Smith Taking Running Skills Athlon Sports Inside to Pacific University in Oregon Major League Baseball Page 14 Page 15 Grapevine ndependent VOLUMEI 47 • ISSUE 21 PROUDLY SERVING RANCHO CORDOVA & SACRAMENTO COUNTY May 22, 2015 We Can All Pause Memorial Day Travel for a Moment Highest in Decade It’s a Small World Summer Travel Kicks Off With More than 4.4 Million Californians Expected to Travel SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - This year, Memorial Day travel After All… is expected to mark the highest number of California travelers for this holiday since 2005, accord- ing to the latest holiday travel forecast. The travel survey projects Page 11 nearly 4.4 million Californians plan on traveling 50 miles or more this Memorial Day holi- day weekend. This represents an Deep Playoff Run increase of 4.6% from last year’s record highs. Ends for Lady “A stronger economy and over- all lower gas prices have boosted Lancers consumers’ disposable income,” said Cynthia Harris, AAA Northern California spokesper- son. “This summer travel season is starting off with great potential as many Californians are eager to take that long overdue weekend getaway.” It is projected that more than 3.7 million Californians will drive this upcoming holiday weekend, a 5.5% increase from last year. Page 14 Air travel will increase by 2.6% compared to 2014 figures, with just over 419,000 Californians intending to fly to their holi- Senator Nielsen day getaways. Approximately 294,000 state residents are Discusses expected to travel by other modes of transportation, such as rail, bus, and watercraft. This repre- Priorities sents a 3.4% decrease compared with 2014. Young performers from the Kaladhaara Arts (above) put on a Nationally, it is estimated mesmerizing display of Indian Classical Dance on stage at iFest that more than 37 million peo- 2015. The iFest audience was treated to a global tour, including ple will journey 50 miles or enchanting movements of belly dancers Vahana and Jewels of the North (right), performing movements inspired by the ancient more during the Memorial Day dances of Lebanon and Egypt. Photos by Cre weekend, representing a 4.7% increase compared to last year. RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Thousands of people took The AAA Leisure Travel a trip around the world on Saturday, but they never left Index shows that hotel rates at Rancho Cordova. AAA Three Diamond lodgings Rancho Cordova’s international festival—iFest— are expected to increase by 7% from a year ago, averaging $182 Page 3 returned to Village Green Park, attracting record crowds. Visitors grabbed selfies scaling the Great Wall of China per night. Weekend car rentals or the Eiffel Tower with the help of green screen tech- rates will average $62 per day, nology. Others hitched a ride on a pedicab, checked out $19 more than last year. Airfares local art, learned about animals from around the world, are falling 2% for the top 40 had their arm tattooed with henna, or took a swing at a domestic flight routes, averaging Mexican piñata. $222. Continued on page 3 Continued on page 3 Riders Round the Turns at Hangtown Motocross Story and photos the world to race this series, which by Timothy Qualls is an extremely grueling course of jumps, obstacles, and off-camber SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - turns. The day started with sev- The Hangtown Motocross is the eral hundred riders qualifying to opening round of a 12-race series race the four-moto format. A moto that spans the country, featur- is one race; the riders are sepa- ing the top racers in the world. rated by the size of the engines of This race was held at the Prairie their motorcycles. This race only City State Vehicle Recreational has two classes of motorcycle Area. The dusty, grassy hill area engines: the 250cc and the 450cc is pretty barren, but it transformed size bikes. The race contains two into a bustling community of mil- moto’s for each class, thus the lion dollar big rigs, customized riders with best overall finishes motor homes, and commercial from both motos are declared the tents that resemble the circus overall winners of the Hangtown coming to town. event. The riders come from all over Continued on page 3 Hangtown Motocross is the opening round of a 12-race series that spans the country, featuring the top racers in the world. 