SEPTEMBER 2017 THE GREAT AMERICAN RIVER Volume 7, Issue 9 CLEAN UP Saturday, September 16, is the date for the annual “Great Supervisor Susan Peters’ electronic American River Clean Up.” During the hours of 9 a.m. to newsletter is a cost-effective and noon please consider donating some time to help clean the efficient method to keep you updated parkway. The American River Parkway Foundation on what is going on in your sponsors the annual event as one way to maintain the community and with the County of natural habitat that comprises this 23 mile stretch along the Sacramento. Because you American River. previously emailed District 3 on a matter of interest, your email address Volunteers can register online and many students use the has been added to distribution of this event as a way to earn community service credits for newsletter (If you do not wish to school. Staging sites where you can check-in include receive it please click to opt out.) Alumni Grove at CSUS, Ancil Hoffman Park, and William Pond Park. More information can be obtained online at the American River Parkway Foundation website. IN THIS ISSUE: Last month the Board of Supervisors directed County staff to add approximately $5 million for the FY 2017-18 Budget to • THE GREAT AMERICAN address illegal camping on the parkway as well as the RIVER CLEAN UP associated litter and environmental destruction plus more • DISTRICT ATTORNEY rangers for added safety. To address my concern about driving more transients into the adjacent suburban YOUTH ACADEMY neighborhoods that are already burdened by homeless • NEW APPROACH TOWARD individuals coming off the parkway, more deputies will be MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES funded to support • DA & SHERIFF CONDUCT the efforts of the Sheriff’s Homeless SUCCESSFUL Outreach Team PROSTITUTION STING (HOT) Unit • SHERIFF COMMUNITY concentrating on MEETINGS transient camps in the unincorporated • FREE MOVIE IN THE PARK area. To report • FOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED camps, email • GOURMET DINNER IN THE the Sheriff's HOT Unit at [email protected]. Additional park PARK rangers and maintenance crews will focus on the parkway • COMMUNITY COFFEE and citizens can report problems online at the Sacramento MEETING County Regional Parks website. Despite this sizeable • KEEPING ARDEN ARCADE investment, please understand that implementation will not happen immediately due to government hiring and CLEAN contracting procedures but the Board did receive assurance • CLEAN YOUR COMMUNITY from the County Executive that every effort will be made to • PARKWAY LABOR DAY move quickly and I secured a promise that in April the Board WEEKEND ALCOHOL BAN will receive a status report on the effectiveness to date.
District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters
• HONOR THE CHICKENS • VISITING WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY YOUTH NEIGHBORS ACADEMY • SAN JUAN STARS • CAPITAL AIRSHOW SOARS A special Youth AGAIN Academy will be held this fall about • CARMICHAEL FOUNDER’S the criminal justice DAY system, which is • FULTON AVENUE CAR being sponsored CRUISE by District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert in partnership with law enforcement Supervisor Susan Peters agencies. Third District Participating high Sacramento County school students will Board of Supervisor learn about the criminal justice system and engage in open communication between law enforcement and themselves 700 H Street, Suite 2450 concerning issues that affect youth today - including race as a factor in the criminal justice system, use of force, gun Sacramento, CA 95814 violence, gangs, dating violence, human trafficking, [email protected] marijuana, crime scene investigation and evidence, and distracted driving. A career fair will be held at graduation. PHONE: (916) 874-5471 FAX: (916) 874-7593 The program is open to current Sacramento County high school students. Eligible students can apply for either the South, North, East or Elk Grove/Galt area academy. They must submit a completed application, which is available on the District Attorney’s website. The deadline to apply is September 8. Space is limited and acceptance will be based upon a first come, first served basis.
For more information, please visit this link. Questions can be directed by email to [email protected].
NEW APPROACH TOWARD MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Sacramento County’s Behavioral Health Division has taken strides to create new options and enhancements to the Mental Health Services system in response to community needs, including those of the homeless. These new services are appropriately tailored to the level of care needed, can reduce emergency department visits and can be a suitable alternative to expensive inpatient hospital services.
Mobile Crisis Support Teams are expanding from two teams to four. Each is dispatched through law enforcement to provide immediate engagement with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Teams are comprised of a behavioral health services clinician and a law enforcement officer or deputy who is trained in mental health crisis District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters response.
