Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "parks"

Ancient olive trees create the 'heart' of Bridge District park

2012-01-28T04:24:21Z

Four massive Seville olive trees were installed in The Bridge District’s Garden Park earlier this month setting the stage for a welcoming community space in West Sacramento’s newest development area.

Garden Park is a three-quarter-acre public park billed as the “centerpiece” to the first stage of development of The Bridge District, according to Stephen Jaycox, senior vice president of design for The Bridge District’s designer/developer, Fulcrum Property.

Jaycox said the design and planning of The Bridge District is unusual compared to typical new development plans.

“We are starting with the green space and then moving on to building townhomes and apartments around it,” Jaycox said. “This is a different sort of planning from the days when parks were an afterthought.”

The newly-replanted olive trees averaged 21,000 pounds each and are each well over 100 years old, according to Jaycox.

The olive trees were working trees on a farm near Fresno before the move to the park in West Sacramento. They were selected because of their sculptural trunks, character and beauty, Jaycox said.

“Having a fruit-bearing tree is a reminder of the importance of agriculture to our communities,” Jaycox said Thursday.

The trees will frame a seating area in the center of the park featuring a 16-foot-long granite table that Fulcrum Property President Mark Friedman described as “an invitation” to get together with neighbors.

“The trees give the park instant character, creating a sense of age and permanence that you wouldn’t normally get in a new park,” Friedman said.

Jaycox said Garden Park is designed in what is called a “circus plan” – a long oval – similar to South Park in San Francisco.

“It’s long and narrow, and the buildings will go up around it,” he said. “It will feel like being in an outdoor room.”

Garden Park is expected to be the “heart of the neighborhood,” according to Friedman.

“We’ve built it like a jewel box for the district,” he said.

The West Sacramento park will cost nearly $2 million and is being paid for with a variety of public funds including grants and general fund dollars, Katy Jacobson, project manager for the city of West Sacramento, said Friday.

“(The olive trees) give us an instant sense of history as we transform the area from industrial to mixed-use,” Jacobson said.

Additional improvements to The Bridge District will include final construction of an off-ramp at Fifth Street this fall, followed by the start of construction on the first housing units before the end of the year, Jacobson said.

As Garden Park nears completion, the final addition will be a yet-to-be-selected sculpture set in a prominent place as a counterpoint to the ancient trees.

“It will offset something natural – the ancient Seville olive trees – with something manmade,” Friedman said.

Construction on Garden Park began in November and is expected to open in spring, although no specific date has been set.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Growing Debate Over Sacramento Tree Removals

2011-11-22T01:41:11Z

Criticism over the handling of Sacramento tree removals sparked a heated debate at the November Parks and Recreation Commission meeting in city hall.

Nathan Jacobsen, an attorney and environmental activist, spoke at the Parks and Recreation Commission tree appeal hearing to oppose a decision made by Jerry Way, Director of Transportation, to remove a Non-Heritage ‘Bradford’ Flowering Pear tree, located at 2001 10th Street.

“The city should be protecting a public resource, not tearing it down or destroying it without a clear democratic process. Removals need to be supported by factual information,” Jacobsen said.

On April 26, Jacobsen sent a request to meet with Way regarding the approval to remove the ‘Bradford’ tree.

Instead, Way’s representative and Manager of Urban Forestry Services Joe Bennassini spoke with Jacobsen on grounds for the removal.

Still in disagreement, Jacobsen sent an appeal to Jim Combs, Director of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation on Sept. 21.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation, in its brochure The Magnificent Trees of Del Campo Park, describe the Bradford Pear tree (Pyrus Calleryana) as one of the earliest blooming trees in late winter. When in bloom, it produces white flowers, small marble-sized fruits and has a red fall color. It can grow to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Without corrective pruning when young, its narrow branch angles may cause the tree to split at 12 to 15 years old.

At the Parks and Recreation Commission tree appeal hearing, the debate boiled down to several points. Bennassini defended the tree’s removal because of the cultivar’s history of limb failure, its location to a near-by preschool, poor limb structure and an overwhelming mistletoe infestation.

Jacobsen countered the argument at the hearing, disputing that the tree is “healthy and vigorous” with no visible signs of decline caused by mistletoe, no attempts to prune the mistletoe had been made and the tree is fully mature and uniquely large for its species. Furthermore, branch failures are an innate part of living with trees, no imminent threat was posed by the tree, the tree is approximately 40 feet from the preschool and the repaired sidewalk indicates a prior effort to preserve the tree’s life.

“While the tree does not present an imminent problem, it presents a predictable problem. Removal and replacement of trees such as this reduces risk and are a part of routine and responsible maintenance of the urban forest and is within the mission of Urban Forestry,” read the UFS staff recommendation for tree removal, signed and submitted by Benassini.

“Urban Forestry has routinely removed these (Bradford Pear) trees as they have reached their full life expectancy (25 to 30 years) and as the risk of branch failure increased,” read the November Parks and Recreation Commission meeting minutes.

“Do we benefit from a city of sapling trees that don’t grow to mature size? The value of a mature tree exponentially exceeds that of a ewly planted one,” Jacobsen said at the hearing.

In a July email Jacobsen sent to the mayor and city councilmembers, he noted the benefits of older, mature trees which provide increased energy savings, wildlife habitat, water filtration benefits and enhanced property values.

“Practice is to replace a large tree with a large tree. The fact is, we build cities differently than we did before, we don’t have as many opportunities to plant within large areas that can support large trees,” Benassini said at the hearing.

Urban Forestry Services contended that pruning would not remedy the Bradford tree’s poor branch attachment and that the cost and risk analysis of the tree outweighed the benefit of its preservation.

“All that said, perhaps it will still be prudent to remove the tree, but I believe the larger issues of businesses advocating for tree removals still be addressed,” wrote Jacobsen in a September email to Benassini.

The owner of Tiny Town Pre-School successfully requested the removal of two other trees located on public property in recent years.

Jacobsen questioned the qualifications of UFS staff and presented pictures of other trees that had been cut down by the city with recommendations from staff and conflicting evidence in the removed entities.

He addressed the problem of city arborists and inspectors identifying healthy, viable trees as safety hazards based on the complaints and desires of developers and business owners. He stated that there could be a problem with the willingness of the department to take every claim made by staff as true.

A contentious atmosphere began building up in the hearing; commissioners asked Jacobsen not to “single-out” Joe Benassini’s name in the criticisms being made.

In the final motion, the Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously voted to remove and replace the ‘Bradford’ tree in question.

This, however, was not Jacobsen’s first battle with the City.

In August of 2010, Jacobsen sued the City in Sacramento Superior Court for a violation of the California Public Records Act for failing to respond to a records request of policy regarding removal of city trees and records related to removal of specific street trees.

The complaint against the city also alleged that the city failed to comply with ordinances that require public citizens receive the opportunity to appeal the removal of public street trees.

The court granted Jacobsen a preliminary injunction that ordered the City of Sacramento to comply with the appeals procedure mandated by City Code section 12.56.120 on March 25, 2011.

In the tentative ruling the City was found ignoring its own rules to circumvent the public appeals process in tree removals.
“Are we all going to have a voice in how public resources are used, or will it only be the people with money, power and influence,” said Jacobsen.

Dan Pskowski, listed as one of the Sacramento Tree Foundation’s “2009 Tree Heroes” and arborist of 18 years for Sacramento’s Urban Forestry Services, spoke at the July 26 city council meeting.

Pskowski expressed his concern for trees that do not meet “heritage criteria” and receive no second thought in removal. He states that these classifications have led large trees to be removed without just cause.

“In Land Park, one citizen had to install air conditioning in their home because a neighbor had removed a large canopy tree that had provided shade, just because of a leaf litter problem,” Pskowski told the city council.

Jacobsen followed Pskowski’s comments at the hearing.

“I have had, and continue to have some concerns about the lack of public process and transparency in city and environmental issues... it’s difficult to publicly participate when conflicting information is provided,” Jacobsen said at the July city council hearing.

Councilmember Angelique Ashby openly criticized Jacobsen at the hearing for not contacting her office, not coming forward in prior community meetings, California Environmental Quality Act Notices and council meetings regarding trees up for removal in the “Cars on K Street” project.

“Waiting and missing those two years of opportunity is a cost of $20 thousand to $30 thousand at a time when we’re upside down in a budget,” Ashby retorted at the hearing.

The CEQA notice was a Mitigated Negative Declaration. Meaning, the city found “no environmental impact that could not be mitigated to a less than significant level,” Jacobsen pointed out in an email to Councilmember Ashby following the meeting.

Jacobsen then stated that the mitigation document, primarily informational, provides the public an analysis of the environmental effects and consequences, was missing in the CEQA notice.

He addressed the concealed changes from Urban Forestry Services, with eight trees being considered for removal and only two being addressed in the CEQA notice.

“It was impossible to determine what the plan was and how many trees would be removed for the project,” Jacobsen said in the email.

Jacobsen was also unable to submit his appeal until an injunction had been granted by the court, mandating the temporary ruling that forced the City to obey its own policy of allowing tree removal appeals.

The Parks and Recreation Commission denied Jacobsen’s appeal to keep the London plane street trees on K Street. The commission motioned to support the removal and recommended the trees be replaced by a minimum of two trees.

In the end, a redesign proposal came through from the Department of Transportation that allowed the trees to remain standing on K Street.

“Absent my appeal, trees would have been removed at an unnecessary expense to the city and the environment,” Jacobsen stated in the email to Councilmember Ashby.

The Department of Urban Forestry Services’ website states that there are approximately 100,000 trees in Sacramento, a beautiful diversity that gave Sacramento the title “City of Trees.”

“I think that the best decisions are made when the public is informed and engaged even if there is disagreement about those issues,” Jacobsen concluded at the July city council meeting.

Sac Parks Examine Parcel Tax Possibility

2011-11-21T10:32:10Z

A new tax could be on the horizon for Sacramento property owners, as the Sacramento Parks and Recreation Commission begins plans for polling voters on their support for a parcel tax that could appear on the November 2012 ballot.

The parcel tax, a form of property tax, requires a two-thirds approval from the voters. The tax is a flat fee for property owners in the district, rather than a property tax that is based on the assessed value of the property.

The money will not replace contributions from the General Fund. Currently, the general fund provides 3.9 million for park maintenance costs.

The Commission considered a parcel tax between $25 and $30, a number they believe voters will view as acceptable and a good investment in Sacramento parks. Overall, this will generate approximately $5 to $6 million in revenue for park sustainability.

In the current economy, gathering support for a tax increase from city councilmembers and the public will be a tough feat by the Parks Department.

“We can’t live with ourselves as park supporters and say that we didn’t try everything we could,” Cindy Cooke, District Four Parks Commissioner, said at the November Commissioners meeting.

The polling will begin in mid to late January of 2012 and the results presented to city council around February or March.

“We must ask questions about priority of choices, because there are certain things that can kill this before it even gets launched,” Jim Combs, Director of Parks and Recreation, said at the November Parks and Recreation meeting. “It has to come back with a strong two-thirds. We also have to look at our competition on the ballot.”

Combs pressed the importance of prioritizing services based on the polling information. The results of the poll will reflect what aspects of Parks the public is most concerned about: community centers, recreational programs for senior citizens, youth programs, park maintenance, planting or keeping pools open in the summer. This will determine where the tax revenue derived from this parcel tax will fund, if passed by the voters.

“People want to see what they’re getting in the parcel tax. Park maintenance is not sexy, you can’t sell it in a picture or on a brochure,” Jonathan Rewers, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, said at the October Parks and Recreation Commission meeting. “We need to figure out what people are most interested in funding, something tangible.”

A Sacramento County Regional Parks Phone Poll conducted in February of 2011 found that 74 percent of the respondents were willing to pay a tax increase of $19 per year, while 46 percent of the respondents were willing to pay $49 per year for park improvement.

Finding money to sustain parks has been a challenge for the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation Department, which has seen a steep decline in funding from the city’s general fund.

The Sacramento’s Department of Parks and Recreation has a budget of just over $37 million for the 2010-2011 fiscal year to sustain 207 parks and 8 parkways.

