Little Red Ridinghood opens February 25^th and plays Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon through March 18^th.

Admission is $5 for all ages, cash or checks only (Children two years old and under are free)

Group rate for parties of 15 or more, 20% 

Half-price opening day special! February 25^th only!

Performances will be located in the West Sacramento Community center 1075 West Capitol West Capitol West Sacramento CA 95691

Parking is free and available at the site or across the street at city hall.

The Sunday performance on March 4^th will be interpreted in American Sign Language.

For more information check our website citytheatre.net or call Doug Lawson, Children’s Theatre Coordinator, at (916) 558-2174.

• Introduction to River-Friendly Landscaping.  Tues., Mar. 20.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Soils.  Tues., Mar. 27.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Composting and Mulch.  Tues., Apr. 3.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Irrigation.  Tues., Apr. 10.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Landscape Design.  Tues., Apr. 17.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Right Plant, Right Place.  Tues., Apr. 24.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Edible Gardens.  Tues., May 1.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Integrated Pest Management.  Tues., May 8.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Pruning for Plant Health.  Tues., May 15.  6:30 – 8:30PM
• Lawn Care.  Tues., May 22.  6:30 – 8:30PM 

REGISTER by calling (916) 746-1550

1501 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville, CA 95747
Course #56055
$55 Roseville Residents | $65 General
www.roseville.ca.us/explore

Further, dog owners are required by law to clean up after their pets (Municipal Code Section 6.16.220).

Please be a responsible dog owner!  Thanks for your cooperation.

WSAFCA Board Meeting
Thursday, March 8, 10:30 a.m.
West Sacramento City Hall, Council Chambers
1110 West Capitol Avenue
West Sacramento

West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (WSAFCA) has completed analyses needed to compare project alternatives that would correct known deficiencies in the six-mile stretch of the Southport Sacramento River levee and will recommend a preferred alternative to the WSAFCA Board of Directors on Thursday, March 8.

Identifying the preferred alternative for levee improvements for the Southport Sacramento River Early Implementation Project (EIP) is another step in the design phase of the project and draft environmental impact study and report. The investigation, evaluation and design of the Southport Sacramento River EIP have advanced through a sequence of progressively detailed stages based upon the best available information.

WSAFCA and the City of West Sacramento have made flood control and protection their number one priority to protect the lives of more than 47,000 residents, 13,000 acres of development and $4.2 billion in commercial, residential and industrial structures. The state government mandates that West Sacramento meet a 200-year flood protection requirement. Many projects are completed or underway to meet that requirement and delivering rapid reduction in flood risk exposure.

The staff recommendation for the preferred alternative, known as Design Alternative 2, is a combination of levee and seepage deficiency remediation measures that have been extensively evaluated for effectiveness and feasibility under conditions found along the Southport levee: adjacent levee, setback levee and strengthen-in place. Design Alternative 2 provides the best approach, based on available data and engineering analysis, to meet the project’s requirements for flood risk reduction, while also helping to ensure that the entire six miles can be completed with existing funds. In the process of formulating the design alternative, WSAFCA also balanced flood control imperatives of the community with the potential effect on private homes and property, recognizing the emotional and financial impact on homeowners.  With an identified preferred alternative, additional analysis will be specifically focused on detailing the effects of the alternative on private property, the environment and community, and determining how best to minimize and mitigate those impacts.

The WSAFCA Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the West Sacramento City Hall Council Chambers.

WSAFCA welcomes your questions about the Southport Sacramento River EIP. The project team will make every effort to present responses to questions received in advance of the board meeting. Please e-mail your questions to: westsacfloodprotection@gmail.com.

We hope you can attend this important meeting.

Questions? Please call Flood Protection Manager Michael Bessette at (916) 617-4850.

Just in time for Woody Guthrie’s Centennial, this play celebrates the life and work of one of our country’s greatest storytellers and songwriters.  With songs like “Worried Man,”  “Pastures of Plenty,” and “This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie honored the common working man through some of the hardest times our country ever faced.  With hard times upon us again, his stories and music uplift us once more, and remind us of the great power of the human spirit.

In reviving this sold-out production from ten years ago, City Theatre gathers together a live band and a cast of twenty-five to bring Woody Guthrie’s work to life.  Written and conceived by Peter Glazer, directed by Luther Hanson, and with musical direction by Bradley Moates, this production will entertain your family, restore your spirit, and renew your dreams of a better world for all.

Performances will be held in the Black Box Theatre at the West Sacramento Community Center at 1075 W. Capitol Blvd. in West Sacramento.