Crisis Residential Facilities are designed for people who need acute psychiatric care, but can be appropriately served in a voluntarily community setting. This program provides a homelike atmosphere with 24/7 staffing, coordination of care, intensive crisis support and intervention, individual/group psychosocial rehabilitation support and therapy, family meetings, medication monitoring, peer counseling, and discharge planning. The effort is designed to avert a psychiatric admission or shorten the length of an inpatient stay and promote recovery, personal responsibility, with self-help strategies to support clients' transition to the least restrictive living situation upon discharge.
Last year a Crisis Residential Facility was opened by Sacramento County in partnership with Turning Point Community Programs. Four facilities are planned with two more slated to open by the end of 2017. These additional facilities will further reduce inappropriate hospitalizations and emergency room use as the first line of treatment for mental health services.
A Mental Health Urgent Care Clinic is targeted to open later this year and will provide unscheduled walk-in service, referrals to appropriate mental health treatment providers, and identify any service gaps. This clinic will have the capacity to serve 300-400 people a year.
Mental Health Navigators are being located at different local area health systems to ensure that individuals are linked properly to community services. Locations include the six local emergency departments, the main jail, and Loaves & Fishes.
A recent example of the Mobile Crisis Support Team’s success involved a man who was picked up by deputies for making a disturbance at a children’s park. Law enforcement was planning to take him to jail for being under the influence in public. Working with the clinician, the team was able to identify that the man had a conservator and had been missing for approximately two weeks. He was experiencing psychotic symptoms – including disorganized thoughts and speech, and hallucinations.
The individual was transported to the Emergency Room for medical clearance to ensure there were no underlying medical conditions needing immediate attention. Upon clearance, he was taken to the County’s Mental Health Treatment Center, provided a mental health assessment and stabilization and reconnected to his mental health provider and conservator. They were able to provide the appropriate services and avoid incarceration.
For more information about Sacramento County’s Behavioral Health Services, please visit the link.
DA & SHERIFF CONDUCT District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters
SUCCESSFUL PROSTITUTION STING
Last month a successful coordinated countywide sting operation was conducted (“Operation: Hot Spots”) to reduce the demand side of human trafficking by targeting sex buyers or “johns” which netted 39 arrests on various charges.
District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert led the effort to organize this countywide operation, with a commitment from law enforcement to conduct operations beyond this immediate sting but throughout the year to reduce sex trafficking. She and Sheriff Scott Jones were on ride-alongs for this street sting operation which included targeting Watt Avenue.
Those convicted of soliciting another for prostitution or agreeing to engage in an act of prostitution, face a maximum penalty of 180 days in county jail, will be subject to search and seizure, and may be ordered to stay away from the involved locations or known “stroll” areas.
The types of arrests included loitering for prostitution, resisting arrest, probation violation, possession of drugs, drunk in public, and outstanding warrant
For more information, visit this press release.
SHERIFF COMMUNITY MEETINGS
The Sheriff’s Department holds regular community meetings to share information about trends in crime and recent activities. These sessions are open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend.
• Arden Arcade meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 5, at 6 pm, Country Club Lanes in the Skyroom, 2600 Watt Avenue. • North Highlands/New Foothill Farms meeting will be held on Thursday, September 7, at 6 pm, North Highlands Community Center, 6040 Watt Avenue. • Old Foothill Farms meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 13, at 6:30 pm, Pioneer Elementary School, 5816 Pioneer Way. • Carmichael meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 19, 6 pm, Del Campo High School Library, 4925 Dewey Drive. • Fair Oaks meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 6 pm, La Vista High School, 4501 Bannister Road (north of Winding Way).
Becoming involved by participating in Neighborhood Watch, attending these meetings, and learning about recent criminal activities makes us all more cognizant about how to better secure our property and make our communities safer. District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters
FREE MOVIE IN THE PARK
Enjoy a free viewing of the family-oriented animated movie “Sing,” on Friday, September 29, at Robert Frost Park, 4715 Robert Frost Way, in Foothill Farms. The film offers plenty of laughs as a group of human-like animals enter a singing competition hosted by a Koala Bear hoping to save his theater.
Children’s games and activities begin at 6:00 pm with the movie starting at approximately 7:00 pm. The event is being co-sponsored by Sacramento County, the Sunrise Recreation and Park District, California American Water, Clear Channel and the New Foothill Farms II Community Association.
Don’t forget to bring a blanket, popcorn, and lawn chairs. Food will be available for purchase from Good Dog Vending. For more information please visit the Sunrise Recreation and Park District website.
I also will be holding “Office Hours” in the park prior to the movie so residents can drop by and talk about items of interest with no appointment necessary on a “first come basis.” My “office” will be open from 6:00 pm to approximately 7:00 pm when the movie is expected to start.
