Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has not been deterred by two court rulings that prevent his strong mayor initiative from being placed on the June ballot. His latest strategy is to ask the City Council to place a new strong mayor proposal on the ballot.

But Johnson’s new plan, which he announced on his blog Monday afternoon, cannot include the existing strong mayor initiative. That's because Sacramento Superior Court Judge Loren McMaster struck down the initiative last month, saying it broke state law.

Johnson's blog entry does not explain the components of his new proposal. He described his new plan as a "collaborative executive mayor reform package." Joaquin McPeek, Johnson's spokesman, declined to specify details Monday night. McPeek said Johnson will take questions from reporters on the proposal Tuesday.

Johnson said in his blog that he would ask the City Council on Tuesday to consider his new plan.

"The time has come to spell out in simple language a handful of points necessary to make executive mayor reform work in Sacramento," Johnson wrote.

If the City Council decides to vote on a new measure, it will need to create a new proposal in 15 days. The City Council has a Feb. 23 deadline to prepare a measure for the June ballot.

“The City Council has the ability to put their own measure on the ballot,” city spokeswoman Amy Williams said. “They are barred by Judge McMaster’s order from placing the strong mayor initiative on the ballot.”

Johnson's strong mayor goals have been stymied by two courts.

Plaintiff Bill Camp sued the city of Sacramento, the Sacramento City Council and Thomas Hiltachk, the attorney who wrote the strong mayor initiative. Making major changes to a city charter through an initiative conflicts with state law, Camp argued.

The January Sacramento Superior Court decision said the existing initiative would revise the city charter. A revision differs from an amendment because it makes major changes, according to the decision.

Johnson’s initiative also faced problems at the 3rd District Court of Appeal, which last week decided that it would not temporarily halt McMaster’s decision.

In a separate development last week, the group Sacramentans for Accountable Government held fundraisers for the initiative. Each person who attended a SAG luncheon at the Cosmo Café last Thursday paid $1,000. The contribution amount for an event sponsor was $5,000.

A second fundraiser focused on a conversation between Frank Luntz, a Republican consultant and pollster, and Willie Brown, who formerly served as California Assembly Speaker and mayor of San Francisco. The cost to attend that fundraiser was $100 per person.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Popular rock band Jack's Mannequin is playing at Sacramento State Thursday. The concert is the fifth stop for the "Sing for Your Supper Tour," which also features rock bands Vedera and fun.

fun. member Andrew Dost said the tour has been awesome so far.

"It's been such a joy to play for people who are so accepting of new music," he said. "The bands are good. We have a tremendous amount of respect for Jack's Mannequin."

Dost said fun. is on its second tour with Jack's Mannequin, which is enjoying the success of its second album, "The Glass Passenger." The album has sold over 200,000 copies since its release in September 2008.

Jack's Mannequin formed as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the lead singer and songwriter of piano-punk band Something Corporate, when McMahon wanted to write music that wouldn't fit the Something Corporate sound.

He started recording the debut album of Jack's Mannequin, "Everything in Transit," during a hiatus from Something Corporate. "Everything in Transit" was a success, selling over 250,000 records and earning Jack's Mannequin a large following. But McMahon's life was about to change.

McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on the last day of recording "Everything in Transit."

Over the next year and a half, he received constant cancer treatment, started the "Dear Jack" foundation for cancer research, and saw the public release of "Transit." In July 2006, McMahon announced he no longer needed treatment and had made a full recovery. McMahon recently released the "Dear Jack" DVD, a documentary about his struggle with leukemia.

Since McMahon's recovery and the release of "The Glass Passenger," Jack's Mannequin fan base has continued to grow, with people gravitating to McMahon's honest songwriting and catchy rock songs laced with piano hooks.

The "Sing For Your Supper Tour" marks the third time McMahon has played at Sacramento State, once with Something Corporate and once with Jack's Mannequin.

"Both shows were great," said Zenia LaPorte, program adviser for Sacramento State's UNIQUE program. "They were very entertaining and did very well attendance-wise."

