Sacramento Ca, -- West Sacramento is growing and residents and city leaders are very excited about the fact that Squeeze Inn will be the newest addition to its dining scene.

A Sacramento jury today convicted a 33-year-old Carmichael man of gross vehicular manslaughter for the May 2, 2010, traffic wreck that killed a woman on westbound Interstate 80.

May is Bike Month in the Sacramento Region, and Folsom is the #1 destination for quality cycling.

Mother’s Day is coming Sunday, and The Sacramento Press has a few gift ideas that are sure to let mom know how much you love her.

 

Gift idea No. 1: Send your mom on a relaxing getaway.

Super Spa, located at 1722 J St., Suite 1, offers a variety of massage services. Relaxation or therapeutic massages range from $40 to $120 depending on the length of the massage.

A warm stone therapy ranges from $90 to $140, and a head and scalp treatment for 30 minutes costs $40.

Every 60 minutes of massage includes an organic aromatherapy steam.

According to owner Suzanne Saunders, Super Spa's "Treat Mom to 90 minutes of bliss" special includes a L'initié facial care with Univera's super hydrating line-reducing face cream.

"We we will finish with their radiant and tightening skin toner," Saunders said. "She will be glowing for days."

Super Spa offers a chiropractic service, nutrition consulting, yoga sessions and a rain forest tub with Super Spa Me Organics bath salts, soaps and organic teas.

They have couples and single spa packages, including a chocolate rub and scrub package with a steam, 90-minute massage, body scrub, one-hour rain forest tub soak and organic chocolate.

Gift idea No. 2: Make her garden special.

The Gifted Gardener, located at 1730 J St., is a family-owned store that has an array of garden accessories, bird feeders and chimes to spruce up mom’s garden.

According to sales associate Taffetta Lassen, customers can expect store items to range from 25 cents to $270.

The two most popular items for the Mother’s Day holiday are chimes and bird feeders.

“Ninety-five percent (of our items) are meant to be outside,” Lassen said. “(We want to) encourage you to live outside, preferably in the garden.”

Several notable gifts include handmade clay flowers from Thailand, a large rock collection with various inspirational words, shea butter-enriched soaps in rhubarb, linden and honey almond, and gnome statues.

Sales associate Xian Kwong is Lassen’s son. "(Mother's Day) is a pretty big holiday for us," he said. "(We offer) something pretty for her garden."

One notable gift is a colorful hanging slate plaque with a hummingbird and flowers painted on it, which can be purchased for $23.

 

Gift idea No. 3: Buy her beautiful flowers.

Relles Florist, 2400 J St., is having several specials for Mother's Day with their cash-and-carry option. If you go directly to the store, you can purchase flowers at a discount if you pay with cash and take it with you.

According to Jim Relles, the president of Relles Florist, they carry at least 200 varieties of flowers from orchids, lilies, sunflowers, birds of paradise, liatris and anthuriums.

Relles said he recommends preordering flowers, but they have never sold out on Mother’s Day.

“We’ll have plenty of flowers (for Mother’s Day),” Relles said. “Mixed spring arrangements (are) very colorful.”

Relles also said that the average arrangement costs $40.

The arrangement below costs $40 and includes carnations, stock, pink statice and purple pom pom chrysanthemums.

Below is another arrangement that costs $40 and includes roses, carnations, statice, solidago and pom pom chrysanthemums.

“Roses are beautiful for Mother’s Day,” Relles said.

 

Gift idea No. 4: Treat mom to some retail therapy.

Several downtown Sacramento clothing boutiques have plenty of gift ideas for mom.

Sugar Shack, 2425 J St., is the perfect destination for the trendy mom. Sugar Shack has cute spring dresses and tops, belts, shoes and sunglasses. Also, they have lots of locally handmade jewelry.

Several of the brands the boutique carries include Toms shoes, Chaser, Level 99, Ark and Co. and OBEY.

Clothing prices range from $29 to $150.

A cute gift for mom that you can find at Sugar Shack is the polka-dot blouse below, from Ellison, which costs $38.

