charter, the steps to a recall of a city official follow the outline found in the state elections code. The process is complicated, and the as-yet-unidentified Citizen X may have his hands full in the pursuit of a recall of Kevin Johnson. What for sure is that he’ll need more than an anonymous online petition at Change.org to get the job done.

Here are the steps any recall effort would need to follow:

Give notice – The elections code states that someone must “file, serve and publish a Notice of Intention to Circulate a Petition for Recall.” This form has to be in a specific format, filed with the city clerk and served on the mayor, either in person or by courier.

Here is where “Citizen X” may need to reconsider anonymity: The state elections code requires the notice of intention and the petition to be signed by 20 proponents, and it must include their names, addresses and verification that each is registered to vote in the city of Sacramento.

The notice must also be published in a local newspaper at least once. The mayor would have seven days to respond to the notice and file his response with the city clerk.

Create the petition – Just like the notice of intention, the form of the petition is specific and must be approved by the city clerk before any signatures can be gathered (and no, an online petition on Change.org doesn’t qualify). The process of submitting, reviewing, correcting and approving the petition can be lengthy, according to Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Mizuno.

“It’s very time consuming and regulatory,” Mizuno said Thursday. “It takes someone who has a strong desire to want to initiate a process of this nature. They have to be diligent in understanding the timeframe and the regulatory requirements – that’s where most initiatives fail.”

Gather signatures, and be quick about it – The petition must get the signatures (actual, pen-on-paper signatures, that is) of at least 10 percent of the number of registered voters in the city – approximately 21,400, according to Mizuno. And the elections code gives recall proponents only 120 days to do it. Note the qualification: Only signatures from city residents that are registered to vote count toward the total.

Submit petition signatures, get verification from county registrar of voters – The city clerk will verify that the petition has the minimum number of qualified signatures and then send the petition to the county for final verification. The county has 30 days to complete the verification and, if all goes well with the process, the petition is then returned to the city clerk.

Petition sent to City Council for approval and call to ballot – The city clerk is required by elections code to send the petition to the City Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting for approval. Can the City Council refuse to approve the petition? No.

“They have a duty under the elections code to accept a sufficient petition,” Mizuno said.

Hold an election – Once the City Council members approve the petition, they have 14 days to instruct the city clerk to put the recall question on the ballot and hold an election “not less than 88 days and not more more 120 days” from the date of City Council’s approval.

Here’s where timing become significant: If there is no regularly scheduled election within that timeframe, then a special election must be held. Mizuno estimated the cost of a special election to be more than $1 million.

But wait – there’s more.

Timing plays an even bigger role in state elections code and in the city charter when it comes to a recall: The state elections code says a recall cannot be initiated before the person has been in office at least 90 days, or within six months of the end of his or her current term, while the city charter puts both of those numbers at six months.

In the case of Johnson, whose current term ends Nov. 6, that means a recall cannot be initiated against him until after May 6, 2013.

To make things more complicated, the next regular election is set for June 2014 and the latest any measure or initiative, including a recall initiative, can be accepted by the city clerk’s office for that ballot is mid-February, according to Mizuno.

And, one more small detail: Once the question of “should Mayor Kevin Johnson be recalled” is opened to voters, it necessitates a corresponding election for his replacement. Mizuno said a nomination period would be opened, campaigns would be started and the ballot would have to include all qualified candidates.

If anyone thinks campaigns are costly, this particular ballot initiative has potential to send spending through the roof. A recall initiative is like any other measure on the ballot in that there are no limits on campaign spending to support the measure – and no limits for a campaign to oppose the measure, Mizuno said. If Johnson wanted to campaign against the measure – which is likely – the fundraising would have no ceiling.

“It is a complicated – but doable – process,” Mizuno said.

The state provides a guide to the process:

Step-By-step Guide to a Recall

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Sac Press Live special edition: Mayor Johnson's problems with nonprofit disclosures

2012-09-06T17:34:59Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson’s ability to raise money is unrivaled in City Hall, according to a report by Ryan Lillis in The Sacramento Bee, and that clout has been the cornerstone for a number of nonprofit efforts Johnson has initiated during his time in office. But Johnson and his staff’s inability to meet deadlines and avoid “clerical errors” recently earned his office some unwanted attention, and sparked questions of conflicts of interest.

Those questions will be the focus of a special edition of Sac Press Live Friday with guests Lillis and Sacramento News & Review's Cosmo Garvin at noon.

[Check back here for the live chat at noon]

Links:

K.J. Inc,. by Cosmo Garvin in The Sacramento News and Review

Mayor Johnson's arena task force funded largely by Sacramento Kings, by Ryan Lilllis in The Sacramento Bee

We’ll be talking about the recent news of late reports of donations to a foundation created by the mayor that resulted in a Fair Political Practices Commission examination of Johnson's network of nonprofit organizations.

Johnson’s nonprofits came under fire in a SNR piece by Garvin that questioned the transparency of the organizations that run parallel to the workings of City Hall, but – because they are private efforts – operate under a less accountable system of rules than public programs.

Those rules include what donations (or “behests”) need to be reported for tax purposes, and which do not. Garvin notes in his article that, despite strict limits on campaign contributions, “behests aren’t campaign contributions, so Johnson can raise unlimited amounts of money from companies and individuals.”

This blurring of the lines between public and private interests, Garvin wrote, is cause for concern: Donors contributing to private efforts spearheaded by a public official generally want something in return.

Editor's note: The chat scheduled with Craig Powell has been postponed until next Tuesday.

Problems floating around about Johnson's nonprofits comes just weeks after he missed a deadline to submit an opposing argument to the tax measure appearing on the November ballot – which was declared to have been due to a “clerical error” and “mixed up deadline dates.”

That error prompted members of the political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento to file suit against the city clerk for the ability to put an opposing argument on the ballot. The group lost the suit, and ballot materials will only have the supporting argument for the measure.

Friday’s chat will continue in a second special edition at 2:30 p.m. with Craig Powell, president of Eye on Sacramento, who will be talking about the missed ballot argument deadline and what that means to taxpayers.

The chat will be streamed live on SacramentoPress.com Friday at noon with Lillis and at 2:30 p.m. with Powell.

Have a question for either guest? Post it in the conversation below this article.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Next Sac Press Live: City Council candidate Joe Yee

2012-09-05T16:16:09Z

Our next Sac Press Live chat will feature a discussion with architect and District 4 City Council candidate Joe Yee about the upcoming election and some of the issues the district faces.

We'll be asking Yee where he stands on neighborhood issues such as waste collection, utility rates and traffic and parking problems, and we’ll dive into questions about public policy, development and what he thinks is the best way forward for Sacramento.

Yee, principal architect with the Anova Nexus Architects firm, and his wife, Daphne, have lived in Land Park since 1976. He has worked for more than 30 years as an architect – he designed the West Sacramento Library and numerous educational facilities in the Sacramento region – and also served for a year on the City Council as an interim city councilman in 2000.

Yee will be facing challenger Steve Hansen for the District 4 council seat in November, and Hansen will be joining Sac Press for a live chat on Sept. 26.

The chat will be streamed live on SacramentoPress.com Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 12 noon.

Have a question for Yee? Post it in the conversation below this article.

Sacramento Kings fans hope renewed: Virginia Beach arena plan has a long way to go

2012-08-29T16:52:35Z

Media reports were buzzing from coast to coast about a plan being pitched in Virginia Beach to build a new arena and possibly make it the new home of the Sacramento Kings – but when the proposal was unveiled to the Virginia Beach City Council Tuesday, no mention was made of the Kings, leaving fans to breathe a sigh of relief.

“They didn't present a financing plan, provided only a cost estimate and – most importantly to Sacramento basketball fans – didn't mention any potential sports teams as tenants,” Ryan Lillis reported in The Sacramento Bee Tuesday.

Although the rumors remained unsubstantiated after the weeklong worry-fest leading up to the City Council presentation, questions linger about what has been happening behind the scenes.

Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette spoke with Travis Waldron, a writer with the influential liberal think tank ThinkProgress, in a Sac Press Live chat Tuesday about the Virginia Beach arena proposal and the possible political maneuvering going on in the background.

“It’s not like franchises moving from city to city is a new development – it’s happened in baseball and hockey and football for as long as those leagues have been around,” Waldron said during the chat. “But this idea now of using new arenas and the types of deals they can get from taxpayers as pawns against each other in this big chess mach is, if not a new phenomenon, one that is becoming increasingly prevalent in sports.”

For the moment, Sacramento Kings fans can be certain of one thing: The Kings will play at Power Balance Pavilion at least one more season. Beyond that, it might take a crystal ball to discover what’s next.

Fans and foes of the Kings and the team’s owners, the Maloofs, were all over Facebook and Twitter this week sharing thoughts and opinions – and projections – for the future of the team:

View the story "Is there a real deal in Virginia for the Kings?" on Storify

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Sacramento Chalk Art Festival returns to Fremont Park Labor Day Weekend

2012-08-29T15:07:28Z

Take a stroll around Fremont Park this Labor Day weekend at the Chalk It Up! art festival, and you’ll find you don’t have to be a kid to appreciate the beauty – and fun – of drawing on the sidewalk with chalk.

This year marks the 22nd anniversary of the popular event featuring over 200 sidewalk paintings by local artists who use soft chalk pastel mixed with water.

The festival runs through Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-3, at Fremont Park, 16th and Q street, is free to all ages, and offers three days of music, food, art and entertainment.

Want to join the fun and let your own creative juices flow? Sidewalk space is also available for anyone who wants to add their own artistic touch to the collection.

Sidewalk squares are sponsored by local businesses and individuals to raise grant money for children’s art education, including scholarships to the California State Summer School of the Arts, and funding for prizes for student art shows at Sacramento area schools and galleries.

All of the festival artwork is left on the sidewalks at Fremont Park throughout the month of September as the elements to take their toll.

The musical line-up at the festival includes: Zugh, Tumbleweed Wanderers, Musical Charis, Dog Party, Isaac Bear, Carly Duhain, Honyock, Parie Wood, Wrings, Sun Valley Gun Club, Cold Eskimo, Sandra Dolores, Gabriella Ruiz, 99,100, Foxtails and more.

The event will also feature local food trucks including Wicked ‘Wich, Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen and Mama Kim On The Go, Little Rich’s Italian Ice, Senor Dog and Yolanda’s Tamales.

Kids can create their own masterpieces in the Kids Create-A-Zone, where they are led through activities by local professional artists.

For the over-21 crowd, adult beverages will be available in the shaded beer garden.

Chalk It Up is a nonprofit organization started in 1991 by volunteers from Sacramento.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Shop local this fall, and bring a friend to save double

2012-08-29T14:37:13Z

A little peer pressure can be a good thing when you go shopping in downtown and Old Sacramento this fall: The savings double when you bring a friend.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership and local businesses encourage you to shop Sept. 13-22 at participating downtown and Old Sacramento businesses and save 10 percent on all purchases. If you bring a friend, you’ll both save 20 percent.

Why is shopping local important? According to the independent business support organization The 3/50 Project, $68 of every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. Spend that at a national chain, and only $43 stays local. Buying online? None of it stays local.

Some of the downtown and Old Sacramento businesses participating in Shop Local include:
Bella Vue
Chef’s Olive Oil Mix
Chef’s Mercantile
Christmas & Co.
Gabby Girl
Her Closet Boutique
Mea Vita
Old City Kites
Taylor’s Art & Soul
U.BE.U. Fashion Boutique

Exclusions may apply to some offers, so check with participating businesses for more details.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Are the Sacramento Kings a pawn in Virginia Beach corporate welfare chess game?

2012-08-28T17:04:38Z

There has been much ado in recent days about a potential Sacramento Kings move to the coastal town of Virginia Beach, Va. – but as more information is revealed, a writer with an influential liberal think tank said it is starting to look like Sacramento is little more than a pawn in a larger corporate game.

As the Virginia Beach City Council prepares to hear a presentation from a group of corporate executives interested in building a new arena in its region, Travis Waldron, a reporter from the liberal forum blog ThinkProgress, presents a different take on the situation and what may be happening behind the scenes.

“Connecting the dots in the roll-out of this story,” Waldron wrote, “makes it look like little more than a coordinated attempt to get Virginia Beach’s city council to finance an expensive arena project for a hypothetical NBA franchise that may never come to the city.”

[Update: Here's our live chat with Waldron:

For live updates from the meeting, check Sacramento Bee reporter Ryan Lillis on Twitter, @Ryan_Lillis ]

The pitch is being made to the council by execs from corporate giant Comcast-Spectacor, which owns NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Waldron noted that the group will head to the council with a plan already in place.

Aaron Applegate reported in the Virginian-Pilot that Comcast-Spectacor has promised the city the company would bring a major professional sports team to town if an arena deal goes through.

The company failed to specify WHICH major team, however – a crucial piece of information, according to Waldron.

“Enter the Kings and their billionaire owners, the Maloofs, who are so desperate to extort a state-of-the-art arena from someone that they seem willing to move virtually anywhere on Earth to do it,” he wrote.

The combination of Virginia Beach’s need for an infusion of taxpayer dollars into its economy, the Maloofs' craving for a new arena and a corporate entity ready to cut a deal creates the perfect setup for what Waldron referred to as “the corporate welfare chess match that has become professional sports” and an “arena-extortion prom.”

How will this game play out? Will there be any real winners? The Virginia Beach City Council is slated to convene at 3 p.m. Pacific time, and the Sacramento Business Journal reported that an announcement regarding the future of the Kings may follow.

Waldon will be chatting live with The Sacramento Press today at noon to talk about the situation and the possible outcomes for Sacramento, Virginia Beach and Sacramento Kings owners, the Maloofs. [The live chat will be live streamed in this article/URL]

Let us know what you think – share your comments or questions for Waldon in the section below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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NJ Governor Chris Christie: Jerry Brown a 'retread'

2012-08-28T14:57:08Z

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had a few terse words to say about Gov. Brown at the GOP convention in Tampa, FL this week, but Christie’s comments come as no surprise to people familiar with his direct, unflinching style.

“Look at New Jersey and look at California,” Christie said. “Made two very different choices. New Jersey decided to take a chance, New Jersey decided to take a risk on a conservative Republican governor in a blue state. California made a bad choice by going with an old retread. I cannot believe you people elected Jerry Brown over Meg Whitman.”

Christie continued, “I don't want to be insulting because it's early, and I got plenty of time to be insulting the rest of the day. But I've gotta tell you, Jerry Brown? Jerry Brown? I mean, he won the New Jersey presidential primary over Jimmy Carter when I was 14 years old.”

Christie chastised Brown for sending a tax measure to the November ballot, saying, "Man, that's leadership, isn't it? And if you had made a different choice, you know that California would be moving in a significantly different direction today."

Back home in California, Brown spokesman Gil Duran was “unimpressed” with Christie’s comments, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

"California is leading the nation in job growth, while New Jersey's economy has stalled with rising unemployment under Gov. Christie," Duran said in the article. "It's no wonder Gov. Christie wants to distract from his massive failure with a windstorm of rhetoric."

(Fast Fact: Jerry Brown was the only person in the country eligible to run for a third term as governor after the state enacted new term limits in 1990. If he runs for re-election in 2014 and wins, he will be the only governor in state history to have held office for four terms.)

Where will the exchanges go from here? There’s still three days of the GOP convention left, and plenty of conversation to be had.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Search continues for Linnea Lomax after two months

2012-08-28T14:17:16Z

More than two months after her disappearance, friends and family of 19-year old UC Davis student Linnea Lomax are still searching for clues to find her.

Lomax disappeared from an outpatient clinic on Howe Avenue in Sacramento June 26, leaving her wallet, cell phone and much-needed medication – but no clues as to where she was headed or why she vanished.

Nearly 90 people gathered Sunday in Placerville to show support and raise community awareness of the search, according to a press release from search organizers.

The crowd wore yellow to symbolize their longing for Lomax’s return and passed out missing posters and yellow ribbons to residents of the teen’s home town, the release said.

Lomax was last seen wearing green skinny jeans, a black sweatshirt with the word “Sweden” written across it in red letters, and flip-flops, according to the press release, and she suffers from a recent onset mental illness. Search warrants served on her social media and bank accounts have failed to turn up any leads.

A $10,000 reward is being offered to anyone who provides information that directly leads to the safe return of Linnea Lomax to her family or to the custody of law enforcement.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department at (530) 621-6600 or the family tip line at (916) 905-HELP. Tips can also be emailed to tips@helpfindlinnea.org.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Food Truck Roundup Wednesday at Cesar Chavez Park

2012-08-28T01:15:24Z

If you’re looking for a quick and convenient midweek dinner, get out of the kitchen and head to Cesar Chavez Plaza for the Midtown Food Truck Roundup on Wednesday.

Foodmob, also known as NorCal Food Trucks, is bringing 16 food trucks and vendors to the plaza to serve Midtown and downtown from 5 - 9 p.m.

“It’ll be convenient to stop in after work and grab an early dinner, or just a meetup place for people,” Matt Chong, co-owner of Wicked ’wich and Foodmob board member said Monday.

Food and vendor trucks scheduled to be at the event include:

Addison’s Originals
California Love Truck
El Matador Mobile Mex
Fuzion Eatz
Gypsy Mobile Boutique
Heavenly Dog
Mama Kim on the Go
OMG Burger
Miz Shirley’s Cuisine On Wheels
Pizza Box
OM Karmabile
The Pizza Company
WGS/Red Carpet Catering
Wicked ‘wich

The event is the result of a joint effort by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and the California Mobile Food Association, according to Chong.

“We wanted a successful food truck event to follow up the Concerts in the Park series,” Chong said.

A recent Foodmob food truck roundup event held in Elk Grove drew nearly 2,000 people, Chong said, and event organizers said this event has similar potential.

“It’s really about getting a bunch of trucks together and creating awareness about our growing food truck culture, and getting the food trucks to work alongside the city for the community,” Chong said.

The food truck roundup runs from 5 - 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Southside Park water fight canceled, event finds new venue

2012-08-27T15:23:08Z

More than 700 people planning to play with squirt guns in Southside Park Saturday were left high and dry when the event was cancelled by park rangers due to the lack of an event permit, prompting event organizers to reschedule and relocate the water fight to a larger, more remote area that doesn’t require permits.

“Predictably, some parks neighbors got word and complained, and cops and park rangers decided 600 people was too big for that park, and worst of all, no permit,” event organizer Stephanie Rector said on her Facebook page after the cancellation.

The water fight had been advertised on Facebook for weeks leading up to the event scheduled to take over Southside Park at 2 p.m. Saturday. But authorities put a stop to the event before it could get started because there were no event permit – a requirement for large gatherings in city parks.

The cancellation came as a surprise to event-goers who arrived to find park rangers turning people away, but it didn’t dampen the spirit of organizers who said they would reschedule and relocate the event.

“I know you guys are bummed about the cops, but let's be grateful we got the heads up on the new permit free place,” Rector said.

In the wake of the recent Rafting Gone Wild event on the American River that devolved into a riverbank brawl and arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct – and prompted county supervisors to bulk up a standing alcohol restrictions on the river – public safety officers have been on heightened alert for large gatherings that could quickly get out of control.

Saturday’s planned water fight was designed to be a family-friendly event, however, not centered on alcohol consumption as the Rafting Gone WIld event was, according to the Facebook invitation.

“I saw the Park Rangers when I rolled in and thought this can't be good, but I figured they were just here for protection because there were gonna be a lot of people and that can cause fights, but usually alcohol is involved and there wasn't supposed to be any drinking,” Ray Conrado told Fox 40 news Saturday.

The “rules of the game” listed in the Facebook event announcement included keeping an eye out for younger players and sticking around afterward to help clean up.

“The park is home to ducks and small children who play here so lets make sure we take care of any choking hazards and litter,” the announcement stated.

After being turned away at Southside Park Saturday, event organizers decided to move the event to the Sacramento Bypass Wildlife Area in Lovedel, about three miles east of Davis off I-80.

The area is is a large public/private restoration project, according to sacramentoriver.org, and it is open to the public seven days a week with no fee for day use.

Rector said the new location was selected on the advice of park rangers who closed down Saturday’s event.

“One of them said the Sacramento Bypass because it is not a city park or state park, from what I understand, and sounds like it could handle the capacity more,” Rector wrote on her Facebook page.

Rector said that one of the problems the park rangers mentioned was a concern about water balloons and litter – it was also a concern Southside Park residents mentioned in a call to event-goers to join a pre-event park clean up event.

“I think if we officially say ‘no balloons’ (we can't prevent a few from being brought, but make it our official stance), we will have less trash, clean up to do, help avoid liability and help keep outside citizens from being as concerned and thus less likely to have this one shutdown,” Rector said.

The water fight has been rescheduled to 2 p.m. Sept. 8. More information is on the Sacramento Water Fight event Facebook page.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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. Sign me up!

Rumors fly about possible Kings move, Maloofs deny claims – sort of

2012-08-24T15:35:09Z

It’s all over mainstream media: Virginia Beach is making a pitch to steal Sacramento’s beloved Kings, and team owners, the Maloofs, are buying in – but a spokesman for the Maloofs said in an email yesterday not to believe all the hype.

“The franchise is not going to discuss which cities have approached the organization and are not going to comment on every rumor,” Maloof spokesman Eric W. Rose said in the email. “The sole focus of everyone within the Sacramento Kings organization continues to be to put a winning team on the court as we look forward to what promises to be an exciting 2012-13 NBA season.”

Wait. What?

Notice that Rose makes no commitment with his statement beyond the current season – and that may be worrisome to Kings fans who pushed hard this year to keep the team.

A simple omission? Perhaps, but it wouldn’t be the first time words have been carefully crafted for the sake of positive spin in the years-long Kings saga: Remember the “we have a deal!” announcement in Orlando? That statement quickly morphed into, “It was a handshake deal,” before finally being denounced by the Maloofs as “insulting. We did not have a deal there.”

The most recent round of Kings-may-be-relocating scuttlebutt started with a report in the Hampton Roads Business Journal in Virginia that the Maloofs were “in talks” to propose moving the team to Virginia Beach.

The report cited unnamed sources that confirmed a presentation to the Virginia Beach City Council about the possible move, and an expected formal announcement from the Maloofs on Aug. 29.

NBA officials responded that they had not heard of any planned move from the Maloofs. The team is required to remain in Sacramento for the 2012-13 season because no relocation request was filed or approved by the deadline earlier this year, however team owners once again have until March 1 to file for relocation with the NBA for the 2013-14 season.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, who heard the news as he was traveling to New York City for the Obama Classic basketball fundraiser, tweeted “I spoke w/h the NBA, neither they nor my office has been contacted by the Kings. At this point there is nothing new to report.”

R.E. Graswich, Johnson’s former special advisor and current member of the Think Big Sacramento coalition, also responded to the news via Twitter, saying, “Kings & Virginia Beach chatter all assumption, not fact.”

When contacted, George Maloof would not confirm or deny that his company was in talks with the city of Virginia Beach, according to the Hampton Roads article, and Joe Maloof denied Thursday that he had any talks with Virginia Beach, according to The New York Times.

