Thoughts Ideas and Giggles

Amber is pregnant!  Now, you might wonder who Amber is and why this is such a monumental occasion.  Amber is a Giant Anteater and her little bundle of joy will be the first anteater to be born at the Sacramento Zoo.  Look for the birth announcement coming in early April.  If you want to learn more about Amber and her little one, click on Sacramento Zoo's Amber.

The giraffe's at the Sacramento Zoo have always had a barn of sorts and enough land to wander, but it was nothing special.  Well, all that has changed with the opening of the Tall Wonders Giraffe exhibit.  Not only do the giraffes have a cutting edge new home, but now visitors can view them at eye level with the addition of a viewing deck.  The giraffes are already enjoying their new home, but the grand opening won't be until February 12th.  Now, it just doesn't get any cooler than that! 

If you have not enjoyed our little Sacramento Zoo enclave, you have missed one of the very special experiences of the region.  Take a weekend day and meander the regions of the world in an hour or two!

Land Park is nestled just south of downtown Sacramento.  It boasts a very active neighborhood association -Land Park Community Association - that has gone through some significant changes, including a board of 15, of which only 3 were returnees.  It was a sign of the hope the neighborhood had to be better represented.  I am very proud to list the successes we had in 2009.

The most significant change was a board that worked together.  While we had differing opinions, we were willing to discuss, compromise and come to a mutual understanding.  We showed respect for each other and have been very deliberate in our representation of the community.

Our ongoing events resulted in great attendance, even though both the Taste of Land Park and the Picnic in the Park was held in sweltering heat.

We brought to the neighborhood a new event - the Picnic in the Park.  It was free to the community as a thank you for all of the support they have given to LPCA.

We changed the bylaws, the most significant change being the inclusion of the local businesses in the membership.  To this date, the local businesses were asked to donate to our events, but were not allowed to be members.  It was an inexcusable stance which we were thrilled to eliminate.  We hope to include our local businesses in many of our debates and decisions.

We are working hard to make up for a loss in maintenance in William Land Park.  We are spending a significant amount of money to reinstate the Rock Garden to it's former glory.  The bureaucracy is continuing to put up road blocks, so this is still a work in progress.

We have worked diligently to encourage the development of Curtis Park Village, while voicing our concerns regarding a few of the issues.

Probably one of most successful new programs is Listserv, which is real time reports from our neighbors regarding crime in the neighborhood. It has resulted in phenomenal and immediate communication resulting in arrests and preventative measures.  It has been extremely popular with many neighbors joining LPCA just to be able to subscribe to this benefit.

The coming year promises to bring more changes and additions.  We hope to continue to be of value to our neighborhood...stay posted!

I am very excited that MetroList (our local MLS) now provides wonderful reports to help us better understand what is happening in our local market.  Land Park and Curtis Park are two of the neighborhoods I specialize in so I thought I would share the information from MetroList for your perusal. Enjoy!

Even if you are local, you may have heard of SACTO, but not had a clue what they do. Today, the Sacramento Association of Realtors hosted our Finance Forum in which Barbara Hayes from SACTO spoke.  She gave us a truly "meat and potatoes" picture of the purpose and success of this organization.

SACTO is an acronym for Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization.  Their sole purpose is to bring jobs to the Sacramento area.  They are non-profit, non-political in nature and were created out of the Metro Chamber years ago.  They work with the local 26 governments that make up the Sacramento area.  How do they stay out of politics, but work with governments?  They receive feedback from companies either in the area or contemplating coming to the area.  They then provide this feedback to the appropriate governance's.  Last year, they were responsible for bringing 1000 jobs to the area.

In a time when there is a definite shortage of jobs, SACTO is busier than they have been in the past 5 years.  The "incubation" time from the beginning of talks to actual job realization is about 12 to 18 months, so we should be looking forward to some good times in the relatively near future.

It may be surprising to learn that about 50% of the potential jobs being considered in Sacramento are involved in  "clean or green" technology.  Nationally, California is viewed as the mecca of green technology and Sacramento, supplying access to policy makers, give Sacramento (both locally and statewide) a strong appeal. We are an appealing location due to several factors: Sacramento's climate is ideal (other states such as Arizona and Nevada are too hot) and our former military bases generate incentives to use their locations.  The very thing that has stagnated our economy in this area is also a great asset...the potential work force.  Our educational institutions also give us a benefit.  University of California at Davis has a globally known expert in wind power.  California State University in Sacramento is known for it's "smart" technology, developing smart grid technology opportunities with a 127M dollar grant (the second largest grant in this field).  The Los Rios community colleges are committed to developing grad students into green force experts. Sacramento is winning more companies than anywhere else in California.

Our second largest job force is in consumer goods.  There are several factors contributing to this fact.  At one time, companies were relocating to states such as Arizona, Utah, etc.  However, when oil prices went up, the cost of shipping exceeded the benefits of going to those states.  Also, a state with 38M people is hard to overlook globally.  Succinctly put, we are too large to fail.  According to Time Magazine, California will chart the course for the future.  According to the magazine, California is the center of innovation and talent.

