Memorial Service for Deputy Mark Stasyuk
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The memorial service for Deputy Mark Stasyuk is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 29, 2018, at Bayside Church Adventure Campus in Roseville, located at 6401 Stanford Ranch Road in Roseville. A multi-agency fly-over will take place at the conclusion of the memorial service. All other law enforcement honors will be performed at a private graveside service.
Stasyuk was shot and killed in the line of duty on September 17 after responding to a call in Rancho Cordova. He leaves behind a wife, mother, father and sister.
Source: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and Rancho Cordova Police Department
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - HOPE (Healthy Outcomes for Personal Enrichment) is a local nonprofit organization that offers affordable counseling services to the community. They rely on fees for services as well as community donations to keep costs low for their clients. HOPE is hosting their second annual Hops for HOPE fundraiser, which will be held at River City Brewing Company on October 4, 2018. The event is from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and include appetizers and two drink tickets. River City Brewing Company (which is located in Milagro Center at 6241 Fair Oaks Boulevard in Carmichael) generously donates wine, beer, and staff for the event.
Community donations are especially important because HOPE’s mission is to offer affordable sessions to those in need. Darlene Davis, executive director of HOPE, explained that there is a group of people who do not qualify for Medi-Cal but also do not have access to affordable counseling through traditional insurance. The goal of HOPE is to serve this segment of the community by offering counseling on a sliding scale depending on what the client is able to pay. Typically, $40 per session is the lowest rate, but HOPE does occasionally offer sessions for $20 to those in the greatest need.
The experienced licensed therapists of HOPE not only work with clients to improve their well-being, but they also work in a supervisory capacity to train new therapists. To become a licensed therapist, it requires a master’s degree and 3,000 hours of supervised therapy sessions. It is an extremely intensive process, and HOPE is proud to support the next generation of therapists who will serve the community.
One of the reasons HOPE is able to offer such affordable rates is because graduate students who are working toward becoming licensed therapists volunteer as trainees. As part of the training process, HOPE offers clients an eight-week counseling program known as the One-Way Mirror. During this program, trainees conduct counseling sessions in a room with a one-way mirror that allows supervising therapists and other trainees to watch the session in real time. The trainee wears an ear-piece so the supervising therapist can offer immediate feedback and suggestions. Davis explained that it is like having eight therapists at once. The cost is only $25 per session, and clients sign up for this program knowing that they are getting the help they need while also giving the trainee valuable hands-on experience.
The supervising therapists at HOPE work hard to train people with integrity who are eager to serve the community. Davis takes great pride in the work they do and in their dedicated trainees and associates. Davis said, “We all work in our communities, and it’s so important to us that we’re building healthier communities by building healthier families.”
To better serve all those in need, HOPE offers many specialized forms of therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps people understand and address harmful thoughts and actions; Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), which offers strategies to accept, destigmatize, and live with mental illness; Active Parenting of Teens (APT), which teaches parents how to talk to their teens and to watch for signs of high-risk behavior; and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which addresses how the brain accesses and reacts to traumatic memories.
Donations to HOPE help pay for standard operating costs as well as to purchase needed equipment for specialized therapeutic techniques. Davis first began operating HOPE as a nonprofit in 2008. She said, “I just wanted to give back to the community and give back to the profession, and it’s grown into what it is today.”
HOPE has offices in mid-town Sacramento, Roseville, and Folsom. For more information, visit their website at www.hope-counselingcenter.org.
Second Annual Best of Arden Awards
ARDEN-ARCADE, CA (MPG) - The Greater Arden Chamber of Commerce’s Best of Arden awards kicked off at 6 p.m. with classic rock, soda, water, and what seemed to be a never-ending stream of pizza boxes. The room was abuzz with voices, laughter, and networking.
A handful of awards were presented with certificates from the offices of Congressman Ami Bera, Assemblyman Ken Cooley, and Senator Richard Pan. Some recipients had their hands more than full with the awards and certificates. Four business and two nonprofit categories received nominations from the community between July 1 and August 31. Two new categories for 2018 rewarded employees who received nominations from co-workers and management. Arden Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shaun Dillon hosted the event.
Locally owned and operated Express Employment Professionals received the Best Business (Large) award and was recognized a second time when Linda Aleman, staffing assistant for office services, received a Best Employee award.
Another twice-recognized business was Benning Design Construction which received the Best Business (Medium) award and the firm’s estimator, Ashton Benge, was given the Best Employee award. “A great team player who never comes to work in a bad mood,” said Dillon. Even baby Eleanor was excited about the Best Business award.
The Best Business (Small) recipient was Upen J. Patel, DDS. Dillon spoke about Patel’s giving back to the community and said that he is expanding his office. New York Life agent Austin Schlocker took home the Best Business (Independent) award.
Danielle Lawrence of Mutual Assistance Network accepted the award for Best Nonprofit (Community) which meets at the Arcade Community Center the third Tuesday each month and works to improve Arden Arcade and provide networking opportunities.
