5 Things Retirees Will Wish They Had Known Sooner Announces its 2030 PAGE 2 Zero Carbon Plan PAGE 2 Grapevine ndependent VOLUMEI 55 • ISSUE 19 PROUDLY SERVING RANCHO CORDOVA & SACRAMENTO COUNTY SINCE 1968 MAY 7, 2021 SEE As Kitten INSIDE Locals Assert Rights Season Begins, MOM to Public Easements Fosters and Donations KNOWS Needed BEST Animal shelters around the country are gearing up for what is known as “kitten PAGE 4 season.” Photo: Pixabay Sacramento County CHRISTIERSON News Press Release NAMED PRINCIPAL SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Animal shelters around OF WHITE ROCK the country are gearing up for what is known as “kit- ELEMENTARY ten season,” when cats begin to give birth to count- less kitten litters. Typically Mark Berry displayed large-scale maps of the property to show residents the location of the recorded public easements. beginning in late spring and continuing throughout sum- Story and photos housing development proposed on the blocking the public easements mer, kitten season stretches by Shaunna Boyd property by Trumark Homes, neigh- through the property. Owners of the the already-thin resources boring residents grew concerned. property were cited at the end of animal shelters and res- RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - More Although it is privately owned, pub- October 2020 for a violation regard- cues have when the influx PAGE 3 than 150 locals gathered on May 1 lic easements were granted through ing a chain link fence with barbed of unwanted kittens and to enter public easements at the end the property back in 1973 – with an wire, which is prohibited in residen- cats crowd shelter and ken- of Stirling Park Drive, walking west access point near the end of Stirling tial neighborhoods. The violation also nel space. SPAULDING through the Kassis property toward Park Drive heading west toward Mira noted that the fence, located at the The Bradshaw Shelter’s Mira Del Rio. The goal of the dem- Del Rio and north along the prop- end of Stirling Park Drive, was block- Foster Care Program helps NAMED STAR onstration was to increase community erty line toward the river. Despite the ing access to the public easements. save lives and space during awareness about the easements and official recording of the easements, Documents received through a pub- this hectic season. PERFORMER BY assert their rights to public use. neither Sacramento County nor, after lic records request revealed that the “Fostering animals pro- The 40-acre Kassis property – incorporation, the City of Rancho property owners were amenable to vides a second chance at WESTAMERICA located along the American River Cordova has enforced or maintained replacing the chain link and barbed life for animals who are just north of Folsom Blvd. in Rancho the easements for public use. wire fence with a new fence of City- too young, sick or injured Cordova – is one of the last unde- Last year, neighbors submitted approved materials. But when Code to be available for adop- BANK veloped wildlife habitats in the area. complaints to the City of Rancho Enforcement advised that the fence tion,” said Dave Dickinson, After learning last year about a Cordova regarding various fences Continued on page 12 Director, Sacramento County Bradshaw Animal Shelter. “Fosters provide a safe, loving, temporary place to live where the ani- mals can thrive until they Residents Benefit from Vaccine Pop-up are ready to be adopted to their forever homes.” Residents interested in PAGE 9 By Chris Ching becoming fosters should submit a foster application RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) to FosterRescueProgram@ - When the City of Rancho saccounty.net. The shelter Cordova was asked by provides all food, bedding, Coordinator Nancy Bui- supplies, toys and more Thompson of the Del Paso at no cost to the foster. Heights Vaccination Clinic Fostering is a great way to (DPHVC) about setting up help alleviate the impact of a free pop-up clinic with kitten season at your local doses of the Moderna vac- shelter and can provide cine, the answer was yes, temporary companionship or an emphatic drawn out for those still working from “YES!” as declared by home. City Communications and However, working out- Public Affairs Director side of the home doesn’t Maria Kniestedt with obvi- need to be an impediment ous gladness at the actual to becoming a foster; most event Friday, April 23 held animals in foster care do only a few days later at not require constant mon- City Hall. itoring. Typically, most “It was awesome! We animals who need fostering had a great turnout espe- are kittens and puppies less cially how fast we turned Medical Student/Volunteer Karen Chung gives Michael Morris his first COVID-19 vaccine shot. than two months old. Photo by Chris Ching it around,” said Bui As far as space for fos- Thompson, a Rancho and those working in a