Building Sustainable Community
Building Sustainable Community
Fair Oaks EcoHousing Is Under Construction
Fair Oaks, CA (MPG) - Construction is underway on the Fair Oaks EcoHousing project, located at 4025 New York Avenue. The mission of the project is to create a community-focused, environmentally friendly neighborhood right here in Fair Oaks. The community will integrate private homes into a cohesive village atmosphere with shared amenities and green spaces. Construction on the community began in December 2017.
Marty Maskall, founding member of Fair Oaks EcoHousing, said the community focus is “smart growth and green design.” The project is transforming 3.7 acres of land (which originally had just two homes on it) into a sustainable neighborhood of 30 homes. In December 2013, Maskall had a contract, contingent on project approval, to purchase the property. The purchase closed in June 2015. And next year, in May or June of 2019, families will be moving into the community. Of the 30 homes, seven are still available for purchase.
Maskall leads monthly introductory meetings and site tours for anyone interested in becoming a member of the EcoHousing community. The meeting includes a short video featuring the Nevada City Cohousing community, which is the inspiration for Fair Oaks EcoHousing. Both communities share the same architect and have a very similar design, with rows of private homes facing each other, large porches on the front and back of each home, a shared pool, a club house, and a side area for parking.
Community members will own their own homes and be part of a homeowners association to fund the operating costs and maintain the shared spaces. Members will be able to participate in shared gardening, and prepare meals in the club house made from ingredients grown in the community gardens. Maskall said that prices for new homes in the Fair Oaks EcoHousing community are comparable to other new homes on the market that utilize green design and construction, ranging from approximately $360,000 up to $680,000.
At a recent introductory meeting and site tour on October 13, attendees all shared similar motivations for considering membership: a sense of true community.
Cisca van Beek is originally from Holland, and she said cohousing communities are very common there and in many other places across Europe: “There are countless benefits; the communities are great places to raise kids.”
Scott and Joyce Hedges explained that people are so busy these days that it’s difficult to create a sense of community. They are looking for a sense of belonging and a connection with others.
Erin Huff currently lives in Oak Park with her husband John and their two-year-old daughter. Huff has been interested in cohousing and pocket neighborhood ideas for quite a while. She is considering Fair Oaks EcoHousing because of the “intentional cohesive community building.”
Current members also attended the meeting to share their reasons for joining the community and to get a look at the progress on their homes.
Lorri Reynard, who is originally from New York, chose to join because “the community aspect really resonated with me; I want to know my neighbors.”
Denise Knight lived in Fair Oaks in the past and loves the area. In addition to the social aspect, she said she became a member in order “to have all the amenities but share the work.”
Roslyn Eliaser said, “I love the idea of having the privacy of my own home but within a community…You can accomplish so much more together.”
Both the members and prospective members share a strong desire to become part of a collaborative community where neighbors know each other and work together. For more information, visit FairOaksEcoHousing.org.
SMUD and D.R. Horton Agree to Build All-electric Homes
Electric utility aims to reduce greenhouse gases through “electrification”
Sacramento Region, CA (MPG) - SMUD and top national homebuilder D.R. Horton are teaming up to build 104 all-electric homes in two new neighborhoods. These “all-electric communities” – “Juniper,” which is planned to include 66 homes, and “Independence," which is anticipated to include 38 homes, are both located in North Natomas and will be priced for first-time homebuyers. The homes are included in the SMUD Smart Home program and are part of a broader electrification effort by SMUD, the first of its kind in the USA.
Groundbreaking for the subdivisions began earlier this summer. The model homes are completed, and the communities are open for sale. Construction will continue through 2019. If built as planned, SMUD will provide $466,000 in incentives to D.R. Horton for including appliances and equipment to make the homes all-electric. These include heat pump heating and cooling, heat pump water heating, and induction stoves—appliances that are typically more energy efficient and can deliver lower overall energy bills.
Heat pump water heaters can reduce electricity use by up to 60 percent compared to electric resistance water heaters. Instead of using electricity to create heat, heat pump water heaters use a refrigerant cycle to transfer heat from surrounding ambient air into the hot water tank. They also cool the area where they are located, usually in the garage. Induction stoves may cook 50 percent faster than electric resistance stoves, and often as fast as gas. They also use less energy than traditional electric stoves and offer digital control of the temperature, and they have no open flame. The absence of combustion in all-electric homes may result in greater occupant safety.
These homes will help community-owned SMUD meet its aggressive commitment to reach 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and surpass the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals of 80 percent by 2050.