Meeting minutes from June of 2004 stated that the Department had a budget of $75 million inclusive of all funding sources. The Department has been stripped of $38 million in the last six years.

Annually, the department reports a total of 5.1 million visitors to the Sacramento parks each year. Finding sufficient public support for the tax measure will be crucial in the spectrum of improvement and maintenance the Department of Parks and Recreation will be able to provide.

Property owners in the North Natomas area currently pay a tax for park maintenance. If the parcel tax is passed, deciding whether areas like these will be asked to pay an additional amount, a lower amount or be dissolved of the prior tax obligation is still up for debate.

“People don’t generally make change until it’s right in front of them. This summer, that might become very evident to people,” Jeff Harris, District 3 Parks Commissioner, said at the November meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Cell Towers to Create Revenue for Sacramento Parks

2011-11-08T00:40:50Z

Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has proposed a city code amendment that encourages telecommunication companies to lease cell towers on city owned property as parks face severe financial cuts to services and programs.

The new proposal advises the city to generate revenue through damage to public property and contract benefits for private telecommunication corporations.

The proposal for increased private-public partnerships with companies such as At&t Wireless Services Inc., American Towers Inc., Sprint Spectrum, LP, Pacific Bell Wireless, Verizon Wireless and numerous others is an example of the efforts Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation has taken to sustain parks on a limited budget.

“Our budget is just decimated. It’s been cut 62 percent over the last four years,” Recreation Superintendent Greg Narramore said. “Mowing of park grass, which was once done once a week, is now done once every 14 days. There is no more trash pick-up on weekends, one of the most popular times for park use, and 13 operating swimming pools have been reduced to just three this season. We just don’t have the resources.”

At the September monthly meeting of Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation, the commission signed a proposal to amend City Code Section 3.76.050.

The proposal could potentially reduce fees and restrictions for private telecommunication companies leasing city property.

Park Planning and Development Manager J.P Tindell, who signed the new proposal, declined to comment over the phone.

In late April, Jonathan Rewers, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, asked Jay Schenirer, Chair for the City of Sacramento Law and Legislation Committee, that all revenues generated through operations and leases in parks be placed in a fund for parks and recreation use only, in a letter.

Budget challenges forced the City Council to change policy with regard to cell tower funds this year, Lisa Nava, District Four Director, said in an email. The council voted to move revenue generated from cell towers back to the General Fund in May.

“We do the best we can but things take a little longer and we just can’t do some of the extra things that we have been able to do in the past,” Nava said in the email.

Before May, cell site revenue would be allocated to a Neighborhood Enhancement Fund, where a city council member could allocate the money back to park improvement within the district.

The proposed amendment recommends eliminating the current revocable permit for wireless telecommunication facilities, WTFs.

The Revocable Permit allows the city of Sacramento to terminate an agreement at any time, while the lease holder may not terminate an agreement until after the first five years.

“Nextel Wireless made it a policy not to do business with the City of Sacramento at all because of the
one-sided nature of the Revocable Permit,” read the Sacramento Department of Parks and Recreation meeting minutes in September.

The company purchasing the lease is responsible for all costs of installation, maintenance, removal and damage to both the telecommunication equipment and city property.

The Revocable Permit has a 10 year initial term and one 10 year renewal option. The fees stack up for the lease holders starting with a $5,000 application fee, $30,000 removable bond deposit, $30,000 one-time initial fee, a $150 inspection fee per hour that cannot exceed $10,000, along with the annual Permit fee.

The cost of the annual fee is dependent on equipment and space utilized for wireless telecommunication
facilities.

Since August of 1997, the city classified WTFs into three categories: microcells, minicells and
macrocells. They create a starting annual revenue of $15,000, $18,000 or $21,000, depending on cell
classification.

The new proposal increases the initial fee to $24,000, $28,000 and $32,000. The proposal includes a
3.5 percent adjustment rate on that fee for the first five years. By 2015, costs for cell sites could jump to
approximately $27,541, $32,131, and $36, 721.

After the first five years, annual fee rates will be based on the Consumer Price Index.

Sacramento Dept. of Parks and Recreation conducted a survey that averaged out costs of other large urban
areas with similar demographics to adjust the outdated fee schedule.

The new fair market rental rates will factor in cost of living, inflation, location value and other fluctuating
economic factors.

The proposed adjusted rates also take into account health of the telecom industry. As new devices and
mobile gadgets develop wireless service providers face increased service demands from their customers.

The amendment proposes implementation of a 5-year fixed-term lease, two-time renewal options and
an administrative amendment fee that eliminates the removal bond and inspection fee.

One-time initial fees could potentially be based on accrued benefits and adverse impacts of the leased
property.

One-time fees are packed in contract benefits such as low cost construction, unique location, extended
term limits, and simultaneous location approvals.

Other benefits include simplified and expedited processes for company approval requests like co-location
or increased antenna height.

The lease holder’s cost can rise with adverse effects to property as well. Adverse effects include lost
abilities to use the city property for intended purposes or reduced visual attraction and esthetics of the
surrounding area.

“I don’t think I would mind it (a cell tower) if I couldn’t notice it, but if it was really noticeable and
ugly I don’t think I would want that,” Andrew Kruschel said, a frequent visitor of Portugese Park in
Sacramento’s Greenhaven District.

While the city’s general fund temporarily collects cell tower revenue from leased towers on city
property, uncertainty remains for the level of cell tower encroachment Sacramento parks will face.

“We are confident in our Park and Recreation Commission’s ability to address the encroachment issue to
the benefit of the City and the surrounding Neighborhoods,” Director of Sacramento Parks and Recreation
Department Jim Combs said.

Watercolors Hiking in historic Locke and Delta Meadows State Park

2011-09-13T10:47:13Z

A Watercolors and Hiking event will be held in Locke, Calif. on Thursday, September 15, 2011 starting at 10:00 a.m. The hike will be led by Martha Esch. Bring the kids and the grandparents; everyone is welcome! Well-behaved dogs on leashes, okay. This is a mostly level 1.5 mile hike apart from one 20 foot long, somewhat steep, narrow path up a levee hill and some optional off-path routes along the way that are prickly and narrow.

Locke artist and art teacher, Martha Esch, will demonstrate easy techniques to painting a quick, lovely, loose watercolor postcard of scenic spots along the hike. Next, participants will begin using watercolor kits, blank postcards and brushes that will be passed out to all who'd like to paint their own scenes. (There will be a $5 art supply fee.)

Pack your own brown bag lunch, your own beverage and maybe some small snacks to share with others. The group will gather in front of Al the Wop's famous bar and steakhouse, located in the middle of Main Street in Locke, Calif.

If you arrive late, just follow the wooden walkway next to Al's to the back of Locke and the walking path past the community gardens, up the levee to the Meadows State Park to catch up. At the top of that levee, the first of two postcard watercolor paintings will take place overlooking the beautiful lagoon called Railroad Slough.

After 15 minutes, the group will stop painting and hike about 1/2 mile to a scenic overlook along Snodgrass Slough where they'll pause to paint their second15-minute postcards.

Lunch will take place at the Snodgrass Slough as well before the hike back to town where the 90 to 120 minute tour winds up back on Main Street.

Everyone in the hiking group will be welcome to sneak a peek at Esch’s paintings, some in progress, at "The Shack," her art and music studio located at the top end of Main Street at Levee Road.

The Delta Meadows State Park is a beautiful, secret gem and the town of Locke is a fun, historic place that you'll want to soon return to with your out-of-state guests. Visitors are free to visit antique and gift shops, museums and the town’s two restaurants, Al the Wops and the Locke Garden Chinese Restaurant.

Visitors should be sure to shop at Lisa Kirk's fun store called Strange Cargo, located next to Al the Wop's. If you have some muscle strain after your hike and want some acupuncture, Diane Thomas is the one to visit at Locke Chinese Medicine a few doors north of Lisa's shop.

Call Martha Esch at (916) 776-1000 with questions. Hope you can join!

To get to the meeting place in Locke from I-5, take the Twin Cities Road exit west toward the tall radio towers. When you hit the road along the Sacramento River, turn left (south) and go one mile to Locke and turn left into the tiny town. When you enter Locke, park in the free parking lot, straight ahead, next to the public restrooms. Entry codes are: Men 3535/ Women 3434.. Gather in front of famous Al the Wop's, located at 13943 Main Street, Locke CA 95690.

Disclosure: Aricle author, Martha Esch teaches private, small and large group art classes in watercolors, oils, and acrylic painting as well as clay classes to all skill levels and ages. For more, visit her blog at www.marthaesch.blogspot.com

New Reichmuth Skate Park Grand Opening Celebration: August 31, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.

2011-08-30T20:41:15Z

Sacramento City Councilmember Rob Fong, community, local skateboarders and the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to celebrate grand opening of Reichmuth Skate Park.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011
11 A.M.
Reichmuth Park (6135 Gloria Drive)

Reichmuth park improvements include a skate park, concrete walkways, a seating area, bike racks, a security camera and signage. The total construction cost was approximately $227,600. Funding for this project came from Park Impact Fees which come from development projects in this planning area. This funding cannot be used for park maintenance, operations or other City Departments. Construction began in November 2010 and was completed in August 2011.

Help Protect Parks and River Parkway

2011-08-08T17:08:25Z

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 believes that the county should have the OPTION of having the revenue go to a new Regional Park District.

State legislative changes would be needed if the county were to have this option. SARA thinks this option is important because polling shows that voters are more likely to support the sales tax for parks if the money goes to a Regional Park District.

PLEASE ATTEND
Please show your support of the GWG effort to Rescue Our Regional Parks and Open Space, by attending the August 9th session.

Tuesday, August 9th at 4:00 p.m.
700 H Street, Sacramento

E-MAIL OR CALL
If you are unable to attend, please call or e-mail all 5 supervisors asking them to add the Regional Park District changes to the 1/10th of a cent sales tax legislation they are preparing -- to allow citizens to vote on the best opportunity to rescue Parks.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY

Supervisors - 700 H Street, Suite 2450 Sacramento, CA 95814

General Info: 916-874-5411 Fax for all members: 916-874-7593

(D-1) Phil Serna 916-874-5485 SupervisorSerna@saccounty.net

(D-2) Jimmy Yee 916-874-5481 jyee@saccounty.net

(D-3) Susan Peters 916-874-5471 susanpeters@saccounty.net

(D-4) Roberta MacGlashan 916-874-5491 macglashanr@saccounty.net

(D-5) Don Nottoli 916-874-5465 nottolid@saccounty.net

More information:
http://www.icontact-archive.com/jiwNoAJxqsBcFLsUf_qCTtVPhlMUSgvQ?w=2

"The Save The American River Association (SARA) had concluded that the best way to preserve the American River Parkway is to look at the bigger picture.

"In response to devastating budget cuts and the possible dismantling of the Sacramento County Regional Parks and Open Space System by the County Board of Supervisors, SARA formed the Grassroots Working Group (GWG) in mid-2010.

"The Group’s goal is to secure adequate, stable, long-term funding for operations, maintenance and expansion of the Regional Parks and Open Space System, which includes the American River Parkway, Cosumnes River Preserve, Deer Creek Hills, Dry Creek Parkway, Sacramento Delta Facilities and the Regional Parks at Mather, Elk Grove and Gibson Ranch.

"According to SARA President, Warren V. Truitt, "The popularity of the American River Parkway – some 8,000,000 visits per year – now stresses Parkway capacity, especially during the warmer months. Therefore, SARA is supporting the effort to rescue our entire Regional Parks and Open Space System.”

"The guiding vision of the Grassroots Working Group is a safe, accessible, well-maintained system of regional parks, farmland, open space and wild lands, linked by a non-motorized transportation network.

"GWG's mission is to identify an appropriate structure to manage our regional parks and open space, coupled with a reliable funding stream for operations, maintenance, and expansion of the system."

Robertson Park Summer Celebration July 30

2011-07-26T21:47:49Z

Enjoy Free Swim, Children’s Activities and Del Paso Heights Farmers’ Market

Sacramento City Councilmember Sandy Sheedy, Gateway Community Charters, and the Sacramento Neighborhood Center invite members of the public to Robertson Park Summer Celebration on Saturday, July 30 at the Robertson Community Center (3525 Norwood Avenue).

