Sacramento Neighborhoods

How dads can help with Little League, Boy Scouts

2011-06-17T02:51:44Z

Bob Tanaka has a long personal history with the Boy Scouts. Now the father of a 13-year-old, Tanaka serves as a scoutmaster for his son’s troop in Sacramento.

But Tanaka, 47, brings plenty of experience to his scoutmaster duties: He earned the prestigious title of Eagle Scout during his own days with the Boy Scouts.

“Scouting meant a lot to me as a youth,” Tanaka said, “and I appreciate the opportunity to serve again as an adult.”

Tanaka said he volunteers around 30 hours per week with Troop 50, which meets at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento at Riverside Boulevard and Broadway.

“I grew up in this program in the late ’70s and early ’80s,” Tanaka said, adding that scouting is a “lifetime experience” that he treasures.

Local Boy Scouts and Little League groups provide ways for fathers to volunteer, connect with and support their children.

Tanaka, a civil engineer for CalTrans, said he encourages fathers to volunteer with the scouts because “it’s very worthwhile and very rewarding.”

Bob Cardosa, a state worker, also volunteers time to help his children and other young kids. Cardosa is manager for the Land Park Pacific Little League and the father of a 9-year-old girl, Kelly, who played on the team. The last game for the season was June 8.

Cardosa, 52, coached his three other children in the past when they were younger.

He said he enjoys watching the players start at a beginning point and then later learning the game to the point where they “make a play that blows you away.”

To volunteer with local Boy Scout Troops, call 929-1417 or log onto www.beascout.org.

To learn more about the Land Park Pacific Little League, visit http://www.lppll.com/.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

New group to focus on gardening, health

2011-05-20T17:50:25Z

Local organizations focused on healthy communities are hosting an event in Oak Park on Saturday to educate the public about gardening and fresh food.

The new coalition, Grow Together Sacramento, will create a few small gardens and teach the public how to set up gardens at the event.

Paul Towers, state director of the environmental group Pesticide Watch, said the coalition will build gardens and focus on the question: “How do we get as much healthy food as possible into the hands and bellies of Sacramentans?”

The Pesticide Watch Education Fund is a partner in the coalition, along with City Councilman Jay Schenirer’s office, Sacramento environmental group Ubuntu Green, the Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition and others.

Towers said Saturday’s event will be the first of many centered around building gardens.

Making healthy food more accessible to the public through gardening will be a key part of the coalition’s work, according to Towers and Schenirer.

“We find that Sacramento is a heart of some of the richest agricultural land in the country, if not world,” Towers said.

But many Sacramento residents don’t have access to healthy, fresh and local food, he said.

While Schenirer’s office is playing a role in the coalition, Schenirer said it will not be run by the city.

“We want ownership (of the gardening campaign) to be in the community,” Schenirer said. “Ownership doesn’t necessarily need to be the city or city bureaucracy.”

At Saturday’s event, residents can also talk to Bill Maynard, the city’s community gardening director, about the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. community garden.

There will be a lottery for people interested in plots at that garden, which will open in June at 3668 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Maynard said. Residents who would like to be in the lottery should contact Maynard at the event or by phone at 808-4943. The garden will have 38 plots.

A small number of plots have been reserved for people with disabilities, he said. Those plots will be higher than the other plots, and people won’t have to bend down, he said.

“They can stand up and garden,” Maynard said. Or, they can garden alongside their plot in a wheelchair, he said.

Gardening is a hot topic right now at City Hall. Ramping up the number of community gardens in the city is the subject of a proposed ordinance. It’s unclear when the City Council will consider the proposal – Schenirer said he did not know when the council would examine it.

If you go:

Where:

40 Acres Complex at 3434 Broadway

When:

10 a.m.: Garden training

11 a.m.: Remarks by speakers including Mayor Kevin Johnson and press conference

A second garden training will follow the press conference.

The event is free to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Neighborhood Services could shrink to 5 staff

2011-05-11T00:57:10Z

The city’s Neighborhood Services Division is on the chopping block again this year after it lost its status as a department in last year’s budget cuts.

In June, the City Council is expected to make major cuts to close out the city’s $39 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

The Neighborhood Services Division, which links neighborhoods to city issues and events and works with residents on local concerns, could lose two full-time employee positions to budget cuts. While two positions may seem like a low number, the division has only seven employees, according to Vincene Jones, Neighborhood Services manager.

In last year’s budget process, the Neighborhood Services Department became a division of the Parks and Recreation Department, two staffers were laid off and Jones’ title changed from department director to division manager. In recent years, Neighborhood Services’ staff has been cut from 16 employees to seven, Jones said.

Cuts to the division are recommended by Interim City Manager Bill Edgar and Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka.

“We support every neighborhood association that comes to us and doesn’t come to us,” Jones said. “We support every department, including mayor and council. It will be a decrease in our level of service, and that’s unfortunate.”

Jones declined to identify the employees who may be laid off. She said she thinks the position cuts will result in at least one layoff. Jones said she was unsure of how the second position cut will play out.

“It hurts, and it is the hard part,” Jones said, referring to the potential layoffs.

The city would save $140,556 by making cuts to the division, the text of the proposed budget states.

