Pocket News 4-6-2023

Sacramento County spokesperson provides COVID-19 update

folks are far more educated around how to protect themselves from (COVID-19).

With the state and county’s recent termination of their COVID-19 state of emergency declarations, Samantha Mott, a Sacramento County health department spokesperson, provided an update regarding COVID-19 in

In an interview with this paper, Mott recognized the end of the county’s COVID-19 state of

“It coincides with the ending of the state emergency declaration, and in anticipation of the federal government ending their emergency declaration (on May 11),

“Over the last six months or so, probably longer than that, actually, we have really been following state guidelines. We have not had a public health order in place for some time now. We’ve been following state public health orders.”

To show the progress that Sacramento County experienced with COVID-19 in the past year, Mott noted that on March 1, 2022, the seven-day average COVID-19 case rate in the county was 9.5 people per every 100,000 residents, compared to the latest March 1 update, which shows a case rate of 7.6 per 100,000.

“So, our case rate has gone down a bit compared to last year,” she said. “And the reality is that there are vaccines available now, there are boosters available now. I think

“You know, the ending of the public health emergency doesn’t mean that COVID(-19) is going away. It simply means that (Sacramento County) Public Health is now monitoring COVID-19 the way they do with other infectious diseases. We, for example, monitor flu every year. Every year, it’s a different strain of flu.”

Mott additionally spoke about the topic of masks.

“We currently, locally, do not have any masking orders in place,” she said. “We have been following the state guidelines. I believe they still have some masking orders for specific situations in place at a state level.”

The California Department of Public Health announced on March 3 that beginning on April 3, masks would no longer be required in indoor high-risk and health care settings.

However, regardless of COVID-19 community levels, CDPH recommends:

Wearing a mask around others if you have respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, a runny nose and/ or a sore throat; the consideration of wearing a mask in indoor areas of public transportation, such as in airplanes, trains, buses and ferries, and transportation hubs, such as airports, stations and seaports; and wearing a mask if you have had significant exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Mott mentioned that Sacramento County Public Health encourages people to continue taking steps to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.

“That includes staying up to date on vaccinations, testing for COVID-19, if they have symptoms, and staying in contact with health care providers about treatments, if you do test positive for COVID-19,” she said.

“Just a reminder, vulnerable people, including those who are at greater risk for severe illness, should consider wearing a mask indoor(s) and (in) public places.”

As for Sacramento County’s COVID-19 dashboard reports, Mott noted that with the ending of the county’s state of emergency, that dashboard will no longer be updated. The final update was released on March 1.

“Folks can find out the most upto-date information – post-March 1 – on the California Department of Public Health(’s) ‘Tracking COVID-19 in California’ dashboard,” she said.

Available through this online resource is COVID-19-related data for each of California’s 58 counties, as well combined information for the entire state.

The link for the state’s online dashboard is www.COVID19. ca.gov/State-Dashboard.

Mott also provided details about COVID-19 testing sites, mentioning that underutilized state-funded testing sites would begin to wind down their operations in the coming months.

“It will depend on the utilization, so some of them will stay open for some time,” she said. “But if they’re being underutilized, the state has indicated that they will wind down operations of some of those testing sites.”

According to the county’s website, no dates for such closures have been announced.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Easter Bunny is having a great time at Elks 6’s farmers’ market

By Stephen B. Clazie Elks 6 past exalted ruler

Spring flowers are blooming, and it is not long until Easter Sunday on April 9. But the Easter Bunny has already been spotted several times in the Pocket at the farmers’ market at Sacramento Elks Lodge No. 6.

The farmers’ market is held at 6446 Riverside Blvd. on Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to noon.

You can really tell it is spring at the farmers’ market with the fresh vegetables by Moua Farm and the nuts and berries by Alpine Blue Farms, of Stockton. Uncle Jer is there each week with his honey, and it has not

been any trouble finding the Easter Bunny near the Bumble Bee Café.

Children had their picture taken with the Easter Bunny, and it only cost $20 to receive a digital copy.

Elks 6’s Vic Cima, who organizes the farmers’ market, noted that the children loved the bunny and doing the “bunny hop.”

Cima also announced that the organizers are trying to have face painting, but as he always says, “The very best face painting can’t make an ugly mug like mine look like a pretty Easter Bunny.” He added that he is not confident that the market will include face painting.

For all of those adults who want to make a special impression on Easter Sunday, there are the lovely bouquets by KC Flowers.

