Archive for July 1st, 2010
We’ve been following this story for about a year now.
When local boutique Artifacts opened up in the old Toy Room space on K Street, we cheered. Artifacts offers art supplies, clothing, art books and assorted hipster/skateboarder knicknacks. They have also mounted some of the best art shows in the city over the past couple of years.
When the store moved into the space next door to the old Toy Room, they did a great job of remodeling that store- the best part was the sleek wood slat facade that replaced the store’s cheap and crappy ’80s storefront. While the upgrade wasn’t quite as nice as the Cosmopolitan building at 10th and K, it is the next-best upgrade K Street has seen.
So what does the city do? Makes them tear it out, of course. Turns out that the building dates to 1870, and the new facade isn’t within preservation standards. That would be fine (and in fact we’d be cheering the decision) IF any part of the original facade was left. Anyone familiar with K Street knows that the storefront that Artifacts replaced was not even from the 197os, let alone the 1870s. The damage was done LONG ago.
Did the building owners file the correct permits? No. Does that mean that a blighted strip in the most intensely screwed up region of Downtown should lose one of the most appealing storefronts? Why is it that the city could not have worked with them to make the best of a bad situation? When the city is throwing tens of millions of dollars at rehabbing K Street, why is it that they didn’t do what was clearly the best for everyone?
Money. If we were talking about a multi-million dollar business created by a large developer, the city would not only have worked with them on the permits, they’d have thrown five or ten million city dollars their way to grease the wheels.
What about the history, you say? Remember, this is the same city that happily tore down the historic Merriam at 13th and J for a poorly thought out expansion of the convention center, tore down the historic Francesca Building so that the Hyatt would have a view of the Capitol and, best of all, tore down the Gold Rush-era Ebner Building in Old Sac so that a REPLICA could be built in its place. Why a replica rather than restoring the building? Because building a replica is cheaper than restoring the real building. So much for history.
Way to go.
by Becky Grunewald
On first introduction, the Sacramento tradition known as the dayrage can sound kind of like a pubcrawl, just like a Sac Treat resembles a michelada (see sidebar) – but there are subtle differences. One is that you take the day off of work. Two is that you start in the morning. Three is that it’s not cheesy like a pubcrawl because, well….it just isn’t. Read more »
By William Burg
The California Exposition and State Fairgrounds, site of the California state fair since 1968, seems like a permanent fixture to many Sacramentans. Older generations still remember the old fairgrounds at Stockton and Broadway. But that site was not the original location of the fair either; it was chosen when Sacramento’s urban growth crowded the fairgrounds out of their first permanent home – in Midtown at 20th and H Streets. Read more »
Lee Bob Watson has been kicking out rootsy music in the Sacramento region for over a decade. He’s best known for his long stint in the band Jackpot, but is focused on his solo work these days. As part of the Western Family Orchestra (Lee Bob, Gabe Nelson and others) he will be producing a series of radio shows for KVMR, Nevada City. The first live recording will be Friday, July 23 at the historic Nevada Theater in Nevada City, CA, with special guests Aaron Ross, the Moore Brothers and Bart Davenport. Read more »
Flatlanders III
Nelson Gallery
July 8 – August 15
Reception: July 8, 5:30-7:30PM
Nelson Gallery Director Renny Pritikin’s biennial Flatlanders show is always something to see, and this year’s edition features an intriguing mix of newer talent and artists with long history in the region. Read more »
Just as we approached deadline for this issue we got word that one of the region’s best known painters, Troy Dalton, had died. Dalton had a profound impact on the regional art scene and his work – and personality – will be greatly missed. We asked his friend Terry Hollowell for a few words. She provided the photos as well. Read more »
By Becky Grunewald photos by Scott Duncan
It started with the bone marrow: a dramatic dish that snapped me to attention. Two caveman-sized beef shanks split in half, resting on a bed of rock salt, topped with rough-chopped parsley and capers, piled with toast points for slathering. Read more »
by Josh Chaffin
I’ve had a few honors bestowed upon me at various times in my life: a blue ribbon in the science fair in 6th grade at Tahoe School, the Associated Press Radio and Television News Directors year 2000 award for Best Documentary/Special Program (co-producer), hearing myself on All Things Considered for the first time. But to be honest, gaining the recognition of my peers as the inventor of The Sacramento Treat kinda tops them all. Read more »
By Tony King
The venerable splatter-fest known as the Trash Film Orgy has been sating Sacramento’s cinematic bloodlust for a decade now, providing weird and warped midnight entertainment for its ravenous inmates… er, audience. Read more »