For as long as anyone can remember, the Truckee River median had been an eyesore for the folks of Sunriver. Bare dirt punctuated with discarded trash and weeds was all the island offered, all 1500 square feet of it. When Sacramento County embarked upon a major renovation effort to the medians and walkways bordering both Sunrise Boulevard and Coloma Road, this one median was somehow excluded.

To remedy the situation, residents of Sunriver rallied together to beautify this little corner of our neighborhood. Phase I consisted of the planting of three Chinese Pistache trees by Jean Fox and Jim Davies. The following spring, a SNA volunteer work crew tackled Phase II - clearing the island of all its weeds and trash, creating a rock border around the perimeter of the median, and laying a thick layer of bark mulch to beautify the island and prevent weeds from taking hold. (See article below.)

On Sunday, September 23, 2007, a small band of volunteers finished off what had begun so long before. When I arrived on the scene, I found Bob Snyder waiting for me, armed only with an iron bar to smash through the hard crust of the median's soil. After I pointed out the location of a few planting holes, Bob went straight to work, attacking the dirt with his trusty bar, preparing it for the native plants that would soon make this island home. Brenda Prosperi hovered about, ooing and ahhing over the plant selections. Soon, Donna Borsh arrived, shovel in hand, and determinedly began to dig in the hard soil. It was a big job for such a small crew, so Donna called in a recruit -- Valerie Linstrum -- who was known on her block for her green thumb. Before long, a garden hose was run from the home of the Mooberry family to give the plants their first drink in their new home, and the island came to life, filled with small but hardy California native plants. They may not look like much now, but this spring, watch out!

The morning before, I had attended the California Native Plant Society's semi-annual plant sale. Arriving on the scene, I was bewildered by the huge selection of plants awaiting me. I had no clue where to begin. Fortune smiled on me as I staggered into a row overflowing with greenery and literally bumped into my old friend, Betsy Weiland. Betsy is well-known for her efforts to protect the American River Parkway and is a prominent member of the Save the American River Association. Luckily for me, Betsy possesses a deep knowledge of California Native Plants and agreed to escort me around the overwhelming expanse of plants, making suggestions for what might thrive in our median. We were soon joined by Cate Schmiedt of Cornflower Farms, the area's most prominent grower of California native plants and the supplier of many of the plants on sale that day. Upon learning of my quest, she enthusiastically joined us as we meandered from table to table, selecting plants for the median.

Once I had depleted the wad of donated cash I had stuffed in my pockets, Betsy helped me lay out a landscape design and then helped load my truck bed with the valuable vegetation. A heartfelt "thank you" to both Betsy and Cate who so willingly offered their expertise and assistance.

While I'm thanking folks, I must thank the work crew that sacrificed their Sunday to dig in the dirt: Bob Snyder, Donna Borsh, Valerie Linstrum and Brenda Prosperi. And we couldn't have done it without the generous donations from Steven Sewell, D&D Enterprises, Nicki and Skip Batchelor, Sydney Cooley, Roger VanderPlaats, Don Wroth, Larry Ladd, and Mike and Mercedes Lewis. Next time you drive past the Truckee River Median, you can thank these kind folks for the greenery before you.

Over the last few years, the Sunriver neighborhood has seen many significant improvements to the area. However, despite the major renovation work done by the County along Sunrise and Coloma, one sliver of Sunriver has remained neglected for decades -- the Truckee River median. When the County reportedly ran out of the necessary funds to include the median in its improvement project, it was left up to the Sunriver Neighborhood Association to beautify this gateway to the neighborhood.

First steps were taken late last fall when Sunriver resident Jean Fox managed to get a few free Chinese Pistache trees from the Sacramento Tree Foundation and Comshade. With the help of Jim Davies, Jean planted the drought-tolerant trees in the median, starting the renovation process rolling.

