Widowed Persons Offer Recovery Support
Sacramento Region, CA (MPG) - When Deeann Lynch lost her husband, Rick, of 30 years in 2012, she carried on as best as she knew how with life. But after roughly two years of widowhood, she says, something finally occurred to her that completely rocked her foundation.
“I woke up about two and a half years after my husband passed away, and it hit me that I was really alone,” said Lynch, 66, a retired school teacher with the San Juan Unified District. “I hadn’t really given it a lot of thought before that day. I was just kind of operating on auto pilot. But I realized all of our friends that we had as a couple were nowhere to be found. I took a look at my life and I didn’t really like what I was seeing.”
What Lynch experienced, the delayed impact of losing a spouse but not quite living through the grief and moving forward afterward, is common. Just ask any one of the roughly 345 members of the Widowed Persons Association of California, Sacramento Chapter, where, week after week newcomers, just like Lynch, are greeted and welcomed in by long-standing members with experience to offer on how to feel, grieve, process and get on with reshaping their lives after the death of spouse.
“Common understanding, the trust in others who have been through what you are going through, these are the things that we offer our members,” says Claudia Ezzell, the chapter’s sitting president, who lost her husband in 2006 and, in 2007 started attending the association’s Sunday Support class, which she said “changed everything.”
Trail a finger down the list of commonly identified top causes of stress, isolation and deep depression and you’ll find loss of a spouse right up there at the very top. Widowed Persons provides a safe and convivial space for those experiencing the death of a spouse to recover from grief, release the stress, share their experiences with others, make new friends, stay connected and find redirection. Sometimes, as in Lynch’s case, this begins years after someone loses a spouse. In other cases, it can be a matter of days.
While chapters have come and gone, the Widowed Person’s Association of California, Sacramento, was the first, founded in 1986 by Helen Krough, newly widowed and seeking a network of support.
“She was sitting around staring at the TV for days after she lost her husband,” said Ezzell. “The funny thing is, the TV wasn’t even on and her son pointed it out to her that she was staring at a blank TV. So she decided to put an ad online looking for others who just wanted to get together and share experiences. She was hoping for 10 to 15 people, but 75 people showed up for its first meeting, which was held in the Carmichael Library.”
The Sacramento Chapter has since had as many as 500 members at a time and the list of programs and activities has grown from lunches and coffees to include travel trips, music festivals, dances, theater nights, monthly luncheons, dinners, Sock Hops at the Carmichael Elks Club, Luaus, walking groups, picnics, bridge, pinochle and Mexican train domino game days, bowling and more.
The chapter has a budget of roughly $60,000 and is run completely by a core of roughly 24 volunteers, all of whom have come through the program. There is an annual membership fee of $120.00, which may be split into two payments. The fee for joining after July 1 is $40.00. Fees cover expenses for recruiting speakers, holiday parties, the printing of the monthly newsletter and other administrative costs.
Perhaps the most critical aspect of the chapter’s programming is its Sunday Support group, run by Ginny Baldauf, who joined the chapter when she lost her husband in 2003. Sunday Support, says Baldauf, is the “core of everything the group has to offer. It’s our weekly support group where all of us begin to get back on our feet. I started in Sunday Support. I came on the advice of a friend and I think I cried every Sunday for weeks, but eventually something turned over for me and I realized I had found a new support system and new friends.”
For Lynch, finding the group was also like being tossed a life preserver.
“I was going to a support group in other areas for a while, but I wasn’t getting anything I needed there,” Lynch said. “Then a friend brought me here and it was like for the first time I started to hear other people talking about the kinds of things I was feeling and thinking. I thought I was going crazy, but I realized I wasn’t. I was just needing to make new friends and feel that connection with people who understood me.”
In addition, the chapter offers four, six-week Grief and Recovery workshops each year, which are free to all and set to begin again July 13. Topics, according to workshop coordinator, Chuck Beaver, cover overcoming grief, coping with stress and anxiety, and changing relationships and moving on with your life. The workshops culminate with a potluck event.
