Natomas Holiday Light Competition

Yes, it's the holiday season and the folks at District 1 headquarters are doing the second annual holiday light compentition. 

For more info, please go to: http://www.angeliqueashby.com/deck-the-halls-2012

Natomas Emergency Preparedness Meeting Download

I was able to attend this meeting this past Monday. There was a lot of helpful and important information.

Here is a great summary of the meeting (with accompanying links) provided by Vice Mayor Ashby's Office: 

http://www.angeliqueashby.com/emergency-prep-workshop-nov-2012

Santa is coming to town - Valley View Acres Edition!

Santa is coming to Natomas and he’ll be visiting Valley View Acres on Friday December 14^th (@ Barros & Tunis) at approximately 7:20PM.  

There are other stops so make sure to check the Route Map for December 14th (in case any  neighbors want to take a quick drive over to any of the other Santa Stops. Also, please make sure to check Twitter on that evening (@AngeliqueAshby) for real time information on where Santa is along his route (and if there are any delays).

Here is a complete listing of all dates, stops, and links to route maps on our website:  

http://www.angeliqueashby.com/santa-in-natomas-2012

Hope to see you there!

Garbage Service Announcement

Media Advisory

Contact: Erin Treadwell

                etreadwell@cityofsacramento.org

                916-808-4934 or  916-996-3699

Release: November 21, 2012

No Change to Garbage Services over the Holidays

Christmas Trees will be collected the week of January 14, 2013

Residential collection of containerized garbage, recycle and yard waste will occur on all regularly scheduled collection days. This year those days include:

·         Thanksgiving – Thursday, November 22, 2012

·         Christmas Eve – Monday, December 24, 2012

·         Christmas Day – Tuesday, December 25, 2012

·         New Year’s Eve – Monday, December 31, 2012

·         New Year’s Day – Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Loose-in-the-street yard waste pickup will also continue citywide over the holidays.  Residents can find out when crews are scheduled to be in their neighborhood by calling 311 or by using an online map - updated daily – on the City’s website at www.cityofsacramento.org/yardwaste.

Christmas Tree Recycling

The city also provides curbside holiday tree pickup.  The last day trees can be placed out for pickup is 6:00 a.m. on Monday, January 14, 2013. Trees should be clean of all lights, tinsel, decorations, and have no stand attached.  Flocked trees will be accepted.

For more information on Solid Waste & Recycling Division services, visit our website, follow us on Facebook or call 311.

November Meeting Summary

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all VVA neighbors and their families.

As you all may recall, we met one week early this month due to the early Thanksgiving holiday this year. Here is a brief summary:

Old Business:

We discussed Feeding Crane Farms and their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. They are accepting subscriptions for vegetables for January delivery. Please visit: www.feedingcranefarms.com

Officers/Directors
We elected the following board members for the 2012-2014 term:

Nick Avdis
Dennis Boyd
Ken Roggenkamp
Shannon Summers

Also, the following officers:

Nick Avdis, president
Benita Womack, vp
Diana Brace, secretary

Announcements:

Anissa Angel was recently appointed to the Sacramento Youth Commission. We are all very proud of her accomplishment and have high expectations for her. Congrats Anissa.

This year's Natomas Tree lighting will be held on November 29th at 5:30pm at the Natomas Community Center on Truxel.

Natomas Santa Visit to VVA. On the evening of Friday, December 14th, time TBD, at Barros at the dead end at the levee, Santa will visit VVA on a firetruck and will be available for pictures with kids and adults alike. I'll keep you all posted on the approximate time for the visit.

On behalf of the VVACA board and its officers, thanks again to all neighbors that participated in a another active year for the Valley View Acres Community Association.  I know I sound like a broken record, but we really live in a special place with a lot of folks that care deeply about their community. Keep up the good work!

Again, Happy Thanksgiving and happy holidays! See you at our first meeting in the new year scheduled for January 16th. Location TBD. 

Emergency Preparedness Meeting

Join the City of Sacramento for a discussion on Emergency Preparedness. Speakers will include Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby as well as speakers from the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), RD 1000, Sacramento City Police and Fire Departments, Neighborhood Services and the Department of Utilities. In addition to emergency preparedness information, updates will be provided regarding current levee conditions and flood control efforts.

Please join other members of the Natomas community for this important meeting.

When: Monday, November 26th, 2012
Where: H. Allen High Elementary School Auditorium
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 PM

For more info, please visit:

http://www.angeliqueashby.com/emergency-preparedness-meeting-nov2012

November Meeting

This month we'll be deviating from our normal meeting schedule to accomodate the early Thanksgiving holiday.

We'll be meeting on Wednesday, November 14 at 6:30pm at the Angel home at 5600 Sorento Road.

Natomas Holiday Tree Lighting

On Thursday, November 29, 2012, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm, the 9th Annual Natomas Tree Lighting for All Natomas will take place at the Natomas Community Center located at 2921 Truxel Road. For more info, please go to www.natomaschamber.org .

North Natomas Annual Report

For you North Natomasphiles, Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby  released her City of Sacramento District 1 Annal Report, it can be found here: http://www.angeliqueashby.com/annualreport2012

October Meeting Summary

Thanks to all who made it to our monthly meeting last. Another great turnout! I think many of us may take for granted what a great and active community we have. In any event, here's a brief summary of what was discussed:

(1) Clean Up Follow up. Many of you may have noticed the throngs on neighbors that took to the streets during the morning hours last Saturday to pick up roadside trash. We had an incredible turnout. Special thanks to the Angel family for organizing this semi-annual event and to Dennis Boyd for hosting the pot luck after party! Also, a shout out to the Lopez and Lozano families for making the neighborhood cleanup a three generation family affair. And let's not forget Waste Managment who provided the waste bins. Thanks everyone!

(2) Feeding Crane Farms. We had the general manager from Feeding Crane Farms, Shannin, attend to inform neighbors about what the latest news with this Valley View Acres located sustainable organic farm. For those of you who may not know, Feeding Crane Farms is a relatively new boutique organic farm that focuses on growing for local restaurants, local farmer's markets, and is currently expanding to local food outlets, like Raley's, Whole Foods, etc. Feeding Crane Farms also operates a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program where subscribers can enjoy the seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on the farm for a very minimal cost (approx. $22 a week for a fair large box). Shannin brought a couple of boxes of different varieties of squash and heirloom tomatoes to share with neighbors. It really was a special treat. Thanks Shannin and thanks Feeding Crane Farms! For more info on FCF, check out their website www.feedingcranefarms.com

(3) City Update. We had an update from Vice Mayor Ashby's office provided by Michel Huziar. He reminded us that this Sunday, October 21st from 1-4pm, is the Creekside Community Fair, which will have fun and games for all. For more info on the Fair and other goings on in Natomas, please visit www.angeliqueashby.com/ . Thanks Michel!

