Where In Natomas?

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Mexican History Exhibit In Natomas

ENJOYING THE EXHIBIT

CURATOR OF HISTORY LISA C. PRINCE WITH AN EXHIBITION PHOTOGRAPH AND CATALOG.

The Center for Sacramento History, in association with the Consulate General of Mexico, recently unveiled a permanent photographic exhibit "Mexicans and the Shaping of the Sacramento Valley: Diversity, Work & Hope."

The exhibition was part of the grand opening of the new Consulate General of Mexico office building in Natomas, and depicts the role that people of Mexican heritage played in shaping the Sacramento Valley. More than 700 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

The Mexican Consulate is located at 2093 Arena Boulevard. Call (916) 329-3500 for hours of operation.

Photos by Dylan McDonald posted with permission from the Center for Sacramento History. Click here to see more.

ENJOYING THE EXHIBIT

SACRAMENTO COUNTY SUPERVISOR PHIL SERNA ADMIRES A PHOTO OF HIS FATHER, FORMER SACRAMENTO MAYOR JOE SERNA JR.

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Natomas Cares: Students Help Others

A RED CROSS REPRESENTATIVE VISITED REGENCY PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LAST WEEK TO PICK UP A CHECK IN PERSON.

When news of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan broke, Regency Park 2nd grade teacher Jackie Lopez had one very concerned 8-year-old student.

In the days following these events, Kaia Pewitt began bringing to school money she collected daily from family members.

“I wasn't really sure what to do with the money, especially when she had started convincing her classmates to bring money in also,” Lopez said. “Within a week, my second graders had brought in $50 worth of change.”

Lopez's students asked to meet with Principal Michael Reed who gave them permission to make the fundraising campaign a school-wide effort.

“After a few class meetings, they devised a plan of action with goals,” Lopez said. “I sat and watched as they made posters, wrote letters, and appealed to their classmates for donations to the American Red Cross.”

Students started recycling cans and bottles to raise money. After three full weeks of campaigning, the youngsters had raised $734.44 – reportedly one of the largest amounts a school has raised for the American Red Cross in the Sacramento region.

Said Lopez, “This is a valuable lesson in empathy and compassion and I couldn't be prouder of the fact that this is entirely student-generated.”

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Where In Natomas?

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Natomas Represents At 5K Kaiser Run

COURTESY PHOTO

A portion of Councilwoman Angelique Ashby's "team" for the Kaiser Women's Fitness Festival 5K run.

Natomas was well represented among the 4,000 total racers.

The event benefited local non-profit group WEAVE - Women Escaping A Violent Environment.

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Unions Oppose Natomas School Board

Two groups of Natomas Unified School District employees today announced they have no confidence in the sitting school board.

Both Natomas Teachers' Association and California School Employee Association Chapter No. 745 members participated in and overwhelmingly favored the “no confidence” vote.

In a statement released by the Natomas Teachers' Association, leadership described the vote as “the most clear and forceful way” union members could express their unhappiness with the board. Despite employee concessions, union leaders called into question several recent decisions by the Natomas school board. Employees, union leaders said, have no faith the sitting board can oversee the district which has struggled financially for more than three years.

School board president Bruce Roberts admitted all district employees are feeling the pain of state cuts to school funding which have led to increased class sizes, reduced services and the elimination of programs.

“These cuts hurt kids and are being felt in the community,” said Roberts. “A vote of no confidence needs to be directed toward our state legislature who have cut student funding … and forced the districts to make the hard decisions that they lack the will to do themselves.”

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Where In Natomas?

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Natomas Public Art Walk Planned

AUTHORS OF OUR OWN DESTINY BY JOE SCARPA

A guided tour of three artworks at the North Natomas Library is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 4.

The tour includes works by artists Ray Gonzales, James Piskoti, and Joe Scarpa. Piskoti will be present to talk about his work at the library, located at 4660 Via Ingoglia.

Cost to participate is $8.50 per adult over age 16, participants must register in advance by emailing dixie@dixielaws.com.

The Art in Public Places Program was established by the City and County of Sacramento to provide visual art experiences in public locations through a percent-for-art program which reserves a portion of construction dollars from city, county or redevelopment projects for public art.

KOKOMO JOE & KOKOMO COLLEEN SURFING THE STACKS BY RAY GONZALES

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Two Charter Schools To Share Space

BUILDING OFFERED TO WESTLAKE CHARTER AT NATOMAS HIGH SCHOOL.