Clothing Remix, 2419 J St., carries new and used women's clothing, accessories and shoes.

According to co-owner Julie Vue, although their fashion pieces might look trendy, she said they “don’t want to rule out anyone.”

Vue said that the accessories and clothing range from $5 to $70.

Starting Mother's Day, they will offer 30 percent off of new merchandise and 20 percent off used merchandise.

They also offer styling tips on how to spruce up your wardrobe. According to Vue, if customers like a particular item, she shows them how they can incorporate it into their style by matching it with a pair of sandals or a nice blazer.

“We believe in trying the pieces on,” Vue said.

Vue said that she uses today’s magazines as inspiration combined with the customer’s personal style.

Below is a flutter sleeve blouse, from Von Chic, which costs $39.99.

The Cotton Club, at 2331 J St., is a boutique that offers unique, natural fiber clothing and all kinds of accessories. 

They carry casual to professional women’s clothing, from tops, blouses and dresses. They also have a large selection of scarves, purses, jewelry and hats.

Their clothing and accessory items range from $25 to $120.

Several of the brands the store carries are Cut Loose, Tribal, Nomadic Traders, Color Me Cotton and Flax.

Was your mom obsessed with the Royal Wedding? Treat her like a queen with one of the Cotton Club’s colorful hats.

One gift idea at the Cotton Club is this purple top below, which costs $84, by Color Me Cotton.

Make your mother feel special this Mother's Day. No matter what you get for her, she will appreciate anything that comes from the heart.

Art, music and dance highlight the cultural diversity of California – and the Sacramento region – during the daylong event at the Sacramento Zoo.

A driver trying to avoid a Sacramento police DUI checkpoint in north Sacramento on Friday night was hospitalized after he led police on a short chase and then caused an accident in an intersection, a Sacramento Police Department spokesman said.

Sacramento's part-time interim city manager said Friday he won't rescind raises given to three top city directors in February.. . The raises...

Sacramento Homeless Take City To Court xEmailFacebookDiggTwitterYahoo BuzzRedditDelicious Link. A trial is scheduled to begin next Monday in...

Two public meetings are scheduled this month in Yolo County to discuss reapportionment of county supervisorial districts.

Sacramento police have arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with a 1987 homicide in midtown, after cold case detectives and the Sacramento County Crime Lab were able to use DNA to identify a suspect, the Sacramento Police Department reported.

The city’s current budget gap of $39 million is grim. But the city’s financial situation is even more dismal when examined in the context of its budget cuts in recent years.

The city has laid off about 215 employees since February 2008, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams. In addition, the city has taken 900 positions off its books since the 2008/2009 fiscal year and cannot hire employees for those spots, according to the city budget document. The city currently has 4,576 employee positions, Williams said.

Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka are recommending the City Council approve an $812 million budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. Of that amount, $362 million would be the general fund.

The city defines the general fund, consisting of taxes and fees, as its main fund for operations.

The City Council is now weighing whether to lay off hundreds of city employees in the next few weeks. 

Mayor Kevin Johnson was visibly distressed Tuesday night after Masuoka briefed the City Council on the budget cuts and layoffs suggested by the city manager’s office.

“Those brutal facts gave me a headache,” Johnson said. “We’re talking about laying off a lot of people. And that just doesn’t feel good for any of us.”

Edgar explains in the budget document why the city has a $39 million gap. Because the city is still in a recession, sales tax revenues are likely to stay flat, and property tax revenues are down, the budget document says.

Labor costs have risen due to union contracts, new Fire Department staff in Natomas and mandatory retirement payments for employees, according to the document.

And, the city must keep its vehicles in working condition and replace old public safety machinery such as ambulances and defibrillators, all of which costs money, the document states.

City employees from various departments could be laid off, including 80 cops.

Police officers have been shielded from layoffs for decades: No officers were laid off during Sacramento City Councilman Darrell Fong’s 30-year career with the Police Department, Fong said last week. He retired from the department in 2009.

Even though the department has not faced layoffs of cops, the number of positions has shrunk in recent years.