Details:
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free Swim at Robertson Park Play Pool, Children’s activities, bounce house, face painting, etc.
7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Del Paso Heights Certified Farmers’ Market

“This is a great opportunity for families and community members to come together, have some food and fun, and share the joy of a summer day,” said Councilmember Sandy Sheedy.

Get in the know and subscribe to City Express, City of Sacramento’s first citywide eNewsletter

2011-07-19T17:58:27Z

The City of Sacramento is pleased to announce the first edition of the new citywide eNewsletter: City Express. This quarterly newsletter will contain information that has relevant topics and in depth information from the City’s perspective that businesses or residents would find interesting and helpful. You can find this newsletter at: www.cityofsacramento.org/cityexpress.

“We wanted a citywide newsletter that was useful, dynamic and another way for the City to stay connected with its residents, businesses and customers,” said Amy Williams, City Media and Communications Officer. “Communicating with the public is a top priority and City Express is another key tool in that effort.” The City also has an active social media presence and encourages anyone to join in on facebook and/or twitter. To learn more about the City’s social media pages, visit: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/mediaCenter/index.html.

Each newsletter will be representative of news across all departments and will include calls to action, links for more details, webpages or videos and photos with captions. Other standing features to the newsletter will include topics about sustainability, volunteering, milestones/accomplishments, seasonal information and upcoming meetings and events. The newsletter was created and developed in house with the help of many City staff with no impact to the General Fund.

Supervisors to consider independent regional parks district

2011-07-19T01:05:58Z

County supervisors will discuss the future of regional parks on Tuesday after hearing recommendations from a local group trying to rescue the parks from extinction.

The Grassroots Working Group (GWG), an independent citizen-volunteer group, was formed in 2010 to explore ways to keep area parks open without further straining the county budget.

“We consider the current condition of the County Regional Parks Department to be beyond critical,” wrote Charlea Moore, an Elverta resident and Grassroots Working Group member, in a letter to the Board of Supervisors.

“Something must be done very soon in order to rescue our regional parks and open space system, or the result will be an enormous loss for the entire region,” Moore said.

At the May 24 Board of Supervisors meeting, GWG recommended creating a new regional parks district that would be run by an elected seven-member panel instead of the Board of Supervisors.

“Our ultimate goal is to have a viable, stable, long-term funding and governance solution to rescue our parks and open spaces,” said Warren Truitt, president of the Save the American River Association, the lead organization of the Grassroots Working Group.

Since the current supervisors have many “competing demands” on their time and resources, having an independently elected board of directors would create a more accountable governance structure with park issues as “the only agenda of the new agency,” according to the GWG executive summary report.

County staff reports indicate the proposed new parks district would be financed by existing revenue sources, a county contribution and a one tenth of one percent sales tax increase.

An increase in sales tax to fund the new district requires taxpayer approval, however.

The Sacramento County Taxpayers League responded to the GWG recommendations in May with a letter opposing any tax increase and urged the Board of Supervisors to not allow the measure to go before the voters.

“Our local economy and your constituents continue to suffer from a sky high unemployment rate and significantly reduced incomes,” representatives wrote in the letter. “Now is the worst possible time to further burden your constituents with higher taxes.”

According to the Taxpayers League letter, although the GWG proposal was “motivated by good intentions,” it was poorly conceived.

Taxpayers League Executive Director Bob Blymyer said Monday the county needs to get rid of its deficit and reduce spending to a sustainable level before considering a tax increase.

“On the surface, (the GWG proposal) sounds pretty good,” Blymyer said. “But, until there is a dedicated funding mechanism that the Board of Supervisors can buy into, it isn’t a workable proposal.”

Blymyer said a more sensible approach would be the formation of a park district that covers the entire region.

“City, county, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova – (We should) have them all under one umbrella,” Blymyer said. “There could be significant financial savings from an umbrella organization.”

Interim County Executive Steve Szalay and Robert Leonard, Municipal Services Agency administrator, will present a report of their review of the GWG proposal along with staff recommendations for further action at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday.

The Board of Supervisors meets various Tuesdays and Wednesdays each month at the County Administration office, 700 H St

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter with The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

McKinley Park rose garden to get facelift in the fall

2011-07-15T03:17:47Z

With help from neighborhood volunteers and a group of rose-lovers, the rose garden at McKinley Park will be getting a facelift this fall.

The 1.5-acre rose garden, which was originally planted in 1928, will be closed from September to mid-February for renovations, including a new irrigation system, accessible walkways, planter curbs, new signs and accessible parking spaces near the garden entrance.

According to a recent historical assessment, the 83-year-old garden has not been upgraded or improved for several decades except for the rose arbors, which were replaced five years ago.

“This may be the first time (the rose garden) has ever been given this much attention,” said Claudia Bordin, a member of the McKinley East Sac Neighborhood Association.

“It’s a landmark,” Bordin said. “It’s beautiful, and people come from all over the place to see it.”

Dennis Day, a landscape architect with the Parks Department, said a construction contract has not officially been awarded for the project, but Parks Department staff will bring one to the City Council for approval in late August.

The project, estimated to cost approximately $238,000, is funded by a combination of park improvement funds and cell tower revenues from the city, along with private donations of materials and labor.

The donated materials and labor will be used for planting new rose bushes when the construction phase is complete.

“The garden was looking very tired,” said Councilman Steve Cohn, representative of District 3 where McKinley park is located. “Some of the bushes were getting very old, and weeds were becoming an increasing problem to deal with.”

The master plan for improvements in the rose garden calls for keeping the same overall design while upgrading the irrigation, adding mow curbs to separate the grass from the rose beds making them easier to maintain, and installing paved walkways to allow for greater access to people with disabilities.

Cohn said that, from an aesthetic standpoint, the garden will look the same after the renovations are complete, but it will be updated and easier to maintain.

“It’s a very elegant pattern and design,” Cohn said. “It was very clear that while everyone supported modernizing a bit, they wanted to be sure we didn’t change the historic design of it. That was very important.”

Cohn said the Sacramento Rose Society donated rose bushes, plants, and the labor to remove older rose bushes and plant new roses. The Sacramento Rose Society will also maintain the roses in the years following the renovations.

“I’m excited that we’re able to do a partnership with the Sacramento Rose Society and some of the neighborhood groups to leverage both public and private dollars, and to include a lot of volunteer effort,” Cohn said.

Private funding also came from the Friends of East Sacramento. New signage at the rose garden was purchased to match the signs at the entrance of the park at Alhambra Boulevard and H Street, and the front of the Clunie Community Center.

“I love the park,” Bordin said. “I walk my dog in the park, and neighbors have a volunteer work day once a month on a Saturday to rake and do a cleanup. I care about (the garden), and I know I’m not the only neighbor who does.”

Kurt Campbell, a realtor and homeowner who has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 30 years, said he agrees.

“I keep finding out new things about it,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of charm there.”

According to park staff, there are currently about 60 or 70 species of roses represented in the garden, along with a variety of large and small trees and blooming annuals.

“The rose garden is a legacy that was left to us,” Cohn said. “When it’s finished, people will see that it’s going to last into the next century.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Grand Opening of Sacramento’s First BMX Bike Park June 18th at Noon

2011-06-13T20:59:24Z

Prepare for a weekend of fun and excitement for the unveiling of Sacramento’s first BMX bike and skate park. Councilmember Jay Schenirer along with bike enthusiasts, neighbors, and City staff will be on hand to open the Park that will be accessible to riders of all ages.

What: Opening of BMX Bike Park

When: Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 12 P.M.

Location: McClatchy Park
3500 Fifth Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95817

The BMX elements were used in the 2011 Mountain Dew Action Sports Tour in San Francisco in April that featured some of the best riders in the world. Thanks to a generous donation from Terre Cox of College Cyclery, the ramps and jumps will be set up in McClatchy Park for the summer.

The event is free and open to the public. All families, local solo bikers, and bike clubs are encouraged to bring their bikes and safety equipment to join in on the fun. The bike park will be open for the summer during normal park operating hours.

City grapples with pool closures, parks decline

2011-05-13T22:27:47Z

Sacramento City Council and hundreds of residents Tuesday night listened to details of a $1.8 million general fund cut to parks and recreation that would leave only three of the city’s 13 swimming pools open by Summer 2012 and area parks in a state of decline amid reductions in park maintenance, trash pick up and general repairs.

Pools and green spaces are two potential casualties of a $39 million city deficit that could impact residents in large and small ways, including a swim on hot day or a drink of water from a park faucet.

Parks and recreation director Jim Combs said six area pools would remain open this summer including George Sim, Clunie, Pannell Meadowview, McClatchy, Johnston and Doyle. Only half of these pools are expected to be open by next summer. The department reported a cost of $100,000 per pool to restore operation.

Combs also outlined park maintenance for 2011/2012 that would reduce mowing to every 12-14 days and trash pick up and restroom cleanings to two times per week. Broken or damaged drinking fountains, benches and play structures would be removed in lieu of repairs. Combs said there are more than 50 drinking faucets currently out of service in city parks.

Residents from neighborhoods throughout Sacramento turned out to deliver impassioned pleas for community resources and protest cuts to the parks and recreation budget, which would also close all but three community centers by July 1.

Among those voicing concern about the loss of safe places for kids was Rev. Tony Sadler of Shiloh Baptist Church. “We need community resources just to survive in these times,” Sadler said.

Jane Adams of District 4 waited in a long line to address City Council and said the city would pay dearly for the proposed cuts.

“Overflowing trash cans, weeds and broken drinking fountains will do nothing to attract business to our city. It will not keep the Kings here,” she said. “I am willing to pay more for safe and clean parks and pools and community centers for our seniors, youth and veterans.”

Parks Department may expand field use

2011-05-13T01:27:57Z

An ordinance that bans for-profit businesses from renting Sacramento’s athletic fields could soon be a thing of the past in the Parks Department, which has seen numerous cutbacks and faces still more in the current budget.

“It does prohibit the commercial use of our fields,” said Teresa Jackson, the Parks Department’s general recreation supervisor.

The ordinance governs use of fields and, as it currently stands, does not allow commercial entities to rent fields unless they are taking part in a fundraiser for a nonprofit, Jackson said.

Jackson said that the ordinance is being reviewed. “It has been brought up over the years that there are a number of groups that would like to rent the fields,” she said.

One of those groups is XOSO Sport and Social League, an adult recreational athletic group that wants to use some fields for kickball games.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said owner Nick Berruezo. “Most cities allow you to (rent sports fields) as a commercial business. They usually charge you a higher rate and give you last priority.”

Berruezo said he rents fields from West Sacramento and unincorporated parts of Sacramento County.

Jackson said the intent of the ordinance was to ensure that nonprofit sports groups like little league would have priority for field use. However, the city has far more athletic fields today, and Jackson said she thinks there is enough space to accommodate all the groups.

Dave Mitchell, operations manager for the Parks Department, said the idea to revisit the ordinance came from Parks Department Director Jim Combs as part of the budget process.

An email from Berruezo “certainly sped it along,” Mitchell said.

Combs will consider the issue next week, and a decision to modify the ordinance can be made as early as June, Jackson said.

“I think he’s open to it,” she said. “He wants to see all our fields in use and not have a surplus on-hand.”

The current fees to use the fields range from $17 per hour to $25 per hour per field, depending on size, Jackson said. If the fees are not changed to charge for-profit companies more, then the decision would not need to go to the City Council for approval.

Jackson said opening up field use would be an additional revenue stream to a department that has been racked by budget cuts in recent years. She declined to estimate how much the department could bring in on the first year.

All fees collected from field rental do not go to the city’s general fund, which currently faces a $39 million shortfall, but go directly back to the Parks Department to pay for some expenses. The Parks Department itself is largely supported by the general fund.

Berruezo said he has been renting fields in West Sacramento and the unincorporated area of Sacramento County for three years, and he would love to be able to rent fields within the city at parks like McKinley Park.

“West Sacramento charges $18 per hour for a softball field,” he said. “I would definitely rent in Sacramento, depending on rates or availability.”

He said he understands that cities reserve the right to give priority to nonprofit organizations, but he thinks it’s a bad idea to deny a revenue stream if the fields aren’t being used.

