All for Bocce!
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Shirley Simi, a resident of Carmichael for over 50 years and member of the Italian Cultural Society dreamed of Bocce Ball Courts in Carmichael Park. When the Carmichael Parks Foundation began fundraising for the effort, Shirley donated generously to the cause.
Sadly, she passed away in March of 2018 before she could see the courts become a reality. The Shirley Simi Memorial Bocce Fund was established as a tribute to her Italian Heritage and her love for Carmichael.
Shirley’s children Todd Pennington and Teri O’Sullivan are holding a fundraiser on July 14th at the Italian Cultural Society. Guests can learn all about Bocce while being treated to Italian culinary delights, live music by local band Vintage Fare, and a silent auction.
Tickets are $50 and the event is limited to only 150 guests.
Help make Bocce Ball Courts a reality in Carmichael and purchase tickets or donate now at CarmichaelParksFoundation.org.
Building Character Through Football
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - On June 15, The Playmakers Organization held a free one-day Football Camp at El Camino High School. The Playmakers Organization, founded by Greg “Coach Roz” Roeszler, is a local non-profit that provides free “Character Academy” camps for local youth
Joe Bodnar and Joe Simeone are long-time friends of Coach Roz, and they support the Playmakers mission by volunteering at the Character Academy Football Camps. Bodnar said, “It introduces the kids to the sport. It gives them a self-esteem boost; they get to be in the spotlight.”
Simeone explained, “The sport is the platform to talk about character. It provides an opportunity to ask kids, ‘What are you doing off the field? What are you doing in the classroom?’” The Playmakers’ programs focus on reaching at-risk and special needs kids, and Simeone said the kids often go on to become mentors to younger participants, taking on leadership roles in the program.
Playmakers board member Bill Hutto described why he got involved in the organization: “My heart is with at-risk youth, and Playmakers does a lot for these kids.” After retiring from a career in the California Department of Corrections, Hutto knows how important it is to provide at-risk kids with early intervention to keep them out of the prison system. “Giving them the opportunity to build their confidence and learn positive attitudes at a young age helps them become productive citizens,” said Hutto.
Harrison Phillips, NFL defensive tackle with the Buffalo Bills, helped host the football camp. “This is a really cool initiative,” said Phillips. “I’m happy to come out and unite a lot of different people through sports; it’s amazing the power of the sport to bring people together. It’s about teaching these kids character, team building, and working together — all the positive attributes of this sport that these kids might not get a chance to experience without this program.”
NFL player Jordan Richards played football at Folsom High School and college football at Stanford before playing with the New England Patriots, the Atlanta Falcons, and recently signing with the Oakland Raiders. Richards has been involved in Playmakers since he was 13, attending Playmakers football camps as a teen. “I didn’t know it at the time, but the lessons I learned here — who I am as I person, who I am as a man — I learned through the game. I’m so thankful for the time I had growing up with Coach Roz.”
Richards met Phillips at Stanford and recruited him to become a Playmakers sponsor. Richards said, “In a way, we grew up together — and we still encourage each other.” Richards spoke of the bonds of friendship created through football, explaining it as “the guys who helped build me, and I helped build them.”
Richards, Phillips, and numerous volunteers (including students from local high schools El Camino, Rio Americano, Western Sierra, and Mira Loma) ran a series of football drills with the Playmakers kids. Coach Roz is grateful to have the support of Richards and Phillips: “These guys contribute so much to the organization, not just financially, but by taking the time to show up.”
“The growth you get from this game really does last a lifetime,” said Richards. “Football taught me a lot about life, and a lot about myself. It takes a lot of people to make a team. It’s a family.” He urged the kids to take advantage of this opportunity: “Be a part of all this. It truly is special.”
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The California Highway Patrol (CHP) Valley Division today announced making arrests in a freeway shooting that occurred on March 17, 2019, on Interstate 80 in Placer County.