Locally, Sacramento has a plethora of benefits to offer potential employers.  The very fact that our property values have gone down has provided for affordable housing.  The Sacramento International Airport supplies an easy supply line.  Our mild climate (a 75 degree average high and a 50 degree average low) reduces cost to companies concerned about high heating and air conditioning costs. Sacramento claims the highest number of intersecting major highways and freeways in the country (Interstates 5, 80 and Highways 50 and 99).  This makes transporting of goods cost effective.  Our health industry is thriving with UC Davis, the Sutter Health, Mercy and Kaiser.  We offer recreation of every sort within 2 hours of Sacramento - skiing (water and snow) snorkeling, biking, running, baseball, soccer, boccie ball...just name it and it is here!  One company that came to town discovered windsurfing..and that clinched the deal!  We have the highest performing students statewide.

Nestle is presently committed to a 10M dollar investment in Sacramento. By the end of the year, they will have spent 3.5M of that commitment.  70% of the workforce are local contractors.  A solar manufacturer from Asia (yet to be announced) will be investing initially in a 150,000 square foot building to be expanded to 300,000 square feet.  They will employ 200 people.  We are seeing increased interest in China due to their growing wealth.

We have a beautiful and vibrant city...and it is nice to know that others are realizing what Sacramento has to offer!

Many of us remember Betty White as the conniving Sue Ann Nivens in the Mary Tyler Moore Show or the ditzy Rose Nylund on the Golden Girls.  However, in the world of philanthropy and worthwhile causes, she is a caring supporter of pets rights. 

So, how excited do you think Sacramentans are that Betty White will be coming to the Sacramento Zoo in Land Park to do a presentation at the new "Tall Wonders Giraffe Exhibit Renovation and Expansion Project?  Act quickly, because this Thursday, the 5th of November will be the day!  Arrive at 4:30PM to enjoy hors d'oeuvres and cocktails and appreciate all that this regional zoo has to offer! To learn more about this event, click here.

If you are ready for a little scare or a piercing scream, then here are some places to visit on Halloween:

West Sacramento:
Visit IKEA from 5 to 7 to trick or treat at plenty of scary house venues!

Scandia Fun Center(5070 Hillsdale Lane):
Enjoy the "Scream Extreme"! Tickets are $18 for a "Wicket" ticket and $14 for general admission.  You can go as a group for $11 and children are $7.

Sacramento Zoo's Boo at the Zoo:
Trick or treat at the zoo, enjoy crafts in front of the Reptile House, have animal encounters and have fun with a costume parade and entertainment!  Tickets are $9 for children 3 and older and $5 for members 3 and older.  Enjoy  the festivities from 4:30 to 8PM!

Sacramento businesses, schools, and other community entities collect coats then bring them to News10. The coats are cleaned due to the generosity of Swanson Cleaners. This is a wonderful program that brings the community together to provide coats, not only for kids, but for anyone who needs a new winter coat but has no resource to purchase one.

Last year, News10 successfully collected over 39,000 coats for those in need. After collecting, the coats are organized by size and type at Cal Expo.  People are then invited to come pick out the coats needed at no charge.

I am proud to say that Windermere Dunnigan Realtors is one of the drop-off sites for coats. So, if you have coats you would like to donate, or would like to purchase coats to donate, we can make it very easy for you...just drop them off at either 2401 American River Drive or 4215 Freeport Boulevard after November 1st. We will bring them to News10 for you!

William Land Park, along with all of the other Sacramento parks are experiencing the annual event of the birth of multitudes of squirrels.  For those of us who love to see these little ones running around, playing tree tag or just darting around, they are truly a joy and one of the highlights of living near a park.

However, along with this event, comes a warning.  Baby squirrles are not yet street wise. They don't understand that those huge mechanical things that they have seen from a distance can now do them harm. 

For those of us who regularly drive through the park, the habit of squirrels darting in front of you instead of away from you is well established.  We know to never take for granted that the squirrel will know the best direction to turn.  Now, compound that with little ones who have no experience with streets, and there are some real issues.

Here is the warning: when driving through Sacramento's parks (or any other squirrel friendly location), drive slowly.  This is a great season for watching the little unpredictable characters...let's protect them from themselves by being aware of their bad pedestrian habits!

Many of us drive by the future Curtis Park Villageand wonder when we will have a new, wonderful neighborhood to boast about.  If you are so inclined, you may want to attend a meeting at Stonepoint (the corner of Freeport Boulevard and Sutterville Road) to discover the newest developments.

The meeting will be from 6:30PM to 8PM on October 7th.  The development team will discuss teh project with its recent activities and ask for input from the community on the latest issues. 

This will be a great chance to learn first-hand the amount of work and expense Petrovich has dedicated to this project and what you can expect in the future!

The Land Park Community Association is hosting the 9th Annual "Taste of Land Park" on September 27th from 4-7PM! Walk or ride your bike to 17th Street between 11th Avenue and 13th Avenue to enjoy a great evening!

The "Taste" will have approximately 25 excellent wineries and breweries with local establishments taking a starring role!  Well known favorites from Clarksburg, Plymouth and surrounding foothill wineries as well as Napa will be pouring their favorite wines.  There will also be local breweries sharing their favorites.

Along with the great beverages will be approximately 12 of our local restaurants.  Here is an opportunity to taste the chef's favorites and savor their spectacular goodies!

Add to all of this the camaraderie of neighbors and friends chatting and laughing under the canopy of Land Park's beautiful trees and the Delta breezes and you just can't lose! For more information and to purchase tickets, just click here to learn more!