DEPUTY DANNY OLIVER TO BE HONORED
Patriots Park serves as a lasting monument honoring a special group of individuals who served our community and nation – and their names are listed on the park’s Wall of Honor.
On Saturday, November 7, at 10 a.m. the Carmichael Recreation and Park District will sponsor a special ceremony recognizing those heroes previously honored and adding the name of Sheriff’s Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Deputy Danny Oliver who was killed in the line of duty in 2014.
Located at 6827 Palm Avenue, the park and its Wall of Honor is a special place to reflect upon and never forget the special meaning ofsacrifice made by those who served us wearing different uniforms – the U.S. Armed Services, law enforcement, and fire protection. Each honoree has a connection to the area and the memorial provides a source of pride and remembrance for their families, loved ones and friends.
The public is welcome to attend and I hope you can join me that morning showing support for Deputy Oliver and paying tribute at the ceremony to all of the wall’s fallen heroes. A complete listing of honorees is available on the Park District’s website.
CHANGES FOR CARMICHAEL’S MAIN STREET
The second phase of improvements for Carmichael’s main street, Fair Oaks Boulevard, targeting the segment from Landis to Shirley Avenues began last month with a ceremonial groundbreaking. The initial work will consist of installing trench and conduit systems to replace overhead utility lines with underground facilities.
Once the undergrounding is completed, streetscape improvements will proceed. Plans call for bicycle lanes, landscape medians and sidewalks, including the installation of a pedestrian path on the south side of Grant Avenue adjacent to Carmichael Park. A new traffic signal also will be installed at the intersection of Fair Oaks Boulevard and Landis Avenue along with modifications to the existing signals at Grant Avenue and Engle Road. A new signal interconnect will be installed, too, to provide traffic congestion relief.
Teichert & Sons, Inc. was the winning bidder on the project that will cost almost $6.5 million. Construction is anticipated to be completed in December 2016.
The first phase of improvements for the boulevard consisted of the intersection improvements at Marconi Avenue and Fair Oaks that resulted in enhanced landscaping and the planting of several majestic palms.
During construction, one through lane in each direction will be maintained at all times and two through lanes in each direction will be maintained during morning and evening rush hours. Night work is anticipated and advisory signage will be placed 10 days in advance of any evening work. Access will be maintained to all residences and businesses during construction plus access will also be maintained for pedestrian and bicycle access.
Funding for the project is being provided by revenue from the Federal Regional Surface Transportation Program, the State Transportation Improvement Program and development fees.
HOW WOULD YOU BE NOTIFIED IN CASE OF A FIRE OR FLOOD?
Sign up now to receive emergency alerts. The Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services, in partnership with Yolo and Placer emergency agencies, has established an emergency alert system known as Sacramento Alert to provide information to residents about emergency events quickly and through a variety of communication methods.
The alert system currently includes all listed and unlisted landline telephone numbers in Yolo, Placer and Sacramento counties that are serviced by AT&T and Verizon. If neither is your service provider, then you need to register to be included in the alert system.
To ensure emergency notices are received quickly both at work and home, residents are encouraged to log onto the Sacramento Alert Self- Registration Portal and provide phone numbers for both home and work, including land and cell phone numbers, email addresses, TTY device information and instant messaging information. All information in the Self Registration Portal will be kept strictly confidential.
Residents of the unincorporated areas as well as those residing in any of our cities are urged to sign up on the website.
Residents will only receive alerts that are critical and time-sensitive, including: flooding, levee failures, severe weather, disaster events, unexpected road closures, missing persons, and evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods in specific geographic locations.
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FAIR
The recent devastating forest fires that destroyed homes illustrate the need to be prepared for any type of emergency. To learn how to prepare yourself and your family, the public is invited to attend a Community Emergency Preparedness Fair, Saturday, November 7, 1 to 4 pm, to be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4352 Garfield Avenue (at the corner of Garfield and Locust Avenues). Activities include information about family emergency plans, food storage, first aid, document preparation and security, living without electricity, household safety and other topics. For more information, please contact Janet Harry at 560-8922.
