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There is an article today on SacBee.com regarding Sacramento’s 211 hotline and I found that many people didn’t even know this service existed! And, in an effort to help people during hard times, the Community Services Planning Council is looking to expand the hotline.

Callers using the 211 hotline can be referred to a wide variety of services that can hep with needs such as paying utility bills, mortgages, and other financial needs. Those who call also seek help finding temporary housing, children’s services and other help from nonprofit organizations. The service is also helpful during times of crisis and offers an alternative to the 911 system, which is for emergency situations only.

Currently only residents of Sacramento County can benefit from this service (in this region), but the council is looking to expand into five neighboring counties. By the end of the year they expect the hotline to handle over 55,000 calls and want to double that number over the next four years.

The winners have been chosen for Access Sacramento’s 9th Annual “A Place Called Sacramento” film festival, which is to take place on October 5, 2008 at the Crest Theater. Scroll down for a list of the winners!

Sacramento in Jeopardy by Garret Paul Nyland
Think you “know” Sacramento? Answer in the form of a question, no Dodgers please, and see why we are, “Superior California”.

AB-540 by Travis Silcox
Decisions made in our State Legislature have great impact on Socorro. Examine the meaning of “citizenship” through her eyes.

Sweet Lemonade by Alison Wells
It takes a village to “make lemonade” in this bittersweet tale of a mother and daughter’s struggle to live as a family in Serna Village.

Half a Man by Joaquin Murrieta
Guillermo’s courage is tested by the criminals he chases, his impending marriage, and as a man facing cancer.

The Note by Savannah Knight
Jaden’s melancholy over Kya preoccupies every thought. His friends cannot help but a mysterious note distracts him and the journey of unknowns begins.

Emergency 916 by Matt Johnson
When “nature calls” all other priorities become insignificant. Join one man’s “quest for relief” in downtown Sacramento.

Saturday is Rugby Day by Jessica Vasquez
Women’s rugby is one rough game. But team members struggle with thoughts of the one player not in the game.

Remember Me by Eric Cotenas
Melissa is missing – or is she? Landmark photos are the clues that Kyle and Alice follow, always dreading what they will find.

I Luv Sacramento by Wayne Johnson
Newspapers reporters compete for their job. Their assignment: find the ten reasons and one word that best describes living in Sacramento.

Stakin’ Claim by Russell Nichols
Should Joe, the longtime Del Paso Boulevard shopkeeper, sell out to the fast-food chain or join forces with Michael, Linda and the mysterious “painter”?

A Place Called Sacramento Film Festival Official Site

Below is a list of all of the free WiFi HotSpots in Sacramento listed on SuperPages.com. I haven’t verified the accuracy of all of the listings, but you can check out the complete list, including pay-to-use hotspots here. There is also a list of WiFi HotSpots here. If you know of any free WiFi HotSpots that aren’t listed, please list it in the comments. Thanks!