Along with the flowers, customers might want to get a bottle of wine from the Felicità Wine Company at the market for that Easter Sunday dinner.

Photos courtesy of Stephen B. Clazie Juliet Cardenas gives a thumbs up to the Easter Bunny at the Elks 6 farmers’ market.

Preparing to receive a high five greeting at the Elks 6 farmers’ market is the Easter Bunny.

Car show returns to the Pocket

Event to continue through October

By Lance Armstrong vcneditor@gmail.com

After a one-year absence, the Pocket’s twice-monthly classic car show is making a comeback in the parking lot of the Device Brewing Company in the Promenade Shopping Center.

This four-hour, familyfriendly event, which was first held in 2020, features vintage cars ranging from a 1929 Ford Model A to cars from the 1980s, as well as beer and food.

The event will be held most first and third Thursdays, with a few exceptions, from this month through Oct. 26. Each show begins at 4 p.m.

The final date will be a trunkor-treat Halloween event for kids, with candy available from the trunks of the exhibitors’ decorated cars.

Andrew Vassallo, general manager of this brewery at 7485 Rush River Drive, Suite 650, told the Pocket News that after

a decision was made to discontinue this event, its return was arranged due to its popularity.

“We had a lot of people that would call and (say), ‘Hey, why don’t you guys do the car shows

anymore?’” he said. “So, obviously, from a business standpoint, this was something that we (desired to) figure out how to get it going again.

“I think doing it on a Thurs-

day – which isn’t typically our busiest night of the week –helps us, but at the same time, that was part of the issue was Friday nights are already busy. And then you add 200 to 300 people for the car show, and things just kind of went a little sideways. So, I think (Thursdays are) going to be kind of better for everyone.”

Vassallo noted that the car

show adds to the family-friendly approach to this business, which is owned by Pocket residents Ken and Melissa Anthony.

“It just kind of aligns with our vision that we opened this place up (three years ago) to be a community asset,” he said. “We’re super family-friendly. We’ve got games in here for the kids, we’ve got pinball and Skee-Ball, (various events) and things like that.”

Classic car owners Ben Valencia and Tony Antonucci, who also live in the Pocket, founded the car show three years ago as a way to bring more entertainment to their neighborhood.

Both men were already accustomed to exhibiting their cars at car shows, including a Tuesday night car show at Original Mike’s Diner in Elk Grove.

Antonucci is the owner of a red, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe, a photograph of which is currently featured on a flier for the Pocket’s upcoming car show. He bought the car about 10 years ago.

Valencia owns a 1955 Chevrolet Delray, which he purchased in 1972 and regularly drove until 1990.

After his retirement in 2009, Valencia spent about two and a

This highly upgraded home is amazing

9567 Harvest Gold Court

$525,000

Photos by Jeanette Valencia

On display is the engine of Pocket resident Tony Antonucci’s 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe.

See CAR SHOW on page 5

Car Show

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half years restoring that car. He shared his approach to that restoration.

“When I bought the car, everything was original except the tires and rims,” Valencia said. “I mean, the Delrays had the checkered interior and stuff and I was going to just restore it to stock. (However), me and my wife decided, well, we want to have (air conditioning) in the car and stuff, and so I decided to modify it.”

Valencia and Antonucci share similar stories, having grown up in car-centric eras in Sacramento.

A Sacramento native and a 1968 graduate of C.K. McClatchy High School, Valencia recalled his early automotive adventures.

“We used to cruise downtown, J and K (streets),” he said. “I had a ’56 Chevy back

then, with a Corvette engine. Yeah, and we used to do a little racing.”

Antonucci, who moved from Pittsburgh to Sacramento during his childhood, spoke about

some of his memorable cars.

“I had a ‘53 Chevy when I was in high school,” he said. “And then later I got a ‘59 Impala, then I had a ‘62 Corvette. So, I’ve had a lot of cars. And yeah,

we did a little drag racing in between.”

Also popular in that era were drive-in restaurants, recalled Antonucci, who graduated from C.K. McClatchy High School

in 1958.

“There was one (drive-in restaurant at 2995 Freeport Blvd.), over by (C.K.) McClatchy High School, called Ed’s (DriveIn),” he said. “Then there was another one downtown, a big Mel’s (Drive-In at 1901 J St.), which would have been across now from where The (Old) Spaghetti Factory is, which used to be the (Western Pacific) train station. So, yeah, that was a great era. I don’t think there will ever be another era like that.”

Antonucci hopes that more younger people become involved with classic cars.