“We had 804 officers in 2007 and 704 in 2010,” police spokeswoman Laura Peck said.

The city currently has 701 sworn police officers.

Johnson said Tuesday that he wants to learn more about the context of the cuts in recent years. He asked staff to present information soon on the following questions:

“How much have we cut from our general fund over the last four years?” Johnson asked city staff. “And then, secondly, how has that impacted job reduction over that period of time? I’m just interested because that time period has been brutal for our community.”

The Sacramento Press will report on city staff’s answers to Johnson’s questions when the information becomes available.

On top of its past and current woes, the immediate future for Sacramento’s city government does not look bright.

City officials project in the budget document that the city will continue to face budget gaps until fiscal year 2015/2016. The gap for fiscal year 2012/2013 is $11.7 million and is expected to rise to $22.9 million in fiscal year 2013/2014.

In fiscal year 2014/2015, the city expects to be $18 million in the hole. The gap drops to a $13 million deficit predicted in fiscal year 2015/2016.

“Given the lack of any significant revenue growth in the forecast, the current level of annual expenditure is not sustainable,” according to the budget document.

Still, the discussion of the current $39 million gap is continuing, and it’s possible that council members could find ways to prevent some cuts.

For example, Council members Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Angelique Ashby all said they like the idea of seeing whether the city could move the public safety headquarters from Freeport Boulevard to the city’s Richards Boulevard location. The city has extra space at its Richards Boulevard building, Fong said.

Moving public safety workers to Richards Boulevard could save the city an estimated $800,000 - $900,000 per year in energy savings and maintenance costs, Fong said, referring to an estimate from the Police Department.

The Freeport building is not energy-efficient, he said.

City leaders need to look for “creative options to save a few bucks,” McCarty said.

Read a list of all the upcoming city budget hearings here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. 

The legendary Paul Rodriguez celebrated Cinco de Mayo Thursday night in style at Thunder Valley Casino and Resort, playing to a sold out crowd. Joining Rodriguez on stage was Gene Pompa and Dennis Gaxiola, both accomplished comedians in their own right.

Pompa opened the evening and really got the crowd excited. He says he is an old-school, hardcore political activist. For instance, he still won't eat grapes because of the plight of the migrant farm workers. He also won't eat raisins because of the older migrant farm workers. That's how hardcore he is. He also won't eat prunes, but that's for a completely different reason.

Next up was Gaxiola. He really got the ball rolling with his impressions of various marriage proposals. First up was the Mexican proposal: “You gonna keep it?” Then came the African-American proposal: “As the judge in this case, I find the DNA evidence is a match and you are the father.” The cowboy: “Please, don’t tell Mom,” which really got the crowd roaring.

Pompa came back out on stage to introduce Rodriguez. Rodriguez started off by saying it was nice to be back from the Middle East and then simply stated, “We got him,” and that was all it took. Everyone in the crowd knew he was referring to Osama and the audience erupted into cheers. For the past several years, Rodriguez has been working with the USO to help entertain our troops in the Middle East. This last trip was his sixth journey overseas.

With his classic style of comedy, mixing Spanish and English, Rodriguez’s performance was exactly what the audience was looking for. There were a couple of times when it appeared Rodriguez was through for the evening, only to then think of something else to talk about. Then it would be off on another litany of jokes and one-liners leaving no nationality or religion untouched.

Rodriguez took aim at Germans, Italians, Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans (the Mexicans of Japan), and even Mexicans. He also berated the various religions, in particular Catholic priests — I’ll just leave that one alone.

Rodriguez is considered one of the first Latin Kings of Comedy. As an actor and comedian, his career spans over two decades and includes starring roles and featured appearances in over 40 films and countless television series and comedy specials.

Make sure and get out to Thunder Valley Casino’s summer concert series, which kicks off this month with Creedence Clearwater Revisited on May 21, followed by The Fray on May 25.

Randy Miramontez is a contributing writer and photographer with The Sacramento Press.
 

Heavy winter snows will likely be delaying the opening of a major road into Yosemite National Park.