Jackson said the Parks Department has talked to the City Attorney’s Office, and after being given the legal green light, is researching fees in other cities.

“We want to see our fields used, and if we can bring in a new customer onto our fields to use them, we are happy to do that,” she said.

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

Citizens attend volunteer forum

2011-03-27T04:01:56Z

Local residents seeking information about forming their own neighborhood volunteer groups convened at the Clunie Clubhouse at McKinley Park this past Saturday Morning. The informational event, held by coordinators from the Land Park Volunteer Corps, drew over 30 individuals ranging from concerned citizens, past and present city employees, and representatives of various community organizations.

Craig Powell, lead coordinator for LPVC, passed out an detailed guide outlining the “nuts and bolts” involved in forming a successful city park volunteer group. Staff from the cities park department summarized the resources available to groups interested in volunteering, and how to coordinate with various departments. Curious residents asked provocative questions, and suggested new methods of community involvement. In just under two hours, a wide range of ideas, topics, and examples of past efforts were discussed between the attendees and speakers.

Julie Meir, Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Department of Parks and Recreation, encouraged attendees to take advantage of the tools and support the city can extend. “Our volunteers really kick butt.” Meir told the group. “They really help out, especially now with all the cuts our maintenance department are dealing with.”

The difficulties caused by the city’s budget woes loomed large over the days conversation. Many participants spoke about watching their parks slowly deteriorate, and about feeling powerless to do anything about it. However, a genuine feeling of self-responsibility and civic pride was in noticeable in the room. Almost every comment from the participants began with some variation of, “I love this park” or “I’m concerned about keeping our park great.”

As the meeting started to wind down, the creation of a park advocate group was proposed. Attendees surmised that without continuing collaboration and coordinated pressure on our city leaders, Sacramento’s parks may face even more hardships in the future.

“Without an active advocate group, our parks could face further neglect.” Powell reiterated. “It’s up to us to tell our council representatives how important of parks are to our community.”

Anyone who was unable to attend Saturdays meeting should email Powell at ckpinsacto@aol.com. At request, electronic copies of the workshops handouts can be made available, as well as information about future clean-up events and advocacy gatherings.

Isaac Gonzalez is the Lead Coordinator for Beautification Events for the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association, and was a speaker at this meeting.

Community honors Grantland Johnson

2011-03-21T02:10:42Z

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 Del Paso Heights. I am so blessed and fortunate to have grown up in Del Paso Heights,” said Johnson.

Hagginwood Park was brought into the City of Sacramento when it merged with North Sacramento in 1964. It is where Johnson played baseball as a youth.

“A lot of folks I met, literally for the first time, out on the baseball field,” said Johnson.

Johnson went on to serve in offices at the city, county, state, and federal levels. He served as a member of the Sacramento City Council representing District 2 from 1983 to 1986. He then served as a member of the Sacramento Count Board of Supervisors representing District 1 from 1987 to 1993, when he was appointed by the Clinton administration as Director for the U.S Department of Health & Human Services overseeing Region IX from 1993 to 1998.

Johnson served as the Cabinet Secretary for the California Health & Human Services Agency during the Administration of former Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2003.

“It was a pleasure to work with Grantland,” said former Sacramento Mayor Anne Rudin. “I was so impressed with his understanding of policy issues, his ability to work with other people, his willingness to give and take a little.”

“His priorities were always right.”

When it was his turn to speak, Johnson returned the favor.

“She really reached out to me and worked with me to be an effective member of the council,” said Johnson. “Mayor Rudin is a person of supreme principle.”

“I learned from her the importance of building relationships to get things done. I want to say, Mayor Rudin, how much you mean to me, how much I respect you and honor you, but I think you’re much too modest in terms of the impact you’ve had on this community.”

“I can tell you personally the impact you’ve had over me, and I’m deeply grateful and I cherish your friendship.”

Johnson’s time serving the public allowed him to cross paths and influence several of today’s high-profile public officials.

“We take for granted that Sacramento has this great neighborhood-movement”, said State Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, who began serving as a Sacramento City Councilmember while Grantland served on the Board of Supervisors.

“We take for granted that the City and the school districts work together in the joint uses is the way we work together. We think the fact that we now connect economic development and job creation and the neighborhood movement. Back in 1992, none of that was really a reality, and wasn’t even the way of thinking, and the person who was really on the forefront of all of that was Grantland Johnson.”

“This recognition is not only very appropriate, but it’s necessary to recognize how far we’ve come as a community in 20 years and who was on the front-end and front-line when that happened.”

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, who was Johnson’s successor as County Supervisor, reminisced about their work to bring light rail to Sacramento.

“I was privileged to join Grantland for a period of time on the Regional Transit Board in those early days of the 1980s when we were working to bring light rail transit, what was a new idea to Sacramento, which was really an old concept brought back to life,” said Dickinson.

“How far ahead of so many of us Grantland was with regard to making sure that we on the leading edge in transportation for those who most needed it and relied on it in our community.”

The soccer field is just one part of a planned makeover of Hagginwood Park to include a new play areas, an arbor structure, a skate park, a dog park, new basketball courts, and an outdoor theatre.

“Hagginwood was one of the focuses of a study that was done about two years ago about public safety in our parks and making parks like Hagginwood centers of our neighborhoods,” said City Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jonathan Rewers.

“The soccer field is another part to make this park a jewel within the city’s park system.”

Said Councilmember Sandy Sheedy: “It’s a professional soccer field, the first in this area. It’s already rented through the first of the year. It’s always going to be busy, and it’s always going to know the name ‘Grantland Johnson’ on it.”

19th & Q Street Neighborhood Park Site Community Meeting – March 23rd

2011-03-03T21:57:45Z

Please join me along with City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation staff to begin discussion on the cleanup and future
design of the 19th and Q Street Neighborhood Park site. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 from 6:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the CADA Courtyard, 1322 O Street. The meeting will include information on an EPA Brownfield Grant
that was awarded to clean-up the future park site and we will begin discussion on what neighbors would envision for the future park. We encourage you to bring children to this meeting! For more information, contact Tin-Wah Wong at 808-5540 or twong@cityofsacramento.org.

Southside Park

2010-08-15T03:12:29Z

Mr. Villa stood on the stage, but the crowd seemed to not recognize the man who was in front of the wall that bore his art. "Don't graffitti it" he told the young skateboarders that were in the park. Esteban Villa then sang a song that was the "Bakersfield" sound, "Chicano" in its roots, but Bakersfield in its sound. Professor Emeritus Esteban Villa was at home while he remembered he was sitting under the trees when he thought of the song "Southside Park".

Southside Park on Saturday was like a barbecue with benefits. Skateboards, pretty women, promotions, music, and the locals walking their bikes and stopping to see what all the music was about. Nearby, the sounds of powwow drums could be heard. Shiny fishing lines in the pond and kids in the playground. Southside Park is a neglected gem in downtown. Esteban Villa remembered that it was a run down place when he and the Royal Chicano Air Force (or Rebel Chicano Art Force) painted the stage at the park. "It was the one of the ugliest parks in town", he recalled. Now, the mural still shines like a diamond, not marked up and the colors still vibrant.

As I snapped pictures and dreamed of music, I thought that Southside Park is a perfect place for music festivals. The great sound stage and colorful background mural is beautiful in the shade trees. Someday, I may have a show there. Peace.

Howe Park renovation unveiling

2010-08-11T02:07:35Z

For the past eight weeks, 33 at-risk high school students have been renovating Howe Park. They have designed and built a small dog park, refurbished park benches and walking bridges, and remodeled landscaping – and they will be showing off their handiwork Thursday from 11 a.m.-noon.

Funds to do the work were scarce, but a trio of government agencies collaborated to make it possible.

The Fulton-El Camino Park District's general manager, Roy Imai, said that when the Sacramento County Office of Education contacted him about a partnership, his staff brainstormed several project possibilities.

Imai said his office had six ideas, but were unsure of where the money would come from. The final piece in making the plans a reality came in federal stimulus dollars acquired by the Sacramento Employment Training Agency. SCOE provided the manpower and supervision.

"We were all able to come together and make it happen," Imai said. "This kind of partnership is something that should happen all over the community."

He said that his office is writing a report on the experience and will be sending it to state and federal agencies to spread the word about their success.

While the improvements to the park were needed and are deeply appreciated, the growth of the young men and women of the project is what made it invaluable, he said.

"I think the maturing process…has enlightened them in their responsibilities and goals," he said.

Imai went on to say that the project has benefited the students greatly in giving them valuable skills as workers, and has also benefited the community in terms of public service.

Deputy superintendent for the SCOE, Martin Cavanaugh, said that helping these students learn how to hold a job has been especially rewarding.

"This is often the first paycheck they've ever gotten," he said. "A lot of the same skills you want in a good worker are the same ones that help you succeed in school."

Cavanaugh said SCOE intends on facilitating a project like this every year.

Ninety students applied for a summer job on the renovation project, but only 33 were selected. The students came from multiple alternative high school campuses including Elinor Lincoln Hickey Junior/Senior High School, Gerber Junior/Senior High School and North Area Community School. The students ranged from 16 to 18 years old and worked for six hours a day.

Many of the students have experienced disciplinary and/or academic problems in conventional school settings.

The park is located at 2201 Cottage way. Its amenities include sand volleyball pits, soccer balls, tennis courts, a pond and fishing piers and, of course, a dog park.

You can read more about the project and see additional photos here.

Playground Arson Sucks!

2010-08-09T20:29:08Z

Last night the Auburn Community's main park had it's playground torched. As an member of the rec district's board of directors I am obviuosly upset. As a father and resident of the community I am furious. Vandalism & delinquency costs a community on so many levels, from lost dollars and time, to lost opportunities and as was the case with a rock toss over an overpass recently, serious injuries and possibly worse.

Whether in the heart of a city, or in an outlying suburb it is getting worse, and nobody is immune. I so encourage anybody that witnesses any questionable activity to please notify the proper authorities. Only by banning together & sending a strong message we will not accept this sort of behaviour will it begin to end. Somehow appreciation & respect continues to erode from our society. Community Leaders, Teachers, Parents and kids all need to work to educate and instill a sense of worth and value that will make kids think twice before committing a sensless act such as torching a playground, or inflicting injury.

Just my 2 cents worth for today.

Free Movies in the Park on Saturdays in Natomas

2010-08-05T18:26:19Z

Councilmember Ray Tretheway hosts free movies nights in Natomas area parks on Saturday evenings in August.

Saturday, August 7th
North Natomas Community Park
Cagney Way & Crest Drive
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Saturday, August 14th
Witter Ranch Community Park
3790 Poppy Hill Way
Charlotte’s Web

Saturday, August 21st
Two Rivers Park
3201 West River Drive
UP

Saturday, August 28th
Regency Park Community Park
5500 Honor Parkway
The Princess and the Frog

Movies start at dusk (generally 8:45 p.m.) Games and fun will start at 7:00 p.m. Bring your blankets, snacks and flashlights. Donations for local schools will be accepted and provided to Natomas and Twin Rivers School Districts.

Contact the office of CouncilmMember Ray Tretheway today at 916-808-7001 or rtretheway@cityofsacramento.org if you have any questions.

The schedule for the movies can also be found on the Councilmember's website.

July 4th DIY ideas

2010-07-01T03:52:29Z

Throwing a Fourth of July celebration?

Your fellow Americans have some tips, ranging from home-grown parades and potlucks to Elvis impersonators, dunk tanks and old-school amusements.

This week, a handful of Sacramentans offered ideas on how to have fun and maybe even save a little cash this holiday with celebrations as diverse as the country.

Organizing your own Independence Day parade topped the list of suggestions. Processions can be as small and impromptu as a clanging pots-and-pans parade of kids and adults moseying around the block or as big as a community parade with marching bands and dozens of floats closing down streets.

Jeff Dominguez, who owns Exit Realty West in Midtown, is the go-to guy for advice on how to start your own neighborhood parade. He started the July 4th Pocket Parade 15 years ago to recreate festivities he grew up with along the Sacramento Delta for his family, friends and neighbors.

"I knew the community would embrace a homespun event like that," he said.

