Arden-Carmichael News by Valley Community Newspapers

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Best of 2019 Arden-Carmichael News (Editor’s Note: Thanks to the talented team of writers at Valley Community Newspapers, I am proud to present the Best of 2019 for the Arden-Carmichael News. -Monica Stark)

Parks foundation hopes to bring bocce ball to Carmichael Park By LANCE ARMSTRONG

A fundraising effort to bring bocce ball courts to Carmichael Park has raised $75,000, as of early 2019. Behind that fundraising effort is the Carmichael Parks Foundation, which is working to reach its goal of $125,000 to have two courts built in Carmichael Park, behind the Carmichael Italian Center on Fair Oaks Boulevard. The park’s master plan includes four bocce ball courts, and the foundation opted to assist with two of those courts. Bocce ball, which was popularized in Italy, where the first bocce clubs in modern times were established, is a game that is generally played in groups of two or four, and is most closely related to lawn bowling. It was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants during the turn of the 20th century, and first played in the Sacramento area as early as the 1930s. Sharon Ruffner, president of the Carmichael Parks

Foundation, said that it is important to the organization to diligently move forward in raising the remaining $50,000 needed to build the courts. “(Rising costs of materials) is a concern,” she said. “Just like when you’re building your house, the longer you wait, (the more it could cost).” The foundation has also been seeking other funding

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through the application of grants and partnerships in the community. Ruffner said that a contractor informed the organization that the courts would need to be built during the drier part of the year, during the summer or early fall. Also of interest to the organization is the donation of materials such as lumber, iron and cement to construct the courts, Ruffner noted. “If we could get the materials donated, that would make a huge difference, too,” she said.

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Ruffner, a 1978 graduate of El Camino High School, mentioned that fundraising contributions for the project include a $5,000 donation from Shirley Simi, who was active with the Italian Cultural Society of Sacramento. “Shirley was very interested in seeing these bocce ball courts built and so she made a significant contribution to the Carmichael Parks Foundation, and the money was earmarked for bocce ball courts,” she said. Following Simi’s death last March, the Shirley Simi

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Memorial Bocce Ball Fund was established. Family and friends of Simi have contributed to the fund to assist with the foundation’s fundraising efforts. Ruffner, who has lived next to Carmichael Park since 1985, emphasized the importance that Simi played in the project to bring bocce ball courts to the park. “Shirley Simi was really the fuel for this fire,” she said. “She got the Italian society excited about it. We are heartbroken that she isn’t going to be around to see (the courts).” The foundation, which contributes to youth scholarships and park beautifications, has also raised funds for the project through two Dinner in the Park events at the SutterJensen Community Park in Carmichael. At the Dinner in the Park events, attendees had the options of donating to the bocce ball courts, the Garfield House or youth scholarships. The event features a seated, family-style dinner, appetizer stations, dessert, a live auction and musical entertainment. Last year’s Dinner in the Park was held Sept. 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. A shuttle transported ticket holders from Carmichael Elementary School to the event. To further assist in fundraising for the bocce ball courts, the foundation has advertised through banners that were hung at the Italian Cultural Society and at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard. Ruffner mentioned that the banners resulted in about 30 phone calls from people intersee BOCCE page 5 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Addressing the misconceptions of coyotes in our neighborhoods By Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa

Concerns from residents over the apparent mutilation of cats in the Arden area of Sacramento have led to meetings with wildlife officials and the district attorney’s office in an effort to find out just what exactly is going on. According to posts on NextDoor, the social networking site for neighborhoods, several area pet cats have gone missing only to be found mutilated and in some cases beheaded. Others have found only the tails of cats on their lawns. Pet owners are alarmed and some think the deaths could be caused by someone in the area, however, recent sightings of coyotes may be the answer to what has been going on. Philip Hollenbach, who lives off of Jonas Avenue, has

had his own run-ins with coyotes on his property. Hollenbach, who lives in a gated community of about 11 homes, said coyotes at times have appeared on a nightly basis. “I happen to live on the largest property in the neighborhood,” he said. “ The creek kinda comes onto the road in front of my house and it goes under this bridge and then comes out on my property and follows along the side of my property.” Hollenbach said he and his family have been living in the home for about a year and soon after they moved in, they would leave their sliding windows open with just the screen. Every night between midnight and 4 a.m., the family dog, a Rhodesian Ridge Back, would start barking.