(4) Local Ballot Measure Discussion/Robla School District Board. We took some time to talk through the 3 local ballot measures that are on the November Ballot, namely measures M (formation of a Charter Commission), T (Yard Waste, i.e., the future of the "claw") and U (Sales Tax Increase). Attached are information sheets regarding these three measures. We also discussed the upcoming Robla School Board race. Dennis, who is also on the Robla School Board, discussed the candidacy of Ken Barnes and Kim Howard, whom he supports.

(5) Next meeting, our next meeting was scheduled for November 21st, but since that is the day before Thanksgiving, neighbors decided to move up next month's meeting to Wednesday, November 14th. Location TBD.

Also, after the meeting, Michel from Angelique Ashby's office also provided some additional materials regarding the Natomas Levee Improvement Program and general economics summary sheet for Natomas. 

Thanks again everyone.

See you next month!

September Meeting Summary

Thanks to all who attended last week's meeting. Another great turnout. Of course, special thanks to the Angel's for opening up their home to host our neighborhood meeting this month.

Here's a brief summary of our last meeting:

Police Update.  Representatives from Sac PD were in attendance and provided a summary of recent crime incidents and trends in North Natomas, as well as fielding many questions from neighbors. The officers were very generous with their time, thank you!

Sorento Road Issue.  Negotiations are continuing with Twin Rivers Unified School District regarding their obligations to certain improvements to Sorento Road. The District is taking the position that they have no funding to satisfy the promises they made to the neighborhood. VVA representatives continue to advocate for at least some of the improvements to be made as originally promised.

Neighborhood Roadways.  As a related point, the City has informed us we are scheduled for some freshening up of other roadways within VVA, including the slurry sealing of roads. We are now on the maintenance list for 2015.  All improvements such as these are scheduled 3 years in advance by the City. Good job Ken Roggenkamp and thank you Michelle Kille with Vice Mayor Ashby's office!

Neighborhood Clean-up.  We also discussed the logistics of our upcoming neighborhood cleanup on Saturday, October 13. The Angels have volunteered their home at 5600 Sorento Road as a staging location.  Folks are encouraged to meet there at 8:30 am and determine our plan of attack for cleaning up roadside trash from there. BBQ/Potluck to follow at 11am or so.  Thank you Angels!

Next month we'll be holding elections for officers and directors, so if you are interested or wish to support someone in particular for a position, please attend next month's meeting!

Next meeting: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 6:30pm, location TBD.

Recent Sac PD News Release

News Release

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

For Immediate Release

Release No. 20120919-133

  

Media Relations Office

916 808.0808

pio@pd.cityofsacramento.org

 

Capt. Mike Bray

Ofc. Doug Morse

Ofc. Michele Gigante

Observe and Report

 The Sacramento Police Department is seeking your assistance in reducing property crime in our community.  The most effective crime prevention strategies rely on the police and community working together.  A strong partnership makes a tremendous difference. 

Tips for combating burglary, vandalism and graffiti:

·         Observe - Your observations are invaluable in an investigation.  Police conduct neighborhood canvasses looking for possible witnesses and something observed may be critical in that investigation. 

·         Report - If you witness a crime in progress or suspicious activity, call the police.  Many burglars, thieves and vandals are arrested as a result of a call from a concerned neighbor or community member.

·         If something doesn’t seem right, follow your instinct and call the police. 

·         Get to know your neighbors. Watch out for one another.

·         Illuminate - Utilize outdoor lighting including motion detector lights. 

·         If evidence is found, such as burglary or cutting tools, disrupted or broken property, spray cans, or items left by the suspects, leave it in place for the police to handle.

September Meeting

Just a reminder that our meeting this month is this Wednesday, September 19 at 6:30pm.  We'll be meeting at the Angel Family's home at 5600 Sorento Road.

Among the topics of discussion:

Updates on:

Twin Rivers - Sorento Road Issue

Upcoming Neighborhood Clean up

Officers and Directors selection for the next year

Other Issues of Neighborhood Concern

If you'd like anything specific discussed, please let me know.

Thanks

Sun Glare Advisory Courtesy of Sac PD

The Sacramento Police Department would like to remind the public of the potentially hazardous conditions caused by drivers looking directly into the sunlight during the morning and evening commutes.
 
Many of the streets in Sacramento are laid out along an east-west and north-south grid. During this time of year, the sun rises directly out of the east which coincides with morning and/or evening commutes for many motorists. Glare is most significant to drivers while the sun is low, just above the horizon, in the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset.
                                
Motorists should always be prepared to slow down to a speed which is safe for the prevailing driving conditions. Two years ago, the City of Sacramento had multiple fatal and serious injury collisions where sun-glare was reported as a factor.

Here are 10 tips to reduce sun-glare collisions:
   
1)     Keep your windshield clean on the inside and outside.
2)     Ensure your windshield wipers are in good working order.
3)     Keep your washer fluid reservoir full in case you need to clean your windshield while driving.
4)     Wear polarized sunglasses.
5)     Keep your visor in good working order and clear of items that may restrict its use.
6)     Avoid using high gloss dashboard cleaners that leave a highly reflective shine.
7)     Maintain a space cushion between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you which allows for ample time to react.
8)     Anticipate that sometimes pedestrians don’t realize you can’t see them.
9)     Adjust your driving around those areas you know have sun-glare problems.
10)  Avoid using cleaners that may leave streaks that refract sunlight making it hard to see.
Pedestrians should be cautious when crossing east-west roadways during this time period and recognize when a motorists has the sun in their eyes.

Upcoming Art Show

Hello everyone. By now you all have either met Libby or know of her. She has been a long time VVA resident and continues to be an active member of our community. She also happens to be a mixed media and ceramic clay artist. In addition to being featured in this month's edition of N Magazine (due out next Monday 8/27 or Tuesday8/28), she also has an upcoming showing of her artwork.  The Capitol Artist Studio Tour 2012 will be featuring 4 artists at 2613 -- 14th Street, Sacramento, near the Tower Theater on Sept. 8th and 9th (10am - 5pm both days), for more info, please visit www.ccasac.org

August Meeting Summary

Hi everyone.

Thanks to those who attended last Wednesday's neighborhood meeting and special thanks to the Lopez family for hosting. The pool side atmosphere, as well as all the food and drink, made for an enjoyable evening with neighbors.

We had a couple guests in attendance, including Michel Huziar from Vice Mayor Ashby's office, as well as Ken Barnes, a candidate for Robla School District Board of Trustees.