Local fan reactions on Facebook and Twitter have ranged from disbelief to disgust – including a few “colorful” remarks about the Maloofs' integrity – and some former season ticket holders tweeted that they have either returned their tickets or refused to purchase any this season because of the uncertainty surrounding the team staying in Sacramento.

What do you think? Is it just one more rumor, as Rose said in his email, or will the Kings really be on their way out this time? Take our poll and let us know your opinion in the comments section below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Bike shop owner petitions to keep bike path access to Old Sacramento open

2012-08-23T15:41:00Z

California State Parks is considering a plan to close off bicycle access to Old Sacramento at one of only two access points along the Sacramento River Bike Trail, and local bike shop owner Tim Castleman says that is unacceptable – so he started a petition to stop the closure from happening.

Castleman, owner of Practical Cycle in Old Sacramento, started the petition in early August after he discovered that the Old Sacramento State Historic Park General Plan calls for the closure. He said he felt the issue had not been fully addressed during project planning or public outreach.

“Nobody was really pushing back against it,” Castleman said Wednesday. “I wanted to make sure that it was clear that there is a lot of people that don’t want it closed.”

Response to the petition has been positive so far, he said, with more than 150 signatures, and he hopes the interest in the issue continues to grow.

According to Castleman’s petition statement on change.org, the closure of the bike path at I Street would eliminate “the single most popular way to exit the bike trail to Old Sacramento and the Downtown area.”

The petition calls for opposition to the planned closure, opting instead to support repairs to the existing bike path.

“If they are going to make an alternate access, I’m OK with it – I just don’t want them to abandon the I Street exit altogether until after another, better, safe access is made,” Castleman said.

Paul Hammond, museum director for the California State Railroad Museum said the planned closure is not a recommendation in a vacuum – there are a lot of things that play into it.

“We are not trying to close off access, we are trying to relocate it,” Hammond said.

California State Parks owns and operates only a portion of Old Sacramento – the remainder is owned either by the city of Sacramento or by private owners and operators. The portion that the state owns includes the I Street access from the Sacramento River Bike Trail, and Hammond said that access point feeds bicyclists directly into the state-owned portion of Old Sacramento where a number of park programs, tours and events are often held.

“Park programs mean crowds, and bikes and crowds don’t mix well,” Hammond said.

The plan includes proposed alternative access points to Old Sacramento from the bike trail, Hammond said, which will reduce potential bicyclist/pedestrian conflict and make traveling into and through Old Sacramento safer for everyone.

One of those alternative routes is slated to be north of the railroad museum, Hammond said, and would lead bicyclists to an intersection at Second Street where they can then either go into Old Sacramento, go toward the railyards or head into downtown.

That creates another point of contention for Castleman: The intersection that the alternate route would lead to is a busy, three-way inlet to Old Sacramento where tour buses often park to unload tourists.

“It just doesn’t seem safe to push everyone into that bottleneck intersection,” Castleman said.

Jordan Lang, project assistant at Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, said his organization has also expressed concerns about the proposed closure of the I Street bicycle access.

“We call it a significant adverse impact to the project if they did that, unless they found a suitable alternative route for bike riders,” Lang said Wednesday.

The I Street access to the Sacramento River Bike Trail is an “informal and unofficial” access route that was never designed or designated for bicycles, Lang said – yet it is the only suitable route that exists.

“It is a gap in the concrete flood wall that runs along the river,” Lang said. “It is a rough access, through gravel and over tracks. It can be challenging.”

Castleman said he’s not looking for a fight, he just wants a safe, easy way into Old Sacramento for bicyclists.

“In a way, this is a great opportunity,” Castleman said. “That patch of bike path needs improvement, and this is a good time to do it, along with the whole project.”

The general plan is subject to a long process that includes opportunity for public comment. The formal comment period closed July 16, and comments are currently being reviewed by project managers at California State Parks, Lang said. No formal response is expected for a few months.

Read the California State Parks preliminary general plan for Old Sacramento here.

Read the petition on change.org here.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

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Sacramento goes high-tech with new iPhone app for 3-1-1 service

2012-08-23T15:27:10Z

Sacramento launched a new smartphone application Thursday that will give residents a way to notify the city about some of the most frequently reported service issues and problems such as potholes, missed garbage cans on collection day, illegal dumping and stray animals, according to a press release.

“The app allows us to increase our capacity to take more calls, be more responsive and improve accountability,” City Manager John Shirey said in the press release.

Currently, 22 full-time city employees handle approximately 1,300 calls and 75 emails each day through the city’s 3-1-1 call center, according to Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Linda Tucker. The service is always available, and city staff estimates about 100,000 calls are lost each year as a result of lengthy hold times.

Although the iPhone app is new to the city, it isn’t the first foray into using technology to provide better service to the city, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams: Sacramento also has an online system for residents to comment on City Council agenda items and a subscription email alert system called GovDelivery.

Large cities across the country have been turning to smartphone apps to help their cities run more efficiently, including Salem, Mass. (which currently offers three smartphone apps), Portland, Ore. and Omaha, Neb., which is also launching an iPhone app similar to Sacramento’s on Thursday.

In California, a number of southern cities already have released smartphone apps, including Riverside and Irvine, both of which did so earlier this month.

Sacramento’s new iPhone app is an “end-to-end product,” according to the press release: The information put in by the user will automatically get to the appropriate city staff without requiring 3-1-1 staff to retype and relay the information.

“What a convenience this will be for those we serve to have the ability to let us know what needs addressed,” Shirey said.

Residents can learn more about the new app and expected service improvements at a demonstration hosted by city staff at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall, 915 I St.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "TEDx brings 'ideas worth spreading' to Sacramento"

2012-08-22T18:20:16Z

I thought Brandon Weber did a good job clarifying, but perhaps an even simpler breakdown will help, Squinter: Pre-conference TEDx event, Thurs. Aug 30, 6:30 pm – 8 pm, $10 TEDx Sacramento conference, Fri. Aug. 31, 9 am – 6 pm, $100 Both events will be at the Crocker Art Museum. Hope that helps.

Melissa Corker on "New report offers 'road map' for development at downtown railyards"

2012-08-22T18:11:06Z

I have embedded the ULI report and included a link to the Urban Land Institute Sacramento website. Hope that helps.

New report offers 'road map' for development at downtown railyards

2012-08-22T13:31:27Z

The best things Sacramento could do to bring the downtown railyards to life and spur greater development would be to start small and build from the inside out, some say.

That’s the message in a new report from the Urban Land Institute about the potential in the railyards, and it was the topic of a recent Sac Press Live interview with John Hodgson, president of the Hodgson Company and a member of the Urban Land Institute.

Hodgson talked about the ULI report as a roadmap for development in the railyards. It includes recommendations to build incrementally, create interconnected, mixed-use neighborhoods and start with inexpensive interim uses to draw people and develop interest in the railyards.

A number of ideas have been floated for developing the downtown railyards – not the least of which was the recent push to build an entertainment and sports complex on the 240-acre site.

But the ULI report offers neither support nor opposition to an arena, and Hodgson said there is “no silver bullet,” however, he suggested that such a venue could be a successful part of development in the railyards to get the best long-term benefit for Sacramento and the region.

“I think it is an absolutely spectacular idea,” Hodgson said. “We need to create an opportunity for special uses, and the arena could still be an important asset. We need to create the blueprint, though.”

Transformation at the railyards has already begun: A new pedestrian walkway to new railway platforms opened Aug. 13, and renovations on older train station buildings are also in the works. But building out the entire 240-acre site isn’t going to happen overnight, Hodgson said – primarily because it would be too expensive. So, development at the railyards should happen incrementally, and at the same time the plan should create connected, symbiotic neighborhoods

“You have to do this a half block at a time,” Hodgson said. “You can’t put all your residential in one area and all your commercial in another. Midtown is a good example of a diverse mix of uses that makes it a vibrant area of Sacramento. The whole point is you need to create a series of neighborhoods.”

Although Hodgson said he believes an entertainment and sports complex would be a catalyst for further development, there are smaller, more immediate things the city could do to create interest in the railyards and, potentially, lure investors. Some ideas Hodgson suggested include opening some of the historical buildings on the site as museums or opening portions of the railyards site as places for smaller events and social gatherings.

“Have fundraisers out there,” Hodgson said. “Have special events. It has unbelievable potential. The point here is get people out there, and get them to enjoy the space.”

The new ULI report is the result of an intensive, three-month study of the railyards and surrounding areas to determine the potential for the site – but it does not create an ordinance or a mandate for the city, Hodgson said, so the future of the railyards is still largely unwritten.

“With the railyards, you have a new landscape that you can begin to develop and paint a new picture,” Hodgson said.

Read the ULI report here.

Urban Land Institute Railyards ReportMelissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "TEDx brings 'ideas worth spreading' to Sacramento"

2012-08-21T22:11:41Z

The TEDx event that the article focuses on is an all-day event, 9 am to 6 pm and tickets are $100. The event listed on the Crocker Website is a smaller "salon" event that will happen the day before TEDx – it is a preview of the event that features videos and a couple live performances. The salon/preview event is $10.

Melissa Corker on "Gun violence 'not the norm' in Midtown, businesses say"

2012-08-21T18:48:39Z

The alcohol license transfer is being protested by Vito Sgromo, as noted in a previous Sac Press article. http://sacramentopress.com/headline/72513/Midtown_shooting_death_sparks_response_from_neighbors Mr. Sgromo does not specifically link Harlow's to the murder, rather (as quoted in this article) he said he is protesting the alcohol license because of "increased crime, recently murder, and the over concentration of alcohol licenses" at 28th and 27th and J streets location.

Gun violence 'not the norm' in Midtown, businesses say

2012-08-21T15:26:30Z

The fatal shooting of a man walking near 28th and J streets in Midtown early Saturday morning has nearby residents concerned about a perceived connection between violence and the local bar scene, but Sutter District business owners say there is no cause for alarm.

“Midtown is a safe district,” Midtown Business Association Executive Director Elizabeth Studebaker said Monday. “It’s not the kind of place where we’re accustomed to this kind of violence. It’s definitely not the norm for us.”

The Sutter District is a popular destination and draws thousands of people each week, according to Studebaker. That concentration of people can create occasional problems, she said, but not unlike any other place with a similar concentration of people.

“The businesses operating in the district are doing so in the right place: a commercially zoned area,” she said. “They are all compliant with city and state regulations, and in many cases we see the business going above and beyond what’s required to invest in safety measures for the well-being of neighbors.”

Some neighbors, however, say they don’t feel safe and point the blame at the number of bars and restaurants near their homes and are taking steps to change the area by blocking liquor licenses and pushing for more parking restrictions on residential streets.

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 2708 J St., is one business targeted for a protest of the club’s alcohol license transfer by Midtown residents in the wake of Friday’s shooting.

The alcohol license, which was originally held as Harlow’s, is in the process of being transferred to Harlow’s Momo Lounge to include the newer upstairs portion of the nightclub.

The resident filing the protest listed “increased crime, recently murder, and the over concentration of alcohol licenses ... at this location, 28th and 27th and J Streets,” as reasons for blocking the alcohol license transfer.

According to online records at the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Harlow’s has had at least one license infraction: In January 2010, the nightclub owners were cited for serving alcohol to a minor. After an ABC investigation and hearing, they received a 15-day suspension of the license and a $3,000 fine.

Harlow’s owners Danny and Peter Torza did not return calls for comment.

Studebaker said she is aware of the challenge to Harlow’s, but Friday’s shooting has no correlation to the protest of the license transfer – and the incident is not a “true reflection” of Midtown or the Sutter District overall.

“Something like this – a random shooting – is something beyond our control,” she said. “It was sudden, there was no forewarning and there were at least seven security people within one block of the incident when it occurred.”

Comments on the Sacramento Press Facebook page about the shooting also indicate a general sense that the problem is not as simple as it looks.

“It's sad that an innocent bystander was killed but this incident should not be the catalyst for putting Midtown on lockdown," wrote Scott Bellisario in one story comment.

Bellisario questioned the situation behind the shooting: Were any of the involved parties inside any of the nearby bars/restaurants before the shooting? Which one? Did the bar security not wand them for weapons before entering? Could these groups have just been cruising around looking for trouble and not been in any of the bars?

“Before jumping to paranoia, we should get all the facts,” Bellisario wrote.

A commenter on a related Sac Press article who identified himself only as “Mark,” suggested problems in Midtown and downtown could be due to the number of empty lots in the area.

“It may sound strange, but could our built environment encourage violence as much as the concentration of late-night drinking establishments and lack of police presence?” he said. “It’s been known to behaviorists that empty spaces and ill-kept property in an urban environment encourage bad behavior.”

The mayor’s office reacted to news of the shooting with concern for the family of the victim and a reassurance that the incident is not reflective of the area as a whole.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family – anytime you have loss of young, innocent life it’s tragic,” Joaquin McPeek, spokesman for Mayor Kevin Johnson, said Monday. “We must do everything we can to ensure that our downtown is a safe place and a place people want to be to enjoy the quality of life Sacramento has to offer.”

For Studebaker and the Midtown businesses that her association represents, Friday’s shooting is unnerving, she said, and the business community will continue to be supportive and responsive to residents’ concerns.

“At the same time,” she said, “there’s no fair way to blame the shooting on the business activity in the Sutter District.”

According to police, an investigation is ongoing and there have been no arrests in the case yet. Police are asking anyone with any information about the crime to come forward by calling the tip line at 443-HELP. Callers can remain anonymous.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento Kings documentary wins more film awards at Sacramento festival

2012-08-20T22:58:32Z

“Small Market, Big Heart,” a full-length documentary on Sacramento’s 26-year struggle to to get – and keep – the Sacramento Kings, earned two awards at the Sacramento Film & Music Festival Sunday.

“We were honored to be part of the festival, and we’re really excited about the awards,” said James Ham, one of the producers of the film.

The festival is submission-based, according to the festival website, and features films of all lengths from all genres. “Small Market, Big Heart” won both an Audience Award and a Jury Award at the multi-day international film festival held at the Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento.

Ham and co-producer Blake Ellington shared the awards with the film’s director, Tobin Halsey.

The film recently won an Award of Excellence and Best Editing in the Documentary Feature category at the Los Angeles Movie Awards.

Ham said he is happy that the film has gotten some local recognition and some festival recognition, and he hopes that continues.

“We want as many people to see the film as possible,” Ham said Monday. “We want people to understand Sacramento and the fight to keep the team.”

The film can be seen in its entirely on YouTube, Ham said, and he and Ellington have submitted the documentary to a handful of other upcoming film festivals.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Court rules on tax measure: No more time to add ballot argument

2012-08-20T22:40:56Z

Sacramento voters reviewing a proposed city sales tax increase will find a supporting argument statement – but no opposing argument – on sample ballot materials after a judge blocked a request Monday that would allow other ballot arguments to be filed.

Representatives of the political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento filed the lawsuit Friday to force the city clerk to extend the deadline after Mayor Kevin Johnson missed the Aug. 8 deadline to submit a opposing ballot argument.

“It is a prerequisite of a writ (of mandate) that there is a violation of duty by the city clerk,” Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny said before the ruling. “I see none of that here.”

Craig Powell, president of Eye on Sacramento, said he filed the suit against City Clerk Shirley Concolino after she refused to extend the submission deadline.

“We are extremely disappointed in the ruling,” Powell told reporters after the hearing.

Powell told the court that the core of the case was “equity,” and the city clerk did not use her discretion to set and adjust election deadlines wisely.

“It is my duty to ensure a fair, impartial and neutral election process,” Concolino said in an emailed statement Monday. “The neutral process includes the deadlines. If I were to arbitrarily change or modify a deadline, I would be negating this neutral process and would in fact be giving preference to one side or the other.”

Statements written by members of the City Council in favor of the sales tax proposal were received on time, according to the clerk’s office, however, the opposing argument, which was to be written by Johnson, missed the deadline.

Without a deadline extension, the ballot will only contain the pro argument, Concolino said after the hearing.

If the court had ordered the clerk to extend the deadline, Johnson would have likely resubmitted his argument opposing the ballot measure, according to Steve Maviglio, Johnson’s 2012 campaign manager.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Midtown shooting death sparks response from neighbors

2012-08-20T14:58:16Z

After the shooting death of a 32-year old man Friday night near 28th and J streets, Midtown residents are responding with a protest of an alcohol license, and pleas for Mayor Kevin Johnson to act.

“This issue has not yet been dealt with a long-term sustainable manner and now someone has died from gun violence,” George Raya and Julie Murphy wrote in a press release from the Marshall School/New Era Neighborhood Association. [See the full text of the press release below]

Sacramento County Coroner identified Friday’s shooting victim as Joseph A. Long of Carmichael. Long was a bystander and not involved in the incident, according to police.

“One of my close friends that made an incredible difference in my life was senselessly shot last night,” wrote Christian Freed on a SacPress article about the shooting. “No need to throw blames or angry words. We loved him, he will be missed with all our hearts.”

[Editor’s note: Attempts to contact Freed to verify his identity have so far proven unsuccessful]

In response to the shooting, Raya and Murphy called on Johnson to focus public safety resources on identifying the causes of violence in the area, and to act to “bring a sense of safety and security back to our neighborhood,” the release stated.

According to Sutter District security logs, the release states, there has been an escalation of violence in the area in recent months, including a 20-person fight June 8, a 17-person melee July 13 and a day-time assault that occurred at Marshall Park Aug. 13.

To some, there is a need for increasing police presence – but others disagree that the answer is more police on the streets.

“A greater police presence could not have kept this from happening,” Freed commented on the Sac Press article. “No amount of throwing blame around will bring our dear friend back.”

The shooting, which occurred near a Midtown block of popular bars and restaurants, spurred at least one Midtown resident to make plans to file a protest against the proposed alcohol license transfer for Harlow’s Nightclub, one of several clubs located on the 2800 block of J Street.

Midtown resident Vito Sgromo said in an email that he and other neighbors were filing protests with ABC officials due to the increased crime near that location.

“I hope I can count on Sac Police support due to the increased crime in this location,” Sgromo wrote in the email.

The police investigation is still under way, and no arrests have been made.

Press release: Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association

Our neighborhood association extends our condolences to the family and friends of the unidentified Sutter District shooting victim. Residents are shocked and alarmed by the senseless death of an innocent bystander due to the gunfight between two groups near 28th and J Streets. Escalating violence in the Sutter District of Midtown has become an increasing concern of residents in the area.

We call upon Mayor Kevin Johnson focus the public safety resources necessary to identify the causes of the violence in our neighborhood and bring a sense of safety and security back to our neighborhood.

This issue has not yet been dealt with a long-term sustainable manner and now someone has died from gun violence. According to Sutter District security logs, there has been a escalation of violence on this area in recent months. There was a 20-person fight on June 8 and a 17-person melee on July 13. In addition, there was an day-time assault at Marshall Park on August 13. We have been working with Sacramento Police, city park rangers, and business owners to address ensure the safety of residents and visitors to the Sutter District but additional resources are needed.

This violence must end in our neighborhood and in our community.
George Raya & Julie Murphy
Marshall School/New Era Neighborhood Association

-----

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "Volunteers needed in search for UC Davis student missing since June"

2012-08-18T14:40:26Z

Amanda - I'd like to update the story to reflect the time changes. When you say "go to the search location" do you mean go to the Glendale Lane address?

Volunteers needed in search for UC Davis student missing since June

2012-08-17T19:36:58Z

UC Davis student Linnea Lomax has been missing since June 26, and her family and friends have put out a call for help in their continued search for her this weekend.

Lomax, 19, was last seen in Sacramento in the 800 block of Howe Avenue and is in need of medication, according to Helpfindlinnea.org, a website established by volunteers and friends of the Lomax family to organize search efforts.

The family is asking for volunteers to join in any of six search shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the American River area where Lomax was last seen.

According to the website, there will be two search shifts each day. The shifts run from 7 a.m. - noon and 2 - 7 p.m.

To volunteer in the search, sign up at Volunteer Spot or go to 2440 Glendale Lane, Sacramento.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to her safe return. More information on the search can be found here.

Johnson misses deadline for ballot argument, watchdog group sues

2012-08-17T18:51:54Z

Members of the local political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento filed a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court Thursday seeking a court order compelling City Clerk Shirley Concolino to accept their ballot argument opposing the tax increase measure on the November ballot.

The suit, filed by EOS board members Craig Powell, Greg Hatfield and Erik Smitt, claims that, when Mayor Kevin Johnson failed to submit an opposing ballot argument before the deadline, members of the public should have been allowed to submit their own ballot arguments.

“No one dreamed that the Mayor might fail to discharge his official duty to submit an argument against Measure U," Powell said in a press release Friday.

Steve Maviglio, Johnson’s 2012 campaign manager, said in an email Friday that an opposing ballot argument was submitted by the mayor’s office, but it was late because of confusion over deadlines.

“The clerk established two deadlines: one for the charter commission and another for ballot measures,” Maviglio said in the email. “It was a simple mistake by staff that confused the two deadlines, resulting in the argument being turned in hours past the deadline.”

Johnson was tasked with writing the ballot argument – at his request – at the July 31 City Council meeting. Johnson had until the Aug. 9 deadline to turn in the written argument opposing the measure, but missed that deadline.

City councilmen Steve Cohn, Kevin McCarty and Darrell Fong were assigned the supporting ballot argument, which was submitted before the deadline and will be included in Nov. 6 sample ballot materials, according to the city clerk’s elections website.

Under state law, a council member’s ballot arguments get priority over all other arguments in sample ballot materials, according to Powell. Election officials must include that council member's argument in sample ballots and reject all other arguments submitted by the public sharing the same position, he said.

In light of state law and Johnson’s decision to write the ballot argument opposing the tax measure, Powell said members of the public who had worked on their own ballot arguments – Eye on Sacramento included – halted their efforts and didn’t submit any statements.

Once the deadline to file ballot arguments passed and there was no opposing argument, however, Powell said he and others “pleaded with the city clerk” to extend the filing deadline. The lawsuit was filed, Powell said, in response to the request for filing extension being denied.

"If this city official's decision blocking access to the ballot is allowed to stand, Sacramento voters will be unjustly cheated out of their basic democratic right to weigh both the ‘pro’ and ‘con’ arguments on the city's own proposal to raise sales taxes," Powell said.

Calls and emails to the mayor’s office and the city clerk’s office for comment were not returned.

All of the Nov. 6 ballot measures can be found on the City Clerk's Elections website.

Here is the full text of the Eye on Sacramento lawsuit filed Thursday:

Eye on Sacramento - petition for writ of mandate Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

TEDx brings 'ideas worth spreading' to Sacramento

2012-08-17T16:01:37Z

You never know where the next brilliant, world-changing idea will come from: your next-door neighbor, your kid’s fifth-grade math teacher, the landlady – but if you’re at a TEDx event, it may come from the person sitting next to you.

“It’s a platform for giving people a voice,” Brandon Weber, one of the organizers for TEDx Sacramento said. “If somebody has a great idea, the best thing you can do is give them a voice – a place to share it.”

TED – technology, entertainment and design – events are a series of brief talks by people with new ideas, or, according to the TED slogan, “ideas worth spreading.”

