Calling god, moving on

Drive west on Interstate 80 in West Sacramento—toward Mecca, depending on your worldview—and amid industrial warehouses and an Eppie’s, you will see a large billboard asking “Why Islam?”

Sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America, based in the not-so-holy land of New Jersey (again, depending on your worldview), the billboard is one of several locally that aim to better educate people about Islamic faith in advance of Ramadan (the ICNA also has a booth at the California State Fair).

As part of that, the Why Islam website FAQs includes: “How does Sharia compare to Western Law?” and “Why does Islam permit Polygamy?” These are interesting questions to discuss, and handily the West Sacramento billboard includes a number, (877) WHY-ISLAM.

A quick call reveals it bills itself “the Islamic information line,” and apparently a busy one. After choices for a reading of the Quran and general information, a recorded voice says, “Your call is really important to us. Unfortunately, no one can take your call right now, please leave a detailed message.” (Hugh Biggar)

There oughta be a meeting

MoveOn.org has come up with some impactful ideas, but its “American Dream” house meetings may not be the best ever—at least not in Midtown.

Scheduled nationwide for last weekend, the meetings were intended to organize a grassroots, progressive response on issues related to the economy and social services. The agenda included discussions of job creation—that doesn’t involve more tax cuts for the wealthy but does include an end to corporations outsourcing jobs overseas; equitable tax policies; and protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

And then there were some predictable items, if still worthy: ending the wars, Wall Street regulation, disclosure of campaign contributions.

According to MoveOn.org, there were 1,500 of these house meetings held throughout the country.

But on the grid, we didn’t get a chance to discuss these issues. I signed up for the Midtown meeting, but got an email saying it was canceled.

Could it be that the reporter was the only one who signed up? (Kel Munger)

Still pursuing passions

Last Friday, downtown’s Met Sacramento High School broke ground on what will be the greenest and first LEED-certified public school in the Sacramento area.

Principal Allen Young, who was featured this past May on SN&R’s cover (“Pursue your passions,” SN&R Feature, May 26), said that finally the school “will be as awesome as our staff and students.” The $6.9 million renovation, which includes larger classrooms and a new gymnasium, should be completed by the year’s end.

The Met, whose teachers had their pink slips rescinded this past month, also opted not to file to become an independent charter. And now the school will have a face-lift unequalled in the region. “The students, known as Metsters, have endured long enough,” Young said of the old campus. “Just a few more months.” (Nick Miller)