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Weekend blood drive draws new donors with free Kings tickets

Updated Feb. 23, 1:05 p.m.–
Over the weekend, local blood donors were able to pick up a pair of free tickets to a Sacramento Kings game in exchange for giving a pint of blood at one of the “bloodmobile” stations in the Sunrise Mall parking lot.

Signs out on Sunrise Boulevard advertise BloodSource’s weekend blood drive.

“So many times you’re asked to give money for so many different things,” said BloodSource’s Gayle Graves, who was out welcoming people and giving donors free ticket vouchers, Friday. “This doesn’t cost you a thing, it just costs an hour of your time.”

According to staff, the first 6 hours on Friday drew over 100 pints of blood, along with “quite a few” new donors — which Graves credits to the Kings ticket promotional, as well as heavy visibility out at the Mall.

That visibility is what 25-year-old Samantha Stone said drew her out to a bloodmobile during the weekend drive.

“I actually didn’t even know about it,” said Stone, who has donated several times in the past. “I just saw the signs driving by and decided to stop.”

According to the organization’s website, BloodSource is a Sacramento-based nonprofit primarily serving over 40 hospitals and 30 counties in Northern and Central California — and it holds several blood drives at the Sunrise Mall each year to help keep supplies up.

Each blood donation helps save “at least three lives,” according to Graves, fitting with the message on the side of her bloodmobiles: “Give us an hour. Save a life.”

The weekend event was was held on February 20-22 in the Elephant Bar parking lot, and is one of four blood drives conducted each year at the Mall, according to Graves.

February 21, 2015
Citrus Heights Police try new “Trikke” tech to stop crime

Updated Jan. 22, 3:01 p.m.–
You may have seen them out on patrol at Sunrise Mall already. They’re the new, three-wheeled “Trikke Patroller” electric units — the latest tech deployed by the Citrus Heights Police Department in an effort to minimize crime at the Mall.

Officer Jeff Schouten now patrols the Sunrise Mall with one of Citrus Heights Police Department’s new Trikkes.

The light-weight, collapsible, quiet units are able to go up escalators or down a flight of stairs, and feature California-legal red and blue flashing lights and even a siren — all for a cost of about $4,000 a piece, with civilian versions available starting around $1600.

Officer Jeff Schouten, CHPD’s full-time policeman handling Sunrise Mall, listed nearly a dozen benefits the Trikkes have, including speeding up officer response time and being great for public relations.

“I want one… Where do I get one,” are the repeated comments Officer Schouten said he receives from curious shoppers while he’s out patrolling his “little city,” as he calls the Mall. “You see the smile on their face when they see us [on the Trikkes].”

Officer Schouten — or “Jeff,” as he prefers to be called — said the Trikkes top out at about 15 mph, with officers required to go through a short training course in order to ride them, including learning how to dismount quickly during a pursuit at full throttle.

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The California-based Trikke company advertises that quick mobility of security personnel on a Trikke can enable one officer to cover an area that would normally take three or four officers. For Jeff, he says that means a several-minute walk across the width of the Mall is now cut down to about a minute on a Trikke — helping raise awareness to police presence and likely cause criminals to think twice.

The “zip-zip-zip” speed advantage has also helped cut response time in half, according to a loss prevention worker at Macy’s, whose team relies on the police department’s Mall officer to handle arrests or difficult situations.

Jeff also emphasized the height visibility officers gain when standing on the Trikkes, enabling them to more easily spot people in a crowd and quickly scan activity in a store by looking over racks. He said the height also helps in scanning for suspicious activity in parking lots, and the electric-powered Trikke saves fuel costs with a battery that typically lasts a 10-hour shift.

The Department first considered buying the Trikkes after seeing them at a CopsWest law enforcement exposition last year that featured new law enforcement vehicles and equipment, according to CHPD Sergeant Mike Wells. He said a big plus is the mobility the 53-pound Trikkes have over the Department’s older “T-3” electric patrol units, which were bulkier and couldn’t fit in the back of a police car.

The Trikkes were first put in use at the Mall toward the end of 2014, and police said they plan to feature the new three-wheeled scooters in community events like the City’s annual Red, White and Blue Parade.

January 22, 2015
Mall’s 15ft Christmas ‘CanTree’ to benefit needy families

A huge, 15-foot-high Christmas “tree” built entirely of donated cans is now complete and on display at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights, soon to be distributed by The Salvation Army to provide food for needy families in the Sacramento region.

A Christmas “tree” made of donated food cans will be on display at Sunrise Mall through December 27.

The Christmas “CanTree” is an annual fundraiser put on by the Sacramento Association of Realtors (SAR), which says its helped raise over $2 million to help local efforts to feed those in need, since launching in 1983. After breaking a record last year with a $90,000 donation, this year, the group says it has a goal of raising $100,000.