Apple Store
1689 Arden Way | Map

Arcade Learning Library
2443 Marconi Ave. | Map

Arden-Dimick Library
891 Watt Avenue | Map

Belle Cooledge Library
600 South Land Park Drive | Map

Brookfields No.2
4343 Madison Ave | Map

Central Library
828 I Street | Map

Colonial Heights Library
4799 Stockton Blvd. | Map

Del Paso Heights Library
920 Grand Ave. | Map

E.K. McClatchy Library
2112 22nd Street | Map

Econo Lodge – Sacramento
711 16th Street | Map

GigaBite Cafe
2427 Marconi Ave. | Map

Holiday Inn Express – Sacramento Convention Center
728 16th Street | Map

Hoppy Brewing Company
6300 Folsom Blvd | Map

Ichiban Technologies and Communications
1132 Wayland Ave | Map

Infusion Cafe
1628 K Street | Map

It’s A Grind Coffee House
2731 Del Paso Road, Suite 100 | Map

JavaCity
1800 Capitol Ave | Map

Martin Luther King Jr. Library
7340 24th Street Bypass | Map

McKinley Library
601 Alhambra Blvd. | Map

N Street Cafe
2022 N Street | Map

North Natomas Library
2500 New Market Drive | Map

North Sacramento-Hagginwood Library
2109 Del Paso Blvd. | Map

Panera Bread
901 Howe Avenue | Map

Panera Bread
2731 Del Paso Road | Map

Panera Bread
3571 North Freeway Boulevard | Map

Pin Ups Photo
924 K Street | Map

Rancho Cordova Library
9845 Folsom Boulevard | Map

Sacramento International Airport
SMF: 6900 Airport Boulevard | Map

South Natomas Library
2901 Truxel Rd | Map

Southgate Library
6132 66th Ave | Map

Streets of London
1804 J Street | Map

Super 8 – Sacramento
7216 55th Street | Map

Valley Hi – North Laguna Library
6351 Mack Rd | Map

Looking for fun stuff to do at the California State Fair without breaking the bank? There may be more than you thought… Here is a list courtesy the State Fair via KCRA.

Free Concerts – General viewing is included w/ admission – be at the stage by 4pm as seating is limited.

California Family Fitness Kidz Fitness Challenge – Kids can test their fitness levels at the Kaiser Permanente Kids Park.

Camp Smokey – Kids 12 & younger can complete tasks & earn a free Smokey Bear award.

Farm Passports - Visit the farm and participate in the Kaiser Permanente Passport program & earn a prize.

Hollywood Walk of Fame – Follow the path to better health. By tracing the route on the map, you’ll take 10,000 steps, the daily minimum exercise amount recommended by professionals.

Touchtone Tales Theatre’s Puppet Show – Kids are entertained by puppet shows, sing-alongs and crafts in the fair’s Kids Park.

A frequent destination for Sacramento area school field trips is the Nimbus Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery, located off of Hwy 50 and Hazel Ave. The Visitor Center is open every day from 10-3 and visitors can view the young fish in ponds prior to being transplanted to various parts of the Sacramento River-San Joaquin Estuary. Because the water temperatures can get too cold for egg survival, a weir is placed in front of the Nimbus Dam so Salmon cannot swim further upstream. A holding pond is reached by a 20 step fish ladder. Some years as many as 10,000 fish will climb the ladder.

Nimbus Fish Hatchery Official Site

The Sacramento River is the largest river in California, stretching 327 miles from Mt. Shasta down to the the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which empties into the San Francisco Bay. The river snakes its way from Northern to Central California, passing I-5 several times along a path that takes it past Redding, Sacramento and Davis. Sacramento and San Joaquin valley farmers utilize the Sacramento River for irrigation and the Sacramento Valley basin is a major source of drinking water for the state. Ocean going ships are able to navigate up the river from the San Francisco Bay to Sacramento via the Port of Sacramento’s deep water channel.

Beginning in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the American River runs all the way to the Sacramento River, near I-5 and Richards Blvd, where Discovery Park is located. Along the way the American River flows into Folsom Lake, created by the Folsom Dam. Water is released from the Folsom Dam into Lake Nimbus, which is created by the Nimbus Dam. The American River, as it flows toward Downtown Sacramento, is bordered by the American River Parkway and various State Parks.

There’s Craigslist, the Sacramento Bee classifieds and half a dozen others, but there’s a new FREE resource available to residents of the Sacramento area: SactoClassifieds.com

Help the Sacramento Classifieds get started by posting your ad, completely free. Unlike the Sacramento Bee, there is no charge to post an ad, unless you want it to run for an extended period of time, or want it to be featured. Plus, you can include up to five pictures at no charge. And, unlike Craigslist, there are hepful categories so your ad won’t get lost in a hundred other ads for completely unrelated things!

Visit www.SactoClassifieds.com and post your ad today!

Another part of the Discovery Museum is the Science & Space Center, located at 3615 Auburn Blvd. This center features themed exhibits including Bone Zone, Got Trees?, Gee Whiz Geology and Space Quest! Each exhibit runs six months at a time and is a perfect activity for children of all ages, who will also be able to utilize play spaces and costumes.

Science & Space Center Official Site

Learn more about the history of California’s Gold Rush and its connection to Sacramento at the Gold Rush History Center, part of the Discovery Museum. Located at 101 I St. in Old Sacramento, the Gold Rush History Center is free for children and members and is open most days between 10am and 5pm.

Gold Rush History Center Official Site