The cuts would scale back the division’s services “to the City Council, city departments and community organizations on a variety of projects, events, initiatives and collaborations,” according to the budget’s text.

Michael Moore, 52, a UC Davis Medical Center employee and member of the Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association, asked whether the division could be effective with a staff of five.

“As a recent graduate of the '11 City Management Academy sponsored by the Neighborhood Services Division, I'm extremely aware of the already-diminished services several years of increasing budget, and staffing cuts have caused citywide,” Moore said in an email Tuesday.

“Certainly the loss of two more (full-time positions) would only add to the reduced impact of this vital city department, and might bring into question whether the city can efficiently and pragmatically continue to provide the range of services Sacramentans have come to expect (if not demand) of our tax-supported municipal government. When does a department become so small as to be functionally useless?”

Read a list of the budget hearings here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Low-cost support for Natomas moms

2011-04-29T02:39:41Z

Participating in a family-centered activity group in Natomas helped Katie Rozental feel less isolated when she was a new mom.

Rozental said she benefits from the Natomas Mothers’ Group, which offers a wide range of activities for mothers and young children up to age 5 for a membership fee of $40 per year.

“I’ve been in the group for almost five and a half years now, and I really don’t know what I would have done without (Natomas Mothers’ Group),” Rozental wrote in an email Thursday.

“There were times when I was a first-time mom where I felt trapped in my own house and just felt lost, and if I didn’t have the play groups to go to, I think I would have gone crazy! NMG has been an invaluable source of knowledge, friendships for both me and my children and support,” she said.

The group, which is welcoming new members, hosts play groups for mothers and their children about three times each week, said Leslie Whitesel, a leader in the group. In addition to the play groups, the group organizes field trips for kids, seasonal parties, and Moms’ Night Out events.

The group formed more than 20 years ago and now has about 34 members, she said.

Group members help each other when they experience major life events. When a member is pregnant, undergoing surgery or facing a death in her family, the Natomas Mothers’ Group holds its Sunshine Support activities.

“(For) anybody who needs extra support, we will ask for volunteers to bring them meals, or anything else they may need to get them through a difficult time – usually, it’s for a couple weeks,” Whitesel said. “For example, right now, there’s somebody who’s going to have surgery next week. All she wants is just somebody to take care of her kids – to get her kids out of the house, to take them to the park (and) take them to play with other kids while she’s recovering at home.”

The group is active in community service events, and has donated to Women Escaping a Violent Environment, a nonprofit organization that assists people in domestic violence and sexual assault crises.

Children also make friends through the group. Whitesel’s son, Joshua, who said he is “6 and three quarters years old,” said he met his best friend through the Natomas Mothers’ Group. He said he enjoys the group’s annual family camping trip.

“It’s like it’s a little tent neighborhood,” he said.

Email natomasmothersgroup@gmail.com to join the group.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Youth violence forum draws large crowd

2011-02-17T06:47:26Z

In the view of Sacramento community activist Kathy Jenkins, stronger parenting of youth is key to reducing gang violence. At a forum in Oak Park on youth and gang-related violence, Jenkins told a crowd of about 150 Sacramento residents, city staffers and police officers that assertive parents should influence the lives of young people.

“This is called parenting, this is not policing,” Jenkins said.

“If we could parent, and if we can raise,” she added, “and if we can encourage, and if we can take guns and give books, if we can give dolls instead of pimping ... If we could do these things, we could put (the police) out of work. I would rather see them writing parking tickets.”

Jenkins was one of many speakers at the forum, organized by Mayor Kevin Johnson’s office. Johnson had planned to attend the Oak Park event, said his special assistant, R.E. Graswich. But he canceled in order to accept an invitation from the White House to spend time on Wednesday with President Barack Obama, according to Johnson’s press office.

Police Chief Rick Braziel, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones and Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully were among others who made remarks at the forum. Residents also participated in the forum by brainstorming ways to halt youth violence in the Sacramento area.

Braziel explained the police department’s Operation Ceasefire program, in which officers meet with youth involved with violence, he said. “We bring them in and give them alternatives,” Braziel said.

The department and local support service programs provide services to the youth so they can stop a violent lifestyle, Braziel said. Other partners in the program include the U.S. Attorney’s office and the District Attorney’s office, he said.

Jones emphasized prevention of gang violence and said it was part of his gang strategy. “What’s been long overdue is the prevention side,” he said.

One of the attendees, Malcolm Stone, 63, told The Sacramento Press that he recently moved to south Sacramento from Riverside County. He said he had earlier thought that Sacramento was somewhat “sleepy.” He and his wife are “shocked about all the violent crime in the news” in Sacramento, he said.

Assistant City Manager Cassandra Jennings wrapped up the event, telling the attendees that city leaders plan to create an action plan to address youth violence. She said focus groups will be organized in March, and another community forum will be held in April. In June, the city hopes to have an outline of a strategy, she said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City budget discussed in Pocket

2011-02-04T06:40:45Z

About 65 Pocket and Greenhaven residents gathered Thursday night to learn about current city issues. City staffers briefed the citizens on the city budget, green waste pick-up services and other topics during the community meeting, which was organized by City Councilman Darrell Fong.

Attendees were fully engaged throughout the meeting, asking plenty of questions. It began at 6:30 p.m. and by 8:30 p.m. few had left John F. Kennedy High School on Gloria Drive.

