Does your organization or school have a project you feel could improve our waterways and keep them clean? The Sacramento County Department of Water Resources (DWR) could help you make that project come to life. The window has opened for submission to the 2017-2018 Watershed Stewardship and Education Grant program.

Schools and community groups are encouraged to review program requirements and submit applications to the Stormwater Quality Program for review. This is the thirteenth year DWR has funded environmental efforts to protect our waterways.

The grant is open to the following: schools and student groups; service clubs, youth organizations; homeowner’s associations; community and neighborhood groups; not-for-profit groups; and informal groups with innovative ideas. Individuals and for-profit groups are not eligible.

DWR will offer up to $2,500 for each project chosen for the grant. The amount will depend on the needs of the organization. Last year’s grant winners included Will Rogers Elementary, Mira Loma High and Sierra Oaks School. This will also be the first year the grant will be available to non-profit community groups.

The final date to apply is July 1, 2017. Eligible projects must be located within the Sacramento County Stormwater Utility Boundaries or directly affect the residents of these areas. For more information, please review the application to determine if your project is eligible on the Stormwater Quality Program page.

If you have additional questions about the 2017-2018 Watershed Stewardship and Education Grant program, contact Jeanette Huddleston, 916-874-4711.

The County Board of Supervisors and former Congressman Doug Ose have a working plan for management of Gibson Ranch on the table that, with the exception of one caveat concerning entry fee increases, appears poised for approval and, if so, would pave the way for Ose to continue on as manager of the 325-acre nature reserve.

The Board of Supervisors has directed Regional Parks Director Jeff Leatherman to fine-tune a plan he and Ose jointly crafted and presented to the board May 23 that proposes a year-to-year contract for Ose’s company, GRP 2011, LLC. (GRP), rather than a 20-year lease he’d original said he would pursue. The lease would run for four years and carry an option for extensions of up to four additional one-year terms, with a 90-day notification to terminate.

Perhaps the most significant changes, however, involve a shift in responsibility for several operational costs from Ose to the county. Ose was granted a five-year renewable lease to manage the park in 2011, however, earlier this year he announced plans to pull out unless the county could renegotiate an agreement to offset his monthly losses of roughly $20,000, losses he said he was incurring largely due to rising labor costs.

Under the terms of the proposed plan, the city would take on $110,500 in annual operating costs for Gibson Ranch. Both sides seem to support the plan, but Ose cautioned more tweaking could be required.

“What I’ve tried to do is identify marginal costs, costs for things like sewer, water and electricity,” Ose said. “I don’t want to eat my cake too soon, though. I know the rules and this is not a done deal until they say yes.”

Under the plan the county would pay an estimated $53,000 for utilities, including sewer and water quality certification; between $5,000 and $7,000 to maintain and repair the wells on the property, and provide Ose with a $50,000 annual contribution toward reimbursements for capital improvements and deferred maintenance.

The plan contains one component, however, for raising revenue that the board is not supportive of: raising the park’s entry fee from $5 to $8. As result, the supervisors have given Leatherman and, ostensibly, Ose, more time to come up with alternatives for that piece.

“There was serious concern from a couple of the board members about the wisdom of raising the entry fee,” said Ose. “They were very direct in saying they didn’t want to see the vehicle entry fee raised, and I was just as direct in saying ‘I’m not losing any more money.’ So we are sharpening our pencils and will be attempting to find a solution.”

County Supervisor Sue Frost called the new plan a “win” for all sides, indicating it would likely be one the entire board could approve, provided the entry fee issue was resolved.

“There is a lot to like in the new proposal, which appears to me to be a win for the county, a win for GRP, and most importantly a win for the community,” Frost said. “However, I am not in favor of increasing the parking fee above $5 because I do not think it’s fair to ask the residents of the community to pay a fee higher than every other park in this county. I’m optimistic we can get this done while keeping the fee at $5.”