The organization went local with the development of the “TEDx” series of events. These are individually organized, smaller events facilitated by volunteers. In Sacramento, TEDx events are organized by a 20-member TEDx Sacramento board of directors, led by Weber.

The Crocker Art Museum will be the site for TEDx Sacramento Aug. 31 – an event that organizers say will include speakers, performances and a “dash of mind-blowing demonstrations.”

Alex Terrazas, a neuroscientist turned corporate researcher, will be speaking at TEDx Sacramento for the second time at the Aug. 31 event, and this time it’s not about rats driving cars – although the video of that talk is still available on TED.com.

This time, Terrazas will discuss recent developments in satellite market research, which he says means finding out what people are watching, buying and consuming by looking at satellite pictures of activity around the world.

“I like getting up on stage and having to explain in clear terms what I’m doing to make it accessible to people,” Terrazas said. “It makes you refine your thinking and not just giving technical details.”

Other speakers include a National Geographic photographer, a robotics designer, the trainer behind SEAL Team 6, and a speaker from Denmark. TEDx Sacramento is leaking out the speaker list a little at a time to keep the focus on the ideas, not on the individual speakers, Weber said.

The variety of topics being covered at this year’s TEDx Sacramento event range from solar-paneled roadways and how living in a virtual world such as Second Life affects the human brain in the real world, according to Weber.

“Often, the best TED talks are the ones from people you never knew before,” Weber said. “Bill Gates has spoken at TED, but his talk isn’t the one you email everyone about. The buzz is about some unknown person with something incredible to offer.”

TEDx Sacramento started around the time Weber opened The Urban Hive – he wanted to be involved in something with meaning, he said, something where his job aligned with his values.

“I felt like I had a little piece missing,” Weber said. “The Urban Hive was created out of a want to do something to make our community better, and TED falls into that category, too.”

Weber attended a TED event in southern California and was blown away, he said. He had a realization that TED events presented a chance to hear great ideas and share them with others, with the goal of making the world a better place, he said.

Back in Sacramento, Weber decided to invite a small group of people to The Urban Hive to emulate the experience he had in Southern California. The small group meetings became more frequent, and soon Weber was invited by a TED regional representative to become a licensee – someone who can host TED events under the TED brand.

2012 marks the third year that Weber has helped organize day-long conferences with a variety of speakers who want a platform for sharing ideas that might otherwise not ever be heard.

“There are a lot of ideas in the world that don’t percolate past institutional ideas,” Weber said. “TED brings some of these ideas forward.”

The worldwide organization that TED has become started in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman and was initially a group of select thinkers and doers getting together and talking about their ideas during a four-day conference in California. Chris Anderson bought the company in 2000 and made the content available online, and TED started to take off.

Speakers at TED have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson and Gordon Brown.

TED talks are all about innovative, world-changing ideas, according to the TED website – but what makes an idea worth spreading?

Jordan Reeves, TED Education Team representative said Monday that there needs to be something exceptional about the idea – and you know something is exceptional when you see it.

“It doesn’t have to be the cure for cancer every time,” Reeves said. “There is no bullet-point list of criteria, but it needs to be potentially world-changing. It can be very simple, as long as it is something everyone can get something out of.”

Lee Chazen, one of the TEDx Sacramento board of directors said that he believes a lot of people are working in isolation and need the inspiration that comes from seeing and hearing fresh ideas.

“For anyone who is down on the world or thinks the world’s problems will never be solved, go to a TED event and just listen,” Chazen said. “There are people with ideas that are going to solve those problems, and they want to share them. Who wouldn’t be inspired by that?”

TEDx Sacramento will be at the Crocker Art Museum Aug. 31. The event goes from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., and tickets are $100. For more information and to register for the event, visit the TEDx Sacramento website.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Best beers in America: What made the list, what it missed

2012-08-17T15:11:29Z

The Homebrewers Association recently released the 2012 Best Beers in America list and a Sonoma county beer, Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, took the top spot.

According to the association website, the list is based on votes cast by the readers of the association journal, Zymurgy, of their 20 favorite beers that are commercially available in the United States.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, a brewery out of nearby Chico, was the big winner as a far as number of showings on the Best List with five of its beers making the top 20.

Here’s the Top 10, as listed by the Homebrewers Association:
1. Russian River Pliny the Elder
2. Bell's Two Hearted Ale
3. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
4. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
5. Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale
6. Bell's Hopslam
7. Sierra Nevada Celebration
8. Stone Ruination IPA
9. Sierra Nevada Torpedo
10. North Coast Old Rasputin

Judging by the number of pubs, tap houses and beer-related events in the area, it’s safe to say that Sacramento is a beer town: We have beer and ballet, beer and film, beer and barbeque – the list goes on.

So, how does the Homebrewers Association list stack up with local beer aficionados?

Capitol Beer and Tap Room owner Ken Hotchkiss said his personal favorite beer on draft is the Franklin double IPA from Sutter Buttes Brewing, located in Yuba City – but the Franklin doesn’t appear anywhere on the Best List.

Sacramento seems to have a passion for smaller-batch, locally-brewed specialty beers, the kind that don’t make national lists, like the coffee-infused beer that recently came as a collaboration between Old Soul and Rubicon Brewing.

What would you put on the Best Beers in America list? Take our poll – and add new ones under the “other” option.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "POLL: Is gun control the answer in the wake of shootings?"

2012-08-16T17:54:48Z

So, the purpose of the bill was to ban the device that changed "assault weapons" to "non-assault weapons," making it more difficult for gun owners to side-step the California ban on owning "assault weapons," correct?

POLL: Is gun control the answer in the wake of shootings?

2012-08-16T15:58:41Z

The recent shootings in Colorado and Wisconsin have renewed the debate on how – and if – gun control laws should be changed, but one California lawmaker’s attempt to respond to tragedy has fallen short.

A new bill from State Senator Leland Yee aimed at restricting assault weapons in California stopped short in the Assembly Appropriations Committee yesterday and won’t be revived until the next legislative session – if at all.

The bill, SB249, would ban devices that allow magazines of ammunition to be reloaded so quickly that semiautomatic firearms can be fired almost like assault weapons, reports Jim Sanders in The Sacramento Bee, and Yee said he intends to see the proposal through.

"My greatest fear is that another senseless act of violence will happen before the loophole is closed," Yee said in a prepared statement. "Despite the gun lobby's efforts to derail common-sense legislation, I will not give up this fight."

Creating legislation in response to instances of unexpected tragedy is fairly common: For instance, the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981 led to a dramatic change in federal gun control laws with the enactment of the Brady Act.

But other efforts have been less successful. After the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords last year, federal lawmakers proposed new laws prohibiting the manufacture of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds and banning the possession of a weapon within 1,000 feet of elected officials. The former bill is still working its way through congress, and the latter never got off the ground.

And, the shooting at Virginia Tech in 1997 spurred the State General Assembly to allow colleges to restrict carrying weapons on to campuses despite open-carry laws.

But, is creating new legislation the answer? Is it helpful in preventing additional, similar crimes or does it create unnecessary restrictions on law-abiding gun owners?

Some say gun control laws should remain untouched, despite recent tragic events, because policy change is a different conversation.

Brian Dogherty writes in Hit and Run on reason.com that “[T]urning the (still) very rare criminal and evil uses of guns to indiscriminately harm innocents into a reason for policy change doesn't work that well in America any more, and it shouldn't, and it likely won't now.”

But gun control advocates, like Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-New York), say tragedy can be prevented by tighter regulation of who can obtain weapons and what kind.

“We need comprehensive reform to reduce the number of people hurt or killed by gunfire in America, but one simple way we can do that is by keeping the worst tools of mass murder away from the general public,” McCarthy said.

Dogherty suggests that, whatever the motive for committing crime, it can’t be explained away with policy.

“The endless and unmanageable mystery of the individual's power and choice to do evil is what's at play, and there aren't many explanations of that of policy relevance,” Dogherty writes.

How do you feel about gun control laws in California? Is there a need to tighten them? Share your opinion with our poll, and by commenting in the section below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Community and business reaction to new Downtown Plaza ownership

2012-08-16T00:39:16Z

When news broke that San Francisco-based JWA Ventures now owns Downtown Plaza, reaction in the Sacramento business community varied from excitement to skepticism.

Downtown Plaza has struggled in the current economic climate, but Sacramento business and development leaders are optimistic that the new owners can turn the tide for a property that is one of the largest tax generators in the city.

“They want to take a look at what exists and position the plaza as a traffic generator for the downtown,” Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault said Wednesday. “They seem ready to reinvest in the city and make the center much more relevant than it has been.”

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson called the purchase by JWA Ventures an “unprecedented win for the city,” at a press conference Wednesday.

But not everyone who heard the news was quite so optimistic.

“JWA has their work cut out for them,” Tony Bizjak reported in The Sacramento Bee.

Here’s the buzz on the sale of Downtown Plaza in social media today:

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelisaCorker.

Struggling Downtown Plaza gets new owners – can they turn it around?

2012-08-15T16:44:52Z

It’s official: Westfield Downtown Plaza has a new owner – San Francisco-based real estate investment company JMA Ventures.

“I’m absolutely excited about it,” Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault said Wednesday.

Todd Chapman, president and CEO of JMA Ventures, announced Wednesday morning that the company purchased Downtown Plaza for an undisclosed amount.

Downtown Plaza, built in 1971 and redeveloped in 1993, covers six city blocks in downtown Sacramento and currently houses 101 retail and restaurant spaces.

Ault said Downtown Plaza, which links the grid and Old Sacramento, is the largest sales tax generator in the central city.

“I think they are going to be a great partner,” Ault said. “They have quickly come to understand the importance of the plaza to the downtown and to future development.”

JMA plans to transform Downtown Plaza into an urban destination by remaking the area as a lifestyle retail and entertainment experience that can’t be found at typical suburban malls in the area, Chapman said in a press release.

Ault told Downtown Sacramento Partnership board members about the purchase in an email Tuesday.

“While JMA Ventures is not a heavy hitter in the retail industry, they have a proven track record and a broad range of management and development experience,” Ault wrote. “They are not the kind of firm that takes a cookie cutter approach, but rather will look to develop something that works for Sacramento.”

Ault said he sees the purchase as bringing “positive momentum” to the downtown business district, and he said the company appears to be “strategic” in its approach.

“They want to take a look at what exists and position the plaza as a traffic generator for the downtown,” Ault said. “They seem ready to reinvest in the city and make the center much more relevant than it has been.”

The plaza has had a few fits and starts on a sale over the past few years, and this successful deal comes with a few questions.

Tony Bizjak reports in The Sacramento Bee that Westfield, a huge international shopping center owner and builder, struggled to make the plaza work during the recession.

“Will JMA Ventures, a company with about three dozen employees and a modest retail résumé, be able to do better?” Bizjak asks.

Mayor Kevin Johnson is holding a press conference at City Hall this morning to discuss the sale of the plaza and what it holds for the future of downtown. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

K9 Unit heroes honored at Sacramento City Hall

2012-08-15T14:12:53Z

Bodie isn’t your average, gun-toting, badge-wearing police officer – he doesn’t carry a gun at all – he’s a member of Sacramento Police Department's canine team and he and his partner, Officer Randy Van Dusen, were honored at City Council Tuesday for their heroism and service to the city.

“The public support of K9 Officer Bodie has been tremendous, and I am proud to be a part of recognizing his bravery,” City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby said Tuesday.

Ashby presented Bodie, Van Dusen and Officer Adam Cunningham with a ceremonial resolution commending them for heroic actions and service to the city.

Bodie made headlines in May when he shot in the line of duty while in pursuit of a robbery suspect in Land Park. The incident occurred near Crocker-Riverside elementary school in the neighborhood and Bodie is credited with preventing the suspect from entering the school grounds, according to a press release.

Bullets ripped through Bodie’s jaw and right front paw, and he lost a lot of blood before his handler, Van Dusen, could get him to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

The shooter was shot and killed by Van Dusen while attempting to flee, according to police reports at the time.

Tuesday night’s honor came in the way of a ceremonial resolution from the City Council that said, in part, “The city of Sacramento honors you for your service, and we thank you very much,” and a check in an undisclosed amount from council members to help with Bodie and Van Dusen’s expenses during Bodie’s recovery.

“We are honored to be here tonight,” Van Dusen told the council. “It shows a good thing came out of a bad situation. Adam (Cunningham) and I are both honored to work in the city of Sacramento and for the citizens of Sacramento. We feel very lucky.”

Bodie made no comment, but quietly accepted the dog treats Ashby offered from the dais.

After the shooting In May, Bodie spent eight days in intensive care at VCA Sacramento Veterinary Referral Center before being sent home with Van Dusen to recover for another several months.

K9 police supporters and dog-lovers from throughout the region who heard about the incident donated nearly $30,000 to help pay for Bodie’s medical bills and his follow-up therapy. Bodie is expected to return to full duty in a few months, according to the Sacramento Police Canine Association Facebook page.

Eight officers and one sergeant and their canine partners make up the Sacramento Police Department K9 Unit, according to the association. The unit supports police patrol operations and other investigations and SWAT. Currently, there are eight German Shepherds and one Dutch Shepherd on the K9 unit.

Bodie is only the second K9 officer in Sacramento Police Department history to be shot in the line of duty. The other K9 officer, Bandit, was shot in March 2010 and returned to duty after a full recovery.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Fires, high temperatures create air quality havoc in Sacramento

2012-08-14T16:03:37Z

A number of fires across the region paired with high summer temperatures have left a grey haze over downtown Sacramento, increasing the risk for power outages and triggering a “spare the air day” for Tuesday.

“Spare the air” days are designated by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District when air quality is expected to drop to an unhealthy level. The SMAQMD recommends restricting outside activities on Spare the Air days.

The combination of smoke and ash in the air can be especially problematic for children and the elderly and people with sensitive respiratory systems, according to the SMAQMD website.

On days when the temperature is expected to be high and the air quality is expected to be low, the SMAQMD recommends city residents try to avoid driving and use alternative ways to get around, including taking a bus, carpooling or walking, to reduce vehicle exhaust and emissions that add to the poor air quality.

Hot afternoons and haze in the air aren’t the only results of the week-long heatwave that is pushing the mercury to triple-digits – many residents may experience power outages, too.

“Today is a “Flex Alert,” reports Isaac Gonzales on ranSACkedmedia.com. “This happens whenever power regulators think that electrical usage could outstrip supply. Officials want you turn off all unneeded lights, hold off on using major appliances, and if you can, don’t use your air conditioner.”

Part of the haze is coming from multiple fires burning in the region, including the Grizzly Island fire in Solano county, and two large, 2,000-acre-plus fires in Lake and Colusa counties, according to a Sacramento Bee report.

The Grizzly Island fire was 100 percent contained as of Monday, however smoke from the fire has drifted on the Delta Breeze into the Sacramento valley.

The Lake and Colusa county fires – which have merged into one 6,000-acre-plus incident – have been burning since Sunday, and according to a report in the Appeal-Democrat, they are now about 25 percent contained.

To keep updated on air quality and Spare the Air days, check the SMAQMD wesbite.

If you stay inside with the kids today, here’s some suggestions for having a little fun indoors on Spare the Air days.

Is the poor air quality affecting you today? Let us know if the conversation below.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Rebuilding McKinley Park playground, brick by brick

2012-08-14T15:29:32Z

It will take more than a devastating fire to snuff out the enthusiasm of East Sacramento residents trying to rebuild their neighborhood park. Donations have been pouring in, and now personalized bricks and park benches are being offered to help raise enough money to rebuild the McKinley Park playground.

For a tax-deductible contribution of $150, anyone can get a 4” x 8” brick personalized with up to three lines of text. All of the proceeds will go toward rebuilding the playground, and the bricks will be installed in the playground walkways when construction is complete, according to the Rebuild McKinley website.

Park benches are also available with personalized plaques: 4-foot benches are offered for a $5,000 tax-deductible donation, and 6-foot benches are available for $8,000.

When the playground was built in 1994, a wall of personalized tiles was installed to commemorate the contributions of the community members who helped make the playground a reality.

“The children's wall at McKinley Village Playground brings back memories with my kids' hand prints,” City Councilman Steve Cohn wrote on his Facebook page.

The bricks and benches are another way the Friends of East Sacramento and others are trying to raise money to reconstruct the playground at McKinley Park that was destroyed by fire July 21.

Donations for the project started coming in while the embers were still warm, and so far, the people behind Rebuild McKinley Park – which include the Friends of East Sacramento and Cohn, among others – have raised more than $30,000 toward the project.

Some local restaurants have offered to donate portions of sales proceeds to help raise money for the rebuild, and a benefit show is planned for Aug. 17 at Shine cafe.

From Sunday through Saturday, Aug. 19-25, 15 percent of the revenue generated at Old Sacramento’s Firehouse and Ten22 restaurants will be donated to “Gifts to Share Inc./Rebuild McKinley,” an account established by Cohn to help restore the neighborhood playground.

Selland's Market Café is selling raffle tickets for $1 each through the month of August with all proceeds benefiting "Rebuild McKinley." The prize is a dinner for two at The Kitchen.

Another restaurant, Ambrosia Cafe, is donating 15 percent of proceeds from the sale of their “Summer Sandwich” throughout the month of August.

The cost of rebuilding the park is estimated at close to $500,000, however, Cohn said in the days following the fire.

“The City has insurance to cover the playground, but there is a $100,000 deductible and it will only cover the cost of rebuilding the damaged portion of the playground,” Cohn said in a recent district newsletter. “It is likely that rebuilding the damaged portion would trigger upgrades to the rest of the structure to meet modern safety codes, and maybe even trigger replacing the entire structure, which would add significant costs.”

The bricks and benches can be ordered on the Rebuild McKinley website.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

‘Embargo on!’– How will alcohol bans on the American River work?

2012-08-13T15:09:04Z

The County Board of Supervisors approved a measure Tuesday that allows the parks director and the county executive to decide when and how alcohol bans on the American River the ban will be applied, spurring questions about the circumstances in which the bans will be applied and how they will impact recreation on the river.

The previous law prohibited alcohol on the river and throughout the American River Parkway during the summer holiday weekends. The newest version, which goes into effect next summer, broadens those parameters by giving the parks director the authority to enforce an alcohol ban on additional days during the summer when he determines it is reasonable.

According to the county file on the new law:

“...the American River Parkway from Hazel Avenue to Watt Avenue to prohibit the consumption of alcohol on Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July weekend, Labor Day weekend, and any additional days from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day which the Director, in consultation with the County Executive, designates; based on his or her reasonable belief that alcohol consumption on the river will result in significant issues of public safety.”

So, what is reasonable?

Jeff Leatherman, director of Sacramento County Regional Parks, said Wednesday that it is a subjective term, but one that he plans to use judiciously.

“The opportunity to recreate on the river doesn’t have to include alcohol, and you don’t have to drink to excess to enjoy it,” Leatherman said. “But, we do have to ensure that people have a safe experience. We have to balance both - enjoying the river and staying safe.”

“Reasonable” to Leatherman is when there is “a strong indication” of a sudden, especially large gathering of people on the water. He said he will take cues from public safety officers and the information they gather, as well as clues gathered from other resources such as raft rental companies and postings on Facebook and Twitter that indicate that a large gathering is expected.

Leatherman said he would prefer not to have to ban alcohol on the river. There are plenty of activities on the river where alcohol is involved, he said, but that are not problematic because the intent is not to create a wild party and get drunk – both things that Leatherman said make Rafting Gone Wild appealing to young revelers.

One example Leatherman points to is Down River Days, a fundraising event organized by the American River Parkway Foundation. The day-long event starts with the launch of rafts at Lower Sunrise and ends with dinner and live music at River Bend Park, according to the ARPF website. The event raises money to support a variety of foundation programs including Adopt-the-Parkway (a volunteer clean-up program) and an invasive plant management program to rid the parkway of weeds.

Down River Day has been an annual event on the American River for 28 years, according to the ARPF.

“Alcohol is allowed in the rafts, and there is a beer garden in the park at the end of the stretch,” Leatherman said, “and we haven’t had any instances in 28 years with that event of people throwing rocks or littering. So, it can be done in a responsible way.”

How much notice will the parks director give?

The intent is to give people as much notice as possible of an impending ban, Leatherman said – and that would include posting notices in the parks, sending out press releases and putting the information out on the county website and on social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

“The hope I have is that, if we do have to implement a restriction, that people will know before they get to the river, as opposed to learning about it when they arrive,” he said.

That may not always be possible, though. If you’re already sitting on the riverbank enjoying a beer and a ban goes into place, how will you know? You may not, Leatherman said, and he isn’t sure how he’s going to tell you.

“We’ll have to handle enforcement depending on the scenario,” he said.

Leatherman said he and local public safety offices are working together to devise an enforcement strategy for those situations. Right now, they will be handled case-by-case.

Although Leatherman said he will give “as much notice as possible,” just how much notice will depend largely on how soon he knows there will be a problem on the river. Leatherman said he cannot put it to a number of hours’ notice because of all the variables involved.

How long will a ban be in effect?

Leatherman said the duration of any ban imposed will depend largely on the nature of the event the ban is a response to.

“Most likely, it’ll only have to be for one or two days, depending on the intent of the event and the location,” Leatherman said. “I don’t anticipate it will be for large stretches of time – not that that couldn’t happen.”

What areas are included in the ban?

The current alcohol ban applies to the entire American River Parkway from Hazel Avenue to Watt Avenue, both on land and on the water, Leatherman said.

The only exception is the golf course in Ancil Hoffman Park. It is excluded, Leatherman said, because there is a restaurant at the course and a drink cart on the grounds that are exceptions to the no-alcohol rule.

How do they determine that a weekend has the potential for prompting the alcohol ban?

People use the river and the parkway every day, Leatherman said, and usually alcohol consumption isn’t a problem. An additional alcohol ban comes into play when there appears to be public safety issues in connection to an event, as there have been during the Rafting Gone Wild events, Leatherman said.

“That’s the type of behavior we are trying to avoid: a collective, excessive alcohol consumption and excessive partying that gets out of control,” Leatherman said. “When we have people starting to throw rocks at law enforcement and at others on the river, and littering into the river and degrading the environment – that’s where we have our issues and concerns.”

Before invoking his authority to enforce an additional ban, Leatherman said he will consider a number of factors – including past experience. He said that when he sees indicators like those leading up to the last two years of Rafting Gone Wild events, they will be clues about what might be coming up on the river, and that’s part of what he’ll be looking for.

“What have we experienced before with this type of event – that will drive a lot of the decision making,” he said.

He will also rely on information from public safety officers including Rancho Cordova police, the fire department and the sheriff’s department, to find out what they are hearing collectively about a potentially troublesome event on the river.

“We’ll ask what our rafting partners are saying, what’s showing up on social media, has there been a spike in raft rental reservations – anything that gives us clues about what to expect,” Leatherman said.

Won’t this push the party planning underground?

Reaction to the broader alcohol ban on the Rafting Gone Wild Facebook page indicates a concern among event-goers that the new rules will only force party planning to go underground to keep from tipping off police and the parks department. Comments on the page suggested the group will keep the event quiet and “the police don’t have to know.” The posts have since been deleted, but a comment from Evelyn Engel-Conner points out that, “So when they see a post for river gone wild, they can ban it,” indicating awareness that tipping off Leatherman and others may result in the additional ban.