FOSTER FAMILIES NEEDED
Do you want to make a difference in the life of a child?
Foster care is the out of home care of a minor. Some children require temporary out of home care due to parental neglect, abuse or exploitation. Foster parents, also known as "resource families," provide love, parental care, guidance and stability to children until they can be returned to their parents or move to a permanent home through adoption or guardianship.
There is an ongoing need to find and maintain resource District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters families who can support children and their families in our area. While homes are needed for all types of children, family homes for sibling sets, as well as teenagers and children with medical needs are also needed. Sacramento County’s Resource Family Approval (RFA) Program supports, trains and offers guidance to resource families.
RFA is looking for people who can:
• Help children in temporary care families feel that they have a "home of their own" • Help them maintain and improve relationships with others including parents • Assist children with adjustment in school, community and new home environment • Understand and respect the importance of the children's bond with their natural families • Meet the needs of your own family while sharing your family with the children placed in your home • Maintain the children's cultural, ethnic and religious preference
To learn more, please visit this link.
GOURMET DINNER IN THE PARK
Experience an enchanting evening in Sutter Park and the Jensen Botanical Gardens at a gourmet affair benefitting youth scholarships and participation in recreation activities offered through the Carmichael Recreation and Park District on Saturday, September 30.
This must attend event is being sponsored by the Carmichael Parks Foundation and will start with a reception at 5 pm serving appetizers by Carmichael’s finest restaurants followed by dinner at 6:30 featuring fare by celebrated Chefs Mike and Molly Hawks of Hawks Restaurant and Hawks Provisions & Public House.
For more information and tickets, please visit the Carmichael Parks Foundation website.
COMMUNITY COFFEE MEETING
On Wednesday morning, September 13, at 7:30 a.m. I will be hosting my Community Coffee Meeting in Fair Oaks featuring Fire Chief Todd Harms of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District as the guest speaker. He was appointed as Metro Fire’s sixth Fire Chief on November 12, 2016 and has 35 years of public safety service. For residents of the unincorporated area living in the Third Supervisorial District, Metro Fire functions as our local fire service provider. Metro Fire carries out a full range of functions from emergency response to fire marshal review of building design. It should be an District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters interesting discussion.
This meeting will be held at the Fair Oaks Water District’s conference room, 10326 Fair Oaks Blvd. near Winding Way. As usual, I will give a brief update on what is going on with Sacramento County then introduce our guest speaker followed by questions and answers.
Coffee, of course, will be provided!
KEEPING ARDEN ARCADE CLEAN
Kudos to residents Heike Sharpe, Joe Ryan, John Hoffman and other neighbors who joined forces last month on a Saturday morning cleaning up the vicinity of El Camino and Howe Avenues. In less than two hours this dedicated volunteer group was able to clean up along the commercial properties picking up a substantial amount of garbage making the area a lot nicer. To learn more, please email to Joe Ryan at [email protected] or John Hoffman at [email protected].
CLEAN YOUR COMMUNITY Sacramento County’s “Adopt-A-Street” program operated by the Department of Transportation involves working with volunteers to collect litter and cleanup sections of the unincorporated area’s roadways. The program requires a commitment to pick up litter 4 times per year along selected streets to the extent the volunteer organization can but no less than 1/2 mile long. SACDOT coordinates the overall program and is responsible for providing safety equipment and trash bags, installation of “Adopt-A-Street” signs recognizing the volunteer organization, and the pickup and disposal of the collected litter and other items after each occurrence. To learn more about the Adopt-A Street, please visit the Sacramento County Department of Transportation website.
PARKWAY LABOR DAY WEEKEND ALCOHOL BAN
This Labor Day Weekend there will be a complete ban on alcohol consumption and possession both on land District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters and in the water within the American River Parkway between Hazel and Watt avenues. An exception exists for Ancil Hoffman Golf Course.
In past years summer holiday weekends had become major problems along the American River making the parkway less of a family friendly outing because of fights, public nudity, profanity and littering. As a result, the Board of Supervisors restored decorum beginning with the 2006 Labor Day weekend and the ban is also applicable for Independence Day as well as Memorial Day.
HONOR THE CHICKENS
When the Village of Fair Oaks was colonized around 1895, the area was home to orange and citrus groves as well as olive orchards and assorted farm animals including chickens. Today the local chickens are a very real part of everyday life in Fair Oaks which honors these noble birds every year.
