Issue: June 07, 2012
Automatic rifles, grenade launchers, elbow pads, night-vision goggles—when it comes to military handouts, it's hard to beat Sacramento County. Ranked No. 3 in the state, Sacramento County has raked in $25.3 million in goodies from the U.S. Department of Defense since 1990. It's not all weapons—the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department scored a $5,603 espresso machine—but it begs the question: Are area cops becoming too militarized? Raheem F. Hosseini investigates.
In Frontlines: Sacramentan Anthony Swofford found success with his book, Jarhead, which was brought to the big-screen with A-list talent in 2005. Success proved almost as difficult for Swofford as he descended into a spiral of sex drugs and alcohol, including a trip to Tokyo where he bedded three different women—two he flew in and installed on different floors of the same hotel, and a third a subway stop away—without the others finding out. Swofford tries to make peace with his past in his latest work, Hotels, Hospitals and Jails. Mary Duan reports. Also this week, Nick Miller has the scoop on a rekindled Second Saturday parking battle, Cosmo Garvin wonders why animal control killed Frank so soon, and also looks into the ongoing battle over pumping gas under Sacramento's Avondale and Glenn Elder neighborhoods.
In Arts&Culture, Steph Rodriguez takes a ride with two of Sacramento's most legendary taxicabs—driven by Dave "Taxi Dave" Rivera and Lorraine "Taxi Lorraine" Fisher—to hear tales of fares gone by. In case your calendar's broken, we're reminding you it's almost Second Saturday. Check out our art picks for this month online and pick up a copy of SN&R for a map of galleries to check out this weekend. Also, Greg Lucas visits Juno's Kitchen & Delicatessen, Stage goes from Triple Espresso to Toke, Nick Miller has good news for Sea of Bees fans looking for a show.
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Sacramento’s army
A peek at the tens of millions in freebies—automatic rifles, grenade launchers, elbow pads and night-vision goggles—local law-enforcement agencies cash in on from the Department of Defense.
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Daddy, complex
Money, fame, sex and drugs didn’t do it for former Sacramentan and Jarhead author Anthony Swofford. He had to make peace with his past.
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Excerpt from … Hotels, Hospitals and Jails
An excerpt from Anthony Swofford’s new book Hotels, Hospitals and Jails
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Parking wars, again
Sacramento considers crackdown on parking during Second Saturday.
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Pressure on gas project builds
Will Avondale and Glenn Elder gas project blow up? And Franklin Boulevard and Broadway hope to blow up with Second Saturday traffic.
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Sue the government
An 18-year-old goes after state department over climate change.
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River retreat
A bird survey and habitat restoration day offer a chance to connect to the earth.
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One sweet deal
Spend an afternoon on Pacific Star Gardens farm picking—and sampling—seasonal, organic strawberries.
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Letters for June 7, 2012
Sacramento News and Review readers share their thoughts on the Sacramento Kings of yore and rebel miners while clearing up bicycle regulations.
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Ask Joey: Father, figured
Joey advises a reader that her heart should not belong to Daddy.
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Gubernatorial grub
Gov. Jerry Brown delivers a thought-provoking speech at the California Chamber of Commerce’s annual Host Breakfast.
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Brace yourself
Kristy Oneto’s recycled-material bracelets work at the office, on the dance floor or in the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max.
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Culture fades as generations pass
The Mexican explores the future of America and the future of his column.
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Amazon.com and taxes
Internet sales giant continues to pretend sales-tax laws don’t apply.
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No pass for Obama
A Davis author has a long list of reasons he can’t support President Barack Obama’s re-election.
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God only knows
Rachel on growing up Southern Baptist and facing “sin.”
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Sacramento’s taxicab confessions
Two Sacramento cab drivers share stories of love, danger and what they drove.
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Overly caffeinated
Triple Espresso debuts at the Cosmo Cabaret.
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Tightly packed
Deedee Kirkwood-penned play says too much about too many different things.
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Party in the plaza
Fiesta en la Calle brings Latin music to Cesar Chavez Plaza every Saturday throughout the summer.
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June art picks by Shoka
Elliott Fouts Gallery has moved to Midtown.
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Lighten up
Chris Fraser focuses on light for his Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento art installation.
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Cheesecake factory
Mel Ramos’ work is at Archival Framing for the month of June, and at the Crocker Art Museum through October.
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This sweet is bananas
Bananas make for the perfect one-ingredient frozen dessert.
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Pork chopped—cash, saved
Divide up your savings goals with a four-chambered Money Savvy Pig piggy bank.
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A game of survival
These Zombie tarot cards just might save your life.
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Hotter, wetter, scarier
Bill McGuire’s new book explores the relationship between climate change and geography.
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Dangers on a train
Amtrak’s Coast Starlight route traverses gorgeous scenery, stirs up intrigue.
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Juno’s Kitchen & Delicatessen: Small wonders
East Sacramento’s Juno’s Kitchen & Delicatessen is already a neighborhood staple with its fresh salads and hearty sandwiches.
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Beer + art = sweet charity
Hit up the Verge Center for the Arts and Ruhstaller Beer this Thursday.
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Urban Ag Fest
Slow Food Sacramento’s Urban Ag Fest reception and dinner highlights edible gardens.
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Wildlife sentence
A new mural in downtown Sacramento on the Born Free USA office building by Alex “Cabron” Forster.
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Sea of Bees returns with four Sacramento gigs this week
SN&R catches up with the NPR-approved local phenom at downtown's Broadacre Coffee.
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Epic belly burst
You’ve got to hand it to Ridley Scott for engineering this decades-deferred anticlimax with such straightfaced panache.
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For Greater Glory
Mexico’s Cristero War forms the spine of this movie from writer Michael Love and director Dean Wright.
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Madagascar 3
Alex the lion (voice by Ben Stiller) and his zebra (Chris Rock), hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and giraffe (David Schwimmer) pals are still trying to get home to New York.
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Snow White and the Huntsman
For the second time this year, we get a revision of the Brothers Grimm tale of the conflict between Snow White (Kristen Stewart, dull and lifeless as ever) and her wicked stepmother.
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