Letter to the Editor of the Week

Dear Editor:

As I visit my daughter who lives in the older section of Elk Grove I am bewildered by some the things I see in your city.
First, Elk Grove has a lot of history and Old Town should be preserved. The city fathers saw fit to take Elk Grove Boulevard, which is a very busy road and narrow it to one lane in each direction. It appears that this makes Old Town more congested. Parking is somewhat awkward. As Elk Grove Boulevard going out toward Bradshaw Road is in terrible condition, it seems the money to narrow a main street could have been used more wisely to improve conditions of the road all the way through town.
Second, Elk Grove city fathers apparently approved the plans to construct a building on the southeast corner of Elk Grove-Florin Road and Elk Grove Boulevard. I have been told it was to be a library but the second floor is not sturdy enough to hold the weight of the books. Is this correct? If this is correct, shame on your planning commission that approved the plans.
My last comment, is why was it allowed to be placed so close to the intersection and not set back a distance?
As a frequent visitor in your growing city, I have been curious for some time and thought I would write and ask.

Mel Mehlhaff
Winston, Ore.

This is one of several letters to the editor that will be published in the Wednesday, July 4 edition of the Citizen.

Saluting the Red, White, and Blue

By Keith Gebers
Citizen Staff Writer

Officially it’s called Independence Day. But most people refer to it as July Fourth or the Fourth of July. It is the biggest national holiday of the year, although there are several times during the year when a patriotic theme highlights a special occasion, such as Veterans Day and even Memorial Day.
The day marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain on July 4, 1776. However the United States didn’t officially became independent until Sept. 3, 1783 when King George III and leaders of the United States signed The Treaty of Paris.
The first official anniversary celebration occurred July 4, 1777 in Philadelphia with speeches by members of the Continental Congress along with military parades, toasts and a 13-gun salute. On July 4, 1778 George Washington celebrated Independence Day by giving his troops a double ration of rum.
North Carolina, in 1781, was the first state to officially recognize Independence Day. However, it wasn’t until 99-years later that the United States Congress made July 4 a national holiday. And strangely enough, federal employees didn’t get that day off in 1880 with pay.
An overall feeling of celebration marks the Fourth of July. Many cities have large parades and in Elk Grove we have the Red, White and Blue Celebration, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. It is a tradition held yearly in Elk Grove Regional Park and features a gigantic fireworks display, preceded by day long activities, such as popular live music, family picnics and displays put on by community organizations and vendors.
Songs play a big part in Independence Day tradition. “The Star Spangled Banner is the national anthem, which commemorates a critical battle with the British during the War of 1812. With a melody based on a British drinking song and words written by Francis Scott Key, “The Star Spangled Banner” wasn’t adopted by Congress as the National Anthem until 1931. Even then, it was controversial with many leaders saying “My Country, Tis of Thee” was more traditional.
Some years later a short-lived effort got underway when some popular musicians suggested making “America the Beautiful” the national anthem. Others say “God Bless America,” written by Irving Berlin and made popular in 1938 by singer Kate Smith, was - and is - the best choice. However it ran into problems when some secular critics said mention of the deity favored union between church and state. Still, “God Bless America” is often regarded as the unofficial national anthem.
Other songs receive a lot of play on July 4 including “This Land Is Your Land, “Stars and Stripes Forever,” along with “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” which was written by George M. Cohen, who was born on July 4, 1878.
This year July 4 takes on special meaning because thousands of Americans are in harm’s way in the mid east. Many of the celebrations will commemorate the efforts and sacrifices of these young people who are serving their nation in times of need.

Child dies after being hit by SUV

The driver of an SUV hit and fatally injured a 4-year-old girl on June 23 after she got out of a parked car. Police said the driver stopped after the accident and was completely cooperative with officers.
Elk Grove police say that the victim, identified as Viang Many Savengsueksa, was on her way to a family wedding that day.
Sgt. James Fuller, spokesperson for the Elk Grove police, said that the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. when the victim’s family parked their vehicle near the corner of Spring Flower Drive and Sand Hollow Way in the East Franklin area.
Savengsueksa’s family parked on a north curb line of Spring Flower Drive, Fuller reported. The victim stepped into the street’s eastbound traffic lane and the driver of the SUV, heading east, could not avoid hitting the girl, Fuller added.
The driver then stopped to check on the victim.
Cosumnes Community Service District paramedics transported Savengsueksa to the UC Davis Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead.
Fuller said that driver did not show signs of intoxication, but she still allowed police to test her blood alcohol level. He noted that speed might not have been a factor in the collision but he said that it causes many collisions in the city.

