Sacramento Life Center’s See Dad Run Raises $13K for Low-Income Pregnant Women And Teens
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Local residents raised $12,915 for Sacramento’s low-income pregnant women and teens on Father’s Day weekend through the Sacramento Life Center’s See Dad Run virtual fundraiser that gave people the chance to walk or run where and when they wanted as individuals or teams.
“This was such a fun event and a great opportunity to get out in the fresh air and get some exercise while honoring dads and helping pregnant women in need,” said Marie Leatherby, executive director, Sacramento Life Center. “Thank you to everyone who participated. Even as we face this pandemic, the Sacramento region still knows the importance of community coming together to help those most in need.”
Some participants and teams chose to hike their favorite trails at William Pond Park in Carmichael or Tahoe National Forest, while others walked around their neighborhood. Dr. Timothy Phelan ran 25 miles from his practice in Folsom to the Sacramento Life Center in the Arden area. Teams that raised $200 or more received ice cream for four at Leatherby’s Family Creamery.
The Sacramento Life Center’s mission is to offer compassion, support, resources and free medical care to women and couples facing an unplanned or unsupported pregnancy. The Sacramento Life Center’s licensed Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic includes a primary clinic and mobile clinic that provide all services for free, including pregnancy tests, STD tests, ultrasounds, patient advocacy for men and women, education and resource referrals. In 2018, the Sacramento Life Center achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, which ensures the group has met nationally recognized standards for the provision of high-quality health care. The nonprofit also offers a school-based teen education program, 24-hour hotline and program for women who have experienced pregnancy loss. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center’s Sac Valley Pregnancy Clinic, visit www.svpclinic.com. For more information about the Sacramento Life Center or to make a donation, visit www.saclife.org.
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.
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – As the weather heats up and residents head outside, mosquito experts encourage community members to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they can spread when they bite. West Nile virus is the most prevalent mosquito-borne disease in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California had the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases in the nation in 2019, with 225 cases reported. Comparatively, Texas had 32 cases and Florida had two cases in 2019. There is no human vaccine for West Nile virus, a disease that can cause debilitating cases of meningitis, encephalitis, and even death.
However, West Nile virus isn’t the only mosquito-borne threat in California. Newly established invasive Aedes mosquitoes can transmit viruses such as chikungunya, dengue, and Zika, all of which are costly to treat and can have long-term health and financial consequences. These mosquitoes are established in many areas of California and are steadily expanding their range.
“While COVID-19 is not transmitted by mosquitoes, infected mosquitoes pose other public health threats,” said Peter Bonkrude, president of the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC). “The best way to protect yourself from West Nile virus and other mosquito-transmitted diseases is to prevent mosquito bites. Wearing insect repellent is important as is eliminating all standing water which can create mosquito breeding sources.”
“While our attention has been laser focused on COVID-19 it’s important to remember that there are other public health concerns such as West Nile virus,” said Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-64). “As chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Infectious Diseases, I’m familiar with the devastating toll that mosquito-transmitted diseases can have and encourage all California residents to take simple steps to protect themselves.”
National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, June 21-27, 2020, is a reminder to residents about the easy actions they can take to prevent mosquito breeding and protect themselves from mosquito bites. Mosquito experts are working to ensure there are adequate local, state, and federal resources to meet the increasing challenges of combating mosquito-borne diseases. Specifically, at the federal level, MVCAC has been advocating for funding for the Strengthening Mosquito Abatement Safety and Health Act (SMASH Act) which would authorize CDC resources to be used to protect public health by addressing emerging infectious mosquito-borne diseases and improving existing mosquito control programs.
To help prevent mosquito bites:
Apply insect repellent containing EPA-registered active ingredients, including DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535, according to label instructions. Repellents keep mosquitoes from biting. It is important to follow EPA and CDC guidelines for the safe use of repellents on children; Dress in long sleeves and pants, especially if outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes that can spread West Nile virus are most active; Install screens on windows and doors and keep them in good repair to keep mosquitoes out of your home; Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including in flowerpots, old tires, buckets, pet dishes, and trash cans because mosquitoes lay their eggs in very small amounts of standing water; Repair leaking faucets and broken sprinklers; Clean rain gutters clogged with leaves; Report neglected swimming pools and day-biting mosquitoes to your local mosquito and vector control agency.
For more information check out these videos: Tip, Toss & Take Action, Everyone Can Help Fight the Bite!, and Mosquito Control is an Essential Service.
For additional information on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases please visit the California Department of Public Health.
The Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California (MVCAC) is the statewide voice for mosquito and vector control professionals. The association provides public health information, expertise, mosquito and vector-borne disease surveillance, innovative research, professional training, effective legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of California public agencies.
On Friday, June 17, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all schools within counties on the state's COVID-19 watch list will be required to stay closed and only provide distance learning for the start of the 2020-21 school year. Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey and share your thoughts about how this decision will impact you and our community.
https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/SurveysDirect.php?district=SD04&survey=6567
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - On Friday, July 24th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) Assistant General Manager Mike Huot will host an online video discussion detailing how the District responded and adapted to the COVID-19 emergency.
The talk will cover:
The District’s immediate response to the Stay At Home Orders; Ongoing efforts to minimize the impact on SSWD’s Capital Improvement Program and Operations; New safety procedures designed to keep the public and employees safe; A vision of how SSWD will respond to evolving environment and guidelines from the county and state
The talk will include a questions and answers session. Complete details and a link to sign up for the talk are available at SSWD.org
Block Parties Celebrate July 4
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - The spirit of small-town Americana surged in the suburbs on July 4. With Carmichael’s famous parade canceled due to COVID restrictions, many residents resurrected down-home neighborhood traditions.
Scaled-down pageants brought out bicycles, volunteer bands, lemonade stands and front-porch bunting.
Tennyson Parade mom Mary Maguire organized a pageant to circle a mile of Carmichael blocks near Jacob Lane. The Associate Dean of health and Human Services at CSUS also used the event to gather food and toiletry items for the Women Escaping a Violent Environment organization (WEAVE) and rejoiced in many full containers of donations. “With the COVID crisis, domestic violence has increased,” she explained. “Shelters are filling up; they’re struggling because people can’t make donations in the normal way. We also wanted to give our neighborhood kids a July 4 celebration they’d feel they had a part in. On the morning, I felt like we’d stepped back to the 1970s. In those days, the focus of celebrations was really on neighborhoods. I organized this parade exactly as my parents did when I was child in St Louis, Missouri.”
The event united more than 20 families and assembled a colorful phalanx of bicycles, pedal cars, wagons and decorated doggies. Along the route, resident onlookers sipped coffee and applauded. A local musician and his wife dragged drums out to the street and beat a vibrant marching tempo.
The procession’s youngest patriot was two-year-old Chase Findley, who rode in a 1930s Ford Model A. At the wheel, his grandmother Connie Thomas sounded the horn to herald the procession. “My husband and I drove in the Arden Park Parade for years,” she explained. “I was sad there couldn’t be one this year. Then my daughter asked if I’d come to her neighborhood with the old car. It always gets a lot of attention. The kids loved it and people came out of their houses to wave. It was a smaller gathering for us this year, but I’m happy we could still to be part of a July 4 parade.”