The community of Clarksville, El Dorado Hills' Gold Rush-era predecessor, will be celebrated Saturday with wagon rides, historical exhibits and re-enactments, musical entertainment and cemetery tours.

The Sacramento Police Department is seeking the community's help in identifying a suspect in an assault that occurred Thursday night.

Darren Helm scored with 1:27 left in the third period, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to an elimination-avoiding 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series on Friday night.

Detroit Red Wings players from left, Pavel Datsyuk, of Russia, Niklas Kronwall, of Sweden, Nicklas Lidstrom, of Sweden, and Johan Franzen, of Sweden, celebrate Lidstrom's goal against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Friday, May 6, 2011 in Detroit.

Detroit Red Wings' Todd Bertuzzi, right, celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks with teamamte Henrik Zetterberg, left, of Sweden, as fans react in the background during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series, Friday, May 6, 2011 in Detroit.

Detroit Red Wings forward Danny Cleary (11) tries to shoot on San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi, of Finland, as Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) defends in the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey series in Detroit, Friday, May 6, 2011.

San Jose Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (31) of Finland, blocks shot by Detroit Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula (51), of Finland, during the first period in Game 4 of a second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series in Detroit, Friday, May 6, 2011.

Gio Gonzalez pitched seven effective innings and the Oakland Athletics ruined Eric Hosmer's much-anticipated major league debut with a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Kansas City Royals' Eric Hosmer (35) slides safely into second for a steal past the tag of Oakland Athletics second baseman Mark Ellis during the fourth inning of a baseball game on Friday, May 6, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer smiles as he warms up before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, May 6, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo. Hosmer made his major league debut at first base.

Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon (4) rounds second after hitting a home run in the first inning during a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, May 6, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Sean O'Sullivan throws in the first inning during a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Friday, May 6, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo.

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies have arrested a man who holed up in an Arden Way business for nearly two hours this evening after fleeing from a California Highway Patrol officer.

The Sacramento region medical technology industry is showing robust growth, with the number of area med tech companies increasing from 73 to 103...

Rosetta Resources Inc. (Nasdaq:ROSE) ("Rosetta" or the "Company") today announced financial and operating results for the first quarter 2011 ...

A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of my favorite Sacramento restaurants for kids. They meet both the requirements of having good adult food and healthy kid choices, and best of all they don’t raise their eyebrows at accompanying children. I got some great feedback from readers and have tried a few more places. [...]

I know I wasn’t the only one to shed a tear when Natalie and Lauren of Agent Ribbons packed up their vintage 1920s suitcases — as well as the Danelecto guitar and drumkit — and moved to Austin, Texas.  But … Continue reading →

Earlier today I discovered that, for the second week in a row, my yard waste container was not emptied. Immediately, my blood began to boil and my skin tingled with anticipation and sweat. My pulse raced as I picked up … Continue reading →

A West Sacramento businessman has pleaded no contest in an insurance fraud case.

Albert Cipoletti, 62, of Northport, N.Y., was sentenced to more than six years in prison in connection with a scheme to divert $20 million from Sacramento County and two companies. United States District Judge Garland Burrell in federal court in Sacramento on Friday also handed Cipoletti three years parole and an order to pay $19.1 million in restitution. Cipoletti pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in diverting money from Sacramento, SanDisk Corp. and Stanley Works and Stanley Solutions...

Forgot to make Mother's Day plans? Worry not, dear procrastinator, we're here to help.

A trial is scheduled to begin next Monday in federal court over a lawsuit that alleges Sacramento city officials illegally seized the possessions of homeless people.

The youngest rider is 9-year-old Nathan Lee, a student at Chabot Elementary School.

Special enforcement by Folsom police on Cinco de Mayo resulted in a variety of arrests, ranging from public intoxication to fighting with bouncers, according to a police spokesman.

Over the centuries ruling family families have sprung up in many countries. They rule by force and buying off a supportive populace. Often the death of the leader leaves a power vacuum and subterfuge and fighting breaks out between the relatives of the leader. Seldom is any thought given to those being ruled. Those close to the seat of power never want to give it up.