In April, officials said Recreation and Parks department would compete with Ose and potentially other, outside vendors for the management the Gibson Ranch contract. A fourth option: close the park for good. It was unlikely an outside vendor would have taken over the contract as there were no serious bids on the table and, shifting management back to Recreation & Parks would have called for the addition of as many as five new positions just to manage the park’s equestrian boarding program launched under Ose’s tenure.

Leatherman now asserts there was always a plan to have his department, essentially the county, work with Ose in drafting a plan to share operational responsibilities and find a way to keep the park open.

“The BOS is focused in on what alternatives we have to raising the fee, but the remaining points appear to be consistent with what the board is willing to support,” Leatherman said.

The new proposal also calls for the county to install an automatic pay station in the park, which could net the county additional revenue of between $7,000 and $10,000 annually.

 “During the winter months, we go skinny, because not a lot of people come through the gates,” said Ose. “So we’ve worked out a plan to install essentially a pay station so that, during those days we do not have an open kiosk at the entry, patrons can pay their fees and we can use those funds to help offset operational costs.”

Ose said more changes, although likely minor ones, are expected, but he remains optimistic and has agreed to continue on as manager of the park until the end of June.

“I’ve agreed to play nice in the sandbox,” Ose said. “We’ve extended our contract to June 30. We’ve got a great working relationship. They (the board of supervisors) aren’t easy, but they are supportive and they are direct.”

Dad’s will find themselves at the center of attention a week ahead of Father’s Day this year at The Church on Cypress, as the congregation is preparing for its first “DadFest” celebration, a free day of family fun and games open to all members of the community.

Pastor Dave Brown, who came to the congregation roughly 18 months ago, said the DadFest 2017 celebration offers a unique way for the church to get to know more members of the community beyond its roughly 140 members. But just as important, the event, he believes, will offer a fun and relaxed way for members of the community who don’t know the church to find out more about it and its members. Ultimately, however, the day is all about dads and how awesome they can be.

“Of course as we lead up to Father’s Day on the 18th of the month, we want to do something to pay homage to dads,” said Pastor Brown. “But we also want this to be a pure community event for all to enjoy. The church is here for the whole community, but often the community doesn’t even know we are here or what we are all about. So this is our way of both celebrating the fathers in our church and our community, and opening the doors for those who would like to meet us.”

DadFest 2017, likely to turn into an annual “thing,” will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 11 in the parking lot and adjacent field at The Church on Cypress and promises a packed lineup of free food and entertainment from start to finish, including barbecue steak, tri-tip and pulled-pork sandwiches, two, big bounce houses for kids, a Frisbee™ or Tournament, dad and daughter and dad and son three legged races and other competitions, an antique car show, games, raffles and plenty of giveaways.

“We’ve got a full day of fun stuff we’re going to have and we want everyone to come and enjoy it and help us honor dads the way they are meant to be honored,” said Pastor Brown.

There will be snow cone machines, popcorn, face painting booths and henna tattooing, again, all for fun and free for all.

The Church on Cypress has a history of providing free family events for the community, including its summer movie nights in Carmichael and Gibbons parks for the last five years. The free movie nights will continue this summer, Pastor Brown said, however, this year the congregation wanted to toss something extra special into the mix, hence the DadFest 2017 idea was born.

“We do a movie night in the park twice each summer,” Pastor Brown said. “This year we are definitely going forward with those. But DadFest 2017 is a different kind of event. It will be focused on having fun and celebrating fathers from within our congregation and across the whole community.”

Some of the prizes for the event giveaways are top shelf items, including three sets of two bikes each for three lucky, father-daughter, or father-son team race and game winners.

“Some of our fathers and daughter or father and son team members will walk away with some cool, new bikes from this event,” Pastor Brown said. “We’ll have three sets of two in each to give away to three winning teams.”

Perhaps the highlight of the competitions will be the Arm Chair Football Toss, which, according to Brown, involves one arm chair, one dad, one football and a swinging tire, which, naturally, said dad must toss the football through the middle of. Not as easy as it looks. Especially when it’s moving.