LaPorte said the show is going to be great.

"Jack’s Mannequin has great energy," she said. "Most wouldn’t think you could do much with a piano, but this guy really rocks it."

Jack's Mannequin and the "Sing For Your Supper Tour" will be in the University Ballroom of the Sacramento State Student Union Thursday at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available, and are $18 for Sacramento State students and $24 for the general public. You can get tickets at the Sacramento State box office, or at tickets.com.

Two thirty-somethings who grew up in Sacramento's restaurant scene are teaming up to open a French-influenced restaurant next month.

Simon's Bar & Cafe co-owner Alan Chan is opening his second restaurant, Bistro Michel, at 1501 14th St. The bistro will be managed by Richard Macias, who's worked in restaurants all over Sacramento. The two became friends after Macias got a job bartending at Simon's.

Chan, 36 and Macias, 35, plan to open a restaurant that is "simple and classy and not overbearing," offering primarily American food cooked with French techniques and priced for most people, Macias said.

They got fired up about French food while in France a few years ago to celebrate a friend's birthday. The bistro's name was chosen in memory of an incredible side trip they made to Brussels. The name of the city's patron saint, Michel — also known as Saint Michael the Archangel — was plastered all over, Macias said.

"We've been to France many times," Chan said. "We're inspired by the food and we want to do something special ourselves."

The bistro will replace Gaylord Restaurant in the Admail Express building, an infill redevelopment project by the Capitol Area Development Authority.

Chan grew up in the restaurant business. Nearly the same can be said about Macias, who has worked in the industry since he was 14. As teens, they went to rival Sacramento high schools.

Chan's uncle, Simon Chan, and father Johnny Chan opened Simon's more than 20 years ago. Simon owned the bar and Johnny owned the restaurant. Alan Chan took over the restaurant when his dad retired. His uncle still owns the bar.

Macias began working in coffee shops 21 years ago while in high school. He has since worked in many restaurants. He waited tables at The Waterboy, did everything from serving to cooking at The Kitchen, and helped open Selland's Market-Cafe as a manager and the person in charge of wine. Macias has also worked at 55 Degrees and Ella.

"I think I've worked at every restaurant in town," he said. "You get stale. You want to learn something new."

Chan and Macias are working together on the bistro's wine list and menu. One side of the bistro will hold a cafe where people can buy pastries, sandwiches, coffee and espresso. The neighborhood doesn't have another coffee shop within four or five blocks, Macias said.

The bistro will offer a tier of service, with approximately $5 sandwiches and $10 sit-down lunches. Wine pricings won't be "inflated," and the restaurant will offer wine tastings and other fun events, he added.

Bistro Michel will focus on farmers' market produce and locally raised meats from Bledsoe Ranch meats, as well as meats from Colorado. Dishes could include a classic rack of lamb with herb crust and potatoes au gratin using a dried truffle cheese, and a New York strip steak with bone marrow butter, French fries and spinach. The food will be prepared with the French technique Macias learned at high-end establishments.

"We just kind of want to do something that's in that style, but caters to the budgets of people who aren't executives," he said. "I don't know that we can call it French."

Chan has looked at many other locations over the years. They both like the location at 14th and O streets because it's in the central business district and close to the Capitol and the offices of many state workers.

"It's an ideal location for us, we feel," Chan said.

They expect to open the restaurant and bar in March. The cafe will open a couple months later. They will add onto the sunroom that was used as a dining room by Gaylord's.

The pair is still working out the interior's design and color scheme. They're starting with a thorough cleaning. They'll replace carpeting with flagstone, tile or nice linoleum. Pastry cases and counters must be built and the seating will be changed. Once they open, they'll seek customer input for other changes, Chan said.

"We want to make everything better and better as we go," he said.

Imagine having the chance to see one of your favorite artists play a solo acoustic show walking distance from your apartment. Now, realize that day is Super Bowl Sunday.

