Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "home"

Renters, landlords to feel effect of sewage rate hike

2011-07-26T01:15:09Z

The 30 percent increase in sewage rates that was approved last month will raise rents and make owning income properties more difficult, according to some in the industry.

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District approved the 30 percent increase over three years on June 23 in a 9-2 vote in response to a December decision by the state to set new guidelines for clean water in the Sacramento-San Juaquin Delta.

The new guidelines require tightening controls on sewage discharge that will cause the local providers to overhaul their systems.

To read more about the decision, click here.

“It’s troubling in this very down economic climate to see any increases of that magnitude,” said Jim Lofgren, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Sacramento Valley, which represents the rental housing industry in throughout the valley.

He added, though, that he doesn’t hold the elected officials who approved the increase at fault.

“I think the elected officials were faced with a tough choice on that,” Lofgren said. “They had to comply with the new discharge permit. I think they were put in a pretty tough spot.”

Sacramento City Councilman Kevin McCarty told The Sacramento Press earlier this month that while he wasn’t at the June 23 meeting, he would have voted for the increase – which goes into effect in October – as a necessity.

Lofgren said he expects rents to go up.

“I think most owners try to pass on the cost, so that will probably be the effect with the sewer rates,” Lofgren said. “The raise in rents doesn’t necessarily mean a raise in profits for the owners, though.”

Chris Airola, owner of GCA Property Management in Citrus Heights, said the rate increase is the talk of all property owners.

“New (property) owners are finding a difficult time renting,” he said. “If you charge over $95 (per month) for utilities, you won’t rent the property.”

Twelve years ago, he said the average combined rate for water, sewage and garbage was $60. Today, the average is closer to $110.

“It just tightens the noose on landlords, and they tend not to be as happy with their properties,” he said. “The owners are thinking to pass it on, pass it on, pass it on, but if so, tenants probably won’t take the property.”

He added that landowners are purchasing fewer properties, as they see more taxes and fees cutting into their bottom line.

Shawn McGhee, an assistant with Vintage Properties in Sacramento, said the owners are likely to take a bigger hit than renters.

“Probably, it’s just a hardship on the owners,” he said. “Rents start out at a certain rate and go down from there (on vacant properties). People rent things for what they can rent it for, and ultimately, the longer it is vacant, the harder it is to keep waiting for a renter at a higher rate.”

McGhee said he doesn’t anticipate rental increases across the board in Sacramento, so he believes the costs will be mostly absorbed by property owners.

Lofgren said the now-familiar story of homeowners being upside-down in their mortgages – owing more on their homes than they are worth – applies to income properties as well.

“These are very tough times,” he said. “I don’t see people’s wages going up, and I don’t see unemployment going down.”

Compared to other segments such as home construction and sales, Lofgren said the rental market is doing better, but added that that’s not saying much, as the other industries are in such poor shape.

“Midtown and downtown are not hurting as badly as the suburbs, where there have been more foreclosures,” he said. “There’s been a desire for properties downtown due to rising gas prices and the urban renewal we’re seeing within a five-mile radius of downtown.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

City program targets problem buildings, slumlords

2011-04-27T00:45:45Z

When buildings become slums and havens for gangs, prostitution and drug use, a little-known city program can force landowners to clean them up or – in extreme cases – be evicted.

The Justice for Neighbors program began in 2006 and allows multiple departments – including police, code enforcement, the city attorney’s office and park rangers – to focus their efforts on some of the worst slumlords and dangerous properties in the city, resolving an average of 17 cases per year.

“Essentially, it’s a public and social nuisance (enforcement) team,” said Gustavo Martinez, supervising deputy city attorney. “We meet every month and evaluate the worst security issues.”

Property owners are required to bring their buildings into compliance and stop criminal activity on the sites, or else they can face prosecution and jail time.

Safety issues are also tackled by the program when property owners refuse to comply with city codes and ordinances.

The program went into effect in 2006 to streamline city services and cut down on the time it was taking to solve the problems, Martinez said. Many times, police and code enforcement officers were working on the same property for different reasons, and the Justice for Neighbors program ensures there are no duplicate efforts – and similarly, no duplicate expenses.

Police Sgt. Matt Young, who is a leader of the south area’s Problem Oriented Policing (POP) unit, said that involving the city attorney’s office when a situation requires it now takes less time than it did previously.

“It used to take six to eight months, and now it only takes two or three,” he said, adding that officers no longer have to repeatedly go to some of the worst places in the city before the problems are addressed.

“It’s been a very effective program,” he said.

