SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Acting County Executive Ann Edwards signed a Proclamation of Local State of Emergency for Winter Storms. The proclamation is retroactive to Jan. 26, 2021.
In order to clear the way for state and federal reimbursement for expenses relating to the storm damage, the Board of Supervisors must ratify the proclamation within seven days of the proclamation signing. The ratification item is scheduled for its Feb. 9, 2021 Board meeting.
If the Board ratifies the proclamation, there are further steps before local governments and special districts can be reimbursed. The State must proclaim an emergency to provide California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) reimbursement and the federal government must declare an emergency to provide Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement.
Sacramento County experienced an atmospheric river combined with extremely high winds from Jan. 26-29 that resulted in widespread, prolonged power outages, significant storm debris, emergency calls for services and transportation impacts.
Sacramento County’s Office of Emergency Services is tasked with collecting damage estimates from County departments, cities within its jurisdiction and special districts (such as SMUD). The initial damage estimate total is $7.3 million for expenses related to vegetation clearing, power restoration and requests for mutual aid.
Acting County Executive Edwards will return to the Board of Supervisors, at least every sixty days until the emergency is terminated, with a recommendation if there is need to continue the local emergency.
Mike Galli is PGA Golf Professional of the Year in Northern California
FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - In acknowledgement for his outstanding dedication and performance, Mike Galli, Head Golf Professional at North Ridge Country Club, is the recipient of the 2020 Northern California PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This honor is awarded to a PGA Professional for qualities of leadership, strong moral character, and a substantial record of service to the PGA and game of golf. Galli has spent the past 25 years at North Ridge Country Club, where he manages golf operations including teaching, tournaments, and course play for the 462-member, private facility.
Galli’s passion as a teacher is evident. He is a highly regarded golf instructor and Certified Plane Truth Instructor. His study of the game and the mental-physical connection are the cornerstones to his teaching philosophy. With a desire for helping players lower their handicap and enjoy this great game, he develops and coaches players of all levels.
Mike served four years as President of the North State PGA Chapter. With the help of an enthusiastic board, he proudly implemented many procedures and events to encourage growth of the Chapter, participation, camaraderie, and, of course, fun.
A native of Northern California, Galli played for San Joaquin Delta Junior College and California State University, Sacramento.
Mike would say simply “Golf has to be fun.” It is his charisma and love of the game that has led to his continuing success.
Assemblyman Ken Cooley Introduces Equitable Campsite Reservation Bill
To Ensure Fair Access to California’s Campsites
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - On Monday, February 8, Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) introduced AB 472, the Equitable Campsite Reservation for All Act, which would extend consumer protections to campsite reservations for state and local parks by prohibiting the use of “bots” in securing reservations.
California State Parks are a cornerstone of the California Experience. With 280 State Parks encompassing 1.5 million acres of land and 4500 miles of trails, these locations are some of the most visited places in the state. California parks and camping reservation are in such demand that in recent years people have struggled to reserve campsites.
The desire to reserve campsites at favorite parks led some consumers to use “bots” on reservation websites. Bots are pieces of software that can perform automated and directed tasks, which allows someone using a bot to unfairly reserve campsites at faster-than-human speeds that leave honest campers out of luck. The use of bots continues to unfairly shutout individuals who do not have the technological prowess or money to achieve these faster bookings. Currently, campsite reservations are scheduled out in six month increments on a rolling calendar and when in demand dates approach, the likelihood of securing the site diminishes. It has become evident that speed is of the essence to secure a campsite.
“California’s parks are an integral part of our state’s natural endowment, to be protected and shared with all our citizens. AB 472 ensures that all Californians have an equal ability to access their state and local parks,” said Assemblyman Ken Cooley. “With so many aspects of life put on hold this past year, one of the few pleasures we should all be able to enjoy is the beauty of California’s nature.”
AB 472 ensures that bots are no longer able to be used to reserve camping venues and provides fair and equitable access to enjoy our unparalleled state and local park system.
Assemblyman Ken Cooley represents the 8th Assembly District which includes the communities of Arden-Arcade, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Rancho Murieta, Rosemont, Wilton and other portions of unincorporated Sacramento County. For more information, please visit http://asmdc.org/members/a08/
Former Pastor Digs the Dirt
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Retirement can lay as heavily on the hands of clergy as laymen. When American River Community Church Pastor Rich Reimer hung up his cassock last year, he thought he and his wife would jump in a camper and see America. Instead, he’s jumped on a tractor and is seeing land from the soil up.