That may be the case, Leatherman said, but trying to keep such an event quiet won’t work well.

“At some point, the volume gets to a point where it comes above ground – it can only get so big before it starts to bleed out to other social media,” Leatherman said. “And, they still have to rent rafts and so on, so there are other indicators that will help us make the determination that a ban should be placed.”

Are rafting businesses worried that more bans will impact their business?

Kent Hansen, manager of American River Raft Rentals, said Wednesday that he believes broadening the rules on the current alcohol ban is actually a good thing.

“This is supposed to be something all types of people can enjoy and we want future generations to enjoy it too,” Hansen said. “For people to know they are safe out there is really important.”

Hansen said the Rafting Gone Wild event is reminiscent of the Fourth of July weekends before the ban, but he still sees busy days without the holidays, including days where he rents out just as many rafts as he does for Rafting Gone Wild. Increasing the ban won’t affect his business, he said, it will help it.

“We aim our company toward families, young people, and even corporate clients,” Hansen said. “If rafting gets to be known as something that’s only good for people who want to rage on the river, that will hurt us more.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "City plans parking upgrades and crackdown on disabled placard abuse"

2012-08-12T19:27:55Z

No offense taken, Marion. You are correct that there are many parking-related stories to touch on, and I certainly try to cover them. Here is the article I wrote about the pilot program you mention: http://sacramentopress.com/headline/68277/Plan_to_restrict_Second_Saturday_street_parking_causes_stir_in_Midtown As more issues arise, I hope you'll let me know so I can be sure to cover them, too!

City plans parking upgrades and crackdown on disabled placard abuse

2012-08-10T22:10:53Z

Sacramento City Council members approved a plan Thursday to explore modernizing the city’s parking inventory by upgrading meters, shifting to a demand-based parking system and cracking down on disabled placard abusers. They say the ultimate goal is better customer service – and if revenue increases, too, all the better.

What happened:
The plan was approved by unanimous vote, and the first report back is expected in November.

What it could mean to you:
- New parking meters: The new machines would provide pay-by-phone service, take credit cards and send a text message to your phone when your time is about to expire.
- A new parking rate system: A demand-based system would mean that the closer you park to the city core, the more expensive it will be to park. Director of Public Works Jerry Way said this would encourage drivers to park farther out and make better use of public transit in the central city.
- Disabled parking: Possible legislation could make it more difficult to get a disabled placard and require everyone (including disabled drivers with placards) to pay at on-street meters.
- Cost: Upgrading existing parking meters would require a $2 million to $4 million capital investment, according to the city report. In return, according to a city staff report, the upgraded city parking would be more efficient and cost-effective and would result in increased parking revenue. The report did not estimate the amount of any potential revenue increase.

What they said:
City Councilman Kevin McCarty: “I know there is a fear that this will instantly make it more expensive or more difficult to park, but, If we can improve our parking and it works for residents and we can make more money, we can certainly make a good use of those additional resources.”

Director of Public Works Jerry Way told council members the city is behind in keeping up with technology, and upgrades to the system will create a benefit in the long run.

“By being creative, we can improve efficiency and leverage other community projects,” Way said.

City councilman Steve Cohn: “We tend to get a lot more people reacting to the punitive side of our parking regulations, but we need to emphasize the customer service side,” said.

The background
Currently, the city takes in about $9 million from parking revenues. The city’s parking inventory – which includes 17 off-street parking facilities with 10,000 spaces and another 5,000 on-street metered spaces – was a key component in recent arena financing discussions. The city estimated that it could get $250 million up-front payment from a private operator by leasing all of it out, and the money would be the cornerstone of funding the construction of a new entertainment and sports complex at the downtown railyards.

That didn’t happen, but it did open the eyes of many to the potential of the city parking assets that hadn’t been realized before. Cohn said part of the lesson learned was that leasing the parking inventory could have been worth more to the city if the system had been modernized.

“When we looked at monetization of our parking for the arena plan, we discovered that we couldn’t get as much for it because we weren’t as modernized at other cities,” Cohn said.

But the suggested changes to city parking could ripple out to surrounding neighborhoods and create more problems, Chan said. If parking gets more restricted or more expensive at the city core, there could be a “push outward” with people heading to other neighborhoods to park, including already crowded Midtown. Those effects are something he and his staff will also consider, Chan said.

As the exploratory plan gets underway, Cohn asked city staff to work with business groups, including the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and the Midtown Business Association, to get broader input from as many interests as possible that could be affected by any future parking system changes.

“We need to find that sweet spot between improving customer service and not negatively impacting local businesses because of it,” Cohn said.

Cracking down on disabled placard abuse
Improving parking equipment and adjusting parking rates is only part of the city’s plan, and likely the easier part to accomplish: Cracking down on disabled placard abuse in the city could be trickier.

There are about 100,000 people with disabled placards in Sacramento, according to the city report, and recent state legislation has made them easier to obtain. Because disabled placard holders are exempt from parking time limits or fees at on-street parking meters, there is a domino effect on parking revenue: Vehicles exempt from paying meter fees often hold onto spaces for long periods of time that could be use by a fee-paying vehicle, reducing the amount of potential parking revenue, according to the city report. That effect is exacerbated by scofflaws who abuse the placards by trading them from vehicle to vehicle, or letting unauthorized persons use them.

“We’ve had a lot of feedback on what this will mean to the disabled community,” Way said. “Our aim, though, is to attack the problem of disabled parking placard abuse.”

Way and Chan say they want to work with the city to draft legislation that will make it more difficult for people to get disabled parking placards, and to change current legislation to require everyone to pay for on-street parking.

Disability rights advocates say they are concerned that legislation that changes the way disabled parking works in the city could have unnecessary negative impacts on disabled people who drive and park in the city, especially those with low incomes.

“I’m sure you aren’t intending it to be a blanket solution to all our economic problems,” Joan Barden told council members Thursday. “Most of the people with placards aren’t criminals and aren’t passing them around or breaking rules, and they can’t afford higher parking rates.”

Cohn said he recognizes the sensitivity of the issue, and asked Way and Chan to form an advisory committee that includes disability rights advocates.

“Clearly there needs to be discussion about reforms,” Cohn said. “One person’s so-called ‘abuser’ might be what another person says is using the system the way they are allowed to, but clearly there still needs to be some reform.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacarmento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

A look at Purgatory, the grid’s newest restaurant-lounge

2012-08-10T15:32:02Z

When Mark Twain advised, “Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company,” he could have been talking about the newest hotspot coming to J Street in Midtown: Purgatory.

The restaurant-by-day, dance-club-by night venue is nearing completion, according to operations manager Mark Garcia, and, when it opens its doors at the end of August, Garcia promises it will have a lot to offer.

“Purgatory is the place between Heaven and Hell and that’s where people will enter our place,” Garcia said. “Once they’re here, they can choose what to experience.”

The concept behind Purgatory, Garcia said, is to combine two contrasting themes – heaven, hell, sinners, saints – into one venue. There are two large clubs to visit within Purgatory: a restaurant with a light ambiance on the first floor, and an edgier club in the underground basement.

The restaurant is still under construction, but the new sign went up over the weekend, drawing attention to the boarded up former Azukar Lounge site at 1616 J St. that will soon be ready to welcome guests. Garcia granted Sac Press an impromptu, no-photos preview of the multifaceted club Tuesday, but the doors won’t open to the public until everything is in place, he said.

The front of the venue will be a full coffee bar open mornings in what Garcia referred to as their “Garden of Eden”: an open-air, covered patio area with tall tables and chairs and stone fixtures.

From Eden, patrons can go to the upper level “Heaven” or descend the stairwell to “Hell.”

The “Heaven” level of the restaurant/club is a large ballroom with light Tiffany Blue walls and cloud-white and silver accents. Spacious open booths with contemporary, curved white lounges and ottomans will line the walls of the elevated VIP section, overlooking the floor and its linen-clad tables.

An unusual feature of Heaven will be a one-piece, opaque film that covers light fixtures around the circumference of the room, creating a lightbox effect. Garcia said this European-style feature is lightweight and designed to diffuse light from LEDs behind it.

The center of the ceiling will showcase a unique three-chandelier fixture with dangling crystals at the end of fiber-optic lines, creating yet another unusual lighting effect for the room.

Garcia said lunch and dinner will be served at the restaurant until about 9 p.m. every day. After that – “Heaven” turns into a nightclub with dancing, cocktails and appetizers.

But what’s Heaven without a corresponding Hell? Purgatory has it, Garcia said.

A short trip down a side staircase takes visitors to the lower-level club that offers a distinctly different climate than its lighter, upper-level neighbor.

Downstairs, visitors are greeted by a darker, more intense color palette of reds, black, and gunmetal grey. The 98-foot-long granite top bar sits atop art-deco square glass bricks lit from behind with LEDs.

The intimate VIP booths in Hell are decked out with black leather, high-back chairs and low drink tables, and sit tucked in along the walls next to the dance floor. Some booths curve around and behind a small stage area with a dancer’s pole and spotlights; other booths sit next to a dancer’s cage and swing.

A DJ and a sound and light technician in booths at the far end of the room control music and videos appearing on flat-screen TVs on walls and columns throughout the lower level.

Garcia said the music in the lower-level nightclub will be a mix of electronic dance music and trance, while upstairs DJs will play pop, top 40, alternative and dance tunes.

Purgatory hosted an open call for servers, bartenders and other staff last week, and the turnout was overwhelming, Garcia said.

“We had about 300 people show up,” he said. “Every seat in the house was full, and people were left standing, too. It was incredible.”

Garcia said about 30 people will be on staff for day and night shifts at Purgatory.

Stay tuned for more details about the opening as they become available.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Capitol Beer and Tap Room now open

2012-08-08T15:14:08Z

Capitol Beer and Tap Room opened in Campus Commons Friday, and now owner Ken Hotchkiss is ready to share his love of beer with Sacramento.

“I’ve been chasing great beers for 20 years,” Hotchkiss said. “It made sense to me to open a place like this.”

The taproom and bottle shop is located in a sprawling retail and restaurant complex on the corner of Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue, about 2 miles from Sac State. The front door is within a few yards of Tokyo Fro’s and Bandera on one side, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House on the other side.

So what makes this place stand out?

“We offer quality beer on draft and a quality bottle shop,” Hotchkiss said. “We have a nice patio, a great tasting room – it’s a good, warm, inviting place to be.”

Inside Capitol Beer, large refrigerated cases line one wall of the spacious, well-lit bottle shop where Hotchkiss greets customers and offers advice on the wide variety of ales, lagers and stouts to choose from.

Currently the cases house about 50 varieties of beer, including Belgian varieties, IPAs and double IPAs, browns and wheat beers. Hotchkiss said he plans to increase his stock to well over 100 in the coming months.

One variety in the case, Saison, comes from Odonata Beer Company, a local Sacramento brewery that recently closed down, making the few bottles that Hotchkiss has some of the last ones available.

“It’ll never be brewed again,” Hotchkiss said. “We’re looking for those, too: the one-of-kinds and only-brewed-once beers.”

A low, wide, bricked archway leads to the taproom – a long, narrow room with a high ceiling and an L-shaped bar. Rows of framed black chalkboards on the brick wall behind the bar itemize the beers on tap that day, and flat-screen TVs over the bar are tuned in to the latest sporting event.

Twenty beers are on tap in the tasting room, and one of those is on nitro – a gas mixture that adds carbonation creating a thick, creamy, Guinness-like texture.

Hotchkiss said he wants to “keep it interesting” by changing the selection of draft beers often.

“I try to have a style for everybody,” he said. “Right now I have a helles from Sutter Buttes. I’ll have a couple of wheat beers, a couple IPAs – nothing is going to just live on those taps.”

The alcohol content of the beers on tap range from 4.5 percent by volume in Sutter Buttes helles, a German lager-style beer, to 11 percent in a Widmer barley wine called Old Embalmer.

A few table and chair sets sit along one wall of the taproom, leading out to a patio that opens to the center courtyard of the complex.

Hotchkiss said he plans to offer some snacks and simple food items soon, (a menu hasn’t been decided on yet), but said he isn’t trying to compete with his restaurant neighbors – all of whom have been supportive of his efforts to get his place open.

“They are more food-based, we are craft beer,” Hotchkiss said. “It’s not a competition, it’s a good collaboration.”

In September, when Hotchkiss was working through the planning process with the city, Jeff Davis, also known as “Fro,” who owns Tokyo Fro’s, told The Sacramento Press that he would be happy to see the taproom move into the complex location.

“I want it, because it creates synergy,” Davis said. “If you put a McDonald’s next to a Burger King, both get busy.”

Capitol Beer and Tap Room is the first venture of this kind for Hotchkiss, 42, a former tile contractor, and he says it’s more work than construction but worth the effort.

Originally from Southern California, Hotchkiss made his way to Tahoe in the late 1990s to work in construction during the housing boom. The shift in the economy and the housing bust in 2007 was a turning point for him, he said, and he made a new plan.

“I needed to do something different, and I’d always wanted to do this,” he said. “Beer is kind of a passion.”

Hotchkiss said he and a few others teamed up to get the bottle shop started and, after a longer-than-expected permit and alcohol-licensing process, he was ready to hit the ground running.

Now that he’s open, he’s looking for new and different varieties of beer to put in his cases, especially seasonal and one-time brews, and although there are a few commercially available choices, Hotchkiss said said they would be few and far between.

“We’re not specializing in Budweiser or Coors,” he said.

Hotchkiss’ personal favorite on draft is the Franklin double IPA from Sutter Buttes Brewing, located in Yuba City.

“That’s what I’ve been drinking, and it’s really good,” he said. “I have no problem promoting that beer or that brewery.”

Capitol Beer and Tap Room is at 2222 Fair Oaks Blvd. and will be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "Skate Plaza proposed for Garcia Bend Park in south Sacramento"

2012-08-07T21:58:45Z

We made a clarification to the caption of the photo to specify that Reichmuth is located in South Land Park.

'The show must go on' for party business destroyed by fire

2012-08-07T16:35:57Z

An unassuming building that housed 40,000 square feet of fantastic party props and custom-cut styrofoam sculptures was destroyed in a 5-alarm fire Monday, but the owners say “the show must go on,” and they are already working to rebuild the business.

When visitors first arrived at the warehouse building on Dos Rios Road, there wasn’t much to see: a large, grey building with steps leading up to a tinted glass door, and a moderate-sized sign that said “Party Concierge” over the doorway.

Once they stepped inside, it was a different world – Fantasyland. Hollywood. Vegas. The front room was only the beginning of the wonders visitors would find housed in the cavernous spaces beyond.

There was a 9-foot-tall replica of the statue of David in one corner, and a pair of purple high heeled pumps the size of a Mini Cooper across the way. A replica of a red British phone booth stood next to a roulette wheel that Goliath would play with. Rows of floor to ceiling shelves held thousands of items divided by theme – Hawaiian over here, Oscar awards party over there, Springtime in Paris in the corner – and the walls were stacked with clear bins filled with smaller accessories (beads, leis, flowers, hats, confetti and so on) to complete each theme.

The party props were only a part of what Party Concierge offered, though. The business that was known for creating huge stage props for local productions and special events, also designed elaborate ice sculpture creations for weddings and banquets. When the Sacramento Airport held its gala in October to unveil the new Terminal B, drinks were served over a suspended neon-lit bar of solid ice created by Party Concierge’s ice artists.

All of that magic was destroyed in Monday morning’s blaze at the company’s warehouse.

The fire, which started when a nearby warehouse filled with cat toys and insulation caught fire and the spread, according to an article in the Sacramento Bee, took 125 firefighters and 27 engines from three fire departments more than 10 hours to put out.

The business suffered nearly $5 million in damages from the fire, owners Susan and Lawrence Crane told the Bee Monday. Now, the couple say they have to focus on continuing to serve clients whose events could be impacted by the loss.

“We are working as hard as we can to get to everyone, and we thank you for your patience,” they wrote on their Facebook page.

Local photographer Ed Fogle of SacMav.com caught the warehouse blaze on video Monday morning:

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Local groups fight undercurrent of extremist activity in Sacramento

2012-08-07T15:14:11Z

After a deadly shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin Sunday threw a spotlight on hate crimes in America, local experts say there is a constant undercurrent of extremist activity in the Sacramento region – but there is also a constant effort underway by local organizations and individuals dedicated to eliminating hate in our communities.

The California hate scene – and we definitely have one – has waxed and waned over the past few years, but is always active in the background, according to Nancy Appel, associate director of the Anti-Defamation League in San Francisco.

“It’s a fluid movement and it’s very individualistic,” Appel said.

According to nonprofit civil-rights organization the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are approximately 84 active hate groups in California, and at least eight of those are active in the Sacramento region.

One of those groups, American Front, was based in Citrus Heights until leader David Lynch was shot and killed in March 2011. According to Appel, the group is fragmented but still active in the Sacramento area.

Lynch was also the head of the Sacto Skins, one of the oldest skinhead gangs in the country, according to the SPLC.

Another local hate group listed by the SPLC is Life Rune Industries, a North Highlands group that produces white-supremacist music. The alleged Wisconsin shooter was said to have been part of the white-power music scene since 2000; however, the record label associated with his former band, End Apathy, has distanced itself from the band and removed promotional products from its online catalog.

The National Alliance, a white supremacist, anti-Semitic organization, is active in Sacramento and, according to one of the movement’s blogs, members distributed literature in a gun show held last month at Cal Expo.

The Nation of Islam, a black nationalist religious group, has some Sacramento membership and is included on the list because of what the SPLC calls “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders.”

Hate crimes have made local headlines, including a 2010 attack on a Sikh cab driver in West Sacramento, and attacks on gay men in Midtown in September 2011 and in May of this year.

Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said his organization was founded after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

“The Sikh community bears the brunt of a lot of hate crimes because they are mistaken for Muslims,” Elkarra said.

After two elderly SIkh men were shot and killed in Elk Grove last year, CAIR offered a $5,000 reward for information about the crime, but so far the case has remained unsolved.

The group is often called on after hate crime incidents to speak to community members and offer support to victims and families. Elkarra said they hold press conferences and work with other faith-based organizations to face the problem head on.

“We talk to people and gather people in the community together – everything to send a message that hate will not be tolerated in the Sacramento Valley,” Elkarra said.

In March 1999, three Sacramento synagogues were destroyed by fires. White supremacist flyers were found scattered at each of the synagogue fires, leading police to suspect they were also hate crime incidents. Three months later, police arrested brothers Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams for the arsons, and the two were sentenced to 30 and 21 years in prison, respectively.

In the days following the fires, there was an outpouring of community support. Thousands gathered for rallies, and state and federal officials offered large rewards for information about the crimes.

A story in the New York edition of The Jewish Week reported that the Sacramento Bee published an ad paid for by Jewish and non-Jewish groups proclaiming the Hebrew word chai, or “life,” in large letters, in addition to the phrase “Sacramento — united we stand together.”

Not in Our Town Northern California, part of a national nonprofit group that creates film and online resources to help communities deal with hate-based violence, used the fires and the community actions that followed as an example of how people can actively respond to hate crimes in their towns.

“We act as advisers, mostly from the information we gain from other communities that have been through it,” executive producer Patrice O’Neill said. “We want to share collective intelligence – people in one town can learn from the experiences of another.”

Among the video segments Not in Our Town has produced is one on the shooting of the SIkh men in Elk Grove and another on the story of the Redding gay couple murdered by the same two men responsible for the synagogue fires.

“The message is universal: Hate crimes aren’t solved by magic – they are solved by the actions we take to build better communities,” O’Neill said. “Part of it is dealing with the festering intolerance that exists day to day.”

To learn how you can join efforts to eliminate hate-based violence and crime, go to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Your Community” page.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

City set to launch two audits of credit card use in wake of Serna-Mayorga scandal

2012-08-06T15:14:35Z

The Sacramento City Council is getting set to launch – not one, but two – audits of credit card use at City Hall in the wake of a scandal among the ranks of council staff uncovered last week.

Both the first audit, an internal investigation into the use of approximately 300 city-issued credit cards by employees citywide, and the second audit, which extends higher up the chain at City Hall to the offices of City Council members and the mayor, are on the council agenda for Thursday night.

According to a city staff report, the second audit will be conducted by an external company, is expected to cost the city $12,000 and will take about two weeks. The internal audit is expected to be complete by the end of October.

City Councilman Steve Cohn, chair of the city’s Audit Committee, put the item on the agenda, and told council members the additional audit by an external company is necessary to avoid a conflict of interest for City Auditor Jorge Oseguera, who reports directly to the council.

The first audit was already on the city auditor’s schedule for later this year, but once the news broke of questionable credit card use by former council operations manager Lisa Serna-Mayorga, Cohn called for it to be moved up.

“I feel there is some urgency to getting the results of the audit sooner than planned,” Cohn told the council July 31.

In last Wednesday’s Sac Press Live Chat, Cohn explained why he was requesting that the council act quickly on both audits.

The Serna-Mayorga case is the subject of criminal investigation by the Sacramento Police Department. The city has refused to release credit card records to the Sacramento Bee and other media outlets, saying the release of the records could hamper the investigation.

"Premature disclosure of this evidence could hinder voluntary and candid participation in the investigation by city employees and other witnesses, including members of the public," the city attorney wrote in a letter to the Bee, reports Ryan Lillis.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "Facebook fail could hit Sacramento"

2012-08-03T21:40:51Z

Perhaps not, but the budget included the potential from that funding source as a means of balancing the budget – in much the same way it predicts and counts on potential property and sales tax revenue. Not receiving an amount anticipated from any of those sources will have a negative impact on the bottom line. To the people affected by any program cuts that might result, it will likely feel like a "loss" as surely as if money had been stolen from the palm of their hand.

Drizzle, Sacramento’s newest cupcakery, is looking for a place to call home in downtown

2012-08-03T15:34:35Z

Decadent. Provocative. Orgasmic. Not words normally found in cupcake lexicon, but when we're talking about the creations of Drizzle owner and pastry chef Rob Porter, they seem to fit. Midtown will be able to judge for itself when Porter brings his cupcakes – works of art, to some – to the central city.

Cupcakes have been all the rage recently, but Drizzle’s Porter says he has something completely different in mind for his shop: a new kind of late-night hangout to complement the bars and restaurants in Midtown and downtown.

“I don’t want to open your everyday, average cupcakery,” Porter, 43, said Tuesday. “I want it to be one of the destination shops that Food Network focuses on. It will be in the vein of an ultralounge where you can hang out or take a date after everything else closes. It will have have a great urban feel.”

Porter says he is working through ongoing negotiations for a 1,200-square-foot location in Midtown and, when a lease is finalized, expects the necessary build-out of the kitchen and storefront to be completed by the end of the year.

While the location he’s negotiating for isn’t set in stone, Porter says he intends to bring Drizzle to the grid, even if it’s at another location.

“We’ve been considering space in the J-K-L street corridor,” Porter said. “Wherever we end up, it’ll be downtown.”

