Bee’s Crime Q & A is not bad

Via the Bee’s Sacto 9-1-1 program I discovered an interesting feature called the Crime Q & A by Ryan Lillis. Ryan tracks down information related to area crimes in response to reader queries. No question is too small either:

Coming home last night in the Tahoe Park area, 65th street between 14th and 21st was blocked by cop cars. This morning nothing in the paper or other news. Do you know what happened? Where can a neighbor find information about incidents area quickly after the fact?

Give it a read, it’s not as fun as learning how much money your neighbor makes, but it’s informative just the same.

AVOID Elk Grove

With the Fair underway, the Sacramento Bee reminds us that there will be a sobriety checkpoint in Elk Grove tonight. Wait, the Fair is in Sacramento, right? Where lots of folks will be drinking? Ok, cool, Elk Grove it is.

The enforcement is part of the statewide “Avoid” campaign funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Interesting slogan. At any rate, if you follow the link on the Bee story (oh, wait, it’s broken, posted on the 13th, too) you will learn more about the program.

The overall goal of the awareness campaign is to let drivers know about the countywide increased enforcement periods and warn drivers that the only way to “AVOID” the county’s law enforcement officers is to drive sober.

Ah, there it is. I get it now. A press release reminds us that party hosts and families must limit drinks to their guests, and to not serve more than one or two over several hours. Stickie, can you hear me?

Be safe out there.

Fair Food Preview

Click here for more picsRunnergirl, Stickie, and I got a chance to peek around at all the food vendors last night at Cal Expo.  We came away with a few deep-fried nuggets of information that we just have to share.

1.  GELATO-That’s right.  The EYE-talian delicacy makes its way to the food midway.  Trust me you can’t miss it.  Even if the place didn’t offer the “World’s Largest Waffle Cones,” you’d never walk by without noting the flesh colored columns.

2.  NEW DEEP-FRIED TREATS- Chicken Charlie, that fried food innovator has outdone himself this time.  Going back to his roots, especially the concept of deep frying things that started out as totally fattening meals to begin with, Chuck has a new lineup of fried fare for the fair.  New this year are deep-fried White Castle burgers, deep-fried pop tarts, and deep-fried Spam with pineapple sauce.  

3.  BBQ BEEF SANDWICH- It’s still in the same place, on the eastern end of the fairgrounds, across from the petting zoo, on the way to the horse races.  It’s unassuming, with the word “SAUSAGE” most prominently lit on the sign, but trust me, you need to go and get a BBQ beef sandwich on a lard roll with homemade chips this year.  I’m not suggesting, I’m commanding.

Sorry Kings fans, not this year

I say this as a fellow Kings fan, but my years of following the NBA tell me that the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs this coming year is slim to none, with slim being a 100-1 long shot. (Hmmm, in the face of the semi-resolved Tim Donaghy scandal maybe quoting odds isn’t the best choice,)

Now the team has finally traded away its second-best player, Ron Artest. I will miss the good things he brought to the table, namely a never-say-die attitude on the court, a presence in the post, and, of course, most of all, his defensive intensity. But, I will happily wave goodbye to his penchant for off-the-cuff, contradictory statements to the press, which grated on Kings fans’ nerves after awhile. And, on the court, his self-delusion he could create offensively like a Kobe Bryant proved ill-founded and would lead to a poor offensive possessions on a team that could not afford very many of those.

Continue reading “Sorry Kings fans, not this year”

McClatchy to freeze wages

This just in… The McClatchy company is announcing a one-year freeze in employee wage increases.

This means that if you are scheduled to receive a merit or salary review between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009, your review will occur one year later than scheduled. For example, if your next salary review date is March 1, 2009, the salary review will be postponed until March 1, 2010.

Ouch. The tough times continue. And two weeks’ notice, that’s rough. However, if you’re working for McClatchy and you’re…still working for McClatchy, this is somewhat of a relief?

Update on Corti’s, David Berkley’s, and 16th Street

-According to reliable sources, Corti’s is looking to relocate to Elvas Ave after their lease is up.  Apparently there is a warehouse space on Elvas that has piqued Corti’s interest.  However,Corti’s is also looking to see if they can extend their current lease through Christmas.

-Did you know that venerable specialty grocer David Berkley has changed hands?  I didn’t, and I’m a little obsessive about this stuff.  How could I have missed it?  Anyway, a few of the senior staff are slowly being given their walking papers as the new owner trims expenses.   It remains to be seen whether or not the new incarnation of the ‘Berk maintains its place in the marketplace, namely being a wine seller and grocer that customers frequent when price isn’t an issue but unrivaled quality is.

-16th Street continues its slow trek into respectability.  Besides the standouts like Sampino’s Towne Foods, Rail Bridge Cellars, and the Blue Diamond Gift Shop, small businesses like fish and chip shop H. Salt Esq. are back up and running after an ugly fire last year.  Several renovations on existing properties and a few proposed developments might very well turn the unhip northern portion of 16th Street into a fine urban neighborhood.

Cheffrey’s-Not just good, adorably good

I’m sure you already know that Cheffrey’s has the best sweet potato fries in existence, and that their prime rib burger is one of the best burgers you’ll ever have, and that their house wine is served in half-bottle-sized pours. What, you didn’t know that? Well, it’s about time you went and found out for yourself, isn’t it?

No, I don’t put fingertips to keyboard today to tell you how good the food is at Cheffrey’s. That you should find out for yourself. I instead reach out across the interweb super byway to tell you that owners Mark and Jeffrey are not only creative, talented, hard-working, generous, charitable to a fault, and kind to small animals. No, I tell you today, after perusing the latest News & Review, that they are, in fact, adorable. How else to explain what has to be the cutest coupon ever? How many small business owners do you know that put caricatures of themselves in their promos? None, that’s how many.

Even if the food were only mediocre (which is most assuredly is not) I’d still want to patronize Cheffrey’s just because of its owners’ pluck. (hehe, pluck)

Cheffrey’s, An American Bistro-4235 Arden Way (at Eastern), Sacramento
Food ***1/2 Atmosphere*** Service**

Sac Craft Brews on KVIE 6, NPR

on tap promoTomorrow, KVIE’s Viewfinder will feature a look at the Sacramento Craft Brew scene in On Tap. A visit to SacBrew will be featured and area beer journalists will be tasting and talking about Rubicon IPA, Sudwerk Pilsner and SacBrew’s Imperial Stout.

Thanks to Bill, who pointed out that On Tap was discussed on today’s broadcast of Capital Public Radio’s Insight. Click here to access the show archives.

“Big Love” sightings

The internets were all abuzz with rumors of a Chloe Sevigny sighting at midtown vintage boutique Bows & Arrows on Saturday. Word from the Woodland Daily Democrat is that miss Sevigny was in the area filming “Big Love” for HBO:

[C]ast and crew arrived in Woodland Thursday night as part of a plot line that involves a family road trip retracing the steps of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism. …

Additional scenes will be shot over the coming week in Grasslands Regional Park in Davis, and in various parts of Old Sacramento, he said.

So the bigger story is that this is your week to get a Bill Paxton or a Jeanne Tripplehorn sighting in Old Sacramento! I’m clearing my schedule as we speak.

Note to “Big Love” writers: Please, please, write a scene in which one of the younger wives is bossy and Bill Paxton says to the first wife, “Why don’tcha put HER in charge!!?”