As we have been seeing in the middle east it usually takes an outside force to end a rule of tyranny. In the middle east it has been the middle class, intellectuals, heavily the young and many women demanding the end of tyrannical rule.

“Antigone” tells the story of one woman, a member of the royal family, that says enough is enough. Her father the ruler dies. Her brothers fight to the death trying to take power. Her uncle steps into the power vacuum and ups the level of tyranny in the name of stability.

“Antigone” opened last Friday in a KOLT Run Creation production at the California Stage. The background on the play and the development of this production can be found at a SacPress preview.

KOLT co-producer and actor Kelly Ogden shines in the title role. She truly embodies Antigone the niece that stands up to her uncle’s arbitrary and tyrannical laws designed to keep him in power. The character Antigone stands in for all who reject the status quo that does not represent them-even to death. Ogden while physically slight is still a powerful force against her uncle’s wishes. Ogden’s performance leaves little doubt that Antigone will fight to the death for what she believes in.

KOLT associate artist Patrick Murphy plays the uncle, Creon, who is not about to give up the power he now holds. Everything about Murphy’s performance exudes power-the voice, attitude and demeanor is of one who controls all around him.

The performances of these two actors alone is worth seeing this show. But there is so much more including several good supporting performances.

French playwright Jean Anouilh (1910-1987) adapted several Greek Myth stories to modern settings. Sophocles’ “Antigone” remains the most popular. He wrote the adaptation during the Nazi occupation of France and had to use a lot of subtrifudge to get the play past the censors. There are lots of twists in the play. For example, Antigone is engaged to her cousin Haemon, Creon’s son.

In many Greek plays there is the Greek Chorus who make commentary, confront a character or explain the action. Often the chorus is difficult to understand. Not a problem in this production with one actor playing the chorus.

Kellie Yvonne Raines as the chorus is the first to appear. Her chorus powerfully sets out what the audience is about to see. Raines projects power with a clear voice. She is the only character that can get Creon’s immediate attention.

Other good supporting cast include Ben Moroski as Haemon, Analise Langford-Clark as Ishmene, Antigone’s sister and Gay Cooper, the sisters nurse.

Jonas, Binnns and Sout the guards are played by Ernesto Bustos, Daniel Fagan and Brandon Lancaster. Bustos stands out as the lone guard with Antigone while she waits her fate.

Mitch Worrell-Olsen who has been seen on many Sacramento stages gives a good performance as the king’s page. It is easy to forget that he is twelve years old.

Jeff Webster rounds out the cast as the messenger that brigs very bad news.

This production of “Antigone” by KOLT Run Creations has taken a very old story that has been given a well respected update and with uniformly excellent acting given the audience an entertaining evening. In keeping with KOLT’s promise the audience has something to think about after having left the show.

 

This time around, a slightly re-tooled Graham Godfrey was ready.

Ready to show that the changes he made in the offseason were paying off. Ready to pop the glove with the hard stuff.

And after striking out the side in the first inning, he knew that he couldn’t let this great start go to waste.

“It sets the tone for the rest of the game,” said Godfrey. “I think the guys playing behind me picked up on that and they feed off that. It’s a good way to start things off.”

On a sunny and warm Thursday evening at Raley Field, the sombreros were out and the margaritas were flowing as the fans in attendance this Cinco de Mayo witnessed a great pitching performance as the Cats cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Salt Lake Bees.

As for Palmer - Godfrey’s counterpart - he had given up two walks, two wild pitches and one run on a hit in just the first two innings! Palmer pitches were everywhere.

Immediately, a contrast in starting pitching was evident.

The theme would continue the entire game as the Cats would garner a baserunner in each inning and were constantly putting the Bees on the defensive.

Graham Godfrey came out throwing darts and Manager Darren Bush was quite impressed.

“He did a great job,” said a smiling Bush. “He attacked the strike zone, he went at hitters and he made them swing the bats. He had command so he was able to get them swinging and then move the ball around. Great job!”

