Breakfast at Cassidy's

Last Tuesday, I woke up a little earlier than usual to visit Cassidy's Family Restaurant. Councilwoman Sophia Scherman regularly hosts a 7:30 a.m. breakfast there for her constituents. She pays for the coffee and meals that are at a certain price. However, she wasn't there that morning. Instead Cody Tubbs, deputy city manager, presided over the event.

The topics of conversation stemmed from Neighborhood Services, the umbrella that Animal Services, Community Enhancement, Economic Development, Public Information, Solid Waste, and transit services (e-tran) falls under. I sat back to watch and listen to people's behavior and reactions during the meeting. Ten of the people who attended the meeting were there because they were complaining about a neighbor who keeps his RV in his sideyard and has built a fence around it that extends towards the sidewalk. One of the neighbors had already filed a complaint about it. Other people brought up other concerns, such as a business that has moved into a residential neighborhood, street racing, and a piece of land near a man's house that has a lot of trash.

One of the first things I noticed when I walked into the room was the sheer number of people. I think at one point there was around 25 people in that room. Some people got to sit at the long, rectangular table, while others had to simply sit in chairs. Another thing I noticed were the demographics of the attendees: practically everyone seemed to be Caucasian and I seemed to be the only attendee under age 40 or even 45. That was something that really stood out to me on that day.

This is Suppose to be Relaxing?

I don't consider myself a crafty person, but recently, I took up knitting. I visited Knitique in Elk Grove. Besides selling yarn and products related to knitting, there are also classes. The story was originally suppose to be about a Wednesday night class, but it turned out to not be a class at all, at least not a formal one: a group of ladies sat around a table, chatting, knitting and occasionally helping each other with their handiwork from 6-8 p.m. for the shop's "late nights."

In reality, the people who really got to experience a knitting class was the photographer, Rebecca, and me. The owner of the shop, Danielle, actually gave us our own knitting needles and let us choose between four different colors of yarn. She taught us how to knit a scarf, which (in theory) is pretty basic since you're doing the same thing over and over again. I was having a harder time with knitting than Rebecca, but eventually, I got the hang of it, thanks to Danielle and Paula, who works at the shop. In fact, I became so caught up in my knitting that I ended up coming by the shop a second time, this time concentrating more on getting quotes from different people about the shop and their experiences with knitting.

Each person had their own knitting-related story, and that's what I tried to capture in my article. Although the story ended up being more like a business profile, I wanted to focus on the human element. To the people I spoke with, knitting is more than just a hobby, pastime, or method of creating more sweaters and blankets. Instead, it has had an impact on their lives, especially when it comes to forming relationships with other people or helping them to relax.

Just about everyone I spoke to said that knitting is therapeutic, relaxing, or practically like breathing. Well, if that is the case, then there have definitely been times when I've struggled for air, and back at home, my mom has had to come to my rescue: one of my stitches would be too loose or too tight, or I'd totally mix something up. So far, I have completed about five inches for my scarf. I have to really concentrate and pay attention when knitting, so it hasn't been so natural for me that I can watch a movie and knit without looking down (like at least a couple ladies that I've met). However, it gives me something to do, and it's nice to take a break from the computer once in awhile to knit.

Danielle said knitting kept her relaxed when she was in high school. Since the start of the school year is just around the corner for me, maybe I'll see if that works for college students too.

The End of a "Harry" Month

As you know, this is the end of July. July was a good (though perhaps bittersweet) month to be a Harry Potter fan for a couple reason:

1. July 11- The cinematic adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the 5th book)
   
2. July 21- The release of the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the 7th and last one)

I thought the 5th film was good, though I found it strange that the longest book in the series was adapted to the shortest film thus far. I didn't re-read the novel before watching the film, but from what I can remember, much of the 5th book consisted of internal things, such as angst, anger, and other feelings. Although actors can portray these sorts of feelings, it's not the same as reading the author's descriptions of a particular character's feelings, behavior, and thoughts. That is one of the reasons why people shouldn't expect film adaptations to be a "perfect," word-for-word representation of books (if you want word-for-word, read the book). Although it would be nice for any adaptation to stay as close to the source material as possible, if there are changes, I hope the changes capture the spirit of the book and make sense for the film.