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“I’d end up shining a flashlight from our upstairs balcony into the yard area and I would usually pick up anywhere from one to three sets of eyes,” he said. “Eventually they’d move out and I wouldn’t see them in the daylight.” He’s also seen them playing in his yard and said that they seemed to keep pretty much to themselves and were not to much of a problem. He added the sightings tapered off, but in May, the family started to hear and see them again and it was while taking care of a neighbor’s small dog that Hollenbach had an encounter he will never forget. “I let my dog and the little dog out at about 6:15 a.m.,” he said. “I believe it was at the very end of May or the beginning of June. I let the dogs out. They had their food and I was in the kitchen making

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my wife a sandwich before she went to work, and all of a sudden, I heard a commotion out in the yard.” Hollenbach said he ran out and there were two large coyotes. His dog ran back to where he was standing but a coyote was biting the little dog on the back. They backed off when they saw Hollanbach but went to the back of he property and stood watching him. He also said that his neighbor has three dogs that are fenced in and two are small and bark. The coyotes started running along the fence line trying to figure out how to get to the two barking dogs. “I was watching and they started trying to dig under the fence to try and get to them,” he said. “I went over and chased them away.” Hollenbach said the activity continued, and later in the

day, one of the coyotes sat in the middle of his property as if waiting for something. “At some point we left our house and when we came back, we found that the screen door on our patio had actually been pulled off,” he said. “ The sliders were locked. You can tell that it wasn’t a burglar because the sliding door wasn’t locked and you could slide it open. The screen door was actually pulled off. I’m guessing a coyote came up around here and the little dog started barking and they were trying to get into my house. So I had to have my screen replaced.” Coyote sightings in the area have been taking place for many years. Although the area is chock-full of houses and is a couple of miles from the American River, the land see COYOTES page 4

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Coyotes:

Coyote, said in the last couple of years coyote sightings continued from page 3 in urban areas in Sacramento have raised the concerns was originally fields and riv- of residents about safety and er bottom. the safety of pets. Guy Galante, Intercinnec“Mainly the issue that tion Mentor with Project seems to arise with the coy-

otes in the neighborhoods is that are taking pet cats and killing them,” he said. “So that obliviously is a cause for concern among the pet owners and the neighbors.” He added he feels there is a general misconception about

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coyotes that happens when they are seen wandering down the street. The public’s level of fear rises. “So what I’ve observed during personal communications and on social media is that people are reacting versus responding to the situation, and there’s a lot of misinformation going around,” he said. Galante, a Carmichael resident, works with Project Coyote, which is based in Mill Valley. Project Coyote has a program called Coyote Friendly Communities that teaches the public basic coyote ecology and understanding of why coyotes are entering residential areas. The group also teaches the public how to deal with them humanely. Galante said the program suggestions won’t work overnight but they do help with the situation and it takes the community as a whole to implement the strategy. “What we need to do is get entire communities together to be speaking the same language of using terminology of how to talk about and respond to coyotes,” he said. “Everyone needs to be on the same page to gradually, over time, get the coyotes to move on. Now the question is, ‘Where will they go?’ So, that’s why we need community by community to do this. Basically what people want in Sacramento County, particularly those who live near American River Parkway and some of the creek corridors, is they want the coyotes to stay in that tight little box. But there are other pressures happening in our parks that are essentially forcing the coyotes out into urban and suburban areas where food is abundant.” He added people want agencies to deal with the issue but what really needs to happen is people need to work together to take action and audit their own homes and understand that the way they live in communities is actually creating

the problem. If someone has a fruit tree that’s dropping fruit, it’s attracting rodents, coyotes eat rodents, coyotes also eat the fruit. If someone has a bird feeder, that brings squirrels and birds and coyotes eat those too. “We’re actually creating a pretty healthy food and water source in neighborhoods which are easy for coyotes to get,” Galante said. “That’s why they are getting really comfortable coming into neighborhoods. That’s why I’m working on this. There is not one central agency in Sacramento County that says, ‘Here’s the problem and here’s how to deal with it.’” He added, when people have a problem, they really don’t know who to call. “Wildlife services in California, Fish and Wildlife, will only respond to calls if there is a human, coyote conflict. They will not respond to the loss of a pet,” Galante said. “So people feel that they aren’t getting any help and what I’m saying is, ‘Here’s how you can help yourself. You can be part of the solution.’” Peter Tira of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife echoed Galante’s statement. “Coyotes are managed locally by local governments,” Tira said. “We provide governments with education. We have resources on our Website. Our roll is really education. We do provide local agencies with maximum flexibility in terms of managing their coyote populations. Coyotes have very little protections under state law. Where we see the most success is where communities get together and develop a good strategy. They don’t represent a public safety threat at all. We want to keep those animals in the wild. We want to keep them doing their job eating all the rodents and keeping those populations down.” see NEIGHBORHOODS page 5 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Bocce:

continued from page 2

ested in either donating to the project or expressing a desire to play on the courts after they are completed. Fundraising for the courts have also been assisted during the Big Day of Giving. A recommendation from the Carmichael Recreation and Park District is that all funds should be collected before any physical work on the project begins. Ruffner said that based on comments from people

