More than 120 neighbors packed the David Lubin School cafeteria in East Sacramento last night for the third of eight "town hall" style meetings I am holding throughout Sacramento. These forums allow for an unfiltered exchange of questions and answers between me and residents of each city council district. They help voters hear my priorities, and I get to listen to their concerns.

East Sacramento is one of the wealthiest parts of our community. But most of the concerns I heard here were the same as in one of the poorest sections that I went to last week: public safety, transit, economic development, and education.

One resident told me he was tired of seeing the "holes in the ground" downtown, instead of development that creates sustainable jobs. Another lamented the lack of a mass transit system that services the airports and all parts of our community. Others were concerned about the reduction in police and firefighters available.

I also heard from a Midtown resident who asked about my position on marriage equality. I told her that I had my own personal views, but that I'd never force them on anyone, and that all citizens deserved the same civil rights.

It was a hearty, hour-long exchange, and I look forward to the remaining five of these meetings I'll hold in a neighborhood near you in the coming weeks.

Wednesday afternoon I had the chance to swing by a neighborhood celebration of sorts at Corti Brothers market in East Sacramento. More than 100 East Sac residents -- joined by the city's top chefs -- were on hand to celebrate the news that the market will not be taken over, and that the owner, Darrell Corti, is now in position to renegotiate his lease. I had the chance to talk briefly with Darrell before the press conference with the city's top cooks (including the chef/owners of Biba's, Lemongrass, and Spataro's). I let him know I'll do all I can as mayor to keep this East Sac landmark in the location where it has been since the early 1970s.

For those of you who don't know the history, Corti Bros. is a Sacramento institution and the foundation of the once-dominant Italian-American population in East Sacramento. Darrell Corti is one of the most knowledgeable food and wine aficionado's in California, and his market is stocked with exclusive gourmet foods. (Personally, I'm a big fan of the deli sandwiches).

Grocery stores with fresh produce are key to every neighborhood, and Corti's is no exception. It's exactly the kind of Sacramento-based small business we should be fighting to keep in our community.

When my campaign team wanted me to lead a tug of war between the Obama/Johnson campaigns and the McCain team at the Rivercats game on Sunday, I have to say I was kind of reluctant. I thought to myself, “I want to talk policy and they’re making me do this?!?” But I’ve got to admit it was great fun, being out there in front of a crowd of nearly 20,000 screaming baseball fans on a beautiful Sacramento evening. The tug of war was part of a Rivercats theme night that focused on politics (they also were giving away Bobbleheads of Senators McCain and Obama).

We had to dig, but our team pulled off a victory.

Symbolic of November? I hope so!

Every city needs a vibrant core. Here in Denver, it's the 16th Street pedestrian mall, a buzzing strip of restaurants, stores, offices, and hotels. Anchored by a baseball stadium at one end and blocks away from a convention center and another venue for basketball, plus a train station, it's the hub of Denver's downtown.

So what makes it work (as opposed to our own K Street)?

Transportation -- The city runs a free public transportation that runs up and down the street, allowing the public to jump on and jump off. The street is probably a couple miles in length, and the free transit makes it quick and convenient to get from one point to another.

Safety -- Granted it's convention week, but locals tell me there's always a strong police presence. It makes a world of difference.

Trees -- It's been in the high 90s all week, but the Mall is an oasis. It's tree-lined, with white lights lining the branches at night.

Bicycle Friendly -- This mall is open to bicycles, which makes it accessible to nearby residents who don't want to drive. There are plenty of bike racks too.

Which brings me to another feature Denver has that would work well in Sacramento: free loaner bicycles. This week, Denver launched a pilot program called "Freewheelin." You simply borrow a bike (you run your credit card through the system to prevent theft but there is no charge) from one spot and return it there or in any of seven other locations downtown. The program was set up using $500,000 worth of bicycles and equipment donated by bike manufacturers. Thirty of the bikes will stay after the convention.

I'm meeting with Denver's popular mayor later today and will have more about what he has to say about Denver's livability.

That's the theme of tonight's convention. Sound familar? It sure did to me, probably because OUR slogan is "A City That Works for Everyone." That the national Democratic theme and our theme for our city are almost the same doesn't surprise me. We share as same values as those gathered in Denver: economic opportunity, affordable health care, protection of our air and water, safe streets, and the best education system for our children.

I am a proud Democrat. And like Barack Obama, I am proud to have the support of hundreds of Republicans and independent voters. Together, we will make our city -- and our nation -- a place that works for everyone.

Last week I had the opportunity to view the stunning transformation of Portland’s downtown from a depressed urban core into a vibrant, twenty-four hour City.  The Pearl District offered many examples of thoughtful urban development.  The streets were lively, clean and very walkable.  The buildings were an appealing mix of old and new, with a strong emphasis on sustainable environmental practices.  I particularly enjoyed the Brewery Blocks, a renovation of an old Henry Weinhardt Brewery into a mix of offices, restaurants and housing.   It combines exciting, new architecture with a respect for Portland’s past.