Here's a brief summary of what we discussed:

Recap of Summer Activities in VVA.  Thank you to Libby Harmor for hosting and organizing the annual 4th of July parade, another great parade! Thanks to Alyssa and Bett Marie for organizing and hosting a neighborhood kid's meeting on July 13th, it was a great opportunity for the slew of parents and kids of the neighborhood to meet. The Police officer in attendance was also very generous with her time with the kids and the parents had a good time too! On August 7th, our very own Dennis Boyd hosted VVA's first annual National Night Out BBQ and Potluck. There were a lot of neighbors in attendance and we enjoyed a ton of food. We were also visited by representatives from the Police Department, as well as Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby and County Supervisor Phil Serna, who took time to visit with neighbors.

Eminent Domain.  We discussed the willingness of the City (and other surrounding jurisdictions) to examine using eminent domain for purposes of taking blighted properties owned by banks or investor groups.  While no jurisdiction in the state has yet done so, it is being examined by many as a way to minimize or turn around blighted and abandoned residential properties with absentee bank or investor group owners.

Robla Board Candidate. Ken Barnes took the opportunity to discuss his vision for Robla School District as well as the reasons for his candidacy.

Twin Rivers Sorento Road Update.  The City, County and Twin Rivers have been in the process of entering into a memorandum of understanding with regards to improvements to Sorento Road.  Unfortunately, the commitments made by TRUSD during the processing of the ENEC project in 2008-2009 are being revisited by the School District.  VVA representation has been present during those discussions advocating for the commitments of TRUSD to be kept, namely for the road repairs to be done as originally promised in the timeframes agreed upon.

Upcoming Events.  We currently have our fall neighborhood cleanup scheduled for Saturday, October 13. We'll meet as usual at the Angel Family residence at 5600 Sorento Road at 8:30 am and determine our plan of attack for cleaning up roadside trash. BBQ/Potluck to follow at 11am or so.

Our next neighborhood meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 19th at 630 at a location to be determined.

Thank you!

August Meeting

Hi everyone.  We'll be meeting this month on Wednesday, August 15th at 6:30pm.  This month's meeting will be at the Lopez family home at 5400 Sorento Road.

As a special treat, the Lopez's have graciously invited neighbors to their home and swimming pool for those wanting to cool off from the heat.  Parents are welcome to bring their children, but please keep an eye on them in and around the pool.

The Mike and Shiela will be serving hotdogs, chips, salsa, fruit and water.

We'll be catching up on what's going on in the neighborhood and in the City.

Thanks

July Neighborhood Update

I hope that you are all enjoying your summer. Things have been very quiet in the neighborhood for the most part.

As you all know, we did not have a July regular neighborhood meeting, but we did have our annunal July 4th Parade, as well as a Kids' Meeting on Friday, July 13th.  Thanks to Libby on Tunis for organizing and hosting the parade. As for the Kids' meeting, the Police Department came out and talked to neighborhood children, parents, and grandparents, about best safety practices when at home alone during the summer and kid safety. Phil and Alyssa on Barros hosted the event at their home on Barros and provided the food and beverages for the event.  I think all the children had a great time, I know mine did. Thanks to Alyssa and BettMarie for organizing the event.  We will be having more kid-centric events so look out for announcements in the future.

Also, our first annual National Night Out event is a couple weeks away. On Tuesday, August 7, 2012, Dennis Boyd will be hosting a BBQ potluck at his home located at 5610 Sorento Road from 6pm-8pm. All neighbors are encouraged to come out and enjoy an evening of food and getting to know your neighbors.  Don't forget to bring a favorite dish to share!

Our next regular neighborhood meeting will be Wednesday, August 15 at 630 pm. Location to be determined.

June Meeting Summary

Thanks to all who attended last week's meeting. Special thanks to the Summers family for hosting this month's meeting.

Also, a special to Officer Swafford from Sac PD who attends every month to apprise neighbors of current happenings in local law enforcement efforts and to Michael Huizar, our District 1 Constituent Affairs Director. 

Michael introduced himself to neighbors and provided the opportunity for folks to discuss issues facing District 1, as well as upcoming events. Should you need any assistance with City related issues, please feel free to direct all questions or comments to Michael at mhuizar@cityofsacramento.org  .

We discussed various code enforcement matters related to the neigbhorhood, as well as the upcoming 4th of July Parade and organizing a National Night Out nieghborhood event. Please see my earlier posting on the 4th of July Parade. National Night out is scheduled for Tuesday, August 7th.  From 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., residents throughout the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights, and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police. Here's some more info regaridng NNO for those interested in the background:  http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/ .  Dennis Boyd has graciously volunteered his place for a destination of activities (his home located at 5610 Sorento Road). Neighbors are encouraged to walk to Dennis' place and get to know other neighbors along the way. More info will be provided as we get closer to the event.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, August 15th, location to be determined. There will not be a meeting in July.

25th Annual Fourth of July Parade

When: Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at 10am, the parade will start at 10:30am

Where: Libby's house at 4930 Tunis Road

There will be a pot luck at Libby's place afterwards. Bring something to share. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be provided.

Any questions should be directed to Libby: libbyharmor@gmail.com

Thanks

Fight the Bite

Important information from Sacramento and Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District:

http://www.fightthebite.net/

June Meeting

This month we'll be meeting on Wednesday, June 20th at the Summers' residence located at 5121 Kenmar Road (South west corner of Barros and Kenmar).  Meeting will begin at 6:30 and last about an hour. Hope to see you there!

North Command Community Update

The following is provided by the Sac PD North Station Captain:

This information is provided soyou can have a timely snapshot of significant events in our community. It isour intention to list suspect apprehensions and crimes of interest (i.e.,robberies, assaults, burglaries, homicides), traffic enforcement efforts, andconditions caused by natural events (flooding, road closures, etc.) You mayshare this information with your family, friends and neighbors. The crimesreported here are preliminary investigations, taken in the field by patrolofficers, and may or may not be assigned to a Detective for furtherinvestigation.

Call in ALL suspicious ActivityALL the time!!  If you know anyone that would like to be added to thisemail update group – send me their email address and they will be added. 

If you observe a crime inprogress call 9-1-1 (732-0100 from your cell phone).  For non-emergencyincidents, call (916) 264—5471.  If you have information regarding some ofthe above crimes please call Crime Alert at 443-HELP or 1-800-AA-CRIME. (You can remain anonymous) 

The "crime summary" tab on:  www.sacpd.org  has been updated and nowincludes the link to real time data from crimereports.com. You can enroll andreceive your own customized alerts and reports.

The page for all your crime data needs:    http://www.sacpd.org/crime/

To sign up for "eNotify" and receive our updates onhelicopter activity, daily patrol logs/activity, and press releases:  http://www.sacpd.org/stayinformed/enotify/

Hello Community Members,

We have lowered some of our burglary numbersthis week to homes but seen an increase to businesses.  Violent crimeswent down this last week so that is really good news.  This upcoming monthwill be a busy one as we transition for possible shift change at the end of themonth and start our preparation for 4th of July events at CalExpo.  Our CSU (Crime Suppression Unit and GET (Gang Enforcement Team)have been busy conducting follow up on a variety of crimes that haveoccurred. 