One of the program’s success stories is the property at 3132 Third Ave. – a 16-unit apartment complex.

The Justice For Neighbors program started work on it in 2007 due to numerous problems including prostitution, drug sales, sexual assaults and a large number of neighborhood complaints, according to a presentation given to the City Council April 12.

Police were called to the property 90 times in two years, and the property continued to deteriorate, with many of the units lacking running water and electricity.

The property owner was jailed for 30 days, but when problems persisted, the court ordered a receiver to take over the property, and it was sold last June. With its sale, the city was able to recoup $66,000 in attorney’s fees and enforcement costs, according to the presentation.

By February, it was refurbished.

“Now, developers are renting out beautiful units,” Martinez said.

Approximately $500,000 has been awarded to the city through the courts, of which about $120,000 has been collected, Martinez said, adding that some properties, like the on at 3132 Third Ave., have fees attached to them that the city will recoup if they are sold.

A more recent aspect of the program is the ability to order evictions based on certain felony crimes involving guns or drugs.

According to Martinez, Sacramento joins four other cities – Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and San Diego – in being able to evict tenants for felony gun violations, and five other cities – the same as gun crimes, but with the addition of Palmdale – in being able to evict for felony drug activity.

That authority was granted by the California Legislature as a pilot program in 2009 for guns and 2010 for drugs, and it will expire in 2014 unless extended, Martinez said.

Only a small number of gun evictions have been served, and it is designed to combat gang activity, Young said.

“We recently had one where a gang member had a sawed-off shotgun and was living across from a school,” he said.

Last year, 33 evictions were served for drug violations, and four for gun violations, he added.

Martinez pointed out that the evictions are used sparingly and typically only when landlords or property owners have “had their heads in the sand” and not responded to previous requests to stop illegal activity.

The evictions are in line with a city ordinance that says property owners are responsible for controlling criminal activity on their property, be it a residence they live in or one they rent out, Martinez added.

No special funding is set aside for the program, as it is included in the daily activities of each of the departments involved in it.

Money collected through court orders is slated exclusively for enforcement and is used for things such as purchasing new equipment for police, Martinez said.

“I think it’s a great program,” Young said. “It really streamlines the process.”

Residents aren’t able to call in complaints to the program itself, Young and Martinez said. If there are complaints, they should still call the applicable department – including police and code enforcement – and the monthly meetings held by the program participants determine which properties are the worst based on number of complaints and calls for service.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @brandon_darnell.

Hornets surprise Wildcats with 24-17 upset

2010-09-21T00:14:57Z

In their first Big Sky Conference game of the season, the Sacramento State football team upset No. 20-ranked Weber State 24-17 in front of 7,000 fans at Hornet Stadium on Saturday night.

The Hornets improve to a 2-1 overall record and 1-0 in Big Sky Conference play for the season. The win on Saturday night puts them in a first-place tie with Eastern Washington University in the Big Sky Conference standings.

The Hornets’ ground game was impressive, totaling 245 yards for the night against the Wildcats’ 102 yards. Running back Bryan Hilliard notched his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 136 yards on 32 carries and a touchdown made in the last minutes of the game. Running back Sam McCowan also contributed 59 yards.

New quarterback Jeff Fleming was effective as well, throwing for 164 yards and connecting on two touchdowns to wide receivers Morris Norrise and Brett Willis, both in the second quarter.

The Hornets defense was all business, holding Weber State to 17 points, which is quite impressive considering the Wildcats scored 88 points in their first two games of the season.

Although Weber State beat the Hornets in reception yardage (250-164) and had receivers Kamana Kaimikaua and Josh Booker scoring crucial touchdowns to stay in the hunt, in the end it was the Bryan Hilliard touchdown with 3:23 remaining that put the Hornets over the top for the win.

The Hornets next travel to Missoula, Mont., to face the Grizzlies (1-2 overall, 0-1 Big Sky), and return to Hornet Stadium for an Oct. 2 matchup against Montana State.

Sac State kicker/punter Chris Diniz (#46) kicks off.

Running back Bryan Hilliard (#34) is chased by defenders as he runs downfield.

Sac State quarterback Jeff Fleming eyes the defensive formation before the snap.

Kicker/Punter Augie Heath (#38)

Sac State Defensive Coordinator Anthony Parker keeps the defense fired up in the second half.

Quarterback Jeff Fleming (#18) hands off to running back Bryan Hilliard (#34).

Hornets fans show their team spirit.

Hornets quarterback Jeff Fleming (#18)

Sac State mascot Herky entertains fans while riding a unicycle.

