What does a 12-year City Council veteran do when she decides it’s time to step away from the dais and not run for a fourth term? That was the question Sandy Sheedy asked herself in December – and the answer might come as a surprise to some. “I plan to retire,” Sheedy said Monday. “I’m going to enjoy doing things with my family and – if I feel like it – doing nothing at all.” During her years on the City Council, Sheedy has been involved in a number of projects that she is proud of – but faced some challenges, too. Sondra Betancourt, one of the candidates for the District 2 council seat, said Monday that Sheedy has worked on a number of public improvement projects – but, whether they hav

Award-winning British children's book author Caroline Lawrence will be visiting the Del Paso Heights Library (920 Grand Avenue in North Sacramento) on Wednesday, April 25. She will be attending the Friends of the Library meeting and potluck beginning at noon, which is open to anyone interested in supporting the library. A book talk follows at 1:30pm. Later that day, she will be visiting the McClatchy Library (at 22nd & U Streets downtown) 6:30-7:30pm for another lively discussion. All events are free. Ms. Lawrence is the author of the juvenile historical fiction series Roman Mysteries, which has been made into a CBBC TV series in the UK. The thrilling book series has won several awards a

There are many places in Sacramento city and county where a long roadway travels through numerous neighborhoods: Fair Oaks Boulevard, Watt Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard, for starters. When the street name is very close to the neighborhood name – such as Del Paso Boulevard and Del Paso Heights – people unfamiliar with the area often confuse the road and the neighborhood. Sacramentans take pride in their neighborhoods and, since the reputation of one neighborhood is not always carried on the roadway to the next, that confusion can get on a resident’s nerves pretty fast. For example, a commenter on a recent Sacramento Press article about road improvements along Del Paso Boulevard had this t

The Del Paso Boulevard corridor between Globe and Baxter avenues will be getting a makeover this summer in a $1.5 million dollar streetscape project set to begin in May. The project will include safety improvements at intersections and new on-street parking to the 1000-block of Del Paso Boulevard, according to city Department of Transportation Assistant Engineer Matthew Johns. The city received federal community development grant funds in 2009 to construct streetscape improvements between Arden Way and State Route 160. Before construction could begin, the project had to go through various stages of planning, design and environmental review. The project got the final go-ahead from the Ci

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson unveiled the preview of his Strategic Plan for Gang Prevention (SPGP) this past Monday morning in the Hearing room of the Historic City Hall. “I am committed to a paradigm shift away from only enforcement and incarceration with more emphasis put toward prevention and intervention,” stated Johnson during his opening remarks. “There is a lot of frustration in the community,” stated Johnson as he referenced the recent community meeting in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood in response to the recent death of Tyrone Smith. Smith died in the custody of the Sacramento Police Department in the aftermath of the shooting of a Twin Rivers officer after a routine traff

With the 2012 election cycle right around the corner, Allen Wayne Warren is giving serious thought to whether now is the time to throw his hat into the ring for the upcoming City Council race for District 2. Warren, 47, is a local real estate developer who grew up in Del Paso Heights. A graduate of Grant High School, Warren went to College of the Siskiyous in northern California and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in political science and business administration from California State University Hayward (now CSU East Bay). He comes from a tight-knit, hard working family who gave him the foundation for success, Warren said Friday. “My mother always said, ‘you’re going to college,’

Close to 150 people braved the rain Saturday afternoon and came to the Hagginwood Community Center for the dedication of the Grantland Johnson Soccer Field. “It’s quite an honor, I must tell you,” said Grantland Johnson to the crowd crammed inside the lobby of the community center. A native resident of Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights neighborhood, Johnson graduated from Grant High School where he played for the Pacers football team. He received his B.A. Degree from Sacramento State in Government and later received honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from both Sacramento State and Golden Gate University. “I would not be the person I am today, had I not grown up in this great community of

“Stop the violence now” is the message the Sacramento Police Department hopes to get across to the communities of Sacramento that are most impacted by gang violence through its “Ceasefire” program. The program had its community kick-off event last July, but officially began in November. Captain Dan Schiele of the Sacramento Police Department said gang violence in Sacramento has always been an issue. “From 2009-2010, there was a 37 percent increase in crimes involving gang members,” said Rhonda Jackson, project director of Ceasefire. “There are over 4,600 gang members in Sacramento,” she said. The Ceasefire program originated in Boston. “Ceasefire has been chosen because the program m

Ongoing neighborhood feud escalates to shooting Wednesday afternoon East DelPaso Heights, Sacramento, CA February 10, 2010 Wednesday afternoon, an ongoing neighborhood feud escalated to somone being shot. A small portion of Conifer Way was taped off Wednesday afternoon as CSI collected evidence and officers untangled details. Just prior to this incident, a home invasion robbery took place nearby causing some confusion at first whether the two incidents were related or not. VIDEO> 

Sandy Sheedy is ready for controversy. The Sacramento city councilwoman plans to focus on a set of contentious issues this year. Her top citywide goals for 2010 are to address the budget and respond to concerns involving the development department and utilities funds. The Sacramento Press is publishing a series on the 2010 goals of city council members. Links to stories on the goals of other council members are included at the bottom of this story. Sheedy represents District 2, which covers neighborhoods north of the American River such as Del Paso Heights, Strawberry Manor and North Sacramento. Unlike many of her council colleagues, she is not running for re-election or higher office.