These D.R. Horton homes are part of the SMUD Smart Home program, which offers incentives to builders and developers of up to $5,000 for new single-family homes, and up to $1,750 for new multifamily units, built to be all-electric. The homes must have all-electric appliances and mechanical systems—no gas line in the home, and no gas service at the property—in order to meet the minimum program participation requirements.
SMUD customers who own existing homes in the SMUD service territory can also qualify for up to $13,750 for existing homes that convert from gas to electricity. For example, owners of existing homes may receive up to a $4,500 incentive to replace an existing gas furnace by installing an electric heat pump space heater. A homeowner may receive up to a $3,000 rebate to switch out an existing gas water heater for an electric heat pump water heater.
There are also rebates available from SMUD for traditional efficiency measures such as duct sealing, insulation, and windows.
More information about SMUD’s all-electric conversion incentives and other energy-saving information is available at SMUD.org.
Source: SMUD Media
Chamber Director Says Farewell to Community
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - After nine years as its lone executive, Linda Melody last week announced her resignation from the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce. From next month, Melody plans a new chapter of life in another small American town: Salinas, Monterey County.
Chamber members heard her decision at their September lunch meeting. After stunned moments, a standing ovation saluted the hard-working executive. “I dreaded having to tell them I was leaving,” notes Melody. “I saw the shock on people’s faces and realized I had a history with them all. I felt I was going to cry.”
Her decision was made with the support of family and her doctor, who prescribed surgery for a back problem and a less-stressed future pace. “I’ve taken little time off in recent years.” She explains. “I never minded because I loved my job. But after my surgery, I’ll give myself time to recover and to settle into our new home in Salinas.” Most of her family, including siblings and her daughter are now Monterey County residents. “My husband and I had talked for years about moving there,” Melody said. “My family and I are close. I will love to be with them.”
Sacramento-raised Melody began her role with the 70-year-old chamber during a time of administrative and financial upheaval. The new employee worked long hours to reassure members of the organization’s value for businesses and for community. Part-time at first, she achieved more hours as the organization’s bottom line improved. Among fundraisers that assisted this recovery, the annual Person of the Year event became a gala embraced by the community – with media celebrities like Vlade Divac, Kitty O’Neal and Tina Macuha aiding the cause. Melody and her reenergized directors also found Chamber sponsors. “These companies gain additional visibility,” she explains. “Through them, we gained a stronger financial foundation to work with.”
The Chamber now has nearly 300 members. “I know them as individuals, as well as businesses,” considers the go-between. “Our personal touch isn’t always possible in larger chambers. When members come to our events, I’m able to greet them all by name.”
Job perks have been many. “As a kid, I had a goal to know everyone in the world by their first name,” she recalls. “In Carmichael and beyond, I’ve met so many people. The Chamber has a wonderful relationship with elected representatives; congress members, senators, assemblymen and supervisors – their doors are always open to us. We can discuss issues and often get help from them. Some legislators even help sponsor our events.
“My board of directors is my boss, but presidents and directors came alongside me as a team. When I first started, we were a small Chamber organizing events on our own. We now partner with companies and other chambers; that makes our efforts stronger. We added our Best of Carmichael gala to recognize more people. Many hear criticism for what they do; they don’t always hear praise. When a community decides its favorites, everyone who earns votes feels special.”
Her retired mailman husband gets his Melody’s own Best of Carmichael vote. “Michael’s been my biggest cheerleader,” she says. “He’s never complained about the long hours or the number of events I’ve attended; he usually comes with me. He’s friendly with all our members. But he’s looking forward to having more time with me, now.”
“I hope to get back to work after I recover from my surgery,” says the departing CEO. “I’ll look for a job in Salinas. The Carmichael Chamber will always be part of me. I never had a job where I’ve felt so involved and received so much back. But still feel I’ve much more to give.”
The Carmichael Chamber is now advertising to interview candidates for its CEO position. For information, call (916) 481-1002.
“Teacher Night” a First at Aerospace Museum
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - After a full day of teaching school, instructors came from as far away as El Dorado Hills to attend the Aerospace Museum of California’s first Teacher Night on September 27. From preschool to high school, teachers inside and outside of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields came together to learn what the museum has to offer their students and discover new ways to integrate STEM learning in the classroom. Refreshments and a sneak peek at the museum’s new exhibit, “Our Solar System: an interactive journey,” including a teacher’s exhibit guide, were part of the evening’s curriculum.
The museum is located on McClellan Air Force base where it began in 1986 as McClellan Aviation Museum. Director Tom Jones, who has held the position since March, says that the museum is committed to STEM education for students of all ages and to becoming the best on the West Coast. As a Smithsonian Air and Space Museum affiliate, exhibits like the 2018 “Art of the Airport Tower” and 2017 “DaVinci Inventions” can be brought to Sacramento.