Fleming struggles to break free from Wildcats middle linebacker Anthony Morales.

Hornet Stadium

Defensive lineman Matt Lawrence (#62) talks with his counterpart on the line, Alesana Laban (#99).

Sacramento State Head Coach Marshall Sperbeck

Sac State Marching Band drum major leads the band at halftime.

Sac State defensive back Marquese Smith (#37) tackles wide receiver Mike Phillips (#1).

Kassie Laythan of Sacramento holds her daughter Avary at halftime.

A Sac State defender makes a flying tackle on Wildcats running back Bo Bolen (#8).

Kicker/Punter Augie Heath (#38) warms up before a punt.

The Sacramento State Hornet Girlz Dance Team performs at halftime.

Fleming throws as the Weber State defense closes in.

Hornets celebrate in front of fans in the bleachers after their 24-17 win.

Photos: Steven Chea

Introduction to Ask Broker Cyndie

2010-05-05T16:08:57Z

Welcome to my new column. I have been a Real Estate Broker and brokerage owner for six years in Midtown and now in East Sacramento. For the past three years I have primarily sold foreclosures for banks and institutions. Before I became a Real Estate Broker I “flipped” older distressed homes in the greater downtown Sacramento area.

I am a member of four professional associations and attend several conferences and workshops a year where I have direct contact with the real estate industry’s leaders and experts. This insight helps me greatly with the understanding of real estate’s future.

As most people are well aware the real estate market is not going to recover soon and the foreclosure market will persist. The good news is that lenders are putting systems in place in order to expedite the approval process for short sales. A short sale is when the bank is willing to take less money for a home sale than what is currently owed on the loan.

Please feel free to ask me any real estate related questions at cyoung@saccityre.com. I will answer one question per week and post the answer to the Sacramento Press on Wednesdays.

Voyage Home Loans Employees Contribute to Haiti Relief Efforts

2010-02-03T00:11:31Z

Sacramento, Calif. — In an employee-led initiative, Voyage Home Loans donated over eight hundred dollars to UNICEF’s ongoing humanitarian relief effort for children in Haiti. The donations were collected by members of a team from KDND 107.9 “The End” in Sacramento. The contributions were a part of Voyage’s new Social Good Directive, which hopes to promote local, regional, and global Social Good awareness through Facebook in 2010.

The project was led by Voyage’s Carly Harrington and Corinne Blackney, who quickly and efficiently brought the employees together and organized the donations in slightly over an hour’s time after hearing about The End’s efforts via the “Wake Up Call” morning show.

“We were glad to help out,” Harrington said. “Doing all we can to help those in need is something that we believe in at Voyage, both in our personal lives and in the workplace.”

Millions of Americans have reached out to those in distress in Haiti, and UNICEF has been at the forefront of the efforts to provide relief to children in Haiti, who have been faced with dire circumstances following the January 10 earthquake.

The “Wake Up Call” and 107.9 “The End” had been calling for donations throughout the week, and continue to accept contributions at their studio. More information is available at their “Help Haiti” page on their website.

“After seeing all the media coverage on the disaster there, we really wanted to reach out and try to ease the suffering of those in need.” Blackney added. “The Wake Up Call gave us an opportunity to come together and do our part to help the kids over there.”

Voyage’s Social Good initiatives have benefited many different causes, and are representative of the company’s history of charitable projects. Voyage hopes to draw over five hundred thousand new fans to their Facebook page, Voyage Home Loans (http://www.facebook.com/VoyageHomeLoans), and encourages followers to post about their altruistic undertakings in an effort to create a group committed to making a difference in their communities.

“Our hearts go out to the victims in Haiti,” said Paul Ueckert, president of Voyage Home Loans. “I’m proud of our employees and their willingness to give what they could to ease the lives of those who have been affected by the earthquake.”

For more information, contact info@voyagemtg.com.

About Voyage Home Loans

Voyage Home Loans was formed from two smaller companies in 2007, and has grown to over 100 employees and several branches across America. Last year, the company was honored to receive an A+ Employees’ Choice Award, from the Sacramento Business Journal, in the small business category. This year, the company hopes to increase its participation, involvement and partnerships with various non-profits, not-for-profits, and individual causes to at least four events a month throughout 2010.

http://www.voyagehomeloans.com/

Free SMUD trees support the 5 million tree campaign

2009-10-28T17:33:28Z

Tree clean our air and water, store carbon in their trunks, create habitat for wildlife, reduce air pollution, increase property values, and provide countless other benefits. The Sacramento Tree Foundation works to leverage all of the benefits that trees provide to create healthy and sustainable communities through building the best urban forest in the Sacramento region. A major keystone in building the best urban forest is the Greenprint initiative, a multi-decade regional framework created to meet Sacramento's sustainability and livability goals by expanding urban forests and optimizing the benefits of tree canopies. Greenprint partners, comprised of 22 cities and 6 counties, have agreed to double their tree canopy over the next 40 years. In order to achieve this goal, we need to plant 5 million new trees by the year 2025.