Two Natomas charter schools have teamed up to rent space to house classrooms.

Both Natomas Charter and WestlakeCharter school boards yesterday approved a joint, two-year sublease with Buzz Oates Real Estate. Together, the two schools will rent space located at 4400 East Commerce Way.

The all-indoor facility includes 15 classrooms, two science labs, a gymnasium and cafeteria. Plans are to build an outdoor play area on the black top adjacent to the building. The site once served as the campus for the Natomas Pacific Pathways Preparatory charter school program which later moved to the former Natomas Middle School campus on Del Paso Road.

Natomas Charter School's Transitions program needs more space with its expansion from kindergarten only up to 1^st grade next year. Westlake Charter has also added to its elementary grades and is growing a middle school program starting with the addition of 6^th grade in the fall. The new space is expected to house all Transitions students along with Westlake Charter's 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders.

Both charter school programs had requested subsidized classroom space from the Natomas Unified School District. The district offered Natomas Charter space at Jefferson Elementary School and Westlake Charter classrooms on the Natomas High School campus. Natomas Charter executive director Charlie Leo and Westlake Charter School principal Bob Capp were urged by parents to research other options for classrooms.

A plan for Natomas Charter to rent its own space outside of the school district's boundaries stalled last month. Initial talks with Buzz Oates Real Estate for the East Commerce Way site fell through, but resumed after another potential renter dropped out of the picture.

The new agreement calls for Westlake to pay $12,500 rent per month for months one and two, $25,000 per month for months three through 12 and $26,000 per month for the second year. Information on Natomas Charter's portion of the classroom rent was not available at press time.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING WILL HOUSE TWO CHARTER PROGRAMS.

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Natomas Moms Group Gets Pampered

COURTESY PHOTO

The Natomas Mothers' Group held its annual Mother's Day Celebration on May 22 at Top Coat Nail Salon in the Gateway Shopping Center.

The women dined on brunch provided by event planners and enjoyed a relaxing morning of pampering.

"The women who work at Top Coat Nail Salon took amazing care of us and we left relaxed, recharged and ready to conquer the world," member Angela Kellogg said.

To find out more about the Natomas Mothers' Group, visit their website here.

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Tdap Shots Required For School Year

Tdap SHOTS WERE GIVEN DURING A SIX-HOUR CLINIC HELD AT HERON SCHOOL.

The Natomas Unified School District hosted a free Tdap Immunization clinic yesterday to help prepare students for the coming school year.

A new California state law now requires all 7th through 12th graders get the shot which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis - more commonly known as whooping cough. Cases of whooping cough have been on the rise in the United States and continues to be widespread in California.

For the 2011-12 year only, children entering 7th-12th grades need proof of a Tdap shot before entering school. For 2012-13 and beyond, only students entering 7th grade will need proof of a Tdap shot.

Registration for kindergarten, and all other grades in the Natomas Unified and Twin Rivers Unified school districts, is ongoing.

PHOTOS BY L.RODDA FOR NATOMASBUZZ.COM

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Is Canyon Creek Bar & Grill Closed?

Dinner plans changed when reader Carol H. walked up to Canyon Creek Grill & Bar in the Natomas Marketplace Shopping Center Thursday evening, she found this sign.

The restaurant, which opened earlier this year, has not updated its page on Facebook since May 26 and when called the eatery's telephone number goes unanswered.

Thanks for the tip, Carol!

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Partiers Crash Empty Natomas Home

PARTIERS BROKE INTO THIS VACANT HOUSE.

UPDATE 6/15/2011 from SacPD Sgt. Norm Leong: "Our POP officers have been monitoring the location and it is all secure. The POP officers will be gone in another week due to budget cuts. "

Fast action by attentive neighbors succeeded in shutting down a party at a foreclosed Natomas home shortly after it started.

Just before midnight on June 1, a group of young people reportedly broke into a recently vacated house on the 100 block of Lyman Circle.

“Lyman Circle has always been very quiet, but in the case of last night the neighbors called the cops rather quickly,” neighbor Kevin Long said. “Beat me to it, in fact.”

Long said Sacramento police officers responded to the scene, ordered the trespassers to leave, confiscated and emptied several liquor bottles. The Sacramento Police Department confirms officers identified some people at the party and asked them to leave the premises.

