SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Although local HICAP Medicare counseling offices are currently closed due to COVID-19, free one-on-one sessions with local state-registered counselors are still available via telephone and video conferencing.
HICAP (the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program) is administered by the California Department of Aging. Its trained volunteer counselors are working from home, but are still available by phone and video-conferencing to answer questions and help seniors and other eligible recipients understand their Medicare rights and benefits.
HICAP counselors can provide information about Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap policies); Medicare Advantage plans; employee and retiree coverage; long-term-care insurance and how to appeal coverage denials.
HICAP serves clients in El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties, regardless of income or age.
To schedule a free, one-hour phone or videoconference appointment with a state-registered HICAP Medicare counselor in Sacramento County: Call – (916) 376-8915 or email – hicap@lsnc.net
Once your appointment is scheduled, you will receive an appointment reminder by phone, email or text prior to your appointment. If you need to cancel an appointment for any reason, you are asked to call (916) 375-3763.
For more information, go to www.HICAPservices.net.
American River Parkway Bike Patrol Hits the Trails
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SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - This past February, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize the establishment of the American River Bike Patrol to watch over the bike trails on the American River Parkway. The volunteer Bike Patrol, organized by the National Ski Patrol (NSP), has recruited and trained members and began patrolling the trails in July.
The patrol’s 55 volunteer members were trained by the NSP in first-aid, CPR and basic bicycle repair. Regional Parks Rangers helped to train volunteers on expected trail etiquette. All volunteers are required to wear a volunteer bicycle patrol uniform, distinguishing themselves from regular users of the trail. NSP coordinates bicycle trail volunteer schedules with Regional Parks.
“We are excited for these volunteers to hit the trails to help teach trail users about trail safety and etiquette,” said Liz Bellas, Director of Regional Parks. “We have seen an increase in new trail users this year and these new users don’t always know proper trail etiquette, which can be dangerous for other trail users. The Bike Patrol members will be great educational resources.”
“We are delighted to be part of the Parkway team and our agenda focuses on safety; safe cycling, safe walking and family enjoyment on the trail,” said Jim Cheng, Bike Patrol Representative.
Members of the Bike Patrol will act as trail ambassadors providing directional advice, equipment assistance, safety insights and bike safety programs, assistance with events and first-aid services.
Similar volunteer trail programs exist throughout the state, including the American River Parkway Equestrian Patrol, Fort Ord Friends, East Bay Regional Park District Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol, Oakland Bike Patrol, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Mountain Bike Patrol, Marin Open Space Bike Patrol, and Tahoe Bike Patrol.
If you see one of the Bike Patrol members while out on our trails, make sure you wave and say hello as you pass! For more information on the bike patrol, visit their website.
West Nile Virus Activity on the Rise
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District announced that the first signs of West Nile virus activity have been detected in Yolo County as 13 mosquito samples have tested positive for the disease. At the same time, West Nile virus activity continues to gradually increase throughout north Sacramento County as more mosquito samples and dead birds tested positive this week from areas near Carmichael, Fair Oaks and Arden-Arcade. “With the warmer temperatures we’ve seen recently West Nile virus activity is steadily rising,” said Gary Goodman District Manager. “To date, the amount of West Nile virus activity has been lower than other seasons, however we are in the middle of summer and this can quickly change, therefore, it’s extremely important that residents continue taking proper precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes,” added Goodman.
In response to the recent findings, the District will continue to monitor all West Nile virus activity through widespread mosquito trapping and testing as well as perform ground treatments in areas where positive mosquitoes have been found to quickly decrease populations and protect public health.
Another ongoing concern is that last year the invasive mosquito Aedes aegypti was detected in Citrus Heights within Sacramento County. Invasive mosquitoes pose a significant health threat because they can transmit dangerous viruses including Zika, dengue fever and chikungunya. To date, invasive mosquitoes have not been discovered within our District area; however neighboring San Joaquin County recently announced that invasive mosquitoes have been found this week in Stockton after their initial detection in 2019.
To see a complete map of the WNV findings and for current information about District activities, please visit https://www.fightthebite.net/media/west-nile-virus-activity/
Residents may also subscribe to mailing lists to receive email notifications for upcoming mosquito treatments by zip code. To sign up, go to Spray Notifications on the website at www.FIGHTtheBITE.net.