I think the reason why I'm not super strict when it comes to adaptations in general is because most of the time, I watch a film before I've read a book. This isn't a conscious decision; it's just a pattern that I've noticed about myself. Another thing I've noticed is that I'm more likely to be disappointed in an adaptation if I've read the book beforehand. I think not reading the book beforehand allows me to keep an open mind about the film, and I can appreciate the film and books as separate entities.

The Harry Potter series is one of the rare occassions in which I've read the book before watching the film. For the latest Harry Potter film, sure, there were certain parts that I wish would have been fleshed out for the sake of character development. However, the film did sum up the basic plot of the book. Plus, I was entertained and had an enjoyable experience.

As for the 7th novel, I don't think it was my favorite in the series. Still, I did like it and thought it wrapped up the important points in the novel itself and the overall series. The members of my immediate family are Harry Potter fans. On one hand, it's great to have people to share the experience with and understand your interest, but on the other hand, there's more than one person who wants to read the book at the same time. My family members like to peek ahead at the ending before they've even read the Harry Potter books. However, I prefer to read them page-by-page from beginning to end. To me, J.K. Rowling chose to write and arrange the story in a certain way, so I'm going to read it in that manner. I want to be surprised when I come across a twist or pivotal moment. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Let's just say that I covered my ears and did a lot of humming when the rest of my family discussed the ending (they also sometimes had to go to a different room with the door closed if they wanted to discuss the book, as well).

It's still sinking in for me that this is the last book of the series. However, a couple positive things came out of it:

1. I attended the midnight release of the Harry Potter book and wrote a front page story about it for the Citizen. It was my first time going to this sort of event, and I wouldn't have had a reason to attend it if it weren't for the newspaper. It was a crazy, memorable event; I don't think I'll ever see Borders that crowded again.
   
2. Now that I basically know the whole story, someday I want to re-read all seven books back-to-back in order to pick up on any clues that I hadn't noticed before. Although it's techinically over, I definitely think the Harry Potter series has staying power and will be consider classics in their own way.
   

Fore-get about it!

My family became interested in golf at least five years ago, thanks to a golf program that came with our computer. Eventually, actual golf clubs would replace the computer mouse, as my dad, sister, and I would visit a local nine-hole golf course. Instead of a round of golf, though, we usually played at the driving range and putting green. Years later, none of us play golf anymore (unless you count my dad who plays golf on the computer with a more sophisticated program than the one we first encountered).

On Tuesday, for a story, I got to play a little bit of golf. However, instead of clubs or even a mouse, I used discs (Frisbee-like, round objects, though they're totally different than a Frisbee). Instead of trying to get a ball into a hole by hitting with clubs, you toss a disc into a metallic cage-like basket on a pole. Other than that, both sports have the same objective: trying to reach your targets in the least number of attempts.

At Elk Grove Regional Park, there's a new nine-hole disc golf course. I met two disc golf enthusiasts (one of whom is a former national and world amateur's masters disc golf champion) at the course. These two guys, who also teach a beginning disc golf class, not only showed me how it's played but tried to teach me too (remember, it's all in the wrist). Let me tell you that it's harder than it looks, and by the end of the interview (Yes, this was still an interview), my wrist was temporarily a little sore.

One of the men brought aong his 14-year-old daughter, who has been playing the sport for about five years. She brought up a great point: one of the things she likes about disc golf is the price. Discs can cost about $9-16, and there isn't a green fee for the Elk Grove course. Meanwhile, just imagine the hundreds or even thousands of dollars a person can spend on the other type of golf. Just imagine what you could be doing with the money you save, such as buying more discs to replace the ones that end up in the lake at Elk Grove Regional Park.

Do you want fries with your story?

In addition to my internship, I recently started working a summer job (and from the title of this post, you can probably guess the industry). At the ripe, old age of almost 21, it's actually my first fast-food job, not to mention the first job in which I've had to wear a uniform. In fact, whenever my sister sees me in my work attire, she keeps saying that it looks like I've gained 50 pounds. I think she's exaggerating (maybe at least 20 pounds would be more accurate)?

Anyways, so far, the job isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've met people and chit-chatted with some of them when business is slow or when we're on break. I'm getting better at taking people's orders and figuring out what to type into the register (deciphering all those acronyms that stand for a certain item off the menu), but I definitely need to perfect my ability to fill an ice cream cone- without making a mess.

