Author: CoolDMZ

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

YMCA-City pools rubbing folks the wrong way?

We enjoyed spending a lot of time at our beloved Tahoe Pool over the weekend, and are reaping the benefits of daily hours already. Our season pass will pay for itself in 2 weeks. Many thanks to the Sacramento YMCA for saving these pools!

But I am seeing a lot of grumbling about the slight changes at the pool on our NextDoor portal and it’s rubbing me the wrong way. Granted, there have been a few changes to the rules and this might take some getting used to. Yes, technically the rates have doubled (from $1 to $2). Sure, it’s a bummer to have to actually acquire swimwear in order to swim. I know, it’s such a hassle to have someone else restrict your kid’s horseplay so they don’t FALL AND GET A CONCUSSION OR DROWN AND DIE.

Some people just love to complain (here I am basically complaining about people’s love of complaining) and will rebel against any change made by “authorities,” even new safety rules at the local pool. I have been at Tahoe Pool almost every hour it has been open so far and I can attest that the enforcement there is completely in sync with safety and comfort, and the lifeguards are doing an excellent and even-handed job. I don’t know how much those kids earn but for what they have to deal with it’s probably not enough.

Anyone else seeing positive changes at Glenn Hall, Southside and Tahoe Pools?

Conservation group puts Sacramento in top 10 for park systems

Calm Afternoon

In the Sac Bee’s story on the rebuilding of the McKinley Park playground, I noticed a neat bit of info: the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit group for land conservation, has once again named Sacramento in the top 10 cities in the US for park systems. Our fair city tied with San Francisco (!) and Boston for third overall, below Minneapolis and New York City.

The ranking took into account things like the median park size, park land as a percentage of city land area, and parks per 10,000 residents (Sacramento has 4, twice as many as New York City).

Continue reading “Conservation group puts Sacramento in top 10 for park systems”

Sac County Fair opens today

The 2013 Sacramento County Fair opens today at Cal Expo and runs through the weekend. A much smaller and cheaper cousin to “Big Fun,” the County Fair has much of the same fun without the crowds and heat. Sacramento “Don’t Say Jazz” Music “Don’t Say Jubilee” Festival is this weekend as well, but maybe you’ve got time for both?

Admission is free for kids under 12 and only $5 for adults. The music acts may not boast any headliners but there is a Journey cover band and some country music to enjoy. Saturday is Jimboy’s Taco Day; I’m not sure what that means but I don’t think it’s too much to set aside one day a year to dedicate to Jimboy’s tacos is it?

The animals and the people raising them are a great reason to visit, so if you want to see them make sure to visit before Monday, by which time the judging will be over and all the cows will have gone home (and pigs and sheep and stuff).

Special themes for each day:

  • Thursday, May 23 – Opening Day-Celebrating Your Community-Invitational Mayor’s Goat Milking Contest
  • Friday May 24 – Value Day – Dollar Food Items, 4 to 9 pm & Demolition Derby
  • Saturday, May 25 – Stars & Stripes Bull Riding sponsored by Lasher’s Elk Grove Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram
  • Sunday, May 26 – Junior Livestock Auction, 10 am, Livestock Barn & Gran Jaripeo (Mexican Rodeo & Fiesta)
  • Monday, May 27 – Military Appreciation Day &Team Sorting

“Field Trip” app gets you free admission to 3 SF museums

20130520-202316.jpgA tip from occasional Ragger Scooter brought me to Google’s announcement that via its new Field Trip app, visitors to 6 major cities can get free admission to a number of museums. That includes three locations in San Francisco: Conservatory of Flowers, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Walt Disney Family Museum.

If you are around one of the following 13 museums, you will get a Field Trip card with “Free Entry” in the title (check the ‘nearby’ tab). Show the card on your phone to the admissions staff and they’ll take care of the rest.

Not sure how long this deal will last. As for the app, it seems pretty fun–it tracks your location and notifies you when you are near something interesting, by compiling info from a number of sources like Sunset Magazine, Zagat and Thrillist. When I fired it up at home it showed me dozens of locations from those Arcadia Publishing books, which I I didn’t really mind, except I’m pretty sure I said no nuts. (Sorry, I’m having trouble thinking about anything except “Arrested Development” coming back…)

Local artist to donate Second Saturday proceeds to Food Bank

pameneyro SFB art fundraiserPriscilla Ameneyro, a local artist whose abstract paintings will be on display at The Art Studios, has unique plans for Second Saturday this week. She plans to donate 100% of the proceeds on sales of her artwork to the Sacramento Food Bank.

Ameneyro, who is originally from Norwich, England (home of the Canaries!), told me idea came about as part of her own ongoing discovery about healthy eating. “I admire [SFB’s] mission to provide fresh produce to those in need. I believe that you cannot sustain happiness if you cannot sustain your health,” she told me.

Her abstract acrylics and watercolors are on display at the Paolo Mejia Art Gallery.

Priscilla Ameneyro art fundraiser
The Art Studios
1723 I St, Sacramento, CA (behind Michelangelo’s restaurant)
May 11, 2013 (Second Saturday) 6-9pm

YMCA will operate 3 city pools this summer

Tahoe Pool, ready for action
Tahoe Pool, ready for action

YMCA of Sacramento had recently announced it would operate Glenn Hall, Southside and Tahoe Pools this summer. But the even better news is that these pools will hav open swim hours seven days a week.

In addition to open swim hours 1-5pm Sunday through Friday and noon to 6pm Saturday, the pools will be open for lap swim, lessons, water exercise and swim team (at Glenn Hall). The public swim fee of $4/adults and $2/children is steeper than previous years but still a great deal. There will also be a $150 family unlimited pass.

This is excellent news. I am definitely looking forward to some serious chillaxing at Tahoe Pool this summer. Long hours on Saturday is awesome!

Canaries visiting for a friendly fixture

Leading scorer Robert Snodgrass

In ‘Murican, this means the Norwich City Football Club, an English Premiere League team, will be playing in Sacramento as part of their recently announced American tour. This is apparently the very first time an English Premiere League team will play in Sacramento (not sure if that is saying much).

The friendly match will take place July 18 as part of Sacramento Soccer Day, which will see the debut of the Sac Pro Soccer team’s name, color palette, shield and scarf according to the press release.

Reviews in on !!!’s latest album

Sacramento expatriates !!!’s new creatively-titled full length “THR!!!ER” is out today, and reviews are coming in from all the usual places.

AVClub gives the album a “B” and praises the album’s pacing and efficiency.

Pitchfork’s 6/10 is not a good score (and should be taken with a grain of salt) but the reviewer highlights the bands reliability.

Stereogum.com lacks a full review but seemed to dig its “deep hooks” and “thick textures.”

Zachary Houle at PopMatters raves about the album and gives it 8/10.

In other news, the band’s Spring/early Summer tour is skipping over Sacramento… but that’s only because the band is headlining a free Concert in the Park on May 31st at Cesar Chavez.

P.S. !!! needs to get famous enough for a biopic before Jesse Eisenberg is too old to play Nic Offer.