Soldiers Need Care Too
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - On Wednesday, September 11, Move America Forward (with support from the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce) held its second annual Packathon to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the terror attack on September 11, 2001. The event was held at Move America Forward’s Rancho Cordova headquarters, where volunteers worked together with veterans, active-duty military members, and Gold Star parents to assemble care packages for soldiers serving on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The organization shipped 911 care packages — which included letters of support along with food and personal care items — and volunteers packed approximately 500 additional boxes. Danny Gonzalez, director of communications for Move America Forward, said, “I ask that everyone do something nice for a soldier, even if it’s just thanking them for their service. … Let’s make 9/11 a day when Americans come together and really unify as one people and make it a day of service.”
The Packathon’s Master of Ceremonies was former Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness, a decorated veteran with more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement. McGinness said that many servicemembers “answered the call” to join the military because of the events of 9/11: “It’s extraordinary and it speaks to the character, the courage, the valor, the selflessness that really truly is abundant in our society and in our great nation.”
McGinness introduced Sergeant First Class Jeff Raver of the Northern California Recruiting Battalion, who enlisted in the army at the age of 21 because of the attack on 9/11. Sergeant Raver described the event as “one of the tragic stories for all of us, but something to remember.” He said that just a month earlier he had taken a trip to the east coast with his brothers and they had “stood on top of those towers. So, a month later when that happened, it really hit home. That’s why I serve.” Sergeant Raver enlisted the very next day, September 12, 2001, and chose to ship out just 72 hours later. After getting through basic training, Sergeant Raver was deployed on his first tour in Afghanistan. “I was able and willing, and I decided to make that commitment.”
The event’s featured speaker was Colonel Stephanie Williams, Commander of the 940th Air Refueling Wing at Beale Air Force Base. Colonel Williams is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and she also commanded the 385th Air Expeditionary Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Colonel Williams was an active-duty international guard pilot starting “a normal day, I thought.” After watching news footage of the airplanes crashing into the towers, she experienced “disbelief, shock. … Ultimately seeing the towers collapse … was very, very surreal. Even having served in active duty in the military for 10 years, it was surreal to see something like that.”
At the time of the 9/11 attack, Colonel Williams said many members of the military had “served through mostly a peaceful period, but 9/11 was the start of something new to us. Think about the soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen today. … The vast majority joined after September 11, 2001.” Colonel Williams said that our nation responded to the terror attack with “strength, honor, resilience, dedication, [and] focus.”
To the Gold Star Families, Colonel Williams expressed gratitude: “[I’m] grateful to those who gave all to defend our freedom. … Thank you for your family’s sacrifice and service to our nation. … Thank you for raising a hero.”
Colonel Williams also thanked Move America Forward for hosting the event: “Having been deployed myself, it meant a lot to know that fellow Americans at home were thinking about me and were behind me and my teammates in what we were doing to defend freedom worldwide. … Thank you for your tireless support of our military members.”
If you are interested in sponsoring a care package or volunteering your time, visit www.MoveAmericaForward.org.
Family – The Glue That Holds Circus Vargas Together!
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Circus Vargas is indeed a family operation. Owned and operated by a talented young couple who together with their immediate and extended family have managed to produce some of the most incredible productions in live family entertainment in generations all under the Big Top!
Every member of the family is involved in the day to day operations of the circus and together they function like a well-oiled machine. From the most veteran member of the family to the youngest child everyone works together. Like a village of artists and performers, when you visit them, it’s almost impossible not to feel at home! “Our goal is to make everyone who comes to Circus Vargas feel welcomed, like part of the family”, says Katya Quiroga, Co- Owner-Producer along with husband Nelson.
A small self-contained city on wheels, they travel from town to town, yet always manage to keep some semblance of stability and continuity. Laid out across whatever parking lot or grass field the Big Top calls home that week, the setup is almost always the same. “We are our own little community. We have the same neighbors in each town. The trailers are parked in the exact same spots relative to the Big Top, so the environment is always familiar. You feel at home even in a place you’ve never been to before” says Katya.