The shooting took place between two groups of individuals on westbound Interstate 80 at Douglas Boulevard. Multiple rounds were fired into the victim’s vehicle resulting in the driver sustaining major injuries. Immediately after the shooting, the suspect vehicle fled the scene by driving his vehicle the wrong way on the northbound Douglas Boulevard on-ramp to westbound I-80.
Through a collaborative effort with our partners in the Roseville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Solano County Sheriff’s Department, Richmond Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Streets Task Force, three arrests have been made related to this case.
Early this morning Tevarus Hill, 27, was arrested in Benicia, for attempted murder and multiple weapons charges. At the same time, Myles Sherman, 24, was arrested in Vallejo, also for attempted murder and multiple weapons charges. A third suspect, Enacio Bolton, 26, is in custody as the result of an unrelated incident and will be held for attempted murder charges.
“We want to assure the public that these acts of violence are not random but often targeted attacks between parties that know each other,” said Chief Brent Newman, commander of CHP’s Valley Division
Based on a recent increase in highway violence including freeway shootings, the CHP has taken several proactive steps to address this issue. These include redeploying staff, adding to investigative teams, involvement in zero-tolerance gang enforcement operations, and increasing communication at all levels among the involved law enforcement agencies and community leaders.
“We know how scary these types of incidents can be to a community and the CHP is doing everything in our power to locate and arrest those responsible for these senseless acts of violence,” added Chief Newman.
Anyone with information regarding a freeway shooting is asked to call the CHP Valley Division’s Investigative Services Unit at 916-731-6300.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
Time to Twist and Shout
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Baby boomers were out in gray-haired force to catch Ticket to Ride – a Beatles cover band – in Carmichael Park last weekend. The concert was the second performance of the 47th annual concert season sponsored by Carmichael Recreation and Park District. The musicians kept 1300 fans dancing and singing to Lennon-McCartney hits for more than two hours.
At 52 years old, guitarist Bud Ehrk – one of two Carmichael-based band members – figured he was among the youngest in the crowd. “I started playing my parents old Beatles’ 45s when I was seven,” he recalls. “When I learned guitar, the first song I got down was ‘Twist and Shout.’ I guess it only has three chords. The famous British Invasion was long gone by the time I was a teenager. But I always preferred 60s music and I loved the Beatles. Their songs were upbeat and their harmonies were brilliant.”
Ticket to Ride formed three years ago. Leader and bass player Matt Udall is an attorney who lives in East Sacramento. Guitarist Bud Ehrk works as an aircraft mechanic on weekdays. Drummer Tony Nunes has a California State job and commutes to band gigs from Chico. Carmichael resident Kevin Arthur (guitar) is a retired traffic signal technician.
Unlike some tribute groups, Ticket to Ride musicians don’t feel the need to resemble Liverpool’s most famous sons. “We have the Sgt. Peppers’ coats because people love the colorful uniforms that relate to that Beatles period,” says Ehrk. “But we don’t want to wear cheesy wigs. We just want to be ourselves; being out there playing the music that makes people so happy.”
The 47th season of free CRPD concerts continues this Saturday. Performers are as follows. Downbeat for all shows is 6:30 pm.
June 22 – Todd Morgan and the Emblems (rock).
June 29 -- Hipper Than Hip (soul/funk).
July 6 – On Air (classic rock).
July 13 – Wasted Space (classic rock).
July 20 – Ray “Catfish” Copeland (American rock).
July 27 – Latin Touch (Latin funk).
August 3 – Fryed Brothers Band (biker rock).
August 10 – Groove Thang (party rock).
August 17 – John Skinner Band (variety).
August 24 – Mumbo Gumbo (Americana).
August 31 – Dave Russell Band (country).
September 1 – Kiwanis Swing Band (swing).
Dusty Baker Inducted into National High School Hall of Fame
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Dusty Baker, who was one of the top four-sport high school athletes in California history before his stellar professional baseball career, is among 12 individuals who will be inducted in the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame June 30 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 37th Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on the third day of the 100th annual NFHS Summer Meeting.