2020 West Nile virus activity update:
Sacramento County: 27 mosquito samples and 42 dead birds have tested positive for West Nile virus to date.
Practice the District D’s of Mosquito Prevention: DRAIN standing water that may produce mosquitoes; DAWN and DUSK are times to avoid being outdoors; DRESS appropriately be wearing long sleeves and pants when outside; DEFEND yourself by using an effective insect repellent. Make sure to follow label directions! DOOR and window screens should be in good working condition; DISTRICT personnel are also available to address any mosquito problems. Call them at 1-800-429-1022 or visit www.FIGHTtheBITE.net
SKK Developments & The Grupe Company Tap into Creativity of Washington Elementary School Students to Inspire Designs for Sacramento’s Largest Mural to Debut in November
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – The Grupe Company and SKK Developments are proud to announce a creative partnership with Washington Elementary School that will result in the exterior façade of Eleanor Apartments – a new multifamily residential building at 16th and H Streets in Midtown Sacramento – being transformed by the largest mural in Sacramento history (five stories high and displayed on four sides of the building). Working in partnership with Wide Open Walls to secure the talented artists who will paint the eye-catching mural, the theme is A Journey into Curiosity and will visually relate a fantastical story of a mythical creature on a journey over and through land, air, and water.
“In these challenging times we need art more than ever,” said Marisa Kolokotronis, Project Manager, The Grupe Company. “We are thrilled to partner with Washington Elementary on this artistic collaboration – providing our youngest community members with the largest canvas in Sacramento history.”
While the mural will be painted by professional artists, the goal of the mural is to both inspire and be inspired by the creativity of local youth, in particular the students at neighboring Washington Elementary School. As part of the virtual summer school curriculum, approximately 200 Washington Elementary students have been provided with supplies and asked to draw, sketch, paint and/or animate their own Journey into Curiosity concepts as part of a contest for the professional artists to later use as inspiration for the mural. The deadline to submit entries via mail is August 14 (postmark date) before judging gets underway by educators and creatives who will select the winning submissions.
“As the Sacramento City Unified School District begins the year with our Distance Learning Program, we are committed to continuing to provide real-life experiences to our students and families,” said C.J. DeAngelus, Jr. Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Coordinator, Sacramento City Unified School District. “SCUSD is proud to partner with The Grupe Company and SKK Developments to help students at Washington Elementary contribute to the design of the largest mural in Sacramento. Through this partnership, students at Washington Elementary will be able to see how their designs, which are being submitted through our distance-learning summer program, will help to tell a five-story visual narrative that they, and thousands of Sacramentans will view every day.”
In addition to encouraging creativity and a love of the arts, the school and students will benefit from the effort in a variety of other ways as well, including:
- In early September, the multiple young artists whose work is selected to help inspire the final mural design will each receive a gift card to purchase school or art supplies and inspire future creative pursuits;
- All the Washington Elementary summer school students and their families will be invited to participate in a virtual celebration in early September where they will have the opportunity to see a sneak peak of the mural creative;
- An e-book will be created that showcases all the artwork submitted as part of the project. Interested community members will have the opportunity to download the e-book for a suggested donation, with proceeds benefitting Washington Elementary.
“This is such a tremendous opportunity for our students and families at Washington Elementary School,” said Dr. Gema Godina-Martinez, Principal, Washington Elementary School. “Midtown is our playground and this mural project will tie our student’s learning directly to our community in a meaningful way.”
The mural on the exterior façade of Eleanor Apartments is expected to be completed and revealed in November. To further celebrate the effort and involvement by the young artists-in-the-making, a mural will be painted at the entrance of the school (located at 520 18th Street in Midtown Sacramento) in Fall 2020.
This program, the Eleanor Apartments mural, and the mural at Washington Elementary are made possible by The Grupe Company and SKK Developments. For more information about the A Journey Into Curiosity effort, please contact Anastasia Bonaccorso, SKK Developments, anastasia@skkdevelopments.com.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - In late February 2020, the Sacramento County Department of Finance put out a call for applications for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program. This year, the County Treasury invested a record amount of money in financial institutions with a local presence that meet the credit needs of the community.
In addition to putting out a call for applications, the Department of Finance actively reaches out to all banks operating at least one branch in the County to let them know that the CRA Program is accepting applications.