This was my predicament as I walked toward the Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd., to see Black Francis of the Pixies. Licking the buffalo wing sauce from my fingers after putting on a jacket over my "I Love New Orleans" shirt I walked inside.

Inside Blue Lamp, the excitement was contagious. An estimated 60 people were anxiously waiting for the show to begin. Most were passing their time smoking cigarettes out front or drinking by the bar. Since I don't smoke, I went to the bar. With a beer in hand, I felt the show could begin.

Taking the stage first, opener and Orangevale-native Noah Nelson set the tone for the rest of the evening with his smooth, husky voice and strong guitar skills. Singing about life in Orangevale and drinking, Nelson accomplished what few opening acts achieve:capturing the audience's attention.

Nelson made good music, but there was no question who people were there to see.

"I came here to see Black Francis," Sacramento resident Chad Seely said. "I've been listening since the early '90s, so I'm pretty excited right now. I've never seen him before."

The young and old crowd mixed more than most shows. Older and younger people talked about the Pixies, life and beer, waiting for Francis to take the stage. The Pixies formed in 1986and have since created a large fan base.

"I like to say I came late to the party," Sacramento resident Richie Collins said. "I started listening to the Pixies only within the past 10 to 12 years. Since then I have seen (Francis) many times, even at Freeborn Hall in Davis."

Standing on the stage, sweating under the lights, Francis stood looming over his microphone. An electric guitar with frayed edges (I like to imagine the scars are from wild and crazy nights after gigs) was the only equipment he needed to entertain the crowd.

He played material from the Pixies' and Frank Black and the Catholics' catalogues, singing for over an hour. Hits such as "Where Is My Mind?" and "Monkey Gone To Heaven" drew crowd sing-alongs as Francis' voice cut through the verses like a man on a mission. His raw vocal talent is enough to be the envy of most people, but when combined with the hard strumming, the outcome creates a rare sound.

"His voice is as strong as ever," local resident Armando Rivera said. "I've seen the Pixies before and his voice sounds just as good as it did many years ago. Tonight was a great show."

Rivera took the words from me. Rocking on stage most of the night, Francis capped off a great day. As I walked home, I though about how full of chicken wings, guacamole and great music I was.
 

Sacramento Kings rookie swingman Omri Casspi will be a participant in H.O.R.S.E., presented by Geico at the NBA 2010 All-Star Weekend in Dallas on Saturday, according to a report by J.E. Skeets of Yahoo! Sports.

The event is this Saturday at 4 p.m. on TNT. The report also indicates that last year's H.O.R.S.E. champion, Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, and Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will also compete for the title.

Casspi has already been selected to the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, where he will play for the rookie team along with rookie teammate Tyreke Evans.

The game is this Friday at 6 p.m. on TNT.

Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting Stars contest, representing Team Sacramento with former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarchs forward Nicole Powell.

The contest starts at 5 p.m. on Satruday, also on TNT.

If Casspi is selected to play H.O.R.S.E. the Kings will be represented in three All-Star events this weekend. The last time the Kings were represented in an event was 2004 when Peja Stojakovic competed in the Three-Point Contest and Brad Miller played in the All-Star Game.

Despite the fact that the Sacramento Kings (16-34) are slumping, its rookie guard, Tyreke Evans, has a bright weekend ahead of him during the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Evans, along with fellow rookie teammate Omri Casspi, will represent the Kings on the Rookies team in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at the American Airlines Arena, home of the Dallas Mavericks.

The Rookie Challenge is a game where the league's best first-year players (Rookies) of this season compete against the best of the second-year players (Sophomores), who have won the past seven games.

The game will be televised on TNT Friday at 6 p.m.

Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting Stars contest alongside former King Chris Webber and former Sacramento Monarchs forward Nicole Powell.They will form the first Team Sacramento.

Shooting Stars is a competition where teammates shoot from six spots on the court in order of numbers one through six. The team that finishes with the fastest time wins.

The contest will also be televised on TNT Saturday at 5 p.m., when Team Sacramento faces teams Atlanta, Los Angeles and Texas.