During his high school career at Sacramento Del Campo High School in the 1960s, Baker played football, basketball and baseball, and competed in track and field. Although baseball would eventually be his sport of choice, Baker excelled in the other sports as well.
In football, he scored six touchdowns in one game and set several scoring records as a running back and punt returner for Del Campo High. In basketball, Baker averaged 22 points and 17 rebounds and, as a result of his high school performance, was offered a scholarship to Santa Clara University.
In track and field, Baker set a school record of 9.8 in the 100-yard dash, and he recorded a 23-6 effort in the long jump at the California State Track and Field Meet.
Baker was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and, despite the scholarship offer to play college basketball, chose baseball, which turned out to be a pretty good decision. Baker played the first eight of his 19 seasons with the Braves, with his best season in 1973 when he hit .288 with 21 home runs and 99 runs batted in. On April 8, 1974, Baker was on deck when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth.
Baker played eight years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, including the 1980 season when he hit 29 home runs and was fourth in the MVP balloting and 1981 when he helped the Dodgers to a World Series title. He was a two-time National League all-star and received a Gold Glove Award as well. Baker finished his career with one season in San Francisco and two years in Oakland and posted a .278 lifetime average with 242 home runs.
After his playing career, Baker managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals for 22 years and posted a .532 winning percentage. He ranks 15th on the all-time list with 1,863 victories. He led the Giants to the 2002 National League pennant and was named National League Manager of the Year three times.
Baker continued to give back to the Sacramento community throughout his playing days, returning to speak to groups about honor, sportsmanship, parenthood, racism or other life challenges. He began the Dusty Baker Baseball School, and his commitment, leadership, compassion and concern for the development of young student-athletes continues today after more than 35 years. He also is a member of the Advisory Board of Positive Coaching Alliance, which is dedicated to promoting positive character development in youth and education-based athletics.
Baker is a member of numerous halls of fame, including the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame, the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame, the California Black Sports Hall of Fame, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)-Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame. He received the Major League Baseball Silver Bat Award in 1980 and 1981.
The National High School Hall of Fame was started in 1982 by the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, contest officials, administrators, fine arts coaches/directors and others for their extraordinary achievements and accomplishments in high school sports and activity programs. This year’s class increases the number in the Hall of Fame to 482.
The 12 individuals were chosen after a two-level selection process involving a screening committee composed of active high school state association administrators, coaches and officials, and a final selection committee composed of coaches, former athletes, state association officials, media representatives and education leaders. Nominations were made through NFHS member associations.
Celebrate Recovery with Higher Power
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Higher Power Ministry hosts a recovery celebration at Lakeside Church in Folsom every Friday at 7:00 PM. Christian bands from a variety of genres such as blues, country, and rock and roll perform at the celebration. Lead Director of Recovery John Heath joked, “I turn the church into a nightclub every Friday night, with Jesus in the middle.”
A speaker talks to the group about recovery from addiction such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, food addictions, sexual addictions, workaholics, co-dependency, and self-harm. “These are life and death situations for the people that come in here, and there’s no such thing as a hopeless case,” said Heath. “We’re getting phenomenal results.”
Higher Power Ministry originated in 1992 at Central Peninsula Church in Foster City. Senior Pastor Jeff Farrar saw the need to help people overcome the addictions that were leading them to jail, institutions, and death. Pastor Steve Aurell, who was a ministry leader until his death in 2013, knew just how difficult it is to overcome addiction since he had once served 15 years in San Quentin Prison because of his own drug addiction. As Pastor of Recovery at Higher Power, Pastor Aurell saved many lives — including the life of John Heath.
Heath had a long history of addiction. During the early 1980s, at the height of the cocaine craze, Heath worked for the Cartel transporting drugs over the border. In 1983, after a serious overdose, he was admitted to the SHARE Unit in San Francisco, the nation’s first cocaine recovery center. He spent 60 days there, breaking medical records for the levels of cocaine in his system. Even after extensive treatment, his addiction continued for many years. In addition to cocaine, he used alcohol, heroin, and eventually moved on to meth.