As a side note, if you run into an officerthat provides great service we would appreciate an email or letter about yourpositive experience.  It always helps to motivate officers and give themfeedback on a job well done.  We even have an area that we post upcomments from the community on the great work our officers do on a dailybasis.  Thanks in advance for your feedback!

District 1 (South and North Natomas):

·        OnJune 10th (Sunday), at 8 p.m., a Volunteer in Policing (VIP)received a cell phone that was left by a suspect inside the victim’s car. Officers were able to determine who the phone belonged to and was able to trickthe subject into meeting with them near Truxel Road/ Arena Blvd.  When thesuspect showed up and saw the officers he tried to run but was quicklyarrested.  Wouldn’t you know it, the suspect showed up with a friend in astolen car.  The passenger ended up having a felony warrant.  Wishit was always this easy to catch a bad guy.  Great work by the officersinvolved!

·        OnJune 11 (Monday), at 10 p.m., victim was asleep at his home in the 100 block ofOpus Circle when he heard a noise near a window at the back of his house. The victim went to look and saw a male Black suspect wearing a hoodedsweatshirt attempting to enter his house.  A witness saw two male subjectsrunning into a dark vehicle and leave the area.  The suspects were notlocated.  Reminder to keep your windows and door locked.  If youhave an alarm activate before you go to bed or when your home if your house islarger.

·        OnJune 12th (Tuesday), Officers Cory Faria was on his way to anothercall when he heard that a burglary was being reported by neighbors in the 2900block of Azevedo Drive at around 8:30 p.m.  Officer Faria began checkingthe area for possible suspects and located two subjects carrying a bunch ofproperty (that’s called a clue in police work).  Both suspects ages24 and 30 years old were arrested for burglary.  Watching out for eachother beats any other crime deterrence.  If it wasn’t for the neighborsobserving and calling the police this would have been another burglary thatwent unsolved.  Great job by all involved!
 
District2 (Del Paso Heights, Robla, Del Paso Blvd, El Camino, Woodlake):

·        OnJune 12th (Tuesday), day shift officers responded to Camp Pollock inthe 400 block of Del Paso Blvd on a male in his 60’s founddeceased.   No signs of foul play were found.  The subject isbelieved to be a transient.

·        OnJune 12th (Tuesday), Gang Enforcement Team served a search warrantin the 800 block of Eleanor.  The officers located a marijuana grow,marijuana packaged for sales, and numerous guns.  The suspect arrested wasa gang member and arrested for various charges.  Anything we can take agun off the street is great but even better if they are gang members…great workby the GET team!

·        OnJune 12th (Tuesday), Officer Todd Bevins was taking a robbery reportat May St and Harris Ave at around 8 p.m.  The victim was robbed at gunpoint by his neighbors (you thought your neighbor was bad with the loudmusic).  While the officer was on scene, the suspects drove by. The suspects ran but were found by K-9.

Miscellaneous

In the County of Sacramento they had aburglary where one suspect pretended to be a utility worker or contractor andlured the homeowner into their backyard.  Another suspect then went intothe house and stole numerous items while the homeowner was out back watchingthe worker in the yard.  We have had many of these types of ruseburglaries in the past so be on alert.  Just because a person had a workhat or vest does not mean you should follow them or leave your houseunsecured.  Ask for identification or a business card.  Call thepolice if you have any doubts as to their authenticity.  Look for a worktruck and get the license plate. 

If you ever wondered how you go aboutstarting a neighborhood watch group our own Jeannette Bonner will be giving apresentation at our Police facility – 3550 Marysville Blvd on Wednesday June 20that 6:30 p.m. and anyone is invited to attend.

May Meeting Summary

Thanks to all who attended last week's meeting. It was an interesting one. Special thanks to the Braces for opening up their beautiful home and back yard to neighbors and for all the great food and drink!

First on the agenda was a last minute request to have the City's Solid Waste and Recycling Division provide information on their new "Cleaner Streets" initiative.  The purpose of Cleaner Streets is to modify the greenwaste and recycling services provided for by the City. The proposal includes moving recycling to twice a month and completely eliminating the "claw" (roadside greenwaste pickup) for most of the year, garbage service will remain unchanged.  Though the City will continue to provide the roadside greenwaste pickup for the months of November, December and January and will begin offering neighborhood cleanup once a year by appointment (which will allow the use of the claw).

For more information and to take a survey please visit the Cleaner Streets website at: http://www.cleanerstreets.com/

The Police department was in attendance again this month. Officer Swafford provided a summary of Police happenings in our area.  He also notified us that the Police Department is once again taking burglary reporting in person by officers instead of on-line only reporting.

We also discussed our neighborhood cleanup which is scheduled for Saturday, June 2, 2012.  We will all be meeting at the Angel residence at 5600 Sorento at 8:30. Bring your gloves and other trash pickup attire.  A BBQ potluck will follow. Hot dogs, chips and water will be provided... Bring a drink and/or dish of your choice. Come out, get to know your neighbors and help clean up the place we call home!

In addition to the cleanup, the Angels will be coordinating a neighborhood yard sale for that same Saturday, June 2nd from 8-1.  Please keep a look out for the flyer, for more info please contact Angela Angel at angelfamily777@gmail.com

Finally, we had Cortez Quinn, candidate for Trustee of Twin Rivers Unified School District, Area 5 in attendace.  Mr. Quinn provided his background and reasons for running. He took many questions from neighbors, though his attendance was prior to his recent troubles that have made front page news. In any event, this was the second month in a row we had candidates running for office this year and I think neighbors appreciate the intimate setting in which to listen and ask questions.

Thanks again and see you next month!

Donations Needed for a Family

The message below is from the principal of Main Ave School. 

_______________________

Hi everyone,

A family in our district (Moreno/Bucio-Gallego) lost everything in a fire last weekend. The children attend Main Avenue and Taylor Street Schools. If you would like to donate anything to the family please bring the items to Main Avenue School, room 12. The sizes of the children are listed below. Mom also has a baby on the way.

Michael and Angel; 2 Kindergarten boys; size 6-8

Mya; 7 years old; second grade; size 7-8

Joe; 12 years old; XL youth, and small adult sizes. Pants are sizes 12 or 14.

Baby Girl due in approximately 3-4 weeks. Mom lost the car seat, baby carrier, and many diapers given to her at a baby shower.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Gail Hunt

Principal

Main Avenue School

(916) 929-9559

GHunt@robla.k12.ca.us

Vice Mayor Ashby kicks off a “Summer of Fun” in Natomas

Press Release:

OFFICE OF THE
CITY COUNCIL
Vice Mayor
Angelique Ashby

915 I STREET, 5thFLOOR
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE11 May 2012
CONTACT:Michelle Kille (916) 808‐7001

Vice Mayor Ashby kicks off a “Summer of Fun” in Natomas

SACRAMENTO – The Office of Vice Mayor Ashby invites all Natomas families to participate in our “Summer of Fun” during the months of June through August.

