Getting too big for its boundaries
As reported by the Sac Bee, the mayor of Rancho Cordova has big plans for the fair-sized denizens of his city:
Rancho Cordova’s “Great Health Challenge,” planned for announcement at tonight’s City Council meeting, calls for members of the community to drop a combined 40,000 pounds – 20 tons – over the next 10 months.
A rather ambitious objective, I would say. Continue reading “2010 Forecast: Heavy (!) traffic in Rancho Cordova’s drive-thrus” »
Citizens of the Sacragosphere:
Tell me have you seen her, er, him?
Police are requesting your help! Authorities are looking for the person, place or thing that may or may not have robbed what could have been a bank somewhere within our area. Witnesses say they saw what could have been something. Be on the look out for a man or woman, with blonde hair or maybe a wig, wearing a black jacket and pink dress unless they are wearing something different today.
Be vigilant, if you wish.
Sac Rag News. We report. You figure it out.
When I first moved to these fair parts several years ago, one of the things I took note of was the casual attitude where DUI was concerned. People here don’t take drinking and driving very seriously compared to where I’ve lived before. It’s so commonly done and accepted that I’ve seen off duty cops do it (and even a certain coach of your Sacramento Kings). I’ve had difficulty understanding how unconcerned people here are with impaired driving and the risks that come with it.
It’s no surprise our region is rife with buildings crashing into our moving vehicles.
I felt some vindication about my feelings on this issue when I came across Marcus Breton’s article in Bee today:
Continue reading “Our name is Sacramento, and we have a problem.” »
Labor Day is one of the few holidays I can think of where you celebrate something by not doing it.
Rancho Murieta Online has a few suggestions on things to do on this upcoming Labor Day weekend, in case you were becoming overwhelmed with all the options for the holiday.
In case you would like to spend Labor Day by walking down streets and randomly explaining the history of Labor Day to passers by, check out the Department of Labor website on this very topic. If you could do this in a mailman’s uniform sitting at a bar, you’d be my hero. Cheers.
We love us some smart kids and Fair Oaks certainly has one in Diana Li, who scored a perfect 2400 on her SAT. Right awn Diana!
What percent of 1.5 million is 300? Find out here!
A press release from the Elk Grove Police Department came across my desktop today:
ELK GROVE, CA – Earlier today, Elk Grove Police Officer Ali Khalil was arrested by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and served with a complaint alleging several felonies associated with mortgage-related financial transactions. None of the allegations were related to Officer Khalil’s official duties as an Elk Grove police officer. Officer Khalil, age 29, has been a member of the Elk Grove Police Department since 2006. Officer Khalil has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, which is standard practice when an officer has been charged with a crime.
We obviously have no details at this point about the nature of the charges or the crime, but the role of mortgage predators brokers in the housing industry has played a huge factor in our economic meltdown. Some brokers were above board but many others were not. These unscrupulous individuals played a significant role in suckering banks and borrowers into bad mortgages. Many of these old brokers are now setting up shop as refinancing experts and mortgage assistance houses (word of advice: do your own research and deal with your lendor directly). They basically splashed everyone with mud and are now offering to take people to the cleaners.
Eyebrowraisingly, it seems police officers are not immune from felonies arising out of the housing industry (though this not to say that he is charged with crimes that he did while on duty – we don’t know). Also, this officer was charged by the FBI but the EG PD still has to do their own internal investigation, during which time the accused is still on paid leave (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
I, for one, would like to see a more aggressive effort by the state government to ban unscrupulous mortgage broker marriage. We need fewer of those people and the more we can do to stop them from procreating, the happier we’ll all be.
UPDATE 6/2: Further details available at the Bee. Thanks to the SacRag faithful for keeping me on my toes. Vigilance!
The cars-crashing-into-buildings news story has long lost its snarkworthiness in these parts, but there’s something special about this one:
K.J.’s Campaign Headquarters Collapses, 2 Hurt
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The building that housed Mayor Kevin Johnson’s 2008 campaign headquarters has partially collapsed following a violent crash this afternoon.