“We encourage it,” he said. “Like at our cruise nights, we always tell them – the older guys – we’re not going to be here forever. Try to get younger guys to come on out. Get a car, you know, whatever.”

See CAR SHOW on page 6

Shown above is the engine of Pocket resident Ben Valencia’s 1955 Chevrolet Delray.

Car Show

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In addition to classic cars, all of the shows at the Device Brewing Company, with the exception of the final show, will include raffles for prizes.

Valencia mentioned that little kids always win a certain raffle prize.

“When little kids come and stuff, they’re going to win a free Hot Wheels car,” he said. “And we say it’s a raffle prize. Well, you know, they don’t know if they’re going to win one or not, but they’re going to win one.”

Also co-organizing this event with Valencia and Antonucci is Elk Grove resident Dave Cox, who serves as the show’s master of ceremonies.

Cox, 78, has another connection with Antonucci: He is also a native of Pittsburgh.

As a hot rod fan, Cox owns a 1934 Ford with a 540-cubicinch, big block engine in it, and a 1947 Ford Coupe with a 383-

cubic-inch stroker engine in it.

He mentioned that the first car he ever owned was a 1949 Chrysler Fluid Drive hearse.

In addition to their involvement with the Pocket’s car show, Cox and Antonucci have been operating the Tuesday night car show at Original Mike’s Diner in Elk Grove for the past six years.

Cox commended the site for the car show in the Pocket.

“I think it’s really a good spot for the community as a whole there,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good vibes from the two years before that we did it, that the people really liked it, they supported it.”

The classic car show’s upcoming dates at the Device Brewing Company are April 20, May 4 and 18, June 1 and 15, July 6 and 20, Aug. 10 and 24, Sept. 7 and 21, and Oct. 5, 19 and 26.

For additional information about this show, call (916) 594-9043.

Easter Sunday Masses

8:30 A.M. and 10:30 A.M.

Easter Vigil Mass

Saturday at 8:15 P.M.

Fr. Mitch Maleszyk

David Cabrera & Richard Koppes, Deacons

The Parish Staff

Pictured is the 540-cubic-inch, big block engine of the 1934 Ford owned by Elk Grove resident Dave Cox.

Dozens of dinosaurs descend on Sacramento Zoo

The Sacramento Zoo is thrilled to announce the opening of an exhibit 65 million years in the making. Dinosaur Safari is currently open and will run through March 2024.

Gather the family, take a journey back through time and experience awe and wonder as more than 20 life-size, animatronic dinosaurs have migrated from the Mesozoic Era to the Sacramento Zoo.

Hold your ground against a 65-foot-long Brachiosaurus as she cares for her young. Beware of the towering Tyrannosaurus rex. Stare up in awe at the Quetzalcoatlus as you enter the zoo, and avoid getting head butted by a Pachycephalosaurus.

The zoo’s Dinosaur Safari exhibit is included with the price of admission, and is free for Sacramento Zoo members.

1. Which song had to be changed before it could get radio airplay because it started with the sounds of a siren?

2. Name the artist who wrote and released “For the Love of Him.”

3. Who had an international hit with “Up in a Puff of Smoke”?

4. Who used the stage name Lobo?

5. Name the song that contains these lyrics: “I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king.”

Answers

1. “Indiana Wants Me,” by R. Dean Taylor in 1970. The police siren at the beginning of the song caused drivers to pull off the road, thinking the siren was real.

2. Bobbi Martin, in 1969. For a real treat, search YouTube for Martin’s videos, especially “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

3. Polly Brown, in 1974. While it climbed charts worldwide, it ranked highest (No. 3) on the Billboard Dance/Disco chart.

4. Roland Kent LaVoie, singersongwriter of the hit “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”

5. “That’s Life,” made famous by Frank Sinatra in 1966. It’s been widely used, including in the Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 video game in 2004. The song was first recorded, however, by Marion Montgomery in 1963.

© 2023 King Features Syndicate

Dinosaur Safari was created by Dino Don, Inc., a leading supplier of animatronic dinosaurs to zoos and museums across the globe, and the only creator of full-sized robot dinosaurs.

These dinos were designed

and created under scientific supervision. Lessem, aka “Dino Don,” advise d Steven Spielberg on the 1993 film, “Jurassic Park,” and he has advised both the Universal and Disney theme parks, as well. This exhibit is generously presented by First 5

California. Plan your visit today. Don’t miss this DINO-mite exhibit.

For additional information, visit the website, www.SacZoo. org.