This brief was compiled by Citizen Staff Writer Cameron Macdonald.

Paris Hilton will not be interviewed by the Citizen staff

The Elk Grove Citizen has announced that it will not be interviewing Paris Hilton after she is released from jail this week. We apologize to our readers.

2 shot, 1 beaten at birthday party altercation

The Elk Grove police reported that two men suffered gunshot wounds and another was beaten after a birthday party turned violent early Sunday morning. All three were transported to area hospitals for treatment.
Elk Grove police Sgt. James Fuller said at about 1:39 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a call of multiple gunshots in the 9900 block of West Taron Drive. Dispatchers then received a call of a man suffering from two gunshot wounds at the AM/PM gas station at 9590 Harbour Point Drive.
At about the same time, Fuller reported, other Elk Grove officers stopped a suspected vehicle seen speeding away from the area of West Taron Drive. Inside that vehicle was another person who had been shot. He was taken to Kaiser South for treatment. A third person - who was beaten at the party - was also transported separately to Kaiser South in Sacramento.
Fuller said preliminary investigations have revealed what appears to be a gang-related dispute at the party. Fuller added that several people tried to enter the party and were denied entrance. The situation developed into a verbal argument before the shooting erupted. The incident is still under investigation.

A more detailed story on this incident will be in the Wednesday edition of the Citizen.

Changing of Beats at the Citizen

The Elk Grove Citizen staff will be switching beats in the coming weeks in an effort to cover the community as best possible.
The politics and local government beat - which includes the Elk Grove City Council and Elk Grove Planning Commission - will now be covered by Reporter Blake Ellington. He replaces Shannon Savage, who was on the beat for more than one year.
Savage will be taking over the Lifestyles beat/section and will cover all aspects of Elk Grove's art and culture scene, as well as movie reviews, play previews, coverage of regional entertainment events and much more.
Cameron Macdonald will stay with his usual beats - police and public safety; the Cosumnes Community Services District; the Elk Grove Unified School District; and other random assignments.
The Citizen's Summer College Intern - Sarah Kyo of San Jose State Univ. - will be helping with all sorts of assignments, including question of the week, our special sections during the summer, and as many news stories as we can find for her.
We hope our readers and the citizens of Elk Grove enjoy our newspaper. Feel free to leave a comment or send an e-mail to the editor, Jeff Forward.

Police invite community to discuss crime at meeting

The Elk Grove police are hosting a community meeting at City Hall on June 26 to address residents' questions and concerns about crime in their neighborhoods.
Last year, the police organized their patrol coverage of the city into "beats" or areas where officers are assigned to focus their attention there and better connect with residents.
The upcoming meeting will address all of the neighborhoods west of Highway 99 – including the Laguna, East Franklin and Laguna West areas.
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. inside the city council chambers at City Hall on 8400 Laguna Palms Way.
For more information, contact Officer Andrea Luckenbach at (916) 478-8110.

Brief was compiled by Citizen Staff Writer Cameron Macdonald.

"Citizen soldier" staff profiles to make comeback

In 1998, the staff of the Elk Grove Citizen put together a series of small biographical profiles on the staff and published them in the Citizen.
We like that idea, and will be re-starting this feature in order to introduce our staff to our readers. Over the next two months, the bios and photos of our staff will be uploaded on a once-a-week basis.