relatively quick affair. the shot was actually the tering, a bathroom, laundry Cordova resident who also the city, the partnership Greeted warmly by vol- longest part of the entire room or spare bedroom is is President of the SMUD also hoped to reach com- unteers, residents checked process (I know because I typically appropriate. The Board of Directors munities hit hardest by in in front of City Hall got one). time commitment for fos- Kniedstedt called the COVID-19 and “giv- then were escorted inside One of the recipi- tering can be anywhere coming together of the city ing access”, in the words the lobby for final regis- ents, Michael Morris, 69, from one to six weeks, and the clinic “serendipi- of DPHVC Director Dr. tration and ultimately into had formerly been hes- depending on their size tous” as the City Council Kawanaa Carter, to those a conference room for itant about vaccination at the time of fostering. had previously directed less able or likely to receive the administering of the but some acquaintances Additional foster needs staff to find a partner like the vaccine: the uninsured, vaccine at one of many had “changed his mind” include caring for sick or DPHVC. the under-insured and stations. The 15-minute and now he was happy to injured animals, nursing Aimed at providing first minorities. waiting period to see if get his. Literally echoing mothers and litters, animals and eventually second Getting the vaccine at any immediate side-effects Morris’ sentiments was a who need a break from the doses to Rancho Cordovans the afternoon event was arose after one received Continued on page 12 Continued on page 5 www.RanchoCordovaIndependent.com 2 • The Independent MAY 7, 2021 5 Things Retirees Will Wish SMUD Announces its 2030 Zero Carbon Plan SMUD Press Release New partnerships and show customers will invest business models to pur- extensively in carbon-free They Had Known Sooner SACRAMENTO REGION, CA sue emerging technology energy resources, including (MPG) - The SMUD Board of such as virtual power plants, 500 to 750 MW of roof- Commentary career,” Patti Hart says. “Knowing and Directors approved the most vehicle-to-grid projects and top solar and 50 to 250 MW by Patti and Milledge Hart understanding what that means will help ambitious carbon reduction more to leverage our cus- of customer-owned battery you plan better.” It’s important to con- plan by any large utility in tomers’ investments in clean storage. Many people planning for retirement stantly prepare for the next phase. The the nation, in a Board meet- energy to offset the need for SMUD’s plan demon- anticipate those post-working years eagerly, Harts acknowledge they should have been ing on Wednesday, April energy from conventional strates its commitment to ready to veg out after a life of toil. Others planning earlier than they did. Instead, 28. This comes after the gas power plants; finding innovative ways to plan with greater anxiety, unsure whether time slipped by. “The horizon is closer Board adopted a Climate Aggressively support reach its zero-carbon goal and they even have an identity without their jobs. than it looks,” Milledge Hart says. So, Emergency Declaration in electrifying buildings and will do so without impacting But it may be that retirement these days is when should you get serious about plan- July 2020 and asked staff to vehicles, because these are reliability or the low rates far different from what either point of view ning for those post-career years? “Right develop a plan to expedite the two largest carbon emit- SMUD customers enjoy. To envisions. now would be a good time,” he says. “But carbon reductions due to the ting sectors in the state; pay for new technologies “We all have made decisions based on definitely, the sooner the better.” Retirees growing threats of climate Retiring, repurposing or and make them available to the information we had at the time, but later need to redefine their metrics. The Harts change. repowering SMUD’s natural customers in an equitable realized we would have planned differ- say it’s important for people to redefine how “The threats to our region gas power plants, including manner, SMUD will pursue ently if we knew then what we know now,” they measure success in this phase of life are real and unaccept- the retirement of McClellan partnerships, investors and says Patti Hart, co-author with her husband, because it’s different from how they likely able,” said Board President and Campbells gas-fired grant funding, while keeping Milledge, of The Resolutionist: Welcome to measured success in their career days. “The Nancy Bui-Thompson. plants by 2025. The 2030 rates below inflation. the Anti-Retirement Movement. goals are likely to be more qualitative than “Sacramento consistently Zero Carbon Plan includes “Our customers are at the “That’s definitely true when it comes to quantitative,” Patti Hart says.