For the Cats, Eric Sogard lead off Sacramento’s part of the first with a walk. One wild pitch later, he’s on second. After a Steve Tolleson ground out moved Sogard to third, he scored on another wild pitch by Bee starter Matt Palmer to get the Cats out to an early lead.

In the second, Adrian Cardenas ripped a sharp single down the first base line that just got under Efren Navarro’s glove and into right field. Anthony Recker, who had walked to lead off the inning, had to pull up at second as he wasn’t looking at third base coach Darren Bush who was waving him around.

At first glance, it appeared that it would have been easy for Recker to get to third and then have runners on first and third with no outs. Recker knew that the first baseman was an excellent fielder and thought there was a chance he had fielded the ball and was throwing to second to get him out. Adding to that, the shortstop - Andrew Romine - was moving towards second as if he had a play on Recker.

Bush understood why Recker played it safe.

“He went into the bag and looked at the middle infielders to see what they were doing,” said Bush, “and the middle infielder was coming towards the bag so he thought the throw was going to come in there. I’d rather him do that than not go into the bag and try and make a round and get tagged out.”

Moments later, Recker would get caught at third in a rundown on double steal attempt. The Bees caught a break and Sacramento would go quietly the rest of the inning.

In the third, Matt Carson torched a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left center that hit the top of the field house. The rocket must have gone close to 450 feet and gave the Cats a 3-0 lead after three.

“It worked out pretty good you know, I haven’t been swinging the bat real well lately but to get a couple across the plate today, it felt good,” said Carson.

After a quiet fourth, Josh Horton lifted a flailing fly ball that dropped in front of left fielder Chris Petit for a single. He would later score on a sacrifice fly by Carson, who got his third RBI of the day.

The first damage by the Bees occurred in the sixth as Paul McAnulty lifted a shot that drifted over Cardenas in left and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. The well-placed hit scored Willits, who had walked to lead off the inning.

The Cats tried to etch some more runs onto the big board in the sixth. Two are out when Peterson walked, took second on his first steal of the season and then scored on a single from Horton. Again, Bush was being very aggressive on the base paths as he waved Peterson home on what appeared was going to be a very close play at the plate. The throw from the third baseman was just enough off-line that Peterson could slide his way around the tag and slide safely into home for the score.

Josh Donaldson, who had been struggling at the plate and already had struck out three times, capped the scoring with a two-run single in the eighth.

Godfrey was pulled after six very strong innings of work. Final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 1ER, 2BB and 7 K’s. As his stats are piling up, he seems to be getting better each game.

Sacramento's bullpen pitched well also as Fautino De Los Santos and Willie Eyre pitched three scoreless innings

Godfrey acknowledged that the coaching staff and the teammates that are playing behind him have attributed to his early success. He also noticed that his delivery was not what it should be and worked on his mechanics in the off-season. The extra work is paying off.

“My mechanics were a little off last year and it affected all my pitches,” admitted Godfrey. “This year, I’ve worked with Emo (pitching coach Scott Emerson) and our pitching coordinator to raise my arm slot a little bit and everything is coming out a little bit better, a little bit harder and that’s definitely helping.”
 

 

BarWest Burgers & Wings will be taking the place of Aura on J Street in Midtown, and in addition to food, it is bringing a sense of cooperation with a local neighborhood association that has filed complaints for previous bars in that area, including the now-closed GV Hurley’s.

The opening day is tentatively set for mid-July. Co-owners Trevor Shults and Todd Zacaner are teaming up with local restaurateur Randy Paragary, for whom Shults worked in numerous positions – most recently in marketing.

Shults said he has always been a fan of the block that contains Centro Cocina Mexicana, Red Lotus and Harlow’s, so moving into the two-level spot at 2724 J St. was a “no-brainer.”

“It will be affordable, sit-down dining,” he said. A burger with a 3-ounce patty – similar in size to In-N-Out Burger’s patties – will start at $3.95, and a double will be $6.

Five sandwiches, five salads and a vegetable burger round out the menu, which is still being finalized.