Dominguez relied on experience organizing a Santa parade around the Capitol in the late 1980s and early 1990s for Weinstock's department store, where he worked in advertising. His biggest tip is to recruit six smart, capable friends and neighbors who share the vision and can help organize the parade and recruit parade entries.

To get the parade off the ground, be persistent — even if you need to get city special event permits to close a street or support from the Sacramento Police or Fire departments. The first Pocket Parade quickly swelled to 74 entries as word got out.

For big parades, use parade marshals with walkie-talkies or cell phones after every five entries to maintain the pace.

"The idea in its earliest stage when it was still in my head was that it was probably going to be around the block in front of my house," he said. "The street was just lined with people on both sides for the whole parade route. It was something else."

In Sacramento's early days — from 1849 to 1900 — people celebrated the Fourth with lots of parades, fireworks, picnics and street festivals. They picnicked at Plaza Park (now Cesar Chavez Plaza) across from City Hall, East Park (now McKinley Park) and McClatchy Park, called Joyland at the turn of 20th Century when an amusement park operated there.

For free or low-cost entertainment, people held boat races on the Sacramento River, pie-eating contests, bicycle and three-legged races and balloon tosses. They also played bocce ball and musical instruments, sang and held literary readings of new and popular works, said Pat Johnson, a senior archivist with the Center for Sacramento History.

"They didn't have TV, they didn't have radio in the 19th century," she said. "So there would be people doing traditional literary exercises, reading aloud."

Hosting a barbecue, potluck or block party for friends, family and neighbors is a popular, low-cost way to celebrate. Special events planner Dawn Dillman suggested using a theme, such as, "What is Americana?" and asking guests to bring music, poetry and other artsy contributions that reflect the day, the country and its people — much like earlier celebrations.

Two years ago at a family barbecue she helped organize, one person recited Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride," Chinese-American friends explained the history of how the Chinese invented fireworks, and then people rocked out to the Grateful Dead and Lynyrd Skynyrd, said Dillman, who owns Sacramento Event Planners and specializes in eco-friendly, cost-conscious celebrations, weddings and corporate events.

They can also bring historic cocktail recipes celebrating the country's regions, such as mint juleps from the south. For a 21st-century twist, she recommended asking people to bring food or drink celebrating their ethnic heritage and their families' Fourth of July celebrations, along with note cards about the dishes, explaining why they were brought.

"In my mind, part of the thing that makes our country so amazing is that we have so much diversity and we have so much culture," she said. "You can really learn a lot about people by what they see as comfort food."

Paradise Party Rentals has the solution to help revelers cool off on Monday, the official national holiday: dunk tank rentals delivered to your home or business. Tanks cost $145 for eight hours. You supply the people who get dunked.

Dunk tanks are very popular for the summer holiday, so unfortunately, the company's two tanks are spoken for Saturday and Sunday.

"Like anything water-related, it's sold out weeks and months in advance for the Fourth of July," said owner Justin Skiba.

For something a little different, invite Elvis to your party. Working through AAA Awesome Impersonations for all Occasions, singer/impersonator Kenny Reeves can channel Elvis, American country stars and even Neil Diamond. He can also sing favorites from the 1950s and 1960s era of American rock.

The 45-year-old has been singing since he was a teen and started impersonating Elvis in 1990. His red, white and blue website sports a Time Magazine photo from 2002, when he competed in the "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest" in Memphis. He performs at fairgrounds, parties and bars and can be seen twice a year at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento at shows marking the legend's birth and death, said his friend and manager, Patti McCloskey.

He already has one gig at Milestone Saloon in Cool on Sunday. But he's still got some slots available that day and throughout the weekend, at $140 for a half hour, $175 for an hour and $250 for a three- or four-hour party. His big July 4th hit: Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."

"The crowd — every time he does that, they just love that," McCloskey said.

Parade photos provided by Jeff Dominguez. Kenny Reeves photo provided by AAA Awesome Impersonations for all Occasions. Photos of Dawn Dillman and kids at July 4th celebration provided by Dillman. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

East Sacramento set to rock this month

2010-06-04T03:58:29Z

Grab your blankets and lawn chairs and and get ready to enjoy those June nights. East Sacramento is gearing up for this year's annual Pops in the Park concerts, starting Saturday with the country band Whiskey Dawn at East Portal Park.

Pops in the Park began in 1991. “The Sacramento Symphony did outdoor concerts in every council district in order to pay back the community,” recalled Councilman Steve Cohn. The concerts took place in the afternoon, but because of the heat, Cohn said attendance usually was low. Upon entering the city council, Once he became a council member, Cohn decided to change things. “I decided to do evening concerts and do a series and get really good bands that folks would really enjoy,” he said. The evening series has been running annually since 1995.

“It’s kind of almost like a more innocent time,” Cohn said of the series. “You see every age from newborns to 90-plus year olds.”

In the past, concerts had jumphouses and face-painting for the kids, but Cohn said now the committee tries to keep it simple.

“We found that the kids actually have more fun hanging out in the park with all those people,” he said. “We really don’t need to have much else. People entertain themselves.” Attendance at the concerts ranges from 3,000 to 4,000.

Planning for the concerts is a year-round event. Sue Brown, Cohn's district director, does much of it. Along with Cohn and a team of volunteers, she obtains sponsors by the end of the year, and has the lineup figured out at the beginning of the next year.

The Kiwanis Club once again will raise money by selling hot dogs, pizza and hamburgers. The concerts also feature a beer and wine garden. All the proceeds go back into the community.

“We decided to use the Pops money to put towards neighborhood parks,” Cohn said. “In the past, we’ve done a lot of improvement and enhancements to parks.”

The money has helped to build playgrounds and the plaza and fountain at 45th and N streets. This year’s funds will go to something a little different. “Most of it this year is going to keep the Glenn Hall, Bertha Henschel and McKinley Park pools open for recreational swims,” Cohn said.

Performances will include Beatles tribute band Because playing at Glenn Hall Park on June 12. SwingMasters will bring its big-band sound to Bertha Henschel Park on June 19, and The Q-Balls will wrap up the series with classic rock at McKinley Park on June 26. The Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates will be provide free bicycle parking in an area with attendants.

There will be more fun later in the summer with the fifth annual Screen on the Green. Every August Saturday evening, movie lovers can see family flicks in East Sacramento parks. For more information on the events, visit http://sacscreenonthegreen.com/ and http://eastsacpopsinthepark.com.

All images courtesy of the Pops in the Park and Screen on the Green websites

Walk the USS Dragonfly Gangplank (Adventure Sleuth series, #2)

2010-05-10T00:47:59Z

While on a scouting mission for an adventure race I was planning, I discovered a lovely Sacramento gem. Just north of downtown, I found myself walking the gangplank of what I’ve named the “USS Sacramento Dragonfly”.

The “ship”, better known by its very ordinary name, the “Sacramento River Water Intake Facility” offers some of the area’s best river views, nature-inspired art and architecture all in one place and all for free.

Longtime area resident, Merry Walle, said she knew there was an intake facility, but “had no idea that was so beautiful!” She also noted being “amazed at the wide and impressive causeway connecting it to the land”.

Completed in 2004, the facility is moored by 300 steel piles set deep in the riverbed. Its dragonfly wing-shaped structure and glass and metal sails seem poised to catch the wind while its hulking concrete hull keeps it firmly anchored to the earth. It’s a marvel of beauty and functionality.

Replacing an older 1924 structure to collect and convey river water, the facility’s deck offers 360-degree views of the river, the I Street Bridge and all manner of natural and human-made sights.

Artists Nagase, Runstadler and Evans created artworks in stone, glass and metal that evoke the river setting and lend grace to the facility. It wasn’t until I was editing my photos that I delightfully realized that the glass bubble art had captured a reflection of the shoreline trees.

Although the building windows offer glimpses of the big pipes and machinery necessary for water intake work, I was more drawn more to the bronze embossed seal in the rotunda . Encircling the seal is a quote by John Muir, “Tracing rivers to their fountains makes the most charming of travels. As the lifeblood of the landscapes, the best of the wilderness comes to their banks and not one dull passage is found...”

Located off Jibboom Street, at the Robert T. Matsui Waterfront Park, the USS Dragonfly sits ready for you to walk its long and sturdy gangplank.

10,000 to Give Helping Hands to Distressed Sacramento-area Parks on Saturday

2010-05-05T20:11:47Z

SACRAMENTO – More than 10,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their friends will descend on parks throughout the Sacramento region Saturday, May 8, to perform necessary work from clean-up and general maintenance to painting, planting trees and even construction jobs.

Under the banner of Mormon Helping Hands, an international program of the Church that has provided manpower in distressed communities and organized relief efforts after natural disasters, the volunteers have chosen parks in their own communities to perform work in state, regional and city parks that have been hit hard by the recent downturn in the economy. The Sacramento effort is part of a statewide Mormon Helping Hands undertaking whose theme is “Preserving California’s Parks.”

“Members of the Church since the 1840s were instrumental in the establishment and building up of the state, including Sacramento and many other local cities and towns,” said Dennis Holland, Director of Public Affairs for the Sacramento Region. “We feel it is our duty to continue in following Jesus Christ’s example of service to others by helping to improve the communities in which we live, especially during these tough economic times for our local and state governments.”

One of the projects will be at Effie Yeaw Nature Center, which will be losing its funding from Sacramento County on July 1. Located inside Ancil Hoffman Park in Carmichael, the nature center has a list of projects to be accomplished, but no funds to pay for the labor to accomplish them. Among the projects that the Helping Hands volunteers will tackle is the construction of a natural playground out of fallen trees, the weeding of non-native plants from the nature area, the restoration of a pond, and the building of a display stand for a section of a 150-year-old Valley Oak tree.

“There is no way with our current low staffing levels we have now or expect to have in the future that we could remove the invasive and very tall-growing, non-native weeds,” said Marilee Flannery, Park Interpretive Supervisor of Effie Yeaw Nature Center. “This and the other projects would never get done without the helping hands of these volunteers.”

About 800 volunteers – including Hmong and Samoan groups – will donate more than 2,000 man-hours at the City of Sacramento’s William Land Park, which has seen its finding cut by 60 percent in recent years and its maintenance staff trimmed from 22 to seven employees. Volunteers will focus on numerous work projects, including historic trail restoration, power-washing of park amenities, landscape maintenance, specialized gardening, and the cleaning out of the park’s three ponds. The volunteer service in Land Park has an estimated value of more than $70,000.

To thank the Helping Hands volunteers, both the City and County of Sacramento have officially declared May 8, 2010, as Mormon Helping Hands Day.

The numerous other local projects include:

In Natomas: Partnering with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and the Sacramento City Council, volunteers will plant 86 trees at Rosebud Park in North Natomas and build a community garden in a Natomas neighborhood that doesn’t currently have such amenities.

In Sacramento: One of the oldest cemeteries will receive a sprucing-up, as 400 volunteers will do some light painting, trimming around headstones and cleaning them up at East Lawn Memorial Park at Folsom Boulevard and 43rd Street.

In Orangevale: Volunteers will be refurbishing one of the town’s biggest draws: the Frisbee Golf Course at Orangevale Park.

In El Dorado County: At the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where early members of the Church were instrumental in discovering gold and sparking the Gold Rush, hundreds of workers will paint and restore several buildings. Last year, the state park was threatened with closure.

In Placer County: More than 800 volunteers will be working in the Hidden Falls Regional Park, installing several miles of fence posts and non-barbed wire, clearing existing trails, building new trails and clearing brush.

In Yolo County: About 400 volunteers will be performing necessary work in six Woodland parks as well as the Woodland Opera House. In addition to weeding, raking and spreading bark chips, the volunteers will paint and stain buildings, gazebos, benches and picnic tables, replace roof shingles and pressure-wash buildings.

To cover one of the projects, please call Gary Zavoral at (916) 367-9537 or e-mail him at bigzav@hotmail.com.

For more on the churchwide Helping Hands program, go the Church’s Newsroom at http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/-mormon-helping-hands-program-a-decade-of-service.

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New sponsorship and advertising program for city parks

2010-04-16T03:34:19Z

Imagine playing softball at your local park and seeing an ad for a local sports equipment store, or going to a city skatepark and finding out there's a sale at the nearest skate shop. This type of city-business interaction could be possible with the Department of Parks and Recreation's Community Sponsorship Initiative.