The City does a wonderful job of encouraging people to leave their cars at home.  The streets are comfortable for pedestrians and bicycles.  The street car system is not only a convenient and inexpensive way to travel through the downtown, it is also an important catalyst for economic development.  In fact, Mayor-elect Sam Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard identified the streetcar as one of the most important tools in the City’s redevelopment toolbox.

There are many lessons that we can learn from Portland’s success—the importance of an effective public transportation system, the need for collaboration between the business community and government, and the importance of providing housing opportunities for different income levels and family configurations.  But perhaps the most important lesson that I took from the trip was how rapidly things can change with effective leadership and concerted community effort.

What an incredible way to start the Democratic convention. Between Ted Kennedy's blockbuster heroic speech and Michelle Obama's heartfelt remarks about faith and family, Democrats left the PepsiCenter fired up.

Sacramento and California played key parts. Both Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Speaker Nancy Pelosi had starring roles. I also saw Senator Barbara Boxer and several other Members of Congress in the house, along with our local delegates.

Kim Mack, who I've worked with on the Obama campaign, was on hand in a tie-dyed Obama t-shirt while other Obama-ites from Sacramento also are volunteering in venues around the city.

Tomorrow I kick off the day with education leaders and Newark Mayor Cory Booker. It should be another great day in Denver.

I had the pleasure tonight of attending a fundraiser for Barack Obama in San Francisco. There was a tremendous amount of excitement around the event. Outside of the Fairmont Hotel, throngs of people carrying “CHANGE” signs lined the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of the candidate. There was a dinner for about 200 people and a larger reception for approximately 1000 individuals. Jackson Browne and Graham Nash performed at the reception and kept the energy high all night. Nancy Pelosi gave a rousing introduction of Obama.I was able to speak to the Senator for a few minutes as he gave me some thoughts on my race. He said, “I’ve been keeping up with your race, and things are going to work out just fine based on what I’ve seen. Just be yourself.” During his address at the reception he talked about the need for better healthcare for families, prioritizing efforts to “green” communities, and why it’s important for leaders/government to avoid the influence of big lobbies (insurance, oil, etc.). It’s clear that he has tremendous momentum heading into next week and I’m excited to attend the convention in Denver to watch history take place as he accepts the nomination.

Today was the first day for St. HOPE Leadership Academy, our new school in Harlem. It was an incredibly gratifying experience to see the students and faculty in action. There is a strict uniform policy of shirts and ties for all children. Seeing the sea of well-dressed middle-schoolers was wonderful. There was incredible enthusiasm in the air and a sense of gratefulness amongst the community. We have about 150 children enrolled and another 200 on waiting lists for the school. We had people coming in off of the street pleading to have their students enrolled in the school. It was a great feeling to have, and I can’t wait to expand the school to be able to serve more families in Harlem.Later that afternoon I was invited to the UN to attend a talk by the Reverend Jesse Jackson during a Youth Forum.  It was fascinating to be in the very venue that I’ve seen so many times on television. Reverend Jackson gave an interesting talk but the highlight of the Forum was when a young man asked Jesse a great question about Haiti that was incredibly insightful. It was wonderful to see youth engaged in critical thinking and questioning someone as prominent as Jesse Jackson.

Last week I had the chance to tour Sacramento’s oldest fire station, Station #4 (www.sacfirehousefour.org), which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in October.
 
I’d bet a lot of Sacramento citizens don’t know that our city’s fire department is the oldest in the state, organized in 1850. In 1872, SFD became the first fire department where firefighters were paid. Station Four, located in Midtown behind the Safeway, looks much the way it did when it was built in 1933. And the firefighters there are proud to continue on the station’s tradition. They respond to about a dozen calls today, making it the 4th busiest fire station in the city.

Firefighters rotate in 48-hour shifts. The fire house has cots, but when they are at the fire house, these fighters are always at the ready.  I spent hours with the “B” shift, led by Capt. Lisa and fellow firefighters Eric, Matt, Adam, and Doug, along with medics Monica and Michelle. They’re amazing professionals. They epitomize the concept of teamwork. They keep their fire station organized, clean, and ready to respond with new technology and old-fashioned people skills to any call they get.

While I was there, I inspected the station’s equipment: the engine (which has pumps, hoses, and 500 gallons of water), the large fire truck (which houses everything from the Jaws of Life to saws), and the ambulance. I learned about all of the station’s tools, and some of the basics of air supply and other gear that keeps the firefighters safe when they fight blazes.

We were steadily going thru the fire station when we got our first call, an alarm from the local school. The firefighter team was assembled in seconds, and off we went. It turned out to be a false alarm, but it was amazing to see the teamwork involved and all the readiness preparation utilized so efficiently.

Back to the station we went, and then the alarm went off again. This time the medics were dispatched to help a woman experiencing a respiratory problem. We drove her to the hospital, and the medics dealt with lots of paperwork. They’re trying to make things more efficient, but the red tape for every emergency (or in this case, a non-emergency) was fairly overwhelming. They’re trying to be more efficient.

We headed back to the station, but unfortunately I had to head to another appointment. I was sorry I missed the lunch being prepared by Doug, who apparently has a reputation as being quite the chef, as well as dedicated firefighter. Next time!