Council awards $211,000 in grants, Hume abstains from all votes

By Shannon Savage
Citizen Staff Writer

The Elk Grove City Council gave away $211,000 in community grants at their June 13 meeting, slightly more than a third of the $600,000 in funding that community groups had requested.
Despite the generosity, not all of the city council members were not in the giving spirit.
“I’m going to abstain from all of them,” said Elk Grove City Council Member Pat Hume, who had disagreed with the idea of government funded community grants at a prior meeting.
“I don’t believe that it is government’s role to act as Robin Hood and redistribute wealth,” Hume said during the May 23 council meeting. “Even when we were in high cotton I kind of had a problem philosophically with the idea of community services grants.”
Other council members, though, saw the worth of the programs requesting help at the June 13 council meeting.
“This is an organization that has been serving the community for a long time,” said Elk Grove City Council Member Gary Davis about the Animal Rescue League. “They work their tails off.”
Some council members were more concerned with giving money to groups that helped people.
“There are a lot of human needs,” said Elk Grove City Council Member Mike Leary. “Perhaps we should prioritize.”
Members of the council also argued that they could either fund the Animal Rescue League or give more money to the Elk Grove Rotary Foundation Youth Incentive Mentor Program, “where you can keep an at risk kid out of prison,” said Elk Grove Mayor Jim Cooper. “So it’s either Fi Fi the cat or a kid.”
In the end the Rotary Foundation received $10,000, $5,000 less then they requested and the Animal Rescue League received $10,000 of their $50,000 request.
But all of the money didn’t just go to furry little four legged friends. The Elk Grove Community Food Bank Services received $60,000.
“This is an organization that’s operating lean and mean,” Davis said. “Any assistance we give is going to Elk Grove families. We don’t have a big homeless population but we have a lot of people that are barely making it.”
Other groups like Project R.I.D.E. also received their full request.
“We’re ecstatic it’s definitely a step that we needed to take to not have to continually ask the city for money every year,” said Tina Calanchini, director of operations for Project R.I.D.E.
The group requested $11,900 to develop marketing packets to promote the organization to help get bigger donors.
“We want to garner support in other places of the city,” Calanchini said. “This will help us help ourselves.”
The council also gave $25,000 to the Elk Grove Adult Community Training.
“We’re looking at folks who are disabled, they need everything they can get,” Davis said. “This will give them a good shot in the arm so to speak.”
Even the arts didn’t get left out of the donations.
Elk Grove Artists and the Elk Grove Concert Band received a total of almost $7,000.
“They are young kids out there,” said Elk Grove City Council Member Sophia Scherman, about the concert band. “They really do entertain a lot of folks out in the community.”
There were also a slew of events requesting funding.
Although the Elk Grove Veteran’s Day Parade received $3,000, the Elk Grove Western Festival received $2,000 and the Strauss Festival of Elk Grove received $15,000 Davis continued to mention that events might be better funded by other areas of the budget.
“I think we’ve got funds from other sources to fund events,” Davis said.
The Fine Arts Festival of Elk Grove was also funded at $5,000, which was less then the group’s request of $14,350.
“Were just really grateful that they thought to help us out,” said Nan Mahon, member of the fine arts festival committee. “We’re a new (so) it shows that they have some faith in us.”
Although they did not receive the full amount requested, Mahon said the it would still be useful.
“The money means that we can continue to make this a free event so that all of the community can come and enjoy the arts,” Mahon said. “That’s our goal is art for everybody.”
But not all organizations walked away happy.
The Elk Grove Youth Achievement Foundation requested $30,000 and received nothing.
“I’ve never been aware of them funding any sports for girls,” said Elk Grove Mayor Jim Cooper. “I’ve got a problem with that.”
Other groups like the Elk Grove Historical Society were also left out in the cold.
The historical society requested $42,326 for handicap improvements to Rhoads School and research library equipment.
“You’re disappointed when you don’t get a grant but its understandable, the city doesn’t have a lot of money to give to everybody,” said Anita Peters, president of the Elk Grove Historical Society. “It’s kind of the luck of the draw.”
But the historical society will still need to find the money to at least do the handicap improvements.
“Of course (Rhoads School is) an old building but we do school programs there and we have in recent years had a couple of children who were in wheelchairs and it was very difficult thing for them,” said Frances Fite, director of the Rhoads School. “Also we are not in compliance with the (American’s With Disabilities Act) requirements.”
Even though many groups did receive funding this year the council sent out a warning to all that planned to apply again next year.
“They may not get any funding to free up the money for someone else,” Leary said.
This year the council had $1,000 leftover after giving out community grants.

