Formerly Homeless Women to be Celebrated at Women's Gala PAGE 2 Happy Mother's Day M“Writtenessenger by the people, for the people” VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 09 Serving Fair Oaks, Orangevale & Sacramento County MAY 12, 2017 OUR HERITAGE MATTERS Fresh Off the Farm to Your Fork Survey Finds Soil Born Offers a Special Local Service Water-Rich Snowpack SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The recent manual snow survey by the Department of Water PAGE 7 Resources (DWR) at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada found a Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) of 27.8 inches, 190 per- cent of the May 1 long-term LET KIDS BE average there (14.6 inches). Electronic measurements indi- FIREFIGHTERS cate the water content of the statewide snowpack today is 42.5 inches, 196 percent of the May 1 average. The SWE of the northern Sierra snowpack is 39.9 inches (199 percent of average); the central and southern Sierra readings are 47.1 inches (202 percent of average) and 37.6 inches (180 percent of average), respectively. Today’s readings will help hydrologists forecast spring and PAGE 3 summer snowmelt runoff into rivers and reservoirs. The melt- ing snow supplies approximately one-third of the water used by Soil Born CSA manager (below, left) Elle Huftill-Balzer. Farm workers (above and right) tend to fresh, leafy greens still in Californians. MOTHER’S DAY the ground and follow with an initial quick wash. “California’s cities and farms WITH MARY JANE can expect good water supplies Story and Photos like to eat seasonal this summer,” said DWR Acting by Aubrielle Hvolboll produce, support Director Bill Croyle. “But this local agriculture and ample snowpack should not RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - contribute to a num- wash away memories of the Rancho Cordova’s well known ber of education intense drought of 2012-2016. urban agriculture educa- programs offered California’s precipitation is the tion project, Soil Born Farms, through the farm. most variable in the nation, and is gearing up for its Spring/ Working in the we cannot afford to stop con- Summer Community Supported field to harvest this serving water.” Agriculture (CSA) season, and it week’s CSA, Elle Snowpack water content is still has spots available for com- Huftill-Balzer, a measured manually on or near munity members who would CSA manager, picks the first of the month from January to May. The Phillips PAGE 7 Deep Purple scal- lions while another snow course, near the inter- group of Soil Born’s section of Highway 50 and staff focuses on D'Avignon rad- in the Youth Garden; we do vegetables: they are supporting Sierra-at-Tahoe Road, is one of ishes and Jericho lettuce. Also tours, field trips, nutritional out- a number of programs that cul- hundreds surveyed manually among them are a volunteer and reach with adults and kids, as tivate community knowledge throughout the winter. Manual a first-year apprentice. well as the adult apprenticeship and futures in agriculture. This measurements augment the elec- “We’re not just a production program,” said Huftill-Balzer, includes opportunities for CSA tronic readings from about 100 farm, we’re an educational farm. who has been with Soil Born members themselves, who are sensors in the state’s mountains We run Harvest Sacramento since 2010 and has run the CSA invited to get to know the farm that provide a current snapshot [and] A Garden in Every School for the past two years. and the people who grow their of the snowpack’s water content. Symposium, working with When purchasing the food. Frank Gehrke, chief of the school gardens. We have youth Soil Born CSA, buyers get “People who come out to the California Cooperative Snow Scan our QR Code for a groups come out here and work much more than just a box of Continued on page 3 Surveys Program, conducted direct link to our online edition! DWR’s survey today at Phillips and said of his findings, 2017 has been “an extremely good year in terms of the snowpack.” Gehrke said the snowpack is Del Campo High Students encouraging in terms of surface GOT MORE water supplies. “The thing we’re looking out for is primarily the Spend a Morning In DUI Court southern Sierra, where we have LOCAL full reservoirs and in some cases Story and Photos by Jacqueline Fox a huge snowpack,” he said. “We NEWS? want to make sure that we pru- FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Standing firm in a teal suit dently manage that so we don’t and black glasses, attorney Paula Spano turned cause any downstream issues.” CALL 773-1111 toward the crowd of roughly 1,000 Del Campo California’s reservoirs are fed High School students seated behind her and both by rain and snowpack run- delivered this stern admonishment: “You all look off. A majority of the state’s LEGAL ADS FOR like very nice people, but I never want to see you major