PASTA FEED FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS
On Saturday, November 7, the 4th Annual Arden-Arcade Community Pasta Feed will be held to raise funds benefitting the youth programs provided by the Sheriff’s Community Impact Project (SCIP) and the Swanston Community Center operated by the Mission Oaks Recreation and Park District.
The fun starts with a social hour at 6 pm followed by dinner at 7 pm. at the Mission Oaks Community Center at Gibbons Park, 4701 Gibbons Drive, in Carmichael. Tickets are only $30 per person and the proceeds go to a good cause – SCIP which works to lessen negative influences facing many youth in the Arden Arcade community so as to avoid juvenile delinquency and gang involvement.
While attendees will receive a delicious dinner, the true beneficiaries will be the students at Greer Elementary School, Thomas Edison Language Institute and Encina Preparatory High School involved in SCIP sponsored athletic programs and educational opportunities in conjunction with school administrators and other community based organizations. SCIP members include retired and active law enforcement personnel, school administrators, business and community members.
MORE SIDEWALKS GAPS TO BE FILLED
A series of sidewalk gaps are being filled this fall as part of several road construction improvement projects and efforts to close more gaps are going out to bid for construction next year.
Gaps along Howe Avenue from El Camino Avenue to Red Robin Lane will be filled this year. Bids also are being sought for a new sidewalk along the north side of Hurley Way between Jonas and Morse Avenues which will be installed next year. This will improve the safety for students attending Thomas Edison School in Arden Manorand work should be done before school starts in fall 2016. In 2017 the remaining sidewalk gaps along Hurley Way will be filled to benefit that school.
Next spring sidewalk infill will be constructed along the west side of Watt Avenue between Shady Lane and Sierra View Lane and between Cottage way and Alta Arden Express way.
A temporary four foot wide pedestrian shoulder is being added now on the north side of Cottage Way from Trimble Way to about 270 feet west of Butano Avenue. A permanent sidewalk will be installed at that location for construction in 2017.
ARDEN ARCADE BUSINESS WALK
Friday, November 13, the Sacramento Metro Chamber and Arden Arcade Business Council will be sponsoring its annual “Business Walk” in the community that morning which involves volunteers canvassing local businesses about the area’s economic climate. In return for spending a few hours of your time, volunteers will receive a complimentary breakfast before receiving survey instructions and assignments then later lunch is served as results of the walk are reported to the group.
Past efforts provided valuable input that led Sacramento County to make infrastructure improvements on major commercial corridors, respond to code enforcement issues as well as address public safety concerns. For more information about the business walk, please contact the Sacramento Metro Chamber at 552-6800 or visit their website.
FALL AND WINTER NATURE CAMPS
Parents during the busy holiday season the Effie Yeaw Nature Center is providing animal adventures, hikes, storytelling, survival skills, art and more for youngsters.
The available programs are designed for specific age categories. The camps will operate November 23 and 24 as well as December 21 - 23 and 28 -30.
Information containing camp descriptions, dates, times and fees are listed under each camp title on the Nature Center’s webpage. 
CARMICHAEL HISTORY LECTURE
Authors Susan Maxwell Skinner and Toni Christman will join forces on Saturday, November 7, to present fascinating tales linking two Central Valley towns – Carmichael and Lodi – at a free presentation that afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Carmichael Park Club House.
Skinner, a noted photojournalist and archivist, will discuss Carmichael’s past and the colorful life of its founder Daniel Webster Carmichael whose career included oil-drilling, real estate development and politics. He established his Carmichael Colony between Fair Oaks Boulevard and the American River in 1906. Speaking separately, author Toni Christman will reveal the intriguing history of Lodi, which also has links to the founder of Carmichael.
Both authors have interviewed family descendants of the man whom Carmichael is named after with many still residing in the Carmichael-Arden area as well in Lodi. The presentations will offer glimmers into the past of both communities and both authors will offer books on their respective towns for signing.
Carmichael Park Club House is located at 5750 Grant Avenue. For information, call (916) 481-0334.