SMUD customers can join the 5 million tree campaign by planting free energy saving SMUD trees. Through the Shade Tree Program, the Sacramento Tree Foundation, in partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, has planted over 450,000 trees in Sacramento County since the program’s inception in 1990. If you wish to receive free shade trees, a Community Forester from the Sacramento Tree Foundation will visit your property and help you select the best trees, determine the strategic locations for maximum energy savings, and provide you with information on planting and care. When you are ready to plant, your trees will be delivered to your home, along with stakes and ties – all at absolutely no cost to you. To sign up for a free appointment or to learn more about trees and the 5 million tree campaign, please contact the Sacramento Tree Foundation at (916) 924-8733 Ext. 121 or visit Sactree.com.

Former Refugee Family Achieves the Dream of American Home Ownership

2009-08-29T14:27:44Z

Saturday, August 29, at 10 a.m. Sacramento Habitat for Humanity and Sacramento community members will gather to dedicate the Thor family home at 2954 Connie Drive in Sacramento. The Thor family has put in 500 hours of sweat equity alongside community volunteers and other Habitat families. The Thor family home was made possible by a $75,000 sponsorship from the California State Employees Charitable Campaign. This simple, decent home includes environmentally friendly, money saving solar panels thanks to a grant from PG&E.

Habitat for Humanity serves families earning 30 percent – 50 percent of the Sacramento County area median income. According to the 2000 US Census Bureau, in Sacramento County there are more than 30,000 families in this income range who are also living in overcrowded or sub-standard conditions. The typical Habitat partner family’s annual income ranges from $22,000 – $36,000 for a family of four. Since 1985, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity has changed lives by providing families with decent, affordable housing in a safe environment to grow and thrive.

“Life is better here for our children, they have education, a home and freedom,” said Julie Thor, homeowner. Peter Thor works for Alamo Rental Car and his wife Julie works at Marshall Adult School assisting other refugees in finding jobs.

The close knit Thor family consists of two parents, six sons, one daughter and an Aunt. This family of 10 currently lives in an overcrowded 2 bedroom, 1 bath home in Oak Park. Peter and Julie Thor were both born in Laos to farming families and both of their fathers were recruited by the CIA to fight on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War. When the war ended their parents were in fear of retaliation by the reigning government, and moved into refugee camps in Thailand. Peter and Julie were children when they arrived in the camps and lived there for over 13 years. They met in the refugee camp, got married and had their first three children there before immigrating to the United States 12 years ago.

“The Thor home brings us close to the 200th home completed for our Sacramento affiliate,” said Ken Cross, CEO of Sacramento Habitat for Humanity. Although we are proud of this accomplishment, it is not about how many homes we build, our mission is about keeping hope alive and fulfilling the dream of homeownership for low income families.”

About Sacramento Habitat for Humanity
Established in 1985, Sacramento Habitat for Humanity (SHfH) is a 501c3 non profit local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. SHfH’s mission is to build decent affordable homes in partnership with families in need, supported locally by volunteers, faith based-organizations, individual donors and corporations for the betterment of our community.

Loomis fire claims the life of elderly disabled man

2009-07-12T13:05:55Z

Loomis, CA- Early Sunday morning structure fire claims the life of an elderly disabled man. Wife and dog escape the blaze.

The beautiful mansion type home in the 6900 Prarie Ct., Loomis, CA, caught fire early Sunday morning. Penryn Battalion Chief stated that the home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. He stated that the wife and dog escaped but her elderly disabled husband did not escape.

The home was located deep in the hills of Loomis and difficult to access. Fire crews also had to shuttle water via "water tender" trucks to finally extinguish the fire.

In some of the photos you will see some blue light showering in the upper right corner. The power was live during the entire firefighting efforts with arching lines and exploding transformer.

Several agencies were involved in the firefighting efforts: Penryn, Loomis, CalFire, CDF to name

Metro firefighters give rescued dog every chance to live

2009-07-08T03:48:11Z

Sacramento, CA
by Ed Fogle

It was a bittersweet day for homeowners in the 6900 block Silverthorne Circle today. While their home was saved, they lost their furry friend.