The next phase kicked off the warm spring morning of Saturday, April 29, 2006, when a handful of volunteers joined together to beautify the island. Shortly before 9 am, Sunriver resident Skip Batchelor arrived to find project manager Ray Fox pacing the median, formulating a plan of attack. Shortly thereafter, Gabor Morocz arrived and immediately dived into the arduous task of removing tree stumps from the island. Mike Britton lent his muscle to the task, and soon several large stumps lay by the median, drying in the morning sun. Linda Swanson, Donna Borsh and Sydney Cooley went to work removing the myriad of weeds that had taken root in the island. Dan Prosperi began carving a small trench along the inside edges of the median, where Margaret Wroth and Jessica Ocenosak created a river rock border to prevent the mulch from migrating into the street. Rob Kenner, Dave Ocenosak, and Ginger Enrico shuttled wheelbarrows around the neighborhood, asking nearby residents for donations of river rock for the project. Meanwhile, Craig Osborn and his young sons pitched in as Doctor Kevin Grant dropped off a supply of donuts and orange juice for the hardworking bunch.

At high noon on that unseasonably warm spring day, an enormous dump truck arrived and dropped a five-foot high mountain of mulch on the Truckee River blacktop. Roy Enrico, Jerry Swanson, Steve Borsh and Skip Batchelor looked as if they were competing in a wheelbarrow race as they dashed up and down the median, delivering large loads of bark to rake-wielding volunteers. Mike Britton and Ray Fox wrestled moss-covered boulders onto a hand cart and rolled them into position in the median. Once all the elements were in place, the team swept the area clean while Steve Borsh and Rob Kenner hosed the area down for a clean, finished look.

Funding for the project came solely from the generous contributions of Sunriver Neighborhood Association members. Over $500 was raised to cover the cost of materials.

While the project has come a long way, it ain't over yet. The next phase takes place this fall when greenery will be planted within the median. The island has no means of irrigation, so California native plants will be planted in the hopes that they'll survive the hot Sacramento summers without needing to be watered. Planting during the cool wet months will help the plants get established before facing the harsh summer heat. An additional Chinese Pistache tree is on the wish list as well. In the immediate future, a few additional moss rocks will be added to those already calling the island home, and a few experimental Santa Barbara daises may be planted to soften the look.

Thanks to the fine crew of volunteers who have made such a wonderful difference in our neighborhood. They are truly among Sunriver's finest!

Click here to view a slide show of the project in progress.

The new Rancho Cordova City Hall began offering services to residents on January 17, 2006, and the Grand Opening celebration will happen on April 22, Earth Day. Come in for a visit and see what the new City Hall has to offer. It combines the best elements of customer service, elegance, and environmental awareness.
The City's Earth-friendly approach is reflected not only in the use of many recycled materials (including cork flooring at the service counter) but also special energy-efficient materials and features. Come visit on April 22!

The new City Hall is located at:
2729 Prospect Park Drive
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
(corner of White Rock Road, just east of Zinfandel)
(916) 851-8700 (new phone number)

Take a look around the neighborhood, and you'll probably notice some nice improvements that have been on Sunriver's wish list for years. At long last, the eastern intersection of Trinity River and Klamath has been enhanced with a KEEP CLEAR zone. In the past, heavy rush hour cut-through traffic often sealed off this intersection, making it virtually impossible for Sunriver residents in this area to leave the development. This new KEEP CLEAR zone will make it much easier for residents to access the Priceless shopping center and hopefully Sunrise as well. A hearty thanks to Cyrus Abhar and Rancho Cordova's Public Works Department.

You'll notice some nice improvements on the opposite end of Sunriver too. Resident Jean Fox coordinated with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and Comshade for the delivery of several young trees for the Sunriver neighborhood, then set out, shovel in hand, to plant the trees in the island just north of the Truckee River and Coloma intersection. She happened upon neighbors Jim Davies and his friend Richard who lent a hand getting the trees in the ground.