City Finance Director Leyne Milstein presented information to the group about the city’s $35-$40 million budget gap for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

She noted that the $35-$40 million represents about 20 percent of the net general fund, which means the city expects to cut its budget by that percentage.

Resident Bob Pecora asked Milstein about ways the city could bolster the economy.

“We need to take the initiative ourselves and try to put measures into place that will help us to grow the value of our economy locally,” Milstein responded.

The issue of trash pick-up was brought up later in the evening. Resident Roger Fong asked Utilities Department spokeswoman Jessica Hess about problems with his loose-in-the-street green waste pick-up.

The city uses two green waste pick-up systems – green waste is picked up in the street or in containers. The Utilities Department is in favor of the container system, which it says is more affordable.

Roger Fong said that he pays more for his loose-in-the-street pick-up. But his neighbors, who have containers, still put their green waste in the street, he said.

“My neighbors don’t seem to understand ... I always pay my fee and they don’t.”

Hess said the department is going to soon take action on that issue.

The meeting covered the work of various city departments. But the city’s budget crisis was a central theme of the meeting.

Darrell Fong told his constituents that he wanted them to help him with budget decisions on city services.

“I’m going to get you involved to decide what services are important to you,” Fong told the group.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Recycling center raises concerns

2011-01-06T02:20:11Z

A Buddhist church located at Broadway and Riverside Boulevard has recently raised concerns about a nearby recycling center, saying it has attracted problems such as trespassing at the church’s property and human urination.

The center, MS Recycling, is located at a Valero gas station next to the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. The center leases from the property owner of the gas station, Vince Lera, according to city documents.

“We've got community programs running from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., seven days a week, that serve the very young and very old. And they deserve a safe and clean environment,” Kelvin Mark, president of the Buddhist church, said in an e-mail.

Lisa Nava, district director for Councilman Rob Fong, wrote in Dec. 23 e-mail to the Greater Broadway Partnership that the center will be closed down. Nava said the recycling center would be closed down because the Valero gas station intends to install a biofuels station to next to its gas offerings and will no longer have space to lease to MS Recycling. However, Nava said she did not have a timeline for the closure.

Mark claimed that a litany of problems are occurring because of the center, including littering, narcotics peddling and indecent exposure. He said he has called the police for drunk and disorderly behavior.

The Greater Broadway Partnership, an alliance of businesses on Broadway, has also become concerned about activities at the center. “We felt the operation of the recycling center was not being done in a responsible manner,” said Teresa Rocha, the partnership’s executive director.

Attempts to talk to employees and managers of the recycling center were unsuccessful. One of the recycling center’s workers declined to be quoted.

Mark said he was unsure about the status of the recycling center, saying “the words from Lisa Nava are (that) we don’t have any details on when the closure will happen or how it will happen.”

Photo by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Environmental group works with neighborhoods

2010-12-23T01:42:33Z

Wooden boxes of chard, kale and collard greens on Charles Mason’s front yard in Oak Park are likely to be installed at dozens of spots in Sacramento next year and into 2012.

Mason, the founder of environmental nonprofit group Ubuntu Green, is organizing a project to place up to 60 small gardens in an area that includes the neighborhoods of Oak Park, Tahoe Park, Lemon Hill and Fruitridge Manor.

The home gardens project, funded by the California Endowment, is one of three programs Ubuntu Green will focus on in 2011. Ubuntu Green will work next year on a land-use environmental project with eight neighborhoods as well as host an annual event in September on environmentally friendly living.

The group, which Mason founded in January 2009, is working with several organizations on the land-use program, including WALKSacramento, the UC Davis Center for Regional Change and the Youth Development Network.

“Ubuntu” is a term traced to Africa’s Bantu languages that refers to a “humanist philosophy emphasizing community, sharing and generosity,” according to the environmental group’s website.

Mason sat down with The Sacramento Press in Oak Park on Wednesday to discuss the group’s upcoming work.

SP: What is the purpose of Ubuntu Green?

CM: “Green” for us is ... removing environmental health and justice problems within our communities, improving our access to transit and improving our access to healthy foods, among other things. But (it also means) changing how land-use decisions are made in our communities so they are done in a way that promotes health, and that indirectly and directly, has no impact, or less of an impact, on the environment. We took the land-use approach to greening an urban environment.

(In a low-income community), you’ve got a much larger percentage of people who are transit-walk-bike dependent. These people have no access to resources, or limited access to resources, unless they have access to transit – especially if you’re talking about seniors and very low-income people. So, if you increase transit access in those communities, you promote the use of the transit. You (also) give them better access to all the different services and amenities they need day to day.

The Sacramento Press pointed at two wooden boxes filled with plants on Mason’s front yard.

SP: What is going on here?

CM: Under our current grant with the California Endowment, and we’re working in partnership with Soil Born Farms, we have been funded to do 60 of these home gardens in the Sacramento Building Healthy Communities area.

SP: What are these plants?

CM: These two rows are different types of chard … These are different types of cabbage. Over here, we have mustards – very spicy. And these are collard greens, and about two different varieties of kale.

SP: What are a few of the group’s goals for 2011?

