A most unsuspecting place, a dank corridor of the Public Safety Center Headquarters on Freeport Boulevard, becomes a bustling hub of social activity on weekdays beginning at 6 a.m. The pulse of the city can be felt and stories from the streets of Sacramento can be heard from those who know it best: police officers, detectives and firefighters. The Side Show coffee stand is “a place where you get great coffee and your social fix for the day,” says assistant fire chief Niko King. He explains it is a place for “water cooler talk for police and fire.” Located in the building lobby, The Side Show is a buffered zone between the outside world and office bureaucracy. People get their coffee both

Amidst stormy weather on Saturday, March 26, more than 200 people gathered at the First Covenant Church in Ranch Cordova to attend the “Stop Trafficking” Symposium. The three-hour session was organized to increase public awareness of human trafficking in the Sacramento region, rated second in the country as a city with a trafficking problem, according to Congressman Dan Lungren, who made a brief appearance. Lungren recalled his days as state attorney general, when the introduction of Megan’s Law was met with resistance by prisoners’ rights advocates. He said the climate has changed with widespread acceptance of both Megan’s Law and Jessica’s Law to protect children. However, remaining de

Now in my 40s, I wake up a little stiff each morning and think about getting older. In the next moment, I am suddenly cooking breakfast, packing lunches, and rushing to take the kids to school. Amidst this frenzied routine one day, I slammed the car door to the yelping of our four-legged family member, Piggie. Because of my thoughtlessness, poor Piggie was inside the car whimpering with her tail poking out from the doorjamb. Ugh. How can I be more conscious of my actions and be “in” the moment? These days, so many people are turning to yoga. Does it really work to pull oneself into the present as well as help with those aches and pains? Ashtanga. Vinyasa. Power. Knowing where to start

By night, percussionist Alex Jenkins has gigs with bands including Sound Immersion, Kairos Quartet and the Nada Brahma Music Ensemble. By day, Jenkins is at William Land Elementary School, teaching world rhythms and drumming to students in second to sixth grades. This summer, Jenkins is dedicated to raising funds for the drum program, which he started in 2003 with seed money from Best Buy. The drum class meets four times a week after school for free one-hour lessons. Students learn to play rhythms from around the world, including India, North Africa, West Africa and the Middle East. They play a variety of drums, including djembe, Darbuka, conga, bongo and snare and learn the history, ap

One of the best kept secrets of the South Sacramento area is a small, private school tucked away in the Lanai Shopping Center on Freeport Boulevard, neighboring the Sacramento Executive Airport, where it has existed in rented space for 21 years. Over the years, most of the shopping center tenants have moved away. Meanwhile, countless hours of parent, teacher and student work have gone into transforming a run-down property into a school with colorful classrooms and playgrounds. It has an understated entrance, but Camellia Waldorf School is an oasis for children. The kindergarten yard is home to Mr. Mountain, a big pile of dirt, and Ms. Sandy, a big pile of sand. There are climbing struct