First, if you haven’t already signed your kids up, make sure to check out the Summer Oasis program. This summer day camp for kids, once offered every summer throughout the City, has been saved for a second year by the Vice Mayor, with help from active families in Natomas who voiced their support for the program and community sponsors. This year’s program has a major sponsor coming in to cover seventy percent of the program’s cost, allowing us to offer the 8 week camp for just $75 per participant. A HUGE thank you to our partner Walmart for providing Natomas kids with a healthy and fun summer activity!

This 8 week camp will run from June 4th to July 27th from 8 to 1pm Monday through Friday, at Regency Park with fun activities such as arts, crafts, games, sports, field trips and more.  Register NOW as space is filling up quickly! In just a few short weeks, the program is already two thirds full. To learn more or register, visit:

http://www.angeliqueashby.com/2012-summer-oasis-camp

Celebrate Sacramento - May 19th

Just in case you are looking for some exciting fun next weekend there are a few things happening in your neck of the woods.  Assemblymember Dickenson will be hosting Celebrate Sacramento on Saturday, May 19th from 11am-4pm at Natomas High School.  Plus the Neighborhood Services Division is presenting a relaxing afternoon of Simply Music that evening (Saturday, May 19th) beginning at 4pm at the Natomas Oaks Park. 

Here's the link:

http://asmdc.org/members/a09/enewsletter/20120510AD09EAlert.htm?utm_source=eAlert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Dickinson_Celebrate-Sacramento 

May Neighborhood Meeting

This month's meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 16th. We'll be getting together at the home of Diana and Dan Brace located at 5021 Tunis at the regular time of 6:30pm.

Please let me know by commenting below or by sending me an email directly if you would like something discussed. Currently, we'll be discussing issues of neighborhood interest including the status of negotiations with the Twin Rivers Unified School District regarding their obligations to repair Sorento Road, code enforcement updates and the upcoming neighborhood clean up.

Hope to see you there.

North Command Community Update

Here is the latest from the Police Department:
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Hello Community Members,

This week has picked up in violentcrimes.  We also had a slight uptick in burglaries near south Natomas areabut there were no patterns to link any of them at this time.  As you mayhave already read earlier in the week we had a homicide in both District 1 and2.  In District 1 near the 2100 block of Peakview Way, we had a malekilled inside his resident by his son.  The suspect was taken into custodywithout further incident.  In District 2 near Scoles Court and WesternAve, we had a male in his 20’s shot and killed.  The suspect (s) in thiscase has not been apprehended and the investigation is still ongoing. Officers are trying to get to these violent individuals with guns on a dailybasis by conducting proactive stops, searching probationers and parolees, andfocusing attention on gang members and locations.  We are just starting toget into the hot temperature months so we expect more activity and people outand about.  Now more than ever remain vigilant in keeping an eye out foreach other and calling in to the police on suspicious activity/persons. 


District 1 (South and North Natomas):

·        OnMay 4th (Friday), at approx. 10:45 a.m., in the 1200 block of TrailEnd Way, the victim woke up and found that someone had broken into hisresidence through the garage side door.  Nothing appeared to be missing sopossibly the suspect (s) was scared off.  Reminder if you have an alarmto activate it at night as well as when you are away from the home. 

·        OnMay 6th (Sunday), at approx. 9:45 a.m., in the 1200 block of W. ElCamino, the victim was walking her dog when a suspect demanded her purse. The victim refused and the suspect assaulted her, taking the purse, andfleeing.  It is always a personal choice when deciding not to complywith a robber but always way the risks versus the replacement of the propertytaken.  Also keep an eye out for each other, a male running with a purseis suspicious and you should call the police when you see this type ofactivity.   

·        OnMay 6th (Sunday), at approx. 9:50 a.m., the victim was using the ATMat San Juan /Truxel when he was robbed at gun point by two male Black adultswearing hooded sweatshirts.  Remember to always be aware of yoursurroundings when using ATM’s.  If there is someone suspicious near you,go to another ATM, wait for the person to leave, or/and call the police.

·        OnMay 7th (Monday), at approx. 5:10 p.m., victim observed a male white30-40’s, 5’10, 180 lbs with blonde hair, on a bicycle ride up towards hishouse.  The subject appeared to have his pants off.  The victimyelled at the suspect who then left the area.  The victim’s was with asmall child when the male was observed.  Although it is unknown on thissuspect’s intent, this is a good reminder to always keep an eye on yourchildren.  Also you should go to crimereports.com or Megan’s Law websitesand see the registered sexual offenders that are in your neighborhood.

·        Lastnight, May 10th, we had another ATM robbery near W. El Camino/Truxel Road at around 11:22 p.m.  Suspect approached armed with a gun anddemanded money from the two victims before fleeing.  Be very carefulwhen going to ATM’s in the middle of the night.  This is the second one ofthese we have had in the last week. 

·        Backin June 2011, a burglary occurred in the 100 block of Arnold GambleCircle.  A fingerprint from the burglary was obtained by CSI.  Thisweek the juvenile suspect was identified and arrested. Sometimes they don’tget caught right away but we usually get them eventually!


District2 (Del Paso Heights, Robla, Del Paso Blvd, El Camino, Woodlake):

·        OnMay 4th (Friday), officers responded to the 2200 block of Bell Aveon the reports of someone shooting off an AK-47.  Officers arrived andstopped the suspect who was leaving the area in a vehicle.  The suspectwas arrested for various gun charges.  Fortunately in this case no onewas hurt by the gun fire.  Call when you hear gun shots don’t thinksomeone else will call it in. 

·        OnMay 5th (Saturday), at approx. 9:37 p.m., officers responded to arobbery in the 2300 block of North Ave.  Three male Black adults enteredthe business armed with guns and stole money.  Investigation isongoing. 

·        OnMay 8th (Tuesday), Gang Enforcement Team officers stopped a gangmember at Grand and Pinnell who was in possession of drugs and was wanted on ano bail warrant. 

·        OnMay 8th (Tuesday), officers responded to the 4200 block of Norwoodon an armed robbery.  The victim was able to get a very good descriptionof the suspect.  The investigation is ongoing.  Always try and bea good witness.  Get a good look at the suspect’s face, clothing, and anyvehicle description you can (even better if you can obtain a license plate).

·        OnMay 9th (Wednesday), Gang Enforcement Team officers stopped asuspicious vehicle near Altos and Morrison occupied by three subjects (one ofwhich was a gang member).  Officers conducted a probation search locatingecstasy pills. 