Making the move to a brick-and-mortar storefront from his current online-only business is a big step for Porter, and he says he has his sights set on the central city for good reason.

“Downtown is starving not just for a cupcakery, but for a different kind of dessert place,” Porter said. “We’re not just another bakery. We’re more than that. We want to do more than just cupcakes.”

A New York native who spent the majority of the past two decades as a music producer, Porter says he has always had a passion for baking, so he decided to go back to school to hone his skills and find his niche.

He spent months doing research at Magnolia Bakery and Crumbs Bake Shop, two high-end bakeries in Manhattan, and studied at the Institute of Technology culinary program in Citrus Heights.

What he emerged with was a slew of cupcake recipes that elevate the old standbys of chocolate and vanilla into artistic, flavorful creations made with unique ingredient combinations.

For the chocolate lover, there’s Black and Tan: a Guinness-infused chocolate cupcake with Bass Ale frosting.

Want something to make your sweetheart melt? Try the White Chocolate Chocolate Raspberry (the double chocolate is on purpose).

Feeling like a kid again? Grab one of Drizzle’s Orange Creamsicle cupcakes – all that’s missing is the stick.

One of Drizzle Cupcakes’ creations was introduced at Carmelita’s Mexican Restaurant in Fair Oaks for Cinco de Mayo: the Tequila Shot cupcake – and, yes, the shot glass is included.

“The majority of time, people will say, ‘This is the best cupcake ever!’ no matter which flavor they choose,” Porter said. “That’s what I want to hear.”

Eighteen months ago, when owning a cupcakery was little more than a wispy dream, Porter says he started taking small orders from friends and family for birthdays and special events. Word of his talent spread quickly, and the business took off. Drizzle was born as an online business in June 2011.

Drizzle is currently without a kitchen of its own – Porter has leased space in an industrial kitchen at Plates in St. John’s Shelter for Women & Children for the past few months – but he says the move to Midtown will fix that.

“It’s getting crazy with all the orders, so I need a storefront and my own kitchen where I can do the work and have customers come in,” he said.

Porter has been getting a lot of media attention lately, and he and a culinary school classmate, Claudia Williams, recently competed on Cupcake Wars on the Food Network. Their episode aired this past Sunday, Aug. 5, and while the duo made it to the second round, they fell short of wining.

By the time Drizzle opens its doors in Midtown or downtown, Porter hopes to have built a solid customer base through his current online store that will plant the seeds for a thriving, unique business.

“I think we are hands down the best cupcakery in the city,” Porter said. “People just don’t know it yet – but they will.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Facebook fail could hit Sacramento

2012-08-03T15:33:36Z

Local state workers might want to trade keeping an eye on their Facebook status with keeping an eye on Facebook stock in the next few months: The state budget stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if Facebook stocks continue to plunge, and – for an area where government is one of the largest employers – that could mean trouble for Sacramento down the road.

State legislators predicted California would rake in millions from the sale of Facebook stock, but that hasn’t happened, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office says the state’s budget stands to lose big if Facebook stock prices don’t see a turnaround by November.

Mike Rosenberg reports in the Contra Costa Times that Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers in June “approved a $91 billion budget that included $1.9 billion in expected tax revenue from Facebook employees striking it rich – a rare projection that helped stave off cuts to schools and programs for the sick, poor and disabled.”

“This year's state budget relies on the stock price at $35 a share, adding about $1.5 billion to the treasury,” Nannette Miranda, ABC news, reported yesterday. As of this morning, Facebook stock is hovering at just $20 a share, a plunge from the stock’s opening rate of $38 a share.

The potential funding loss from a “Facebook effect” on the state budget could mean additional cuts by the end of the year, and schools and social programs that barely made it through the first part of the budget cycle may not be so lucky next time.

State workers are already feeling the pinch from a 5 percent pay cut by way of a mandatory furlough day, and local school districts are in danger of significant hits if state budget losses end up setting off “trigger cuts” waiting in the wings.

Still, California may hold out a little hope. After all, Facebook isn’t the worst IPO in its first 49 days of trading: USA Today says that award goes to Vonage, which plunged 62 percent from its $17 a share starting price in May 2006.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Progress at Sacramento railyards: New passenger walkway opens Aug. 13

2012-08-02T19:08:15Z

It’s been 10 years in the making, but phase one of construction at the downtown railyards is nearing completion and the first section to open to the public will be a new pathway to the train platforms.

City officials announced in a press release Wednesday that the “Pathway to Progress” – a 1.5 block-long walkway leading from the Sacramento Valley Station to new rail platforms – will open Aug. 13. Initially, it will be a wide stretch of asphalt, but when construction is complete, it will be a covered path for rail passengers to get to the new platforms.

The $225 million railyards project included moving the railway tracks about 500 feet north of their original position to improve rail operations and safety and to make room for future facilities for buses, trains and lightrail, according to the release. Those changes necessitated the new platforms and passenger walkways, the release stated.

The area will continue to be a construction zone until the first phase of construction is completed in mid-October, according to the city, when a community event to celebrate the occasion will be held.

The track relocation is the first stage in a three-phase project at the downtown railyards. The project also includes improvements at the Sacramento Valley Station and a multi-mode transportation facility. The work is part of a larger development project in the 240-acre railyard site that will eventually include housing units, retail and commercial space, and a proposed entertainment and sports complex.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day: Anti-gay marriage eat-in draws Sacramento crowd

2012-08-02T15:56:16Z

A line of cars wrapped around the Alta Arden Expressway Chick-fil-A franchise and spilled onto the streets as Sacramento residents joined in “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” and showed their support Wednesday for restaurant chain owner Dan Cathy’s statements opposing gay marriage.

The turnout across the nation pushed the restaurant chain to record sales, according to a Fox News report, but restaurant owner Dan Cathy declined to discuss sales figures from Wednesday’s nationwide eat-in.

At the local Chick-fil-A restaurant, security guards kept the press off the restaurant property, and drive-through customers waited nearly 30 minutes before receiving their food.

Nearby Alta Arden resident Candice Moses said seeing all the cars made her come over to see what all the fuss is about.

“I’m not a fast-food person, but it’s cool to know what’s happening in my own backyard,” Moses said. “It’s cool to see all this support.”

Despite the LGBT community’s disagreement with the Chick-fil-A corporate stance on gay marriage, there weren’t any local protests in the community, because franchise owners of the Sacramento location are members of the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce – a core supporter of the local LGBT community, according to local activist Ken Pierce.

Jessica Morse, of the Sierra College Rainbow Alliance, told KCRA news that anyone who eats at Chick-fil-A is helping to fund anti-gay groups.

"Every time somebody buys from Chick-fil-A, the money goes to anti-gay organizations that also give misinformation out," she said. "I am a Christian and I happen to be part of the LGBT community, and I disagree with Chick-fil-A."

Yesterday’s Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day was a response to a call to action posted on Facebook by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee “to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A” on Wednesday. Thousands of people took him up on the invitation either in person at one of the chain’s 1600-plus locations, or by making a statement of support online via Twitter or Facebook.

Cathy told the Los Angeles Times that Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day was not created by the restaurant.

“We appreciate all of our customers and are glad to serve them at any time,” Cathy said in a statement to the Times.

Facebook user Amy Gulick left a comment with a different take on our Facebook page.

"Great, like Americans need another excuse to flock to fast food nastiness," she said.

Sacramento Press editorial intern Ebony Jeffries contributed to this story.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento mobile food vendors unite

2012-08-01T14:33:01Z

This just in from the California Mobile Food Association... what? Haven’t heard of them yet? You will.

A large contingent of mobile food truck operators banded together to form a new nonprofit organization, according to a Tuesday night press release from the alliance's founders.

The group, formally called the California Mobile Food Association (CalMFA) includes more than 20 area mobile food vendors. Their goal?

“Creating a supportive ecosystem for local mobile food businesses, driving awareness for local communities/charities and representing the voice of local mobile food operators within Sacramento’s business community,” according to the release.

President Chris Jarosz, owner of Wicked 'wich, said the new association is mostly food trucks, but it also incorporates other “out-of-the-box” mobile concepts including a trailer-based wood-fired pizza oven, a tricycle-based ice cream brand – and even a mobile boutique.

The association appears to be an outgrowth of NorCal Food Trucks, an association that was formed earlier this year. We’ll get more details from Jarosz as soon as we can.

The city has been working with brick-and-mortar restaurants and food truck operators to develop a new food truck ordinance that would soothe tensions between the two groups, but negotiations are still ongoing.

Midtown Business Association Executive Director Elizabeth Studebaker recently circulated a poll to Midtown business owners asking them what their thoughts are on mobile food. The deadline to respond is Aug. 6, and The Sacramento Press will follow up with the MBA at that point.

Despite those conflicts – or perhaps because of them – organizers of the newly formed CalMFA said the group will serve “as a means by which local business owners can collectively foster healthy relationships with local government and fellow businesses,” according to the release.

CalMFA operates under the brand FoodMob and can be found online at gofoodmob.com.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

McKinley Park fire: How you can help the effort to rebuild

2012-07-31T15:08:41Z

It takes a village to raise a child, the saying goes, and in Sacramento it often takes a community to build – and rebuild – the parks and playgrounds children love so much.

Residents of East Sacramento and other nearby neighborhoods were left reeling after an early morning fire destroyed much of the children’s playground in McKinley Park, one of the city’s most popular parks. Now, neighbors, families, community leaders and local businesses are pulling together to recover from the loss – and you can help.

City Councilman Steve Cohn, who represents the district where McKinley Park is located, established a “Gifts to Share” account through the city of Sacramento dedicated to the McKinley Park playground rebuild. Anyone can send tax-deductible donations through GTS, and the money is held in an account exclusively for the McKinley Park project. Donations can be made by check, payable to "Gifts to Share/McKinley Playground," and mailed to City Councilman Steve Cohn at City Hall, 915 I Street, 5th floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. More information can be found on the city’s website or by calling Cohn’s City Hall office at 808-7003.

[Note: Cohn will participate in a Sac Press Live chat Wednesday at noon with our readers]

Other local organizations that are accepting donations to add to the rebuilding effort include the Friends of East Sacramento, which regularly hosts volunteer days to clean up the park. The group announced on its Facebook page that they are extending their volunteer efforts for the rebuild of the playground. Information is available via email at friendsofeastsac@aol.com or, to make a tax deductible donation via PayPal go to friendsofeastsac.org.

Another group that has stepped up to help is the Friends of Bertha Henschel Park, an organization associated with another nearby East Sacramento city park. To help, contact Friends of Bertha Henschel at BerthaHenschel@gmail.com

A new community organization, East Sac Give Back, has also established a method for donors to contribute to the rebuild effort. The group immediately started raising money when the news of the fire broke, and CEO Michael Saeltzer reports they have raised $2,100 so far.

Anyone interested in making a donation to the park rebuild through East Sac Give Back can do it through their GoFundMe website.The group’s application for tax-exempt status is still pending.

Cohn said he has been impressed by the outpouring of community support even at this early stage.

“I’m hearing from people from all over the city and even from outside Sacramento,” Cohn said Monday. “This playground has affected so many people’s lives over the past 20 years. Everyone is rallying to do a rebuild.”

Cohn said donations to help get the playground rebuilt have varied from a $5,000 commitment from State Sen. Darrell Steinberg to the jingling coins in a piggy bank, offered to Cohn at his doorstep by a 7-year-old neighbor over the weekend.

“That’s the thing about McKinley Park,” Cohn said. “It is a community park with a neighborhood feeling and it means a lot to all of us.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Kings move to Seattle less likely, battle heats up over Prop 32

2012-07-31T14:44:52Z

A Kings move to Seattle less likely as NBA arena deal hits a snag: Things were looking good for Seattle’s bid to get a new basketball arena, Ryan Lillis reports in The Sacramento Bee today – until the city council balked at the plan for sharing tax revenue in the deal.

All eyes were on Seattle recently as a potential relocation spot for the Sacramento Kings, but any move for the team hinged on a deal for an arena. As Sacramentans know well, arena deals can be a tough business, and can blow up. Welcome to the club, Seattle.

“This doesn't appear to be a death blow for Seattle's arena plans,” Lillis writes. “But it's certainly worth noting that the political climate in the Emerald City seems less inviting to Seattle's arena deal than Sacramento was to its own plan.”

Special note: Lillis will be joining City Councilman Steve Cohn for a Sac Press Live video chat Wednesday at noon with editor-in-chief Jared Goyette. Lillis and Cohn will discuss the recent credit card scandal at City Hall (which Lillis first revealed in the Sac Bee last week), and how the East Sacramento community plans to recover from the playground fire at McKinley Park.

Meanwhile... state legislature is considering giving $30 million in disputed redevelopment funds to an NFL stadium for the 49rs.

Ozzie and Harriet... and Will and Grace: A state bill allowing a child to have more than two legal parents has moved from the senate to the assembly and may soon be on the Governor’s desk.

“Democratic Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco says he wrote the bill to recognize non-traditional families,” reports Amy Quinton at Capital City Radio, “where there might be biological non-custodial fathers or surrogate mothers.”

Opponents say the bill could wreak havoc on family law, but Leno says it would only apply in family court “when required to protect the best interests of the child.”

The battle is heating up between business and labor over Proposition 32, according to a report by Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle. The measure would ban unions and corporations from contributing money directly to candidates and eliminate payroll deductions – the primary way for unions to raise money. Yesterday, the National Federation of Independent Businesses in California endorsed the measure.

Local labor leader Bill Camp, executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council, said his group is adamantly opposed to the measure.

“It just puts big business and corporations in the catbird seat,” Camp said. “It’s another way to push out the labor movements.”

But Jake Suski, a spokesman for the measure, said in the Chronicle article that the initiative "clearly makes no exceptions. It applies to both corporations and unions.”

More than $12 million has been raised to fund the battle so far, Garofoli reports, and it looks like the fight will keep getting bigger up to November.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

No suspects in McKinley Park blaze, joins list of playground fires in Sacramento and the nation

2012-07-31T01:19:14Z

Although fire officials suspect arson in the blaze that destroyed part of the Mckinley Park playground Saturday, City Councilman Steve Cohn said it’s important to remember that the city can’t be sure that the fire was deliberate.

“We’re calling it arson because it was caused by human action, but we don’t know if it was deliberate to destroy the structure,” Cohn said. “A lot of fires start through carelessness, and in this case I don’t know if we’re ever going to know what really happened.”

The fire will be investigated by collecting evidence, interviewing neighbors and potential witnesses and reaching out to the public for tips on the department’s arson tip-line, according to Ed Bassett, acting fire marshal for The Sacramento Fire Department.

But Bassett said he isn’t optimistic about the investigation coming to a successful conclusion.

“The case will remain in a state of ‘undetermined’ until something breaks,” Bassett said Monday. “In many cases, it never breaks. If the public doesn’t have any information for us, it can’t go anywhere.”

McKinley Park isn’t the only park that has had its playground set on fire in recent memory: Police suspect that arsonists set playground fires in North Highlands, Antelope, Galt and in Natomas – twice.

“It happens from time to time, for whatever reason,” Bassett said.

The construction materials typically used for play structures make them vulnerable to arson, Bassett said, and their open-frame construction makes them burn easily.

That was the case with the wooden play structures at the McKinley Park playground that were destroyed by fire in the early morning hours Saturday, Bassett said.

The playground, which was built in 1994 at a cost of $140,000, replaced a smaller, dilapidated playground built in the 1970s. Ironically, the new playground was modeled after the Fort Natomas playground at Jefferson Park – which has been destroyed by fire not once but twice, first in June 2006 and again in May 2008.

A 17-year-old male was arrested in July 2008 for the second incident.

Both times, the playground was rebuilt through volunteer community efforts to raise funds and coordinate reconstruction.

In addition to the Fort Natomas fire, there were two more playground fires in 2008 in the Sacramento area, not in parks but on the grounds of local elementary schools. The first was at John Bidwell Elementary School in South Sacramento, and then, mere hours later, play structures and climbing equipment were torched at Hazel Strauch Elementary School in Natomas.

Arson was suspected in each of those incidents, but fire officials said at the time that the events were unrelated. The two school playground fires remain unsolved.

More recently, the playground at Memorial Park in North Highlands was torched in November, causing more than $50,000 in damage and putting the playground out of commission for six months, according to Terri Smith, office manager with North Highlands Recreation and Parks District.

The climbing apparatus in Memorial Park destroyed by the fire was replaced with insurance money, Smith said, and there was enough left over to add another small playground to nearby Brock Park.

No arrests were made in the Memorial Park fire.

Playground arsons occur all over the country, and community reaction is generally a mixture of anger, sadness and frustration.

A playground fire in Philadelphia in late June was called “an act of evil” by Mayor Michael Nutter. Christina Lurie, co-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, promised that the Eagles organization would rebuild the playground, and community leaders, City Council members and business owners put together an $11,000 reward for information about the crime.

“When I learned about the destruction of this playground by some very thoughtless, evil individuals, my first thought was, ‘How do we get our playground back?’ ” Nutter said at the time.

Cohn said his initial reaction to the McKinley Park playground fire was anger and then sadness, but now he’s moving on to get the play structures rebuilt.

“I think everyone is focusing on that,” Cohn said. “Everyone is rallying for a rebuild.”

Cohn said Monday his office staff has already been in contact with Leathers and Associates, the New York company that manufactured the original McKinley Park playground equipment, to get the ball rolling on a rebuild.

“They have the original design plan, so we may use them again,” Cohn said. “Whatever we do, the community will be involved throughout.”

Cohn said cost estimates for damage to the play structures haven’t been determined yet, but he expects it to be well over $500,000 – an amount that Cohn said may not be entirely covered by the city’s insurance.

“That’s part of what we’ll be discussing today,” Cohn said of scheduled meetings with city Department of Parks and Recreation staff. “We’ve been through this in Natomas, so we should be able to get to a ballpark estimate of costs pretty quickly.”

In addition to meetings with city staff Monday, Cohn said he was also planning to meet with representatives from East Sac Gives back, a grassroots organization that has collected $1,500 in donations to rebuild the playground.

“We want to work with everyone who is willing to coordinate donations and raise the funds we’ll need,” Cohn said.

As of Monday afternoon, there were no suspects or additional information on the fire, according to both police and fire officials.

“It’s sad and it’s unfortunate,” Bassett said. “Parks are one of the things Sacramento is known for, and to have that taken away is really troubling.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on " McKinley park playground torched; arson suspected "

2012-07-28T18:59:56Z

I'm utterly speechless. That playground provided untold hours of fun for me and my children over the years. To see this senseless destruction for destruction sake is painful. I just want to cry.

RT: Slow start for Green Line is part of the plan

2012-07-28T02:10:29Z

The Green Line light rail segment's slow start with relatively low ridership, is part of the plan, officials say.

Regional Transit’s newest light rail segment has only seen about 150 riders a day, Tony Bizjak reported in Friday’s Sacramento Bee – a low number for a $44 million project that opened with great pomp and circumstance in June.

However, Regional Transit Executive Director Michael Wiley disputes those numbers, saying the Green Line has actually been averaging closer to 300 riders per day – and it’s a number he said he’s comfortable with.

“Our expectation wasn’t that we were going to achieve really high ridership numbers right off the bat,” Wiley said. “Our plan all along was to start with a somewhat minimal level of service and then add service as demand grows.”

Previous transit projects were built in places with an existing ridership and were additions to an established community, Wiley said. The Green Line started with a different purpose, however: It took more of an “if you build it, they will come” approach.

“The expectation has always been that, if transit is there, development will occur around transit,” Wiley said.

But that doesn’t satisfy some critics who say RT’s “train to nowhere” was a mistake because it doesn’t serve a large enough population to justify the cost – and development isn’t happening that will change that.

“Is there a dense population of people along the route from Richards (Boulevard) to the airport? No, not even close,” wrote Sacramento Press reader Dan Scott. “Is there a chance that there will be development in that area? No, not for a long time, as it was re-designated as a floodplain and no new houses or business can be built unless they are elevated approx 20 feet.”

Township 9 Principal Developer Ron Mellon said Friday that the notion that development at Township 9 is dead is misleading.

“Nothing could be farther from the truth,” Mellon said.

The 64-acre mixed use development project at Township 9 is located between Richards Boulevard, North 5th Street, North 7th Street and the American River, about one mile from downtown. It includes 18 lots that will eventually offer 2,500 housing units and nearly 800,000 square feet of commercial, office and retail space.

“We are trying to double the size of the downtown core,” Mellon said. “When people see what we’re going to do out there, they’ll be blown away.”

But first things first, Mellon said, and that means completing the unseen infrastructure work before breaking ground on the first building.

The infrastructure portion of the first phase – roads, curbs, lighting, and the like – is nearly complete, and construction will begin on a 180-unit apartment complex sometime around November, Mellon said.

Still, Assistant Project Manager Noah Lane said some perspective is needed.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Township 9 won’t be, either,” Lane said.

Considering the scope of the project, Lane said it wouldn’t be possible to build it all at once, and at full buildout, the cost would be between $2 billion and $3 billion, which Lane said would be a stretch for even the largest local developers.

Lane said the owners of Township 9 are developing it in phases and will likely partner with other developers on some of the project’s 18 lots to get them all built. The first phase of the project has a five year buildout plan, according to Mellon.

Meanwhile, Wiley said, the Green Line is a valuable investment that is driving development in the River District and Township 9 at a time when there is little development happening in other parts of the city.

“I don’t know how quickly the tide is going to turn and we’ll go back to the pace that was happening six or seven years ago,” Wiley said, “but there’s no question that without the Green Line, many current developments wouldn’t be happening.”

RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY'S POLL:

We asked Sac Press readers if the Green Line was a good investment, and nearly 57 percent responded "Yes – it will eventually be an important part of Sacramento's regional transit infrastructure and be a great way to get to Natomas and the airport."

Another 23.5 percent said "It's too early to tell," and 17.5 percent said "No – it costs too much and it'll be too long before it goes anywhere."

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "Sacramento's 'train to nowhere,' rumors about a buyer for Westfield Downtown Plaza"

2012-07-28T02:03:08Z

I would like to see this addition to light rail, too.

Melissa Corker on "Sacramento's 'train to nowhere,' rumors about a buyer for Westfield Downtown Plaza"

2012-07-27T19:16:03Z

Ron Mellon at T9 answers, "That could not be further from the truth." (See above reply for more).

Melissa Corker on "Sacramento's 'train to nowhere,' rumors about a buyer for Westfield Downtown Plaza"

2012-07-27T19:13:49Z

The short answer: 2 years until the first building is completed, 5 years +/- for the entire first phase The long answer: According to Ron Mellon, one of the three principal owner/developers of Township 9, the infrastructure portion of the first phase – roads, curbs, lighting, etc – is nearly complete, and they will break ground on the first "vertical building out of the ground" around November. That will be a 180-unit apartment complex and will take approximately 18 months to complete, Mellon said. The entire first phase of T9 is approx.1,300 units of an expected 2,500 total homes in the T9 master plan. Mellon said they have a 5 year build out plan for the first phase... but it is "market driven," so as there is demand, more will be built.

