By now, you’ve heard that Grant High won the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division State Football Championship Bowl Game on Saturday night in Carson, CA. Fox 40 took the lead with their extensive coverage of the game. Watch the kids arrive in Northern California from cbs13.com. Ah, to be young again…

What’s really exciting here is how quickly the community gathered around to schedule a parade to celebrate the victory.

Twin Rivers School District officials, and city officials, are scrambling to lock down speakers, publicize the event, and make other preparations. “We got a permit rushed right though and every one is very excited to celebrate some good news,” said school district spokeswoman Trinette Marquis…Marquis said the Sacramento police and fire departments have chipped in by handing out fliers in addition to their normal crowd control and safety duties. The district’s automated phone system will be making more than 25,000 phone calls to invite district students, parents and staff to the parade and rally.

That’s good stuff right there. *rant* Seriously, how many more news stories about how things haven’t begun to suck yet can we all take? We get it! */rant*

The parade (great use of umapper.com, btw) is set to start at 1 p.m. at Grant High School and end with a 3:30 p.m. rally at the City Hall at 9th and I streets.

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 six-county regional planning agency has been collecting pats on the back for its Blueprint process for a few years now, but today’s front page treatment in the venerable Wall Street Journal all but smashes all previous accolades.

For those who don’t know what SACOG is, it oversees planning for the Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba, Placer, and El Dorado county region. It’s not a federal, state, county, or city agency — it’s a joint powers authority, comprised of paid staff and a board of directors who are elected officials (city council and county supervisors) from throughout the region, with some jurisdictions having more votes depending on population. Continue reading “SACOG nabs impressive front page ink in WSJ” »

Today marked the 5th anniversary of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, which fights the sexual exploitation of children. To mark the occasion, the FBI conducted a five-day sting titled Operation Cross Country in 16 cities across the country that resulted in the arrests of 356 individuals engaged in sexual trafficking of minors and the recovery of 21 children.

In Sacramento, four children were recovered and two adults were arrested.

Congrats to the Sacramento FBI office and Sacramento Police Department for saving these four lives.

(I love scooping the Bee.)

Unless you’ve been too busy reading old posts on The Sac Rag, you know that northbound I-5 has been closed for the past nine days to repair drainage issues and to repave.

Caltrans, CC Myers, and a host of subcontractors worked around the clock to meet their initial deadline of 5am today.

Not enough credit is given to Caltrans for projects like this. While Myers is the main man, a lot of the brains and guts behind projects like these goes to Caltrans Director Will Kempton — a take-no-prisoners transportation expert who has laid down the law within an organization that has long been the butt of countless jokes. Kempton is more than the figurehead of the agency (as some would argue that previous directors have been), as he has the experience and clout to make things happen.

Credit, surprisingly, should also go to lawmakers who have allowed public-private partnerships to be able to expedite significant projects like this one.

It was downright impressive seeing hundreds of people and pieces of equipment moving all at once, 24 hours a day. Parts of the project were adjacent to regular traffic, so there were plenty of men and women toiling away with just a cone between them and distracted drivers.

Wondering what’s next? Check it out. (Now with the correct link. Thanks, T Mc!)

Everyone’s favorite hardware store is celebrating its 100th anniversary this weekend.

Being in California, things that are “old” to us are usually strip malls that were built in the ’70s so it’s meaningful when a local business reaches the venerable century mark (especially one in Sacramento proper, as most of our region’s oldest businesses are in the Mother Lode towns like Placerville and Auburn.)

Sac-eats will be pleased to know that The Banjo Ramblers will be part of Saturday’s entertainment, in addition to the jazz bands of local high schools.

I personally will be there for the cotton candy and to get my face painted.

A hearty RIGHT AWN! goes to Michael Morgan, the charismatic conductor of the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.

Just after intermission last night, right before the orchestra began playing Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Maestro Morgan addressed the audience and said something to the effect of, “We are fortunate to have such an appreciative audience tonight. Because our next piece consists of ten or twelve different parts, we ask that you wait until the end to show your appreciation.”

Yes, my friends, he was politely telling folks “DON’T APPLAUD BETWEEN THE MOVEMENTS,” as that is precisely what was happening in the earlier part of the evening. There are mixed thoughts on whether the practice of not applauding is one of those social mores* that some say are antiquated.

Regardless of how you might feel about it, the Maestro got his point across and made the audience actually feel good for what may or may not be a faux pas.

*”Social mores” reminds me of one of my favorite Far Side cartoons, the one with eels at a cocktail party — with the caption that says, “social morays.”

Okay, yes, blogging. Here we go. A couple of items in today’s Bee today that caught my eye (does anybody else love Fred Armisen’s “political comedian” character on SNL?)… First is Jeannette Barrett of Placerville, who is highlighted in a piece about public assistance and social services for people caring for children of relatives. In Barrett’s case, she is living in the house she planned to be her retirement castle with 5 great-nieces and nephews (I have always wondered why there is not a word like “sibling” or “spouse” to refer to nieces and nephews).

“I’m having the time of my life,” she said. “It’s filled my life.”

Continue reading “Two unlikely heroes” »

A 1960 black and white Ford Thunderbird sporting a Kennedy/Johnson bumpersticker.

This is perhaps the second coolest bumpersticker I’ve seen, the coolest being the one that sported the phrase: “Don’t blame me, I voted for Humphrey.”

..you can see across California!

While flying home yesterday morning from a conference in Minnesota, I stared out the window and watched the west go by. Barren mountains and alkali flats were the lay of the land, with nary a tree to be seen.

As we crossed over Carson City and into California, it was like the scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy escapes her black and white world and into a technicolor dream. Continue reading “On a clear day..” »