I usually don't eat at fast food restaurants, but lately, I've started craving burgers. In fact, when I got off work on Sunday and went to Applebee's with some friends for dinner, I did end up ordering a burger (the Aloha Burger, to be exact). At work, we're allowed to have a free meal during a lunch break or when our shift is over, and I'm going to try to stick to the healthier fare instead. At home, though, I try to memorize things off the menu (to help me when I'm at the register) and have started to pick up on how much certain items costs. Yes, no matter what, I have burgers on the brain.

A Tale of Two Protests

These days, protests are not uncommon across the country. When I hear the word "protest," I admit there are stereotypes that pop into my head of what a protest "should" look like and what the protesters "should" be doing and even what they "should" look like (or, at least, dress like).

During my spring 2007 semester at San Jose State University, for an assignment in my information gathering class, my classmates and I attended an on-campus protest. A group of students protested against the proposed tuition increase for the CSU system. There was already some tension in the air, since CSU faculty members had proposed a rolling strike, demanding raises for themselves. The class assignment was to do some reporting and then come back to the classroom to write about the event "on-deadline," turning in the story by a certain time during class.

Some of the protesters were wearing the color red or had red armbands. Some held signs, and there was even an effigy of CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. People took turns expressing their opinions by talking into a microphone on stage. Then, the group marched across campus, chanting (they had handouts with chants written on them) and passing out fliers along the way. They stopped for a few minutes outside of Tower Hall, which is where the president's office is located. They stood outside of the building and chanted. Altogether, there were probably around 30 or 40 people who participated in the march.

That protest was the first one I've ever reported on, even though it was just a class assignment that wouldn't get published. My first protest story that would be published, though, was for the EG Citizen. The protest happened before the last Elk Grove City Council meeting. The issue that evening was about the proposed big box store ordinance. Prior to the meeting, there was a group of people from the Elk Grove Coalition Advocating Proper Planning (EGCAPP), people who support the ordinance. They wore stickers and held signs that had the words, "I support a Turlock-style ordinance...and I vote." On the other hand, people from Wal-Mart and its supporters had stickers with the word "BAN" crossed out, like a No Smoking symbol. If neither side had stickers and signs, then I may not have been able to tell right away which side they belonged to (I may have even mistaken some of them for staff members of the city government). Since the protest began at 5:30 p.m., I had the impression that many people had got off from work not too long ago, which may explain their business casual attire.

Altogether, there were more people who attended this protest (and the council meeting), compared with the participants in the march at SJSU. However, I thought there was more activity taking place at the SJSU protest than the protest outside Elk Grove City Hall (I'm not including what happened during the actual meeting). Overall, though, both protests featured people who felt strongly enough about an issue to express themselves publicly. Although I made my own observations of what happened during both protests, talking one-on-one to participants added a human face to the issues.

Greetings from Galt & Wilton

Let's play a game of word association. What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you see the word...Galt? For me, it's the word "market." I've visited Galt a handful of times for the Galt Market on Wednesdays. Another "market" (or rather a grocery store) that comes to my mind is Save Mart, though recently, the Albertsons locations in Elk Grove are now part of Save Mart (but that's another story).

The next word that would come to mind is "newspapers." Today, Jeff and I went down to Galt to visit Herberger Publications, where the Elk Grove Citizen and many other publications (including a paper I used to work for: Cosumnes River College's student newspaper, The Connection) are published. I met many people and got to see the large (and noisy) machines that print the newspapers.

We took "the scenic route" back to the office by going through Wilton. This was the second time in my life that I had ever visited this place and seen the farmland (or what remains of it). One of the most unexpected things I saw were certain animals, such as a zebra (definitely an unexpected sight and not something one sees every day). Along the way, Jeff would point out different things, as if he was a tour guide. He shared little news tidbits as we passed by certain places. I rode shotgun in his car, and apparently, I was the first person to ride along with him in months. By the look of things, I wasn't too surprised about that!

The More Things Change...

...the more they stay the same- at least that's how the saying goes. Citizen news editor Jeff Forward once suggested for a potential blog entry, I could take a drive around Elk Grove and make observations.

Well, I haven't taken that "official" drive to check out the sights and sounds of EG. However, last Thursday, I drove to Elliott Ranch Elementary School for its Gallery Night. The students, all 1,014 of them (according to the program I obtained at the door), had artwork on displayed in the multi-purpose room, thanks to the school's new art docent program.