Evans and Casspi will be the first to represent the Kings in the Rookie Challenge since Hedo Turkoglu played as a rookie in 2002. They will also be the first Kings to participate in an All-Star event since Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic in 2004.

Although Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry won January's T-Mobile Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Evans won the October/November and December award and is the top candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Through three games this month, Evans has averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, seven assists and 1.7 steals per game. For the season, he's averaging 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

This weekend, Evans will make his second and third national television appearance. He impressed many in his first nationally televised game with his superb performance and game-deciding steal against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 16.

Now, Evans has another opportunity to put the Kings back on the map in front of a much larger audience.

Access Sacramento is hosting a 3 hour telethon on Friday February 26 in our TV Studio. We will be putting together crews to tape record three, one-hour programs that will then playback from 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM that same night.

Produced in partnership with the "Buck-up or Shut Up!" event organized by the Sacramento Music Alliance, our combined efforts will ask local viewers to remember Haiti and ocntinue to donate. The devastating earthquake that killed so many and left so many more families homeless, will take many years to rebuild. Let's not forget them - Haitians of all ages still need our help.

Sacramento musicians are joining together with Access Sacramento to bring this appeal to local viewers. There are three ways to help. Attend - Volunteer - Donate

(1) ATTEND the "Buck Up or Shut Up!" concert this coming Saturday (Feb. 13 - Second Saturday) at the Beatnik Studios 2421 17th Street 6:30-10:30 PM. Bands include: Ito, Poetiic, Souferior and the Immigrants, UKA Celeb, Derius, Urban Fire, DJ Wokstar, Mr. C-Well, and Sonada Malay, and Lady Tasz. The host for the evening will be Channel 18's "Rapkind TV" master of ceremonies, Mafiyo. For more details contact Sarah, the event organizer at: seracy@playwidease.com or visit the web site: www.playwidease.com

(2) VOLUNTEER your time to help with the televised event on February 26 (Friday) in our TV studio from Noon-7 PM. Contact Michele Barbaria by e-mail at: mbarbaria@accesssacramento.org if you are certified to work on Studio TV crews. The above music event will be combined as roll-ins to in-studio interviews with many local dignitaries including Handy Gedeon host of "Caribbean Expose TV" also seen on Channel 18.

(3) DONATE at the "live" event this Saturday or by going to one of the many on-line donation sites including www.redcross.org to give all you can to help rebuild Haiti.

Sacramentans have given much already but there is much more to do in this fragile country. Help us help them.

The Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce’s 17th Annual Installation Dinner was held Feb. 4th at the Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Over 600 guests enjoyed passionate speeches by guest George Takei and 2010 SACC Honoree, West Sacramento Mayor, Christopher Cabaldon who focused on the power of strong leadership.  

The SACC was honored to present the  2010 awardees: Kaiser Permanente (Corporate Steward Award); Fast Signs of Elk Grove (Small Business Award); Asian Resources (Vu Nguyen Heroism Award) and Megan Franks, Rancho Cordova Marriott (Ambassador of the Year). The SACC Installation Dinner is held each February and includes the installation of new Board Members of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.”

For more photos go to phototia.com.

 The Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce’s 17th Annual Installation Dinner was held Feb. 4th at the Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Over 600 guests enjoyed passionate speeches by guest George Takei and 2010 SACC Honoree, West Sacramento Mayor, Christopher Cabaldon who focused on the power of strong leadership.  The SACC was honored to present the  2010 awardees: Kaiser Permanente (Corporate Steward Award); Fast Signs of Elk Grove (Small Business Award); Asian Resources (Vu Nguyen Heroism Award) and Megan Franks, Rancho Cordova Marriott (Ambassador of the Year). The SACC Installation Dinner is held each February and includes the installation of new Board Members of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to spend Friday morning in Vancouver, B.C. participating in the last leg of the torch relay that leads up to the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympic games.

The former body-building champ will pass the torch off to runner Sebastian Coe, a two-time gold medalist.

Click here for more from the Associated Press.