“This year, we awarded four banks with deposits,” said Dave Matuskey, Sacramento County Investment Officer. “Each bank received $20 million for a total investment of $80 million. This is a big increase from the $30 million total that went to the same number of banks in the program last year.”
The increased investment amount is due in part to a change that was made that allow regional and community banks to more easily qualify for larger deposits.
The CRA Program authorizes the placement of public deposits from the County’s Pooled Investment Fund in one-year, fixed-rate certificates of deposit with qualified financial institutions that meet the credit needs of the community, including credit unions and community banks.
The four banks that were awarded deposits this year are: Bank of the West, Banner Bank, East West Bank, Five Star Bank
To learn more about the CRA Program, view the online brochure or check out the Department of Finance’s Investments page.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Annual bills for Sacramento County unsecured personal property taxes for fiscal year 2020-2021 will be mailed on July 17, 2020, and are payable without delinquent penalties through Aug. 31, 2020.
Unsecured personal property tax bills are mailed to all owners of unsecured property in July of each year. If you owned unsecured personal property in Sacramento County, such as a boat, jet ski or aircraft; or leased or owned fixtures and equipment related to a business on Jan. 1, 2020 and do not receive a tax bill by Aug. 7, 2020, please contact the Sacramento County Tax Collector’s Unsecured Property Tax Unit at (916) 874-7833, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday – Friday, excluding holidays.
NONRECEIPT OF A TAX BILL DOES NOT EXCUSE DELINQUENCY OR ALLOW THE TAX COLLECTOR TO CANCEL PENALTIES OR COLLECTION COSTS.
Tax bills become delinquent if not paid in the Tax Collector’s Office by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2020, or received by mail bearing an Aug. 31, 2020 postmark.
If the tax bill is not paid by the delinquency date, a 10% penalty and collection cost will be added. DMV registration may be withheld on watercraft if unsecured property taxes are reported delinquent. If a tax bill remains unpaid after Oct. 31, 2020, additional collection costs and monthly penalties at the rate of 1.5% will be added to the base tax.
Payments may be made by mail or in person at the County Tax Collector’s Office located at 700 “H” Street, Room 1710, Sacramento, CA 95814, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday - Friday, holidays excluded. For credit/debit or eCheck payments please visit the Sacramento County Property Tax Bill Information System website.
Jewish Food Fest Goes Drive-by
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - The 43rd annual food festival at Carmichael's Congregation Beth Shalom promises fine Jewish cooking on Sunday, August 30. Due to COVID restrictions, all food must this year be preordered and taken away.
“These are non-traditional times,” says festival organizer Lydia Inghram. “We didn’t want to cancel our fundraiser. So we’re offering traditional delicacies for safe pickup. We hope loyal customers will support this format. Our volunteers will wear masks and gloves as they bring food to cars. Customers should wear masks, too.”
Food must be pre-ordered on line by August 20. Menu options appear at www.cbshalom.org
Classic lox and bagels -- served with cream cheese and capers -- is an all-time event favorite. Packaged deals include corned beef and pastrami sandwiches. Meats, chopped liver and herring may be purchased for home meal preparation. Matzo ball soup, stuffed cabbage rolls and chopped liver are available in frozen packages. An Israeli salad medley is a vegan option. Strudel, baklava, coffee cakes and babka are among desserts. Bakery offerings include specialty breads.
While much of the menu is prepared locally, other options are shipped from famous Jewish delis in Oakland and Brooklyn. Gourmet kosher pickles come from the Sonoma Brinery. August 30 pick-ups will start at 9 am and continue till 3pm.
The event’s popular craft-vending, music and kids’ games are on hold this year. “We hope we can bring all our festivities back in 2021,” says Lydia Inghram. “For 2020, it’s all about the food and being safe.”
Anyone may support the fundraiser. To pre-order food, visit www.cbshalom.org
Sponsors include: Sacramento Jewish Federation; Assemblyman Ken Cooley; Eskaton Village (Carmichael); Pomopolis Farms; Shalom School; American River Bank; Sonoma Brinery; Upper Crust Baking Company; Pita Kitchen; Green’s Homestyle (Brooklyn, NY); Lydia Inghram; JIL Design Group; Lind Bros Funeral Home.
Beth Shalom Synagogue is located at 4746 El Camino Avenue.