Neighborhoods: continued from page 4

He added if a coyote bites a human, Fish and Wildlife will become involved. Galante sees increasing development in Natomas, El Dorado, Folsom and other areas as a reason why coyote sightings are more numerous. Add to that, people are utilizing parks and trails more. He suggests that residents be more aware of the situation and take preventative measures that include not leaving pet food bowls outside, pick up dropped food, don’t over water lawns because that water that runs down the gutter is an easy water source for coyotes. He also said to put small pets in at night and check to see is you have anything in your yard that would be attractive to wildlife. “People need to look at their home first to see what they are doing that might be contributing to the problem and then look around their neighborhoods to see if that’s happening too,” he said. “They need to understand what is the closest water source-a natural waterValley Community Newspapers, Inc.

in and outside of the community, there is plenty of enthusiasm for the courts. “We understand from the folks that go all the way out to (the bocce ball courts) at East Portal (Park) that a large contingent would love to come and play in Carmichael,” she said. “Some people in Sutter Creek have indicated that they would also love to play in Carmichael.” Ruffner noted that certain bocce ball players in Carmichael have told her that they would become more involved with the

way. Whether its a controlled irrigation canal or a creekjust to get a better knowledge of the place. They have to understand that they live in a very bio rich area.” He added that education is the key and emphasized that everyone has to work together. “What I’ve learned through research is coyotes perceive cats as competition so when a coyote is in the neighborhood, they are not going in to find cats, they are going in to find all the easy foods,” he said. “ There are other things that kill cats. Hopefully not some deranged human but people do do that. Depending on the size of the cat, there are raptors, great horned owls that can take cats and sometimes a cat may have been hit by a car. What people see is that a coyote may be carrying the carcass off and they assume the coyote killed the cat when coyotes eat dead things too.” For more information on what you can do to help with the coyote issue, visit http://www.projectcoyote.org/ or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at https://www. wildlife.ca.gov/Living-withWildlife.

game if courts were build in their own community. “People say things like ‘I would love to be a part of a club that was in Carmichael, I would love to give lessons, I would love to help manage the club, I would love to help maintain the courts, and bocce is needed in Carmichael, there is nowhere nearby,’” she said. Ruffner added that she would also consider becoming a regular bocce ball player if the courts are built at Carmichael Park. In pondering the future, Ruffner expressed her be-

lief that the enthusiasm with having the first two courts in the park would lead to the raising of funds and the construction of the other two courts. “You know, I think about that (1989) movie, ‘Field of Dreams.’ Build it and they will come. What I envision, as those first two courts get built and the Italian society opens up their gate, they will come out and have a big celebration, (and people will say), ‘We don’t have enough room here for all the people to play, (so) let’s get

that second set of courts built.’ “And everybody would pitch in every time they come to play, and there would be spaghetti feeds and other big fundraisers (for that project).” Those interested in contributing to this project can visit carmichaelparksfoundation.org or send a check to or visit the foundation’s office at 5750 Grant Ave., Carmichael 95608. Checks should be made payable to the Carmichael Parks Foundation.

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Mira Loma breaks ground on science building Mira Loma building Students, staff and community members grabbed a golden shovel and dug into the staff parking lot at Mira Loma High School on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, breaking ground on a two-story science building that will bring nextgeneration classrooms and labs to one of the region’s top programs. The science wing, Mira Loma’s signature project funded by the San Juan Unified bond program, brings next-generation biology, chemistry, physics and earth science classrooms. The new building also includes a 2,066 square-foot flexible

learning space and an outdoor learning environment. Mira Loma is one of the region’s top high schools for science and its renowned International Baccalaureate program. This project will further enhance both programs for all students. Science teacher James Hill, also the department chair, has led the Mira Loma Science Olympiad team to 20 regional championships and six national titles. The program is a starting point for many students to enter into science-based college pathways and careers. “Over the past four years, science is huge part of my life on

campus,” said senior Milena Matthew.“It’s a large part of why I chose this school and for what I want to do in college.”James Hill speaks about the new science building. Parent Yolanda Zarafshar, also a district Spanish interpreter, sent her six children to Mira Loma. Five of them went on to attend and graduate from Stanford University. Her sixth chose California State Polytechnical University, Pomona. “It all started here,” she said. “It’s such a wonderful, nurturing place.” The science wing is designed by Lionakis architects and is being built by DPR Con-

struction. It is the fifth of nine high school signature projects to break ground since the San Juan Unified Board of Education committed to invest in point-of-difference projects that enhance the district’s suc-

cessful high school programs and bring campuses up to nextgeneration standards. For more information on the signature project program, visit www.sanjuan.edu/hsprojects. Source: www.sanjuan.edu

