The Cordova Towne Blog

Successful Community Softball Tournament

2009-06-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we've posted on the Cordova Towne Blog. We do most of our neighborhood communication on our e-Group and website. We'll make sure to post still though from time to time.

We had a very successful neighborhood softball tournament this past weekend (click HERE to see pictures). Thank you to so many residents who pulled together to make this happen. We appreciate Rich - our team captain, all of the players, and everyone else who handled the logistics for hosting this tournament. We also appreciate the other coaches and each team member for your time and effort.

This is a video taken during Saturday's tournament. If you wish to see more neighborhood videos, click HERE.

It was very exciting indeed to see four teams battle it out for the tournament trophy. We had teams from Anatolia, Cordova Towne/White Rock and City Hall. Congratulations to Anatolia for being crowned the tournament champion and the City of Rancho Cordova for coming in second place.

Thank you to the Rancho Cordova Post for sponsoring this wonderful event. We hope to see even more teams step forward next year (we sincerely hope to see a 2nd annual Rancho Cordova Softball Tourney). For the time being the tournament trophy will be held guarded over the next 12 months by residents in Anatolia. Next year though it will be up for grabs.

File Your Taxes for Free at FCCP

2009-02-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership is hosting an event for people to file their taxes for free. What a huge help in this economy especially!!! Per a conversation with their office, you cannot have made more than 56K in 2008 to qualify for this event. Please see the flyer and contact them for any other details. Best of luck.

Project 680 Promo Video

2009-02-11T16:10:00.001-08:00

Here is the new Project 680 promo video to let others know about the upcoming Project 680 Community Forum on March 11th at 6:30pm (hosted at Cordova Neighborhood Church - free of charge - 10600 Coloma Rd, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670). Thanks to Gary, a resident, for adding the beginning and ending titles. Feel free to post this on your own website or blog.

Project 680 - THE NEXT STEP

2009-02-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

During the Project 680 sock drive we were asked by many residents if there was anything that could be done on a more permanent basis to support local homeless students in the FCUSD. The answer is "YES" and so a first next step coming in March is a community forum with the District Liaison for Homeless Services. We will be educated, have a Q&A time, and have discussion.

It is our hope that this forum will be a beginning toward finding simple ways to respond as a community to the problem of student homelessness. We are not looking to create enormous and time-consuming projects either, but emphases that are easy to pull-off and make sense for our schedules. We are very excited to evolve with you and see what happens next. This effort is supported by the Cordova Towne Neighborhood Association, local residents and businesses, churches, and Socks & Gloves - a homeless outreach.

Feel free also to join the Project 680 Facebook page. Spread the word about Project 680 to any locals and especially to residents of Rancho Cordova & Folsom. Thank you.

PROJECT 680 COMMUNITY FORUM - DETAILS:
- 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 11, 2009
- Any locals in surrounding cities are invited to participate
- Sorry, no childcare provided.
- We will provide light refreshments.
- RSVP if you can, but if not, just show up.
- Link to www.cordovatowne.com/project680.html
- Invite neighbors, friends, tell your church...
- The format of the meeting will be a brief presentation by FCUSD, Q&A, and discussion.
- We will meet at Cordova Neighborhood Church at 10600 Coloma Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. Thank you to the church for allowing us to meet in their location free of charge.

Free Foreclosure Event

2009-01-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

If you know someone who's facing foreclosure, please tell them about the Free Mortgage Default and Foreclosure Event that SHRA (Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency) is facilitating on Monday, February 2 from 2-8 p.m., at the Jose Rizal Community Center, 7320 Florin Mall Road. Major lenders will be there to talk with their customers for the purpose of determining eligibility for loan modifications and getting the process started on the spot. Please read and share the flyer linked below. Thank you.

Download: Free Mortgage & Foreclosure Event - PDF file

In addition, see the SHRA website HERE for further resources.

Project 680 - THE FINAL COUNT

2008-12-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you the great news that in total we collected 3,144 pairs of socks for homeless youth in the FCUSD. Great work everyone!!!! Thank you to so many who gave to this cause by donating socks, emailing a friend or co-worker, collecting socks at the office, or finding some other way to get involved. Thank you also to so many residents in Rancho Cordova (on both sides of the freeway) as well as neighboring cities too!!

A special thank you to the 13 drop-off locations:
- Carr household
- Jeppesen household
- Lundquist household
- Wiese household
- Ventress household
- Rancho Cordova Neighborhood Center (Kerry Simpson)
- Jiang household
- Towns household
- Learning Years Academy Pre-School
- Shubert household
- Cordova Neighborhood Church
- Lynch household
- Reeves household

A special thank you to the 15 organizations below for their support and generosity for this cause:
- City of Rancho Cordova employees
- Cordova Church of Christ
- Cordova Neighborhood Church
- Cordova Towne Neighborhood Association
- Grapevine Independent
- Hubbert Systems
- LP Caregiver Specialists
- Peter J. Shields Elementary School
- Mrs. Queenan's 5th Grade Class at Cordova Lane
- Rancho Cordova Post
- Rancho Cordova Women's Book Club
- Socks & Gloves
- Soroptimist Organization of Rancho Cordova
- State of CA Web Support Office
- Sunriver Neighborhood Association

A special thank you to Cordova Towne / White Rock residents:
Thank you to all residents in the White Rock area who dreamed up this project and ran with it so quickly. This all started in a conversation on our e-Group when a few residents began talking about supporting a local charity for our neighborhood Christmas event. We launched this project just over 30 days ago. And here we are 3,144 pairs of socks later. Great neighborhoods are not a thing of the past!!!!