After the police had gone, Long said, more young people drove by the vacant home looking to party. Some went so far as to let themselves into the backyard.

“There has been some suspicious activity at (the house) and the vacant house across the street, but this was the first time a bunch of partiers took over,” he said.

The house on Lyman Circle had been vacant less than two weeks before the party started the other night. The house went into foreclosure after being occupied for eight years; bank notices once posted on the door are now conspicuously absent.

Law enforcement officials said incidents like the party and squatting are on the rise, especially in Natomas where hundreds of single-family homes stand vacant and generally unchecked.

“We see this about every one to two months in North Natomas in particular,” said Matt Carroll, of Paladin Private Security. “Being that Natomas Park is the largest single-family home community we serve, the lion's share of our involvement with these events are in fact in Natomas Park.”

About a mile away, also in Natomas Park, a squatters recently moved into a home on Maybrook Drive which had been vacant nearly a year. Neighbors suspicious of the new residents' claims they were renting the property, alerted Paladin and filed a report with Sacramento police. The squatters were unable to provide a copy of their lease and were removed from the house – along with the belongings – within 72 hours of moving in.

Carroll said the biggest challenge law enforcement faces with incidents such as the party and squatter is there has to be a victim for there to be a crime.

“In all too many cases, the victim is a bank, a bank that cannot be reached in the middle of the night – or even on a weekday during business hours in most cases,” he said.

Sacramento County's backlog of title filings compounds the problem, making it difficult to track down a property's owner. In California, law enforcement must prove someone entered a structure – forcibly or not – with intent to committ theft or any other felony.

“Entering a foreclosed house for the purpose of drinking would not rise to anything other than a low grade misdemeanor in this state,” police Capt. Jim Maccoun said.

Carroll said neighbors need to be actively on the lookout for this behavior and quick to report it when suspected. As a proactive measure, he said, neighbors should develop a rapport and obtain contact numbers for vacant property brokers, agents and bank representatives they see visiting the property.

As for the house on Lyman Circle, Long said, “I hope the bank changes the locks and buttons the place down tight, including the backyard gate latch.”

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Kudos: Natomas Resident Wins Honor

Joe Clark did not expect to hear his name called. He knew his students’ video project was good, but felt they deserved more credit than he did.

But when organizers of the 3rd Annual California Voice Film Premiere announced the 2011 Instructor of the Year Award, the Multimedia Sound Engineering teacher for the Sacramento County Office of Education found himself on stage accepting the honor.

More 600 students, parents, community leaders, partners, and elected officials were on hand May 25 to celebrate and recognize the hard work of more than 150 local youth filmmakers. The event, held at the Crest, showed documentary films created by students at 12 schools in the Sacramento area and showcased youth issue videos where students identified and shared their perspective on issues in their community.

Clark, a resident of Natomas, received the award for a video produced by students in his Regional Occupational Program (ROP) at the LINKS Academy at Marian Anderson, a community school program operated by SCOE. The video, titled" Decisions", focused on the hard decisions community school students must make on a daily basis.

“I was very surprised at winning the award as I thought our students' video was good, but we had wanted to do even much more with it,” Clark said. “I think it shows the potential our students have, even though so many dismiss them as ‘unteachable’.”

In addition to teaching the highly technical subject of sound engineering, Clark works with at-risk students in grades 9-12 in areas of career exploration and work preparation practices such as developing resumes and completing job applications.

"Joe's Multimedia Sound Engineering class is cited by many students as the reason they come to school,” said SCOE Community School Principal Philip Moore. "Joe is one of those rare individuals who truly enjoys his work and the creative process of offering new and interesting opportunities to our students."

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Eye On Natomas: I Got It - I Got It!

PHOTO COURTESY NORTH NATOMAS LITTLE LEAGUE

Holy smokes, they actually hit it!

North Natomas Little League player Connor Huie keeps his eye on the ball in this photo originally posted on the league's Facebook page.

Photos can be submitted to THE NATOMAS BUZZ via e-mail by clicking here.

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Seen In Natomas: Open For Business

PHOTO BY L.RODDA FOR NATOMASBUZZ.COM

The new Jimboy's Tacos restaurant is now open for business in the Gateway West Shopping Center off Arena Boulevard and Duckhorn Drive. The eatery is located in the former Una Mas restaurant location.