St. Ignatius has newly built elementary school By Charlotte Sanchez-Kosa

“It looks a lot like a hospital,” one student told Reverend Michael Moynahan on August 20, 2019, as students of St. Ignatius Loyola Parish School got their first look at the newly built elementary school. Laughing, Moynahan pointed out the barren hallways with light colored artsy lines painted on the floors and the white walls with contrasting dark doors. “It was a great observation because we can’t do anything to this building that was not called for by the architect until the construction company hands over the keys,” he said. “They can’t do that until the architect says, ‘It’s the way I designed it.’” He added the plans however, once the keys are officially handed over, are to add racks along the walls in the hallways so that students can store books and backpacks. Walls also contain plaques dedicated to donors which are placed just outside the entrance to classrooms. 6

School officials and church staff also wanted the school to be lit by natural and indoor light. There is a large courtyard in the middle of the school that allows all halls and some classrooms to benefit from the natural light. “They can go out there and do some things,” he said. “It also allows for natural light into the interior rooms.” Moynahan also pointed out the new lunch facilities for students that features covered area where they can eat rain or shine. In addition, the school also has safety features installed as well. One of which are doors that do not have outside handles on them. “They can get out but you can’t get in,” he said. As Moynahan walked around the school, he proudly opened doors to classrooms and offices including the state of the art upper division science lab. The room boasts sinks, counters and tables which allow for plenty of room for experiments.

Arden-Carmichael News • January 10, 2020 • www.valcomnews.com

“There’s an art room, there’s a math room and then on this side is the library,” he said as he exited the science lab and made his way westward down the hall. “Each of these classrooms has three huge white paneled doors,” he said. “Each door weighs 500 pounds. So you can project on them. You can use them to write on a white board and you can move them and behind is storage area. So it’s very cleverly designed.” Another classroom has giant scrabble tiles on the wall which honor Ignatian Virtue. “So there’s a virtue curriculum for grade schools,” he said. Outside the front of the school is a wall adorned with plaques honoring donors. There is also a patio area that Moynahan hopes will be covered at some point allowing for meetings and other gatherings year round. In addition, the school is surrounded by an iron fence and gates. It is also lcated in

the middle of the complex in an effort to make it difficult for any intruder. The church is located a few yards to the west of the patio and offices. The Parish was founded in 1954 and the first building built on the premises was the school. “Having our offices in what used to be the Rectory was like being in the catacombs,” he said. “You couldn’t get from the front door to the office, way in the back.” The new offices are like the school. Well lit and very roomy. The hall leading to the patio boasts drawings done by the school children. There are conference rooms, work rooms, a ministry room, an airy lobby and offices for staff. Moynahan said initially, parish officials had considered remodeling the offices and school but after talking with a committee, officials thought that the possibility of building new facilities could be a reality. They decided to contact consultants

to see how much they could raise towards the project. After interviewing about 142 families, the consultants felt, that based on the response, the parish would be able to raise $5 million towards the project over time. “ To date, I think we are close to $6.8 million raised and we asked the Sacramento Diocese for a loan which they were very willing to give us,” he said. “We’ll still have to pay it back but we were able to move forward with the project. In all, the 42,000 square foot project ended up costing $13.2 million. Ground breaking was on March 26, 2017 and the staff moved into the offices in May, 2019. The school wasn’t ready until August 13, 2019. “Proverbs have this line that where there is no vision, the people parish,” he said. “And I think this is par excel-lance a demonstration of a vision for saving St. Ignatius Parish School for the future.” Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Former Loaves and Fishes Director, Arden-area resident, released new book By Monica Stark editor@valcomnews.com