Kirk Davies, photographer for MaverickPhotography.us and neighbor to the family, stated "it smelled like something barbequing when I walked outside, then I saw smoke pouring from my neighbors house and called 911"

Tuesday afternoon, about 4:30 P.M., it is believed (but still under investigation) that a fire started in the dishwasher. Battalion Chief, Richard Anderson stated that the fire was contained to the kitchen area of the home. "A repair man from Sears was supposed to be at the home working on the dishwasher earlier in the day, but was a no-show" Davies stated.

No one was home when the fire started but during a search of the home, the family dog was found unconscious. Per Anderson, two of the firefighters who happened to be on duty were trained in basic dog medicine. The Metro Fire USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) team uses rescue dogs, and the firefighters who work with them have this training in the event their dogs are injured during a disaster or rescue operation.

The two firefighters, assisted by colleagues, went to work right away on the dog, administering mouth to snout respirations, started an IV, inserted an advanced airway and transported the dog to the nearest veterinarian in a truck. With all the heroic efforts of the firefighters, the furry friend did not survive. "If that dog had any chance to live, it was with this crew", stated Anderson.

Metro Fire Department responded with three engines, two trucks and one medic rig and had nearly twenty-five firefighters involved.

Photos by MaverickPhotography.us/KirkDavies

Downtown Victorian home fire strikes out two alarms

2009-07-04T05:57:07Z

Sacramento, CA- At 7:24 P.M. Friday evening, Sacramento firefighters were called to a downtown structure, just a few houses down from Old Ironsides off of 10th and S streets.

When firefighters arrived at 1913 10th Street, they found the second floor and attic of the old Victorian well involved.

Per Captain Jim Doucette, Engine 1 was on scene in about three minutes. Firefighters made a very aggressive attack on the fire. With the fire well seated in the attic, firefighters had to tear in and gain access to the space to bring the blaze under control. The roof on the north side became unstable and all the firefighters were ordered out.

They were able to control the rest of the blaze from outside, then were able to reenter for overhaul to be sure the fire was completely extinguished.

"Firefighters made an aggressive attack on the fire and saved the downstairs units and they also prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings. Fortunately no one was injured and there was only one resident in the entire building. All of the other units were vacant," said Doucette

A total of 16 fire units responded, four paramedic squads, 75 firefighters and 10 command/support staff.

Presently, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Talk to Strangers

2009-05-22T17:37:17Z

I see you all the time at Tupelo Coffee House, but you don’t know me. We both like it that way. Neither of us will exchange a word, but I have created your brief back-story for my own entertainment. It is fiction, but this is the nature of our relationship. I have 900 Facebook friends, and I frequent all the same spots, but I do not know anyone.

We work here, meet here, and play here. When home is where the couch is, we spend most of our waking hours out and about; returning home only to crash for the night. Time is calculated in semesters, leases, and rental agreements instead of years or friendships.

Neighbors have come to represent mysteries rather than faces or lives. Forgotten are the times of a quick chat on the lawn or a longer conversation on the porch. We no longer live in neighborhoods; we exist in networks.

Once I became a ‘regular’, I began recognizing other regulars. This is where I first recognized you. When I saw you at Second Saturday, I wanted to walk up excitedly and ask what you were doing there. I wanted to catch up. Then I faced the disappointment in knowing…

I don’t know you.

People are more and more ‘connected’ while becoming more and more lonely. When the neighborhood is quickly forgotten, my goal is to engage in my networks. If we are always here, there is no reason we should not know each other.

What if there we were no strangers?

Introduce yourself to someone you see all the time but still have not met. If you see me at Tupelo or my bar, restaurant, or club, you may soon be startled by my endeavor to meet you.

What if you and I started a revolution where people were less lonely?

Don’t be a stranger!

The Martinez Home Haunting Investigation 22nd & H Street

2009-01-26T01:37:09Z

The article below was written in 2007. After this article was published, the owner of the house on 22nd and H Street contacted me. He claims that his home is NOT haunted. He also makes claim that there was NEVER any Martinez family that lived in this home and where that name came from is beyond him. He believes that the urban legend of his home being haunted was started by his sister and it grew out of proportion and became the urban legend that it is now. Paul Dale Roberts. - Now to the story that I wrote in 2007:

I think before I talking about our haunting investigation, I want to talk about a few other things to get this article started. First off, before I became HPI's ghost writer, I was merely a freelance writer that wrote about anything under the sun. I wrote travel articles, political articles - especially after 9/11, lots of comic book articles and comic book reviews. In fact I had my own monthly column in Vamperotica Magazine by Brainstorm Comics and Just Comics and More - The Caribbean's Only Monthly Comic Magazine! Yes! I am also in the comic book business. I promote aspiring writers and artists who are trying to break into comic books and animation. I do reviews of comics and ever once in a while I will find a quote of mine plastered on some comic book someplace. I also interview many comic book creators and artists from Boris Vallejo to Joe Quesada, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics! You can find all my comic book stuff right at my website Jazma Online! at www.jazmaonline.com Comic books cover all genres, from sci fi to fantasy to horror to drama to real life relationships. Many comic books have become movies from Sin City, Road to Perdition, Men in Black, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Ghostworld, Hellboy and the list goes on and on. In fact, my comic book The Legendary Dark Silhouette will be made into a movie by independent film producer Howard Nash whose credits include: P.J., Tracks, Sleepless Nights, Feliciano: The Legend and Children of the Night. So, being in the comic book business is not a bad thing. When I first got into paranormal writing, I was invited by a friend to attend a ghost hunting investigation. I introduced myself to Shannon 'Ms. Macabre' McCabe and told her I wanted permission to write an article. She grabbed me by the arm and said, 'I love the press!" I have been with HPI ever since, writing their stories. I introduced the comic book world to the ghost hunting world and we will soon have a comic book out called The HPI Chronicles: HPI Meets Dracula!

To let you know there are many comic books that deal with the paranormal and horror, if you ever walk into a comic book store, check out some of these titles: Loaded Bible 2: Blood of Christ - Image; Left on Mission #2 by Boom!; The Secret History Book Two: Castle of the Djinns - The Templar Chronicles: Heretic by Joe Nassise; Robert Kurtzman's - Beneath the Valley of the Rage #1 by Fangoria Comics; Mischief Night by Avatar; Madame Mirage by Top Cow and Garth Ennis' - Streets of Glory. Let me know what you think.

Now to other things, I was a guest 4 times on Sonoma's Wine, Spirits and Song Paranormal Radio Show, in which I discussed my involvement with the US Army's Military Intelligence and the Intelligence connection to UFOs. We also talked about ghosts. Carla Heine, the host of the show said that Sonoma is the most haunted city in Northern California. I now have to disagree with her, I think every city in the world is haunted, you just need to look for haunted locations. You will find out they are easy to find. Sacramento has a lot of notorious history. When I lived on W Street in Sacramento in the 70s, so was Patty Hearst and some of the SLA. Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme was trying to kill former President Gerald Ford in Sacramento. This type of criminal activity does not leave ghost traces, because no one died. But, other notorious criminal activity in Sacramento may leave ghost traces, such as the infamous cases of Charlene & Gerald Gallegos, The I-5 Killer, Dorothea Puente and Richard Trenton Chase aka The Vampire of Sacramento. These horrifying episodes in Sacramento history may leave residual haunting activity, where a murderous act may play out over and over again. The victims to these crimes may not be at rest, because their lives were taken early in life and they may have some unfinished business to attend to. These are areas of interest for HPI. These are areas we will investigate and other areas of Northern California. We will never run out of cases.

It seems that everyone I talk to has a paranormal story, either they have seen a ghost, saw a UFO, came across a shadow person, etc. Even as I was talking with my own dad, he claims that when my mom passed away, it was only a few days later, he saw her glide down the hallway into the bedroom of his Greenhaven home. He was making repairs in the bathroom and a cold chill came over him. He never experienced anything else paranormal again, but he will never forget that image.

I used to live in Monterey and one of the urban legend ghost stories that I will never forget is that during the 60s, a soldier out of Ft. Ord, California was hitchhiking off base to see his family during Thanksgiving. Two ladies in a convertible picked him up. The girls in the car were drinking, playing their music up loud, some people say they were listening to In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly when the car pulled up to pick up the soldier. The girls were having fun with the soldier in the car while driving and took him to Carmel Valley. They pulled the car over and began seducing the soldier and persuaded the soldier to allow them to tie him to a tree. When the soldier obliged, he found himself partially nude, tied to a tree. One of the girls pulled out some LSD, the three of them all took the hallucinogenic drug. At some point of time one of the girls pulls out a very thin glass tube and inserts the tube into the soldier's private area. When the tube was fully inserted, she breaks it off in the middle. The girls drive off and leave the soldier bleeding to death tied up to the tree. It is said that people driving down a lonely stretch of road in Carmel Valley see the ghostly image of the soldier bleeding from his groin area. So, you see stories about ghosts are everywhere and if a tragic event like this did occur, there was enough negative energy blasted into the atmosphere to leave a good residual haunting for that area in Carmel Valley.