The trees are Chinese Pistache, which are beautiful trees requiring little watering once established. They also put on a beautiful display of fall foliage. (Click here for photos and info on the Chinese Pistache.) More enhancements, such as native plants, annuals, and mulch, are planned for the island in the near future. If you'd like to help out with the beautification project, contact Craig Osborn at cosborn@sunriveronline.org

Click on either photo for a closer view.

On the rainy evening of March 22, two dozen Sunriver residents filed into Sun River Church to attend the SNA's spring Neighborhood Meeting. The highlight of the meeting's agenda was a visit from Rancho Cordova Mayor and Sunriver resident, Ken Cooley.

At the outset of his address, Ken shared his views on the many benefits of living in Rancho Cordova, many of which are especially attractive to employers looking to locate their businesses. These benefits include our Riverside neighborhoods which line 6 miles of the American River Parkway, our easy access to the light rail system, a regional jobs and office center located above the region's flood plains, a richly diverse population, and with a few obvious exceptions, its relatively traffic-free streets. Combined, these assets make Rancho Cordova an ideal place to set up shop.

Ken pointed out that one of the biggest challenges facing the new city is connectivity. Rancho Cordova's population is expected to triple in the coming years, and now is the time to carefully examine traffic trouble spots and plot out an effective strategy for getting residents and commuters alike to every corner of the city. Ken outlined what some have dubbed the "Rancho Cordova Parkway," which would create a shortcut from the Mather exit off of US 50 down to the intersection of Sunrise and Douglas -- shaving off nearly three miles of travel. In his view, this would:

1. Divert traffic for our new South Sunrise housing areas away from the Sunrise bottleneck
2. Create a pattern of increased traffic flow through the Mather interchange that will support retail and commerce on our City's western side
3. Entice eastbound commuters to stay on 50, taking advantage of reduced traffic congestion in the area instead of cutting through our neighborhoods north of 50

Also on Cooley's mind is the danger of a divided Rancho Cordova, where the existing city is overshadowed by new development, splitting our community into an Old and New Rancho Cordova.

Ken presented his idea on how Rancho Cordova residents can provide our community an ability to overcome the effects of the County government's past neglect and launch a program to beautify all of Rancho Cordova, ensuring that property values for all areas of the City will rise. Mayor Cooley pointed out that under California law, Rancho Cordova voters can, if they want, pass a modest parcel tax (25 to 50 dollars per year) and dedicate it to the design, planning and construction of capital improvements that enhance and beautify our community. The Mayor stressed the funds would be dedicated to beautification projects and capital improvements, like the Coloma Road project, that finally put past neglect behind us while raising property values. This annual tax would not be for hiring new city employees or running routine operations of City government but would go solely to beautification and improvement projects around Rancho Cordova such as enhancing blighted areas along Routier Road, Coloma, and Zinfandel, and burying utility lines underground. Ken foresees the improvements as a stimulant to rising property values. While fully realizing that it may prove unpopular to propose a new tax, Ken argues that figuring in the thousands of new homes about to become part of Rancho Cordova, this revenue will assure a quality of life for our community unequaled by any of our neighboring cities.

Late in the evening, Ken opened the floor to questions and comments from those in attendance. Residents spoke on various topics of concern, from traffic congestion to road signage to the condition of our streets. On this latter point, Ken promised to ask Cyrus Abhar, the City's Director of Public Works, when Sunriver's streets will be repaved and report back.

Following the meeting, I had the opportunity to chat with the Mayor and his wife Sydney, who assured me that they are in Sunriver for the long haul and have no plans of leaving our beautiful neighborhood. Ken and Sydney are bikers, hikers, kayakers and snowshoers and Sunriver is the perfect base to pursue all these hobbies.

Thanks to Mayor Ken Cooley for spending an evening with the Sunriver Neighborhood Association! We are deeply grateful for his leadership, commitment and hard work on behalf of Rancho Cordova and our Sunriver neighborhood.

On Thursday, July 22, the Sunriver neighborhood was filled with smoke as dry grass along the parkway was engulfed in flame. Fire crews swept through the neighborhood at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday as thick clouds of smoke billowed into the summer sky. The fire burned for nearly an hour as firefighters fought the blaze by land and air. Check out photos of the event HERE.