Bob Sylva, author of The King of Karaoke and Other Stories for a moderated conversation. “Squatter’s Gold” a debut Andy and Bob are both former novel of fiction by long time writers/columnists for The Sacramento homeless and af- Sacramento Bee. Signed copfordable housing advocate ies were available for purchase. Tim Brown, was published in July 2018 by NFBPublishing. MS- TELL US ABOUT com. This Sacramento story THE PROTAGONIST of homelessness, treasure and AND THE CONFLICT murder begins with a histor- HE OR SHE FACES ic prologue about 1850 SacraTB- The protagonist is a mento, the gold rush and the social worker and director of historic Squatter’s Riots. an interfaith homeless service The story then jumps to center. He is pulled in many Sacramento 2002: A crime directions (i.e. the basic needs mystery of murder, gangs, and of homeless people, local polfound treasure. A story of col- itics, managing a large nonorful homeless campers and profit agency, helping the potheir personal struggles; The lice solve murder/crimes, etc.). politics of homelessness and I also have a focus on grief and advocates at an interfaith cen- how it affects homeless peoter; Protest, justice and re- ple and those who try to help demption. The cast of haunt- them. ed, but at times funny heroes and villains and scenes of charMS- WHAT DO YOU ity, murder, drug use, recovery HOPE READERS GET and civil disobedience are in- OUT OF THIS NOVEL? spired by actual events drawn TB- I want readers to be enfrom the author’s thirty-five tertained by the tragedies, treayears of experience as a street sure, murder mystery, redempactivist, social worker and cre- tion, etc., but my ambitious ator/manager of homeless and goal was to create real and colhousing programs in Sacra- orful characters that made mento, California. homeless people fully human, It is for lovers of gold rush (lovers, heroes, villains, philoshistory, urban crime/myster- ophers and fools) while also ies, treasure stories and peo- educating readers on the polple interested in homeless and itics, complexities, causes and poverty. solutions to homelessness. The author is a former Executive Director of Sacramento MS- WHO IS THIS Loaves & Fishes and the for- NOVEL FOR? mer Director of the Ending TB- Sacramentans - it is a Chronic Homelessness Ini- Sacramento story based on my tiative (A Sacramento City/ love of this place and over thirCounty collaboration which ty- five years living and workcut chronic homelessness by ing, now retiring here. It is for over fifty percent in just four lovers of gold rush history, uryears, 2007-2010). ban crime/mysteries, treasure Squatter’s Gold is available stories and people interested in paperback at Amazon, Beers in homeless and poverty. Books, Time Tested Books or NFBPublishing.com. MS- WHAT DROVE From 6 to 7 p.m., on Tues- YOU TO WRITE THIS day, Feb. 12, 2019 he was on a NOVEL? WILL YOU local author’s panel at McKin- BE WRITING MORE ley Library ( 601 Alhambra BOOKS? Blvd.) with Andy Furillo, auTB- I am writing about what thor of The First Year; and I know. I started out writing Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

memoirs, but I love fiction and found it challenging, but so alluring as a storyteller. I started this project over five years ago after my retirement. It was at the top or my bucket list and I still have a passion for these issues. MS- TELL US ABOUT THE RIVER PARK CONNECTION IN THE BOOK AND WHY RP PLAYS A ROLE. TB- I came to Sacramento to attend graduate school at CSU Sacramento, and lived in east Sac. for seventeen years, including seven in River Park, I’m a water person and Paradise Beach has always been my touchstone here. I’ve run, biked, hiked and swam just about all of it and still do. So it was fun writing it into the book. MS- DO YOU MISS WORKING AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR

LOAVES AND FISHES? IF SO, WHY? TB- Being hired as Director of Loaves & Fishes was my dream job as a social worker and homeless/housing advocate. I worked with amazing staff, volunteers, and homeless guests and felt like we were able to do so much to help so many people. I witnessed the incredible generosity of Sacramentans and the incredible resiliency of impoverished and often disabled people. This is what makes our community great. Yes, I miss it. On the other hand, I don’t miss the constant fundraising ( L&F doesn’t accept government funding). The grief you experience in jobs like this can lead to burnout, depression, etc. and I was not immune it. Its been twelve years since I left the job and even back then we averaged a homeless memorial service every ten days and these

were just the homeless folks we knew. I hear that now a homeless person dies every five days in our community. People used to ask me what the hardest part of my job was and I know they expected me to say it was all these difficult homeless people, but it was really the housed people who talked about homeless folks in subhuman terms.

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San Juan Unified School District alums honored for their successes in the sciences The following uplifting profiles, written by the San Juan Education Foundation, highlight the careers of Scott Pease, Dr. H. Michael Shepard and Heidi (Poppelreiter) Parris who were honored at the annual Evening with the Stars fundraising event for the San Juan Education Foundation on Sept. 27, 2019. This year, the focus of the honorees was on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). The hall-of-famers celebrated were: Scott Pease – visionary video game developer attended Earl LeGette Elementary, Andrew Carnegie Middle and Bella Vista High School; Dr. H. Michael Shepard – Award winning cancer biologist attended Del Campo High School Heidi Poppelreiter Parris – NASA, International Space Station flight controller who attended Green Oaks Elementary, Arcade Middle and Casa Roble High School

