The Natural Secret to a High-Yield, Pest-Free Garden
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New Boutique- Goats in the Moat Style Assisted Wilhaggin Basin Has Eco-Friendly Trim Living Facility Page 2 Page 5 Volume 35 • Issue 28 Serving Carmichael and Sacramento County since 1981 July 10, 2015 ATHLON SPORTS SMUD Receives National INSIDE BASEBALL Recognition for Reliable Patriots on Parade Electric Operations SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is one of 191 of Carmichael Hero Heads Pageant the nation’s more than 2,000 public See more power utilities to earn the Reliable parade photos Public Power Provider (RP3) des- ignation from the American Public on Page 4! Power Association (APPA) for pro- viding consumers with the highest degree of reliable and safe electric service. Page 15 Kenneth Stone, energy ser- vices and accounting manager at Braintree Electric Light Department of Braintree, Massachusetts, and executive committee member of APPA’s RP3 Review Panel, pre- FEET, FEATS, FETES sented the designees on May 18th during the association’s annual AND DEFEATS Engineering and Operations Technical Conference held in Sacramento. The RP3 designation recog- nizes public power utilities that END OF THE demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and sys- BENCH tem improvement. Criteria within each category are based on sound BY GERRY SCHOLL business practices and represent a utility-wide commitment to safe Page 6 and reliable delivery of electricity. The RP3 designation now lasts for three years (up from two), so the 97 utilities that earned the designation this year join the 94 that received it last year for a total of 191. SLIM RANDLES' “Utilities that have earned APPA’s RP3 designation are imple- HOME COUNTRY menting best practices for the industry and are a testament to pub- Parade supporters cheered Grand Marshal Lt. Col. Jim Grey and his wife Charlene as they arrived at the Carmichael Elks Lodge. lic power’s commitment to serving their community,” said Stone. Story and photos While not quite a Flying Fortress, Grey’s “We’re honored to receive the by Susan Maxwell Skinner parade transport was a powerful vintage RP3 designation,” said Maria Cadillac provided by local caddy collector Veloso-Koenig, SMUD director CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - The courage Larry Bunfill. The blue 500-horse-power of Grid Planning. “Our utility staff of American patriots was saluted by vehicle was one of only 200 produced to puts in a lot of hard work to serve Carmichael’s annual July 4th Parade on mark the national bicentennial in 1976. this community. RP3 represents a Saturday. His driver, Elks executive Jim Warrick, is much appreciated recognition of Grand Marshal was Lt. Col. Jim Grey a member of the family that has organized this hard work.” (90), a retired Carmichael banker. Flying Carmichael’s parade for 57 years. The This is the tenth year that RP3 for the US Air Force during WWII, Grey iconic auto and VIP passengers led a 100- recognition has been offered. survived 30 missions in legendary B-17 unit pageant on its stately path along Fair APPA is the national organiza- Page 13 squadrons. Their perilous bombing raids Oaks Boulevard, from Marconi to Cypress tion representing more than 2,000 into enemy territory inspired movies like Avenue. not-for-profit, community- and “Memphis Belle” and “Twelve O’Clock Festivities continued all evening at the La state-owned electric utilities. It is High.” Sierra Community Center and culminated located in Arlington, VA. with an $8,000-plus fireworks display. H Source: Sacramento Municipal Utility District H The Natural Secret to a High-Yield, Pest-Free Garden SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (BPT) higher, as 27% would consider rais- - Gardening is one of America’s ing chickens with their families if favorite pastimes—an impressive they had more information on the Scan our QR Code for a 35% of U.S. households are grow- hobby. direct link to our online edition! ing food at home or in a community With so many people already garden, according to the National gardening and interest in back- Gardening Association. That means yard chickens gaining steam, it’s 42 million households are currently no wonder that more people are planning their annual gardens and researching the benefits of chickens researching how to make this year for their vegetable and flower beds. better than the last. Fortunately, the Chickens are known as nature’s PAID trick to growing healthier plants gardeners after all. Here are the top PERMIT 350 PERMIT US POSTAGE with fewer pests and bigger yields reasons raising chickens will take Carmichael, CA PRESORTED STD. PRESORTED might be simpler than you think. your garden to a whole new level: Change Service Requested “Garden enthusiasts will be 1. Effective natural