Also, read an eye witness account and view some excellent action shots of the fire in progress by the SNA's own Craig Osborn HERE.

On the evening of March 22, Sunriver residents filed into a small room in Sun River Church to hear Mayor Linda Budge talk about Rancho Cordova's bright future. The Mayor, a long-term Rancho Cordova resident, gave those in attendance a preview of many of her plans for our community.

The Mayor spoke of improved services for Rancho residents, such as on-call garbage collection. Instead of waiting for an annual "junk day", you'll be able to clean out that cluttered garage any time and call for a pickup of your huge pile of discarded trash. Or after a weekend of clearing out the garden, you'll be able to call for a free greenwaste pickup. These are but a few of the improved services we can expect to see in the near future.

Ms. Budge also addressed one of the issues of greatest concern to our area, traffic congestion. 65,000 people work in Rancho Cordova, (a number shared by downtown San Jose) and the vast majority of those workers commute in to our city. By providing desirable homes within the Rancho Cordova city limits, such as those planned for the Sunrise/Douglas area, we can alleviate the number of commuters clogging the streets. Plans are being laid for alternate modes of transportation, such as shuttles running between light rail stations and business parks. Bikers will appreciate the plans to upgrade the Folsom Canal. Programs to provide commuters with loaner electric vehicles and bicycles are being evaluated. "It's all about choices," said Mayor Budge.

Regarding the current budget crises facing the American River Parkway, an issue near and dear to Sunriver residents' hearts, the Mayor reported that Councilman David Sander is kickstarting a Parkway funding program.

One of the Mayor's long-term goals is to underground the unsightly electrical lines on Folsom Boulevard, a costly and time-consuming endeavor. Also on her agenda is the construction of an overhead walkway, which will provide pedestrians with access to both sides of Highway 50.

Ms. Budge concluded her presentation by opening the floor to questions. Taking out a notepad, she asked those in attendance what they're concerned about most in their community. The list included the use of Sunrise Boulevard as a Friday night racetrack; the rampant excessive speed and disregard for stop signs in our neighborhood; and the sad state our streets are in, long overdue for resurfacing.

The Mayor took a moment to offer a compliment to the Sunriver Neighborhood Association and its members. She stated that so often, neighborhood associations are formed for negative reasons. But the Sunriver Neighborhood Association is a positive organization, focused on improving our community and stands as a role model for other neighborhoods.

We'd like to offer our sincere gratitude to Mayor Linda Budge for taking time out of her busy schedule to address the residents of Sunriver and listen to our concerns and suggestions for a better community.

Also on the meeting's agenda, Sunriver residents got to meet Rancho Cordova's new Crime Prevention Specialist, Gina Trassare. Gina is filling the shoes of Jeff Rodrigues who has been promoted. Best of luck to Jeff in his new position, and a warm welcome goes out to Gina!

The SNA's Social Events Director, Jessica Ocenosak, spoke briefly about the upcoming Spring Fling in the park. Saturday, April 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the SNA invites you and your family to Sunriver Park for a pot luck and plant swap. Bring something tasty to share with your neighbors. Got a few extra plants lying around? Trade them for something new at the plant swap. While your munching your fourth brownie, why not get your body fat tested by California Family Fitness? For the kids, there'll be an Easter egg hunt, a bounce house (provided by Jolly B Jumps) and magician Drew Kelly will mystify his young audience. Volunteers to help decorate and man the event are needed, so please contact Jessica at jocenosak@sunriveronline.org if you can lend a hand.

Neighborhood Enhancement Director Craig Osborn reminded folks of the Sunriver Cleanup scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, March 27. Volunteers should meet in the vacant lot between Ralph's and Coloma Road. We'll be tackling Coloma and Sunriver Park in preparation for next week's Spring Fling. Please join us, if you can. Be sure to bring work gloves and drinking water.

