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

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

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

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

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 c

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 on

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 i

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 t

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. Lo

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 Shi

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. Satur

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 curre

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 t

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 availabl

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 railya

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 oth

“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 dire

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 Powe

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 di

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 sear