James Mazzaferro, band director at Sheldon High School, has been selected as one of two band directors in the United States to become a Bandworld Legion of Honor Laureate.

“It’s wonderful to see Jim recognized for the many years of hard work and dedication he has devoted to being an exceptional teacher and role model for students,” said Paula Duncan, principal at Sheldon. “Thanks to Jim, the music program at Sheldon has flourished into one of the top and most respected music programs in the area. He continues to raise the bar for musical excellence in his students and our school is thrilled to see him recognized nationally for his tireless efforts.”

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The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Paul Westphal. He has been with the Kings for about two seasons and leaves with a record of 51-120. Assistant coach Keith Smart will take over until a replacement is found.

“The overall performance level of the team has not approached what we felt was reasonable to expect,” said the Kings president of basketball operations, Geoff Petrie, in a news release.

Westphal saidn in a new release, “Geoff Petrie and his staff have been nothing but honest and supportive throughout my time here, they are first class in every way and I wish them nothing but success. My hope is to see the fans of the Kings and the city of Sacramento rewarded with many years of great basketball.” “Finally, I want to thank my loyal staff and players for their efforts in attempting to climb out of the hole we shared,” “Nothing comes easy in the NBA and I know they will not rest in their efforts to rebuild this team.”

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The Sacramento Public Library is presenting free, job search programs to help community members find employment. The Job Seeker programs are scheduled through June at the Rancho Cordova, Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven, North Highlands-Antelope, North Natomas, and Arcade library branches. Program listings can be found on the library website at www.saclibrary.org and clicking the Job Seeker box.

“With local unemployment nearing 12 percent, the Sacramento Public Library is providing our helpful resources as learning tools to search for jobs, improve interview skills, refine resumes, and more,” said Rivkah K. Sass, library director. “We care about our community residents, as many are our library card holders and others who frequent our 28 library locations. We are all in these tough economic times together.”

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A very nasty stomach virus called the Norovirus has been reported in Sacramento County. According to the Center for Disease Control website, Norovirus is highly contagious and easily spread. Its symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. The virus is a threat to the very young, elderly and people with other illnesses. It can cause weakness and dehydration.

The virus has hit hard is several senior care facilities. 30% of the residents at The Commons in Elk Grove have had the illness. The residents have been isolated to their rooms and all holiday events have been cancelled according the facility manager.

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Starting next Monday Sacramento, Modesto, and Stockton area McDonald’s will be giving away free coffee. The giveaway will last two weeks and does not require a purchase.

” … We know that many are struggling to make ends meet,and this is our way of lending support during these difficult times,” said Steven Ramirez who owns a McDonald’s in Elk Grove. “As the holiday season comes to a close and budgets become tight, we hope this program will offer some comfort to our community and also warm them up a little during this cold winter season.” Ramirez said.

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The Sacramento Public Library invites teens to bring their creativity and build items from Tinkertoys, uncooked spaghetti, marshmallows, and more. The free program is scheduled Friday, January 13 at 4 p.m. at the Rancho Cordova branch, 9845 Folsom Boulevard, Sacramento.

Not the best honor for our fair city, but we did win the title of city with the ugliest men. Of 20 cities, Sacramento, California rated itself as having the ugliest men.

The survey was done by LivingSocial. The most vain cities were Miami and Chicago. Only 23% of Sacramento residents consider men in the city as handsome. Sacramento residents report less plastic surgery than other major cities as well.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced today the completion of emergency repairs on State Highway 20’s 10th Street Bridge over the Feather River.

The seven-month, $12 million project strengthened two of the 23 piers that support the 64-year-old bridge and added new erosion protection for three other piers. The emergency work ensures the four-lane span linking the twin cities of Yuba City and Marysville will withstand heavy river flows in the future.

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The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) urges motorists to reduce their speed at the State Highway 65 detour under the Industrial Avenue Bridge just south of Sterling Parkway.

Caltrans is reminding motorists to follow the temporary traffic signs, stay alert and observe the 20 mph speed limit in a temporary construction configuration located on northbound Highway 65 near Sterling Parkway. Since June, Caltrans has shifted traffic at the south end of the $325 million Lincoln Bypass project to allow for construction of the new highway connections to the current freeway. The detour will remain until the new 11.7 mile stretch of freeway is open to
traffic, which is scheduled for late summer of 2012.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today that California’s DUI deaths reached their lowest level ever in 2010. This also signifies the largest single yearly drop of DUI deaths in the past 14 years. A record low of 791 persons were tragically killed in DUI crashes on California roadways last year, compared to 950 in 2009. DUI deaths in California increased yearly from 1998 to 2005, but have decreased every year since 2005.

“This marks a huge milestone in the fight against drunk driving,” said California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Director Christopher J. Murphy. “While we are elated by these figures, there were still 791 lives, futures, and dreams that will never be fully realized. We cannot back off from our ultimate goal – toward zero deaths.”

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