CM: We’ve got tons. One is obviously to get the (installation of the garden boxes) out of the way. We’ve got to get that program up and out. We’re doing our Green Oak Park and South Sacramento (event).

And then we’ll (continue) with our healthy land-use engagement project. So, that’s our major project where we’re engaging local residents around how to address land-use issues in their communities. We’re working with eight neighborhoods in the Sacramento Building Healthy Communities area.

SP: Is it an environmental focus?

CM: We’re going to be asking them to look at transportation issues in the sense of – look at your sidewalks. Look at your ability to walk and bike and drive around this community. Talk about your access to transit. Talk about where you go to get your food. Is it healthy? Is there a community garden nearby?

Read more about the healthy land-use engagement project here.

Learn more about the home gardens project here.

Photo of Charles Mason and his box gardens by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

School's Newton Booth expansion stalls

2010-10-22T01:16:16Z

Efforts to open a new campus in the central city’s Newton Booth neighborhood have stalled because of fundraising difficulties.

Stephen Repsher, headmaster of Country Day School in Sacramento’s Sierra Oaks neighborhood, said the school is struggling to raise a remaining $1.2 million to launch a campus in the old Newton Booth School at 2600 V St.

“We’d love to have the money right away, but we’re having a dickens of a time raising the funds,” Repsher said.

At this point, the preschool-to-12th-grade school has collected about $1.3 million of the $2.5 million it needs to start a new campus, he said. The school enrolled 471 students at its Latham Drive location in the 2009-2010 school year, according to its website. Country Day’s high school students would transfer to the Newton Booth site, according to the school’s plan.

Repsher said the school is still actively fundraising. For example, people can donate through the school’s website.

“But we’re also recognizing that in this economy, it’s very difficult to expect a lot of funds in a short period of time,” he said.

Repsher said he’s mindful of the possibility that another entity might buy the property.

However, he noted that the school has wanted a second campus for 20 years, and will not “give up easily.”

Photos of Newton Booth School by Jonathan Mendick.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Should neighborhood group ditch the acronym "NAG"?

2010-05-18T05:57:09Z

Should the Neighborhood Advisory Group change its name to avoid the acronym “NAG”?

That’s one of the questions neighborhood activists raised at Monday’s NAG meeting. Sacramento neighborhood leaders are mulling possible changes to the functions of their community group, as well as engaging in a more light-hearted discussion of their name.

But it’s not like the neighbors didn’t realize the humor in the acronym.

Margaret Buss of the Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association explained the name to other neighborhood leaders at the NAG meeting, which was held at the Hart Senior Center in Midtown.

The group’s acronym was “definitely tongue-in-cheek,” she said, while its full name was formal.

“I have a fondness for the acronym for that reason,” Buss said.

In addition to thinking about a possible name change for the group, the neighborhood activists are evaluating some of their processes. A handful of neighbors who participate in NAG meetings is recommending that the larger group pursue efforts such as encouraging the city government to make its budget decisions and financial concerns accessible to the public.

Another idea on the table is for some of the neighbors to form a transportation and traffic planning workgroup “to discuss traffic impacts and transportation planning on current and future development projects,” according to a NAG handout distributed by Sacramento resident Dale Kooyman.

Neighbors involved with NAG are expected to discuss the new ideas at their June meeting. The city's Neighborhood Services Department works with NAG.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Budget cuts prompt neighbors to help maintain Land Park

2010-05-04T03:22:16Z

A group of 90 residents who are afraid of further budget cuts to city parks gathered Saturday at Land Park to take maintenance chores into their own hands.

Neighborhood activists recently formed the Land Park Volunteer Corps, which met at the park to trim bushes and beautify the grounds, according to Craig Powell, coordinator of the group.

“We’re doing our part in the community,” Powell said. “We’re responding with what we can do.”

The city is struggling with a $43 million budget gap for its 2010/2011 fiscal year. Powell said he is concerned that city parks may face a third consecutive year of extensive budget cuts.

Parks were hit with $8.3 million in cuts during the 2009/2010 budget process.

The group plans to meet and carry out maintenance tasks at Land Park monthly during nine of 12 months each year, Powell said.

Councilman Rob Fong has dedicated about $2,800 from his discretionary fund to the Land Park Volunteer Corps, Powell noted, adding that the group has received about $3,600 in private donations.

City officials released a draft budget Friday that does not contain breakdowns of the budget cuts to departments. Information on department cuts will be released near the beginning of June, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

For information on how to participate with the Land Park Volunteer Corps, contact Craig Powell by e-mail at ckpinsacto@aol.com or by phone at 916-718-3030.

Photo of Craig Powell by Kathleen Haley.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Part 2: Interim city manager answers neighbors' questions

2010-04-14T04:11:23Z

Interim City Manager Gus Vina responded to questions from six neighborhood activists in an April 9 interview with The Sacramento Press. The following are Vina’s responses to questions from three neighborhood activists. Read Vina’s responses to questions from three other involved citizens in an April 12 story at The Sacramento Press.