reservoirs are above nor- SACRAMENTO in my courtroom,” she said. mal storage levels. Spano, who works for the Sacramento County Earlier this month, DWR COUNTY? Office of the Public Defender, is assigned to the increased its estimate of this first-offender and misdemeanor DUI Court in year’s SWP supply to 100 per- We Can Do That! Schools Program, first launched in San Joaquin cent of requests for contractors County in 2003 and then in Sacramento County north of the Sacramento-San in 2010. Funded through a grant from the Joaquin Delta and 85 percent of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, requests for other contractors, the program brings actual DUI court cases to the highest since the 100-percent To place your legal Public Defender Paula Spano looks on as Sacramento Superior Court Judge Hon. Russell Hom area high schools, and Ms. Spano was trying the allocation in 2006. addresses students at Del Campo High School during a DUI Court in Schools Program April Source: DWR H advertising, go to 28. Continued on page 10 CarmichaelTimes.com www.AmericanRiverMessenger.com 2 • AmericanCARMICHAEL River TIMESMessenger • GRAPEVINE INDEPENDENT • CITRUS HEIGHTS MESSENGER • AMERICAN RIVER MESSENGER • GOLD RIVER MESSENGER • MAYMAY 12, 2017 Formerly Homeless Women to be Celebrated Regional Transit Launches at Women's Empowerment's Gala Survey to Engage Community SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) on residents, businesses, educa- Over the past year, Sac RT - The Sacramento Regional tional institutions, community has improved its financial sta- Transit District (Sac RT) is leaders and other stakeholders bility, attracted new riders and undergoing a major transfor- to provide their feedback so the strengthened its commitment mation to enhance service, to agency can fully understand the to clean, safe and convenient improve agency operations mobility needs and desires of transit service. Additionally, in and bring greater value to the the region. February 2017, Sac RT released region. An important part of this “Sac RT is focused on greater its new Strategic Vision, a effort is community engagement community engagement and multi-year plan that prioritizes and Sac RT has launched an that means listening to what res- a customer-first agency culture online survey (https://www.sur- idents want and need our public as well as a route optimiza- veymonkey.com/r/DGD32JT) transit system to be,” said Henry tion study to analyze how to to gather feedback from Li, General Manager and CEO best serve different parts of the Sacramento County residents of Sac RT. “The Sacramento region. about their priorities and vision region is growing and we have RT operates approximately for the future of public transit. new activity centers for hous- 69 fixed routes and 43 miles The survey asks residents ing, employment, shopping and of light rail that covers a 418 what they think about the cur- entertainment as well as chang- square-mile service area. Buses rent Sac RT bus and light rail ing traffic patterns. Our public and light rail trains operate 365 system, why they ride public transit system needs to adapt days a year. RT's entire bus transit in Sacramento or other to these changes and we are and light rail system is accessi- cities, and what changes would excited to work with commu- ble to the disabled community. bring the most value to their nity partners to develop a more Source: Sacramento Regional daily lives. Sac RT is calling valuable transit service.” Transit H Women’s Empowerment graduates celebrate with Eileen Javora from KCRA3 at the organization’s 15th Anniversary Gala last year. The event raised $200,000 to help Sacramento homeless women find homes and jobs. Photo by Dylan Tyagi It’s Spare the Air Season SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) polluted the air is in their commu- a Spare The Air day SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - event. For tickets or sponsor- specifically for women who are - The Sacramento region’s 23rd nities. The chart has six categories: • Garden green – avoid using Community members are ship opportunities, call (916) homeless and their children. Spare The Air season starts May Good (green), Moderate (yellow), gas-powered lawn mowers, invited to the 16th Annual 669-2307 or visit www.wom- The award-winning organi- 1. Each summer, the Spare The Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups leaf blowers and other garden Celebration of Independence ens-empowerment.org. zation has graduated 1,411 Air campaign educates the public (orange), Unhealthy (red), Very equipment Gala that benefits Women’s “This event is like no other homeless women and their about the health effects of air pol- Unhealthy (purple), and Hazardous • Link your errands into one Empowerment, a local non- in Sacramento,” said Lisa children. Last year, 92 per- lution and asks residents to drive (maroon).