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Tag: history and arts commission

  • Citrus Heights News Briefs: water use, crime stats, council update

    Updated Feb. 27, 11:22 a.m.–
    Local news briefs this week cover latest water use figures, several police and fire reports, and an update from the Feb. 25 city council meeting.

    Citrus Heights Water District reports 35% overall conservation
    CHWD reported a 35 percent cumulative water savings from June 2015 through last month, according to figures released in a state report this week. Local water savings exceed the statewide average of 24.8 percent by more than 10 percent, and also exceeds the District’s state-mandated conservation goal of 32 percent. Conservation figures are based on a comparison with 2013 water use.

    Although overall savings are high, water use during January indicated a low-point in conservation efforts, with users only conserving 10.8 percent compared with January 2013.

    Fire at Citrus Heights apartment complex displaces residents; causes $275,000 damage
    A Sunday-night apartment fire near Greenback Lane and Auburn Boulevard displaced several residents and caused an estimated $275,000 of damage, according to a CBS 13 news report. Firefighters responded to the apartment on Shadow Lane after receiving a call around 10:15 p.m. No one was injured in the fire, but residents in several nearby units were reportedly displaced due to smoke and water damage.

    Assistant Fire Chief Patrick Ellis later told The Sentinel the cause of the blaze was determined to be combustibles stored inside a water heater located on the back deck. He said water heater areas should never be used for storage of other items and advised residents to have a readily accessible fire extinguisher in their home.

    City council appoints new History & Arts commissioner
    During a Feb. 25 council meeting, city council members unanimously approved the appointment of Christine Stein for a vacancy on the Citrus Heights History and Arts Commission. The appointment was made by Councilman Mel Turner and ratified by the council, after Commissioner Jacqueline Robinson resigned in January.

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    The seven-member Commission works to promote cultural arts in Citrus Heights as well as assisting “in the preservation and enhancement of historical buildings and artifacts,” according to the City’s website.

    Police Chief reports 14% holiday crime drop for 2015
    In a Feb. 25 report to city council members, Police Chief Christopher Boyd said 2015 holiday season crime in Citrus Heights dropped by 14 percent in comparison to 2014. An objective to reduce crime between November and December was listed in the City’s latest six-month strategic planning goals.
    Chief Boyd also reported other crime statistics, including an overall drop in crime of 29 percent since the formation of the City's police department nearly 10 years ago. (See full story next week). Police: Bicyclist hit by car on Antelope Rd suffers serious injuries A man in his mid-20's was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured while crossing Antelope Road at Zenith Drive on his bicycle Wednesday night, according to a police news release. An on-scene investigation caused the roadway to be closed for around eight hours, but police said officers were unable to locate any witnesses or surveillance video. Police said the 63-year-old driver involved had stopped his vehicle immediately and was cooperative with the investigation. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact CHPD's Traffic Unit at (916) 727-5500.

  • Citrus Heights This Week: What’s happening around town (May 4-10)

    Citrus Heights This Week: What’s happening around town (May 4-10)

    Signs_city_20150110_151012

    Events and activities going on around Citrus Heights this week include a free outdoor movie showing this Saturday, a scooter competition, community meetings, a “football-field sized” yard sale for the community marching band, and more.

    Monday: The Citrus Heights Building Department will be kicking off “Building Safety Month” with refreshments and a chance to win different prizes at a 2 p.m. event at city hall on Monday. The Department’s Susan Mclendon requests attendees RSVP before coming by sending an email to smclendon@citrusheights.net.

    Monday night, the Residents’ Empowerment Association of Citrus Heights will be holding its monthly meeting in the Civic Center’s Trellis Hall at 6:30 p.m. The resident leadership group will be electing a treasurer and public information officer for the group as well as discussing the upcoming Red, White & Blue Parade and Community Camp Out. (Click here for agenda)

    The Citrus Heights History and Arts Commission will be also holding a meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in the East Room of the Community Center on Fountain Square Drive. Commissioners will be reviewing their strategic plan, as well as discussing updates on the plan to move city hall and the Commission’s 2015-16 budget. (Click here for agenda)

    Tuesday: This Tuesday is known as the “Big Day of Giving,” a 24-hour fundraising drive organized to “rally support for the vital work of local nonprofits.” The local effort is led by GiveLocalNow.org and the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, with organizers saying more than $3 million was raised for 394 nonprofits from over 12,000 donors during the midnight-to-midnight giving event last year.

    Wednesday: Mayor Sue Frost and Region Builders will be hosting the Regional Leadership Council 2015 at the Citrus Heights Community Center this Wednesday to discuss with business and political leaders how state and local policy decisions impact the local economy. (Click here for event flier)

    The weekend:

    In addition to the weekly Farmer’s Market held behind Sunrise Mall each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., this Saturday, the Citrus Town Center will be setting up an inflatable big-screen projector for a free showing of the movie “Big Hero 6.” The PG-rated film is scheduled to begin at dark, and will feature some pre-movie entertainment beginning at 7:30 p.m.

    [See full story: Town Center to kick-off free outdoor movie series on May 9]

    There will also be a scooter competition at the Rusch Park Skate Park on Saturday for young scooter enthusiasts of all ages. The annual event gives scooter riders an opportunity to impress judges and win an award, with amateur registration beginning at 9 a.m., and experienced registration beginning at noon. (See flier for more details)

    The Citrus Heights Community Marching Band will also be continuing its annual two-weekend Spring Yard Sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 8-10 at 7620 Linden Ave. in Citrus Heights. The huge event fills the size of a football field, and proceeds from the sale go directly to support the band, according to CHCMB Program Director Kathy Cook.