The building located on 2030 16th St., gave way at around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday after two vehicles ? a Volvo sedan and an ICEE delivery truck — collided, sending the truck into the building and apparently into critical supports.
Drivers of both vehicles suffered minor injuries.
The building was thought to be vacant, but rescue personnel have sent a search dog inside to check for possible victims.
Is something afoot? Have people just lost their minds with their 12th election in seven years?
Nah, it’s just Sac being Sac.
“When coming here today someone hit a pole on Marconi. On Marconi, people just don’t pay attention and it’s foggy. They don’t care if it’s 50 mph in a 30. People don’t care,”
…so is quoted in a story from KCRA on CalTrans’ newly released 2008 California Highway Safety Improvement Program 5 Percent Report (don’t read that title while driving).
According to the study, Sacramento ranks number two (behind Los Angeles) in the number of traffic accident hot spots in the state. The worst spot in Sac? It probably won’t surprise anyone:
Over the past 10 years, Watt Avenue has been the site of 7,800 crashes, according to the California Highway Patrol, while Highway 99 near 12th Avenue hosts three accidents a month. Also, the link between Interstate 5 and 50 averages a crash almost every other day.
It seems that things get a little silly around town during Christmas. But, is this really “how we do it in Sactown“?
In any case, this story is too good to be true, except that apparently it is true. As such, it warrants a dusting off the RIGHT AWN!, for the dude who used a giant Christmas ornament to defend his family and guests. I’ll let the story tell the story:
Man wielding candy cane lawn ornament subdues attacker
SACRAMENTO (AP) — A man using a candy cane lawn ornament fended off a knife-wielding neighbor who had been attacking holiday guests at a Sacramento home.
Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong says the man used the two-foot-tall plastic ornament to subdue the attacker until officers arrived.He says the 49-year-old suspect became intoxicated, went over to a neighbor’s home on Thanksgiving and began waving a kitchen knife at people gathered on the lawn.
He cut several peoples’ clothing before one of them decided to fight back.
Police say the man with the knife was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The guest who took up the candy cane was not arrested because police determined he acted in self-defense.
RIGHT AWN, Christmas Candy Cane Wielding Ninja Defender!
The obligatory weekend trip for groceries means for me to hit the Costco. As an Elk Groover, the closest location to me is the South Sacramento store. Yep yep y’all, we’re going to South Sac.
Unfortunately, the only thing this store has going for it is that it’s a Costco that’s closest to those of us in the south side of the county but north of the cattle.
The staff are very friendly, but the store itself is wrought with overcrowding, rude customers and people who line up for free samples of orange juice and bacon, and then loiter in the middle of the aisles like they’re partaking of a United Nations relief mission. When you’ve finally navigated through the Dixie Cup buffet, you get stuck in a horrible feeder line system at the check out that also falls smack in a major thoroughfare in the store, so people with arms full of Christmas ornaments are running crosscurrent through the lines to get through.
The indoor food court is just as overcrowded as it is unsanitary. The time it takes to wait in line for the $1.50 hot dog and soda while you study the story told by the tattoo on the back of the neck in front of you, is worth more than the $1.50 you’ll spend. And, because people have had too much of a good thing back in the store, people also loiter around the soda vending machines refilling their cups of soda after every sip and making the rest of us wait for sweet flavourless bubbly. You also do not want your food to touch the picnic tables (complete with umbrellas) in the indoor sitting area, lest you disturb the flies. Besides, good luck pulling your food off the table once it’s been placed there and permanently affixed by old ketchup.
To top it off, last weekend, as I was browsing in an aisle, someone jacked my half full shopping cart and disappeared into the crowds. My bad. I forgot to padlock my cart to the shelf when I turned to browse.
My recommendation: go to another location. It might take longer to drive but you’ll save that time in the store, with a more pleasant experience.
Costco South Sacramento
7981 East Stockton Boulevard
Sacramento, California 95823
Rating: *
by 