Thursday afternoon at the Sacramento Softball Complex, the department unveiled its new funding program, CSI, which was approved by the City Council April 6. The program provides individuals, groups and businesses sponsorship and advertising opportunities, all while funding Parks and Recreation programs and facilities.

"It's taken us a year to get to where we are now, but today we're happy to announce that this initiative will help us with our budget problems by bringing in new revenue to the department," said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Operations Manager Dave Mitchell said at the April 6 City Council meeting that department staff hopes to earn between $80,000 and $100,000 in the first year of the program.

Brima said that funds from the CSI would be placed in a general parks fund unless otherwise specified. Sponsors can also choose for the money from their purchased advertisement to benefit a certain facility or program.

Ads can be placed at designated specialized facilities (like skate parks, community gardens and dog parks) and special events (like Doggy Dip Day and the Jr. Olympics Competition), in the "Department of Parks and Recreation Seasonal Recreation Magazine," a quarterly publication, or on the department's website.

Recreation Manager Alan Tomiyama said there has been a terrible financial crisis in the department over the last three years. "Sometimes it takes a crisis or a catastrophe to enable people to think out of the box, innovatively, and think how we can take advantage of the economic situation we're in," he said.

He also mentioned that the Sacramento Softball Complex is one of the first specialized facilities now accepting advertisements. Placement could be on the scoreboard, the side of a building, or on the outfield fences.

Tamayama said the SSC averages about 400,000 visitors per year, including 50 weekend softball tournaments. He also said that the complex hosts a number of teams from out of town, and local weekday softball games take place as early 8 a.m. while others end as late as midnight.

Jamie Engelleiter, director of sales for Holiday Inn Express & Suites, was one person from the business community already interested in advertising.

"This opportunity for us to be able to advertise and get our name out there, to be able to work with this facility, will be an honor," she said. "We look forward to offering all the sports teams package rates."

Rates for advertising start at $250 and reach up to $9,000 for a "Platinum Package." Sponsorships, on the other hand, can be as little as $10, and can go to any specific purpose related to the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Brima said that advertisers were in charge of creating and styling their own ads, but all ads need to meet provided guidelines and approval from a city committee. The community will also be notified of all pending advertisements via fliers and will be able to call a hotline to voice their concerns about advertisements.

He added that the first advertisements could be up as early as this summer.

More information on the CSI can be found at supportsacparsandrec.com. Rates descriptions of all advertising packages and options are available by contacting Hindolo Brima at (916) 808-5972 or hbrima@cityofsacramento.org.

Department of Parks and Recreation Funding Program Approved

2010-04-07T05:27:20Z

The Sacramento City Council passed an initiative from the Department of Parks and Recreation to raise money through sponsors and advertisers during Tuesday night's meeting.

The program, formally called the Community Sponsorship Initiative, is intended to allow the department to find alternative funding amidst the state's hefty budget deficit. According to the department's April 6 report to the City Council, creative means of funding are now desirable for the department that has faced two consecutive years of budget cuts.

"All we're putting forth is permission to advertise at our specialized facilities," Operations Manager Dave Mitchell said. "This endeavor before you tonight is not new to California, just new to Sacramento. It is consistent with our master plan in seeking out new revenue opportunities."

The initiative would allow individuals to sponsor various events and participants, and open commercial advertising opportunities for businesses on the department's property, according to the report. Acceptable commercial advertising includes sale of real estate or personal property, services or entertainment. Guidelines are in place so that the advertisements do not become a public forum, the report states.

"The No. 1 goal of our department is to ensure that residents have access to our parks and open spaces," Media and Communications Specialist Hindolo Brima said, "and anything that interferes with that in any way does not allow us to do that. Anything that we do at a park should not take precedence over anything that the park is not designated for. If a park is designated for baseball, for example, there should be nothing that takes away from that."

The department developed the initiative along with policies for sponsors and advertisers.

The report also states: "The department intends to implement a specialized facility and publication sponsorship and advertising program that will enable revenue-generating agreements with the private sector. Revenue from such agreements will help support essential programs, services and facilities."

"We're hoping to raise somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000 in the first year," Mitchell said.

The Sacramento Softball Complex at Del Paso Regional Park is the only location chosen so far as a potential venue for advertising.

"We're currently looking at any advertisers that fit within our policy," Brima said.

The department's report stated that advertising would only occur on their property at specialized facilities that's designated for a single purpose. Examples include dog parks, pools, skate parks, community gardens and single-sport facilities.

The report states: "It is important to note that community centers, club houses, playgrounds, and parks in general do not meet this definition of specialized facilities. One of the department's key goals when implementing CSI at specialized facilities is to ensure that CSI-related activities, e.g., advertising, do not interfere with the designated purpose of other neighboring facilities/amenities or have a visual impact on the surrounding community."

Brima emphasized that the prospect of advertising in parks, sports venues and gardens should not overshadow CSI's other opportunities. Potential sponsorship of Sacramento's children and youth include programs such as Jr. Kings Basketball Skills Program, city-wide summer day camps and safe places for youth/teen centers.

"We want everyone to know that they can sponsor a child or an event. A business can sponsor an advertisement, but this program is wide open. It's not just for advertisers. It can be for anyone who says, 'I want to make sure kids can go to summer day camp, and I'd like to make sure 10 kids can go,'" Brima said.

The program passed unanimously with strong praise from councilmembers.

"It's not only the right thing to do, but it's the right time to start," Councilman Robert Fong said. "I think (the department) has been very thoughtful in what we want to see and don't see."

Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell agreed, but with concern for the council's funding. "I think it's a great idea. It's kind of something we already do, we give the shares and we have sponsors.

"As long as it's not going to take away from the Gifts to Share, Inc. funding that we get for our own projects," Pannell said.

"It would not," Mitchell responded. "It opens opportunities for us. CSI helps us control and helps advertisers we're interested in doing business with. It helps us weed out those we're not interested in doing business with."

"I think what you're proposing tonight makes sense," Councilman Steve Cohn said. "When we start talking about parks in our neighborhoods, we have to be sensitive. We have to be aware of issues, and I think you're taking a deliberate approach that makes sense."

CSI is already in place and was awaiting City Council approval. The program and its website will launch next week, said Brima.

Interview: Ian Shive, Conservation Photographer

2009-11-05T05:56:04Z

Photos: 1) Ian Shive at work; 2) Sequoia National Park; 3) Yellowstone National Park

Interview by Tony Sheppard
Originally published in Capitol Weekly

Ian Shive, the photographer behind the new pictorial book "The National Parks: Our American Landscape" recently spent a day in Sacramento, visiting a management class in the Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration program at Sac State. I asked him a few questions about his work and the value of parks in our lives:

Photography as a living is new to you – before it was more like a cell phone plan: Unlimited nights and weekends.

Very true [laughs].

What were you doing before and how did you get into this?

I was working as a publicist for Columbia Pictures, marketing mainstream films. I worked on at least 60 films for them. I worked on the “Spiderman” franchise. We broke some new ground. It was a time when grassroots marketing really became a critical part of that type of film. Photography for me was kind of a passion but never to the point where it is today. It was something that I enjoyed, it was something that gave me a creative outlet in an environment that was creative marketing, but not the same as creating something from scratch. As I entered into the world and made my photographs visible for people in the professional community I got a lot of response and that encouraged me to then do more of that and get more of a response and see how far I could take it.

In the world of photography, which could take you anywhere, why the National Parks?

They were the obvious place to go when I was a corporate, drone. I was looking for a much better word. They’re the obvious place to go because you know you don’t have the time to explore the entire coast of California and sure it’s beautiful but you have to go down to every beach and I had Saturday and Sunday. So the obvious choices were to go to Sequoia and to Yosemite, the places where you knew you could go into and you would at least have some great options in a very short period of time.

The other thing I have to say is that National Parks are crown jewels of what we have in wilderness. They are the best, they are the true icons of American culture. Also knowing that they’re so vast that the roads only cover a small part of it that there would still be room for exploration as well, that there would be a theme I could develop on.

You’ve described the National Parks essentially as islands of conservation in, presumably, oceans of disregard. What do you mean by that and how do we change our mindset?

Well, we have borders. National Parks have borders. They end, they have communities that build up around them, they have laws that only protect things up to that line. A good example is the Channel Islands in California. The marine sanctuary itself is just this little square and if you go on the edge of that square you can fish. What you see is boatloads on the edge fishing, right where the line ends.

Wildlife doesn’t understand what that means. How do you manage that, how do you effectively manage something when it’s the size of a tennis court? And that’s a sanctuary? For what?

And that’s always been a confusing thing to me and so I try and push an agenda that you can’t fence certain things in and they don’t work well if you do. I think a lot of biology and a lot of studies have proven that effective environment management has come in corridors.

You’ve called yourself a conservation photographer, rather than a nature photographer – how do you make that distinction?

Very simple. I feel the nature photographer does exactly what I do in the sense of photographing a beautiful landscape or wildlife or something like that. A conservation photographer takes those images and becomes an advocate for whatever they’re photographing. It’s advocacy that makes the difference – not just shooting something but working to protect it. The longer you spend in a place like Yosemite or anywhere wilderness…you realize that you’ve been borrowing from it: Maybe it’s solitude, maybe it’s a portfolio of images, maybe it’s “Grizzly Automotive” – you’re always borrowing from it but you’re never giving back.

When I was photographing in Henry Coe and a lot of other [California] State Parks, I had no idea that this issue would be happening – underfunding or cutting or closing them completely.

So what do you tell Californians now, who are watching this portfolio of extraordinary places at risk of neglect and underfunding?

We’ve got to fight it. We’ve got to find a way to fund it, find a way to fight it, and find a way to preserve it. I think the State parks are no less important than our National Parks. They’re not just about environment, they’re about culture, they affect people. The National Parks contribute $10 billion a year to their local economies. I believe State Parks have a major contribution in a similar way. I think the public needs to become stewards of these places and make sure they’re run properly. If we all contribute as a community because they’re for the community, then I think we’ll actually find some solutions that work and we can continue having these places.

Hot Lunch Concert Series

2009-08-28T04:19:10Z

The vibe at Fremont park was laid-back and friendly during the new Hot Lunch series presented by Hot Italian and The Sacramento Press.

Dozens of people sat scattered through the park on blankets and in lawn chairs, bobbing to the live music and chowing down on the food that was delivered from Hot Italian, just across 16th Street. Most people in attendance were on their lunch breaks some were just walking their dogs and got pulled in by the delicious smells and intriguing sounds.

Attendee Melissa Olsen said, "I'm here on my lunch hour, and I think this is a good morale booster for all of the state employees in this hard time, to have somewhere near the end of the week to just unwind and listen to music for an hour."

At this week's concert, Kate Gaffney entertained the crowd with songs from her two latest albums as well as some old favorites from bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

"I'm happy to be a part of the Sacramento music scene," Gaffney said. "This is a great little event to have for lunch."

Hot Lunch will take place every Thursday until Sept. 24 on 16th and Q from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Some of the food available included pizza, panini and salads. A crowd favorite in the drink category was Limonata, an Italian lemonade.

Attendees said they hope that the concert series will gain popularity as it goes on, creating a type of concert in the park following.

The next concert will feature music from Richard March.

You can check out Richard March's music at: http://www.myspace.com/richardmarch
and Kate Gaffney's at: http://www.myspace.com/kategaffney

Residents seek ways to maintain parks services

2009-07-01T04:18:42Z

For residents who care about their local parks, the city’s budget cuts to parks maintenance could mean that volunteering may become a necessity instead of an occasional activity. A few neighborhood groups are now talking to city staffers about how they can volunteer to maintain parks, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jim Combs.

In one of its many budget cuts, the city slashed the parks department by $8.3 million for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Pink slips were sent to 65 workers in the department; they are scheduled to be laid off Thursday. The total number of parks workers to be laid off this week was unclear, but acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson said the layoff figures are “moving numbers” at this point.

The handful of groups interested in maintaining parks to address budget cuts are a small number of volunteers amid the thousands of volunteers the department sees each year. About 11-to 12,000 volunteers give their time to the department each year, according to Combs.

The Sacramento United Soccer Club is interested in enhancing field maintenance at parks they use for soccer games, Combs said.