List of potential Sacramento elected charter commission candidates gets longer

2012-07-27T15:41:35Z

At first blush, it looked like the candidate list for an elected charter commission on the November ballot was going to be slim pickings, but the latest tally from the city clerk’s office shows a steep uptick in the number of interested people – and the list appears to be growing at a steady pace.

According to the city elections website, the list of people who picked up election packets to become charter commission candidates went from four on the first day the packets were available to 37 as of Thursday.

Some notable names on the potential candidate list includes three recent City Council candidates (Phyllis Newton, Terry Schanz and Betty Williams), current city Planning and Design Commission members Anna Molander and Alan LoFaso, and several neighborhood leaders.

“Everything is typical at this point.,” Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Mizuno said in an email Thursday. “The week of Aug. 6 will be very active.”

According to Mizuno, the official filing deadline is Aug. 9, and, so far, no completed nomination packets have been returned.

Here's the full list of people who have picked up packets, according to the city:

Edgar Hilbert-Garcia
Michael Edwards Mark Stivers
C.T. Weber
Phyllis A. Newton
Neil Pople
Phil Pluckebaum
Hank Freeman
Shannah Freeman
Bill Camp
Kenny Muchahariyaj
Carlos Rico
Michael Leong
Efren M Guttierrez
Charter Commission
Rick Guerrero
Betty Williams
Asael Marco Sala
Roy Frank Ridley Jr.
Ali Le Cooper
Matthew D. Roy
Anna Molander
Derek Cressman
Shane Singh
Gregory John Anderson
David Ruff
Alan Lofaso
Terry Schanz
Alan Browne
W. Bernard Bowler
Tamie A. Dramer
Larry Meade
Susan Patterson
Fergus Johnson
Isaac Gonzalez
Hazel Leong
Charter Commission
Laura Strand
Michelle Smira

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento's 'train to nowhere,' rumors about a buyer for Westfield Downtown Plaza

2012-07-27T15:26:22Z

Remember the hoopla when the Green Line was launched? Well, the fireworks have stopped and the speeches are done, and the project seems to have fizzled a bit. As Tony Bizjak reports in the Sacramento Bee, the line doesn’t go far and few people are riding it.

As we reported when the Green Line was launched in June, the planned 12.8 mile-long Green Line route will eventually reach through Natomas and out to the airport. It will be years in the making, however, because future project funding is uncertain.

The Green Line is funded by a combination of local, state and federal funds that include developer fees, sales tax revenues and federal grants, according to the Regional Transit website. The first segment from downtown to Richards Boulevard/Township 9 was designed and built without federal funds.

In the meantime, the train provides a not-so-scenic tour for the few people who take the ride.

“The train runs through the empty and weedy downtown railyard,” Bizjak writes. “Its sole stop at Richards Boulevard and North Seventh Street sits next to an empty lot.”

RT officials say that empty lot will one day be the booming Township 9 development, full of houses and apartments and offices – plenty of reasons for more people to ride the Green Line.

In the meantime, folks wanting to catch a flight on time will need to find another way to get to Sacramento international Airport.

TAXI!

What do you think? Was the Green Line a good investment?

IN OTHER NEWS...
Rumor report: Downtown Plaza has a buyer – Kelly Johnson, Sacramento Business Journal

The Business Journal is reporting a rumor that Westfield Downtown Plaza may finally have a buyer. According to the article, the supposed buyers would not level the structure, but instead would find a way to make it work as retail and office. Of course, as the Biz Journal helpfully indicates in their headline – this is just a rumor.

Can city put brakes on food truck fight? - Sacramento Bee editorial

Homeowners with underwater mortgages may be stuck for years - Aaron Glantz, The Bay Citizen

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "POLL: How deep should the audit of city credit cards go?"

2012-07-26T21:22:38Z

Pundit- thank you for the comment. The $2.3 million loss was the discovered in a full-department audit, which included the Waters situation. I have rephrased the reference above to clarify that Waters fiasco was not solely responsible for the entire loss.

POLL: How deep should the audit of city credit cards go?

2012-07-26T15:54:38Z

It’s been a tough week for Lisa Serna-Mayorga: The former aide to Mayor Kevin Johnson resigned shortly after city officials discovered $9,000 in personal expenses she loaded on a city credit card, and she now faces a criminal investigation. Serna-Mayorga has retreated into an Internet black hole, (ranSACked media.com notes that her Facebook page is gone, her LinkedIn account has been deactivated, and she’s not answering her phone) while city officials are left trying to sort out how the whole thing happened.

Ryan Lillis reports in The Sacramento Bee that Serna-Mayorga spent the money on a variety of personal expenses including gas, groceries and a trip to Disneyland while she was council operations manager for the city – a position she was appointed to by Johnson in 2008. She reimbursed the city for those expenses just before leaving her position as director of constituent affairs for the mayor’s district office.

Serna-Mayorga is the daughter of former Sacramento mayor Joe Serna, Jr., and the sister of current County Supervisor Phil Serna.

This isn’t the first time in recent memory that allegations of fraud and abuse have resulted in criminal investigations at City Hall. In 2010, city officials took some heat when development department employee Dan Waters (son of former City Councilman Robbie Waters) breached federal rules by giving permits to builders to develop an area of Natomas that the federal government had defined as a flood zone. That fiasco cost the city $350,000 in general fund dollars to correct violations of federal flood management laws. A subsequent audit of the development department found that the city lost $2.3 million in uncollected development fees in the three fiscal years leading up to and including the Waters situation.

Our capital city is not alone in city hall scandals. In recent memory, other California cities have faced similar problems, including the pensions abuse and financial misdeeds of city officials in Bell, and the payroll scandal in Vernon, where some city managers were making more than the governor.

But hey, however bad things get in Sacramento, at least we’re not Trenton, N.J.

The next step in the current drama is the pending criminal investigation of Serna-Mayorga to determine if her spending habits should result in formal criminal charges. According to the Bee, City Auditor Jorge Oseguera had planned an audit of all credit card use starting in September (save for the mayor and council members because of a conflict of interest).

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

What’s ailing downtown part II - parking, food and music

2012-07-18T17:39:57Z

One woman’s views of the issues plaguing downtown created a stir on The Sacramento Press yesterday, so we decided to look a little deeper.

Emily Gerber was featured in a Sacramento Business Journal blog post Monday discussing how the lack of parking and grocery stores diminishes the appeal of living, working and visiting the downtown core.

The main issues she brought up in the blog post, and the followup yesterday related to transit, food and music.

Parking and transit

How to manage parking and transit issues is a key debate among people who live and work downtown. As local historian William Burg sees it, parking is a matter of supply and demand, and challenges are unavoidable.

“More than 100,000 people drive into the downtown area every day and they all need a place to park,” Burg said Tuesday. “If you can’t find another way to get to downtown – take a bus, ride a bike, public transit, whatever – you’re going to pay a higher price to park your car.”

Solutions seem to go one of two ways: Reduce demand or increase supply. On one hand, bicycling and public transit reduce demand, but as one Sac Press commenter pointed out, it doesn’t work for everyone, especially families traveling together or the elderly who might not get around so well on two wheels.

Simply increasing the supply doesn’t completely solve the problem, either. The city has been trying to partner with private parking operators to open more parking spaces in downtown garages at night, but short of building more garages (or turning vacant lots into parking lots), there are few options available to keep up with demand.

Lisa Martinez, director of marketing and outreach for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said parking – along with panhandling, another issue that our readers have indicated is important to them, are challenges that any downtown urban area faces.

“Parking issues and panhandling happen across the board, in L.A., in San Francisco and other large cities,” Martinez said, “but it doesn’t keep people from visiting.”

Martinez said it’s the experience that downtown businesses and venues offer that makes the area thrive. It creates something completely separate from what a person would expect from suburbia – and it is what attracts people to the central city.

“We have theaters, the ballet, incredible locally owned restaurant concepts here, and arts and museums – all these great civic amenities that you find in urban downtown cores,” Martinez said. “That experience is unique.”

The irony is that if the city is successful in drawing people downtown, the parking supply problem will only get worse, unless more long-term solutions can be found.

Access to fresh food

Although people living in and around downtown don’t have far to drive to get to a Safeway or Grocery Outlet, what is a “walkable” neighborhood without the essentials?

“Why do people who live downtown have to drive to go get their groceries” Gerber asked the Business Journal, “when they could put a Trader Joe’s or a similar store on K Street?”

As Gerber pointed out, part of what makes a neighborhood a “walkable” place to live is the proximity to fresh food, which is why she wants a permanent farmers market in St. Rose of Lima Park or a small grocery store at Seventh and K streets, closer to her home.

Convenience isn’t the only benefit to having a corner grocery store in your neighborhood: According to a study by researchers at Environmental Health Perspectives, people who have nearby access to healthy, fresh food are less likely to become obese.

Sure, there are many places to get food of one kind or another in downtown, but for most residents in the central city, a brief four-block stroll will take them past multiple bars before coming within sight of a single grocery store – and it’s hard to find a study that ranks potato skins, beer and sliders high on the healthy scale.

Live music venues

Gerber made a point of saying she wants more live music venues in downtown, but fewer bars. One problem to achieving that is the difficulty business owners have in getting permits from the city to offer live music at their establishments.

“It’s not a horrible process, but you do have to do a lot of jumping to get what you want,” said Terry Sidie, owner of Midtown nightclubs Faces and Headhunters. “It’s very annoying.”

Sidee said that, after getting permits for live music, there are still more hoops to jump through, including regular inspections and renewing the permit every other year – at a cost of $1,700.

Local music promoter Jerry Perry said he thinks the problem for live music in Sacramento is less about the permits, though, and more about the venues.

“Most venues in the area are a bar with a stage or a coffee shop with a stage, and that’s fine, but I don’t think there are very many places in Sacramento that present the music well,” Perry said. “It’s easier to get the permits than to get the proper space.”

What’s more, Perry said making the permit process easier won’t solve the problem.

“Right now, you can get any old place and – darn it – it’s hard to get a permit,” he said. “If they make the process easier, we still just have any old space, but now it has live music. That may not improve the music scene.”

Making the transition from “bars with bands” to higher-quality, mid-sized music venues might not be easy, but that kind of change could increase the appeal of living and playing downtown, which could be a boon to city revenue.

Some cities, such as Austin, Texas, have found that a broad mix of music venues [LINK 3] adds millions of dollars in revenue and contributes to a vibrant downtown area, and Sacramento could follow that example.

Continuing the conversation

The debates about downtown woes will likely rage on, but instead of just putting the spotlight on problems, Martinez said she encourages focusing on the positive and asking, “What is going well downtown?”

Judging by the discussion of what is (or isn’t) wrong with downtown, Martinez said, there is a demand for a strong, healthy urban core and a lot of ideas on how to accomplish it.

“It’s important that we focus on what we are doing well and continue that and find areas where we can grow,” Martinez said.

POLL: Parking to panhandlers – What's killing downtown?

2012-07-17T15:26:34Z

Here’s the scenario: It’s lunchtime and you live and work downtown. You’ve been craving Indian food from that little place 12 blocks away from the office – too far to walk, but you don’t want to drive because street parking is expensive and there’s never enough of it. What do you do?

It’s a common frustration for city-dwellers and, as Ed Goldman writes in the Sacramento Business Journal, some people say it’s killing downtown.

“Have you ever tried to drive to lunch around here?” downtown resident Emily Gerber asks Goldman in the article. “You pull up to a restaurant and there’s only one-hour parking, which means you either have to interrupt your lunch to go out and re-park your car or get a ticket that’s, like, $50. This is what’s killing downtown.”

Parking issues are huge with city neighborhoods – note the recent clamor over angled back-in parking in Alkali Flat and a proposed pilot program for Second Saturday parking. And, as anyone who lives or visits downtown knows all too well, it’s tiresome to do the “parking space shuffle” to avoid huge tickets.

Is the answer free parking for all? Doubtful. The city may not be ready to turn off parking meters to calm the quell: parking revenue accounts for $9 million of the city’s general fund and, in this economy, the city needs to hold on to every source of revenue that it can.

The city has taken steps to improve the situation. Many merchants participate in a parking validation program, and on weekends and weeknights, visitors can park for $2 at the public parking garage at 17th Street between Capitol Avenue and L Street, though that's little help for residents during the workday.

Sure parking is a pain, but is that what’s killing downtown? The city’s urban core has other issues that some might say are equally problematic – not the least of which are panhandlers.

The downtown seems at times to be overrun with an army of aggressive panhandlers (and we’re not talking about downtown James Brown), who can be bold enough to interrupt phone conversations and tap on car windows, making people second-guess their decision to shop in the central city. From Broadway to K Street, business owners have said panhandlers are their number one customer complaint.

Some cities have taken steps to ban panhandling in downtown areas, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Would that work in Sacramento?

What problems do you think need to be addressed about downtown?

Tell us what you think about this topic in today’s poll and give us your suggestions in the conversation below.

Results from yesterday’s poll:
In yesterday’s poll, we asked readers: What should be done to improve rafting on the American River?

58 percent said the county should enact a full alcohol ban on the river
9 percent said we should explore ways to regulate large rafting groups
17.8 percent said to continue as is – it's not a huge problem
14.8 percent said that, after the latest brawl, law enforcement should step up and more strictly enforce the existing rules

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento race for elected charter commission gets slow start

2012-07-17T12:47:29Z

Despite predictions that city residents would be joining the race for the elected charter commission in droves, so far there doesn’t appear to be a run on the clerk’s office for candidate forms.

“No, we are not busy with candidates,” Assistant City Clerk Stephanie Mizuno said Monday afternoon.

Mizuno said staff had prepared 14 candidate packets, and by 3 p.m. only two had been picked up.

Any of Sacramento’s 472,000-plus residents who are over age 18 and registered to vote in the city are eligible to be a charter commission candidate. [See our step-by-step guide to becoming a commissioner here.] To date, only a handful of people have made known their interest in the position, including a former mayoral candidate, a local labor leader and the former communications chair of the Stonewall Democrats.

Edgar Hilbert-Garcia – former write-in candidate for mayor in the June election opposing incumbent Kevin Johnson. He was one of the first to pick up a candidate packet at at City Hall Monday.

“It’s an opportunity to be a part of making important changes,” Hilbert-Garcia said. “I want to be there to listen to people and to know what the people want to change.”

Michael Edwards – Sacramento City College student. He said he heard about the opportunity to serve on the charter commission at a community meeting in his Southside Park neighborhood. Edwards, 21, said he hopes to accomplish “a lot” on the commission, but declined to give specifics.

“It’s not really going to be up to me,” he said. “It’s up to the people to say what they want the commission to accomplish.”

Neil Pople – former communications chair of the Sacramento chapter of Stonewall Democrats. He announced his run via Facebook July 13.

“There was a part of me that said I wanted to stand up for regular people like me,” Pople said. “The commission is a way to lay the groundwork for good governance. It’s something I think I can contribute to.”

Pople said he is serious about the race, especially raising money to fund a modest campaign: He’s set up a page on the fundraising website rally.org and is already lining up endorsements.

Bill Camp – executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. The local labor leader spoke against the measure to the City Council when members were considering placing it on the ballot.

“I went to the training session for the commission, and I want to talk to some friends and take some time to think about it, but I am considering it,” Camp said. “Call me back in a couple of weeks and I’ll have made a decision by then.

While potential candidates have been enthusiastic about the promise of an elected charter commission, Craig Powell, president of the political watchdog group Eye on Sacramento, remains skeptical: He doesn’t expect voters to approve the commission in November.

“This is ultimately a train wreck,” he said. “I think it’s going to lose and lose big.”

There’s still time for anyone interested in running for the commission to get their name on the ballot. The filing period ends Aug. 9.

In the meantime, the City Clerk’s office is hosting workshops to give potential candidates the rundown of the rules and requirements associated with running in the election. Two more workshops are scheduled: one on Wednesday, and one July 23.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

POLL: Rafting Gone Wild – After a brawl on the American River, are more restrictions needed?

2012-07-16T15:32:59Z

What happens when you put nearly 3,000 college-age revelers in rafts on the American River on a warm, sunny day in July? If Saturday was any indication, the answer may depend on how much alcohol they have to drink.

The second annual Rafting Gone Wild event on the American River drew thousands of people for what should have been a day of fun in the sun, but, as Edward Ortiz and Max Ehrenfreund reported in The Sacramento Bee, the day ended with drunken brawls and passed-out partiers on the river banks.

“By 5 p.m., dozens were fighting on the shores of Ancil Hoffman Park, beating each other with paddles or rocks and hurling stones at fire and rescue boats,” Ortiz and Ehrenfreund wrote.

Law enforcement and rescue officials had been bracing for the event for weeks, Ortiz and Ehrenfreund reported, and on Saturday a force of 60 monitored the American River, with help from a law enforcement helicopter.

This isn’t your typical Saturday on the river, however.

Rafting is a popular summertime activity in Sacramento, and the American River section from Hazel to Watt avenues is especially popular with rafters because of the easy current and large sandy beaches that serve as entry and exit points. On most summer weekends, families and small groups of friends lazily drift down the river, drinking and chatting and sunning themselves as they go.

The scenario changes when masses of people gather on the river to party.

In 2007, in response to back-to-back July 4 weekends during which heavy partying led to fights and arrests, Sacramento County supervisors enacted a ban on alcohol on that section of the American River, and it is enforced on Memorial Day, Labor Day and the Fourth of July.

That doesn’t stop river rafters from drinking on the river on every other day of the summer, however: Rafting Gone Wild seems to have evolved as a replacement for what used to be a huge pre-alcohol-ban July 4 rafting day.

For big event parties on the river like Rafting Gone Wild, many people hit the water on large river rafts – some of them tied together to create large flotillas – while others make their way downstream on inner tubes or inflatable pool toys. Despite life jacket laws on the river, most rafters used theirs as seat cushions rather than life preservers.

The organizers of Rafting Gone Wild included this disclaimer in their event notice on the allevents.in/sacramento.com site:

“We are not liable for any deaths, injuries, or loss of property that may occur on this rafting trip and are not responsible for your decisions. AT ALL.”

The event notice listed some of the day’s planned fun as mud wrestling, cliff jumping, music, jungle juice (a homemade alcoholic concoction that includes a variety of alcohol and a smattering of fruit juice) – and “beads for O O,” which, for the uninitiated, is a Mardi Gras reference to an incentive for girls to flash their breasts.

This was the second annual RGW event, and according to police stats, there were 12 arrests last year and aid was given to nearly 100 people. This year, no serious injuries were reported, and officials said they had no tally Saturday evening of how many arrests and rescues were made during the event, according to the Bee.

But what is at the core of the problem? Maybe it’s the alcohol – recent reports showed less police activity on the river on alcohol-ban days. Maybe the problem stems from the age (read immaturity) of the rafters. After all, you wouldn’t expect the same result from a flotilla of soccer moms or retired baby boomers.

Tom Stienstra writes in The San Francisco Chronicle that, when it comes to fun on the river, there is a generational difference in the definition of “fun.”

“When Boomers venture outdoors, they want "salve for the soul," according to studies by consulting firm Wirthlin Worldwide, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others,” Stienstra wrote. “Above all else, they value quiet campfire time with people they love.”

On the other hand, Stienstra said, younger generations tend to want social events where they can get wasted. “They want it to be easy and loud, with a lot of people at a marquee destination where they can meet spontaneously.”

So, what’s the deal with Sacramento’s Rafting Gone Wild? Does it have to be a wild event that results in brawls, arrests and water rescues?

Is it a problem of no manners, or not having common sense? Would a ban on alcohol on the river solve the problem, or just force people to be more creative in how they circumvent the ban?

Tell us what you think about this topic in today’s poll and give us your suggestions in the conversation below.

RESULTS OF THE LAST POLL: In our last poll, we asked readers “Has Occupy Sacramento been effective?”
28.3 percent responded YES: They've opened the debate and raised some important questions
30.2 percent said SORT OF: They got people talking, but not much has come of the effort so far
41.5 percent said NO: They only created a distraction to more important city business

H/T: ranSACkedmedia.com

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Occupy Sacramento loses legal challenge – What’s next?

2012-07-12T15:36:34Z

A federal judge upheld a Sacramento city curfew ordinance Wednesday, ending a months-long legal challenge by the Occupy Sacramento movement claiming the curfew rule violated the group’s First Amendment rights.

Denny Walsh reports in The Sacramento Bee that U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. ruled that the city ordinance imposing curfews in parks without a permit "is … valid time, place and manner restriction.”

Occupy attorneys claimed the ordinance was sporadically enforced and any enforcement was based on the message of the protesters, but England disagreed, saying the ordinance "predates the Occupy Sacramento demonstrations by roughly 30 years,” and the evidence showed that the city has been consistently enforcing the ordinance.

Occupiers from Vancouver to New York filed legal challenges to camping rules that would prevent them from protesting in public parks, and most of those challenges have failed. The most recent legal challenge in Sacramento joins that list.

From the beginning of the Occupy movement in Sacramento, the group has faced numerous challenges with the city and the courts, including arrests for violating “no-camping” and curfew ordinances in Cesar Chavez Plaza.

Charges stemming from those arrests were eventually dropped by the district attorney, but they fueled weeks of protests at City Council meetings. Hundreds crowded council chambers and lined up to the podium to both chastise council members for being insensitive to the movement’s message, and to plead for exceptions to the no-camping and curfew ordinances.

A shift in the movement occurred after a judge ruled against Occupy attorneys in a preliminary “no-camping” rule challenge, but suggested that the grounds of City Hall weren’t subject to the same rules as parks. Soon after, protesters left Cesar Chavez Plaza and moved across the street to the lawns at City Hall – where a small contingent of Occupiers remains today.

That move spurred the city to find new ways to contain the protest without violating the protesters' rights: A new city ordinance adjusting rules about activities at City Hall is headed to the city Law and Legislation Committee and then to the full council. If it is passed (which seems likely), protesters who want to hang out on City Hall lawns would be subject to fines of $250 to $25,000 for breaking laws set forth in the proposed "Use of the City Hall Facility" ordinance. Those who defy the rules would be guilty of misdemeanors.

With the city no-camping ordinance upheld, and the curfew rules upheld and a squeeze coming on activities at City Hall – what’s next for the few remaining local Occupy protesters? Attorney Mark Merin told the The Bee that the recent ruling does not mean the end of the Occupy movement.

"The movement will rise again, perhaps in a different form,” Merin said. “The will of the people to decide important issues – not just who's raising the most money in a political campaign – won't be permanently suppressed."

This is a topic The Sacramento Press will continue looking into, and we’ll be watching the conversation below this article for your thoughts on where the story might be headed.

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE TODAY:
R Street lofts low-income housing project gets funding- Sacramento Bee

No more parking tickets for parking at broken meters – L.A. Times

How the threat of losing beer unites a community - Atlantic Cities

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Who leaked Maloof emails? Isaac Gonzalez answers Carmichael Dave

2012-07-11T18:25:57Z

It’s a question that’s been on the mind of everyone who has been following Sacramento’s arena debacle: How did Isaac Gonzalez get ahold of that email cache that changed our understanding of how the negotiations between the city and the Maloofs actually played out?

On Tuesday, Gonzalez addressed the question during a Sacramento Press live chat with Carmichael Dave Weiglein.