The Quiroga family has 4 generations of its own traveling with Circus Vargas. Add to that the many other performers from all over the world along with their families and you’ll understand why no one is ever lonely and never bored. There are more than 20 children and teenagers at Circus Vargas and they have constant supervision.
“There is always someone’s grandmother, father, mother, brother or aunt around”, laughs Katya, “so not much chance for anyone to misbehave and we are very big on respecting our elders.” They are the perfect example of the “It takes a village…” theory. It is quite simply, a unique establishment. There is such a wonderful mix of energy, a cross between the United Nations and one big motley magical family!
Circus Vargas director, Rolanda Kaiser says it best: “The circus is a family in the sense that we feel responsible for each other. There is a tremendous respect you have for each other that doesn’t come from any other kind of job. Sometimes you literally have each other’s lives in your hands. We work together. We play together. We have barbeques, birthdays and baby showers. There is a kinship and sense of community.”
It is only fitting that with so much togetherness, these friendships foster a deep respect and camaraderie that cultivates into sincere affection. They care about each other. Not only while they are performing but behind the scenes, as well. “You’ll notice in the circus community that family really does come first,” says Rolanda. It is the backbone, the glue that keeps Circus Vargas together. “We may not be related…but we are definitely family”!
Circus Vargas will be performing in:
1151 Galleria Blvd, Roseville, CA 95678 - September 20-29
6166 Sunrise Mall, Citrus Heights, CA 95610 - October 3-6
745 Oak Ave Pkwy, Folsom, CA 95630 - October 10-14
Grandparents Are Great!
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - On Sunday, September 8, families from around the region celebrated Grandparents Day with a Butterfly Release at Sacramento Children’s Museum (SCM). The event, which was a collaboration between SCM and Snowline Hospice, honored grandparents’ significant impact on children’s lives.
Snowline development director Rene Hamlin said, “We wanted to do something together with the Sacramento Children’s Museum that celebrated grandparents because a lot of grandparents bring their grandkids here, and we take care of a lot of grandparents [at Snowline]. It’s Grandparents Day and releasing a butterfly in honor or in memory or with your grandparent is kind of a magical experience.”
Hamlin said that the butterflies signify “hope and renewal. Here’s something that starts out as a caterpillar, this worm thing with a lot of legs, that goes into a cocoon — and scientists have opened up the cocoon and it’s not like there’s a baby butterfly in there, it’s this goo, this primordial goo — and then it opens up to reveal this beautiful butterfly, so it’s a mystery. It’s amazing, it’s magical.”
To commence the Butterfly Release, Hamlin read a poem: “As you release this butterfly in honor of me, know that I am with you and will always be. … Now fly away, butterfly, as high as you can go. I’m right there with you more than you know,” (poem by Jill Haley). Participants warmed the butterflies in their hands to wake them from hibernation, and then released them in honor of their grandparents.
Rancho Cordova City Councilmember Linda Budge attended the Grandparents Day Butterfly Release and said, “I think this is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. Standing here holding these little creatures…. I mean, who’s ever held a butterfly?”
Budge loves spending time with her 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren: “As grandparents, it is such a treasure to have our grandchildren living here in the same area that we are. … I really appreciate everybody being here close to home. It gives us the opportunity to do mundane things like going to baseball games or to Back-to-School Night with the kids. There’s nothing better.”
The Butterfly Release celebration featured games, activities, face painting, and food vendors. Grandparents shared the day with their favorite tiny people and spoke about the importance of being intentionally active and present to make an impact on the lives of their grandchildren. One grandmother described it as the “consistency of family.” Others acknowledged the joy of getting to spoil the grandchildren and then give them back to the parents. Leslie Santana described the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren as “happiness.”