Back from Quantico: Kelly graduates from FBI academy

By Cameron Macdonald
Citizen Staff Writer

A city police administrator recently returned from Virginia with a broader knowledge of policing and new connections with law enforcement authorities from around the world.
Ed Kelly, assistant chief of the Elk Grove Police Department, graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA a few weeks ago.
Kelly and a few hundred law enforcement officers from across the country and world spent 10 weeks studying police subjects including management and forensics.
“It was a long 10 weeks but the benefits I’ve gained are well worth the time I’ve spent,” he said.
Kelly does not have his academy diploma hanging on his office wall yet, but he keeps a yellow brick on his desk – an award from running the “Yellow Brick Road,” a six-mile, U.S. Marine endurance course in the humid Virginia sun.
“The most challenging thing is taking yourself out of your norm and opening yourself to all the new things,” he said. “I think I got quite a bit out of that.”
The assistant police chief helped lead the creation of the city of Elk Grove’s police force last year.
Kelly said that he applied to the FBI academy two years ago and gained his nomination to the school from the FBI’s Sacramento branch.
Less than one percent of American police officers that apply to the academy are accepted, according to the FBI.
Kelly compared his academy experience to that of going to a college for semester. He said that the school is meant to strengthen cooperation between the FBI and local law enforcement agencies and now matters more given the large national interest in Homeland Security.
“I think that this is a good way to make sure that we’re all looking at things the same way and knowing each other’s resources,” he said.
Kelly took courses in legal issues, labor law, organizational behavior, leadership ethics and forensics. He also wrote papers and conducted class presentations on subjects like an unsolved homicide case where prostitutes were killed in New York.
He spoke highly of the advances in forensic investigations such as DNA inspections where they can be easily done on minor crimes like burglary and auto theft
“We’re probably going to look at some changes that make sure we’re up to speed,” he said about his police department.
Kelly also mentioned that he learned more about how a FBI evidence team can assist in local police cases.
Kelly had classmates from Japan and Switzerland as well as other developing countries.
Kelly also spoke of a classmate from Israel where bombings and terrorist attacks are commonplace.
“We don’t realize how things are working so well in this country,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of the problems that they have.”
Kelly said that his best academy experience was making new friends and connections.
“I now have the ability to contact (law enforcement officials) anywhere in United States or outside in the world,” he said. “And, have the ability to find out information or get things done.”

Blogging can be time consuming

I have been working on this site for a few weeks now, and it is coming along slowly but better than I had envisioned.
We at the Citizen decided to get into blogging because it is another way to communicate with our readers - allowing us to update the public on breaking news or big events that occur in between our two print editions (Wednesday and Friday.)
It also allows us to put more of our print content online so more Internet-savvy readers can locate it and find stories.
Our current Web site -www.egcitizen.com - is very archaic and close to being shut down. We have a new Web site that is being prepared for unveiling soon. I expect this to occur within the next four-six weeks. When that new Web site is up and running, we will continue to maintain this blog.
Two of the biggest difficulties I've encountered so far with blogging - aside from my base knowledge of computers - are time and access to the Internet.
I regularly work 50 hours a week - that was before the blog. Now, with the instantaneous nature of Internet news, I am trying to keep up on the blog by putting pertinent news stories on the site as much as possible. (Read seven days a week.)
It's not always easy. My main focus and duties are as editor of the print edition of the Citizen. I must focus on each and every task each day to make sure the newspaper runs smoothly. I also answer phones when needed, work with our staff writers, write stories on my own, and deal with each and every complaint or concern with the Citizen.
Now, after adding on blogging to the list of duties, I have found myself working more hours merely trying to keep the blog timely and relevant. What that means is it is eating away at more of my free time outside of work.
The blog is difficult to do with the time limitations, but when you add in my second problem - no Internet access - it makes it even harder to maintain the site on a regular basis.
I may be one of the last people in the U.S. that does NOT have Internet access at home. Not only did I never own a computer until February, 2007, I have never had Internet access in my home.
One issue is cost. I simply cannot afford to have Internet access in my home. Even if I could afford it, I doubt I would get it because there are other things I need to spend money on - like bills and trying to save for the day I retire when I am 90.
A second problem is that my girlfriend does not even want Internet access in our home. I tend to agree. The Internet is nice, but it has a habit of turning people into mouse-potatoes: people who sit online all day and surf the net for "entertainment."
The third issue with the Internet is where can I access it? For me, it means driving to Davis from Woodland to access a free Internet cafe. However, free is a bit misleading. I have to pay for gas - 25 miles round-trip - and the coffee shop with Internet access demands users buy something - a basic coffee is $2. Because I have to drive to Davis, it takes at minimum two hours to do even the most basic blog update. That's two hours out of my weekend and time away from my hobbies and friends and most importantly, my significant other.
I often wonder why our society is obsessed with having news available on an instantaneous basis. It seems as if more and more people in our society cannot detach themselves from the world around them for even a few hours.
We arm ourselves with cell phones, BlackBerry devices, and all sorts of other technological gadgets for what? To be able to be reached anywhere at anytime? Is it worth it? Only you can answer that question for yourself.
I just had my cell phone turned off. I really didn't like it. It was $30 a month out of my pocket and nothing but a hassle. I highly doubt that Internet access will find a home in our house - too much money and too much time inside away from life outside with friends and family.
The world of journalism is changing, with all these tech gadgets and gizmos speeding up what we do and making news a more than 24-hour-a-day business. Whether that is better than the old days or worse, only time will tell.
In the meantime, we will do our best to keep you updated on news and happenings in the best manner we can.