On the main floor, nestled between airplanes, an SR71 jet propulsion engine, and a history of space exploration, were activities for children of all ages, and the teachers took full advantage by seeing how parachutes function or engineering with marbles. Others learned why the moon turns blue and viewed photos of nebulae on one of the many monitors that will accompany the exhibit. Each visitor was treated to a docent led tour of the museum and its grounds.
Upstairs, at the far end, tucked in a hallway, teachers made their way to the Flyers Flight Zone to experience simulated flying on one of the six high-end gaming machines. Museum volunteers, led by Flyers Flight Zone Director Warren Searls, educated the educators and allowed each some hands-on flight time.
“There is a huge shortage of pilots worldwide,” Searls said, adding that the Flight Zone is a way to interest fifth through twelfth grade students in flight and perhaps becoming pilots. In 2017, 10,000 students visited the Flight Zone, and many from Title 1 schools received scholarships for the flight simulations. He wants teachers to encourage students to remain in school and consider taking those STEM classes.
Miss Naomi Endsley, from Orangevale’s Almondale Academy, was one of the first teachers to try the simulator.
“I didn’t crash,” she said, a sentiment echoed by other teachers who took turns at flying to New Zealand, Switzerland, and San Francisco.
Endlsey teaches second and third grades and said that she definitely picked up new ideas for her students. Like many others that evening, she had never been to the museum. She said that she’ll bring her students and let them have the chance to see a piece of history and what technology really is. She engaged in conversation with Karen Jones, the museum’s development director and Tom Jones, museum director, about what technology holds in store for the future.
Twin Rivers Unified School District teachers agreed that they would definitely bring their students, one of several school districts the museum currently facilitates STEM, history, and art learning opportunities with. San Juan Unified School District, UC Davis, Sacramento State University, American River College, University of the Pacific, and charter schools are others.
Director Jones said that the museum has a formal mentorship program with the UC Davis Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Sacramento State undergraduate history students are conducting research on the museum’s airplanes and will create videos that may be accessed with QR codes to enhance the static exhibits. At least one Sacramento State graduate student is working on his master’s thesis by building an upcoming exhibit about Bob Hoover who, among other things, was a revolutionary in aerobatic flying. Sacramento City College owns the Fed Ex jet parked in the outside exhibition area and uses it as its classroom.
Even the youngest students can benefit from STEM learning as Kimberly Dillon, preschool teacher at Discovery Learning Center in Fair Oaks, said. She has brought her students to the museum for several trips and said that they really enjoy climbing the planes. Her guest that evening was her son, Anthony.
“Very cool for kids,” was the phrase most often heard from teachers.
For additional information, visit www.aerospaceca.org. If you go: 3200 Freedom Park Drive, McClellan, CA.
Sacrificing the Parkway
Appeals Case Impacts Illegal Camping Ordinance
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - A federal court decision has ruled that illegal camping ordinances are unconstitutional and that local governments cannot cite or arrest anyone sleeping on public property.
On September 4, 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on the case Robert Martin v. City of Boise, stating that enforcing anti-camping ordinances when adequate shelter beds are unavailable is unconstitutional.
Because of that ruling, the Sacramento County Department of Parks stopped enforcing the City of Sacramento’s anti-camping ordinance and the County ordinance prohibiting camping without a permit.
Since January 2018, Sacramento County rangers have issued 1,834 citations for unlawful camping under the County ordinance, and 224 citations for unlawful camping under the City of Sacramento ordinance.
The County is currently evaluating enforcement options under existing laws and regulations and will provide information to the Board on next steps.
Sacramento County Rangers will continue to enforce ordinances including but not limited to campfires, littering, dogs off leash, possession of a shopping cart and environmental degradation.
“As soon as I found out about the ruling, I suggested our board meet to discuss its implications, especially for my constituents who rightfully demand a clean and safe Parkway,” said First District Supervisor Phil Serna, who represents the lower reach of the American River Parkway.
“I have many questions, including why County Counsel advised that park rangers not enforce the illegal camping ordinance without notifying or coordinating with board members,” he continued.
Source: SacCounty News
Del Campo Junior Cougars
Team, Community, Family
FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Who are the Del Campo Junior Cougars (DCJC)? They are a team, a community, and a family. They are a nonprofit supported by businesses throughout the community and have been around since 2006. The Del Campo Junior Cougars are made up of 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U teams for football and cheer and each team consists of approximately 160 football players and 40 cheerleaders. In 2017 all four football teams made it to the playoffs and three of the four made it to the championships. The 10U Del Campo cheer team took first place at the USA cheer nationals, which is outstanding.