“God gave me two skills,” considers the 66-year-old. “One was for the Church. The other is working with my hands.” During 39 years of ministering, the Pastor was also handyman for his flock. “Running a church is like having another house,” he considers. “I’ve always been involved in maintenance. Even when I had volunteers, I worked with them. I must have put on 10 roofs. I’ve mended leaks, installed irrigation and sound systems. I was usually the only man on campus so, when toilets ran over, I was the man they called.” If pounding nails seems incongruous with preaching, Reimer is quick to note that Jesus was a carpenter. “Another thing I enjoyed was driving the tractor we borrowed for harvest festival hayrides,” he says. “When I retired, my wife Cindy gave me her blessing to get my own tractor. Some wives will do anything to get a husband out of the house.”
His shiny red vehicle is a 32-hp Mahindra, with front-end loader. Driver and beast have tackled stump removal, graded parking lots, levelled lawns and dug post holes. “Two words that describe my life’s mission are loving service,” enthuses the contractor. “I pride myself on serving the church. Now my service is hands-on.”
“I’d always wanted to occupy myself meaningfully after retiring. My son Jonathan saw this tractor advertised at a good price last year. Its attachments included a rotor tiller, a scraper and a back hoe. I thought yeah, I could do good work with all that. We drove to Redding to look at it. It was like brand-new, with only 100 hours on the meter. The 84-year-old owner was a Christian. His wife had recently died and his own health was declining. When we closed the deal, he led us in prayer for my future business. Less than two months later, he died of COVID. I felt sad but privileged -- his prayer seemed like a confirmation of what God would have me do.”
Prayers aside, operating licenses are ordained by a Sheriff’s background check. “There’s no dispensation for being a pastor,” Reimer laughs. “You may live by the Ten Commandments but the County has its own rules. I got my licenses and went to work. My first job was mowing three acres of pasture in Newcastle. It felt great to be outdoors under a clear blue sky. I’d given a final sermon called “Stepping into a New Day.” I felt I’d taken my first step.
“I don’t want to be busy every day. It’s a part-time job -- my wife and I watch grandkids two days a week – the important thing is to do a good job. I don’t mention being a pastor to my clients -- unless the subject arises -- but before every job, I pray for safety. Tractors can be dangerous. Once I uprooted a big stump: it fell from the bucket and left a crack in the tractor hood. It might have cracked my head. I sure said a prayer after that.” His days of donning jacket for weekdays and preaching robes Sunday are done. “It feels different heading out in jeans, a work shirt and steel-toed boots,” he says. “But for any profession, you dress the part.”
Gone also, is the collection plate. Tractor For Hire rates are competitive with other operators. Pastor and tractor nevertheless pitch in gratis for the church where he ministered for almost a quarter of a century. “There’s always something to be done in our community garden,” he explains. “Donating and volunteering are part of being a Church member. “It’s fulfilling that God gave me gifts to use in the community and for the church.”
To contact Reimer’s Tractor For Hire Call or text 916 502 7928.
Can You Say Bingo?
Parking Lot Bingo Helps Bring Youth Home
CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – Night time passers-by at the Grand Oaks Bingo Center on Auburn Avenue in Citrus Heights have been doing a double take at the sight of a parking lot full of bingo players at tables and in vehicles, with horns honking and lights flashing throughout the evening. As with other businesses, the Covid-19 virus had driven the games outside. The hall was dark until August when their Covid status changed and the bingo balls started to pop up again and the bingo faithful were reunited.
A visit to the bingo center on a recent cool Thursday evening found over 80 lone players playing from the comfort of their vehicles, with a handful of players at tables close to the front entrance properly socially distanced.
The cavernous hall that held up to 400 players pre-Covid on a good day, stands empty except for those keeping the games running. Of the usual seven days of operation and four charity organizations counting on the funds raised to help their cause, only 4 days a week remain and only the Optimist club and California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO) have endured. CASTO hosts the Friday night and Sunday matinee sessions. According to their website, “Funds raised through the games are used to promote safe pupil transportation for all California Children through education and training of school leaders”.
Grand Oaks is one of only two bingo centers in the county that have survived Covid. Grand Oaks players follow the Optimists to the Arden-Arcade Bingo center in Sacramento for their games. Grand Oaks also hosts the Saturday matinee games at noon.