Scott Pease

Bella Vista graduate Scott Pease is the designer/produc-

er of iconic video games. He helped build the video game studio Neversoft Entertainment as the Studio Development Director, overseeing the design and production of 17 titles in 15 years, all of which combined to sell over 100 million units. His games include: -Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1-4, Tony Hawk’s Underground 1 and 2, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, Tony Hawk’s Project 8, Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground. -GUN -Guitar Hero III, IV, 5, Warrior of Rock; Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Band Hero -Call of Duty: Ghosts, the Extinction DLC Season After attending Earl LeGette Elementary, Carnegie Middle, and Bella Vista High School (’90), Scott graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.A. in Film and Television (’94). He started work at Activision as a junior game designer in 1997. In 1999 he helped get the Tony Hawk project off the ground, then left to join the developer, Neversoft. A

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few months later Neversoft was acquired by Activision. Over the next 5 years he produced and helped design the Pro Skater series, working closely with legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, and focusing on the overall theme, features, pros, tricks, UI, and game balancing of the titles. He says it was the opportunity of a lifetime to create an innovative franchise from the ground up. In 2005 Neversoft expanded to two teams and Pease shifted his attention to GUN, their western themed 3rd person adventure game. He oversaw much of the project including design, production, script writing, casting, cinematics, and music. In 2007 Neversoft asked for and received the opportunity to take over the Guitar Hero series when the original developer declined to continue it. In nine crazy months Neversoft built Guitar Hero III using a modified version of the Tony Hawk and Gun engine. GH III was a huge success, and over the next four years Neversoft shipped six more Guitar Hero games, helping the franchise achieve well over a billion dollars in revenue. As Guitar Hero was winding down, Neversoft embarked on a top secret FPS game that would (unfortunately) not see release.... However, their work earned them the opportunity to team up with Infinity Ward to develop Call of Duty: Ghosts. Pease worked with Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan on the campaign, and with the Neversoft team on missions and technology. Neversoft also built a well-received new game mode for Ghosts called “Extinction.” As Call of Duty: Ghosts wrapped up, Activision made the decision to merge the Neversoft and Infinity Ward studios; Pease took the opportunity to step away from AAA video game development to spend more time with his family. In all, his console gaming career spanned four generations from the original Playstation up

to the PS4 and Xbox One. He says he was extremely fortunate to work with incredibly talented developers at one of the greatest game studios in the world. He is currently working independently on toy and game concepts that bridge the divide between physical and digital play. He’s also looking to help other gamedevs get their projects realized and is actively investing in projects, as well as looking to help advise and mentor. SJUSD students, take note!

H. Michael Shepard, Ph.D. Chief Scientific Officer, Biologics21.NET Bio-oncology. Dr. H. Michael Shepard is a Del Campo High School and University of California, Davis alum, currently residing in San Diego. Shepard is one of the most important biotechnology scientists of our time. Shepard and team discovered the relationship of the HER2 protein to the dramatically increased development of deadly, invasive and aggressive breast cancer(s). More importantly and to address this devastating protein once discovered, Shepard developed and launched the breakthrough drug “Herceptin.” Herceptin is one of the three most effective cancer therapeutics ever created. Before Herceptin, breast cancer was usually a death sentence. To date, over 500,000 women have been saved from aggressive breast cancer because of Shepard’s discovery of HER2 and development of Herceptin. Additionally, tens of thousands of people are now being successfully treated/saved with Herceptin for ovarian and other reproductive cancers, as well as many digestive cancers. Shepard is now conducting groundbreaking research into the root causes of usually-deadly ovarian and other reproductive cancers. In recognition of these accomplishments, and the literally mil-

lions of people that have benefited from his breakthrough cancer research, Shepard was recently selected as the 2019 LASKER Foundation Award winner. The LASKER Award is the most important and respected biosciences award in the world.

Among Dr. Shepard’s accomplishments:

Fellow of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology (Oxford) Visiting Scholar, Indiana University, Bloomington Affiliate and Mentor, College of Biological Sciences, University of California Advisor for bio-oncology and other biomarker driven therapeutics discovery More Info: https:// en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/H._Michael_Shepard HER2/neu (often just shortened to HER2) is a growth-promoting protein on the outside of all breast cells. Breast cancer cells with higher than normal levels of HER2 are called HER2-positive. These cancers tend to grow and spread faster than other breast cancers. Because of Shepard’s efforts, women newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancers are always tested for HER2. Herceptin works by attaching itself to the HER2 receptors on the surface of breast cancer cells and blocking them from receiving growth signals. By blocking the signals, Herceptin can slow or stop the growth of the breast cancer. Herceptin is an example of an immune targeted therapy. Since Herceptin’s introduction, over 480,000 people have been treated/saved from invasive and deadly breast cancer.