Thanks to all the good neighbors who attended the meeting. We hope to see you at the next Sunriver Neighborhood Meeting early this summer.

As California voters went to the polls in the recent historical election, one Rancho Cordova neighborhood set the bar high in terms of voter participation. According to numbers posted in the October 15 edition of The Grapevine Independent, the two polling places serving Sunriver residents came in second and third among Rancho Cordova precincts. Sun River Church had 51.8% of its registered voters cast their votes election day, with Texas River Ct. reporting 47.8%. Only Mather's Lord Church had a higher turnout, seeing 52.6% of its registered voters cast ballots. The average among Rancho Cordova's 32 precincts was 41.36%.

In recent weeks, local residents have had to face a lot of construction and congestion on our city streets, not only along the Sunrise corridor, but right here at home on the streets of Sunriver. If you've wondered what all the commotion is about, read on.

SMUD is currently replacing the underground electrical cable installed when the development was first built. The cables were buried underground to eliminate unsightly electrical poles and wires in our community. The cable, which has a life expectancy of 30 years, is being replaced with a superior grade of cable.

The project is nearing completion, and is expected to be finished by November 7. Most of the digging is complete and cable already laid. Grinding and final paving of the streets is scheduled to begin Thursday, October 23 and is expected to take two weeks. The streets will not be completely repaved, but instead, new pavement will be laid atop the red slurry concrete currently visible.

SMUD requests that residents move vehicles off the street by 8:00 a.m. and refrain from excessive watering until the project is complete.

For more information, contact Dennis at Arrow Construction (SMUD's contractor for the project) at (916) 640-0500.

SUNRISE PROJECT: This project includes numerous upgrades along Sunrise Blvd. from south of Zinfandel to Gold Country. Upgrades include median landscaping, pavement improvements, filling in of the "ditch" in the median near Midas, and numerous other improvements. This project does not include the sidewalk frontage along the wall from Sun River Church to Gold Country. One bid was received from a landscaping contractor. Construction is expected to start in September 2003, with completion around December 2003.

COLOMA PROJECT: This project includes various upgrades along Coloma Rd. as far east as Sunrise Blvd. and as far west as the end of the wall about 500 feet west of Truckee River Dr. It was designed to improve safety (for pedestrians, bikers, bus riders and drivers), appearance, and protection for residents along the edges of Sunriver. The work includes planting of new landscaping, conversion of the sidewalk to a more appropriate design, planting of new trees, removal of some unsafe trees, new irrigation lines to water the new landscaping, cleanup of shopping carts and other debris, and much more. It also includes landscaping of all medians in the 3 entrances to Sunriver, plus sidewalk frontage along Sunrise Blvd. So there's more to the project than just Coloma, although that name helps to distinguish this project from the Sunrise project. Bids from landscape companies were accepted until August 21, 2003, but no bids were received. Contractors mentioned that they did not have the work capacity or bonding capacity until spring, so the County is expecting to re-open the bidding for this project around November 2003, with construction expected to start in spring 2004 once the ground has dried out from winter/spring rains.

Acknowledgements: Both of these projects are due in large part to input and participation from numerous Sunriver residents, as well as support from Sacramento County's Transportation Dept. and Board of Supervisors, and the new Rancho Cordova City Council. The design elements described above, plus many other elements too numerous to list here, have been developed and refined by input from many in our neighborhood. Thank you to all who have worked constructively to make these projects happen!

As many of you know, our good friend and longtime Sunriver neighbor Carl Steiner lost his battle with brain cancer in April. Carl was an inspiration to all who knew him. He was active in the Sunriver Neighborhood Association, busily arranging neighborhood events, serving as Social Director, and pitching in on our neighborhood cleanups. He contributed his energy and enthusiasm to Rancho Cordova cityhood, including speaking in support of cityhood before the County Board of Supervisors, bringing along many of his students from Kinney High School. As a teacher, a neighbor, and a friend, he was one of a kind with a bright, creative spirit. He served his community unselfishly and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Carl's family.