Unless you've had your nose buried in Harry Potter, you probably haven't read enough this week. I know, it's hot and you don't want to go outside. I have the perfect solution- 6 reasons to love the Sacramento Library this Saturday. All branches except Courtland have Saturday hours so you have no excuse!
*The Carmichael branch of the library has a teen movie at 2pm and an old-time jug band at 5pm.
*Know someone who doesn't even know what a blog is? Perhaps they can't figure out how to email and keep bugging you? Send them to the Arcade branch for public computer classes on emailing and the internet.
*Hook up with the North Highlands/Antelope Mystery Book Club at 10am.
*Have someone else read to your preschooler for a change at the MLK branch preschool storytime, 10:30am for kids 3 to 6 years old.
*Rancho Cordova branch has a teen event with ghost hunter Gloria Young. Is your house haunted? 2pm
*Get a library card! Sacramento Public Library has gone high-tech, you can request books online and have them delivered right to your local library or even better, download books right to your computer.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
On the driving subject...
This morning's Sacramento Bee in the Metro "Back Seat Driver" column has a scary writeup about driving. Evidently, commuters are not as stressed out as they may seem. Writer Tony Bizjak has written about a new study by Jennifer Hughes from Atlanta about stress during the commute. By testing saliva, Ms. Huges was able to measure fluctuating cortisol levels in response to stress. Her research found that overall, cortisol levels do not rise, therefore commutes are not as stressful as people seem to believe.
That's not the scary part. The article states that " A lot of people multi-task," Hughes says. "They do things like listen to the radio or books on tape." She goes on to say that you can listen to books, chat on the phone and sip your Starbucks. "Many moms say it is the best part of the day."
Shouldn't we be driving when driving? Sure I often drink my coffee but I never listen to a book, talk on the phone and drink my coffee. I'm pretty sure my brain can only handle so much... and that seems like about two too many things. I can't believe some people read the newspaper, talk on the phone and drive at the same time... but I've seen it.
Moms, if the commute is the best part of your day, it's time to make some changes. Maybe a yoga class in the evenings, a nice hot bath and a magazine or that big hug you get at the end of the day from your kids.
That's not the scary part. The article states that " A lot of people multi-task," Hughes says. "They do things like listen to the radio or books on tape." She goes on to say that you can listen to books, chat on the phone and sip your Starbucks. "Many moms say it is the best part of the day."
Shouldn't we be driving when driving? Sure I often drink my coffee but I never listen to a book, talk on the phone and drink my coffee. I'm pretty sure my brain can only handle so much... and that seems like about two too many things. I can't believe some people read the newspaper, talk on the phone and drive at the same time... but I've seen it.
Moms, if the commute is the best part of your day, it's time to make some changes. Maybe a yoga class in the evenings, a nice hot bath and a magazine or that big hug you get at the end of the day from your kids.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
PLEASE learn how to drive!
I have had the very unfortunate luck to drive from North Natomas to the area near the Pavillions every day this week. Why is it that Sacramento drivers do not know how to drive? I've driven all over our country, from LA to Seattle, DC to SF. I even drove in Barcelona, Spain once. I swear, we have the worst drivers ever, anywhere.
For example, this morning while on I-5 South at the 50 interchange, some numbskull in the fast lane decides that he MUST take 50 or the world will end. So he cuts across all 6 lanes of traffic to the Q Street ramp, realizes his mistake and cuts back again one lane to the left. I slammed on my breaks so hard my poor little guy in the backseat dropped his book. Then I had to slam on the gas to get away from numbskull2 behind me who was text messaging or something on his phone and not realizing that everyone was stopping, came barreling down behind me.
Seriously people, slow down and pay attention! You will not get there faster if you hit me because I am going to wait for my insurance claims adjuster to come and I promise, it'll take hours.
A quick tip for those of you who are good drivers- check the CHP traffic incident info page before leaving your house to see if the roads are clear. In high quality government web design, you will have to select Sacramento at the top of the drop-down screen.
For example, this morning while on I-5 South at the 50 interchange, some numbskull in the fast lane decides that he MUST take 50 or the world will end. So he cuts across all 6 lanes of traffic to the Q Street ramp, realizes his mistake and cuts back again one lane to the left. I slammed on my breaks so hard my poor little guy in the backseat dropped his book. Then I had to slam on the gas to get away from numbskull2 behind me who was text messaging or something on his phone and not realizing that everyone was stopping, came barreling down behind me.
Seriously people, slow down and pay attention! You will not get there faster if you hit me because I am going to wait for my insurance claims adjuster to come and I promise, it'll take hours.
