Three SmaRT New Childhood Ride Zones Literacy Effort Expanding Seeing STARS PAGE 3 PAGE 3 The News Established 1983 ... The best little paper in these parts! VOLUME 40 • ISSUE 17 Serving Rio Linda, Elverta and Sacramento County APRIL 23, 2021 SEE $200 Million INSIDE What Horse Park? of Funding for ‘MISSING LINK’ Transportation DETECTED Projects IN COVID-19 SACOG Press Release SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Transportation projects PATIENTS? across the Sacramento region received $198 million in funding from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) today. The 2021 funding round is the tenth in the 17-year history of the funding program, which has awarded more than $1.1 bil- lion over that time. The SACOG board also acted to recommend nearly $12 mil- lion in funding in the regional Active Transportation Program. The unanimous vote by the SACOG board meant 74 proj- PAGE 7 ects were approved to receive funding from two programs: the Regional Program and the Community Design Program. LAURA’S LAW The flexible Regional The park features a completely fenced, huge riding arena with Program funds cost-effec- outside lighting for night riding. Photos by Cecilia Lee Feser IN SACRAMENTO tive transportation projects By Cecilia Lee Feser side, she's been work- that realize the performance ing full time as a benefits of the Metropolitan COUNTY RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) - Up the road from property manager for Transportation Plan/ my farm is Rancho Negri, owned over 25 years. Sustainable Communities by Renee Negri, who thrives on res- “Helps pay for my Strategy and the Community cuing horses. Once she gets a new hobby,” she said. Design Program provides rescue, the horse gets a full look see. I actually do under- funding to local governments She checks teeth for hooks which stand her statement, to build placemaking proj- causes horses to bite their own cheek as writing helps offset ects in their communities. when chewing. She gets shots done “my animal hobby”. Funded projects help imple- and then does all her own hoof trim- One day while ment SACOG Blueprint ming. Sometimes the horse needs a we were talking, I principles such as a mix of massage, or muscle release to which noticed her horse trailer, asked her loaded up two of her horses and took land uses, preservation of nat- she is certified. She also gives the where she rode around here. She me to the horse arena. What a real ural resources, or housing and neighborhood kids rides around her mentioned a place just up the road treat. She said she would show me a transportation options. property, where safety is first and on Elkhorn Blvd, right past the High few of her training techniques, and “These projects have risen everyone wears a helmet when riding! School, then turn left into the great loaded up in the truck that would be to the top through a rigorous, Renee rescues cats, dogs, chickens big horse arena. She also wished pulling our horse trailer. She grabbed competitive process and I'm or any animal in need of help and a more people knew of it. “Buckles” her horse and “Rose” confident they will advance PAGE 3 friend. Her hobby sounds like some- “Oh really”, the writer thought, “do another of her horses. She brushed the transportation goals and aspirations for communities PRESORTED STD. thing I do. She let me know on the tell”. Not only did she tell me, she Continued on page 3 US POSTAGE throughout the Sacramento PAID region,” said SACOG board PERMIT 10 chair Bonnie Gore, a Placer Rio Linda, CA County supervisor. Changes to this year’s Change Service Requested Life’s a Gift to Nurture funding round process meant that more weight was given to the priorities submitting Wild Life Care Association Sends Animals on their Way agencies gave to their proj- ects. The performance-based recommendations largely By Cecilia Lee Feser ended up reflecting what the submitting counties, cities, SACRAMENTO REGION, CA and agencies said were most (MPG) - The composition important to them as well as roof is on the new aviary, meeting regional priorities all the wood framing and that will help meet our most of the bird safe wir- The Regional Program ing. The insides will be comprises two key cat- finished by the volunteers. egories, Maintenance Meaning, all natural wood and Modernization and perches, getting the feeders Transformative, intended for and water bowls mounted larger projects. An example inside. Final touch, paint- of a Transformative project is ing. It was voted on a the $21.9 million awarded to darker green color, to blend SacRT to go toward the pur- with their wild life