Thirty types of wings will also be on offer, and one of the highlights of the 4,300-square-foot space is its second floor, which Shults said can be rented out for banquets, business meetings, birthday parties or any number of occasions.

He said it will accommodate 30 people in a sit-down configuration or 70 standing.

One essential aspect of opening a restaurant on the 2700 block of J Street is working with local residents.

“In Midtown, the only way you’re going to survive is if the neighborhood association supports you,” he said.

The Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association has a long history of battling with businesses on the block, with concerns of rowdiness and noise levels, according to board co-chair Mark Hefling.

“It’s been an issue adding restaurants to that block in the past,” Hefling said.

Former co-chair George Raya said loud parties as well as the noise of all the bars emptying into the street on Friday and Saturday nights has been a problem.

But both Raya and Hefling said the cooperation between the association and BarWest has been very positive.

In going through the process of obtaining a liquor license, BarWest owners were encouraged by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to cooperate with the neighbors, Hefling said.

Several concessions were made to get the neighbors on board – including agreeing not to apply for an entertainment permit through the city and bolting down tables on the ground floor so they cannot be cleared for a dance space, as was previously done when Aura occupied the building.

An eviction notice dated March 21 was on the front door of Aura last month, and The Sacramento Press was unable to reach the former owners or property management.

After contacting more than 70 area neighbors, Hefling said the association has not heard any opposition.

Hefling said the neighborhood association is representing two disparate groups – residents who have been in the area for 25 years or more and relatively new residents who moved to Midtown after the transformation of the area over the past decade.

To that end, he said, the association is trying to find a happy medium between those who want a quiet central city atmosphere and those who like having bars and restaurants – many of whom work in those bars and restaurants.

Hefling said the owners of BarWest have been easy to work with, and he believes they are honest people who will continue to work with the association.

When the restaurant opens, Shults said it will be open until midnight on weekdays, with a 2 a.m. closing time on Saturday and Sunday morning for the late-night crowds Friday and Saturday.

There will be 15 TVs on the walls, and BarWest will be carrying all the DirecTV packages so patrons can watch sports, but he said it won’t be a sports bar.

The décor will be casual, and there will be signature cocktails, but he didn’t have details on them yet.

“We’re really in the design phase right now,” he said. “We’re really just excited to offer a great burger, great wings, a great atmosphere and 14 beers on tap.”

A website and Facebook page will be created in the future. Check back in the conversation below for information as it becomes available.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell. 

May 12 is the deadline for the Sacramento Opera to raise the final $37,000 of its $122,000 goal by that date – or there will not be a 2011-2012 opera season.

In all, the opera must raise $175,000 of pledges and gifts for the season.

The opera recently reorganized, strategically aligning with the Sacramento Philharmonic as both organizations continue to suffer from funding slumps as a result of the recession.

A meeting last week with 123 opera subscribers and donors to discuss the reorganization, and Sacramento Opera officials described it as “just the kind of engagement needed” in a press release this week.

If the $37,000 is raised, the opera season will include “Opera at the Cathedral” on Oct. 6, a double-bill feature in late November with the opera and Sacramento Philharmonic and “Rigoletto” by Guiseppe Verdi next February.

Pledges are currently being accepted, and they can be sent via email to info@sacopera.org, by calling 737-1000 ext. 305 or by mail to Sacramento Opera, P.O. Box 161027, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Pledges must be for donations within the next 12 months, and those payments can be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or in one lump sum.

Two public meetings are scheduled this month in Yolo County to discuss reapportionment of county supervisorial districts.

A Sacramento jury today convicted a 33-year-old Carmichael man of gross vehicular manslaughter for the May 2, 2010, traffic wreck that killed a woman on westbound Interstate 80.

Prosecutors obtained a third conviction today in the Memorial Day 2008 gang killing of a north area man who was holding his baby in his arms just before he was pistol whipped and shot to death.

San Diego's City Council has approved a deal with major labor unions that they mayor says will dramatically narrow its shortfall to pay lifetime health care for retired city workers.