The context: About halfway through the chat, Weiglein asked Gonzalez to clear up questions about leaked emails and letters that circulated between the Maloofs, their attorneys and NBA representatives, which Gonzales obtained from an unnamed source and made public.

The emails outlined issues the Maloofs had with the “handshake agreement” for the arena deal and proved the Maloofs’ claims that they had expressed these issues well before the council voted to approve the deal.

City officials claimed they did not know about the emails or the Maloofs’ concerns. As far as the city was concerned, all parties had agreed to a bona fide “framework” agreement, and any claim to the contrary from the Maloofs was disingenuous.

The emails had been mentioned in the media [Editor's note: Nick Miller of Sacramento News & Review previously reported the story, but without full document release on April 26.] and partially quoted in a powerpoint presentation the Maloofs and their attorneys gave in New York as the arena deal crumbled – but the emails and letters in their entirety had not been made public until Gonzalez posted them on his site, ranSACkedmedia.com, Wikileaks stye, on May 8.

How did Gonzalez come by those emails and letters? Here’s what he told us during the Sac Press live chat Tuesday:

He refused to disclose his source, but insisted he or she does not work for the Maloofs. He hinted at a city connection, mentioning it was someone who “works on I Street” – where City Hall is located – and said a sheaf of documents was dropped off by the source at his home.

You can view the full conversation here:

This article was co-written by Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Three issues that could derail California’s high-speed rail

2012-07-11T15:43:04Z

The state Legislature approved the initial funding necessary to finally put high-speed rail in motion in California, but the project still faces numerous obstacles that could stall it for years, including legal challenges over environmental review, diminishing public support and unanswered questions about future financing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
So far, environmental review of the first 130-mile section of the project has barely begun, and farmers already have pitchforks in the air and tractors lined up at the courthouse door (well, lobbyists and lawyers anyway) protesting negative impacts to farmland that lies along the proposed rail route through the Central Valley. Hannah Drier writes in the Huffington Post that lawsuits have been filed to block the project claiming the train would render 1,500 acres of fertile land unfarmable and disrupt 500 agricultural businesses – and more lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming months.

WANING PUBLIC SUPPORT
Jim Carlton and Max Taves write in the Wall Street Journal that rail authority officials estimate as many as 100,000 construction-related jobs each year would be created by the high-speed rail project, and there is potential for nearly a half million permanent jobs over the next 25 years.

That might have been a good selling point when the project hit the 2008 ballot, but a recent Field Poll indicates that public support for the project has since dwindled. According to the poll, if the project were put to a public vote today, 56 percent of likely voters would oppose it, while just 39 percent would pass it again.

Michael Cabanataun writes in the San Francisco Chronicle that poor community relations have “soured between skeptical farmers and local leaders, overshadowed hopes of economic development and fueled opposition that could slow or stop arrival of the fast trains.” Those skeptical farmers are likely some of the plaintiffs in the anti-HSR lawsuits mentioned earlier.

If public relations don’t improve and fences can’t be mended, the once-infatuated voters who put high-speed rail on track may not be so inclined to approve future financing that will be necessary to keep building the line.

FINANCIAL WOES
When the project is finally complete, the line will stretch from Los Angeles to San Francisco (and will include a leg to Sacramento) and will cost $68 billion – that’s $58 billion more than the $10 billion originally projected.

Republican leaders who voted against funding high-speed rail this week said there were too many unanswered questions about future financing for the project, especially in the current economic climate in the state. Sen. Ted Gaines (R-Roseville) went so far as to say the project would push California “over a financial cliff” in a statement to media.

Despite having initial funding in place, high-speed rail in California could end up being a train to nowhere, Dan Walters wrote in a recent Sacramento Bee article. Even if the rail authority builds the initial segment, Walters wrote, “it's almost useless unless the state can line up financing to connect it to the Bay Area. There is absolutely no money in the pipeline for that connection from either governmental or private sources.”

Could high-speed rail wind up as a “techno-evolutionary dead end,” as Pat Morrison said recently in the L.A. Times? Time will tell. Before a single track is laid down, however, high-speed rail has a long way to go.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follw her on Facebook and on twitter @MelissaCorker.

Sacramento's revolving door policy, bankrupt cities, electric car chargers: Wake-Up Call

2012-07-11T14:57:24Z

Welcome to another edition of the "Wake-Up Call," a rundown of items that we're working on, found interesting, or otherwise thought you might want to know about today. As is always the case here at Sac Press, suggestions are welcome.

THINGS WE’RE WORKING ON

SACRAMENTO’s REVOLVING DOOR: A recent Sacramento County grand jury report found that two former Sacramento city managers negotiating on behalf of a trash disposal company made some city employees feel intimidated, leading to a contract that a Sacramento Bee editorial said showed “gross incompetence and shocking indifference to the issues of ratepayer costs or basic fairness in public contracting.”

City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby told us she wants the city to implement a policy that would prevent the scenario from repeating by more strictly regulating what has been termed the “revolving door,” or the practice of private companies hiring former government officials to gain favorable terms from lawmakers.

“When you work for the state and you retire, you can come back as a retired annuitant, but one thing you cannot do is come back as a consultant on subject matter from which you had direct involvement,” Ashby said.

Brandon Darnell will have more later today.

WHAT WE’RE READING

GOING BELLY-UP: The list of cities going under in the state is getting longer: Phll Willon of the L.A. Times reports that the city of San Bernardino is set to file for bankruptcy thanks to an unmanageable $46 million budget deficit – which city leaders say they didn’t even know they had. Willon writes: “City Atty. James Penman said city budget officials had falsified documents presented to the mayor and council for 13 of the last 16 years, masking the city's deficit spending.”

The cities of Stockton and Mammoth Lakes each filed for bankruptcy last month.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: In 2010, California had a chance to shave some of the $68 billion cost of its high-speed rail project – and took a pass on it.

Dan Weikel and Ralph Vartabedian write in the L.A. Times that SNCF of France, the developer of one of the world's most successful high-speed rail systems, proposed that the state use competitive bidding to partner with it or another foreign operator to design a sophisticated network for 200-mph trains.

The proposal included realigning the route to bypass Fresno, making it more direct and making construction more economical. But that would have meant passing up the sixth-largest city in the state, and legislators said "no thanks" to the politically unpopular idea.

PLUGGING IN: Electric car owners will soon have 28 more charging stations at eight Sacramento public parking garages to use starting in November. David Ruiz reports in The Sacramento Bee that the City Council approved installation of the stations in June, and installation is expected to begin in August. The additional stations bring the total in the city to 50, including some older units that the council approved for upgrades. All of the charging stations are free, Ruiz reports, and will work with nearly every model of electric car.

SOMETHING TO DO

“Mumbo Gumbo brings their signature danceable sound—a mixture spanning rock to soul, afropop to lush balladry and zydeco to country—to Fairytale Town for a live performance on Wednesday, Jul. 11. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and go on sale in June. Members receive 2-for-1 admission, and children 12 and under are free. Blankets and chairs are welcome, food and drink will be available for purchase.” For more on concerts at Fairytale Town, see the full rundown posted on our site.

This morning Wake-Up Call was produced with the help of 32 ounces of espresso roast coffee and 2.5 ounces of vanilla cream.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Think Big considers possible Major League Baseball stadium for Sacramento

2012-07-09T22:25:25Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and Think Big Sacramento want to explore bringing a Major League Baseball team to Sacramento along with a Major League Baseball stadium in the downtown railyards – and the future of the River Cats may hang in the balance.

The plan is the next phase for Think Big Sacramento’s efforts to come up with a new future for the downtown railyards after plans for a new arena were scuttled in May, Johnson said.

“There’s no harm in exploring all of our options,” Johnson told media at a press conference Monday.

If the idea is viable, Johnson said, the city would most likely court the Oakland A’s for a move to Sacramento – but, if they move in, MLB rules require the River Cats to move out of their West Sacramento home across the river at Raley Field.

Johnson said the idea is in the beginning stages and conversations with other key groups, including River Cats owners, the Major League Baseball organization and the city of West Sacramento, have not happened yet.

“We first have to get on Major League Baseball’s radar,” Johnson said. “This is our first foray into letting the A’s know we want them.”

Johnson said Sacramento has a lot to offer an MLB team including land, political will and a proven media market – however, Johnson didn’t rule out the possibility of bringing an MLB team to Raley Field instead of the downtown railyards

“The ideal place may very well be West Sacramento,” Johnson said. “We need to look at this from a regional standpoint. If they win, we win.”

Think Big Executive Director Kunal Merchant said Think Big Sacramento will spend 10-12 weeks vetting the idea, and Johnson said no public dollars would be spent on the process.

View the story "Mayor, Think Big look into the Big Leagues for Sacramento" on StorifyMayor, Think Big look into the Big Leagues for SacramentoHere's how the announcement – and public reaction – played out via social media:Storified by Melissa Corker · Mon, Jul 09 2012 15:28:10 RT @CBSSacramento (Sac Mayor Kevin) Johnson said he realizes any talk of bringing the A's to Sacramento would involve West Sacramento and the River CatsAww yeah!Victor Calderon "MLB in Sacto" pitch is strange. This is supposed to be a Think Big effort to bolster city revenue, but MLB team could go to West Sac???Nick Miller .@KJ_MayorJohnson: Believes different parts of Sacramento should compliment each other. If West Sacramento wins, entire region wins.FOX40 News Not everyone is convinced that Think Big or Johnson are really serious about the idea of a stadium:
@FOX40 @KJ_MayorJohnson is it even possible? Or is this re-election #pillowtalk?@copayment .@KJ_MayorJohnson - admits there is a big "if" - if Sac will be considered for an MLB teamFOX40 News Mayor says this is not "gamesmanship" to put pressure on Maloofs or NBA to act or lose that 250-mil that would have gone to arena.Rob McAllister @Rob_McAllister This is the part of the Sac-Kings relationship breakup when one person tries to prove they are better off without the other.Trip McNeely ... and some say baseball isn't the only sport to consider for Sacramento:
@KJ_MayorJohnson Why pitch a fit with MLB & bench the AAA? Did u strike out on the NBA? GO GLOBAL & recruit MLS!! RT http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/08/4617398/sacramento-mayor-turns-attention.htmlPC Larsen @KJ_MayorJohnson Soccer specific stadiums are much cheaper, reach out to @mls because Sac is a golden opportunity. Perfect fit for our townBrian Riley @JimCrandell I think baseball,football or basketball will always go good in Sacramento...it's time for are city to get bigger & better!Jamie Vaughn

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Possible MLB stadium in Sacramento, diesel discussion in East Sacramento: Wake-Up Call

2012-07-09T15:13:33Z

THINGS WE’RE WORKING ON

PLAY BALL: Mayor Kevin Johnson and leaders of the Think Big organization scheduled a press conference Monday morning to announce plans to explore the possibility of bringing a Major League Baseball team to Sacramento. It may not be an easy sell: Bringing in a MLB team would mean the loss of the River Cats, and space constraints on the railyards site may make a baseball stadium an impossible dream.

Johnson and Kunal Merchant, Think Big executive director, will hold the news briefing at 11 a.m. at City Hall, 915 I St. It will also be streamed live here.

HAVE MERCY: Residents in East Sacramento are concerned about a plan for a new diesel generator that Mercy General Hospital wants to install on its site near 39th and J streets. In response to a Mercy permit application to construct a standby diesel internal combustion engine, one resident wrote a letter urging the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District to deny the application, calling the noise levels it would create a “public nuisance,” and the diesel emissions “toxic” and “unsafe.”

Mercy Hospital currently operates two diesel generators – a primary and a backup – to maintain power in case of emergency or power failure. The letter notes that diesel fuel and diesel emissions are known carcinogens. The irony? Mercy Hospital recently opened a cancer center in its East Sacramento complex.

** We're keeping it short this morning to turn our focus to following up with the Mayor's press conference and other interesting news items.

Possibility of MLB stadium for downtown railyards

2012-07-09T13:51:49Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson and Think Big Sacramento leaders held a press conference Monday morning to announce a new effort for the future of the downtown railyards: the possibility of building a baseball stadium and bringing a Major League Baseball franchise to the city.

The press conference was streamed live.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

SactoMoFo 5, Sacramento parking issues, Broadway Triangle project stalls, 'Full Monty' hits the stage: Wake-up Call

2012-07-06T15:01:43Z

THINGS WE’RE WORKING ON

SACTOMOFO 5: According to the SactoMoFo Facebook Page, July 21 will be the biggst mobile food festival the group has yet hosted, with more than 30 Northern California food trucks, live music and, yes, beer. It's going to be held at Sixth and X streets under the freeway again from noon - 7 p.m. We'll have an article next week telling you who's going to be there and what you can look forward to.

If you're looking for more mobile food news right now, check out the article about the new Squeeze Inn food truck.

BOULEVARD PARK BUZZ: A recent proposal for a pilot parking program in Midtown during Second Saturday Art Walk is all the buzz in Boulevard Park lately. The Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association hasn’t yet taken a formal position on the proposal, and is calling out to affected residents for feedback before the leadership makes a move. According to the resident newsletter, the BPNA board will be giving a presentation on the program at its July 14 meeting, but wants to hear neighbor’s thoughts on the matter first via email at sacbpna@gmail.com.

WHAT WE’RE READING

TRIANGLE TROUBLE: Oak Park pushed off an unwanted McDonald’s drive-thru in June, and now a highly anticipated project at the Broadway Triangle has stalled. Tony Bizjak writes in today’s Sacramento Bee that the project was initially approved under redevelopment contracts before redevelopment agencies were disbanded by the state earlier this year. Yesterday’s scheduled groundbreaking on the project was delayed because the title insurance company wouldn’t close escrow without assurances that the state wouldn’t pull the plug on the project.

Bizjak writes that the “Triangle Project is one of a handful of last-gasp redevelopment efforts in Sacramento. Others approved last month by the state include apartments and retail on the 700 block of K Street, low-income housing on Richards Boulevard as part of the Township 9 mixed-use project, and street building in the downtown railyard.”

RIDIN’ THE RAILS (STILL): High-speed rail is 21 Senate votes from being funded in California this morning. The state Assembly approved the acceptance of $7 billion in initial federal funding for the project yesterday, and now the bill moves to the Senate for approval. Despite getting the green light from the Assembly, it may not be an easy sell in the Senate. Chris Megerian writes in the L.A. Times that, so far, Republicans have been united in their opposition to the rail project, so to get past the Senate they’ll need nearly all of the Democrat votes in the room. The Senate will take up the item at its 1 p.m. session today, and Sac Press will be keeping an eye on the vote.

SOMETHING TO DO

IN THE FOOTLIGHTS: Self-confidence, inner strength and overcoming fears are the themes of “The Full Monty” playing at the Runaway Stage, 2791 24th St. This funny and endearing stage production is based on the 1997 film and follows a group of New York steelworkers looking for some quick cash. The scheme they land on will test their ability to get out of their comfort zones and face their demons – as their wives look on.

Catch the show at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through July 29. Tickets are $15-22, available at the Runaway Stage website.

ON THE SILVER SCREEN: Now showing at the Crest Theatre: “Your Sister’s Sister,” starring Mark Duplass & Emily Blunt. It’s a story about Jack, a man having a hard time dealing with loss a year after the death of his brother. When his brother’s girlfriend, Iris, offers help, she sends Jack to her family cottage to take some time to come to terms with his troubles. When Jack arrives at the cabin, he finds Iris’ sister Hannah there, who is in need of some alone time of her own.

“Your Sister’s Sister” will be at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. through July 12. Tickets can be purchased at the Crest Theatre Box office. More information here.

IN THE PARK: Summer Concerts in the Park continue tonight at Cesar Chavez Plaza, 910 I St., Here's a look at tonight’s featured lineup:

Full Blown Stone ...

DOGFOOD ...

Street Urchinz ...

The concerts are free and open to all ages and start at 5 p.m. Parking is available at the City Hall Garage located at 10th & I streets for $5 after 5 p.m. Bike Valet service is also available at the Concerts in the Park.

This article was co-written by Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette, who is usally wide awake and lookin' lively by 5 a.m.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

POLL: What’s next at the downtown railyards? Readers weigh in

2012-07-05T19:47:34Z

Once “Plan B” for a downtown arena failed to materialize, the Think Big Sacramento organization shifted gears and is now taking a broader look at possibilities for developing the more than 200 acre railyards site.

Several suggestions have already come up for the site, including:

Major League Baseball stadium – Several news outlets (including the New York TImes, Bleacher Report and Fox Sports) have reported that the Oakland A’s may be looking for a new home. Why not Sacramento?
Corporate headquarters – Now that the city has received a $15 million grant to fix up the downtown train station, Sacramento is well on its way to being a full intermodal hub, making the railyards a convenient site for commuting corporate workers and executives.
Entertainment district – Revitalizing downtown has long been a topic of interest at City Hall, and some say the railyards could be a big tourist draw as the newest downtown shopping and eating hotspot, despite not having an arena.
Medium-sized entertainment venues – A recent candidate for City Council suggested Sacramento needs more “medium-sized” venues: larger than your average nightclub, but smaller than a basketball arena. Could the railyards be the new home for an amphitheatre or two?
And, of course, an indoor sports arena – The idea hasn’t been completely excluded from the list. Johnson said building an arena doesn’t make economic sense without an anchor sports tenant, but that’s not to say the city and Think Big won’t still pursue one.

Jared Ficker, a spokesman for Inland Inland American Real Estate Trust, the Illinois firm that owns most of the railyards, said in a recent Sacramento Bee article that the company welcomes the help of Think Big.

“Think Big helps build community support for a project of this magnitude; they have an understanding of what the community wants,” Flicker said.

So, what does the community want?

We’ve outlined a few suggestions that were mentioned in the Bee article and that the mayor and others have brought up. What would you add? What do you think could or should be built at the raliyards site?

Take a minute to vote on the ones we’ve listed, or suggest your own ideas in the comment section, and we’ll add them to the poll as we go along.

Once we’ve incorporated all your suggestions and have a list of interesting ideas, we’ll hand-deliver them to the mayor and Think Big Executive Director Kunal Merchant.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "So, you want to get elected to the Sacramento charter commission?"

2012-07-05T16:40:17Z

Thank you for your comment, Doug. According to the City Clerk's office, the position of charter commissioner is unpaid.

Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op relocation plan raises questions

2012-07-05T14:36:25Z

Soon after we published an article about a community meeting held by the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op to present preliminary designs for its new location to residents and and business owners who might be impacted by the move, questions started pouring in, and parking-related questions topped the list.

“Why are they building another huge street-fronted parking lot in the urban core,” Sacramento Press reader Tom Runge asked in a story comment. “This will do nothing but create more dead space for the area.”

The co-op’s plan to move from its Alhambra Boulevard at S Street location to a new, larger store four blocks away at 28th and R streets has largely received positive feedback, according to urban planner and co-op representative Wendy Hoyt, but she said it’s early in the process and there are still details to be ironed out.

“The design is still being worked on, so there may be some adjustments here and there before we take it to the city,” Hoyt said.

[Update: 10:05 a.m.] The co-op has also produced video on the proposed relocation program:

Sac Press commenters had a few follow-up questions and suggestions.

“Why not put the parking on the roof instead and make it more bike and pedestrian-friendly?” Runge asked.

Rooftop parking sometimes makes sense in very compact urban development, according to Bob Lindley, lead architect on the co-op project, but for this project it would not be feasible – both because of the added expense, and because it conflicts with other construction and design priorities from the co-op.

“Land value has to be very high to justify the added cost,” Lindley said in an email.

Lindley said co-op planners are working to include many sustainable design features for the new site, including natural daylight via skylights and and an atrium to help keep the store cool – features that would be impossible tucked under a parking slab.

Steve Maviglio, co-op board president, said in a follow-up comment that the co-op is exploring the use of the roof for solar panels and possibly community gardening so it is effectively utilized.

Other parking concerns from commenters related to a shift in available parking from current surface lots and street parking to the construction of a parking garage across the street at 29th and S streets.

Parking is at a premium in downtown and Midtown, and Sac Press reader George Raya said it is especially problematic for staffers at the Department of Human Assistance building at 1725 28th St.

Raya said DHA employees compete for parking with their clients and with state workers who work nearby. Any reduction to the available spaces would cause a real problem, he said.

“Fights have broken out over parking,” Raya said. “It’s really rough here.”

The planned parking structure should mitigate some of those problems, Hoyt said. It would provide replacement parking for the current surface DHA lot, she said, and double the amount of current parking for the co-op.

Another commenter suggested opening more locations would be a better “expansion” for the co-op because it would eliminate the need for people to drive their cars to the store.

Maviglio’s response to the reader acknowledged the desire to encourage more use of public transportation, but said that, for many who shop at the co-op, that isn’t an option.

“A good chunk of our business is from beyond the city limits and the suburbs where public transportation isn't available,” Maviglio said.

Despite the many questions surrounding the project, Hoyt said she is glad for all of them and looks forward to receiving more.

“This is exactly the healthy kind of dialogue one would hope for on a key project like SNFC,” Hoyt said. “We look forward to further discussions with the public.”

The co-op has not yet filed a building application with the city Community Development Department Planning Division, Hoyt said, but expects to move forward with that step in the next few months.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

High-speed rail could hurt Brown's tax plan at ballot; New indoor gun range in Sacramento County: Wake-Up Call

2012-07-05T14:23:55Z

WHAT WE’RE READING

RIDIN’ THE RAILS: With just two days left in the legislative session, lawmakers are about to face off on whether to approve funding for high-speed rail – but they should take a peek at the latest Field Poll before they do.

Of the three tax measures headed to the November ballot – one from Gov. Jerry Brown, one from attorney Molly Munger that would raise personal income taxes, and one from hedge-fund manager Tom Steyer that would increase taxes on multi-state businesses operating in California – Brown’s measure currently enjoys greater voter support.

Poll results show that voters favor Brown’s tax measure 54 percent to 38 percent, but they are evenly split on each of the other two measures, 46 percent yes and 46 percent no on Munger’s measure, and 44 percent yes to 43 percent no on Steyer’s proposal.

That looks good for Brown, until high-speed rail is brought into the mix.

Since high-speed rail was passed in 2008, projected costs have increased (to the tune of $35 billion) while voter support for the project has steadily decreased: According to the poll, if the project were put to a public vote again today, 56 percent of likely voters say they would oppose it, while just 39 percent would pass it again.

That loss of support for high-speed rail will have a negative mpact on Brown’s tax measure, according to poll results. Nearly one in three likely voters, including one in five voters who currently support the Brown initiative, say they’d be less likely to vote yes on it if the Legislature begins funding the rail project.

Read the Field Poll results here.

LOADED TOPIC: While the city of Sacramento is preparing an ordinance to regulate where gun stores can be located following the news that one is opening in Midtown, Sacramento County has a new ~~first~~ indoor gun range, which opened in North Highlands on the Fourth of July.