A quick tip for those of you who are good drivers- check the CHP traffic incident info page before leaving your house to see if the roads are clear. In high quality government web design, you will have to select Sacramento at the top of the drop-down screen.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Other tidbits from the Grand Jury Report
*
Monday, July 9, 2007
What went wrong in North Natomas?
This is the second in a series of blogs reviewing the Sacramento County Grand Jury report.
Anybody who has been in Sacramento more than 15 years remembers that North Natomas is farm land. It used to flood on purpose to protect other neighborhoods. A few people were brave enough to live here, but that was mostly farmers maintaining their agriculture land. That is until 1983 when the Kansas City Kings and other developers began filing for land development entitlements. With the Kings, came more development. And so the story of the insanity of North Natomas begins...
The city amended the 1974 general plan in 1986 to allow development in North Natomas. The new North Natomas Community Plan (NNCP) required open space, recreational space, mixed use land, infrastructure and a jobs to housing rate of 60%. In theory, the area would be "one of the must livable communities in the region and a community that serves as a model for the rest of the nation." (North Natomas Transportation Management Association Literature) The community would develop with smart growth principles, public transit, walkability and grow the village concept where neighbors can walk to work and to stores.
30 years later, the Grand Jury has found that almost none of the original NNCP has taken place. North Natomas has grown dramatically since the development of the plan in 1986 and yet we are still without:
* A police substation
*Numerous planned parks, including the regional park central to the village concept
*Bus service to the west of I-5
*Sidewalks that lead to Inderkum High School and Natomas Middle School
*Light rail to downtown and the airport
What did North Natomas get out of the deal?
*Monstrous shopping centers that are unwalkable and draw major congestion to the area
*Dangerous bike trails that pop out onto streets with no warning
*Loss of the 250 foot buffer at Fisherman's Lake
*Mandatory flood insurance
My 2 cents:
It's time for the city to review the original NNCP and determine exactly what the goals for the area will be for the next 10 years. As a resident of North Natomas, I bought into the village idea, the regional park, the live/work concept and the theory that the levees had been upgraded and we were now 'safe'.
At the bare minimum, North Natomas deserves adequate police protection and the same response time as the rest of the city. Beyond that, the residents deserve to know the truth about the plan for the area, including how much of the development rests in the hands of the Maloofs, Lennar and the "arena plan."
Anybody who has been in Sacramento more than 15 years remembers that North Natomas is farm land. It used to flood on purpose to protect other neighborhoods. A few people were brave enough to live here, but that was mostly farmers maintaining their agriculture land. That is until 1983 when the Kansas City Kings and other developers began filing for land development entitlements. With the Kings, came more development. And so the story of the insanity of North Natomas begins...
The city amended the 1974 general plan in 1986 to allow development in North Natomas. The new North Natomas Community Plan (NNCP) required open space, recreational space, mixed use land, infrastructure and a jobs to housing rate of 60%. In theory, the area would be "one of the must livable communities in the region and a community that serves as a model for the rest of the nation." (North Natomas Transportation Management Association Literature) The community would develop with smart growth principles, public transit, walkability and grow the village concept where neighbors can walk to work and to stores.
30 years later, the Grand Jury has found that almost none of the original NNCP has taken place. North Natomas has grown dramatically since the development of the plan in 1986 and yet we are still without:
* A police substation
*Numerous planned parks, including the regional park central to the village concept
*Bus service to the west of I-5
*Sidewalks that lead to Inderkum High School and Natomas Middle School
*Light rail to downtown and the airport
What did North Natomas get out of the deal?
*Monstrous shopping centers that are unwalkable and draw major congestion to the area
*Dangerous bike trails that pop out onto streets with no warning
*Loss of the 250 foot buffer at Fisherman's Lake
*Mandatory flood insurance
My 2 cents:
It's time for the city to review the original NNCP and determine exactly what the goals for the area will be for the next 10 years. As a resident of North Natomas, I bought into the village idea, the regional park, the live/work concept and the theory that the levees had been upgraded and we were now 'safe'.
At the bare minimum, North Natomas deserves adequate police protection and the same response time as the rest of the city. Beyond that, the residents deserve to know the truth about the plan for the area, including how much of the development rests in the hands of the Maloofs, Lennar and the "arena plan."
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Betrayal in the Kingdom- The Grand Jury Report
The next series of blogs will be about the Sacramento County Grand Jury report for 2006-2007. It's not a very exciting read but so much information is buried inside that I'll try to summarize the important pieces for you!
If you've been reading for a while, you know I hate the city's attempt at Measures Q and R- also known as "the arena deal." Evidently, I wasn't the only one with suspicions as November 7, 2006, the Grand Jury began investigating the city and county's dealings with the Kings.
