The American Heart Association (AHA) held its 2012 Start Training Team Kickoff on Saturday at the California Family Fitness Center in Folsom. The event included health screenings, nutritional and health information as well as a series of mentor and inspirational speeches. This year’s run/walk half marathon will be held at the American River Parkway on April 28. Participants are required to raise a minimum of $500 through writing letters, email campaigns and personal fundraising websites. The goal for this campaign is $100,000. By the kickoff meeting, a little over $6,000 had already been pledged. Start Training is a team training program for AHA half marathon participants of all levels

The Save the American River Parkway Association celebrated its 50th anniversary this month and received a resolution from the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors honoring its accomplishments over the past five decades. “We commend the work that a whole host of folks (at the association) have done in providing a strong voice for a precious resource,” Supervisor Don Nottoli said Tuesday as he presented the resolution. The Save the American River Association is a volunteer, nonprofit group of more than 600 members and a Board of Directors that started in 1961 to develop the American River Parkway and to create a plan to maintain it. The 23-mile American River Parkway hosts more than 5 m

"I did it!" is an often heard refrain after the Mustard Seed bike ride for kids. On Sunday, September 25th the 7th annual Mustard Seed Spin in Sacramento will take place on the American River bike trail. This bike ride -- by kids for kids -- has already raised and donated $120,000 to the Mustard Seed School for homeless children. All rider fees are donated directly to the school. More than 700 riders are expected this year, slightly more than last year. The bike ride introduces kids under the age of 18 to organized cycling, teaches bike safety, and hopefully creates a whole new generation of bike commuters.  There is also a bike Scholarship Program which hosts 50 underprivileged kids at t

The Grassroots Working Group (GWG) will be back before the County Board of Supervisors at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, August 9th, in the supervisor’s chambers at 700 H Street, Sacramento. For Grassroots, this will be the most important Board decision of the year.   The Board is considering whether to sponsor state legislation this year that would give the county the authority to place before the voters a 1/10 % sales tax for parks purposes (one penny for every $10 spent). The county is already authorized to place a sales tax before the voters, but not one this small.  Save the American River Association supports this.   The revenue from a sales tax must to go to a governmental agency. SARA believe

For John Weed, Eppie’s Great Race – now in its 38th year – serves as a new year’s celebration. The 58-year-old kayak instructor and whitewater guide has competed in the “no-swim” triathlon 35 times. The 38th annual Eppie’s Great Race takes place Saturday along the American River Parkway and is open to athletes of all ages. Weed said almost 40 years ago, he was hit by a semi truck while on his bicycle. Before that, he had been an avid runner. He came from a family of runners and in college would run 200 miles per week. “The doctors told me I’d never walk again, let alone run,” Weed said.  That same year, the Whitewater Slalom was introduced as an Olympic sport. Weed said he watched it

Park rangers will be citing campers on the American River Parkway Thursday after a 48-hour notice ordering the homeless population to stop illegal camping expires, weather permitting. “We have to enforce the law,” said Zeke Holst, Sacramento County Regional Parks spokesman. The notice was posted Tuesday at around 11 a.m. “It’s illegal to camp in the parkway, and it’s our job to enforce the law.” If it is raining heavily, Holst said rangers will hold off until a clear day. If it remains clear, Holst said rangers will approach campers in the parkway on Thursday and issue $115 citations to those who refuse to leave as well as confiscate and hold camping gear and other belongings. Campers

We call it the Crown Jewel of Sacramento and are stingy about keeping it polished and protected. It generates an estimated $365,000,000 annually and more visits than Yosemite, yet it is underfunded and undervalued as a regional asset. The American River Parkway provides our water, improves our air quality and supports diverse wildlife, including some of the last West Coast salmon runs. We go there to rest, recreate and reflect. The 23 mile stretch from Nimbus Dam to the confluence with the Sacramento River is officially designated as a Wild and Scenic River. It is the most heavily used recreation river in California.  TV news crews try to scare us silly when the river rises "near Flood S

Trash, hypodermic needles and pornographic magazines litter a two-mile stretch of the American River Parkway in North Sacramento, and longtime advocate for the area Bob Slobe has seen enough. “If you saw the devastation in the park, you’d go, ‘I can’t believe someone would let this happen,’ ” Slobe said. He said the problem is due to illegal homeless camping in the area. Slobe’s family owned the portion of the park, which stretches from Del Paso Boulevard and Northgate to Cal Expo, through its company, the North Sacramento Land Company, from 1910 - 1989. As a park, he said it should be a place where families can go for recreation, but it’s no place he would envision taking kids.