DCJC has an executive board of six, additional committee board of 10, 50 coaches, and the parent volunteers that make the dream work for these kids. The team enforces academic and behavioral contracts to ensure that the kids are taking their school seriously and representing themselves in a respectful manner, on and off of the field. The executive board does not just work during the season, they work year round to be sure there are sponsors to make each season successful. There are several teams throughout the Sacramento area, but as you can see from the numbers of players in this organization, many people choose this team due to the feeling of family and community that is present in this organization.
As you may have recently seen, this team made a boy’s dream come true by bringing him onto the field and having him score their touchdown. For that boy, that was one of the best moments, and a lifelong memory, that may not have been possible without the love, support, and dedication of the Del Campo Junior Cougars.
Recently, Avante Washington, one of the DCJC players, was in a car accident that caused serious injuries. Avante and his mom were both injured, and Avante had to learn how to walk, again, due to a spinal injury that has caused the loss of movement to his right side. This incident showed the true community that DCJC is made of. Several team members, the DCJC President, and other members of the DCJC family rallied around Avante physically and spiritually.
Avante is now home and was able to be there for the most recent game and DCJC will continue to provide support and help in any way they can because Avante, and all DCJC players are not just football players, they are DCJC family. No player is left behind.
On Saturday, September 29, Del Campo Junior Cougars played Placer. 8U won their game 36-0 and went into a controlled scrimmage, 10U won 38-0 and went into a controlled scrimmage, 12U won 18-16, and 14U had their first loss of the season with a final score of 10-8. Even with 14U’s loss they remain in first place in their division.
The Junior Cougars, win or lose, maintain a positive attitude and continue to build their players up. DCJC know the importance of showing good sportsmanship, no matter the situation. The season is not quite over, so all we can say is “Go Cougars!”
Superheroes Descend Upon Sacramento
DC Wonder Woman Run Series Brings Out the Hero in Everyone
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Sacramento was overrun by superheroes on Saturday, September 22 when the DC Wonder Woman Run Series hosted its inaugural event with a 5K and 10K run through Capitol Mall. Sacramento was the first city in the United States to participate in this race.
The event was produced by SON Events in conjunction with Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. Sarah Ratzlaff, director of marketing for SON Events, said, “The race has a strong overall theme of women’s empowerment. Wonder Woman embodies strength, bravery, and power. The goal of the event is to show that there’s a Wonder Woman in all of us. That’s why we’re using the hashtag #IAmWonderWoman.”
The festival area was decorated with giant balloons and lined with an array of fluttering Wonder Woman flags. Area streets were blocked off by police cars, flashing their red and blue lights. Approximately 1,300 people participated in the 5K and 10K runs. The first-place finishers were Sandra Khounvichai with a time of 20:26 in the 5K and Stephen Harms with a time of 48:43 in the 10K.
The DC Wonder Woman Run Series is designed to empower the Superhero in everyone, so runners and walkers of all ability levels were encouraged to participate, regardless of their athletic abilities. Many participants had never run or walked in a 5K before this event. After completing the course, each participant was given a Wonder Woman medal. The festivities continued after the race, with a celebration featuring food trucks, a beer tent, face painting, official Wonder Woman merchandise, and a main stage with live musical entertainment.
Race participant Christie Pierce said he was persuaded to join the race just the evening before: “I decided to tag along. I said, ‘Sure, I’ll wear a skirt, I’ll do it.’ But more importantly, I decided to do it because I support strong, independent women.”
Theresa Ivaldi, Karli Cisneros, and Christina Mundy entered the race together. They thought it would be more fun to run together in a group of friends. This was Ivaldi’s first run, and she thought the Wonder Woman run was a fun way to start. Cisneros said, “I love running and love spending time with my friends, so I figured why not combine the two.” Mundy said, “What better way to run a 5K with friends and family than a Wonder Woman run that represents women’s power?” Mundy’s kids, Isabella (10) and Jackson (8), and their friend Sophie Carr (10), all love Wonder Woman. They enjoyed the race and especially loved getting a shiny medal to commemorate their accomplishment of crossing the finish line.
The DC Wonder Woman Run Series will be hosted in Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Los Angeles this fall. The Los Angeles run, as the flagship run, will be the largest in the series with 7,000 – 8,000 participants expected. If you would like to participate in one of the upcoming runs, or for more information on the DC Wonder Woman Run Series, please visit the website at www.dcwonderwomanrun.com.