Heidi Poppelreiter Parris Armed with a telescope and a star map, Heidi (Poppelreiter) Parris was inspired at an early age to explore the night sky. Now as a NASA engineer and scientist, Heidi has dedicated see SCIENCES page 9 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Carmichael woman helps kids improve reading through United Way Mary Ann Rider of Carmichael had planned to work with seniors when she retired from her position as executive director of an assisted living community. Then she opened up her Sunday newspaper. “I saw this ad about teaching kids to read, and it grabbed my attention,” Rider said.“I thought to myself,‘I think I might like to do that,’ so I cut it out and made the call.” Now in her third year as a volunteer with AARP Experience Corps, run locally by United Way California Capital Region, Rider has helped more than two dozen Sacramento-area kids in kindergarten through third grade improve their reading. She is one of 53 volunteer tutors, age 50 and older, working in local schools to help struggling students become successful, confident readers. Each volunteer undergoes training in the Experience Corps curricu-

lum, tutors two days a week for two to three hours a day, and meets monthly with fellow volunteers and program staff to learn more about supporting literacy, address any questions and share their own experiences. An avid reader, Rider learned decades ago that reading does not come naturally to all children as she watched her own son struggle with reading. Now 30 years old, he loves to read, and she credits the help he received in school – and her own efforts to read to him every night. In her career, she witnessed the impact illiteracy can have on working adults. “I don’t think that should happen in this country,” Rider said. “Not being able to read holds people back their whole lives.” Rider took these experiences with her when she walked nervously into the classroom for the first time, ready to tutor.

“I’d never done anything like that before and never felt like I was cut out to be a teacher, so it was a little nerve-wracking at first, but I felt prepared by the curriculum I had learned in our training,” she said. “Plus getting to know the kids is fun – even the challenging ones are cute.” Rider worked with one kindergartener that struggled with behavioral challenges but loved to read. Sometimes when she arrived, he had been removed from the classroom for disruption. She would invite him to read and remind him he had to cooperate – he always did. “He was a smart little cookie,” Rider said.“The added attention helped him do what he needed to do and that motivated him to improve his reading.” Rider also has seen self-confidence play an important role in helping kids learn to read. She said many kids are good at sounding out words but do

came more focused on her goal. continued from page 8 “I really loved all the science classes that I got to take in high school,” her career to the exploration of Heidi began her career at the space and the advancement of NASA Johnson Space Center humanity through scientific in Houston Texas in 2006 as research in space. a Flight Controller in Mission After attending Green Control, responsible for the realOaks Elementary School time navigation of spacecraft to and Arcade Middle School, the International Space Station Heidi graduated from Casa (ISS). The ISS was built pieceRoble Fundamental High by-piece in orbit around the School in 2001. She attend- Earth, and has been continued Sac State from 2001- ously manned for over 20 years. 2003 majoring in Phys- Heidi worked with NASA’s ics and Astronomy before European and Russian Internatransferring to Purdue Uni- tional Partners to design, build, versity and earning a bach- and operate the spacecraft develelor’s degree in Aeronautics oped to continuously resupply and Astronautics Engineer- new crew and cargo to the ISS. ing, specializing in Orbital Heidi has logged thousands of Mechanics (how spacecraft hours on console during highly move in orbit). dynamic spacecraft rendezvous “I’ve been interested in and docking operations, both in space for as long as I can re- NASA’s Mission Control Cenmember,” said Parris. ter in Houston, TX as well as During her high school in the Automated Transfer Veyears at Casa Roble Funda- hicle (ATV) Control Center in mental High School, she be- Toulouse, France.

After spending 10 years focused on the spacecraft that bring up new science and supplies to the ISS, Heidi transitioned to work in the ISS Program Science office and is now responsible for advancing the scientific research performed onboard ISS. At any given time, hundreds of experiments are being done onboard ISS in a huge range of scientific fields, and the results of this research are profoundly benefiting humani-

Sciences:

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not believe in their own reading ability. Over the last three years, Rider has watched each child she encountered gain selfconfidence in his or her ability to read, which then led to stronger reading skills. Seventy-one percent of students who were below grade level at the beginning of this school year improved their reading and

literacy performance by one or more proficiency levels with Experience Corps volunteers’ help – 42 percent improved by one full grade level or more. “The results are encouraging and worth the work,” Rider said.“If you’re looking for volunteer work, what’s more important than helping a child learn to read?”

ty in numerous ways. Heidi works with researchers across the ISS International Partnership to enable new research opportunities and expand the use of the ISS as a valuable scientific laboratory resource. Heidi’s husband Josh is also a NASA flight controller, working with the Air Force to keep ISS safe from the ev-

er-increasing threat of space debris. They enjoy traveling, scuba diving, biking, running, and hanging out with Talia, their Siberian Husky. Now, as a NASA scientist, Parris wants to inspire others to follow their dreams. “Find what you enjoy and take the time to get a good foundational base and explore it further,” said Parris.