SCM’s director of museum advancement Meghan Toland said, “This is the first time the museum has ever been part of a Butterfly Release, and the reception was great. It was a really neat way to bring people of all ages to the museum. … It was really cool seeing people of all ages enjoying the event — and seeing all the butterflies released was so beautiful.” After such a successful event, Toland is hopeful that the Butterfly Release can become an annual event if there is continued community interest.
This year’s Butterfly Release was sponsored by Golden1 Credit Union, the City of Rancho Cordova, Republic Services, Oakmont of El Dorado Hills, and the Fernandez family. Proceeds from the event will benefit Snowline’s Healing All Together youth grief group and SCM’s educational programs.
Sacramento, CA (MPG) - The California Senate approved Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), a measure that will put tens of thousands of owner-operator truckers, who service agriculture, retail and other industry sectors, out of business. Despite efforts by the California Trucking Association (CTA) to amend the measure in a way that would protect independent truckers, Assembly Bill 5 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) passed with an overwhelming XX-XX vote.
“AB 5 could have been amended to address worker misclassification issues, as well as protect the 70,000 predominantly minority-owned truckers currently operating as independent contractors,” said Shawn Yadon, CTA’s CEO. “There is no reason why protecting workers does not include defending the right of tens of thousands of drivers who have built their businesses around the independent owner-operator model, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their trucks and have operated their own businesses for decades.”
Since the bill’s introduction, CTA has advocated for changes to AB 5, including requirements for operating authority, ownership of vehicles, exclusivity and transparency about pay. These changes would have set a clear criterion and established independence in a way that protected employees from misclassification without hurting entire sectors of the business community.
Instead, AB 5 proponents created a scenario in which they chose winners and losers by carving out some professions while excluding others. In an attempt to address some of the concerns of California’s owner-operators, AB 5 was amended to allow drivers working within the construction industry to continue operating as independent truckers for a two-year grace period. However, AB 5 will severely limit work opportunities for tens of thousands of independent owner-operators in other business sectors.
In California, more than 136,950 trucking companies remain primarily small, locally owned business with small fleets and independent drivers.
“AB 5 will have implications that will go beyond employment classification,” said Yadon, CTA’s CEO. “Like the rest of the nation, California is experiencing a shortage of truck drivers, this measure will aggravate the problem by removing thousands of drivers from rosters as many have indicated they will move to other states or seek a different line of work all together.”
AB 5 now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature. If signed into law, AB 5 would deny a significant segment of the trucking industry the ability to continue operating as independent owner-operators, forcing them to abandon the investments they have made in their vehicles and taking away their flexibility to set their own schedule and determine their own destiny for their business.
Governor Newsom has until October 13, 2019, to approve or veto this bill.
ECMC Group Celebrates $10 Million in Giving
MATHER, CA (MPG) - On Sept. 4, ECMC Group in Mather hosted an event to celebrate meeting its $10 million milestone for corporate giving. During the event, 11 local nonprofit organizations received a total of $275,000 through ECMC Group’s GO! Program, which allows employees to nominate and vote for local nonprofits to receive grants through its affiliate ECMC Foundation.
The GO! Program is one of many efforts ECMC Group offers to involve employees in its mission to give back to the communities where employees live and work. The organization has a robust social responsibility effort that enables employees to give back to their communities, including through company-sponsored volunteer activities. In 2019 alone, the organization has offered over 30 volunteer events, and more than half of employees have participated with paid time off for a total of over 1,300 hours and more than $1 million in community outreach donations year-to-date.
The GO! Program reception allowed employees to meet the organizations they nominated for grants and to learn more about the good work they do in the communities they serve. Organizations honored include:
Children’s Choice for Hearing and Talking; Eagleforce Robotics; Growth Public Schools; Hooked on Fishing Not Violence; Loaves & Fishes; Sierra Forever Families; Single Mom Strong; Society for the Blind; The Taylor House; Team Sacramento Judo; VA Northern California Health Care System.
Now in its fifth year, the GO! Program has disseminated a total of $5.9 million through 288 grants nationally. In California, the program has distributed a total of $1.3 million through 56 grants. ECMC Group is a nonprofit corporation with a mission to help students succeed.