Sometimes I have a tendency to ramble on, so let's get to the investigation this evening. The date is July 17, 2007, Tuesday. First off, we had a meeting at the Sierra 2 Center in Room 11. Alicia Perry demonstrated to the HPI Paranormal Investigators on how to eliminate background noise using a program called Audacity, when searching for EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). I introduced a guest that I worked with on a few paranormal investigations, her name is Janet Michalk. She is a certified hypnotherapist and intuitive. For more information on Janet's work, she can be reached at: intouchhypnotherapy@yahoo.com and intouchhypnotherapy.com. She is a paranormal investigator with In Touch Paranormal Investigations. After our meeting we investigated the infamous Martinez Home on 22nd and H Street.

The paranormal investigators that attended this investigation after the meeting were: Shannon McCabe, Tim Hawkins, John Wachter aka Vlawde, Michelle Paykel, Michele Stump, Chris Grissom, Jennifer 'The Jen Girl" Baca, Lisa Holt and her nephew Jessie Ibarra, Mary Casiano, Alicia Perry, Brian Colbert, Paul Dale Roberts, Lou Paman & Dee Pizarro. Lou Paman and Dee Pizarro were also my guests and this was their very first paranormal investigation. Lou & Dee are part of a band called Taal and I saw them both play last Friday at the Stockmarket Grill off Folsom Blvd. Both are great musicians and with the enthusiasm I saw in both of them tonight, I believe they will make very good investigators.

Let me describe this house. The house looks like the Munsters or Addam's Family's home. I kid you not. There are gargoyles in front of the home. The house is an actual mansion, that is over 100 years old. The house is abandoned. The house is located at 2131 H Street, corner of 22nd. There are huge palm trees in front of the house. Lisa Holt's nephew, Jessie, an intuitive or what you may call a sensitive, sensed a entity crossing one of the upstair rooms in front of the window, and he and Alicia suggested to John that he take a picture. And he got an amazing bright white orb that shows motion. The house is absolutely spooky to behold.

Alicia Perry and Mary Casiano did a scouting investigation of the home on their own, and when they got back in their truck they smelled a man's cologne. Figuring they were being followed by an entity, Alicia proceeded to tell their "guest" to leave. Fortunately they were doing an audio recording at the time, because they picked up an EVP that says, "I'll git." At least the ghost was a gentleman!

As digital cameras flashed away, gorgeous orbs were taken around the house. (already mentioned above) Vlawde takes a picture that almost looks like an orb coming out of the window. Jennifer Baca takes a picture of the window and it appears that an apparation is peering out of the window.

The neighbors of this abandoned home came over to see what we were doing and here are some of the stories they told:

That Dr. Aden Hart and his family lived in this home. There has been some deaths in the house. That at one time, one of the tenants of this home, would take his wife to the cellar and torture her, she eventually died in the house. One story goes that a man went berserk and killed his whole family in the house. None of these stories can be substantiated. The stories are all urban myth. The Martinez family lived there and they were the last occupants of the house, before it became abandoned. Now below are some possible facts:

Fact from a researcher of the Martinez House:
"The occupants in 1907 were Dr. Arden C. Hart and Alice Hart. Arden founded Sutter Hospital. They lived in that wonderful house until around 1950. I do not know if one or the other died there. The house was then sold to (last name not disclosed). One of the pair's sons inherited the house. I assume he grew up there. That is when, 1976, it was vacated. In 2000 the grandson lived there very briefly. He was scared away."

Information from a neighbor:
"One day, I was lounging about on our front porch. I saw the owner's son run out of the house, and then back in. That afternoon he had packed up and moved out.

In a later conversation, the lad told me this. "I was upstairs. I had the radio going on in the kitchen. I was alarmed, when the radio began changing stations. I went down to see who was doing it. There was no-one. I went back upstairs. The radio once again began changing channels. I ran down this time, no-one again. I ran outside and around the house. There was nobody in sight. That is when I decided to move out. It was the last straw."

Other Information Gathered On the Martinez Home:
Some claim that there was never any Martinez family that resided there. The Martinez family story could be another urban myth. It is said that the Amaruso(s) bought the home in the 50s and still own it. Paranormal investigator Brian Colbert received 3 EVPs and HPI is in the process of analyzing the EVPs that he picked up this night. Some of the investigators smelled cologne or smoke that emanuated from the house. At one point of time, I smelled cologne that came and went. Alicia Perry and Mary Casiano also smelled cologne on their separate scouting mission to this home, before this initial investigation.