How do you run a major bingo operation in a parking lot? High tech helps. After hearing that bingo groups in the Bay Area were continuing to provide the experience for their players from parking lots, Brian Taylor, president of the Optimist Club of Sacramento, figured out how to reproduce this experience in a vehicle. He created a way to transmit the winning numbers from the “caller” to vehicles through a local FM channel, 89.7, along with outdoor speakers for a sound system for those at tables. Television screens throughout the hall used to view the winning numbers have been replaced by Zoom on their tablet and cell phones. Taylor said some players master multiple bingo sheets at a time along with other game strips, proving the cognitive benefits of the game. Asked how long they’ve been playing, he laughed and said, “some people out there have been playing longer than I’ve been alive, and I’m 53.”
To bring the caller closer to the players, the caller machine is wheeled outside to the front of the hall. A honking horn announces a ‘bingo’ and flashing lights call Joanne to vehicles to sell players more sheets and tickets.
Besides the hopes of a big payout, players know these games are charity driven and their money is helping support important causes. The Optimist club has been active for 45 years. They work with youth throughout the county, specifically in Citrus Heights. Funds raised on Thursdays and Saturdays go to local organizations helping children and youth including. Lilliput Families, Citrus Heights Police Department Family and Youth Services, and Kids First, a child abuse prevention program.
Despite having to cut their donations back drastically Taylor told this reporter, “there are youth who are in homes because of bingo.” From the point of view of the players, he commented in a text, “I think the broad scope is not only what we’re doing but what players are doing to survive this Covid situation. This is home, we are family. (When we closed) players lost their home, their outlet, their camaraderie and their connections to friends. Where else can you escape into a world of numbers for hours and not worry, not think about the pressures of day-to-day life.”
All players welcome. Grand Oaks Bingo Hall, 2919 Auburn Blvd. Citrus Heights; 916-723-2840
SSHH & HART Announces Local Respite Centers Are Now Open
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) – Sacramento Self-Help Housing (SSHH) and HART (Homeless Assistance Resource Team) are proud to announce five local respite centers are now open and available to serve needy individuals and families throughout the area. The respite centers are offered and coordinated by HART with counseling and staffing support provided by Sacramento Self-Help Housing. While separate non-profit agencies, the mission of Sacramento Self-Help Housing and HART are in close alignment. The two organizations work collaboratively to assist those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by providing much needed services as well as finding and retaining stable and affordable housing.
Staffed by dedicated volunteers, the respite centers are open to adults ages 18 and over (pets welcome) and offer a variety of valuable free services that can vary by location, such as: connection to mainstream services, snacks and/or hot meals (to-go), sense of community, safe and warm place to rest, phone/technology charging stations, complimentary water/coffee, mobile showers, and/or coat donations. While many locations have already been up and running for some time, the five respite centers currently open include the following:
Midtown HART Respite Center (1 location) – ongoing until further notice; Tuesdays: St. John’s Lutheran Church of Sacramento at 1701 L Street - Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Carmichael HART Respite Centers (3 locations) - through March 2; Tuesdays: Christ Community Church at 5025 Manzanita Avenue; Thursdays: Crossroads Church at 7100 Fair Oaks Blvd; Saturdays: Carmichael Presbyterian at 5645 Marconi Avenue
Hours: 8 a.m. to noon
For more information about HART, please visit www.hartstogether.org or email HARTsTogether916@gmail.com; for more about Sacramento Self-Help Housing, please call 916- 508-7616 or visit www.sacselfhelp.org.
Sacramento Self-Help Housing assists local homeless individuals and families worried about losing their housing to find and retain stable and affordable housing. The not-for-profit organization provides resources such as free housing counseling services and homeless outreach navigation and shared housing option for those without sufficient income to rent a unit by themselves. In addition, Sacramento Self-Help Housing reaches out to local homeless men and women living in camps in local communities to assess their needs and, whenever possible, refer them to available mental health services, medical care, financial aid, and shelter and housing options. For more, visit www.sacselfhelp.org or call 916-341-0593.
Our region can take significant steps towards the goal of ending homelessness
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Sacramento County is in the midst of a challenge it has not seen before. Between severe weather events, a continued public health pandemic and housing instability, the challenges of responding to the needs of the homeless population are greater than ever.
The County continues to adapt and respond in real time and develop and operate ongoing programs and services that deliver real and permanent change.