3 Robbery suspects arrested

By Cameron Macdonald
Citizen Staff Writer

Authorities arrested three suspects who allegedly robbed an Elk Grove credit union on Jun. 7.
Elk Grove police say that a Sacramento County deputy located and followed a vehicle containing the suspects on Interstate-80 near Fairfield later that day.
The suspects were stopped and arrested in the Bay Area city of Hercules, Elk Grove police spokesperson Christopher Trim said.
“We did recover some money from the bank robbery,” he said.
The suspects arrested are Christopher Estes, Gary Henry and Wineka Runnell. Trim said that police believe there is a fourth suspect still at large.
The robbery occurred before noon when two men reportedly entered the California Community Credit Union store on the 4800 block of Laguna Boulevard near Franklin Boulevard.
Police said one of the robbers jumped over the teller counter and told a 47-year-old employee to get on the ground. He then stole money from the teller drawers and later entered an employee’s office. The suspects stole an unknown amount of money and fled through the front doors.
No weapons were reportedly seen and the two employees were uninjured during the incident.
Trim said that the suspects had abandoned their getaway vehicle, a silver pickup truck, near the robbery site and then got into a different vehicle.
Police explained that a deputy, who was a K-9 officer, heard about the incident through a police radio and found a vehicle used by people he believed were involved in the robbery.
Elk Grove detectives later arrived to the scene and took the suspects into custody.

Asst. Police Chief graduates from FBI academy

Ed Kelly, the assistant police chief of the Elk Grove Police Department, has graduated from the FBI National Academy. He was among 300 law enforcement officials from 25 countries who completed the academy’s 229th session.
The Elk Grove police announced his graduation on Jun. 12.
At the academy in Quantico, Va., Kelly spent 10 weeks studying subjects such as law, communication, forensic science, leadership, and behavioral science.
Students must be nominated by their agencies before being accepted, they must also have at least the rank of lieutenant.
In a press statement, Elk Grove Police Chief Robert Simmons noted that less than one percent of the United States’s police officers are accepted into the FBI academy.
“The individuals who are selected are the cream of the crop in their respective law enforcement fields,” Simmons said in a pres statement.

Citizen Police Reporter Cameron Macdonald will have a full report on Kelly's time at the Academy in the Wednesday edition of the Citizen.

Elk Grove Book clubs turns 70

By Blake Ellington
Citizen Staff Writer

Written into the original constitution and bylaws of their club, there is a restriction on bringing children and doing any type of handwork such as knitting at the monthly meetings; and this from a group of 1937 women in the small town of Elk Grove.
This group of nine educated women, who were for the most part married to local farmers at this time, started the Elk Grove Book Club which is celebrating its’ 70th anniversary this year.
The last remaining founder, Stanford University-educated Edna Sperry, passed away this February at the age of 101. Second in line, behind Sperry, in terms of tenure is chairman Olga Batey, who joined the book club in 1949.
“It is a very tolerant, well-educated group of women,” Batey said. “There is no gossip or small talk.”
The 20-member club, no more no less, meets once a month for 10 months out of the year. The meetings typically include a dessert luncheon and a business meeting where one member presents a 45-minute synopsis of a book they have read and enjoyed.
“There is usually someone waiting to grab the book after they hear about it,” said Mary Williams, a Book Club member.
Williams and Batey help sort books at the Elk Grove Library every Tuesday afternoon.
Each book club meeting is held at a different members’ house and every June, a local author is brought in to discuss one of their books or writing styles.
“It is such a pleasant afternoon, you like the people and what you talk about, you don’t want to miss one,” Batey said.
Books that are reviewed range in style and topics from biographies and social satire to politics. Batey’s favorite books are usually political; and when asked what some of her favorites are, she referred to biographies on past leaders such as Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt.
“You find out Eleanor never wanted to be a president’s wife,” Batey said.
Other books that have been reviewed include: “Lazy B” by Sandra Day O’Conner; “Blind Man’s Bluff” by Sherry Santag and Christopher Drew; “An Isolated Incident” by Susan R. Sloan and “The Right Words at the Right Time” by Marlo Thomas.
The group is planning a 70th anniversary party for Thursday, June 21 at the Valley High Country Club. Though the general public is not allowed to attend, members will be inviting several family members and friends.
Since joining in 1949, Batey said very little has changed at the Book Club. The only major change since the early days of Edna and the founders is that they reduced the number of book reviews from two to one due to time constraints.
“Through the years we changed that because it became too long,” Batey said.
The anniversary party on June 21 will be a time to reminisce on the history and culture that the Book Club has provided to the women of Elk Grove.