Question from Sacramento resident Dale Kooyman:
(Ray Kerridge) felt residents did not know what was best for their quality of life when it came to communicating with city staff, historic preservation, streets, sidewalks, traffic, transportation, planning projects and related early notification, neighborhood-serving businesses, fiscal matters, entertainment and alcohol venues ... A prior city manager (Bill Edgar) stated as his management philosophy that a city is a collection of many residential and business neighborhoods, and a city is as healthy and strong as its unhealthiest and weakest residential or business neighborhood. Therefore he promoted engaging both when making decisions that affect these neighborhoods ...

Which of those two philosophies most closely reflect your management philosophy? If the former, what good has come of such a divisive philosophy?

If the latter, what role(s) do you see neighborhoods (business and residential) playing in your management approach, and how would you engage them, including staff working cooperatively with both?

Interim City Manager Gus Vina:
I would like to talk about Gus’ philosophy, rather than Ray's or Bill’s. And I think it’s probably a combination of both.

Who’s our community? (That is) the question. Our community is our residents, our visitors and our businesses. And, I do absolutely believe that we all have to work together.

And, the city (staff’s) role is to facilitate the vision that council sets out for us. And a lot of that vision is in the general plan ... And part of that facilitation is to make sure we understand who the stakeholders are and engage them.

Rarely will you get everybody to agree to everything. You’ve already failed if that’s the goal. So, the goal is good communication, great outreach, get people to participate and then decisions need to be made ... But I think we can do really well for our businesses and our neighborhoods when you have that kind of engagement, good communication and early communication — so they’re not finding out about it when the shovel goes in the ground and we’re already building something.

Question from Sacramento resident Michael Boyd:
The city could be working with neighborhood groups to facilitate discussions of the types of businesses needed in each neighborhood. Block by block. We should have a clear vision of what our areas should look like.

Another very easy tool to implement is a system of early notification. I know we have some semblance of one, but it is not nearly as effective as it should be. Residents should know what is being proposed as soon as it is proposed. Neighborhood associations should be the first stop for developers for true consultations, not presentations.

Do you agree, and if so, what, specifically, will you (do to) engage residents, businesses and developers to a truly consultative process?

GV:
I do believe that working with our neighborhoods is important. I believe we do a pretty good job of that. We have a Neighborhood Services Department (that) is very active in our neighborhoods. And we try our best to bring issues, concerns (and) the things that are being proposed in the city out to the neighborhoods as quickly as we can.

So, I’ll do my best to look for opportunities where we work with neighborhoods to understand better ... the business development that they think would be beneficial to that area.

I have several goals that I have committed to as interim city manager ... and the first one is to get a balanced budget in place. And so right now, that’s my most immediate focus, and it has a lot of priority. When I’m done with that, which should be in July, I plan to dive into our economic development strategies and make sure that I understand and can help lead the economic development process. Because that’s going to be the key to fixing our budget -- more so than just, "Where are we going to cut programs?" So, I’ll keep these thoughts in mind. And we should keep our neighborhoods in mind as we look at land-use opportunities and try to develop the city.

Neighborhoods and residents/citizens need to know that their involvement — their participation in any of these development projects — can occur in a number of ways. We have the Development Oversight Commission that looks at these plans as they’re being submitted. And those (plans) are public. We (also) have (opportunities for public comment) when the projects start coming to council ... So, certainly, what citizens can do is stay involved and come to council meetings and engage the council when those projects are being discussed.

Additionally, of course, we can make sure we’re getting out to neighborhoods — and I know the (city staff) do (that) now. The idea that we engage affected neighborhoods when we’re talking about a major project in an area: That happens today. So, it’s really nothing new for us.

Question from Sacramento resident Bill Burgua:
During the current budget crisis, Kerridge had experienced code enforcement officers laid off. Do you see the wisdom in the citizens' desire to bring in revenue while improving neighborhoods and bringing properties up to code? Will you boost code enforcement by reinstating experienced code enforcement officers that have been laid off?

GV:
Well, obviously, the challenge for us right now is our revenue. It’s at historic low levels. And we’ve been losing revenue for three years in a row now ... I don’t know that anytime soon we’re going to be able to increase code enforcement officers.

A little bit of clarity in that: The layoffs started with (the Community Development Department), not Code Enforcement ... So, (CDD employees) were laid off from CDD (and then) replaced people at Code. And then Code had to lay people off. There wasn’t a net reduction of code officers because of those layoffs. If not for CDD issues, we wouldn’t have been laying anybody off (at) Code Enforcement. That’s ... the technical piece of it.

I think the real question there is: How much do we care about blight in our neighborhoods and quality of life? I would say that it is a huge objective for us — to work with our neighborhoods to eliminate blight. Those kinds of things introduce crime, and the whole quality of life in the neighborhood goes downhill. I think code enforcement is a very important part of what we do in the city. So, besides developing the city where we have opportunities, we can’t ignore the fact that we have 500,000 people (who) already live here in some neighborhood and need to be taken care of, as well.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Part 1: Neighborhood questions for Interim City Manager Gus Vina

2010-04-13T06:10:15Z

The Sacramento Press has gathered questions from neighborhood activists for Interim City Manager Gus Vina. In an April 9 interview, The Sacramento Press asked Vina to respond to questions from six neighborhood activists.

Here are Vina’s responses to questions from three citizens involved in neighborhood issues. Check The Sacramento Press Wednesday for more of Vina’s responses to neighborhood-related questions.