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Carmichael woman gives back after losing vision Karon Altman of Carmichael speaks in a whisper, but her story speaks volumes. After recovering from a stroke in 2008, Altman began having double vision in 2010 and was diagnosed with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, which causes progressive paralysis of the eyes and can move as far down as the shoulders. As Altman’s vision disappeared, she also began experiencing atrophy of her neck muscles and now has a feeding tube and can barely speak. “ This turned my life upside down and I was devastated,” Altman said. “But I’d gotten through adversity before and this was another challenge to face.” Altman’s soft voice and thin frame make her past even more surprising. Weighing nearly twice what she does now, Altman was the only woman working at Northwest Airlines loading luggage and freight for many of her 33 years on the job. After a devastating and sudden divorce, Altman worked full-time while raising her daughter alone from

the age of 4. Over the years, she worked an early morning shift, attended PTA meetings at night and helped her daughter through college and a master’s program so she could become a teacher in Sacramento. “ Thankfully, my daughter is very strong and knows that I’m very strong-willed and I can push through everything and anything,” Altman said. Two years after her diagnosis, Altman found Society for the Blind in Sacramento and joined a Senior IMPACT Project retreat, a program for seniors losing their vision, which she said gave her the power to continue to live independently in her own home. “I was terrified of the learning shades, but the training and mentors moved me forward in my journey,” she said. She then joined Society for the Blind’s CORE program, which includes orientation and mobility, independent living skills, computers and assistive technology, and Braille, while volunteering as a Se-

nior IMPACT Project mentor just a couple of months after finishing the retreat. Despite undergoing a hip replacement, knee replacement and multiple eye and throat surgeries over the last eight months, Altman now volunteers at Society for the Blind three days a week for eight hours a day helping in the CORE program and Senior IMPACT Project. She hopes to complete more computer, cane and Braille training in the near future. Meanwhile she travels frequently to Washington to care for her mother who has Alzheimer’s disease, and she walks 20,000 steps a day, making her one of the top participants in the National Fitness Challenge that Society for the Blind is participating in. She said she would walk 25,000 steps a day if her doctor were not concerned about her caloric intake because of her feeding tube. “I’ve gained my independence being here, and I know that I can do anything I put my mind to with the right training,” Altman

said. “I’m very grateful that I’m able to do what I do. It warms my heart to help other people through this process.” Through tears, she added, “My willpower and the family I’ve made here – that’s what has kept me going.” Celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, Society for the Blind has created innovative ways to empower individuals living with low vision or blindness to discover, develop and achieve their full potential. Society for the Blind has grown from a dedicated group of

volunteers to a nationally recognized agency and the only comprehensive rehabilitative teaching center that provides services for a 27-county region of northern California. The nonprofit provides low-vision eye care, life and job skills training, mentorship, and access to tools to maintain independence for more than 5,000 youth, working-age adults and seniors experiencing vision loss each year. For more information or to make a donation, visit SocietyfortheBlind.org.

Rio Americano Engineering and Manufacturing Pathway takes students to national competition High schools throughout San Juan Unified offer Career Technical Education (CTE) programs to students. These courses provide hands-on, unpaid training that is designed to prepare them for life after graduation with entry-level, marketable skills. Students who are a part of Rio Americano High School’s robotics team have worked tirelessly last year to ensure success at the FIRST Robotics national competition in Nampa, Idaho. 10

In fact, they have spent the last few years in Rio’s engineering and manufacturing CTE pathway perfecting their skills in a wide variety of subjects. Each of the three classes offered throughout the pathway-Engineering I, Engineering II and Robotics-- align closely with a comparable course at the collegiate level and students in the program are able to earn credit for the course at American River College in Sacramento.

Arden-Carmichael News • January 10, 2020 • www.valcomnews.com

Furthermore, this CTE pathway is sponsored by some of the world’s most prominent companies in technology like Apple, Google and Intel among others. What many of Rio’s engineering students find helpful is their level of preparedness for a career in engineering. They’re learning much of the necessary material in their field of choice that some students could enter straight into the workforce. Students in the highest course of the pathway can elect

to be members of the Rio Robotics team, where they get to compete in high-stakes competitions both regionally and nationally. For the 2019 competition season, the team created a robot named Bumblebee. “Every part of that robot was manufactured here in our shop by students,” said pathway instructor Matt Cole. “We have a broad spectrum of skills that they learn...so they can build and they can design.”

Shane Becker, a senior last year at Rio Americano and in the robotics program, spoke about the stress he and his teammates felt when preparing for the national competition. “We [had] six weeks to design, build and program our robot,” said Becker. “Going into every competition, [our robot] didn’t work so we were always trying to figure out what to do, but we always did.” Source: www.sanjuan.edu/ CTE Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

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