Wanted: Photos of the Laguna High School graduation ceremonies

Do you have photos of the Laguna Creek High School graduation? If so, the Citizen is interested in looking at your photos and possibly publishing them in the print issue of the Elk Grove Citizen.
If you have photos you may want to share, contact Jeff Forward, editor of the Citizen, at the Citizen office or via e-mail.
(916) 685-3945 or via e-mail: editor_egcitizen@yahoo.com
Thanks!!

Monterey Trail fetes first graduates

Flip the tassel - First class graduates from Monterey Trail High

By Cameron Macdonald
Citizen Staff Writer

Students transferred from five high schools, and worlds, found themselves at a brand-new campus in August 2004.
They came from schools with solid traditions and rich histories such as Elk Grove, Laguna Creek and Florin. They ended up in a north Elk Grove campus near their homes on Power Inn Road with baby trees and dirt leftover from construction.
Monterey Trail High School was a blank canvas when it opened.
Student Waleed Abed had transferred to the school all the way from Galt High. He became a member of the school’s first graduating class.
“It was our job to basically build the school,” Abed said. “To set traditions and basically be the founders.”
On June. 7, Abed joined his fellow seniors at Sacramento’s Memorial Auditorium during the school’s first graduation ceremony.
As the school’s first class valedictorian, with a 4.8 GPA, he wore four medals and a near-rainbow of ribbons and sashes for his academic and athletic achievements.
The seniors knew they were making history that Thursday night.
Many of them could not stop from cheering even during the ceremony’s quiet moments when student Matt Payne sang the national anthem.
After their principal Terry Chapman declared that they were graduates, many of the students in their green gowns danced to a funky beat performed by their school band.
“I affirm that you have a foundation,” Chapman told the graduates. “What is built upon it is your choice.”
Chapman opened the campus as principal and is retiring from his career in education this month.
The theme throughout the ceremony was “Finding Our Way,” where speeches and music performances addressed the fact that many of Monterey Trail’s students were first strangers from different schools.
An ensemble of graduates sang and spoke humorous lines about the school’s early days. Some of them mentioned the students’ disappointment of attending a new school with no lockers, no pool, and small trees.
“No one was ready to accept Monterey Trail as their home…we had no sense of community,” one student said.
The ensemble later mentioned the student unity that eventually followed.
“We learned to let go of our pasts and slowly began to see that there was only us and only this,” an ensemble member said.

Read the rest of the story about the Monterey Trail graduation in Wednesday's Elk Grove Citizen.

Macdonald to have follow-up on grad party shooting

In the Wednesday Citizen, police reporter Cameron Macdonald will have a full report on the wild graduation party that morphed into a massive street brawl on June 8. Cameron was on the street at Tarbert Way on Monday talking to witnesses and getting information to add to what he has learned from the Elk Grove Police Department. A teen shot during the melee is reportedly in stable condition.

Kyo to keep blog over summer

The Citizen's summer intern, Sarah Kyo, will be writing and maintaining a blog while here at the Citizen.

A link to her blog - Citizen College Intern - has been added to the left Citizen News Links bar. Check out her blog and bookmark it for regular reading. Kyo, majoring in journalism at San Jose State University, has studied both blogging and vlogging - video blogging - and will use her skills to help enhance the Citizen's news coverage and add a personal side to our staff.

We hope you will enjoy reading Kyo's blog and will pass on any information, tips, story ideas, or comments to her. With Kyo's blog in addition to this one being maintained by me, we are trying to reach our readers in as many ways as possible. Herburger Publications, Inc. - owner of the Citizen - is working on a new Web site for the Citizen and when it is complete, we will be able to serve our readers even better.