fertilizer: amazed by the effectiveness of the Chicken droppings are a highly natural fertilizer and weed control effective, 100 percent natural they get from raising chickens,” fertilizer. A byproduct of raising says Michael Diedrich, director chickens, the droppings can then With so many people already gardening and interest in backyard chickens gaining steam, it’s no wonder that at Tractor Supply Company. “For be mixed in with your compost families who want to explore ways more people are researching the benefits of chickens for their vegetable and flower beds. Chickens are known as pile to make what some people nature’s gardeners, after all. Photo courtesy of Brandpoint Media to grow their own food and be bet- call "black gold" - a fertilizing eat the bugs that can be harm- for gardeners. They are great species from a garden bed before ter stewards of their resources, mixture that plants thrive on. raising chickens and growing a gar- ful to plants, which is great news at weeding out unwanted plant Continued on page 2 den together is a great option.” 2. Compost turning made sim- Winning over Americans who ple: Every compost pile needs don’t raise chickens might be as to be turned to properly decom- The Perfect Start Yours Today! simple as helping them learn the pose. If you have chickens, you Combination! Carmichael Times delivers your BOTH NEWSPAPERS benefits of keeping a flock. Nearly will labor less because they will local community news every week. FOR ONLY do much of the necessary turning one in five people would be more Get The Sunday Sacramento Bee! 00 likely to raise chickens if they for you while rooting for food $25 knew more about it, according and bugs. FOR 6 MONTHS! to a national Tractor Supply sur- 3. Eat unwanted bugs and weeds: See inside for details vey. Interest with parents is even Chickens love to forage and they 2 • Carmichael Times July 10, 2015 The Natural Secret to a Goats in the Moat High-Yield, Pest-Free Garden Wilhaggin Basin Has Eco-Friendly Trim Story and photos by Susan Maxwell Skinner SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - If it takes 100 goats two weeks to do what machines and herbicides might achieve in days, American River Drive residents have few complaints. Employed by Sacramento County for brush clearing in Wilhaggin Detention Basin, the herd was recently trucked in from Herald. Over 14 days, the herbi- vores munched through the 10-acre trough that protects lowland Carmichael/Arden from floods. “It’s the second year we’ve employed them here,” said County senior Garden enthusiasts will be amazed by the effectiveness of the natural fertilizer and weed control they get from raising chickens. Photo courtesy of engineer Rod Goss. “Goats take time to Brandpoint Media do the job but they’re more cost-effective than sending in men and machines. They’re Continued from page 1 is it the start of the gardening sea- good on steep terrain where human ankles son, but it’s also “Chick Days”—a have been turned. They free up County you plant, such as dandelion, time each spring when baby chicks staff to deal with emergency situations at prickly lettuce and purslane. But and ducklings and the tools needed times of fire risk. After goats do their work, watch your flock around your to care for poultry are sold at most we’ve found weed regrowth is limited. Less Mowers on the move. Goat owner Debbie Olympius herds grazers at Wilhaggin Detention Basin on vegetables though because they Tractor Supply stores. If you’d like American River Drive. The Department of Water Resources employed 100 goats to clear brush from will happily eat those as well. to learn more about raising back- ongoing maintenance is needed.” the flood basin. The Wilhaggin Basin is one of five 4. Gasoline-free tillers: Chickens yard chickens, visit the Know How County areas that Debbie Olympius’s KD often see,” says their owner. “They’re per- have a natural tendency to dig Central section on www.tractorsup- Goat Ranch herd was contracted to graze sonable and fun to watch. Who wouldn’t and scratch, which is great ply.com. this summer. The owner sees her 400 ani- love a baby kid? Goats sometimes get bad for preparing a garden bed for “The health of the food and flow- mals as natural fire preventers: “Mower press but if you treat them right, they look planting. After the growing sea- ers in your garden is tied to the blades hit stones and cause sparks,” she to you as a guide. You can trust them to son, they will also happily till health of your soil,” says Diedrich. explains. “My goats don’t do that. They make good decisions.” your garden and help clean out “Whether in modest yards or wide also cohabit well with wildlife. They won’t As protection from coyotes, rogue dogs, old plants, which prevents the open rural spaces, raising chickens hurt quail or turkey chicks in the grass.