The Association says donated food will be distributed to needy families and individuals through The Salvation Army’s Holiday Food Basket and year-round food assistance program, beginning December 27.

The realtor group says it chose The Salvation Army based on its history as “a well-established community organization with over 120 years of service,” and seeks help gathering funds and food from corporations and businesses, throughout the summer and fall.

<<Interested in other local efforts to help those in need this season? Check out our story: Donations sought for Citrus Heights ‘Holiday Referral’ program>>

The CanTree will be officially presented to The Salvation Army during a dedication ceremony at 9:00 a.m, December 2, according to SAR’s website.

December 1, 2014
SATURDAY: Final Free Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off

This Saturday, Citrus Heights residents will have a final free opportunity to dispose of hazardous items like paint, cleaning supplies, vehicle batteries and fluorescent light bulbs, at the last of three Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off events held in the city this year.

Sponsored by Republic Services and the City, the drop-off is open to any Citrus Heights resident, as long as proof of residency – like a recent bill – is provided.

The first event of 2014 was held in February, followed by a drop-off in June, with the third and final drop-off date being scheduled for October 18, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot behind Women’s Macy’s at Sunrise Mall.

Not all hazardous items will be accepted, including ammunition, explosives, pharmaceuticals, radioactive material, household batteries, “home-generated sharps,” and used oil — but some of these items can be disposed of through home and curbside collection.

Although appointments are not required, residents are encouraged to call Republic Services at (916) 725-9060 for more information, or to schedule an appointment.

A flier for the event can be viewed here.

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Household Hazardous Waste drop-off
Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunrise Mall parking lot (behind Women’s Macy’s)

October 15, 2014
Citrus Heights Police Win 6 Awards in Statewide Motorcycle Competition

Updated Sept. 30 with video, 12:01 p.m.-
A weekend police motorcycle rodeo and Traffic Safety Fair drew about 2,000 people to the northern parking lot of Sunrise Mall, raising over $2600 for charity and leaving the Citrus Heights Police Department with six awards for performance of several competing officers.

23 police officers piled into a small coned-off square for the weekend’s final “Last Man Standing” event.

With 23 officers enlisting in the competition from around the state, Officer Kristopher Frey took home the most awards from the Citrus Heights Police Department (CHPD), earning first and second place in several competitions.

Navigating his thousand-pound Harley Davidson Road King through a maze of obstacles and tight corners, Frey took first place in the Harley class “Slow Speed Challenge Course” – a course described by officers as “extremely challenging,” and one that some contestants couldn’t complete. Frey also took home third place in the same course on his BMW and second place in the “Solo Officer Speed Course” on his Harley.

Competitions were divided by class between the older Harley Davidson police motorcycles and the newer, lighter BMW R1200RT-P bikes, with CHPD resurrecting two of its recently replaced Harleys for officers Anthony Boehle and Frey to compete and win several awards with.

Taking home first place on their BMW’s, Officer Frey joined with CHPD’s Sergeant David Gutierrez in the two-man team skills challenge called “Drop in the Bucket”. The rules for this course required officers to enter a circle with only one hand to steer, while the other hand was used to grab tennis balls from the top of traffic cones and throw them into a center receptacle. Officers were disqualified if they touched their bars with two hands, knocked over a cone, put their foot down or dropped their bike.

Saturday’s competition closed out with what organizers called “Last Man Standing,” where all 23 officers piled into a small, coned-off square and had to ride ’til they dropped. Officers were required to stay on their bikes at all times, and couldn’t touch the ground with their feet to stabilize their bikes without being disqualified. Officer Eddie Chan of San Jose reportedly won the final event, although there was some disagreement over whether California Highway Patrol Officer Anthony Gioletti had been the last one to put his foot down.

The second annual motorcycle competition and fair raised over $2600 was raised for the Citrus Heights Police Activities League charity, with local businesses like Citrus Heights Saw & Mower and Sprout’s contributing raffle prizes, and others like Aba Daba Rentals, Signs in 1 Day and the Citrus Heights Rotary club making cash donations to support the event.

Prizes included a Glock pistol from Sacramento Black Rifle and motorcycle gear from companies that have done business with the police department. Competing officers also enjoyed meals donated by Citrus Heights’ Beach Hut Deli, Buffalo Wild Wings and the Sacramento County Law Enforcement Chaplaincy.

Saturday’s event also featured a kids bicycle rodeo, face-painting and bounce-houses for attendees, and a local high school student sang the national anthem to kick the day off.

The event was attended by several council members and was sponsored by the City of Citrus Heights and its police department, along with the support of local businesses.

Watch:

Officers Compete in ‘Last Man Standing’ Event at 2014 Police Motor Rodeo from Citrus Heights Sentinel on Vimeo.

September 25, 2014