Photos courtesy of the Sacramento Zoo

The dinosaur exhibit at the Sacramento Zoo will be open through March 2024.

This life-size, animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur is among the exhibit’s attractions.

Women’s fitness festival coming to downtown Sacramento June 4

Gather your mothers, daughters, sisters and friends and register today for the Kaiser Permanente Women’s Fitness Festival.

The event will be held on June 4 on 9th Street, between L Street and Capitol Mall. This is a one-of-a-kind, all-women’s event that includes medals and a beautiful race T-shirt for 5K/10K finishers.

Participants of the Prin -

cess ½-Mile Fun Run receive a medal.

After the event, there will be a breakfast and celebration with friends in the mimosa garden. Complimentary health screenings will be available at the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Pavilion.

To register, visit www.RaceRoster.com, and search for the “Kaiser Permanente Women’s Fitness Festival.”

Doggy Dash to celebrate 30th anniversary

Registration for Doggy Dash, the Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) 2K/5K walk and pet festival is now open.

On Saturday, April 22, join thousands of walkers at William Land Park as we lace up our shoes and leash up our pups for Doggy Dash, our largest fundraiser of the year and

an opportunity to celebrate the amazing commitment of our commu nity to healthy, happy and unconditional relationships between dogs and their people.

The cost to register for this event is $30.

For general event information and vendor interest, contact Jessica Miller at (916) 504-2868 or jmiller@sspca.org.

Broadway business operators, county health officer speak about current status of COVID-19

By Lance Armstrong vcneditor@gmail.co m

Several Broadway business operators shared their thoughts on the current status of COVID-19 with this paper on March 11 – the threeyear anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic.

Eleven days earlier, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted to end the local COVID-19 state of emergency. That decision aligned with California’s termination of its COVID-19 state of emergency, which also ended on Feb. 28.

Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye explained the significance of the county’s order.

“Ending the local emergency declaration means (Sacramento County) Public Health has transitioned from an emergency response to routine monitoring of COVID(-19), as we do with other infectious diseases,” she said.

Although the state and county COVID-19 state of emergencies were rescinded, the pandemic continues, Ka-

sirye told this paper.

“The decision to extend or end a pandemic status for an infectious disease is made by the World Health Organization (WHO),” she said.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, mentioned last September that the end of the pandemic is “in sight.”

“We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic,” he said during a news briefing in Geneva. “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight.”

Ghebreyesus added that it is necessary to “seize this opportunity.”

“A marathon runner does not stop when the finish line comes into view,” he said. “She runs harder, with all the energy she has left. So must we. We can see the finish line. We’re in a winning position, but now is the worst time to stop running.”

In addition to the state and county’s actions to end their COVID-19 state of emergencies, the California Department of Public Health announced on March 3 that beginning on April 3, masks will no longer be required in in-

door high-risk and health care settings. Those places include health care, long-term care, and correctional facilities, as well as

homeless, emergency, warming and cooling centers.

During this paper’s March 11 visit to various Broadway

Center

businesses, Mark Jefcoat, who owns P&M Tool

Photos by Lance Armstrong

While wearing a mask, Harrison Daly, a manager at The Avid Reader, stands behind a Plexiglas barrier inside this bookstore at 1945 Broadway.

COVID-19 on page 10

COVID-19

Continued from page 9

with his wife, Debra, spoke about his current thoughts on COVID-19.

“It’s so confusing,” he said. “There are so many (opinions). Every person has got a different thing to say about it. We quit wearing masks in here a long time ago. Nobody down here is wearing them.”

Debra noted that while Joe Shook, the business’s manager, has never been infected with the COVID-19 virus, she and Mark were not so fortunate, despite getting all of their vaccination shots.

“We went for our fourth shot (on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022), and I (later) woke up at 4 (o’clock) in the morning, sicker than I’ve ever, ever been,” she said. “Mark was OK until Sunday night. I tested negative a couple days later, but I was really sick. Both of us got it right after the shot. We’re suspicious (that those shots gave us the virus).”

Thinking back on the early part of the pandemic, Mark recalled his decision to temporarily close his business.

“When the general order

was given by the governor to close everybody, we closed that day,” he said. “I could have called myself an essential business, but my concern was all the homeless down here. I thought that COVID(-19) was going to wipe them out,

and I thought they would be all infected. I was wrong.

“Anyway, for two months, we stayed closed, and then after that, we opened up again and the business that we lost came back within a few months.”

Mark added that a key fac-

tor in his business’s survival was that he was operating it debt-free.