Men and women alike come seeking that initial support in dealing with the death of a spouse. For most, the death has come suddenly and there is deep, profound and seemingly unshakable grief. For others, such as caregivers of a spouse suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or other long-term illnesses who have had time to plan for change, the grief comes sneaking up from behind as they experience not just the loss of a loved one, but the loss of their identity as a caretaker.
“Many caregivers experience deep grief because their role as caretaker is now over and they find themselves without a sense of director or purpose, once that role has ended,” Baldauf said.
Because women tend to outlive men, membership is largely comprised of women,” said Ezzell. The average age of the group’s membership is 79 and that’s a concern. With a goal to grow the membership base and increase funding, the group is amidst an effort to attract younger members. The challenge, said Ezzell, is that younger widows and widowers tend to still have careers and the ability to do more socializing to make new friends. Older members come in with fewer connections as they have typically been retired for some years and or their friends are primarily also passed away.
“It’s tough to get younger members in but we need them to grow,” Ezzell said. “Many younger people who lose a spouse still have a place to go every day. They work or they are in school, or raising small children, so they have roles and networks.”
Since joining the chapter, Lynch has begun volunteering in the office and supports Baldauf with Sunday Support. She also said she’s done a few things she’d stopped doing when her husband died, namely, traveling. But perhaps more importantly, she’s made new connections with people and from those connections have come new friendships, a key to recovery.
“I’ve started traveling again, which is something my husband and I did do together,” Lynch said. “But the big thing is that I’ve made new friends here. The people you meet in the Sunday Support group become your friends and you find you are doing things again and are part of this new community. They become like a new family.”
Sacramento, CA (MPG) - The Los Rios Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the appointment of three key leadership positions for the Los Rios Community College District. Whitney Yamamura, 53, was appointed President of Folsom Lake College. Michael Gutierrez, 48, has been named President of Sacramento City College. Dr. Jamey Nye, 43, will serve as the District’s Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology.
“It’s not often that a Board gets to bring three leaders as talented and dynamic as Whitney, Michael and Jamey into our organization at the same time,” said Ruth Scribner, President of the Los Rios Board of Trustees. “While each brings a unique background and diverse set of skills, they all share a passion for higher education and a commitment to doing the hard work necessary to improve the lives of the students we serve.”
Whitney Yamamura has served in the Los Rios District for almost 30 years and, with his appointment, becomes the second Asian American College President in the history of the Los Rios District. Having most recently served as Interim President of Sacramento City College, Whitney has also worked as Vice President of Instruction at Cosumnes River College, the founding Dean of American River College’s Natomas Center as well as American River College’s Dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Whitney began his tenure as a member of the American River College faculty, as an adjunct and full-time Professor of Economics.
“It is an honor to have been selected to serve as the President of Folsom Lake College,” said Yamamura. “I am excited to join the talented and hard-working team of faculty and staff as we continue to grow our college and look for new and creative ways to serve students.”
Michael Gutierrez will be the first Latino president in the 100-year history of Sacramento City College. He comes to Sacramento City College from Texas, where he has most recently served as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Success at Eastfield College in the Dallas Community College District. In his 21 years in higher education, the Princeton University graduate has served in a wide array of different areas, including faculty, college administration, research, workforce/economic competitiveness and resource development.
“It is humbling to have the opportunity to serve an academic institution with the storied history and reputation of Sacramento City College,” said Gutierrez. “For a hundred years, Sacramento City College has been a cornerstone of the Sacramento community. As we look ahead, we’ll continue to celebrate the rich fabric of our college and work tirelessly to help our students reach their goals.”
Dr. Jamey Nye will take over as the Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology having spent the past 17 years in Los Rios, most recently serving as Associate Vice Chancellor of Instruction. In this role, Jamey has led Los Rios’ Workforce and Economic Development Center and has helped Los Rios build and support a variety of robust and comprehensive academic programs. Jamey began his career as a faculty member at Cosumnes River College, where he later served as Academic Senate President, Chair of the English Department, Dean of Business and Family Science, and Associate Vice President of Instruction and Student Learning.