A group of senior residents in North Natomas is also contacting the city because they want to be in charge of upkeep at their local Willow Park, Combs noted.

Parks and Recreation has posted on its website information about how budget cuts will limit services at summer camps and community centers, on park maintenance, pools and park restrooms.

In a related development, Mayor Kevin Johnson is promoting Volunteer Sacramento, his volunteering program. The HandsOn Sacramento group and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) are working with Johnson on the program.

“It’s incredibly important to remind everyone that we have down times in terms of our economy, [and] you need everyday citizens to play a role and help out,” Johnson told reporters Tuesday.

He said he wants to see Sacramento lead all cities in the state on the number of volunteer hours from citizens.

Information on how to volunteer with Johnson’s program is available here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Midtown neighborhoods alarmed by unsafe activites at event.

2009-06-29T19:10:10Z

Kings fans welcomed their new players to Sacramento. This was in a small neighborhood Midtown park. Attendance was reported as a few hundred. Pretty low turnout for such an event. The event was arranged at the last minute and in a venue that had never been used by the Kings before. Another regionally advertised event, The Block Concert Series, was occuring at the same time.

The neighborhood was freaked out when high powered pyrotechnics were illegally fired into the neighborhood at the end of this event. This was callous disregard for the safety of the lives and property of this neighborhood. To understand the full implications of what occurred, speak with Niko King or Jim Doucette in the fire department regarding the extreme risk of fires spreading rapidly through the densely crowed neighborhoods of Midtown. The one city park employee monitoring the event was pretty much helpless in dealing with the situation. There were police there. They aided and abetted the illegal action by closing 28th Street (with no permit) and standing around while pyrotechnics were fired. There was no firefighting equipment present.

The on going concern is that this follows a pattern that has gone in regard to special events in and around Marshall Park. There is a last minute request for an event. Approval is always given. Something goes wrong. No one is held accountable.

When is the City of Sacramento officials going to learn that this massive overuse of a small nieghborhood park is to the benefit of a few and the detriment of many?

California state park closures, Sutter's Fort, Governors Mansion could be in trouble.

2009-06-01T05:04:24Z

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed cutting state park spending by $70 million and that would require state parks that do not cover there own costs to be closed.

220 of 279 state parks would be closed if this proposal was put into place including Sutter’s Fort, the State Capitol Museum, the Leland Stanford Mansion, the California Indian Museum & Cultural Center, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park and the Governor’s Mansion.

Midfest is a go

2009-05-30T01:27:05Z

Midfest is happening this weekend after organizers won two permits early Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the event is scheduled to begin.

But Sacramento city staff notified organizers that city employees will be on the lookout for code violations after neighborhood residents complained that a previous event wasn't adequately managed.

The Bloc Concert Series permit was awarded to Paragary Restaurant Group for the festivities being held in Marshall Park, 915 27th St., from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. A separate permit was issued to the Midtown Business Association (MBA) and T & M Organization for the Arts for Sunday's Midfest Summer Celebration at the park.

In the final hours before permits were handed out, the city's Department of Parks and Recreation held a meeting with organizers to spell out "in no uncertain terms" the regulations and requirements organizers must meet during the festival, said Alan Tomiyama, recreation manager of the department's Community Recreation Services Division.

"If the permittee violates the terms of the permit, the city has absolute authority to shut an event down," he said, adding that organizers will be given one chance to fix a problem on the spo. "Immediately. If they don't, we'll shut them down."

The permits allow the main stage and a VIP tent to be set up next to 28th Street at the alley -- close to 28th Street residences -- and the beer truck and beer garden to be set up on the closed half-block of 28th Street adjacent to Paragary's Centro Cocina Mexicana.

That way, stage speakers face south, away from residential areas, and the noise level can be further dampened by event and traffic noise, said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city Department of Parks and Recreation. That setup also funnels the concert crowd into the south half of the park near businesses.

Permit requirements include:

-- K Permit parking only from 6 a.m. Saturday to 9 p.m. Sunday on I and H streets between 26th and 29th streets; 26th and 27th streets between J and G streets; and 28th Street between I and G streets. Violators will be towed, according to the permit.

-- 28th Street will be closed from J Street to the alley for a beer truck and beer garden.

-- A "reasonable" amplified sound level will be determined by the city's Special Events Services staff the day of the event, metered by police and ended by 8 p.m. However, the permit includes the city code's 98-decibel level for amplified sound being held on a street or sidewalk, rather than the section of code saying amplified sound in a park can't exceed 86 decibels 25 feet from the source, or 55 decibels on any residential property.

-- The Fire Department will set the occupancy load for the beer garden. Alcohol can't be sold after 7:30 p.m.

-- Seven Sacramento police officers, including a sergeant, and at least five private security guards must be hired for the event.

-- Debris and trash must be removed immediately after events on each day.

In recent weeks, the Department of Parks and Recreation pulled together the agencies that need to be involved in enforcing city regulations at the event to coordinate actions that will be taken to address potential problems this weekend, Tomiyama said.

The concerns brought up by residents living next to the park or nearby have never come up with other special events in more than a decade, he said. The park appears to be unique in the central city because it's lined with businesses and busy J Street on its south end but residential neighborhoods on three sides.

Sacramento's central core has undergone much development in the last five years -- including the addition of new bars and restaurants joining stalwarts Centro and Harlow's on J Street facing Marshall Park. Parks department staffers say they're trying to help find a balance with special events to meet the needs of businesses and residents, including Marshall School/New Era Park Neighborhood Association members.

Although it's never happened before, the city is considering those neighbors' request to be included in the permit application process for special events in the area.

"If there needs to be improvement, if there needs to be adjustments, we will do that," Tomiyama said. "At least, we will take a hard look at it."

The city has not awarded permits for any more last Saturday concerts planned for the Bloc Concert Series. The city will evaluate how things go this weekend and base permit decisions on that, he said.

Midfest: Special events guidelines

2009-05-26T03:17:05Z

Special events like the Midfest Summer Celebration must meet general guidelines available on the city Department of Parks and Recreation website.

Applicants are required to notify residents at least seven days before the event. Sending out a team to notify people at their homes or leave information on doorsteps and doorknobs is OK, said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city Department of Parks and Recreation.

Residents must be notified in the most heavily impacted areas, which are determined based on how loud the event is expected to be and what kind of parking issues and restrictions there will be, he added. For this event, the residents who have to be notified live in the area between J and G streets and 26th to 29th streets.

The city's "Special Event Planning Guide" advises organizers to make sure the city approves of the event before any promotion is done. However, conditional approval can be given by city staff after an initial screening of the request.

A special temporary license or permit is required to sell alcohol at such events. Getting such a license requires the Sacramento Police Department and the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Organizers to review alcohol management strategy and event plans.

Beer gardens must be fenced, and entrances must be staffed by people who check IDs. Amplified sound in a park can't exceed 86 decibels 25 feet from the source, or 55 decibels on any residential property.

Planned street closures must allow a 20-foot lane of clearance for emergency vehicles. Signs notifying neighbors of the closure in advance may also be required. Organizers also must make plans to ensure adequate parking is available, which could include the use of shuttles.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sutter Dog Park Opens Saturday

2009-05-23T05:44:00Z

Adventure-seeking canines will be the stars at Saturday’s grand opening of the Sutter’s Landing dog park.

Sutter’s Landing Regional Park, once a city landfill, is already a top spot to take Midtown dogs due to its setting on the American River.

The three-acre dog park offers chihuahuas, labradors and St. Bernards a new leash-free place to play with their companions. The park includes shade canopies and trees, a dog drinking fountain, fencing and separate areas for large and small dogs.

The park is covered with decomposed granite and recycled mulch, which the city estimates will save thousands of gallons of water each year.

Staff from the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and City Councilmember Steve Cohn will welcome dogs to the park at 28th and B streets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. The park’s mission has been to turn a closed landfill into an asset for the city. Sutter's Landing also contains a skate park.

“For the first time since Sutter’s historic boat landing site became a landfill over 100 years ago, trees and landscaping are now taking root,” Cohn said. “The addition of this new dog park will allow the community to continue to see Sutter’s Landing Park in a whole new light.”

Community Reinvestment Capital Improvement Program funds were issued for the project several years ago, before the recession, according to Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

Grant $ funds brownfields cleanups New Midtown park site on list

2009-05-16T03:27:57Z

Sacramento will be able to start work on turning a vacant parcel at 19th and Q streets into a small Midtown park, but it is unclear exactly when that will happen.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced last week the city will get $600,000 in grants to clean up brownfields, which are industrial or commercial properties available for redevelopment but unused or under-used due to real or perceived environmental contamination.

A third of the grant monies, $200,000, will be used to ready the site near R Street Marketplace for recreational use, said Hindolo Brima, spokesperson for the city's Department of Parks and Recreation. The park will be less than five acres and feature an urban plaza akin to downtown's Cesar Chavez Plaza.

"These kind of plazas make it possible for people in the community to have a place for enjoying music, picnicking and just spending time outdoors without having to leave their neighborhood," he said.

The rest of the federal EPA Brownfields Program money is expected to be used to analyze South Sacramento areas needing cleanup, including some in the Florin Road business district.

The Midtown park will be built at a former industrial site once used for manufacturing and as a railroad corridor. The city made a swap to get some of the land, Brima said.

Detailed plans for the park aren't yet available because the park's master plan hasn't been developed yet, said Brima, adding that the city will be taking community input on the plan.

The park is expected to be used most by people living within a half-mile radius. The city expects that it will complement the R Street Market Plaza planned for the other side of 19th Street.

The federal EPA grant will be used to analyze the site, create a cleanup plan and do some cleanup work, but possibly not all. The money that will be available for cleanup all depends on the cost of remediation, he said.

The city is seeking grant money from other sources to fund the park's construction.

Is Anyone Paying Attention?

2009-05-14T16:34:51Z

As a new resident to the Sacramento area, I recently discovered and fell in love with Mckinley Park. Yesterday, was my third visit; unfortunately, it may also be my last. What I witnessed yesterday was nothing short of appalling and disappointing—appalling because it appears that Sacramento residents do not care about wildlife or the environment, and disappointing because it appears that the City of Sacramento does not care about wildlife, the environment, or the residents of Sacramento.

The above photos clearly illustrate what I witnessed yesterday at the duck pond. Loaves and pieces of bread were left on benches, inside the pond, and all around the pond. Empty plastic bags that once held loaves of bread were inside the pond. We also fished out aluminum can tops and straws. It almost felt as if an entire elementary school visited the park and every classroom left pieces of bread for the wildlife. I have no idea how or why so many people displayed the same irresponsible and non eco-friendly behavior.

As I said, this was my third visit to the park, but it was only my second to the pond. My first visit to the pond was in early spring, just as the ducklings appeared and the rest of the wildlife appeared "twitterpatted." During that first visit, there was some debris in and around the pond, but the scene did not compare to the atrocity that we witnessed yesterday. I found myself walking around the pond in disbelief, and immediately ran back to my car to retrieve my camera. I knew that I had to speak out to the community regarding the present state of this beautiful Sacramento landmark. Something must be done to clean the pond area and deter people from feeding the ducks, leaving opened and unopened loaves of bread in the pond area, and throwing trash in or near the pond.

I urge each person who desires to keep McKinley Park safe and beautiful to contact the city's Park and Recreation maintenance department at (916) 808-6305. You can also contact Mary Lynn Perry, City-wide Volunteer Coordinator, at (916) 808-8317, Fax: (916) 808-1907
Email: mperry@cityofsacramento.org, for volunteer opportunities.

The value of PE classes in junior colleges

2009-02-12T07:40:34Z

An article in the SacBee today discusses a Legislative Analysts’s suggestion that junior colleges either drop PE classes, or that the colleges be paid less to offer them than the level of state funding provided for classes that are deemed more academic in content. These are the one-unit classes that are offered in subjects such as golf, tennis, and bowling. The inference is that these classes are not worthwhile and don’t deserve to be subsidized at the same level as other classes.

This seems like an odd standard to apply. As the article points out, students wanting to graduate or transfer are typically required to have one of these classes. What the article doesn’t point out is that that requirement is set by the state that subsidizes that education, precisely because teams of experts have determined that these are in fact worthwhile. It’s not like they showed up by chance or accident.