Question from Sacramento resident Karen Jacques:
What can (Vina) tell us about the ongoing investigation of the Community Development Department? Does he know when that investigation will be complete and how much of it will be made public? (Are there) any other comments he can make about it?

Interim City Manager Gus Vina:
It’s really an audit now, not an investigation. And that audit is being managed by our new city auditor. (City Auditor Jorge Oseguera) [is] in the process of making a final selection on an audit firm. And how long it takes — I don’t know yet ... Whatever comes out of (the audit), obviously we’re going to get right on top of implementing any recommendations that make sense for the city.

Question from an Alkali Flat resident:
I would like to know if (Vina) supports and will help to implement a downtown exclusive franchise for commercial garbage hauling. Supporting such a bid for one hauler downtown will likely result in reduced commercial garbage service rates and provide more efficient service — such as one or two days a week service rather than the current pattern of heavy trucks on our roads five days a week.

GV:
First of all, I’m not going to get ahead of the mayor and council — and it’s really their policy call at the end of the day .... And, the issues we’re trying to solve are not hauling all the way to Nevada ... and all of the green issues that are related to that.

It’s still a little early in the process, and we’ll be going to the council with a recommendation on how can we save money — which translates into better rates for our customers — and it will include a very good discussion on the commercial side of the hauling.

Question from Sacramento resident LaTisha Lawson:
(The) elimination of so many programs and resources (is causing) stress and strain on my Sacramento families. How is the city working with other agencies or encouraging departments to partner to continue to provide needed services?

GV:
Obviously, the entire world is in a huge economic slump. I would say we really need to focus and understand that this is an issue not unique to just Sacramento — this is a global issue. The Sacramento region is suffering considerably — when you look at a 13 percent unemployment rate. So, we’ve got a lot of people out of work. We had one of the worst foreclosure rates in the nation. We’re one of five states that have the biggest budget problems at the state level.

So, we have plenty of challenges here that are going to have an impact on services. And, we will do our best to continue to provide (the) services that we can. But I can guarantee you, it won’t be everything that we’re doing today. We have a budget to balance as well.

In terms of working with other agencies, we are actively working with the county on any consolidations or efficiencies that we can develop by working together. Of course, the focus is to continue to provide services at the best level that we possibly can. But it is important for the community to understand that there will be service-level impacts.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Downtown loses its senior center

2010-03-19T02:02:46Z

Sacramento seniors facing economic hardship will have one less place to relax and meet friends.

Catholic Charities of Sacramento, Inc., has closed down its Cathedral Neighborhood Senior Center downtown because of a funding shortage, said Beth White, associate director of the nonprofit organization.

The center, which is located at 711 J St., had provided a social atmosphere for seniors since 1975, according to White. It shut down March 1.

Elderly residents of single-resident-occupancy motels as well as homeless seniors would gather at the center, White said. They would watch television or enjoy a coffee, she said.

For example, a group of seniors would come to the center in the morning because “that’s where they got their morning coffee,” White noted.

The closure means that seniors downtown no longer have a meeting place, White said. “We were the last downtown provider.”

For years, the center’s operations were paid for by Sacramento’s county government, the city of Sacramento and Catholic Charities, according to White.

Then, in 2004, the county halted its share of the funding for the center, White said, adding that the center is no longer receiving funding from the city government either.

Without the help from the city and county, Catholic Charities could not pay for the rent on the building, personnel or operational costs, White noted.

“If you live in a SRO, it really is your meet-and-greet place and your social place,” Sacramento City Councilman Ray Tretheway told residents at a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting Monday in Midtown. “It just breaks my heart to see that go under.”

While the center has closed its doors, Catholic Charities continues to run an outreach program to help downtown seniors gain access to medical, dental and mental health services, among other services, White said. The outreach program is covered by federal funds, monies from foundations and private donations, she said. Catholic Charities operates the outreach program together with the Transitional Living and Community Support organization.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

We want your questions for new interim city manager

2010-03-18T04:23:20Z

The Sacramento Press wants your neighborhood-related questions for Interim City Manager Gus Vina, the city’s highest-ranking official.

What issues or concerns do you have about your neighborhood? What do you think the city government should do to improve your neighborhood?

Write your questions in the comments section at the bottom of this article. Questions for Vina can also be e-mailed to kathleen@sacramentopress.com.

The Sacramento Press will choose several questions from community members for Vina to answer.

Vina was chosen as interim city manager by Mayor Kevin Johnson and the eight City Council members and will serve for nine to 12 months. He replaced Ray Kerridge, who resigned from the city manager position Friday. Vina told The Sacramento Press last week that he plans to apply for the permanent city manager position.

Vina leads a city government with about 4,300 employees. He will draft the city’s budget, which faces a gap of $35 million-$40 million for the 2010/2011 fiscal year. The City Council is in charge of reviewing and approving Vina’s draft budget.

Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek said Vina was asked to serve for a nine- to 12-month period so he could work continuously on the city's budget. In addition, the nine- to 12-month timeline allows any new City Council members to have a voice on the selection of a new city manager, McPeek said. Depending on the results of the June 8 City Council election, new members could replace current members.