Photo courtesy of Susan Maxwell Skinner
HOME FIRE PREPAREDNESS
Six times a day a home fire occurs in the United States resulting in a person’s death and nearly two-thirds of such deaths happen in a home either without a smoke alarm or a non-working unit. The local chapter of the American Red Cross wants to reduce those odds by installing 1,000 free smoke alarms in several targeted areas including the underprivileged neighborhoods on the border of Arden Arcade west of Howe Avenue across from Howe Park and Bellview Park.
To reach that goal, volunteers will assemble first on Friday, December 4, to canvass the areas informing people about this free service. The next day, Saturday, December 5, volunteers will proceed to install the smoke alarms 8 am to 3 pm.
VISITING WITH NEIGHBORS
Last month was busy.
First I concluded my series of “Office Hours” which I began in 2005 and now hold as an annual tradition starting in the spring and concluding in the fall. The latest one was at the Concert in the Park inOld Foothill Farms on October 3 that featured the John Skinner Band. These no appointment outings allow residents to chat with me about issues on a “first come basis” in a casual setting without the need to make an appointment to meet downtown at the County Administrative Center. After the holidays, I will be starting a new round beginning in 2016.
On October 14 I met with residents of Arden Arcade and provided an update on activities occurring in their neighborhood, which was held at the Sacramento Suburban Water District. The guest speaker that evening was Ryan Loofbourrow, executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward, which is the lead non-profit agency working to address homelessness in the area by collaborating with the Sheriff’s Department in assisting transients to get services and off the streets. Recently the Board of Supervisors approved funding for a SSF navigator that works one-on-one with transients through referrals by the Sheriff’s North Division Transient Enforcement Detail. The ensuing discussion provided insight on efforts to reduce homelessness in the area since Sacramento Steps Forward takes a data-driven, outcomes-based approach in helping individuals access housing, health services and employment. That meeting concluded my series of meetings held throughout 2015 in Arden Arcade. A new schedule for 2016 will be posted on my webpage prior to January 2016.
A few nights later I attended the San Juan Education Foundation’s STARS Hall of Fame dinner recognizing three outstanding graduates of the San Juan Unified School District. The honorees for 2015 were Facebook Security Chief Officer Alex Stamos (Bella Vista High School), Teichert Chief Operating Officer Mary Rotelli (Rio Americano High School) and Tony nominated award-winning actress Kate Levering (El Camino High School). The San Juan Foundation believes inspired and innovative teaching better prepares students for success by utilizing science, technology, arts, and reading (STAR). For more information about the foundation, please visit the San Juan Education Foundation’s website.
I also held my Community Coffee during the morning of October 21 at the headquarters of the Fair Oaks Water District. Carmichael-based journalist Susan Maxwell Skinner provided a photographic narrative of the recent Hometown Heroes Parade held in September to honor the three young men (Anthony Sadler, Alex Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone) who thwarted the terrorist attack on a European passenger train. Our community recognized the bravery of these three local hometown heroes on September 11th with a parade down Capitol Mall followed by a special ceremony on the West Steps of the Capitol. All three had grown up in the Sacramento area and formed a bond of life-long friendship when attending middle school in Fair Oaks (Alex and Spencer attended Carmichael’s Del Campo High School; Anthony attended Rosemont High School).
Later that day I participated in a ground-breaking ceremony to kick off the second phase of street improvements for Carmichael’s Fair Oaks Boulevard from Landis Avenue to Engle Road. This project will involve undergrounding utilities along this stretch plus the addition of bicycle lanes, landscape medians and sidewalks plus a new traffic signal at the intersection of Fair Oaks Boulevard and Landis Avenue along with modifications to the existing signals at Grant Avenue and Engle Road.
Also in October the Board of Supervisors honored 16 special individuals for their community service at the Ninth Annual Heroes of Human Service Awards Recognition Ceremony. One such honoree was Albertine “Grandma Tina” Johnson, who has been a bright face in the Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento since 2007. As a part of the Foster Grandparent Program, she has dedicated more than 10,000 volunteer hours to spending time with children coloring books, working on puzzles, reading stories, and listening to their needs. T o learn about how you can be a hero in your own community in a way that fits you, please visit the Volunteer Match website.