“We really are looking forward to a great day of fun and celebration, and we hope members of the community will come out and join us,” Pastor Brown said.

I have been playing America’s game ever since I was 3 years old. I love the smell of a stadium hot dog, fresh cut grass, and the sound of a ball when it hits the bat. Baseball is my sport. I enjoy it on and off the field, and I can truly say it is the most beautiful sport around. I’ve been blessed with the speed to run from home to first base in under 4.5 seconds; that’s 90 feet! While I feel lucky to have such talent, I must admit I rarely consider what it would be like not to have these abilities.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a day with the Wounded Warriors Amputee Softball Team who is made up of some incredibly brave people…true heroes! Not just because they served in the United States military, but because they are amazing, inspiring, and all around brave souls. These men and women were wounded in combat; some lost their arms, some lost their legs… but they never lost their will to succeed!

My dad has been active duty for over ten years now, and I have watched him deploy twice and come back home safely. I never once thought about my dad losing an arm or a leg. I admit feeling like he is indestructible, sort of assuming he would be okay. But the truth is, when a soldier goes to war they are risking their life: there is no guarantee they will be safe.

These warriors went to war just like my dad but they were injured, injured bad. I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into meeting this team. I had never met anyone who lost an arm or leg, and I was a little nervous at first. I kept thinking to myself “What if I offend them with my questions?” I sure didn’t want to do that.

But as I watched these men and women play ball, I realized we share a love of the game. Their bases may not be 90 feet apart, but who cares?! These athletes are doing exactly what I do when I lace up my cleats and hit the field: they are playing the best game around: baseball!

I sat down with two of the players, Cody and Josh, to ask them some questions about their past, and I as in awe by their stories. These athletes were just doing their job, the job they were trained to do, and then the unthinkable happened. They could have given up, but instead they found the courage and the drive to keep on going. They found a new cause to fight for, and refused to let anything get in their way.

Whether they believe it or not they are still heroes, every time they take the field or saddle up to the plate. These athletes get out on that ball field and run, dive for balls, scale the wall for that winning catch, and play their hearts out over and over again. I am sure they must be in pain from time to time, must occasionally stumble on their new legs, but they never give up. By refusing to drop their glove to the ground and quit a game, they send a powerful message about never giving up in life.

I will leave you with something one of the players, Nick, told me, something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Nick is amazing, his story is so inspiring—this hero has been through more than most of us will ever go through in our lifetime, and he still carries a smile on his face and lives life to the fullest. I asked all the players to sign my jersey, and along with his signature Nick added something special: his personal motto.

I hope it will inspire you as it does me, “Crush Life!”

First printed in MILITARY KIDS' LIFE magazine. Reprinted by permission.

The Mission Oaks Recreation & Park District is excited to expand and renovate its oldest park.  Eastern Oak Park, located at 3127 Eastern Ave. (just north of Robertson Ave.), was the first developed park when Mission Oaks became a special district in 1975.  The park itself was not easily seen by passers-by along Eastern Ave. because it was set back behind the Eastern YMCA.

When the YMCA property was listed for sale in 2014, the MORPD became very interested in the possibilities of expanding Eastern Oak Park.  After seeking feedback from those living in close proximity to the park, MORPD received overwhelming support of the plan to expand the park.  The purchase was successful and that was followed by community planning meetings with valuable public participation. 

The old and outdated YMCA buildings and swimming pool were determined to be too costly to save and refurbish, so those were removed in 2015.  The grounds were excavated and left in safe condition while the architectural work was being done, and the scope of work was being finalized.  Fast forward to Saturday, May 6 and we have shovels in the soil to signify the official ground breaking of this long anticipated project.

The entire park will be closed until the project is complete.  There are many variables that can change the completion date, but we are targeting October 21 for the official Grand Opening of the park.  Once confirmed, MORPD will make an announcement.  The park will have several new features including:  A plaza to be named after fallen officer Danny Oliver; an off-leash dog area; a 6-court pickleball facility; a futsol court; a basketball half-court; a walking trail that loops around the perimeter of the park; a new playground; picnic shelters; improved irrigation; a restroom building; improved parking.