2 • The Independent May 22, 2015 SENIOR CLASS Messenger Publishing Group would like to congratulate all OF Timofey Romanyuk Kayla Wilson the senior students of 2015. Good luck to all of you! 2015 Isabel Alejandra Rosales Larry Wimberly Senior Class of Cordova High School Rebekah Divanyan Rosie Juarez Michael Minlikayev Michael A. Rosales Dale Alexander Wroth David Domashuk Alona Karpach Gabriel Miranda Michael Roush Reagan Xiong Megan Abbott Tom Connor Rush Aleyssa Yamamoto Randolph Anthony Acosta-Flores Taylor Douglas Donna Keeton Vardan Mirzoyan Liliya Dubovaya Angela Marina Kelly Daniel Mnatsakanyan Jeremiah Russell Timothy Va Yang Jose Aguilar Carlos Sahagun Joshua S. Yoon Douglas Alford Dmitriy Dushkov Terrel Kelly Gevorg Mnatsakanyan Ventrell Dyson Arman Khachatryan Mary Mnatsakanyan Diana Rose Mateo Sahagun Heather Zak Christopher G. Anaya-Monroy Deisy Salas Hernandez De Zhang Angelina Anderson Alani Jordan Echevarry Mariam Khachatryan Anahi Morales Michael Evans Nora Khachatryan David Antonio Morales Frankie Salazar Zequsha Zetoria Michelle Zigler Armanii K. Anderson Carolina Sanabria Aguilar David Zuniga Giovanii Gregory Daniel Anderson Bryce Everett Nikolay Khandryka Leonel Morales Amanda Fearn Valeriy Khramtsov Tariq Morgera Jason Sanchez Hugo Andrade Chartise Sanford Senior Class of Kinney High School Caitlin Elizabeth Andrae Sophia Fields Michael Kiselev Hannah Morris-Little Juan Manuel Aguirre-Hernandez Whitney Fields Azat Kudbalyan Devin Morrison Jezza Santiago Morgan Holli Andrus Pravjot Sartan Ashley Alvarez Tania Aparicio Ashley Fink Lena Maria Kunze Jesse Mulock Kylee Rose Atkinson Ernesto Flores Tatyana Kurkchi Karina Munguia Gabriel Scott Daniela Armas Preciado David Sembiring Isaac Paa Banks Samantha Jean Arnez Victor Flores Alexander Labat Christian Munoz Santiago Barrios Antonio Franco Dylan Lammi Ryan Murry Eveline Sentsova Leanna Arroyo Catherine Emiko Sherer Madison Raeann Brokaw Sevan Atoyan Brianna Linique Justice Franklin Antoinette Langford Deborah Musa Xavier Lee Dillard-Johnson Krysnna Jo Gabay Mike Lashchuk Taylor Myers Carmen Short Lilit Ayvazyan Louie Sigala McKenna Marin Dykes Marla Baconawa John Christian Gabriel Mitchell lavielle Archal Naidu Joshua Hammill Eaton Juan Galvan Juarez Ryan Le Josip Samuel Nakic Kurtis Sean Simmons Parandzem Bageian Emma Slivinskaya Antonio Franco Joseph Russell Balentine Jessica Gamoke Paige Leahy Samuel Nalbandyan Karlo Francisco Garcia Joshua Garcia Bryanna Leal Christian Navarrete Inna Slivinskaya Nataly Barrera Zachary Sloan Alondra Gonzalez-Jaramillo Luiza Barseghyan Alvaro Garcia Jr. Sunshine Lee Ira Navoyan Tori Michael Grant Treisa Gary Alexander Lewis Joshua Nelson Ani Smbatyan Cynthia Battle Eric Smith Silvia Marie Hernandez Arizmendi Ricardo Bazan Angela Gasparyan Brenden Lewis Hayk Nersisyan Gary Richard Hoehner Sarah Jane Gebhart Ja’Quan Leon Lewis Kenneth Nevarez Dennis A. Smith Yevgeniy Belous Maechelle Dijonne Smith Dante C.M. Hoggatt Julia Cezarie Bergmann Armenak Gevorkyan Brandon Lincoln Jesse New Ethan James Holman Chloe Gillespie David Litvinchuk Darlene T. Nguyen Marissa Nicole Smith Brianna Bertoni Nathaniel Smith Nykea Uniece Ivy Darreon Bieneman-Moore Devinecia Glover Mariah Nicole Livsey Johnson Nguyen Corey Jeffery Johnson Jr. Antonia Goern Yuliya Loboda James Nixon Ryan Smith Courtney Bigney Brenda Sosa Viciconti Markeya Joanne Micelle Kennedy Inna Bobyleva Marwan Golez Drissa Lony Timothy Njoroge Amanda Marie Kisner Alan E. Gomez Gary Lopez Ashlyn Nunes Amairanny Soto Tesla Booton Emely Soto Maurice LaMar Lewis Esther Borodenko Oscar Gomez Ranjell Lorena Elijah O’Brion Margo Elizabeth Long Osvaldo Gonzalez-Ramirez Amos Pagalou Loto Semaia Derek Ocenosak Vincent Spikes Tristan Botts Megan Stacy Joseph Roberto Lopez Abraham Bowens John R. Graf III Saulomon Lowder Maria Guadulupe Ochoa Trejo Kimberly Lozano Terion Guichard Ashley Lynch Hellen Okindo Melina Steinke Tevell Briggs Noah Stone Cindy Vanessa Mach Madison Brokaw LaMont Guidry Alison Mahaffey Samantha Olsen Kristi Jane Maisenbach Julissa Gutierrez Symone Mann Linda Osorio Flores Dakota Sturtz Jacob Ryan Kekoa Brown Sofya Tagvoryan Elizabeth Ortega Maneewong Tiana Brown Jordan Hannibal Lea Manukyan Louie Padilla Jorge Alberto Martinez Bryce Andrew Harder Raquel Manukyan Aiyana Page Matthew Tarlandoukht Brandon F. Buck Cuong Tat Karina Renee McCoy Cadaya Buckley Jack Harper Diana Marinova Sidney R. Parungao Adam Taylor Medina Dalton Harvey Kyle Marpuri Oksana Pavlus Lawren Taueva Moises Buenrostro Hannah Tesch Jessica Louise Marie Mendez Asia Butler Gavin Haymore Jennifer Marquez Anthony Pelaez Aleksandr Mikalenko Julianna C. Heibeck Greysi Elizabeth Marroquin Raider Justin Peralta Terrell Tescher-Brunet Christopher Camacho Timothy Thao Tajanae Anita Miller Laira Capistrano Kevin Heidrich Estrada Jacob Perry Emma B Myers Cassandra Heminway Adrian Martin Oksana Petrashishena Nicholas Ray Rylee Thomas Gabriel Cardona Kevin Todd Jeffrey Devin Nand Osvaldo Carrasco Charonn Hendershot Jazmine Martinez Aaron Pham Kendall Christine Neverkovec Irvin Hernandez Kelvin Alexander Martinez Aaron Pierce Ryan T. Todd Josseline Casal Gabriel Torres Malia Nicole Norman Sonia Cervantes Roberto Hernandez-Zamudio Gabriela A. Martinez Calderon Joseph Pierce-Nunes Edwin