The Best Nonprofit (Youth) went to Sheriff’s Community Impact Program (SACSCIP). Jessica Fielding, the organization’s director, spoke about the boxing mentoring program and youth leadership programs and said that Arden Arcade “has the highest rates of drug and alcohol use in all of Sacramento County,” which is why the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Arden Arcade (a program of SACSCIP) has initiatives and programs focusing on reducing youth alcohol and drug use.
Fielding also introduced the Responsible Alcohol Merchant Awards (RAMA) program.
“Students are actually trained in prevention. They go into stores and they actually interview the manager or somebody on site. They survey the store and they really encourage best practices to be implemented.” Best practices include not keeping the alcohol next to toys or the front door, she explained. “The biggest goal is to support healthy businesses.”
Each youth associated with the two year old program joined Fielding. Students, she said, check signage to make sure that the windows aren’t covered “so you can’t see what’s going on in the store.” They also check for on-site security and loitering. Most, but not all, students are from Arden Arcade high schools.
Josselyn Cardenas, a senior at Valley High School said, “I come all the way from Elk Grove every single week just to be part of this coalition.” Being part of the coalition, she said, was eye opening. “There are some stores that are implementing regulations, rules, and standards to reduce the youth access to alcohol.” She was sad that other stores didn’t seem to care. “It was a very good experience for me.”
Mya Worko, a recent graduate of Encina Preparatory High School and current student at Sacramento City College, presented a spoken word piece she created about her experience in the program.
A short video highlighted the program. “We want to reward a few of our stores,” said Fielding. “We do have some amazing stores. Specifically 7-Eleven that has been so proactive and has always welcomed our students.”
Representatives from 7-Eleven stores on Howe Avenue, Arden Way, Fulton Avenue, and Marconi Avenue received awards. Fielding congratulated the stores on “doing a great job to protect the Arden Arcade community.” Each store received a plaque to display in the store. Rite Aid on Watt Avenue will have its award delivered. Each student was also awarded a certificate.
“Our goal is to build positive relationships with the merchant owners.” For additional information, visit: https://greaterarden.com.
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Utility poles covered with signs and notices for political candidates, lost animals, yard sales and events present serious hazards for utility workers. This is a particular problem during election season.
Nails, staples, tacks, and screws used to post signs can cause serious injury to lineworkers who climb the wooden utility power poles every day. These items are especially hazardous when the poles are climbed during bad weather to restore power during storms and at night.
When the signs fall off or are removed, the fasteners often remain in the pole, causing lineworkers to get cut or injured. Nails and staples can obstruct climbing gear, which can cause workers to slip or fall as they climb. Even the tiniest puncture in lineworkers’ rubber gloves can expose them to severe shock from power lines.
When advertising for a political candidate, lost pet, garage sale or other event, please do not post signs on utility poles.
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - As part of its commitment to the community, SMUD is hosting a free community resource fair to ensure the success of seniors in the community. Seniors and their families are invited to learn about caregiving resources; accident prevention; fraud prevention; legal assistance; health and wellness; financial assistance; and, home modifications. Register today for free breakfast and resources.
WHAT: Community Resource Fair Celebrating Seniors
WHERE: SMUD Customer Service Center: 6301 S Street, Sacramento
WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2018 from 8 a.m.—Noon
REGISTER: SMUD.org/Learn or 916-732-6738
NorCal Rapist Arrested
Answer in DNA
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - It was an eerie, familiar feeling as Sacramento District Attorney stood alongside state law enforcement agents and in front of media members, announcing the arrest of yet another notorious California serial rapist.
58-year-old Roy Charles Waller of Benicia was linked through DNA to the heinous NorCal Rapist crimes committed on at least 12 victims that date back beginning 27 years ago and took place across six counties.
“The answer has always been in the DNA,” said Schubert, coincidentally in the midst of National Forensic Science Week. She explained the partnership of tireless science and police work that led to a breakthrough over the past 10 days, eventually leading to the arrest.
“Today we can bring some closure to the victim in Contra Costa County who was attacked on Halloween in 1996,” said Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton.
Waller was arrested in Berkeley near the U.C. Berkeley campus. He has been a U.C. Berkeley employee for the past 25 years. The Sacramento Police Department and the Berkeley Police Department made the arrest.
The suspect has been charged with 12 counts of force-able sexual assault, plus enhancements. There are also allegations that he used a gun. He’s been awarded no bail and his arraignment is set for Monday in Sacramento.
$1.3 Million Makeover for McDonald's
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - McDonalds restaurant supplied free hamburgers for a year to the first 50 visitors during its recent re-opening event. The event celebrated a $1.3 million revamp for the decades old Carmichael business.
A year of free coffee rewarded the next 100 diners.
Prior to the Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting, dozens of customers lined up to await the lunchtime opening. Corporate director Clayton Burns reported more than 250 served during the Fair Oaks Boulevard store’s first two hours of business. Twenty staff were challenged by a rush of walk-in and drive-through customers. Parents and children thronged to slides and climbing walls of a new indoor playing area.
“It was a great day for the store and its employees,” said Burns. “This restaurant has been one of our most popular for many years. We’re happy to be remodeled and continuing business in a loyal community like Carmichael.”
McDonalds restaurant is located at 7329 fair Oaks Boulevard.