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - President Barack Obama on Friday privately thanked some of the special military operators who killed Osama bin Laden and later told an enthusiastic crowd of more than 2,000 soldiers that America ultimately will defeat al-Qaida.

President Barack Obama waves as he leaves John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Thursday, May 5, 2011, after visiting Ground Zero.

Explore the region’s best blogs and community news at Sacramento Connect every day. Check out what's new today on the network.

MOTHERÕS DAY Sacramento Connect 1 sacconnect1http://sacramentoconnect.sacbee.com/tag/Mothers-Day-2011A collection of posts about MotherÕs Day from our Sacramento Connectpartners including last-minute suggestions for where to celebrate.

Photo courtesy of Debbie Cunningham Sacramento Connect 2 sac connect 2 UNDERCOVER CATERERhttp://www.undercovercaterer.com/2011/05/brunch-at-red-lotus-sacramento/Sarah Singleton explores Red LotusÕs brunch concept, which features alimited menu of approximately 8 items. Diners get one of each and can ordermore if they want, all made to order.

Here's a Mother's Day idea for the really cool mom: a visit Sunday night to Harlow's nightclub (2708 J St., Sacramento) for a tribute to blues pioneer Robert Johnson.

A procedure to remove stitches from Gov. Jerry Brown's nose has been delayed, and the governor, recuperating at his Oakland home since a doctor removed a cancerous growth from his nose one week ago, will likely remain away from the Capitol at least until early next week, his office said.

Sacramento police have arrested a 48-year-old man in connection with a 1987 homicide in midtown, after cold case detectives and the Sacramento County Crime Lab were able to use DNA to identify a suspect, the Sacramento Police Department reported.

Two prominent women lawyers' groups are the latest to lambaste Assemblyman Charles Calderon for what they said were inappropriate comments about California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye at a committee hearing on Tuesday.

DraftExpress: Finding a Niche for Brandon Knight

Chicago @ Atlanta, 4 PM Pacific, ESPN. Series tied 1-1.

Western University @ Dallas, 6:30 PM Pacific, ESPN. Dallas leads series 2-0.

 

Conversation starter #1 - Seis de Mayo: Advil o Tylenol o Aleve?

Conversation starter #2 - Goin' to Thunder Valley tonight?

A trial is scheduled to begin next Monday in federal court over a lawsuit that alleges Sacramento city officials illegally seized the possessions...

It turns out there is interest in creating an “Innovation Hub” at the University of California Davis. The campus requested ideas in mid-February seeking ideas to connect university researchers with entrepreneurs for technology transfer ideas. By the time the short application time ended at the end of March, the university got 43 submissions, said Andy Fell, spokesman with the university. “We are still looking through them. We were casting a wide net, and there were difference approaches,” Fell...

Some people in the business community have already met our new editor, but many have not. Editor Jack Robinson joined the Sacramento Business Journal in late February. We sat down with Jack with a few questions to share with you here. Reporter Melanie Turner interviews Jack, with a couple of questions from Twitter. Thanks to Scott Eggert of MarketSmall.net and XSiGHT Photography and Video for shooting the video and putting it...

Medical technology continues to be healthy in the Sacramento region, according to a report. There are an estimated 4,440 med tech jobs in the area, according to the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA) MedStart progress report. And the number of med tech companies has grown to 103 from 73 since 2008. The report said 17 companies were added organically, partly with a broader definition of med tech that now includes drugs and biologicals as well as devices and diagnostics. “It’s been a busy year for our med tech cluster, which is thriving,” Cary Adams, chair of SARTA’s MedStart program, said in a...

Sierra Vista Bank lost $21,000 in the first quarter compared to a loss of $970,000 in the year-earlier period. The Folsom-based bank ended the quarter with assets of $83.9 million, down from $104 million at the end of the first quarter 2010. Started in 2007, the bank has offices in Folsom and Cameron Park. The bank added $130,000 to its provision for loan losses n the quarter and charged off as bad debt $233,000. “While real estate values have continued to decline, the bank is pleased with its efforts in addressing the problem loan...