·        OnMay 9th (Wednesday), officers responded to a fight at a partyoccurring at 3900 block of Elm Street.  As officers arrived they heard gunshots and saw people running.  Officers stopped one car that was occupiedfinding a loaded gun.  Both occupants of the car were arrested.  Fortunatelyno one was hurt by the gun fire.  The suspects were associated withgangs.  On loud party calls, we may not respond but if there is adisturbance or other unlawful activity make sure you call it in so we can stopthe activity before violence erupts. 

Event:

·        ThisSaturday is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure near the Cal Expo area. If you are not participating please be aware of the traffic impacts from 6 a.m.until 11 a.m.

North Command Community Update

The following crime summary is provided by the North Station Police Captain:

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This information is provided soyou can have a timely snapshot of significant events in our community. It isour intention to list suspect apprehensions and crimes of interest (i.e.,robberies, assaults, burglaries, homicides), traffic enforcement efforts, andconditions caused by natural events (flooding, road closures, etc.) You mayshare this information with your family, friends and neighbors. The crimesreported here are preliminary investigations, taken in the field by patrolofficers, and may or may not be assigned to a Detective for furtherinvestigation.

Call in ALL suspicious ActivityALL the time!!  If you know anyone that would like to be added to thisemail update group – send me their email address and they will be added. 

If you observe a crime inprogress call 9-1-1 (732-0100 from your cell phone).  For non-emergencyincidents, call (916) 264—5471.  If you have information regarding some ofthe above crimes please call Crime Alert at 443-HELP or 1-800-AA-CRIME. (You can remain anonymous) 

The "crime summary" tab on:  www.sacpd.org  has been updated and nowincludes the link to real time data from crimereports.com. You can enroll andreceive your own customized alerts and reports.

The page for all your crime data needs:    http://www.sacpd.org/crime/

To sign up for "eNotify" and receive our updates onhelicopter activity, daily patrol logs/activity, and press releases:  http://www.sacpd.org/stayinformed/enotify/

Hello Community Members,

This week is National Volunteer AppreciationWeek.  For the Police Department, we are fortunate to have many greatvolunteers.  The volunteers assigned out of the North Command can be seenweekly patrolling neighborhoods looking for vacant homes needing board ups,abandoned cars needing to be towed, signing off fix it tickets, and addingvisibility to areas that are trending up in crime.  Our volunteers wearwhite shirts with police patches and drive in a white PT Cruiser with policeemblems so if you see them offer them your thanks and ask them how you canbecome a volunteer as well. 

This week’s crime numbers show that we aretrending upward a bit in business robberies and felony assaults.  We aregoing to target those areas that are showing an uptick in robberies withadditional focus to see if more police presence will drive the incidentsdown.  On the felony assaults some of the incidents are attributed to aslight increase of gang activity and the others are connected to robberies. Amongst the areas of focus will be along the Northgate and Del Paso Blvdcorridors. 

We are starting to get nicer weather whichtraditionally means more calls for service and more activity, so stay vigilantin watching out for each other and calling the police on suspiciousactivity. 

            
District 1 (South and North Natomas):

·        OnApril 14th (Sat), officers responded to subjects fighting nearNorthgate Blvd/ San Juan Road at around 9:15 p.m.  All subjects left whenofficers arrived.  This was a gathering for a one year remembrance of asubject that was killed last year at the location that was gang related. Weare starting to see more gang activity but our Gang Detectives and GangEnforcement Team are actively working on the issue and making some greatarrests.
·        OnApril 16th (Monday), officers responded to a business burglary alarmin the 2600 block of Northgate Blvd.  Officer spotted a vehicle leavingthe area and followed it.  The occupants of the car stopped and ran. One suspect was caught immediately, one subject was caught by K-9, and thethird was not located.  Officers found two flat screen televisions thatwere taken from the business.   Great arrest by Officer Hastingswho has been catching a lot of bad guys the last few weeks. 
·        


District2 (Del Paso Heights, Robla, Del Paso Blvd, El Camino, Woodlake):

·        OnApril 13th (Friday), officers responded to the 2500 block of DelPaso Blvd at around 6: 20 p.m. on a fight that broke out inside thebusiness.  During the fight a gun was pulled out and a struggle ensuedresulting in the gun going off.  No one was hurt during thisincident.  Investigation is ongoing.
·        OnApril 14th (Sat), officers observed a naked subject walking on RioLinda/ Arcade Blvd.  The subject began to attack the officers.  Theofficers were eventually able to arrest him and found that he had assaultedanother person as well.  The same subject was arrested the day prior forindecent exposure.  This week alone we had several officers attacked bysubjects.  Hopefully this is not a trend.
·        OnApril 14th (Sat), officers responded to 3200 block of MarysvilleBlvd at approx. 11:52 p.m. on a large fight.  There was a birthday partyat the park with a large group of teenagers.   When officers arrivedseveral gun shots were heard.  The shooter was not located and no one washurt.  Officers cleared the park.  There were gang members presentat this event and we will be monitoring the park closer for increasedactivity. 
·        OnApril 18th (Wed), officers responded to a vehicle that was drivingrecklessly and then seen brandishing a gun.  Officer Bevins and Smithlocated the car and found the gun.  Both occupants of the car werearrested.  Another great arrest!
·        GangEnforcement Team made a few good arrests of gang members in the 100 block ofCathcart, 2600 block of Rio Linda Blvd, 3800 block of Jasmine on variouscharges ranging from warrants, guns, drugs.  For all the bad thingsthese gang bangers are doing in our community we are making a lot of goodarrests on them.   But, arrests alone won’t solve the problem so getinvolved in your church, community, schools and reach out to the youth to keepthem on track and out of the gang life. 

Event:

Nothing to do tonight April 19th? Well come by the River Cats game tonight and support the Sacramento PoliceActivities League.  Purchase tickets at www.rivercats.com/fullcountdiscount , select:  Sacramento P.A.L. and enter offer code: PAL.  Game startsat 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6:05 p.m.  Fun night out and for a goodcause. 

Enjoythe sunny weekend!

April Meeting Summary

We had another great turnout and a very informative meeting this week.  Special thanks again to the Santos family for opening up their backyard oasis for our neighborhood meeting.

As usual, we opened up the meeting with question and answer period with Officer Swafford (Sac PD).  The good news, fairly quiet with regards to crime in our neighborhood. Though we continue to have illegal dumping and speeders in the neighborhood.  As always, please keep an eye out and call in any suspicious activity. Make sure to give as much info as you can to the Police, license plate numbers, descriptions of suspicious persons, etc.  Thanks for all the continued hard work Officer Swafford!

Special thanks to Dennis Boyd for being relentlessly persistent with City in clearing the illegal trash along our neighborhood streets.