“In small business, stay the hell out of debt (in case) something like (COVID-19) comes along,” he said. “Everything in here is paid for, so I had no worries.”

Silvia Alvarado, owner of

Sancho’s Mariscos & Mexican Food restaurant, which opened on March 1 in the old Pancho’s Cocina Mexicana restaurant location, mentioned that she likes that most people are much more comfortable in their lives than they were during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People, they’re not afraid, they’re not scared like before,” she said. “It’s more calm. Yeah, I think so. We can’t live being afraid of everything. I really believe in that. So, if God is going to take me today, he’s going to take me no matter what.” Alvarado recalled teaching her children to live responsibly during the pandemic.

“I told my kids, don’t panic, just wash your hands (after) every time you go out and touch everything, and wear your mask over your (nose and mouth),” she said. “Be responsible and don’t be panicked either.”

Harrison Daly, a manager at The Avid Reader, told this paper that while most local businesses have ended their employee mask-wearing policies, this bookstore continues to uphold their policy.

Silvia Alvarado, owner of Sancho’s Mariscos & Mexican Food restaurant at 2026 Broadway, mentioned that she likes that most people are much more comfortable in their lives than they were during the height of COVID-19.

See COVID-19 on page 11

Continued from page 10

“ Ultimately, (this policy is) for the health of our patrons, most of whom are disproportionately elder(ly),” he said. “So, we take all that into consider-

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ation. We should still treat it seriously. COVID(-19) hasn’t gone away, and, of course, we still need to figure out ways to live with it.

“But for today, for the benefit of our patrons, staff is required

to wear masks. Patrons are encouraged to wear masks. It’s still like a weird, liminal phase we’re in, so we don’t know what the future will look like; hopefully a maskless one. But we’re taking things one step at a time.”

DONNA ERICKSON'S BEST BITES FOR RELEASE MARCH 27, 2023

By Donna Erickson

Garnish Desserts With Chocolate Roses

When you stroll by the pastry section of your market or neighborhood bakery, do you ever wonder how they make the lovely roses that top the tempting cakes and tortes?

While there may be a variety of ingredients and techniques, this classic recipe invented by pastry chefs uses a simple combination of melted chocolate and light corn syrup. The edible clay can be transformed into just about any shape or decoration, but it’s especially fun to include kids and create roses with my easy technique. You’ll be all set to garnish a dessert with creativity, when there’s something to celebrate with your family.

CHOCOLATE ROSES

Makes 10-12 roses

— 10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 1/2 cups)

— 1/3 cup light corn syrup

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for about one and a half to two minutes in 30-second intervals, stirring each time. If you don’t have a microwave, use a double boiler.

Add the corn syrup to the melted chocolate. Stir. The lovely smooth mixture will turn into a clay consistency.

Put a sheet of wax paper on a cutting board or kitchen counter and scoop the chocolate mixture onto it. Spread it out evenly with your fingers until it is about

a 1/2 inch thick. Cover loosely with wax paper and let it rest for at least two hours. The clay will become pliable.

To make a rose, roll 10 smooth balls of chocolate clay a bit smaller than the size of a marble and line them up an inch apart on wax paper. Cover the little balls with a sheet of wax paper. Press down hard on the paper with your thumb to spread out the clay. Aim for the size of a half-dollar.

To create petals for a rose, remove one clay disk and curl it into a tepee shape, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Wrap the next disk around the opening of the tepee, as if you were making it a little door. The third disk goes at the back of the tepee, with the fourth going along the side. Layer as many of these clay disks as you’d like. Bend back the edges of the disks ever so slightly. Don’t worry if little slits appear, because they will make the petals look more natural.

Set the finished rose on a cupcake or other dessert.

Note: Use up the clay the same day you make it while it is pliable. Candy melts (available at craft stores) and/or butterscotch chips may be substituted for the chocolate chips.

***

Donna Erickson creates relationships and community through food and fun. Find more to nourish and delight you at www.donnaerickson.com.

P&M Tool Center owners Mark and Debra Jefcoat were among the local small business owners who managed to survive the economic challenges they faced due to temporarily closing their businesses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

© 2023 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.

PHOTO CREDIT: Donna Erickson

UK’s Loving Earth Project to be held locally throughout April

An exhibition of artwork from around the world will be on display in Sacramento this month.

The Quaker Arts Network has invited people to create 12inch by 12-inch fabric panels that ex press their love and concern for a world endangered by environmental change.