Heath’s wife sought guidance at Higher Power, and Pastor Aurell urged her to stand by her husband in his time of need. Heath said that Pastor Aurell “was responsible through God’s Grace for saving my life, marriage, and my family.” Heath started attending Higher Power in 2006: “It was like no other church or place I had ever been.… I felt comfortable in my skin for the first time in my life.”
After a year of sobriety, Pastor Aurell asked Heath to become a leader in the Higher Power Ministry. “I then knew that God had a sense of humor,” said Heath. After seeing firsthand all the good Higher Power had done for people in need, Heath felt compelled to spread the message to other communities: “God tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to start a recovery church.”
Heath moved to Shingle Springs and spent a year in prayer. Then he met Pastor John Voelz at Lakeside Church, who invited him to use the church as the site of a new Higher Power Ministry. Heath said, “We are so appreciative to Lakeside Church for allowing Higher Power to exist in Folsom and for letting us use their site to further our mission of helping those who are lost to addiction in the community.” Higher Power at Lakeside opened on July 7, 2017. “Seven, seven, seventeen — three sevens. I believe those are divine numbers,” said Heath.
“I started the ministry one person at a time,” Heath said. “We accept them however they are — high, drunk, or however they walk in.” Anyone who comes to the celebration can share with the group and seek help. “We stay there all night long if we need to,” he said. Higher Power Ministry leaders then follow up during the next week to offer additional help. If someone needs a recovery program, the leaders will find one for them. “We’re building a family,” said Heath. “It’s a huge support system.”
Many of the leaders are also recovering addicts, and Heath shares his story to inspire others to overcome their own struggles. Although Heath is not an ordained pastor, he found a way to ensure that Higher Power has a strong spiritual support system. He established an Elder Board comprised of two recovery pastors — each with 30 years of sobriety — who give spiritual advice and guidance. Heath said that Pastor Gary Freitas from Manteca and Pastor Dale Marsh from Oroville provide “spiritual direction, protection, and correction in the ministry.”
The events are open for anyone to attend. Heath said, “It’s a lot of fun. It’s not too churchy.” They serve free dinner, dessert, coffee, and other refreshments. Higher Power is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization; donation checks can be written to Higher Power Ministry and then mailed to Lakeside Church, 745 Oak Avenue Parkway, Folsom, CA 95630.
Optimists Hold High School Baseball All-Star Games
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The 48th Annual Optimist High School Baseball All-Star games were played on June 8, 2019 at Capital Christian High School on their meticulously manicured infield. Game 1 (Small Schools Teams) was won by the North Team 6 - 2. The Outstanding Player for the North team was Josh Miller from Casa Roble High School. The Outstanding Player for the South team was Kevin Haverson from El Dorado High School.
Game 2 (Large Schools Teams) was won by South Team 11 - 3. The Outstanding Player for the South Team was Grant Stevens from Franklin High School. The Outstanding Player for the North Team was William Ditler from Pioneer High School.
The North Small Schools Team was coached by Chris Millsback from Sacramento Country Day School, and assisted by Gary Jakobs from Sacramento Country Day School, Brad Gunter, Jr. from Valley Christian High School, and Ed Tupper from Casa Roble High School. The South Small Schools Team was coached by Kenny Munguia from Sacramento High School, and assisted by Kirk Crump from Sacramento High School.
The North Large Schools Team was coached Vincent Luevano from Antelope High School, and assisted by Ben Cornfield from Antelope High School, and Kevin Dawidczik and Craig Taylor from Del Campo High School. The South Large Schools Team was coached by Ben Petersen from Ponderosa High School, and assisted by Maury Castaneda from Ponderosa High School, and Derek Mayer and Larry Gregory from Laguna Creek High School.