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For A Good Cause: GreenHouse Raffle

The GreenHouse, a non-profit organization working with youth in South Natomas, is selling raffle tickets to raise money for its programs.

Prizes include a week’s stay in a Tahoe cabin with a lake view that sleeps 8. Tickets cost only $10.

The winner will be drawn at The GreenHouse's 8th Annual "Kids at Heart" Dinner, Auction, and Community Awards on June 5 at Plates Cafe. Ticket buyers need not be present to win.

To purchase raffle tickets online ($10 each or 5 for $40) go to: http://www.thegreenhousecenter.org/kah/raffle.htm

The GreenHouse provides tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, and summer day camp opportunities for under-resourced youth in our community. For more info about attending "Kids at Heart" or sponsoring the event, click here.

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Adopt-A-Park Meeting On Saturday

PHOTO BY L.RODDA FOR NATOMASBUZZ.COM

The Department of Parks & Recreation is set to host a Adopt-A-Park meeting 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. this Saturday at the South Natomas Community Center.

Adopt-A-Park allows residents to give back to their community
by volunteering in parks. Participants help park staff in
a variety of ways and adoption opportunities are available in all areas of the City.

Volunteer activities vary by season and include: planting, pruning, weeding, mulching, and other gardening activities; invasive plant removal, natural areas preservation, litter pick up, and helping spruce up playgrounds and play fields.

The city provides training and on-going support; no prior experience is needed. The city will also remove bagged debris and tools and supplies will be provided on request.

For more info, contact Julie Mier, Parks and Recreation Volunteer Program Coordinator, at jmier@cityofsacramento.org or (916) 808-2285. http://www.volunteerparks.org

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On Stage: Natomas Charter Orchestra

PHOTO COURTESY RANDI KAY STEPHENS

The Natomas Charter School Performing & Fine Arts Academy's chamber orchestra recently performed at the Sacramento County Fair held over the Memorial Day weekend.

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Natomas Center Volunteers Sought

Volunteers are being sought to help operate the Natomas Police and Community Resource Center.

The community resource center serves Natomas and District One in Sacramento. It is staffed by volunteers in who provide information on city services, police services, community services, and business and economic development services. Volunteer shifts are only three hours and schedules are flexible.

The center is located in the Natomas Town Center at 2701 Del Paso Road, in Suite 140. The center is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

For more information, contact NPCRC Manager Molly Fling at (916) 419-6431.

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Seen In Natomas: One Winning Design

PHOTO BY ALYSSA BLIZZARD/NATOMASBUZZ.COM INTERN

A Natomas school student was announced the winner of Image Orthodontics recent T-shirt design contest.

Third grader Eduardo S. was recognized for his winning entry during a special presentation today at Westlake Charter School, where he is a student. He received an Ipad2 and the school was awarded $500.

Image Orthodontics received more than 50 entries to its design contest from all over Northern California. The purpose of the contest was to reach out to the communities where Image Orthodontics' seven offices are located, to give back to a local student and their school.

The design will be featured on T-shirts given to new patients.

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Thieves Steal Natomas Copper Wire

Sacramento city officials seek the community’s help to stop the theft of valuable copper from street lights and traffic signals.

Several thousand feet of copper wire have been stolen from street lights and traffic signals throughout the city. The rise of thefts are in line with an increase recycled copper prices.

Copper wire thefts have occurred all hours of the day and night. The most recent and hardest hit areas are the north Natomas neighborhoods - specifically those with fewer residents.

The community is asked to watch for suspicious activity near street lights and intersections. A white pick-up truck with the City of Sacramento seal on it and workers with City identification badges are present when repairs are legitimate. If someone is seen working on the wire of street lights or traffic signals, and a marked city vehicle is not present, call the police.

The replacement cost for the wire has reached $30,000 to date for 2011 (compared to $25,000 for the entire year of 2007). This amount does not include labor and other associated costs, putting the total value of losses at close to $60,000, another strain of the city's limited budget.

The Sacramento Police Department and the Department of Transportation warn residents to watch for any unusual activity and call the police if necessary. 

MOST COPPER THEFTS OCCUR IN NATOMAS

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Ashby Balances Natomas Service Cuts

When it comes to Sacramento's budget process, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby faces the challenge of balancing the needs of her community with what the city can afford.