Another distinction suggested is that these are simply classes for fun and not as valuable as the more academic and vocational classes taken elsewhere in a college career. But if you examine some of the other, more esoteric classes that students routinely take, it may very well be that golf, bowling, and tennis are more likely to be used in life, or even in a career path. Try telling Tiger Woods that golf isn’t vocational. One of the students referenced in the original article was taking bowling multiple times attempting to improve his game enough to compete in tournaments. I wonder if any of his other classes are preparing him for national competition. There may very well be as many students who will use golf, for example, in a business setting, as those who will use <insert subject of your choice here>. And there are many students taking other classes for fun, personal enrichment, or without a specific utilitarian end in mind, and they aren’t single-credit classes.

The article also compares the PE classes and their subsidy rate with fitness classes for senior citizens. One could easily ponder whether or not we would need to teach physical activities to seniors if we taught younger students such life-long activities as, say, golf, bowling, and tennis. Oh, right, we are – for a reason.

During the working years of an adult life, most people will engage in work and other obligated activities for about a third of their week (very rough fractions), sleep for another third, and engage in activities of their own choosing, if they’re lucky, the rest of the time. When they hit retirement, the proportions will shift suddenly. We spend a lot of time and money preparing students for the work portion and we spend a lot of time and money medicating people for sleep. What we tend to spend less on is teaching people how to ensure that the remainder of their lives are rewarding and meaningful. What the article doesn’t point out is that the one unit of PE is just one out of 39 units of general education associated with transferring colleges or 60 units of work associated with graduating from a junior college. That’s about 2% of the class time dedicated towards the leisure and recreation that will ultimately dominate an average lifespan.

And let’s not forget that these activities are also inherently vocational for a great many careers. Unless of course you think the following run themselves: municipal parks and recreation departments, after-school programs, physical education classes, boys and girls clubs, recreation programs for special needs populations, and (you probably know by now that I’m going to say this…) golf courses, bowling alleys, and tennis clubs, amongst the vast array of recreational programs and businesses that exist in our communities. In a state that relies so heavily on recreational activities and related tourism, it’s amazing to think these classes are considered superfluous.

The irony is that it’s exactly this kind of attitude that makes running businesses and agencies in the parks, recreation, tourism, and hospitality fields so difficult – people treat them as though they are disposable or unnecessary when they are often the things that add meaning and value to lives that are otherwise bleak and unfulfilling. Building an appreciation of these activities is not only valuable on an individual level but is beneficial at a societal level and the more active and confident people are in such pursuits, the less likely we are to throw ever larger amounts of money at public healthcare, problems such as obesity, and related diseases and conditions.

If the great fear is that students will simply repeat these classes, time after time, on the taxpayers’ dime, then cap the number of times they can be taken under state subsidy – we do that in other ways for other classes. Let them take three one-unit classes if they want to – a single three-unit class in any other topic, whether degree or vocation-related or not, wouldn’t even attract the attention of the bean counters. Indeed, one could take several classes in other subject areas or even repeat them without anybody questioning those choices. But if they’re going to start labeling which classes are inherently worthwhile and which aren’t, I think we’re going to have a much deeper discussion about a far wider range of subjects.

Fishing Fun Derby's!

2009-02-05T18:48:57Z

Ever wonder how those park ponds, including Howe Park, Gibson Ranch, and Hagan Park, magically always have fish? Well, thanks to California's Department of Fish and Game's, Fishing in the City program, people of all ages may enjoy the sport of fishing. Fishing in the City works with several organizations to stock area ponds, educate the public on helpful fishing techniques and ethics. Several days throughout the year, fishing clinics and derby's are offered free or for a low cost to all community members.

Coming up on Saturday, February 21, 2009 the Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park district is offering their annual Fishing Derby at Howe Park Pond, 2201 Cottage Way Sacramento 95825. Fishing in the City stocks Howe Pond weekly with trout part of the year, but on the 21st, they will also be out to provide fishing poles, non-barbed hooks and some helpful fishing advice to all ages.

Derby times: 9-10:30am (all ages), 11-12:30pm (children 15 and under), and 1-2:30pm (all ages)

Pre-registration is recommended, as derby's have sold out in past years. $8 per person/derby, $20 per family of five/derby

Prizes are offered in age groups for longest and heaviest fish. Those age 16 and older must have a fishing license! Additional information and contacts can be found at www.fecrecpark.com or by calling 916-927-3802.

CRAB FEED at Howe Park

2009-02-05T01:08:46Z

This upcoming Saturday, February 7, 2009 from 6-10pm, Friends of Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District is having their Annual CRAB FEED in Howe Park, 2201 Cottage Way, Sacramento 95825. Tickets are $35 per person by 5pm Friday, February 6 or $40 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the District office, 2201 Cottage Way, over the phone at 916-927-3802, or online at www.fecrecpark.com

Funds raised from the ticket sales and the variety of Silent Auction and Raffle items contribute to children scholarships for programs offered by Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District. Programs include the summer Adventure Club, Ballet, Cheerleading, Soccer, Swim Team, Synchronized Swimming, Youth Basketball and Kickball, just to name a few.

So if you enjoy all-you-can-eat CRAB, home-made clam chowder, pasta and salad, come on down to Howe Park. You might go home with some great auction and raffle prizes, plus you'll also appreciate the added benefit of giving back to the children in the community.

Winn Park/Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association voting to oppose change in tree policy

2008-12-08T19:16:37Z

Below is the letter that is being voted on by the board of the Winn Park/Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association (for those unfamiliar with WPCANA, we are the neighborhoods between K and R Street from 19th to 29th, recently adding a few blocks around Fremont Park to its area. The policy shift doesn't actually streamline the planning process--it moves responsibility from Parks & Recreation to Development Services, and changes the appeal body from Parks & Recreation Commission to Planning Commission, but doesn't actually take out any steps. It has not yet been approved (emails are still coming in) but I expect it to pass, and join letters by NBNA and other neighborhood groups in formally opposing this change in regulation.

December 8, 2008

Mayor Kevin Johnson
New City Hall
921 I Street 5th Floor
Sacramento, CA 905814

Re: Proposal to Move Tree Appeals to Planning Commission

Dear Mayor Johnson,

The WPCANA board is opposed to moving the appeal process for the removal of any trees from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Planning Commission.

Under the change that is currently being proposed, the Development Services Manager and his staff would be able to approve the removal of city trees at any time that a developer wants this done. The public would then have to appeal the approval to the Planning Commission instead of to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Planning staff and the Planning Commission have no expertise with regard to trees and no basis for making reasonable decisions about them. The Central City has already lost far too many healthy trees to development projects and this change will make it much easier for developers to remove still more healthy trees. This is not a responsible way to treat the great legacy that these trees represent.

The draft 2030 General Plan talks about livability and sustainability as major goals. Trees are key to both and Sacramento has been blessed by having a great number of majestic trees planted and preserved over the last century. They provide necessary shade and make our hot summers much more livable. They help clean our dirty air, provide oxygen, sequester carbon and reduce the need for air conditioning. Sacramento should be looking for ways to preserve more of our trees, not creating new policies that make it easier to remove them. We owe it to future residents to do for them in planting, protecting and continuing Sacramento’s heritage of trees what was done for us.

Sincerely,

Matt Piner, Chair
Winn Park Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association

Cc: Ray Kerridge

Marketing in communities

2008-10-30T19:18:10Z

In my efforts to market our product I took many things into account including sustainability, person to person contact, responsibility and creativity. Our vision as a company is to truly be part of a community while reporting the news. With that said we are doing a lot of our marketing at ground level, passing out grocery bags at farmers markets, meeting neighbors one by one and truly being part of a neighborhood.

We are also doing a few creative campaigns using less than traditional tools. I hope you look forward to seeing us in your community. If you see our work and love it or think we can improve please feel free to comment and join the conversation.

If you renovate it, they will come

2008-10-30T01:03:09Z

Have you noticed anything different about Southside Park lately?

You may have seen the signs or the fencing around the lake and wondered what exactly is being changed in Southside Park and why.

It started years ago with a meeting in the community. According to Hindolo Brima spokesman for the Department of Parks and Recreation, "[The Department of Parks and Recreation] hold periodic meetings within the community and usually send out invites to people in that [surrounding] neighborhood, saying 'Come in, we're remaster-planning this park and we want to know what you want to see at this park.'"

Brima stresses the importance of engaging the community on these remodeling projects because of the changing demographics that sometimes go unnoticed. "If the demographics favor older people they may say 'We don't want to have basketball courts, we don't want to have a skate park,' because they don't want younger people there. If the demographics favor younger people they may want some of those kind of things."

The main goal of the Southside Park Lake Master Plan, according to Gary Hyden, Supervising Landscape Architect, "[was] to reinvigorate this space... This is basically a beautification project - creating better amenities, updating some handicap accessibility - and just making it a nice place to be."

Erosion prevention is another focus of the renovation - the Department of Parks and Recreation has restored the lake banks adding native trees, shrubs, ground covers and grasses. There is a 90-day period where the City waits to see if the plants take and everything has been done right before moving forward

There are three phases to the Southside Park Lake Master Plan with a projected cost of $594,473.

Hyden says these kinds of projects are broken up into phases partially because of funding. "The upfront end of obtaining funding to build these things is the trouble - always." Phase 3 will begin early February of 2009 as it waits for the rest of the funding to become available, and the whole project is expected to be completed by late summer.

Other parks will soon be getting makeovers also, the next one being Burberry Community Park in Natomas. The Department of Parks and Recreation created a Sustainability Master Plan and, Hyden says, "One of the goals of this plan is to develop a certain amount of each park as natural areas - [meaning] something that could grow with very little water and have some kind of a habitat value but not take a lot of water and maintenance."

He adds, "The entire department has been moving towards making sure that we have these wilderness type areas and natural plant areas that are drought tolerant and have a good root system."

Park-goers will get to enjoy three new piers - to fish on, lounge on, etc., two new lawn areas for picnicking, reading and a new tubular steel fence which will stand three feet tall around the lake - making it feel less like a barrier and more like decoration.

Anxious to get to Southside Park and frolic among the new amenities? You'll have to wait until next year before they will be available - for now you can ogle and admire the changes from behind the fence.

Have you seen these changes? Is there anything you're especially looking forward to? Any other parks you would like to see renovated? Please comment below.

Out of the House and Out of Trouble

2008-10-17T22:10:34Z

Please see "Playing in the dark" by clicking on the Storyline tab to the right. This article is a follow-up to "Playing in the dark."

The NBA season is rapidly approaching and many youths will be heading out to shoot hoops in their neighborhoods. However, depending on where a child lives, he our she may have few opportunities to play outside.

John Anderson, a regular at the Southside Park basketball courts, laments that many parks are taken up by soccer and picnic tables preventing him from playing football. Dy'Andre O'veal, another regular at the courts, adds that, "we don't really have a place where there's room to play football." Thus, after-school activities are limited to TV, the computer and video games, or worse, roaming the streets, getting into trouble.

After seeing a relative sent to jail for, "hanging with the wrong crowd," at age 13, Anderson learned first-hand that playing basketball was, "a good way to stay out of trouble." Anderson, now 22, has been playing everyday since then. For Anderson, basketball is peaceful; it's his quiet time and it relaxes him. He enjoys the pickup games because everyone who shows up is friendly - they introduce one another and there is never any fighting. O'veal says "to me, [playing basketball] is more fun. I just like it - it's good exercise."

Outdoor recreation should be something the community supports and fosters, especially when it involves youth. With childhood obesity and diabetes on the rise, it is extremely important to engage youth in physical activities and make exercise a fun and safe part of each day.

How important do you think it is for youths to have after-school activities and access to outdoor facilities that encourage exercise and fitness? Do you think lights should be constructed for all community basketball courts? How high of a priority should the City make this kind of development/enhancement? What else can we do to help encourage physical activity for the youth in Sacramento? Are there other parks that you think need lighting?

Photos of the Southside Park basketball courts as well as John Anderson and Dy'Andre O'veal can be found in the "Playing in the dark" article. To access this, please click on the Storyline tab.

Please comment below.