October ended with me handing out candy to visiting trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
UNMET TRANSIT NEEDS
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), Regional Transit, Paratransit and other service operators are looking for feedback to help plan and improve transit services in Sacramento County. A special hearing will be held on Thursday, November 5, at 2 pm at the North Highlands Community Center, 6040 Watt Avenue,
The public is invited to attend and share their thoughts on transit services. Comments can also be provided via email, telephone or online. More information can be obtained by visiting the SACOG website.
CHECK BEFORE YOU BURN
Effective November 1, 2015 through February 29, 2016, wood burning is restricted in the unincorporated area as well as in the cities of Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova and Sacramento in accordance with air quality regulations. The restrictions are applicable to fireplaces, wood stoves, fire pits or chimneys. Implementation of these restrictions has helped reduce pollution and allowed our area to stay in compliance with federal air quality standards. Before you burn, please check the daily status by calling 1-877-No Burn-5 or visit the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District website.
Note that through the reduction of air pollution for our region for the years 1970-2014, the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Board estimates the average increase in life expectancy to be 1.27 years.
SHERIFF’S TOY PROJECT
The Sheriff’s Toy Project has been serving our community since 1984 providing gifts as well as food boxes to less fortunate families.
The program provides a character-building environment for Work Project participants who spend their court-ordered jail sentence making toys, building furniture, and refurbishing computers plus donated bicycles. Items are distributed to those in need, including donations to schools for special needs and homeless children.
Referrals for recipient families come through the Sheriff’s service centers, deputies, detectives, probation officers, social service agencies, schools and other local non-profit organizations.
Work Project participants develop a great sense of accomplishment during and upon completion of their sentences and many request to volunteer at the workshop after their release. Donations are welcomed. For more information, please visit the Sacramento Sheriff’s Toy Project website.
STOP THE CLOG
Grease in sinks and garbage disposals cause a significant percentage of the sewer blockages in the service areas of our regional sanitation district serving both the unincorporated area and the City of Sacramento. Combined with fats and oils poured down the drain, the accumulation can ultimately restrict flow and cause blockages -- so please take that into consideration when do your holiday cooking.
Improper grease disposal can lead to costly plumbing repairs and sewer back-ups in homes and our neighborhoods. Save time, money and the environment by keeping your household pipes clear and clean.
CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL MARATHON
Next month thousands of runners are expected to be racing through our neighborhoods in the Third District on Sunday, December 6, during the annual California International Marathon. The 26-mile grueling trek begins 7 am in Folsom and concludes at the State Capitol.
This event attracts world-class competition. Several thousand out of town visitors travel to the area to participate in or watch the marathon. This influx contributes to our local economy via renting lodging, dinning in restaurants, retails sales, etc.
Residents can come out and cheers the runners. Fair Oaks Boulevard is part of the route so Fair Oaks, Carmichael and Arden Arcade residents south of that roadway may find themselves “land-locked” while the race is in progress due to street closures.
These closures may cause some inconvenience so please be cognizant of that when planning your morning activities. Residents can view specific street closures on the marathon’s webpage.
SACRAMENTO SYMPHONIC WINDS
Throughout the year you may see announcements in this newsletter about concerts being performed by the Sacramento Symphonic Winds, an all-volunteer 60-piece symphonic wind ensemble that was founded in 2002.
The group is a member of the Sacramento Valley Symphonic Band Association which supports many community bands in California by maintaining a large music library as well as handling bookkeeping, banking, insurance and other services. Recently it was reported that the association’s bank accounts were breached and a criminal investigation is underway by the Sheriff's Department. While additional safeguards have been implemented, theSacramento Symphonic Winds alone lost over $15,000 with recovery doubtful putting at risk its 2015-16 concert season.
If you would like to help the Sacramento Symphonic Winds as the group deals with this tragic setback, donations are welcome and tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to SVSBA and put SSW in the memo line. Mail to: SSW, PO Box 1503, Carmichael, CA 95609.
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
For all of you that have a Facebook account please feel free to check out my Facebook fan page and I invite you to like my page so you can be notified of my postings. I put information on my fan page periodically about events, activities and constituents with respect to the Third District. The page can be found by searching for Supervisor Susan Peters within the Facebook site or you can access via my website and click on the Facebook logo under District Links.
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