ASHBY

The bulk of Ashby's constituents reside in Natomas where proposed budget cuts will likely impact everything from police and fire coverage to library services.

“I am trying very hard to strike that balance,” said Ashby, who also represents a portion of downtown and Old Sacramento. “The choices have gotten tougher.”

One way Ashby has been able to “plug” the holes created by proposed cuts to public safety, parks and recreation programs is her use of District One's discretionary money. This money is not part of the general fund and can only be spent in District One.

SUMMER OASIS - CLICK FOR MORE INFO

Recently, Ashby resurrected the Summer Oasis Program for elementary school-age youngsters in Natomas. The popular day camp has suffered cut backs in recent years and was slated to be eliminated entirely this summer.

After hearing from several Natomas families, Ashby decided to allocate $10,000 for a single Summer Oasis site at Regency Park starting next week. Regency Park was picked because it has been the most-used Summer Oasis site in Natomas the past three years, she said.

Public safety issues – such as levee upgrades, police and fire coverage – continue to be a priority for Ashby.

OFFICER BANKS

Earlier this year, she used some of that discretionary money to hire police officer John Banks to work on traffic safety around Natomas-area schools. And while the number of brown outs threaten to rise in coming months and fire Station No. 43 will not be equipped as planned, Ashby said the West Natomas station will open as scheduled this summer.

“We will have fire protection west of Interstate 5,” said Ashby.

FINISHING TOUCHES ON NEW FIRE STATION

Proposed cuts to other services in Natomas – such as libraries, community centers and pools – will likely be based on how much the community uses them.

For the second summer in a row, the Natomas High School swimming pool will only be used for paid programs. Doyle Pool on Mendel Way, however, will be open to the public because it is one of the top three most-used pools in the city.

Three community centers citywide, including the one located in South Natomas, are expected to remain open. The centers were chosen based on geographic area, how many people use the facility and the amount of revenue generated to help pay for programs.

SOUTH NATOMAS LIBRARY

When cuts are considered for libraries, hot mapping will be used to see what hours libraries are used most and changes suggested accordingly.

Ashby encouraged Natomas-area residents concerned about a particular city resource, program or entity to contact her office during the budget process.

“I am more than interested in hearing what anybody has to say,” she said. “People should be aware, cuts being proposed to public safety are sweeping and would have an impact on the city and increase crime.”

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SacPD Investigates Natomas Murder

The Sacramento Police Department is investigating a late night murder of a 29-year-old male.

On May 31, 2011, at 11:12 p.m., officers responded to Del Paso Boulevard near Northgate Boulevard on a subject lying on the side of the road.  Officers arrived finding a male with upper body injuries that appear to be stab wounds.  The male was declared deceased at the scene. 

Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Investigators responded.  At this time it is unknown why the victim was at this location and the circumstances which led to his murder. 

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this crime to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.

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Congrats, Natomas Grads!

CALEB XAVIER RAMOS GRADUATED FROM CHRISTIAN MONTESSORI IN NATOMAS ATTENDING HERON K-8 SCHOOL IN THE FALL.

CHARLES TRE HOUSE AND HIS SISTER TORI AFTER HIS GRADUCATION FROM NP3.

NP3 GRAD NOAH DWYER-VOSS PLANS TO ATTEND CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, MONTEREY BAY.

NATALYA GRADUATED FROM INDERKUM HIGH ON MAY 25, REPORTS HER PROUD MOM.

CHRISTIAN RUVALCABA GRADUATED FROM 5th GRADE AND RECEIVED THE NUSD SUPERINTDENT'S ACADEMIC AWARD FOR EXCELLING IN ALL SUBJECTS

DARIC CARVAJAL GRADUATED FROM NATOMAS CHARTER SCHOOL.

JOE HAHN GRADUATED NO. 17 IN HIS CLASS FROM NATOMAS HIGH SCHOOL RECEIVED THE GSA & PTSA SCHOLARSHIPS AND AP ENGLISH STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD. HE IS SET TO ATTEND COLLEGE IN THE FALL WITH PLANS TO BECOME A SECONDARY TEACHER.

BRODY, 11, ON HIS LAST DAY AT BANNON CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ON TO MIDDLE SCHOOL!

RIO TIERRA JR. HIGH GRADUATE TRINA ASBURY, AGE 13.

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