Ticket prices for Friday and Saturday evenings are $15 General Admission, and $12 for students with IDs, seniors, SARTA members, and Persons with Disabilities. Ticket prices for matinees are $13 General Admission, and $10 for students with IDs, seniors, SARTA members, and Persons with Disabilities. Group rates are available. Reservations are recommended and are available by calling 558-2228 or by visiting the website at citytheatre.net.

Getting your video on YouTube? Whatever.

Students. Video. Contest. Prizes. Water efficiency messages. That’s the perfect combination for building buzz and awareness for the necessity to improve outdoor water efficiency in the region.  The City of West Sacramento joins with the Regional Water Authority (RWA) to sponsor creativity, originality and relevancy in a video contest just for high school students. Thirty-second spots actually air on local television as part of RWA’s big 2012 education campaign. And these video spots go big when presented on Sacramento River Cats’ huge Jumbotron during a 2012 game. Deadline to enter is March 30, 2012. Hurry. Hurry.

For more information, rules and entry guidelines, visit sacbee.com/water-spots.

Toby Ross, City Manager

City of West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon announced Feb. 16 that City Manager Toby Ross intends to  retire sometime before July 1, 2012. 

In a letter to the City Council, Mr. Ross stated, “…This decision does not come lightly.  I am not only leaving a position where I have had unrivaled support from the Council and staff, I am ending a career in a profession that I care about deeply.  I cherish my time in public service and believe that I have made a difference in the communities I have served. It has been a privilege and my good fortune in West Sacramento to work with a mayor and council members who demonstrate their commitment to the community through confident and creative leadership. It has been my pleasure to approach the opportunities and challenges of West Sacramento with my valued colleagues and friends. I appreciate the support, and latitude afforded me by the members of this exceptional community…”

Mr. Ross has served as West Sacramento’s City Manager since November 2002. Mr. Ross has managed many projects and programs that have improved the quality of life for residents and workers in West Sacramento and  have positioned  the City for an enhanced and respected role in the region.  Some accomplishments include major retail development in the north and south ends of the City, with anchor tenants such as IKEA, Walmart, Nugget and Target; the development of the City’s downtown into a vibrant government center encompassing City Hall, the Arthur F. Turner Yolo County Library, a satellite facility for Sacramento City College and the City’s Community Center. The City’s aggressive flood protection program was developed and advanced under Mr. Ross as well as major infrastructure projects in support of the Bridge District, an intense urban riverfront development south of Tower Bridge. Mr. Ross has also served as the Executive Director for the Port of West Sacramento.

Immediately prior to this appointment, Mr. Ross served as the City Manager for Park City, Utah.  Park City is a world-class, resort community that played host to approximately 40 percent of the events during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Mr. Ross presided over this full-service resort city for more than 13 years and was named “Manager of the Year” by the Utah League of Cities and Towns for his work on statewide growth and planning issues. 

Mr. Ross has an extensive educational background. He earned MA and PhD and degrees from UC Berkeley; and a BA degree from UC Santa Barbara. Mr. Ross has also held a number of university faculty positions.

Mayor Cabaldon stated, “Toby Ross is one the West’s most highly regarded city managers, and for good reason. He has been pivotal to our city’s transformation as he delivered project after project while running a tight fiscal ship and fostering a City Hall where talented, passionate people can get things done. We will miss Mr. Ross dearly, but today I’m just grateful that West Sacramento has had the exceptional good fortune of his leadership for a decade. Now our city says, ‘thank you’ and ‘best wishes for a much-deserved retirement’.”

Monthly Rates are as follows:

5 days- $730.00
4 days- $680.00
3 days- $570.00
2 days- $450.00

Alternative or part day schedules will be considered.

For more information and to set up a tour of the Learning Ladder, please call Site Supervisor Anne Schultze @ (916) 617-5317.

May 21, 2012 is the last day to register to vote in the June 5, 2012 primary election!  Are you going to be able to participate? 

Registering to vote is as simple as calling Yolo Elections at 916-375-6490; visiting www.yoloelections.org; or picking up a voter registration card at the library, post office, or City Hall.

What: Join the Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society
When: Saturday, February 18, 2012 from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Curves, Southport Town Center 2050 Town Center Plaza, West Sacramento, CA

• Learn about American Cancer Society programs and services
• Get a sneak peek of the Relay experience
• Sign up your team (discount registration of only $50)

Team Captain Meetings: the last Monday of each month at the Bridgeway Lakes Boathouse, 3650 Southport Pkwy.

If one person can battle cancer, a nation can rise up and defeat it!