In recognition of “Infrastructure Week” from May 15-19, 2017, Golden State Water Company (Golden State Water) is highlighting plans to invest more than $2.7 million for local water infrastructure projects in 2017. These investments are planned throughout the Arden Cordova service area, which includes portions of Rancho Cordova, Gold River and Arden Manor.

Golden State Water continually invests to maintain and improve the local water system to ensure delivery of reliable, quality water is not compromised. Local projects planned for 2017 include: Pipeline projects to replace and install more than 3,600 feet of water main throughout the service area; Water supply enhancements through facilities upgrades and implementation of technology at local well and water treatment plants; Upgrading local meters, services and safety equipment.

For a complete list of local infrastructure projects, customers are encouraged to visit www.gswater.com/arden-cordova.

“Golden State Water has invested approximately $700 million companywide for infrastructure improvements over the last decade, because proactive system maintenance is critical to protecting water service now and for future generations,” said Denise Kruger, Senior Vice President of Regulated Utilities for Golden State Water. “We continually invest to improve our water systems here locally and across all of our service territories.”

The American Society of Civil Engineers recently released its 2017 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which assigned a “D” grade to the nation’s drinking water infrastructure. The report noted that upgrading existing water systems to meet drinking water infrastructure needs of a growing population may require at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years.

“As the nation’s aging water infrastructure continues to draw much attention, proactive system investments to protect water systems and avoid the costly and sometimes dangerous effects of deferring maintenance is now more important than ever,” said Kruger. “We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to complete these important projects.”

For additional information about Golden State Water’s local water service, customers are encouraged to call the 24-hour Customer Service Center at 800.999.4033, visit www.gswater.com or follow @GoldenStateH20 on Twitter.

With a unanimous vote, the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SACRT) Board of Directors approved a pilot program to provide a free 90-minute transfer option to passengers who use a Connect Card, the region’s new smart card fare payment system. The transfer option will be available to customers beginning on Thursday, June 15, 2017, marking the official launch date of the new Connect Card system.

RideSacRT, the agency’s mobile fare app, has included 90-minute transfers since its roll-out in January 2016. The new Connect Card is expected to be more widely used since the initial cards will be free, whereas the mobile app requires a smart phone. Transfers on the Connect Card will be good for unlimited boarding within a 90-minute period on both bus and light rail, just like the mobile fare app. The free transfers are expected to help generate additional ridership.

Connect Cards can be loaded with transit passes and stored value online, SACRT’s Customer Service and Sales Center located at 1225 R Street, and at participating retail outlets. Customers who prefer to pay with cash will also be able to receive the benefits of the 90-minute transfer by simply loading cash onto their Connect Card at SACRT’s Customer Service and Sales Center, and at select retail outlets, including Raley’s/Bel Air markets in mid-June when the Connect Card officially launches.

The Board action comes on the heels of news that fare revenue has increased by 18% over the past nine months, despite a decline in ridership. The revenue increase is being attributed to SACRT’s fare enforcement efforts, which has successfully reduced SACRT’s fare evasion rate from more than 15% a year ago, to just 5% now. “SACRT staff has taken every measure to ensure that our trains and buses are cleaner and safer than ever before,” said Henry Li, General Manager/CEO. “Fare enforcement efforts have reduced the number of non-fare paying passengers and increased the security presence throughout our system. It’s a win for everyone.”

Bus agencies throughout the Sacramento region are also adopting the Connect Card in order to provide seamless travel for passengers transferring from one bus line to another. The free 90-minute transfer will be available for six months, while the agency conducts an equity analysis.

The Connect Card and the RideSacRT mobile fare app will make it more convenient to ride by providing online sales, speeding up boarding times and removing the worry of having exact cash to pay fare.

Other ridership initiatives that SACRT is working on include improving service reliability; optimizing bus routes to make them reflect 21st century commuting patterns.