CBS has the story, and describes the range as part of a national trend of increased gun sales and permit applications:

[Editor's Note: CBS reported that it is the first indoor gun range in the county, but The Gun Room in Elk Grove is also located within county limits. Thanks, Davi Rodrigues]

THINGS WE’RE WORKING ON:

ARENA REACTION: A roundup of reactions to Mayor Kevin Johnson's announcement that his "Plan B" for the arena is officially dead, with James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom, Isaac Gonzalez of ranSACedmedia, Cosmo Garvin of Sacramento News & Review and the man behind "Here We Build," podcaster Carmichael Dave.

SOMETHING TO DO:

Too young to have seen "Casablanca" on the big screen when it premiered? Or maybe you want to relive the memory? Well, here's looking at you, kid: The Crocker Art Museum is screening the classic film outside at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

At 8:30, the show starts, and you can relax in your lawn chair while Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman put on one of the classic love stories of all time.

Tickets are $5 for members, $6 for college students and $8 for non-members.

More info can be found at the Croker Art Museum’s website.

This article was co-written by Sacramento Press Editor-In Chief Jared Goyette, who likes to walk around a bit when he brainstorms.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and onTwitter @MelissaCorker.

Downtown Sacramento arena 'Plan B' fouls out, Kings fans react

2012-07-03T22:03:15Z

Mayor Kevin Johson announced today that a Plan B for an arena inthe downtwon railyards was dead. Here's a sampling of the local buzz on the topic:

View the story "Sacramento arena 'Plan B' fouls out" on StorifySacramento arena 'Plan B' fouls outDespite ongoing efforts by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, the Think Big Sacramento organization and Kings' fans across the region, the much-hoped for arena Plan B died when arena operator AEG pulled out of the game. Here's a snapshot of recent conversation about the death of the dream:Storified by Melissa Corker · Tue, Jul 03 2012 14:55:28 @KJ_MayorJohnson: #NBAKings #Arena 'Plan B' is dead, economics don't make sense w/o Kings.Ryan Lillis AEG Partnership In Sacramento Arena Deal On Hold Effectively Killing Project -- http://cbsloc.al/MH0kz0Shawn Boyd After the initial announcement, reaction was swift and varied. There was anger...
What else is the #Sacramento mayor going to screw up? http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/07/03/aeg-pulls-out-of-sacramento-arena-deal-effectively-killing-project/David Smith @Rob_McAllister I hate the Maloofs more than I love my children. #FTMMike Landis Hurts Sacto big time “@Ryan_Lillis: @KJ_MayorJohnson: #NBAKings #Arena 'Plan B' is dead, economics don't make sense w/o Kings.”Kenny Holmes CBS ...there was disgust...
Recyclable basketball arenas.. What's next? Recyclable houses maybe... http://read.bi/KYK7oj #environment #innovation #manufacturing ^EHBishop-Wisecarver @GavMaloof @JoeMaloof thought you would spend on free agents. Guess fans shouldn't expect a lot from owners that can't afford arena...Sactownkings916 ...and there was the holding out of hope, as Kings Fans are known for:
There will be a new arena in Sacramento. The Sacramento Kings will play basketball there. Somehow, some way it will happen.Carmichael Dave @CarmichaelDave like the positive thinking but kings are gone.bigchill Could new team ownership be the answer, some wondered?
@CarmichaelDave Step 1: Maloofs are no longer in the picture....#NewOwnership #Kings #HereWeStayChris Williams Before they squandered daddy's fortune, the Maloofs bought #NBakings. There are only 30 #NBA teams. They know a big payday is out thereMarcos Breton @GavMaloof @JoeMaloof Can you all sell the team already please? Kings fans deserve better. Spend some money !Sacramento Kings @Rob_McAllister Understand that Maloofs insist they're not selling. No contrary info from credible sources to refute that idea...Mark Kawada If #NBAKINGS began having success, a lot of the rancor towards the Maloofs would subside.People love a winner, even if the owners are losersMarcos Breton Many wondered what's next – not just for the Kings, but for the downtown railyards where the proposed new arena was to be built.
Ideas for railyard include entertainment district, corporate offices. And, of course, baseball is part of the conversation.Ryan Lillis @Ryan_Lillis are they going to start trying to lure the A's to Sac?Adam Foster We've been tasked by @KJ_MayorJohnson to explore the best ways to make a positive impact in downtown, the Railyards and the entire region.Think Big Sacramento So, Plan A lost at the buzzer and now Plan B has fouled out. Plan C, anyone?
“@kingsfeedr: Cowbell Kingdom: Plan B for new Sacramento arena is dead http://ffd.me/MHfrIG #kings” aren't we on plan R by now? #ughTed

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

New Year's on K Street; More Maloof angst from Sacramento Kings fans - Wake-Up Call

2012-07-03T14:01:52Z

WHAT WE’RE READING:

NEW AULD LANG SYNE: Sure, it’s more than five months away, but some downtown businesses say it’s never too early to start party planning for New Year's, especially if the party is going to be at your house. Ryan Lillis writes in the Sacramento Bee that a group of downtown business owners, led by Sharif Jewelers owner Omar Sharif, wants to revive a Times Square-ish New Year’s party this year on K Street – complete with a “diamond drop” in front of Sharif’s store. K Street had such a party once, years ago, but poor planning did away with the fun. If Sharif and friends can do it better, it may be the must-attend party of the year.

SOLD OUT: Not all Kings fans are happy about the team's performance in the draft, despite the fact that they ended up with Thomas Robinson, a player widely considered to be second best available. The reason? The team's owners, the beloved Maloof family, sold their second round pick for cash. Kings fans have voiced their disgust on Twitter, but Cowbell Kingdom's James Ham has another view:

“Whether on Twitter or elsewhere, the conversation has turned ugly. The Maloofs are being called broke, cheap and a few other words I’m not willing to write on our G-rated site. While the Maloofs have made plenty of questionable decisions over the last couple of seasons, I believe that fans are a little off base from a pure basketball standpoint.”

Trumpette brings high-end baby boutique to Midtown Sacramento

2012-07-03T12:34:27Z

Moms and dads, fashionistas and style mavens, get ready: Trumpette is setting the stage to open its newest location this month in the old Sirlin Photography building at 2020 I St. in Midtown.

Although it is best known for baby socks designed to look like little Mary Jane shoes or Converse high-tops, fashon-forward moms may swoon just a little when they see the entire lineup of high-end designer children’s clothing and accessories that Trumpette founder Jon Stevenson has to offer.

“It’s the best for little ones,” Stevenson said. “That’s what we bring to the world.”

Stevenson, 60, opened a Trumpette retail location in Fair Oaks in 2006 and put his wholesale and manufacturing operations in Rancho Cordova. As the company grew, Stevenson said he started branching out with increased wholesale, online retail – which he refers to as “e-tail” – and building his design team.

Last October, Stevenson said he bought the 75-year-old Sirlin building on I Street to relocate the design, marketing and “e-tail” portion of the company into Midtown, and at the same time, he moved the wholesale and manufacturing portion of the company to Reno.

Stevenson said 80 percent of Trumpette’s line is baby socks, including Tumpette’s signature piece: a dozen pairs of socks in an egg crate, called “perfect little dozen.”

Other items offered at Trumpette include specially designed kids’ hoodies and “schlep bags,” which Stevenson described as high-fashion fun diaper bags that don’t fit the mold.

“I’m an old merchandiser from Macy’s, so putting things together, making them stand out – that’s what I do,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said he was inspired to begin his company because of his experiences with his adopted son, Nicky, when the boy was an infant.

“Everyone kept saying, ‘Oh she’s such a cute little girl!’ and I just got tired of correcting everyone and saying, ‘No, he’s a boy,’ ” Stevenson said.

A fashion merchandiser in San Francisco at the time, Stevenson designed a simple onesie for his son: all white with bold, all-caps black lettering in a crisp Helvetica font that said simply “BOY” in eight languages.

He created another one that said “GIRL” and took them to a trade show in New York where then-vice president of Barney’s New York saw them and fell in love, Stevenson said.

“She told me, ‘I’m going to put you in every Barney’s in America,’ ” Stevenson said.

And she did: Twenty-three Barney’s locations across the United States started carrying Trumpette onesies in 1989. Baby socks and other children’s items soon followed. Trumpette grew into a multi-million dollar company and became a worldwide brand – Stevenson’s socks found their way to the feet of celebrities’ kids in New York and Los Angeles, including star moms such as Beyonce and Kourtney Kardashian.

When reminded that his stores focus the majority of its product line on roughly 10 percent of the baby, Stevenson is unfazed.

“Well, sure,” he said. “But everyone needs socks, so the other 90 percent is glad to have them.”

Trumpette Midtown is expected to open in July, Stevenson said, and the hours will be 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. weekdays, closed weekends.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Tahoe Park community steps up for their pool, opens it for summer swimming

2012-07-02T20:42:43Z

Tahoe Park pool didn’t make the list for the Save Mart “Save Our Pools” campaign, so, faced with the possibility of a dry pool during a hot summer, neighborhood leaders joined forces with a city councilman, a county supervisor and the Sierra Health Foundation to plan their own rescue effort – and succeeded.

“The neighborhood just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said. “I’m proud of everyone for that.”

While Save Mart grocery stores were working with the city of Sacramento to raise $1 million to save six city pools from closure this spring, a contingent of Tahoe Park volunteers and neighborhood association leaders were diligently stuffing envelopes and knocking on doors to raise the money needed to keep their pool open.

Eric Guerra, president of the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, took the lead in the fundraising campaign, which he said was initially only intended to raise enough to keep the kiddie pool open at Tahoe Park.

“The cost of getting the large pool open full time would be over $80,000 and we knew that wasn’t possible,” Guerra said. “But we thought maybe we could do more than just the wading pool.”

Guerra and fellow neighborhood association members Ryan Murphy and Kimberly Pell decided to shoot for a middle ground: $42,000 to open the pool part-time.

Pell, a high school teacher at Jesuit High School, met Sierra Health Foundation CEO Chet Hewitt at a career day at her school and asked if the foundation would be interested in participating in saving Tahoe Park pool. The response was positive: Hewitt said if the community and the council member would raise half of the necessary funds, the foundation would come in with the other half.

McCarty said that, once Sierra Health Foundation was on board with their matching pledge, he reached out to Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna to help the Tahoe Park community raise the rest.

“What speaks volumes about Tahoe Park is that many people gave small amounts,” Guerra said. “Even some people who don’t really use the pool or don’t have kids – they felt bad about not having it open for everyone else.”

In total, donations from community members and nearby businesses came to just under $4,000, Guerra said, and McCarty and Serna together raised another $17,000.

“We are all clear this is not a long term solution,” Guerra said. “By far everyone feels this is a city responsibility, but, still, we understand the city’s fiscal challenges, too.”

The formal ribbon-cutting ceremony in late June was the first time anyone used the pool since 2010, Murphy said, and about 50 people came out to celebrate. The pool has been packed with swimmers since then, he added.

“When I ride by the poole and see it’s clean and people are there and kids are swimming, I think to myself, ‘OK. The effort was worth it,’” Murphy said.

Tahoe Park Pool, 3535 59th St., will be open for recreational swim from 2-6 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday through Aug. 25.

Tahoe Park joins Glenn Hall and Southside Park in the list of city pools that have been granted a reprieve from summer closure through community efforts.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "So, you want to get elected to the Sacramento charter commission?"

2012-07-02T17:07:38Z

Neil, thank you for your comments. Please see my reply above.

Melissa Corker on "So, you want to get elected to the Sacramento charter commission?"

2012-07-02T17:07:00Z

Tom, thank you for your comment. To clarify, there is no charge/fee to run for the charter commission. A candidate statement is optional - it is different than the "ballot designation" where a candidate states how he/she wants his/her name and occupation to appear on the ballot.

So, you want to get elected to the Sacramento charter commission?

2012-07-02T16:20:50Z

The question of whether to create an elected charter commission will appear on the November ballot, and, if a majority of city voters agree to it, they will also select 15 people to serve on that body. Commissioners will have up to two years to go through the city charter with a fine-toothed comb to suggest any additions, deletions or changes to the guiding document for the city.

So, just how do people interested in serving on the commission get their name added to the list of charter commission candidates on the November ballot?

First, make sure you’re eligible: Candidates must be at least 18 years old, United States citizens and registered to vote in Sacramento. Then follow the steps below. All information was provided by the Office of the City Clerk.Should you get enough votes, you'll be one of 15 proud new members of the city's charter commission. Enjoy it while you can – you'll have lots of work to do.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for the Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

WAKE-UP CALL: Pink slips, job hunting and hot poetry

2012-07-02T14:55:53Z

WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON:

PINK SLIPS: Sacramento City Unified School District handed out pink slips to 300 people in March, including almost 60 percent of the district’s custodial staff, and those layoffs went into effect July 1. For one 63-year-old janitor, being let go just four months shy of her seniority date means zero medical benefits – something the not-ready-to-retire woman needs. Melissa Corker follows up with what the workers and their union reps are doing about the situation, and how the district is responding.

PARKING WOES: After the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op showed off design plans to the community, the questions started pouring in, and parking-related questions topped the list. We’re following up with co-op reps, architects on the project and some of the people who’ll be affected most by the co-op relocation.

PRETTY WOMAN: Wedding season is in full swing and one dress shop caters to a niche market: larger, voluptuous brides. How do the ladies at Sparkle, 3200 Folsom Blvd., make sure every bride is blissful and beautiful on their wedding day? SacPress has the story.

WHAT WE’RE READING

GRADUATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT: With a local unemployment rate of 10.4 percent, recent high school and college grads are having a tough time landing a job now that school’s out. Phillip Reese writes in the Sacramento Bee that, although the job market has improved slightly over the past two years, the challenge remains for younger workers: “Older workers with experience take many of the best jobs, forcing more young college graduates to find work in retail or food service – jobs normally held by workers without a degree. That leaves those with only a high school diploma in the cold, grabbing for leftovers historically reserved for dropouts.”

Some in the jobless ranks are opting to stay in school (or go back to school), but proposed cuts to higher ed financial aid, especially CalGrants, makes that option less of an option for people already struggling to make ends meet.

A PICTURE’S WORTH 1,000 CALORIES: Does that recent Carl’s Jr. ad make your mouth water? It should – and not just because Kate Upton is getting her $6 burger all over the place. A recent study out of University of Southern California shows that when people see images of a high-calorie foods – guess what? Suddenly, they have to have some. Research shows the images stimulate the “craving” part of the brain, making you hungrier than if you were looking at images of non-food items such as cars or coat hangers. It gets worse: If you’re drinking a sweet, sugary drink at the same time, the cravings spike. Right now researchers can’t seem to map out the pathways in the brain that connect cravings and consumption, but when they do (and confidence is high in science labs across the globe that that they will), they hope to find ways to block those paths and get people on the path to healthier eating.

PEOPLE WATCHING: According to data compiled by Visit California, the state’s tourism marketer, Sacramento came in No. 5 on the list of top ten travel destinations in California. The list ranks cities on two tracks, one for tourist visits and one for how travelers rate the city for business trips. Nearby San Francisco came in a healthy No. 3. (Los Angeles was No. 1) and – surprise! San Jose is on the list at No. 7 for tourism but ranked ahead of Sacramento on the better-for-business-travel list.

SOMETHING TO DO

HOT POETRY: Go get your poetry on tonight at Fremont Park, 1515 Q St., this evening with host Rebecca Moos from the Sacramento Poetry Center as she presents local poets Michael Grosse and Geoffrey Neill at “Hot Poetry in the Park.” This is another in the series of live-action poetry readings brought to you by the folks who have been enriching the Sacramento poetry and literary scene since 1979. The word jam starts at 7:30 p.m. – black beret and snapping in appreciation, optional.

This article was co-written by Sacramento Press Editor-in-Chief Jared Goyette, who hates running unless chasing a soccer ball is involved.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Supporting cast brings all the lightning to 'Grease'

2012-06-29T00:53:57Z

When the popular Broadway musical “Grease” rolled into Sacramento’s Music Circus for opening night Tuesday, the costumes were spot-on and the music was right, but it was the supporting cast that revved up the audience and stole the show.

The ensemble cast of 15 veteran stage actors, whose collective credits include everything from “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in regional theater to “Book of Mormon" on Broadway, took full advantage of every inch of the stage and walkways leading to and from the wings. Scenes were played in a variety of places in the theater – sometimes all at once.

For those unfamiliar with the Music Circus, it is a stage “in the round,” which means the audience encircles the players. The stage has a variety of moving parts allowing portions of the stage to raise and lower and spin so actors can be seen from all angles.

The abilities of the stage were especially helpful when one star of the show – an old ‘50s convertible with a jumpseat called Greased Lightnin’ – drove (yes, drove) out of the wings and onto the stage for a few key scenes and song and dance numbers.

But it wasn’t the car that stole the spotlight (although it definitely earned gasps of appreciation as it entered and exited the stage under its own power), and it wasn’t the familiar, sing-along-with-me musical numbers, either.

The highlight of this production of “Grease” came from the attention-grabbing performances of supporting cast members John Pinto, Jr (Doody), Keven Quillon (Roger) and Melissa Wolfklain (Jan).

Just hearing Pinto belt out “Those Magic Changes” is worth the price of admission. Pinto’s appearance in “Grease” was his debut at Music Circus and, if first impressions mean anything at all, this is one singer worth returning to the show to see again and again.

Quillon and Wolfklain were equally compelling as Burger Palace Boy Roger and Pink Lady Jan.

I know what you’re thinking: “Who?”

In the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John movie version of “Grease,” Roger and Jan were the chubby couple, and Jan is probably best known for her chipmunk teeth-brushing bit at Frenchie’s pajama party.

In the stage version, Roger and Jan have only a few more lines than in the movie, and sing in a couple more songs but, on this stage, Quillon and Wolfklain made every word and hand-jive and two-step count.

They were enthusiastic in voice, energetic in movement and believable in their shared chemistry from beginning to end.

Regrettably, the same cannot be said for lead actors Brandon Albright (Danny Zuko) and Kirsten Scott (Sandy Dumbrowski) – at least not at the opening-night performance.

Both Scott and Albright have long lists of acting, singing and dancing credits including stints on Broadway, so their performances Tuesday may have been the exception to the rule of otherwise exceptional performances for the pair.

Still, the tall, lanky Albright seemed fairly noncommittal in both his role as lead rebel of the Burger Palace Boys and as nervous boyfriend to the virtuous Sandy. Albright can sing all right – he made that clear with “Alone at the Drive-in” – but he was lyrically lackadaisical through most of the songs and danced like he had somewhere else to be.

Scott’s Sandy was equally lackluster, although her half of “Summer Nights” was heartfelt. When she resisted Danny’s moves at the drive-in, Sandy’s distaste for being groped was certainly convincing, but for the most part, Scott seemed distant in her role as Sandy and the chemistry between the two leads left something to be desired.

In addition to Pinto’s voice and Quillon and Wolfklain’s energy, another standout performance of the night came when Teen Angel (played by Robert J. Townsend) tried to convince Frenchie to go back to high school with “Beauty School Dropout.”

Townsend’s voice was on pitch and smooth, encouraging the audience to sing along with the familiar lyrics. (“You think you're such a looker/ but no customer would go to you... unless she was a hooker!”)

The lingering applause at the end was well-deserved.

After the show, reaction from theatergoers (whose musical preferences went anywhere from Justin Bieber to Ginger Rogers) was generally positive.

“I really liked it,” said 12-year-old Isabella Wing. “It was funny.”

The best part for Wing? “Greased Lightning,” she said. “It was better than the movie because it was live.”

Rosemary Tremblay, 63, said the music and dancing were great, but the best part of the evening for her was the final number of the show, “You’re the One That I Want.”

“It was very energetic,” Tremblay said. “There was a lot of music, and that’s what we come (to Music Circus) to see and hear.”

“Grease” continues at Music Circus through Sunday. Tickets and show information can be found on the California Musical Theatre website.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Melissa Corker on "Sacramento co-op shows off design for new, larger location to neighbors"

2012-06-28T18:45:08Z

Thank you for the comments, Tom. I'll look into your question and follow-up.

Sacramento co-op shows off design for new, larger location to neighbors

2012-06-28T12:32:12Z

Preliminary designs for the new Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op at 29th and R streets that will offer shoppers nearly 10,000 additional square feet of store space and more than double the amount of available parking were unveiled to residents and business owners at a community meeting Tuesday at Revolution Wines.

“I’m excited for every aspect of it,” said Tahoe Park resident Donna Parten.

Parten, a co-op member since the 1970s, said she is looking forward to more parking outside of the new location, and the increased space on the inside – similar to what she experienced at the former Elk Grove co-op location.

“I’m hoping it will be spacious and have more room for products so we’re not running out of them,” she added.

The community meeting was hosted by the Newton Booth Neighborhood Association and representatives from the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op at Revolution Wines, one of the businesses that will be adjacent to the planned 22,000-square-foot store.

“The co-op is a member-owned facility, so it’s important that everything is done publicly and transparently to the community,” co-op representative Wendy Hoyt said Wednesday.

The new location will allow the natural foods store to consolidate all five of its satellite offices, provide more parking for shoppers and employees and support more local growers with the increase in retail floor space planned for the new location – 9,000 more than the current 16,000 square feet of space.

Newton Booth Neighborhood Association Vice President John Hagar said questions asked at the meeting centered on site design, usability of the space in and around the new location, and how the new business will fit with established businesses adjacent to the site, including Revolution Wines and Temple Coffee.

“There were legitimate concerns,” Hagar said. “I think people left the meeting a little more assured about the project than when they arrived.”

Some of the questions posed by the residents were not easy to answer, Hagar said. The project design is not finalized, and a lot could change in the plans between now and when the project reaches the city Planning and Design Commission – which might not happen for another three months, according to Hoyt.

“We want to take the time to do it right,” Hoyt said. “We want to make sure the building and the plans are as green and sustainable as we can make them before we turn anything in to the city.”

Hoyt said a formal project application will be filed with the city in about two months, and the projected start date for construction is roughly late fall 2013.

Greg Bitter, principal planner with the city Community Development Department, said that when co-op representative file a formal application for the project with the city, the entire process from application to approval will take approximately four to six months, depending on the level of environmental review the project needs.

Tuesday’s community meeting had a fairly low turnout, Hagar said – about 30 people showed up – but that may be a good sign for the co-op if the project is to remain relatively non-controversial.

“Most people are excited about it and really aren’t too worried about the details,” Hagar said. “The people who came had specific concerns, and they went away feeling their input was heard and that something would be done about their concerns.”

Hagar said opening the co-op relocation proposal to community discussion was “tricky” in terms of timing. The association board wanted to make residents and neighbors aware of what is coming down the road, but didn’t want to start the discussion before there was something solid to talk about.

“We wanted to make sure there was community input, but we wanted the conversation to be productive,” Hagar said.

Although the neighborhood meeting took place months ahead of the application and design process, Bitter praised Hoyt and the neighborhood association representatives for the early community outreach on the project.

“The earlier you start talking to folks, the smoother the process goes,” Bitter said. “Hoyt is a good consultant because she encourages her clients to talk to the community and also to act on comments they receive.”

Hagar said the association board will keep an eye on the progress of the project as it winds through the design and planning process at the city level. If an additional neighborhood meetings are necessary, he said, the association will host more.

Sacramento Press intern Sara Godley co-wrote this article.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.