    [See full story: Massive yard sale to benefit Citrus Heights Marching Band]

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    <<Want to tell us about an upcoming local event, or don’t see an event you think should be on here? Click to contact us.>>

  • 20 ‘Little Free Libraries’ coming to Citrus Heights

    Little Free Library in Citrus Heights. Photo by Luke Otterstad
    A Little Free Library outside a Leonard Avenue home in Citrus Heights.

    Nearly two dozen birdhouse-sized neighborhood lending libraries will be popping up around Citrus Heights in April, thanks to a community vision to promote reading and the collaborative efforts of the Citrus Heights Rotary Club, the City’s History and Arts Commission, business sponsors, and a team of construction management students from San Juan High School.

    Known as “Little Free Libraries,” the small, free-standing neighborhood book exchanges are designed “to promote a sense of community, reading for children, literacy for adults and libraries around the world,” according to the Little Free Library organization’s website.

    With no late fines or requirements for library cards, each mini-library promises its readers with the free gift knowledge, under the founding principle of “take a book, return a book.”

    Stewarded by a business, neighborhood, community group, or family, the Citrus Heights mini-libraries are part of a growing movement whose founding organization now estimates nearly 25,000 to be operating worldwide, since the first one was constructed in 2009.

    [You may also like: Citrus Heights organic garden to host annual April plant sale]

    With the local effort spearheaded by Citrus Heights History and Arts Commissioner Jessica Mang, volunteers plan to install 20 Little Free Libraries around Citrus Heights on April 11, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Stock Ranch Preserve, and ending with a final installation and volunteer picnic at Van Maren Park around 1 p.m., according to a news release from the History and Arts Commission.

    The collaborative effort has included book donations from Sylvan Library and construction materials donated by Home Depot and Lowes, according to the news release. Additionally, SJHS construction management students helped build the 20 mini-libraries, modeling their design after the City’s original 1862 Sylvan Schoolhouse.

    Local business and community groups have also helped sponsor the construction of the libraries, with each being responsible for maintaining the library and keeping it stocked with books.

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    The Little Free Libraries will be located on 20 public sites throughout Citrus Heights, including Rusch Park, Stock Ranch Preserve, the Sylvan Community Center and the City’s new “Green Parking Lot” next to the police department.

    At least one local “little library” was in place prior to the involvement of the History and Arts Commission, holding a prominent spot in the front yard of a home on Leonard Avenue, filled mostly with children’s books.

    Those seeking more information or sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact Jessica Mang at jessicaemang@gmail.com.

    Citrus Heights Little Free Library.
    A Little Free Library design, modeled after the 1862 Sylvan Schoolhouse. // Courtesy, Citrus Heights History and Arts Commission

  • Arts, planning commissioners appointed; some vacancies left

    Two board positions remain unfilled after Citrus Heights city council members voted to fill 11 of 13 vacancies on several City boards and commissions during last week’s council meeting.

    City of Citrus Heights sign, marquee. Stock photo. by Luke Otterstad
    Civic Center direction sign, stock photo. Citrus Heights Sentinel

    Vacancies for the positions were created after 13 terms expired at the end of 2014 on the City’s Construction Appeals Board, Planning Commission and History & Arts Commission, with new appointees serving terms ranging from two to four years in length.

    A lack of applicants for the City’s Construction Appeals Board left council members with only one choice to pick, while selections for the two other commissions were a bit more competitive.

    Planning Commission:
    City council members re-appointed Al Fox, Leah Cox, Trish Dawson and Michael Lagomarsino to the Planning Commission, as well as unanimously ratifying council member Jeanie Bruins’ nomination of newcomer Russell Blair to take the fifth open spot on the commission. The remaining three applicants — Simon Levison, Matthew Gross and Matt Hedges — did not receive enough votes to serve another term.

    The seven-member Planning Commission meets twice a month and hears land-use related projects and “reviews proposed ordinances and other issues relating to the implementation of the City’s General Plan,” according to the City’s website. The commission also makes recommendations to the city council, as it did with the city hall relocation proposal.

    History & Arts Commission:
    Bob Gerould, Jessica Mang and Jackie Robinson were all unanimously ratified by city council members to serve four-year terms on the seven-member History and Arts Commission, with a majority also selecting Larry Fritz and Evie Turner to serve two-year terms. The meeting agenda showed Levison also applied for this position, but did not receive any votes from council members.

    The History and Arts Commission works to promote cultural arts in Citrus Heights as well as assisting “in the preservation and enhancement of historical buildings and artifacts.”

    <<See prior story here: Council to appoint 13 board positions in January>>

    Construction Appeals Board:
    The council unanimously appointed Franklin Tilley to the Construction Appeals Board, with City Clerk Amy Van telling the council that although there were three open positions, Tilley’s application was the only one received. She said the City would continue receiving applications to fill the spots, and council member Miller requested staff look into the possibility of working with other cities to create a regional appeals board, citing the board’s infrequent meetings and the past difficulty the City has had in finding appointments.

    The five-member Construction Board of Appeals meets on an “as-needed” basis to hear complaints from those aggrieved by a decision of the City’s chief building official, and “assists in determining suitability of materials and methods of construction, as well as interpreting technical codes.” Applicants for the board must be “qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to building construction.”

    An application form for the Construction Board of Appeals is available here: http://www.citrusheights.net/DocumentCenter/View/72

  • Council to appoint 13 board positions; deadline to apply Dec. 18

    Click here to see updated story.