“Los Rios is poised to continue to do great things in the coming years, and I’m thrilled to be part of that work,” said Nye. “Our four colleges are among the most forward-thinking institutions of higher education in the State of California, and my goal is to help take our successful innovations to scale to serve even more students.”
The appointment of Yamamura, Gutierrez and Nye provides an incredible opportunity to build on the great things happening at Folsom Lake College, Sacramento City College and throughout the Los Rios District according to Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brian King.
“Together, these three leaders will have the ability to positively impact the lives of thousands of students in our colleges,” said King. “At a time of unprecedented focus on student success, I look forward to working with Whitney, Michael and Jamey to build on the momentum in our district and look for new ways to innovate and excel. They bring an exciting mixture of experience in our organization as well as fresh ideas for how to improve student outcomes.”
Nye will begin in his role on July 5. Yamamura and Gutierrez are both scheduled to begin on July 24.
Since 2004, Folsom Lake College has provided educational opportunities to the communities of eastern Sacramento and western El Dorado counties. The college serves approximately 8,750 students at the main Folsom campus, El Dorado Center, and Rancho Cordova Center.
Sacramento City College is the oldest community college in the Los Rios District and about 22,500 students are enrolled.
Source: LRCCD
El Camino High School Breaks Ground On New 500 Seat Performing Arts Center
McCarthy Building Companies (McCarthy), an esteemed American-owned construction and general contracting firm, in collaboration with HGA Architects & Engineers(HGA), an integrated architecture, engineering and planning firm, and the San Juan Unified School District (San Juan Unified), is pleased to announce that construction has commenced on El Camino Fundamental High School’s new performing arts center.
The performing arts center is one of nine projects in the district supported by the four-phase Measure N Signature Project program, a $350 million bond measure passed by voters in 2012.
“The new center will provide students with a unique and valuable arts education experience that will enhance their appreciation, as well as offer a quality, affordable alternative to community groups in need of a place to stage events,” said San Juan Unified’s Director of Facilities Construction and Modernization Brett Mitchell. “We’re thrilled with the positive response this project has received and look forward to providing a modern, state-of-the-art facility that will serve the region for years to come.”
The new, roughly 11,600 square-foot facility will provide much-needed space for the school’s award-winning music and drama programs. The theater will feature a raised stage, a control room, dressing rooms, 500 fixed seats and 100 portable seats in the orchestra area, a ticket booth, and a lobby area equipped to showcase student artwork. It will be used for a variety of school and community lecture and performance functions.
For Kevin Glaser, the groundbreaking at El Camino Fundamental High School on June 6th served as catharsis. Glaser, El Camino’s longtime band director, said the school’s arts community has pushed and fundraised in support of a performing arts center for the past 10 years. El Camino’s campus does not currently have a venue that can seat 500 people, but performances often draw crowds of that size, Glaser said. The groundbreaking means his dream has become a reality.
“The school was built in 1950,” Glaser said. “It’s been my position that El Camino has needed a performing arts center for 67 years.”
The California Department of Water Resources Acting Director William R. Croyle today announced his retirement, effective July 1, 2017.
Croyle put his original retirement plans on hold in January 2017 when he was asked by Governor Edmund G Brown Jr. to serve as Acting Director of the department. Cindy Messer, DWR Chief Deputy Director, will serve as Acting Director of the department until a new director is appointed.
Prior to his appointment, Croyle served as Deputy Director for Statewide Emergency Preparedness and Security at the Department, a role that uniquely prepared him to manage the Lake Oroville spillways incident in February.
“California is extremely fortunate to have had Bill at the helm of DWR this year, especially during the Oroville emergency,” said Secretary John Laird, of the California Natural Resources Agency. “We are all grateful for his commitment and public service.”