A multi-agency fire protection project is now underway to remove potential fire hazards in high-risk fire sections on the American River Parkway. The work, which kicked off on Nov. 29, is funded by grant money and will take place on Regional Parks property adjacent to homes and subdivisions. “Until this grant money was secured, there had not been adequate resources available to improve the level of fire protection in these high risk areas,” said Steve Flannery, Chief Ranger for County Regional Parks. “The primary objective of this project is to reduce the risk of fire burning up into the tree tops because canopy fires are often destructive, fast moving, and difficult to control. Lower tre

Sacramento, Calif. – Sacramento County Regional Parks has been awarded $1,732,407 for the American River Parkway Cordova Creek Naturalization Project, and $246,550 to complete Phase I of the Dry Creek Parkway Trail in Proposition 84 funds from the California Natural Resources Agency. “A lot of hard work went into applying for these grants, and I am pleased that the Natural Resources Agency saw fit to award these ambitious and much needed projects with funding,” said Janet Baker, Parks Director. “We will work with our various partners, including the City of Rancho Cordova to rebuild and restore open space in the County that will be accessible to the public.” ‘The City of Rancho Cordova pr

In 2006, my dad was doored while riding his bike on 15th Street. He broke his shoulder pretty bad, and ended up with all sorts of plates and screws holding him together. Life gave us lemons!!! We made lemonade though, and Practical Cycle was funded in part by the settlement from that accident. So I took great pleasure in hand-squeezing 35 locally grown, organic lemons to make lemonade for our Grand Opening celebration, the first annual Ride for Earth. Then I loaded a cooler on the back of our old Worksman tricycle and hauled it about ten miles to Practical Cycle. I believe that sometimes life's most difficult challenges can help us grow the most. Whenever I feel like things couldn't poss

Bicyclists are gearing up for a Sunday ride to benefit the American River Parkway, which faces reduced funding this year. By Monday afternoon, 233 people had already signed up for The Rex Ride, a barbecue/party centered around an up-to 60-mile, low-key ride on the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail -- also known as the American River bike trail. The 32-mile, multi-use trail is used year-round by virtually everyone in Sacramento's huge cycling community, said event organizer Steve Rex, who owns Rex Cycles bike shop in Midtown. "It's huge. It's the focus of the cycling culture that's really rich here in Sacramento," said Rex, 47. A serious cycling injury last fall isn't stopping Rex and his wi

The equinox happens twice a year: once in the spring and once in the fall. Due to the tilt of the earth as it orbits the sun, the relative length of daylight expands and contracts throughout the year. At the equinox, the length of the day is exactly equal to the length of the night. Actually, according to National Geographic News, "The true days of day-night equality always fall before the vernal equinox and after the autumnal, or fall, equinox." Traditionally, the equinoxes mark the beginning of spring and fall, whereas the solstices mark summer and winter.  Photos taken on the American River Parkway, near Sunrise Blvd.  

Besides hayfever, what do weeks of rain followed by blue skies and balmy weather bring to Sacramento? Wildflowers, of course. There are preserves in the area where you can see rare, native wildflowers.  But for people who are taking a walk along the American River Parkway or just poking around in the backyard,  here are four wildflowers you are almost sure to enoucounter.  (The common name of the flowers are linked to hi-res photos) 1.  Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)  This pretty weed is a great wildflower to point out to children.  It's unmistakable seedpod appearently looks like a shepherd's purse, but to our modern eyes it looks like a valentine's heart.  The child will

 "The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful." — E.E. Cummings Photos taken ARP/Sunrise Bridge.

 It's always been a struggle for me when I bring my bike to Yosemite or any other national park.  Because of the difficulty of siting any kind of mountain bike trail, you're stuck on the paved roads with the Winnebagos and tour buses.  Frankly, that scares the snot out of me.  I wind up riding in places I shouldn't be, and that's bad too.  The International Mountain Bike Association has been working for years to improve off-pavement bicycle access in National Parks and many other places.  The Park Service has finally come up with a proposed new policy which will make it a little easier to site some trails in national parks.  There is one week left for you to get your comments in on the new

 Sunrise Blvd Bridge

 AR Parkway, near Sunrise Blvd.

(Cross posted at the Bramble)