theme. chase of 16 new light rail The second trip to Aviary vehicles. The new vehicles building site was to get will have low-level boarding more info on how the at every doorway, spacious building is coming along. I seating design, and feature went inside the Care center improved accessibility with for pictures of the different wider aisles, built-in storage, kind of animals currently Holding a mourning dove is nursery supervisor “Zoe Stephens” who prepares to feed some and areas for bicycles. formula. Photo by Cecilia Lee Feser being cared for. First, I For more information, heard pith, pith, pith of the know more about how he $8000 dollars was raised week, the crew building see the full list of Funding air hammer and the gener- got the supplies. Jim told for this project. This would the aviary, are volunteers Round awards, the Active ator running hard. Then I me a Facebook group sup- go for the wood, nails, from Wells Construction Transportation Program saw Jim Brown taking off porting all updates on what bird wire and whatever Company. They worked recommendations, and the some support boards, now is happening with The Wild odds and ends that would SMOOOTTTHH around project review summary, that the Aviary could stand Life Care Association, had be needed. So they started each other, comfortable! which describes each project on its own. I wanted to raised the donations. Over building. I mentioned last Continued on page 2 in more narrative detail. H TheRioLindaNews.com 2 • THE NEWS APRIL 23, 2021 Life’s a Gift to Nurture Continued from page 1 kicked back, the water misters going, a full They bought the wood from ‘Homewood’in bowl of feed, and water. Would you want to Rocklin, a huge help with supplies. leave? Also, “Do you know what they call Over my shoulder, I told him it was look- a flock of Crow’s”? I shook my head no. ing very good, and walked into the nursery. “They are called a MURDER of crows!” There I was met by Terri Muzik who Guess that’s why scary movies use black would be my escort. Before we could see crows when something chilling is about to the animals, she mentioned to me, all vol- happen. unteers who worked around Skunks, We went to a little office where we could Raccoons, Foxes and Bats, must, have a finally talk with adult voices. She reminded current rabies shot. me the volunteers run the day to day. Some Also, stay quiet, “inside voices”, to have been here for years but, ALWAYS, keep the animals calm. She then took me looking for more people who want the inside where I met, Zoe Stephens, the nurs- excitement of caring for the young, or sick ery supervisor, getting ready to hand feed or injured animals. If you’re out there and a baby mourning dove. “Formula to feed want to work around the animals, call us animals, comes in a powdered form, mixed at: 916-965-9453 or come by 5211 Patrol with warm water and then fed by syringe. Rd. Sacramento, CA, and ask how you Sometimes though, babies are so new born, can help. We’ve received animal baby for- the formula has to be fed through a tube mula in cans, someone sent a whole box of that is placed down to their stomach. We the cans, some give towels, crates, water get them fed one way or the other!!!” she dishes, food dishes, etc. Especially, we said. need old newspapers for bottom of cages, With the new animal drop offs and then and of course, everyone's favorite item: when they are ready to move on you never CASH!! What really shows just how much Above top: A mourning dove is held ready to be fed. Center: A two month old opossum resides A nestling of doves. Photo by Cecilia Lee Feser at the care center for now. Above: Jim Brown is head of Wells Construction Company. Photos by Cecilia Lee Feser know what you will see when you come There is very, very little interaction not unless it’s really, really hot outside. the community supports us, is we get fun to work. A fun thing. There’s many sized between animals being cared for and the “Why”? I asked. She said, “because there gifts through UPS. As, I was saying good containers for the different sized animals. caretakers. Their very goal is to get them are no water misters in the wild.” bye here comes a UPS guy with a pack- From newborns to injured animals. From back in the wild, so as little touching as pos- No, of course not. age. She got a huge grin and said, “I just birds to, a current run on opossums. I saw sible. Heading out of “baby station”, Terri “We try not to get the birds used to things love presents!!” We shook hands and I told baby opossums that did not even have their started telling me a funny story that goes they won’t run across once released.