Special thanks to Dennis as well for being a very gracious host for the annual Easter egg hunt. Another great egg hunt, I know both my little ones had a great time. Thanks Dennis! 

This month, we also had a couple special guests involved with the Twin Rivers Unified School District. Miriam "Mimi" Chernow is a candidate for Area 5 TRUSD Trustee.  Mimi shared with us her experience as well as her vision for TRUSD. She fielded questions from neighbors.  If you'd like to learn more about Mimi, please visit her website at www.trusd2012.com

Also in attendance was Trinette Marquis, communications director for TRUSD. She also fielded neighbors questions regarding the school district. Should you have any questions regarding what's happening at Twin Rivers, please contact Trinette directly at trinette.marquis@twinriversusd.org.

We did make sure to bring up the Sorento Road issue. We have been assured by the district that coming up with an agreement as to the timing of the repairs is a priority for them. More to come on this point as Valley View Acres representatives have meeting scheduled with City, County and District representatives in a couple weeks to discuss the Sorento Road issue. Things are moving in the right direction, albeit slowly.

Finally, our neighborhood cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, June 2, 2012 at 8:30 am.  We will be meeting at the Angel residence at 5600 Sorento Road and dividing up from there. If you want your street cleaned up, I encourage you to participate in our annual cleanup. A BBQ potluck will be hosted by the Angels following the clean up, bring a favorite dish and a beverage.  Again, another great opportunity to meet other folks who call Valley View Acres home.

Next month's meeting will be on Wednesday, May 16th at 630. Our host for our May meeting will be the Braces at 5021 Tunis Road. Thanks Dan and Diana! For those who may not know, the Braces have a fantastically beautiful back yard, I'd say one of the neighborhood's finest.

Hope to see you next month.

Summer Camp Opportunity

An announcment from Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby's office:

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It’s Summer Camp Time!

The Office of Vice Mayor Ashby will once again be sponsoring theSummer Oasis Camp through the City’s Department of Parks & Recreation. Space is limited so make sure to sign up soon!

The program is for youth in 1st through 6th grades (ages 6 through 12) and features lots of fun activities including: Arts and Crafts, Sports, Physical Fitness, Group Games, Water Play and much more!

Details are as follows or on the attached flyer:

Monday-Friday from 9am to 1pm
at Regency Park (5500 Honor Parkway)
Fee: $75.00
*Field trips will include additional fees of about $20/trip*

REGISTRATION OPEN NOW!
www.parksandreconline.cityofsacramento.org
Select ‘Register for Programs’ and then select category ‘Art & Special Interest Classes’ with a sub-category of ‘All Ages’.

OR

South Natomas Community Center
2921 Truxel Road (closed Fridays)

For more information call: 916-808-6433

April 2012 Meeting

We'll be meeting this month on Wednesday, April 18th at 6:30 at the Santos residence located at 721 Barros Drive.

Among the items for discussion, are the following:

- Candidates running for Twin Rivers Unified School District Board.

- Neighborhood cleanup planning for May

As always, let me know if you have any questions or would like something discussed in an upcoming meeting or feel free to leave comments or questions in the comment section below.

 

 

VVA Annual Easter Egg Hunt

The Valley View Acres Annual Easter Egg hunt, hosted by our very own Dennis Boyd, will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, April 7th at Dennis' place located at 5610 Sorento Road!

Egg hunters young and old are welcome!

***This is a correction from an earlier post where I mistakenly announced the event would be held on Sunday the 8th. ***

March 2012 Meeting Summary

Thanks to all that attended last Wednesday's meeting, another great turnout with several first timers!

Special thanks to the Solis family for opening up their home for our neighborhood meeting.

The following is a brief summary:

1) Neighborhood Watch Training Debrief - Neighbors who attended last month's training session hosted by the Police Department discussed what they had learned. The good news, as I have said before, is that we in Valley View Acres already do a lot of the things that make a neighborhood watch successful. The key is to keep an eye out for suspicious people and activities and report them immediately to the Police. We also discussed purchasing Neighborhood Watch signs to post in the neighborhood. We'll be taking a collection in the next couple months to make that purchase. We'd appreciate any contribution to help defray the costs of the signs.

2) Police Update.  Officer Swafford was kind enough to join our meeting, providing updates on law enforcement goings on that are of interest to our neighborhood as well as fielding questions from neighbors on various topics. Thanks to Officer Swafford!

3) Code Enforcement Update. We discussed a few code enforcement actions currently pending in the neighborhood related to unkempt properties that are health and safety issues as well as aesthetic ones.

4) The Claw Update. The City will be cutting back its use of the "claw" for purpose of green waste pickup in favor of increased use of the 90 gallon green waste bins some of us already have. We discussed alternatives to the bins, including getting neighbors together to make joint dump runs for times when the bins are simply inadequate to handle the quantity of green waste generated and increasing our use of compost piles. Here's a handy link for those of you interested in composting: http://www.howtocompost.org/

Also, here is a link to a recent Sacramento Bee article on the topic of the Claw:

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/21/4354228/sacramento-city-council-supports.html

5) Upcoming Events:

Annual Easter Egg hunt hosted by our very own Dennis Boyd. This year's festivities will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, April 7th at Dennis' place located at 5610 Sorento Road!

Our semi-annual Neighborhood Cleanup will be scheduled for a Saturday in May. More details to come.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or would like something discussed in an upcoming meeting or feel free to leave comments or questions in the comment section below.

Thanks

Nick Avdis

March Meeting

We'll be meeting at the Solis residence located at 5421 East Levee Road this Wednesday, March 21st at 6:30pm.

We'll be updating the group on our neighborhood watch training from last month, as well as discussing several other items of interest.

February Monthly Meeting - Neighborhood Watch Training

On February 15, several VVA residents attended the neighborhood watch training held at the WJ Kinney Police Station. At that training, the Sacramento Police Department provide valuable insight in to the making of a successful neighborhood watch program.

The goals and benefits to an organized neighborhood watch program is to do the following:

(1) provides an avenue for uniting a community and increases neighborhood cohesion;
(2) reduces fear of crime in a community;
(3) improves crime reporting by citizens;
(4) increases surveillance in a community;
(5) helps to prevent and reduce crime;
(6) creates a partnership between law enforcement and a community

Neighborhood watch is really about creating an environment where neighbors can meet and get to know each other.  By increasing involvement of neighbors in our community, neighbors will look out for one another.

VVA is fortunate in that it has a very active core group of neighbors.  We'd like to build on that by creating more opportunities for our neighbors to get to know each other.

In addition to the annual Easter Egg Hunt (hosted by our very own Dennis Boyd on Sorento) and the 4th of July Parade (hosted by long time Valley Viewer Libby Harmour on Tunis) and the semi-annual neighborhood cleanup and pot luck (hosted by the Angel family), our goal is to possibly organize walking groups (in the spring), where neighbors can meet and walk the neighborhood together and to host additional neighborhood events, like a National Night Out block party in August.