Annual Chicken Festival Something to Crow About
FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - At the Village of Fair Oaks, it’s time to start clucking, crowing and scratching the “Feed Court” floor for some grub at the 14th Annual Fair Oaks Chicken Festival on Saturday, September 21st.
You can join some 12,000 other villagers by attending the Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District presented festival and visiting an eclectic variety of craft vendors including painting, photography, glassworks, jewelry, woodcarvings, candles, lotions, clothing, and much more.
The main stage will be featuring live bands throughout the day (Jax Hammer, FBI, & Mullet Mechanix). The Fair Oaks Chicken Festival also features a kid’s park with kid friendly performances, games, and activities for the entire family!
The Fair Oaks Rotary Club will be providing Craft-Brew Tasting represented by local breweries in the Northern California Region. Over 10 different food vendors will be offering a wide range of food in our “Feed Court” sponsored by SactoMoFo.
The Fair Oaks Host Lions Club will host the 6th annual Cluck n’ Crow contest (chicken impersonating with a grand prize of $100!) and the Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District is happy to once again host the GREAT Chicken contest (wooden chicken decorating).
Brand new this year is a Pop-Up Paint class that will take place in Plaza Park, where participants will learn to paint their very own chicken. Pre-registration for the class is required. Also don’t forget our Pancake Breakfast Saturday morning, presented by the Fair Oaks/Orangevale Grange #354.
Admission & Parking are free from 10 am to 5 pm at the Village of Fair Oaks, 7003 Park Drive, Fair Oaks, CA 95628
For more information visit www.forpd.org
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - Shawn Yadon, CEO of the California Trucking Association (CTA), issued the following statement regarding the convoy of more than 150 independent truckers that converged the Capitol as part of a protest, organized by the California Truckers Guild, to call attention to Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. CTA has been working with the author and legislators to offer a fix to AB 5 that would protect employees from misclassification without eliminating the independent owner-operator business model.
“This is much more than a story about traffic inconveniences in downtown Sacramento on a Thursday in early September. This is a story about businessmen and businesswomen, who made a decision, in many cases 10, 15, 20 years ago or more, to invest well over $100,000 of their money into a truck and start their own business as an independent owner-operator, not an employee driver.
“With driver jobs widely available, these individuals could have decided to become employee drivers at any point over the years. But independent owner-operators want exactly that, to operate their own business independently and continue working for themselves as they have done for decades. With AB 5 they are watching their livelihoods being destroyed right before their very eyes, they are rightfully upset, they want to be heard and I agree with them.
“These truckers are here because AB 5 would deny a significant segment of the trucking industry the ability to continue operating as independent owner-operators, forcing them to abandon investments they’ve made in their trucks while taking away their flexibility to set their own schedule and determine the destiny of their business.
“While we support clear definitions of who can and cannot be classified as an independent contractor in order to avoid abuses in the workplace, AB 5 does not take into account the more than 70,000 California truckers who have built their business around the independent owner-operator model, invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in their trucks and have made the decision to run their own businesses instead of being employee drivers.
“Independent truck drivers represent a vital and successful segment of the trucking industry and Sacramento should be encouraging this entrepreneurial spirit, not destroying their livelihood.”
Since 1934, the California Trucking Association has been serving the commercial motor carrier industry in California and the companies that provide products and services to the trucking industry. A critical and vital component of California’s economy, nearly 80 percent of California communities depend solely on trucks to deliver their goods. Our carrier membership ranges from individual owner-operators, to small for-hire fleets, to the largest national and international carriers. Allied members of the California Trucking Association range from businesses involved with truck and trailer sales, parts and service, insurance, legal services and all other businesses that support the trucking industry.
The California Trucking Association promotes leadership in the California motor carrier industry, advocates sound transportation policies to all levels of government, and works to maintain a safe, environmentally responsible and efficient California transportation goods movement system.