In nearly ten years with DWR, Croyle served as the Drought Emergency Operations Manager, representing the department on Governor Brown’s Interagency Drought Task Force and various other drought task forces. He also served as the Department Emergency Program Manager and spent more than six years as Chief of Flood Operations.
Croyle also worked more than 23 years for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board in Sacramento, where he served in a variety of capacities.
“I am honored to have served with many talented, dedicated people throughout my career. I am very proud of the work we have accomplished over the years bringing California through drought, flood and most recently, through the Oroville Spillway incident,” stated Croyle. “And now I’m looking forward to picking up my retirement plans where they left off six months ago.”
Tobacco users be aware, there is a higher price tag coming this weekend. On July 1, the tax rate on tobacco products other than cigarettes will increase from the current rate of 27.3 to 65.08 percent of the wholesale cost.
In November 2016, California voters approved Proposition 56, which increased the excise tax rate on cigarettes, and expanded the definition of “tobacco products” to include little cigars, tobacco and nicotine intended for human consumption, and electronic cigarettes sold in combination with nicotine.
In keeping with California law, the Board of Equalization (BOE) adjusts the tobacco tax rate annually during its April meeting. In accordance with Revenue and Taxation Code section 30123(b), the BOE is required to annually calculate a tax rate on tobacco products that is equivalent to the combined rate of tax imposed on cigarettes ($2.87 per pack of 20, or $0.1435 per cigarette).
The tobacco products tax is imposed upon the first distribution in California, paid by the licensed tobacco products distributor, and based on their wholesale cost prior to any discounts or trade allowances. The fiscal year 2017-18 Tobacco Products Tax Rate is based on the wholesale premium brand cigarette price as of March 1, 2017, as published by the Tobacco Merchants Association. The new tobacco products tax rate will stay in effect through June 30, 2018.
Other tobacco products include, but are not limited to, cigars, little cigars, smoking tobacco (including shisha), chewing tobacco, snuff, nicotine delivery devices (for example, e-pipes, vape pens, e-hookahs) sold in combination with any liquid or substance containing nicotine, and any products containing, made of, or derived from any amount of tobacco or nicotine that is intended for human consumption.
Best of Carmichael Businesses Honored
Twenty-nine businesses were the toast of the town when the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce and Carmichael Times hosted the “Best of Carmichael” awards gala last week. Results were decided by public vote and presentations were made at the Patriot Event facility in Milagro Centre.
Winners received proclamations from Congressman Ami Bera, Senator Jim Nielson, Assemblyman Ken Cooley and Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters.
Twenty-seven contested categories included professional services, grocery stores, restaurants, senior facilities, Fitness centers, community facilities, non-profits - and many entities that make Carmichael a hub of business and recreation. The event is planned to be held annually. (Two categories had ties for the total votes.)
Thinking about redoing your yard? Looking for ideas for a more efficient sprinkler system?
Take a tour of Sacramento Suburban Water District’s (SSWD’s) Antelope Gardens or their other new demonstration gardens: the Garden on Eden and the Gardens at Howe Park to find some inspiration.
Discover how to create a rain garden that will replenish groundwater instead of sending it into streets, learn how to make an edible oasis that can provide herbs and fruits for your table or design a habitat for butterflies, birds and bees. And best of all, they’re all free.
SSWD’s demonstration gardens contain hundreds of species of plants, California native and low-water non-native, the latest in water-efficient sprinkler systems and a variety of landscape designs. The demonstration gardens all feature informational signage that identifies the plants, irrigation and layouts used so that visitors can learn how to create their own water-wise oasis.
Plan your visit today!
Locations and hours:
- American River Parkway Foundation Volunteer Center: 5700 Arden Way, Carmichael, CA 95608. Open Monday through Sunday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
- Antelope Gardens: 7800 Antelope North Road. Antelope, CA 95843 Open until the end of October, Monday- Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The garden will be closed on July 8th.
- Garden on Eden: 4900 Eden Court, Carmichael, California 95608. Open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Gardens at Howe Park: 2201 Cottage Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825. Open Monday – Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.