EG Police investigating graduation party shooting

Elk Grove police Spokesman Christopher Trim reported Saturday that detectives were investigating the shooting of a 15-year-old at a June 8 graduation party in the 9500 block of Tarbert Way.
Trim said the teenager is in stable condition as of Saturday.
According to a press release from Trim, police were called to the party around 11:51 p.m. and while en route, dispatchers received more phone calls about shots being fired.
When officers arrived on scene, a 15-year-old male was found suffering from several gunshot wounds to the upper torso. He was transorted to an unnamed area hospital where Trim said he was in stable condition.
Witnesses at the scene told officers that a verbal altercation developed between groups at the party. The incident escalated to a physical fight, soon after a suspect shot the victim, Trim said.
A more detailed article on the incident will be in Wednesday's print edition of the Citizen.

Scherman to seek re-election

By Shannon Savage
Citizen Staff Writer
Posted to blog Friday, 6:05 p.m. PST By Editor Jeff Forward

With seven years of service to Elk Grove under her belt, district five City Council Member Sophia Scherman has officially announced that she plans to seek re-election.
“We built this city from the ground up,” Scherman said. “It was very exciting and very stressful. (But) now that we’re there, there are some things that I’d like to see through and be a part of. I have no reason other then that.”
Scherman has lived in Elk Grove for almost 36 years.
“I’ve been here for so long and I’ve got so much history,” Scherman said. “I can remember when something was tried and it didn’t work and then something else was tried and it didn’t work.”
Scherman remarried in 1968 and moved to Elk Grove to be closer to her husband’s family.
“His mother lived here,” Scherman said. “He was born and raised here. I just thought that my girls needed family ties.”
At the time, politics were the last thing on Scherman’s mind.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be where I am today - in politics,” Scherman said. “(I had) no college education. That was probably my greatest fear that someone would say something.”
But Scherman pushed through those fears when she decided to run for a seat on the then Elk Grove Community Services District Board in 1997.
“I would get my tax bill and I would look at everything that was coming out and I didn’t understand some of the stuff,” Scherman said of her reason for seeking office. “I just happened to go to a meeting. I went to meetings for two years before I decided I wanted to run for election. I just thought that I wanted to be part of that decision making body and be the voice of the people.”
Although Scherman had experience running for a seat on the CSD board, she said city council elections are much more tense.
“It was a little easier in the past but because our city has grown I have to reach so many more people,” Scherman said.
Even after campaigning twice for city council there are always surprises, but dirty politics don’t scare her, Scherman said.
“I have nothing to hide,” Scherman said. “My life is an open book.”
Once someone is finally on the council it is still isn’t all gumdrops and roses though. Receiving threatening e-mails about beavers or constant criticism about certain problems in the city is also par for the course. To handle the good with the bad Scherman said she just thinks about the big picture.
“I have pride after a project is completed when I think who it is benefiting,” Scherman said. “Of course you those criticisms. There’s so many decisions to be made it’s very difficult for people to (always) be happy. It gets stressful at times but I try to think of it always in a positive way.”
To wade through the rhetoric and focus in on the pros and cons of an issue Scherman said she draws two columns on a piece of paper and notes resident’s comments.
“I see this is why they don’t want it,” Scherman said. “And then I look over here and see this is why they do want it. Whichever column comes out that is the most pessimist, I go to the pessimist side.”
But Scherman said it is in her nature to be able to make hard decisions.
“I was the oldest of four children,” Scherman said. “My mom was a single mom and then I became a single parent.”
Since Elk Grove is still a fairly new city, there are a number of different platforms a candidate could take. Scherman said she plans to focus on establishing better grounds for growth and getting the CSD and city parks agreement settled.
But just having a strong platform might not win the race. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were raised in the 2006 election to help secure votes. Scherman said that figure might only rise for the 2008 election.
In previous elections, the Building Industry Association has played a big role in donating money to candidates. No matter how much anyone donates to Scherman’s campaign, she said she cannot be bought.
“My record speaks for itself,” Scherman said. “I play no favorites.”
To those who say seven years on the council is too long and the city is ready for new blood, Scherman said she welcomes the competition.
“I encourage people to run for office like I did,” Scherman said.
Although Scherman encourages the competition, currently no other candidates have announced their candidacy for the district five seat.
Even with unknown opponents, Scherman said her chances of winning are outstanding.
“I will be re-elected,” Scherman said. “I’ll be re-elected if that’s the wish of the people. They are the ones that will make that (retirement) decision for me in the end.”