The United Kingdom’s Loving Earth Project has helped people of all ages engage creatively and constructively with climate change issues without becoming overwhelmed. The exhibit also shares positive examples of how people are taking action.

This project has grown to include more than 400 panels. It is now on tour in communities around the world and was listed as one of the “best cultural events in Scotland for COP26” – the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The community is invited to explore some of the issues and how to reduce threats to the

world.

Selected panels from the Loving Earth Project will be on display in Sacramento and Carmichael in April in recog-

nition of Earth Day, and then move on to locations in Fresno and Chico.

Sacramento exhibit calendar

April 1-30

• Sacramento Municipal Utilities District Museum of Science and Curiosity, 400 Jibboom St. — This is a venue with interac-

tive exhibits for children of all ages. The panels will hang in the main corridor leading to the museum’s nature and environment wing.

• Atrium 916, 1020 Front St. – This creative innovation center for sustainability in Old Sacramento offers a circular economy marketplace for Sacramentomade products. Visitors can en-

joy the display and have time to respond with drawings or poems to add to the exhibit.

• Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd. – Panels will be on display in the main hall.

April 15-16

• Effie Yeaw Nature Center, 2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael – Panels will be accompanied by weekend educational programming and activities for children.

• St. Anthony Church, 660 Florin Road – A smaller traveling exhibit will be on display before and after Masses.

April 23

• Sacramento Earth Day 2023 – A full day of activities and exhibits in Southside Park at 2115 6th St.

Further information about the Loving Earth Project can be obtained through the website, www.LovingEarth-Project.uk. For additional details about related planned activities for Sacramento and Carmichael, visit the event’s individual location websites.

625 Florin Road (adjacent to Kennedy High in Greenhaven/Pocket)

A community loving Christ, building disciples, serving all

Photos courtesy of Cindy Fowler

The traveling event features fabric panels designed to express love and concern for a world endangered by environmental change.

Italian language classes offered this spring

The Italian Cultural Society of Sacramento is committed to presenting high-quality, online or in-person Italian language instruction taught by experienced, professional, classroom instructors and native speakers.

Teachers and staff have created fun, interactive and effective language programs to assist people to begin learning or improving their Italian. Learn Italian from the comfort and convenience of your own home or office.

Those who already speak some Italian and are uncertain which class is best for them can contact the program’s director, Patrizia Cinquini Cerruti, at (916) 482-5900 for assistance.

Registration is now available through the website, www. ItalianCenter.net.

Elks 6 offers vocational grants

Sacramento Elks Lodge

No. 6, on the behalf of the California-Hawaii Elks Association, is offering vocational grants ranging from $500 to $2,000 for the first year.

There is an option to renew for a second year to anyone residing in the Sacramento area who is a citizen of the United States and planning to pursue an eligible vocational/ technical course resulting in a certificate or two-year degree and leading to employment opportunities.

To fill out the application, visit www.chea-elks.org.

The program is open to male and female applicants, who will be judged on an equal basis. While graduating high school seniors may apply, it is not limited to high school students – in fact, it is open to all prospective students who require training or retraining to compete in the workplace.

The vocational grant is for one academic year, with an option to renew for one additional academic year. This grant may be used only for usual and required costs of a student’s course of study; that is, for tuition and fees, room and board (if living on campus) and books and supplies. Payment will be made

to the school. Award s will be between $500 and $2,000 for an academic year, depending on the length of the course.

The definition of an eligible program shall be comparable to that contained in the federal vocational legislation. That is defined as a two-year or less vocational/technical program culminating in a terminal associate’s degree, diploma or certificate, but less than a bachelor’s degree. Students planning to transfer to a four-year school to pursue a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply.

Examples of courses approved recently are six-month police academy, 13-month cosmetology, three-month electrical line worker, 13month veterinary technology, and two-year fire science.

A student must plan to attend school on a full-time basis for a minimum of 60 days. An academic year is determined to be a minimum of nine months (about 39 weeks) of continuous fulltime study.

Payments may not be used to cover retroactive charges and may only be applied to expenses in the academic year.

Applications for Sacra -

mento residents must be filed with the scholarship chairman, exalted ruler, or secretary of Sacramento Elks Lodge No. 6 at 6446 River-

side Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95831. An application may only be filed with one lodge.

For additional information, call (916) 422-6666.

for 2023-2024 School Year closes April 21, 2023

Lottery will be held Monday, May 1, 2023 at 5PM

For more information please call our office 6620 Gloria Drive, Sacramento, Ca 95831 (916) 421-0600 l www.sacprep.org

GRADE