One incumbent is not running for re-election. Councilwoman Lauren Hammond is not returning to the City Council — her District 5 seat will be filled by a new member.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Cohn tells neighbors: Parks could face new round of budget cuts

2010-03-16T05:33:38Z

Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn is predicting deep budget cuts to local parks this year in light of the city’s $35 million-$40 million budget gap for the 2010/2011 fiscal year.

Cohn’s worries about new cuts come after the city cut the Parks and Recreation Department by $8.3 million last year.

“I fear that the cutbacks in parks will actually be more severe this year,” Cohn told a handful of neighborhood leaders gathered at Hart Senior Center Monday night.

Cohn, who presented information about his district at the Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting, said the city may look for ways to work with neighborhoods and the business community to maintain the parks.

“As we all know, most of our neighborhoods in Midtown and East Sacramento are really designed around parks,” Cohn said.

Cohn represents District 3, which includes the neighborhoods of Mansion Flats, Marshall School Midtown and Boulevard Park.

Councilman Ray Tretheway, from District 1, also made remarks to the neighborhood group. His district includes the neighborhoods of Alkali Flat, Old Sacramento and China Town Mall.

Among other things, Tretheway said that a new community garden will open at Zapata Park in Alkali Flat this summer.

Councilman Rob Fong, whose district includes Newton Booth and Poverty Ridge, among other neighborhoods, could not attend the NAG meeting due to illness, said Gerald Celestine, the facilitator of Monday night’s meeting. Fong represents District 4.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor talks to residents at community meeting

2010-01-26T06:07:27Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson talked to residents about local issues including homelessness Monday night.

Johnson spoke at a Neighborhood Advisory Group meeting at the Hart Senior Center in Midtown.

He told residents about remarks President Barack Obama made in Washington, D.C. last week. During a trip last week to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors in D.C., Johnson heard Obama make comments on regional economies and sustainability, Johnson said.

Obama also stressed the importance of communities in neighborhoods, according to Johnson.

Johnson said he learned from Obama’s remarks that local economies need to have a regional focus and that environmental sustainability will be critical to infrastructure and energy needs. Obama’s ideas can apply to Sacramento, Johnson said.

During the question-and-answer session of Johnson’s presentation at NAG, Karen Jacques, founder of the Midtown Neighborhood Association, asked about issues involving homelessness. Jacques asked Johnson if he is addressing homelessness in a regional way.

"(In the past) it seems like Sacramento has taken it (homelessness) on without a lot of involvement from the rest of the region,” Jacques said.

Johnson responded that his program on homelessness, Sacramento Steps Forward, believes that everything it does has must have a regional approach.

There is no way that the city and county can solve homelessness on their own, Johnson said. All the other local jurisdictions must participate in efforts to alleviate homelessness, he said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Neighbors' concerns prompted closure of Fremont Park bathrooms

2009-10-18T20:16:43Z

If you spend a day at Fremont Park in Midtown, you’ll just have to “hold it” until you can find an open restroom elsewhere. Restrooms are shuttered at the park, which draws a range of citizens, including the homeless. When the city reopened bathrooms at many parks in August, the restrooms at Fremont Park remained closed because of public safety issues.

In an example of how neighbors can change city policy, Fremont Park's bathrooms have been closed for more than a year. The city closed the park’s bathrooms in September 2008 to address neighbors’ complaints about crime. The Sacramento Police Department and the Park Safety Rangers unit reviewed the park’s public safety conditions and, in a Feb. 25 report, advised that the bathrooms stay locked.

Read the city’s Feb. 25 crime prevention report on Fremont Park here.

“The primary concern of residents who live and use the park is the socially inappropriate and criminal behavior that occurs at the park,” the report states.

“Persons associated with these activities, based upon anecdotal statements from Park Rangers and Police Officers stems from persons coming off the light-rail station from outside the area and some renters and/or individuals who are domiciled in designated housing near the park,” the report further states.

Police officers and park rangers found evidence of problematic behavior at “Grid 0765,” which encompasses Fremont Park and follows 16th Street to 19th Street and O Street to R Street, according to the report. “The crime analysis supports this in that the same types of problems occur throughout Grid 0765,” it notes.

The top three reported crimes in that grid in 2008 were stolen vehicles, driving under the influence and petty theft, according to the report. The reported crimes included 14 stolen vehicles, 14 DUIs and 13 petty thefts.

Concerns about public safety at the park’s bathrooms were discussed at a meeting in June 2008. Fremont Park neighbors, together with representatives of the Capitol Area Development Authority and City Councilman Rob Fong’s office, organized the meeting to discuss public safety issues at the park, said Tom Dyer, a member of the Friends of Fremont Park Neighborhood Association. Community members said many of the problems, such as drug use, were occurring in the bathrooms, Dyer said.

Then, in September 2008, neighbors asked Fong’s office to shut down the restrooms for a six-month trial period, he noted.

The city’s crime prevention analysis of the park was done to ensure that closing the restrooms was a “good position” that was evidence based and supported by the community, said Hindolo Brima, Parks and Recreation spokesman.

Fremont Park is defined by the city as a “neighborhood park” instead of a “community” or “regional” park, Brima said. The city estimates that people within a half-mile radius use neighborhood parks, while community and regional parks attract people from farther away, according to a city document provided by Brima. This means that the people who visit Fremont Park live nearby and can use restrooms at home, he said.