Since I was going to the school straight from the newspaper's office, most of my journey involved driving on Elk Grove Blvd., essentially Elk Grove's "main street." If you're familiar with the location of the Citizen's office, it's near Old Town Elk Grove: all those historic buildings and small businesses. Meanwhile, the elementary school is on the other side of town (or Laguna West, for all intents and purposes), near I-5 and the Stone Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

I usually don't go to this area of Laguna, though I've (or, more accurately, my dad has) definitely driven past it to get to I-5 on our way to San Jose. On that Thursday, during this drive, it felt like I'd left one place to go to another totally different place. As I got closer and closer to the school, the buildings, particularly the houses, started to look quite different than where I had just left: everything was much newer and bigger. It may sound kind of silly, being from Elk Grove and all, but I admit that I was amazed at the differences in surroundings when doing this comparison.

What made this comparison even more significant for me was earlier that day, I had actually visited Old Town to celebrate the birthday of one of my co-workers at the newspaper, June. The staff headed to a Chinese restaurant called Happy Garden (the building was previously the home of the EG Club). It was my first visit to this restaurant, and overall, I had a good experience, particularly with my kung pao scallops. Also, I can't forget the sign that was outside of the kitchen's entrance and written in this manner:
Danger
Men
Cooking

Two Reporting Assignments/One Day

Tuesday was a long day for me- literally. I woke up at around 6 a.m. to attend a 7:30 a.m. press conference (though it really ended up being a 7:40 a.m. one). The purpose of this press conference was for local city officials to demand Prop. 1B funds from the state government. It was my first press conference, but I was accompanied by a staff writer, Blake Ellington, and we wrote the story together that same day. Basically, the only people at the press conference were government officials/people who organized it and a few members of the press.

The press conference took place at a parking lot at the intersection of East Stockton Blvd. and Sheldon Road, near a Highway 99 interchange. Commuters often park their cars at this lot to ride a bus to Sacramento. I'm quite familiar with this intersection, not to mention the amount of traffic in that area. As a reporter, the hardest thing for me was trying to hear and understand what the people behind the lectern were saying. Besides the cars whizzing through the intersection, there were also the sounds from the nearby highway. It also didn't help that some people didn't speak directly into the microphone.

In the evening, I was in a neighborhood where a shooting had taken place last week. I have a connection to this neighborhood because my old elementary school, Ellen Feickert, is merely a few blocks away from the scene of the crime. In fact, I used to ride the school bus past the street where the shooting had taken place.

For this story, I was supposed to get neighbors' reactions to the incident. The quotes would be added to a story written by staff writer Cameron Macdonald. The prospect of going door-to-door to people's houses didn't appeal to me. What I ended up doing instead was walking around the block: if someone was standing in front of his or her house or was out for a walk, then I would talk to that person. There's also a nearby park (coincidentally just behind my elementary school) where I also found sources. Normally, I feel a little comfortable going up to people and trying to interview them, but compared to knocking on doors, I chose "the lesser of two evils."

One of the things that I realized was that people seemed to relax and feel more comfortable, when they learned I attended Feickert or graduated from Elk Grove High School. This type of personal information isn't related to the story, but just casually chatting with someone can help build trust.

High School Graduations: The Start of Something New

Last week, I started working at the Elk Grove Citizen. For my first two assignments, I wrote about two graduations: Valley High and Florin High.

What made the assignments even more relevant to me is that my sister is a member of the class of 2007, graduating from Elk Grove High. In fact, Elk Grove's ceremony was before Valley's. I couldn't help but mentally compare the three graduation ceremonies. For instance, Valley and Florin both had student performers sing songs on-stage. They both also had skits, where a group of students would talk about and reminisce over events and memories from the last four years. Meanwhile, Elk Grove featured a student, a contestant in a Poetry Alive! competition, who recited Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," one of my all-time favorite poems. Elk Grove also had its valedictorian and salutatorian give speeches, which didn't happen at Valley and Florin's ceremonies.

All three of these graduation ceremonies happened at Arco Arena. Although I've lived in the Sacramento area my whole life, I can count on one hand the number of times I've visited Arco (one of those times includes my own high school graduation, class of 2004). As a member of the press, I was able to interview students prior to the ceremonies, as they waited patiently behind the scenes. There was a sense of excitement and nervousness in the air as soon-to-be graduates shared their feelings and plans.