Paranormal Investigator Brian Colbert dug up this information:

"The trouble seems to have started three weeks after Mrs. Lillian Martinez and her family moved into the remodeled house in 1973. Sounds of crashing glassware and noises of a struggle in the kitchen started late at night, but nothing was there.
Then 15-year-old Angie began seeing a gray and white cat fade in and out of reality. Upstairs, a "panting presence" started following people around and later materialized as the ghost of an Oriental man wearing a white coat.
The ghost of a woman wearing a yellow flower-print dress was also seen by Lilly Monica, Tyrone, and Diana Martinez. Husband Julio reported the ghosts of two children hiding in doorways. Rumors of a family murder in the house have never been confirmed, but other tenants down through the years reported similar activity. (The house is now a private residence near 22nd and H Street in Midtown Sacramento.)
Background research-
I've had several people tell me the story behind the house is that the original builders and owners of the house were a prominent & historical family of both Sacramento & California in general. The patriarch of the family, apparently suffering from an unknown mental disorder (dementia?) murdered his grandchildren, the house servants, and family pet.
Searching in the Sacramento historical archives, I have uncovered some information that lends some credence to this legend. Moving backwards through the owners, I found the original owners: the Hart Family. The original owner of the house is listed as one "A C Hart". Cross referencing through the Sacramento Directories, the full name is Aden (or Aben, but I believe this is a typo) C Hart, physician.
Background on
AC Hart-
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/biographies/achartmd.html
His brother (which makes mention of their father)
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/biographies/achartmd.html
Nephew-
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/biographies/fbhart.html
Brother(?)
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/biographies/srhart.html
Note: all entries except for AC Hart mention marriages and children, except Aden's.
There is also mentions within the biographies of various members of the family expiring. At the time, as you are probably quite aware, it was quite common for large families to care for the elder members, and for them to pass on in the family home.
A search of the library newspapers has not turned up anything, as of yet. As you can see from the above, there is quite a lot to still look into."

The house has a lot of history that is clouded with truths and untruths and hopefully one day, HPI will be able to unravel the mystery of this old haunted house. Wouldn't it be nice to have a house like this, that can be HPI's headquarters?

For more on HPI, check out their website at www.hpiparanormal.net
Paul Dale Roberts, Freelance Writer
www.jazmaonline.com
Paranormal Cellular Hotline: 916 203 7503

Sacramento Home Fire Safety

2008-10-31T16:47:20Z

This years California Wildland Fire Season is nearing its end. This past fire season has been an ugly and deadly one. But here in Sacramento we are entering our "Urban Fire Season". What I mean by that is this is the time of year where we start seeing more structure fires and unfortunately this is usually the time of year that we experience our fire deaths.
More people are spending their time indoors for obvious reasons. With that we have fires that are caused by defective heating equipment, fireplaces, candles, cooking, and the all too common, "smoking". Now is the perfect time to go through and check the safety of your home. It's is also a very good time to sit down with your family and talk about fire safety and go over and practice a fire escape plan. Never think that fire cannot happen to you. It can and it is devastating.
In Sacramento we have twice as many fire deaths as compared to any similar sized city in California. The public needs to be proactive and make sure that they do not live or work in a fire trap. There are many resources available to the public regarding fire safety. Visit our website at www.sacfire.org to get more tips. Stop by any of our fire houses and talk with the Firefighters there. They will gladly give you some sound advice.
Probably the most important tool that you can have to help prevent fire deaths is a simple smoke detector. Smoke detectors have demonstrated time and time again that they do save lives. They do not prevent fires, but they give you warning and the time to safely escape your home in the event of fire. I can honestly say that in my 29 years as a Firefighter, I have never been on a home fire that has had a working smoke detector and someone there has died. It rarely ever happens, and if it does there is usually some other factor involved, like alcohol or drug use affecting the persons ability to safely escape.
With the change of the clocks this weekend, now is the perfect time to change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors. Only use brand new fresh batteries. Statistics have shown that over 90% of the homes in the U.S. have smoke detectors. That's the good news. The bad news is that in over 25% of the homes with detectors, the detectors do not work. Usually this is due to "dead batteries". It is a good idea to replace your smoke detectors after 10 years. They start to lose their effectiveness around then.
Please do not become a grim statistic. Make sure you and your loved ones are protected. And make sure you have working detectors in your home, preferably in every bedroom of the house. Please feel free to give me a call or drop me a note. The Sacramento Fire Department is here to serve.
Captain Jim Doucette, Public Information Officer
Sacramento Fire Department