The community meeting and recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Department, the Park Rangers unit and the Police Department made Fong comfortable with closing the restrooms, said Lisa Nava, Fong’s district director.

Each rule has an exception, though. Fremont Park restrooms are open when there are events with 200 or more people, Brima said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Q&A: Vincene Jones of Neighborhood Services

2009-07-24T21:48:27Z

The staffers at the Sacramento Neighborhood Services Department are exactly the kind of people who will greet you with a root beer float.

In a break between two shifts of hosting neighbors and providing root beer floats on Thursday, Neighborhood Services Department Director Vincene Jones talked with The Sacramento Press. The department, which works with residents to address issues in Sacramento communities, held an open house at its new digs at City Hall.

Jones explained her priorities and also addressed the city’s recent budget cuts. In response to cuts, the department laid off an analyst and a neighborhood resources coordinator. The layoffs shrunk the size of the department to a staff of nine people.

Throughout the summer, the department will host "community hours" at various locations in the city. Residents can speak to the department's staffers about neighborhood issues at the "community hours." For more information about "community hours" and other Neighborhood Services programs, contact the department at (916) 808-6789.

The Sacramento Press: When you talk to residents, what are some of the issues you hear about frequently?

Vincene Jones: Right now, what they’re concerned about at this particular point in time [are the impacts] of the budget. They’re concerned about their parks and their community centers — you know, not being able to get those services. A lot of people asked us today: You know, you lost folks [through layoffs]. Because there are folks that they miss that work with us. There’s no department that was left untouched [by city budget cuts]. They wanted to know how they could help. They wanted to know if they could volunteer to help us.

[The Neighborhood Services Department] supports the Neighborhood Advisory Group. ... The [department] puts people in place and helps them with their neighborhood associations, helps them with their problems, facilitates the arguments between neighbors, or between the city and neighbors.

The folks in Midtown right now have a different focus. I know they’re very concerned about the nightlife, and noise issues that go on. But they didn’t express that here. Today was a happy time. Food always makes people happy.

SP: What are the department’s current priorities?

VJ: My priority right now is — and what I’m trying to do is — take a look at the most important things that this department should be doing, because we did lose people. So, my priority is staying just above water so that ... we're not out of the vision of the community. I still want to be the eyes, ears and helpful hand for the community.

But there are some things, of course, we’re not going to be able to do. You can take [staffers] and you can work them only so much before they become ineffective. So, I’m taking the things that [community members] look at most. They like information; they like you to definitely return their phone calls back. They like you to be at their neighborhood associations [and] help them plan. If there’s a real big problem, [they like you] to help facilitate that. ... So, we’re kind of like an information highway. ... I’m working right now on a piece because I want to let neighbors know what we can and what we cannot do. ... I’m putting Neighborhood Services in different locations in the community, so that we’re available at different times. ... I think you have to try to find little ingenious ways to make sure that we stay in touch with the community and give them what [they] need.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sac residents dish about their neighborhoods

2009-07-24T04:06:44Z

When asked to talk about their neighborhoods, Sacramento residents have a lot to say. Sacramento dwellers who follow The Sacramento Press on Twitter revealed their feelings about their neighborhoods on Wednesday and Thursday. Check out their tweets:

@ShermanLoehr: I dwell in River Park. Love being so close to the wonders of East Sac & Fair Oaks Blvd. And listening to trains at night!

@journalistnate: I was born and raised in Oak Park. People from elsewhere are a lot more freaked out about my neighborhood than I am.

@johntodd: RioLinda is not NEARLY as miserable as many make it out to be. It’s much more Mayberry than South Central.

@swellyn: West Tahoe Park. Highly diverse, some artists, some hippies young&old, friendly, neighborly folks.

@JulieBerge: I love midtown dwelling, especially the diversity, energy and beautiful tree-lined streets in the fall

@lizconant: I like my Land Park hood -- nice streets to walk on, proximity to Tower Cafe, Masullo Pizza, Target! & my 5 min commute!

@kb_metrochamber: I love West Sac’s Southport area. Get the best of suburbia and hit downtown in less than 15 minutes.

@SuzHOPkins: Luv the wonderful sense of community & older homes in Land Park & walking to my faves: Vic’s Ice Cream, Freeport Bakery...

@_kelli: East Sac is amazing--can walk to get just about everything I need, the charming homes, it’s a great community of friends

@AngDRC: I love Blvd. Park. The old houses, big trees, all one block away from restaurants and bars!

@Lesley3fold: I love East Sac’s quiet shady streets; walking distance to fro yo, mexican food and starbucks, mckinley park, old homes

@andyleggett: Nothing. Sierra Oaks is upper middle class and quiet as $*@$.

@philanthrophile: re: top-of-mind @ my ‘hood N of Jesuit: wild chickens! U get used to the roosters but it’s the 1st thing visitors say

@tamihackbarth: Front yard garden boxes w/neighbors, amazing library, walking, biking, best yoga studio in town, friends=Poverty Ridge.

@Crystalsmom: I’ve lived in citrus hts, carmicheal, rosemont, college greens, DOWNTOWN, Elverta & now I’m LOVING upper land park.

Follow The Sacramento Press on Twitter. Our Twitter handle is: @sacramentopress