For more information contact:  Event Chair, Cynthia Shockency at (707) 694-9019 or email at relayforlifewsac@gmail.com

For more information please see the contact information provided below.
Email: wsrelay4life@gmail.com
Webpage: www.relayforlife.org/westsacramentoca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WestSacRelay

For more information about used motor oil and oil filter recycling, click here, or call the City’s Environmental Service Division at (916) 617-4590

West Sacramento Welcomes Nippon Shokken – West Sacramento officials celebrate Nippon Shokken’s groundbreaking of a new 70,000 square foot sales and production facility. Pictured, Nippon Shokken executives with local officials Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan, Councilmember Chris Ledesma, Mayor Pro Tem Oscar Villegas, Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, Nippon Shokken Chairman Kazuhiko Ozawa, Councilmember Bill Kristoff, Councilmember Mark Johannessen, and City Manager Toby Ross. The new facility is scheduled to open March 2013.

“We conducted research all around California for constructing our first seasoning plant in the United States,” said Nippon Shokken Chairman Kazuhiko Ozawa. “The City of West Sacramento proved to have the bounty of quality water, which is essential for production of seasonings and to have the utmost land of well-built infrastructure.”

           Producing such products as sauces and batter mixes, Nippon Shokken has sought to expand its presence in the U.S. since opening a branch in Los Angeles in 1988. The original facility will relocate to West Sacramento when the plant is completed next year. The company anticipates the new plant will increase its competitiveness in the U.S. The West Sacramento location will also help reinforce Nippon Shokken’s presence in markets abroad, according to company officials.

            In March 2013, Nippon Shokken expects to open the new plant with 100 employees, with a production capacity of 2,400 tons per year. The company’s goal is to add another 200 positions by 2015.

BREAKING THE CASK—To bring “good luck” to the construction of Nippon Shokken’s new headquarters facility in West Sacramento, company officials break a ceremonial cask with West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan. Pictured, Nippon Shokken Chairman Kazuhiko Ozawa (third from left), Supervisor McGowan, and Mayor Cabaldon, flanked by Nippon Shokken executives.

For parents and teens, learn about:

• Key questions teens need answered;
• Communicating more effectively;
• Building confidence and responsibility;
• Setting and maintaining limits; and
• Steps for good decision making.

The workshop series begins Thursday, Feb. 9 and continues on Thursdays thru March 29. The hours: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. The locations: 9191 Westacre Rd., Room 19, West Sacramento 95691. The workshop is also available in Spanish on Fridays, Feb. 10-March 30, same time, same location.

Sign up today or just stop by a workshop. For more information, call (916) 576-3300 or www.peoplereachingout.org.

When: Friday, February 3^rd at 7:00 pm.
Where: Doors & Café La Boutique open at 6:00 pm.

West Sacramento Community Center
1075 West Capitol Avenue
West Sacramento, CA 95691

Tickets: Tickets are available at the Community Center up until the night of the event.
Adults: $8
Children under 13/Students/Seniors: $6

For more information please call 916-617-4620.

In association with Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program invites families earning up to $49,078 to attend these free tax assistance events. . .with tax preparation provided by IRS-certified staff and volunteers. For more information, call (707) 455-8025 or go to www.asmdc.org/kf. Additional free tax assistance service is also provided at these West Sacramento locations:

• Yolo County Children’s Alliance–West Sacramento Resource Center, 1200 Anna St., Portable 21, West Sacramento; Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Appointments are required on Thursdays only–call (916) 572-0560 or 1-(866) 607-4030.
• Holy Cross College Preparatory Academy, 800 Todhunter Ave., West Sacramento; Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.; No appointments required–for more information, call (916) 443-5367.
• Yolo County Dept. of Employment & Social Services (West Sacramento Office), 500-A Jefferson Blvd., Suite 100, West Sacramento; Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Appointments required–call (916) 375-6200.
• Yolo County Children’s Alliance, Arthur F. Turner Community Library Community Room, 1212 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento; Dates: Feb. 11, 18, March 10, 17, 31, and April 7; Hours: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Appointments required–call (916) 572-0560 or 1-(866) 607-4030.

Come meet with City staff and fireworks wholesaler representatives to see if it’s right for your organization. “Fireworks Seller Information Night” is Tuesday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m.-7 p.m., in the City Hall Galleria, 1110 West Capitol Ave. 

Topics to be discussed: Lottery Process, Permit Process, and Selling Fireworks.  The seller permit lottery filing period will be open from March 1-March 31.

For more information, call Kryss Rankin, City of West Sacramento, (916) 617-4500.