The backstory is this: when the Kings moved in 1985 to Sacramento from Kansas City, the favors and backroom deals began. The owners then had difficulty finding someone to finance an arena in flood prone Natomas, so the Sacramento City Employees' Pension fund loaned them $8 million. In 1997, the city loaned the Kings another $78.5 million and discussion began for a "Partnership for Playing" where the city would commit $150 million to Arco Arena and commit infrastructure to a new arena. The Kings withdrew their proposal in 1997 but left a feeling that the city would be the personal financier of the Kings. There were other loans issued in 1997 but the details are not public, despite being made from public funds.
$700,000 of public funds were spent getting Measures Q and R on the ballot in 2006, including $300,000 for sports consultants. The Grand Jury report is scathing, including "All the election hype and analyses were bogus!" Clearly the Grand Jury believes that the taxpayers were misled, lied to and fed a story that was neither true or researched.
And so we end up with the railyard. Yippee for us!! The city has conceded that it paid $55 million for a building that it does not think is worth $55 million. The infrastructure in the area will take years to develop but the city has implied that we'll have a railyard development very soon. Nevermind that there have been no objective studies of the railyard development or Richards Blvd. development. We love the Kings... or at least some city politicians love them so much that the idea of losing them is too much to handle.
In summary, the Grand Jury believes that the 2006 ballot measures Q and R, the railyard development, the love affair with the Kings and the 1997 loans had a hint of scam and the city has not been forthright with the citizens. It's time to shed a little light on the process!
If you've been reading for a while, you know I hate the city's attempt at Measures Q and R- also known as "the arena deal." Evidently, I wasn't the only one with suspicions as November 7, 2006, the Grand Jury began investigating the city and county's dealings with the Kings.
The backstory is this: when the Kings moved in 1985 to Sacramento from Kansas City, the favors and backroom deals began. The owners then had difficulty finding someone to finance an arena in flood prone Natomas, so the Sacramento City Employees' Pension fund loaned them $8 million. In 1997, the city loaned the Kings another $78.5 million and discussion began for a "Partnership for Playing" where the city would commit $150 million to Arco Arena and commit infrastructure to a new arena. The Kings withdrew their proposal in 1997 but left a feeling that the city would be the personal financier of the Kings. There were other loans issued in 1997 but the details are not public, despite being made from public funds.
$700,000 of public funds were spent getting Measures Q and R on the ballot in 2006, including $300,000 for sports consultants. The Grand Jury report is scathing, including "All the election hype and analyses were bogus!" Clearly the Grand Jury believes that the taxpayers were misled, lied to and fed a story that was neither true or researched.
And so we end up with the railyard. Yippee for us!! The city has conceded that it paid $55 million for a building that it does not think is worth $55 million. The infrastructure in the area will take years to develop but the city has implied that we'll have a railyard development very soon. Nevermind that there have been no objective studies of the railyard development or Richards Blvd. development. We love the Kings... or at least some city politicians love them so much that the idea of losing them is too much to handle.
In summary, the Grand Jury believes that the 2006 ballot measures Q and R, the railyard development, the love affair with the Kings and the 1997 loans had a hint of scam and the city has not been forthright with the citizens. It's time to shed a little light on the process!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Things to do for the 4th
There are lots of fun things to do in Sac to celebrate the 4th of July!
Celebrate the 4th
*Woodland Pancake Breakfast- check out the fire station and trucks while enjoying a delicious breakfast.
*River Cats vs. Fresno Grizzlies- good family fun and you don't have to BBQ the hot dogs!
*America- In Concert- Rancho Cordova's Hagan Park- Sacramento's largest regional celebration featuring live music, a parade, fireworks and more
*City of Davis 4th of July- Live music, softball, food and games and fireworks
Major Fireworks Locations
*Cal Expo- Gates open at 6pm. You can park in the area as well, but avoid the Business 80 at fireworks time. People actually stop on the freeway... nuts.
*Elk Grove Regional Park, Salute the Red White and Blue
Celebrate the 4th
*Woodland Pancake Breakfast- check out the fire station and trucks while enjoying a delicious breakfast.
*River Cats vs. Fresno Grizzlies- good family fun and you don't have to BBQ the hot dogs!
*America- In Concert- Rancho Cordova's Hagan Park- Sacramento's largest regional celebration featuring live music, a parade, fireworks and more
*City of Davis 4th of July- Live music, softball, food and games and fireworks
Major Fireworks Locations
*Cal Expo- Gates open at 6pm. You can park in the area as well, but avoid the Business 80 at fireworks time. People actually stop on the freeway... nuts.
*Elk Grove Regional Park, Salute the Red White and Blue
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