We're always open to suggestions!

Flood Control Town Hall

Senator Darrell Steinberg and Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby will be hosting a Joint Flood Control Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, February 25th from 1 to 3pm at H. Allen Hight Elementary School in the Multipurpose Room, located at 3200 North Park Drive.


For more information, please visit: http://www.angeliqueashby.com/flood-town-hall

County Happenings

While VVA is located within the boundaries of the City of Sacramento (District 1), we are also located in the County of Sacramento (also, District 1). Much of what happens in the County affects us.

Go to Phil Serna's (our Sacramento County Supervisor) website to see the most up to date info on County news: http://www.philserna.net/

Interested in Writing a Piece for the VVA Blog?

Are you interested in writing a post for this blog?

Let me know!

Interested in All Things District 1...

If you are interested in literally "all things District 1", our City Council representative and current Vice Mayor, Angelique Ashby has a great website that is a hub of information related to District 1.

This website really is a useful tool if you'd like to know what's going on or if you need help with City services.

Check it out: http://www.angeliqueashby.com/

Upcoming Neighborhood Watch Training

An opportunity for Neighborhood Watch training is available at the W. J. Kinney Police Facility:

Where:            W. J. Kinney Police Facility

                  3550 Marysville Blvd/Intersection of Marysville Blvd. & South Avenue

When:              Wednesday February 15, 2012
Time:               6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Trainer:           Jeannette Bonner - Neighborhood Watch Coordinator - Kinney

During this training session you will be provided with information outlining how to start and organize a neighborhood watch group.  This training will also provide insight into how you can be effective as a group in our community, and the roles/responsibilities of the Neighborhood Watch captains and co-captains. 

As part of this training, our neighborhood watch group will become part of the Sacramento Police Department (SPD), W.J. Kinney Police Facility Neighborhood Watch Group and the National Neighborhood Watch Institute.

If you are interested in attending this training, please contact Jeannette Bonner at the W. J. Kinney Police Facility to reserve your training spot. There are just 30 spots available. Ms. Bonner may be reached at (916) 566-6401, M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

While this date conflicts with VVA's regularly monthly meeting, it is obviously of paramount importance given the recent incidents of crime in the neighborhood. Please let me know if you are interest in going so that we may have a group of VVA residents attend and report back to the group. 

General Comments, Thoughts, Ideas

Have any you'd like to share? Please post them here.

Natomas Cops Log

If you are interested in the Natomas Crime Logs, the Natomas Buzz blog has a link to the stats here: http://www.natomasbuzz.com/2008/01/natomas-cops-log-crime.html

Suspicious Activities or People in the Neighborhood

As we know, our neighborhood has had it's share of property crime. Though, if you look at the crime statistics, our neighborhood is relatively safe compared to other areas of the City and County. Nevertheless, all of us, working together, must remain vigilant in looking out for suspicious people or activities. Being seen, keeping our eyes on the street is a big deterrent. And if you see anything, please report it to the Police and email or post to this blog so that others know what to be on the lookout for.

As I mentioned in a recent email, there have been several reports in recent weeks of aggressive salespeople in the neighborhood. These individuals are on foot and have been seen carrying black backpacks. It's uncertain whether these individuals are also possibly scouting out homes.

We must do our best to watch out for one another and to report suspicious activities. 

Monthly Police Captain's Meetings

For those interested, the Sacramento Police Department holds monthly Captain's Meetings for neighborhood leaders on every 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm at the W. J. Kinney Police Facility located at 3550 Marysville Blvd. 

This month's meeting is on January 26. I will be attending, if you'd like to carpool, drop me an email.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

I. Opening - Captain James Maccoun

II. Review of 2011 Crime Statistics

III. Captain’s Choice - Various Topics

IV. Assigned Officers for your Association

More Speed Bumps in VVA - What do you think?

This past year, our association, specifically leadership from neighbors living on Kenmar, was able to get the City to install speed bumps on Kenmar. The response has been overall positive since their installation. I know that I have personally noticed a slowing of traffic on the street, although there is occasionally someone who decides to speed despite the speed bumps. For most, though, it's a gentle reminder to drive slowly.  The kids on Kenmar (and their parents, grandparents, etc) appreciate it.

That said, some folks from Carey and Tunis have suggested that we try to gauge interest for speed bumps on those streets (as well as Sorento and Barros).

Do you live on Tunis, Barros, Carey or Sorento? How do you feel about speed bumps on those streets?

Please feel free to leave your thoughts on this idea.

Valley View Acres Goods or Services Offered or Wanted

On this blog posting, neighbors can offer goods or services that are for sale or wanted.

Launching the Valley View Acres Blog - General Info

Hello everyone. At our January 2012 neighborhood meeting, it was the consensus of neighbors to explore an on line presence for Valley View Acres (VVA).  While we tried to set up a website in the past, it turned out to be challenging to get started and to maintain, so it appears that a blog might be the easiest of ways to do this. Besides, this blog is free and easy to use.  That said, let's give this a shot.

This blog will hopefully provide a forum for neighbors to discuss the issues of the day, as well as being a central place to share photos, ideas, resources, etc.  Emails will continue to be sent out to those on the VVA email list. If you want to be added to the email list, please email Nick Avdis at navdis@gmail.com. Of course, we will continue to meet on our regular schedule (every third Wednesday of each month, except for December and July). So please feel free to share ideas, photos, thoughts and general comments on this blog.

On the administrative end of things, by submitting a post to the Valley View Acres Community Association blog, you agree to abide by the following blog rules:
(Definition: A “posting” is any article or comment published on the blog.)

• A posting must not contain material that is illegal, harmful or threatening, or advocate any illegal activity. 

• Postings must be kid-safe. Adults-only material must not appear in any posting, on another website it links to, or on any link that website may lead to. 

• Postings may criticize ideas on their merits only, e.g. “That idea is too expensive,” but not “That idea is ridiculous" or "So and so is an idiot." In other words, be nice — no name-calling towards people or their ideas. 

• Please keep the subject matter of postings to issues that are generally related to the neighborhood.

• Postings must not contain commercial activity. Comment spam will be removed. Though, an exception will be made for residents advertising their good or services in the appropriate blog post, e.g., "Valley View Acres Goods or Services Offered or Wanted".

• You must own the copyright to, or have a legal right to publish, any material you post. (Note: if you wrote it, you automatically own the copyright; it does not need to be registered.) Copyright to any posted material remains the property of the copyright holder.  

• Postings that violate the rules may be edited or removed. If a problem persists, the author may be blocked from submitting further postings. 

• A posting that follows the rules will not be edited or removed just because someone disagrees with it.