Pictured left to right, West Sacramento City Councilmember Mark Johannessen, Mayor Pro Tem Oscar Villegas, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director (and program MC) Denice Seals, SACOG Executive Director Mike McKeever, Port Chair and Yolo County Supervisor Mike McGowan, Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, City Manager Toby Ross, and Port Director Mike Luken. (Photo: Dan Harris)

Built through a public-private partnership between the City of West Sacramento, Cemex and Sierra Northern Railroad at a cost of $2 million, the extension will allow easier transport of material, create new jobs and provide the Port a revenue source from additional railcar movement. Rail service is provided to the Cemex facility by Sierra Northern.

“This is an important project for the Port as it will allow multiple rail providers to serve Port users in a competitive environment and help ensure that the Cemex facility can operate at full capacity,” said Mike McGowan, chair of the Sacramento-Yolo Port Commission.

Until now, the Port’s Cemex facility, first constructed in 2008, was not served by rail. Construction of the rail segment began in June of 2011. The completed extension allows Cemex to handle up to 2 million tons of cement annually with easier distribution of material.  

MAYOR THANKS RAIL LINK PROJECT PARTNERS – West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon (pictured) said the Port’s ability to link businesses to its new rail segment increases the Port’s economic impact in the region. He also saluted the City’s other project partners, Sierra Northern Railroad and Cemex Cement.

“With more goods moving by rail, this reduces the number of trucks making trips

in the city and helps improve air quality,” said West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon. “It makes the Port a more attractive goods movement hub and helps create more jobs.”

A representative from the Human Rights Fair Housing Commission will be available to answer questions, free of charge, on Tenant rights, Landlord rights, housing discrimination or other housing issues.

The meeting will occur in the Library Meeting Room of the Arthur F. Turner Community Library, 1212 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento 95691.

Forums will be held:

• January 31st at 7 pm at the Esparto Regional Library
• February 2nd at 7 pm at the Winters Community Library
• February 9th at 7 pm in Davis at the Veterans Memorial Building next door to the library
• February 15th at 7 pm in the Leake Room of the Woodland Library
• February 23rd at 7 pm at the Arthur F. Turner Community Library in West Sacramento.

The forums are sponsored by the Yolo County Library, the Woodland Library, Pacific Gas and Electric, Co., Energy Upgrade California (https://energyupgradeca.org/overview), and the Yolo Energy Watch (http://www.yoloenergywatch.org/).

Water Polo and Lap Swim workouts are now included in a valid Recreation Center pass and workout times can be found on the group exercise calendar.  

For more information click here.

New swimmers can register online starting Feb. 12 at wsdolphins.org or you can register in person at Round Table Pizza, Southport Town Center on Sunday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 19, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

There are no registration forms to fill out—everything will be entered by computer. However, new swimmers will need to present copies of birth certificates.

Any questions? Contact Christina Robles at christinaandray1000@gmail.com.

Doors open at 5 p.m., with the crab dinner served at 6 p.m. No host bar. Dancing and raffle prizes continue ‘til closing, 11 p.m. Donations are $35 per person in advance or $40 per person at the door. Proceeds benefit the community and Holy Cross charities.

Tickets can be purchased after mass or contact Holy Cross Council or Knights of Columbus members. Questions? Please call event coordinator Pedro Venegas, (916) 541-7134.

The DLT program is a voluntary program during the fall and winter in which the YSAQMD asks residents not to use their woodstoves and fireplaces when air pollution approaches unhealthy levels. Concentrations of particulate matter can reach high levels due to low-lying air inversions. These inversions trap pollutants close to ground level affecting the air we breathe. These cold weather conditions, coupled with the increased use of fireplaces and woodstoves, can create pollution levels that lead not only to poor air quality but also to health problems for some residents.  The YSAQMD tracks levels of particulate matter and in Yolo and Solano County and provides bulletins on their website (www.ysaqmd.org).   Residents may also subscribe to the EnvrioFlash service to receive emailed updates on the program, or call the District at (530) 757-3787 to get DLT Program status.

When using your woodstove or fireplace, please take the following steps to reduce wood smoke pollution this winter:

• Always burn small pieces of aged, dry hardwood.
• When storing wood, stack it under cover in a dry ventilated area.
• Never burn household trash, chemically treated or painted wood.
• Stack wood loosely in your firebox, so plenty of air circulates around it.
• Keep the flame active.
• Don’t let your fire smolder overnight – keep enough air in the fire to maintain a flame.
• Check your chimney regularly to see how well your fire is burning.
• If you are buying a wood stove or insert, make sure it is EPA certified.

You will learn how to:

Establish a Central Leader
Proper Pruning Cuts
About Temporary and Permanent Branches
What are the Best Tools

When:  Saturday, January 14^th from 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Where: City Hall, 1110 West Capitol Avenue

For Information Call (916) 617-4620
West Sacramento Tree Program