This year’s Chicken Festival will be held on Saturday, September 16, between the hours of 10 am to 6 pm. Plaza Park will be the center of activity. For more information visit the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District website.
Photo courtesy of Susan Maxwell Skinner
VISITING WITH NEIGHBORS
This month I invite residents to visit with me in a casual setting when I hold “Office Hours” prior to the Movie in the Park on Friday, September 29, at Robert Frost Park in Foothill Farms. Residents are invited to drop by and talk about items of interest with no appointment necessary on a “first come basis.” My “office” will be open from 6:00 pm to approximately 7:00 pm when the movie is expected to start. Most people I’ve talked to have found such exchanges much more relaxing than going through a formal appointment for a meeting downtown at the District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters
County Administration Center.
Last month I participated in a number of neighborhood gatherings during “National Night Out” on August 1st including visits to Brentwood Estates in Carmichael as well as to Fair Oaks and Old Foothill Farms before ending the evening at Crawford’s Barn over in College Greens East.
Next month I will hold two community meetings in October with District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert as the guest speaker. Her office has been instrumental in setting up business watch groups in commercial areas in Arden Arcade and Carmichael that are like Neighborhood Watch except participants include businesses and merchants. Under her leadership, Community Prosecutors working with the Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) Unit also have successfully identified transients with records of violent and destructive behavior as “Chronic Nuisance Offenders” and obtained stay away orders issued by the courts for particular locations or using such orders to leverage CNOs into rehabilitation programs.
Those two community meetings will be at the Mission Oaks Community Center in Gibbons Park (4701 Gibbon Drive) in Carmichael on Tuesday, October 24, and in Arden Arcade at the Swanston Park Community Center (2350 Northrop Avenue) on Thursday, October 26. Both meetings will start at 6 pm.
SAN JUAN STARS
The STARS Hall of Fame was established in 2009 by the San Juan Education Foundation, with the support of the San Juan Unified School District, to honor exceptional district graduates who embody an innovative spirit and have made their mark in their chosen profession.
Each year the inductees into the STARS Hall of Fame are honored at a special dinner and this year’s event will be on Saturday, September 23, at the new Performing Arts Center located on the campus of Rio Americano High School. The three 2017 honorees are Actress Merrin Dungey (Rio Americano High School) known for her television work in Big Little Lies, Alias, and King of Queens; ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey (Rio Americano High School) who oversees all development, programming, marketing and scheduling operations for ABC Primetime and Late Night; and Grammy-nominated musician Craig Chaquico (La Sierra High School) of the rock bands Jefferson Starship and Starship.
Please show your support for the San Juan Education Foundation and these outstanding graduates of the San Juan Unified School District. For more information, please visit this link. District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters
CAPITAL AIRSHOW SOARS AGAIN
There will be plenty of high flying excitement this month during the weekend of September 9-10 when the California Capital Airshow returns to Mather Airport, which is part of Sacramento County’s Airport System.
Headlining the performances will be the Patriots Jet Team, a disciplined, six-jet precision demonstration group featuring pilots who were formerly part of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angels, and Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds. Also on hand will be the Patriot Parachute Team consisting of professional parachutists who formerly served as active duty Navy SEALs.
For more information about tickets and presentations, go online and visit the California Capital Airshow website.
CARMICHAEL FOUNDER’S DAY
On Saturday, September 30, Carmichael will celebrate “Founder’s Day” honoring the legacy of Daniel Webster Carmichael who established the community in 1909. The party will naturally be held in Carmichael Park and the official festivities start at 10 am and continue through to 3 pm.
And there’s much to celebrate with the completion of the second phase of the Fair Oaks Boulevard Improvement Project that has beautified the area in front of Carmichael Park by undergrounding utility wires between Landis Avenue and Engle Road as well as enhanced landscaping adjacent to the “great wall” District 3 – Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters of Carmichael sign.
Founder’s Day fun will include vendor and craft booths, food trucks, live music, and a classic car show.
Photo courtesy of Susan Maxwell Skinner
FULTON AVENUE CAR CRUISE
The 2017 Cruise Fest on Fulton Avenue will take place next month on Saturday, October 7, between 3 - 7:30 pm with cruising the loop to occur between El Camino Avenue and Cottage Way from 3-5 pm.
Car aficionados also can check out the hot wheels and classic cars on display at this free family event, which will have live music, breweries, vendors and food trucks.
This is the ninth year the cruise and car show will be held on Fulton Avenue, one of the premier auto rows in our region featuring all types or new and previously owned cars.
The event benefits the California Automobile Museum. For more information, please visit this link.