Sacramento County launched a weather-specific motel voucher program
For many years, the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance (DHA) has run a motel voucher program for persons experiencing homelessness that are particularly vulnerable due to age, illness, injury or other highly vulnerable situations such as families with children. The program provides them with short motel stays in a moment of crisis, coupled with on-going supportive services.
In an effort to increase sheltering capacity over the winter months, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Board approved up to $600k in additional funding in December to expand the motel voucher program into a weather-related response. Approximately 60 additional motel rooms are now available for a minimum of three nights or longer during extended weather events.
This approach offers several advantages to warming centers: (1) It relies on outreach partners to identify unsheltered people who would not otherwise be reached; (2) It offers several days of stay (compared to an overnight stay at a warming center); (3) It allows people to shelter with pets and partners and in privacy, which is critical during COVID-19; (4) It coordinates transportation for unsheltered people to the motels.
The following criteria will trigger a weather-related response: (1) Nighttime lows of 37 degrees or lower for two or more days within a five-day span; or (2) Rain for two or more consecutive days (forecast 60% or more); or (3) One day or night of rain combined with nighttime lows of 32 degrees or lower.
Because of the existing infrastructure already in place, DHA was able to activate this critical effort in advance of Tuesday’s big storm and bring people into shelter in just a few days. The County will continue these efforts for upcoming storms.
DHA is working to expand capacity at its existing homeless shelter for increased weather respite response.
Cities may open warming centers under any conditions
Sacramento Emergency Operations Plan (EO), operated out of County Office of Emergency Services has Severe Weather Guidance to use in the event of severe weather situations that require emergency response for local governments, non-governmental organizations and other agencies in preparing and coordinating response efforts.
This criteria is a guide to trigger an emergency response on a countywide scale but does not limit cities within the county from opening a warming center under any conditions they see fit and offers material support when they do. The Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services helps support such efforts with food, water, blankets and COVID-19 safety guidance provided by the County Public Health officer.
In anticipation of a weather event, the County organizes a call that includes each city and special districts to ensure seamless collaboration and consistent messaging.
In addition, DHA has an eligibility specialist on location to connect people to mainstream services such as cash, food and medical benefits.
For more information visit ha.saccounty.net/Pages/default.aspx
Regional Coordination and Response Efforts
Responding to the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness is most successful using a large-scale, collaborative model. County, cities, non-profits and advocates all play a critical role in effective outcomes.
Sacramento County uses a multi-departmental response method that includes Human Assistance, Health Services (both behavioral and primary), Probation, Sheriff and District Attorney, to ensure that people experiencing homelessness receive services that address any issues that are barriers to permanent housing and long-term stability.
Additionally, the County participates in regional collaboration and planning, participating in the City/County Continuum of Care and leading the effort on the County Homeless Plan.
While the County administers safety net services that support many people experiencing homelessness throughout the County and all the cities within, such as behavioral health, general assistance and adult protective services, those programs alone cannot address all the needs of the homeless population. Many specialized homeless services, such as outreach, sheltering and re-housing supports are best provided through jurisdictions partnering together, the CoC and local community organizations.
Services include: (1) Countywide COVID-19 homelessness response, including encampment sanitation services, medical isolation and preventative quarantine; (2) Countywide behavioral health services, including drug and alcohol treatment and mental health services; (3) Record expungement services for persons experiencing homelessness; (4) Sheltering services throughout the county, including family shelters, domestic violence shelters, and scattered site and congregate sheltering for individuals; (5) Rehousing assistance through CalWORKs, behavioral health and specialized programs; (6) Family Emergency Shelter; (7) Outreach services within unincorporated county and countywide behavioral health mobile services and outreach (8) Countywide weather respite voucher program.
COVID Response for People Experiencing Homelessness
Sacramento County partners in a variety of ways in homelessness response with cities, providers, and the Continuum of Care. The Sacramento COVID-19 Homelessness Response Team is the most successful example of a regionally collaborative effort to respond to a crisis – each organization focusing on one part of the response to ensure full coverage. The County, City of Sacramento and Sacramento Steps Forward (as the Continuum of Care entity) pooled funds awarded by the state to maximize efficiency and streamline response. To date, less than 50 persons experiencing homelessness have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 of the most vulnerable have been sheltered and isolated.
There is no one single solution to housing Sacramento County’s unhoused residents, and due to current conditions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, lost jobs and skyrocketing rent, it may get worse before it gets better. Through dedicated people, funding and collaboration, our region can take significant steps towards the goal of ending homelessness.