Author: CoolDMZ

"X-ray vision to see in between / Where's my kimono and my time machine?"

McCarty ridicules City watering restrictions he voted for

In an article posted earlier on Sacramento Press, City Council member Kevin McCarty (rightly) ridicules the City’s watering restrictions. One problem: McCarty voted Aye on the ordinance that created the restrictions.

I appreciate the point he is trying to make in his editorial: the proposed Nestle plant will be overcharging people for billions of gallons of our water, and the City will still be “busting people for flooding sidewalks,” yadda yadda. But if McCarty is successful in fighting the Nestle plant, will he repeal the residential watering ordinance and no longer bust people for flooding the sidewalk?

P.S. Any suggestion to revise the title of this post would be exactly the kind of non-commenty comment up with which I will not put.

Steve Maviglio quits blogging, citing comments

Spokesperson-for-hire Steve Maviglio, who for the last few months had been blogging on Sacramento Press, announced there today he will be leaving the Sac Press “for a while.” Why? Comment flaming. Don’t get him wrong, there are many good commenters, he says…

However, there are some, who typically hide behind screen names, that think name-calling and obscenities are effective ways to make their point. Unfortunately, Sacramento Press, in most instances, allows these comments.

He actually cites the Sac Bee as an example of moderation in the area of public comment. Read the whole thing here.

Nevada City to host AMGEN prologue – UPDATED


cc by Trefethen

As I predicted, Nevada City will be involved in the 2010 AMGEN tour. In fact, the prologue to the 2010 race might start in the wonderful foothill town, News10 reports. The prologue would end here in Sacramento which means lots of two-wheeled action for our fair city as well.

In addition the race has been moved to May. The announcement about the race layout will be made official tomorrow, and it looks like it is still uncertain whether Lance will compete since the Tour of Italy also takes place in May.

UPDATE (Thursday 10/22): It’s official, Nevada City will start the 2010 tour. Also official is Lance Armstrong’s participation in the event. Big news for our neighbors up the hill!

Bastiao Farms Goblin Gardens (photos)

This year’s family destination for autumn revelry and pumpkin harvesting was Bastiao Farms Goblin Gardens, which is located on a family farm in North Natomas.

Goblin Gardens has a large pumpkin patch with some great looking pumpkins; a nice hay bale maze (super fun to run through in a crouch, so that it looks to you the way it does to a youngster); a big hay bale pyramid; a mini racetrack for toddler riding toys, which was a great touch; an inflatable giant slide; and lots of farm implements to climb on. They appeared to have a BBQ going and some sort of basic snack bar items, but we brought a picnic and ate out in the blazingly unseasonable midday sun.

Continue reading “Bastiao Farms Goblin Gardens (photos)”

Coming someday: Discovery Museum 2.0

Powerhouse Scince Center 2I was thinking about how badly Sacramento needs a first class science museum, and I was thinking how great the old PG&E building by the river would be for a site. Lo and behold, the Powerhouse Science Center, otherwise known as Discovery Museum 2.0, coming someday to the old PG&E building:

The Powerhouse Science Center will be the premier science & space learning center serving Northern California. It will serve as a model for 21st-century experiential education in science, math, technology, engineering, and space — and an exemplary “green” building that serves as an environmental teaching lab.

Continue reading “Coming someday: Discovery Museum 2.0”

The End contest sponsored by … water

Frequent fun guy Radio Matthew emails to point out that 107.9 The End’s new star search contest to find a local singer who’ll open this year’s Jingle Ball concert is sponsored by Vitamin Water Glaceau. From the press release:

107.9 The End is teaming up with Vitamin Water 10 and the Westfield Galleria at Roseville to host an event to see who will open the show! Sacramento has a ton of talented singers, and we’ll find out who will open the upcoming Jingleball concert!

Might want to avoid having people think of “water” and “107.9 The End” in the same sentence. (BTW, Vitamin Water is a product put out by Glaceau, who is a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company.)

You can sign up on The End’s Web site to get preauthorized to audition on Sunday, October 25 at noon. I’ll let the peanut gallery suggest other things you might want to think about before you enter a contest with The End 107.9…

Old Soul to open coffee shop in old Oak Park Starbucks

Old Soul Co., who run Old Soul and Weatherstone in Midtown, announced on their blog yesterday that they will be opening a coffee shop in the site of the Oak Park Starbucks which closed earlier this year. There will be a party to celebrate the opening on Monday from 11 am – 4 pm. The location is at Broadway and 35th Street.

That location sure didn’t stay vacant for very long even despite the recent economic downturn you may or may have not heard about. This is great news!

Why do I love a blustery day?

IMG00243
Outside Sac Rag World Headquarters

I suppose it’s possible that I don’t want to know the answer to this question, but why is it that a blustery Northern California day like today fills me with happiness? I don’t think I’d want a steady diet of it, e.g. the Pacific Northwest, but something about a windy rainy day in these parts makes me incredibly joyful inside.

I’m sure I’m not the only one. Is it only because that means there is turkey and presents in my near future?

Believing in the “Skyscraper Fairy”

Esquire IMAX
cc, by happyshooter

Sometime Sac Rag commenter William Burg has a great op-ed on the front page of the Sac Press today: A 10-Step Plan To Fix K Street, Or: The Legend of the Skyscraper Fairy.

1. Accept that the Skyscraper Fairy does not exist.
Many landlords along K Street have no apparent interest in maintaining or improving their properties. Some are convinced that as long as they own the land, the magical Skyscraper Fairy will give them uncountable millions for the land where their decaying buildings sit, and will replace them with shiny new skyscrapers. Thus, they have little interest in maintaining or tenanting their buildings. The result is under-utilized or vacant buildings whose facades continue to crumble.

He has some wonderful ideas (my favorites: streetcars and a permanent farmer’s market) and offers them in a hopeful manner. It leaves me a bit depressed, though, as I am skeptical that the politicians and developers currently working on Downtown will ever attach themselves to anything but the status quo.

Country Day moving to the grid

Newton Booth SchoolThe Sac Press reports that Country Day School is close to signing a lease for the old Newton Booth school building. I had not followed this story so I had no idea, but as a former Newton Booth resident I am glad the school will be getting some use. Country Day’s student newspaper The Octagon reported in March (in a very well written article! Kudos, Page Editor Calvin Fernandez) that the school “hasn’t historically gotten along with its Sierra Oaks neighbors,” another fact of which I was not aware. I wonder why, and I wonder how they will get along with the Newton Booth folks.

Continue reading “Country Day moving to the grid”