Project 680 site:
www.cordovatowne.com/project680.html

Project 680: Channel 13 News Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jMCZFiX4tA

Project 680: Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/cordovatowne/Project680Christmas2008

Great work everyone!!!!
Sincerely,

Ryan Lundquist

p.s.
In a few months I hope to see a round table discussion with the Folsom Cordova District Liaison for Homeless Services about what it might look like to support local students on a more regular basis. If that is of interest to you, please let me know and I'll keep you posted.

Project 680 Video

2008-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a story that Channel 13 (KOVR) came out to do on Project 680. Thank you everyone for working so hard for this effort and for advocating for local students in such a practical way. We are accepting donations through tomorrow morning, 12/17/08, at 7:45am. NOTE: If the video is not showing in your RSS, click HERE to see it directly.

TWS Properties: Suites for Lease

2008-12-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

TWS Properties is one of our recent neighborhood association sponsors. As part of our agreement with our sponsors, we highlight their services on our blog, e-Group and website.

TWS currently has suites for lease in Rancho Cordova. If you have any contacts who are interested, please get in touch with TWS Properties. Thank you.

MEDICAL/OFFICE Suites for LEASE at 2737 Woodberry Way, Rancho Cordova 95670
RENT: $829.50 Monthly for 784 Square Feet
$943.80 Monthly for 858 Square Feet

Offices open into a pretty interior courtyard. Ideal space for a medical or general office. Current tenants include dentist and two medical clinics. Security gates locked at night. Landscaping, water and garbage provided by landlord. Tenant pays electric (PG&E). ONE MONTH FREE RENT WITH ONE YEAR LEASE OR MONTH TO MONTH

Contact: Ramona Riley at (916) 784-1818
E-mail: ramonar@tidwellcpa.com
Website: twsproperties.com

Projecty 680 - Article in The Grapevine

2008-12-05T17:03:00.001-08:00

Check out the article in today's Grapevine Independent regarding Project 680.

Caroling / Project 680

2008-12-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS CAROLING & PARTY: On December 13th we will be having our 2nd annual Neighborhood Christmas Caroling event along with a Neighborhood Christmas Party. This is for all ages. We will meet up at 10267 Croydon Way at 5:30pm to head out for an hour of good 'ol caroling. It would be great to travel the entire neighborhood, but due to cold weather we had to limit our route to the Western end (as decided by residents who attended the recent leadership meeting). Come on out and enjoy a festive time with a group of other residents. After our caroling we will have a Christmas Party at 10267 Croydon (7-9pm). Come to both events or just one. You are welcome to bring an appetizer or treat to share for the party, but that is not necessary by any means. This is for all residents within the White Rock area as well as anyone who participated in Project 680. Click HERE (pdf) to download a flier for more details.

PROJECT 680 - A Sock Drive for Local Kids: The FCUSD has a program in place to assist homeless students. Did you know that last year they served 680 kids within the District? Can you believe that? In our mind that is 680 too many and so we want to help out in a simple way. We asked the District Liaison for Homeless Services how we could help and she told us that new socks are a very real need for these kids. So it makes sense to do a sock drive for our local youth. We invite all residents and community members to get involved in this effort through December 13th. There are multiple neighborhoods, organizations, and local businesses participating. We are aiming to collect 680 pairs of new socks (no show ankle socks where possible) and we will do our final count at the Christmas Party on December 13th from 7-9pm. Please read more HERE and contact us with any questions. We look forward to making a difference in this small way and proving to the world that we can be generous even in difficult financial times. Thank you.

Neighborhood Watch Information

2008-10-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

We posted a new video on our website this morning of our Crime Prevention Specialist explaining what Neighborhood Watch is all about. The video is also available below. Just think of the difference it would make in our community if one resident on each street decided to begin getting together his/her neighbors to take a stand against crime and build relationship.

SIGN INSTALLATION: Next Monday, 10/13/08, we will be meeting on Swansea Way to install a new Neighborhood Watch sign. We will meet near the corner of White Rock Rd and Swansea at 5:30pm. Popsicles and drinks will be provided. Please come and show your support for a group of residents who are standing together.

Neighborhood Watch Meeting

2008-09-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

We had a successful meeting off of Swansea Way with a great group of residents, our 2 POP Officers, and our Crime Prevention Specialist. Great job Holly on passing out flyers and knocking on some doors to invite others. Thank you to our officers for coming out to spend time with residents. Thank you to everyone for bringing food and to Weed & Seed for donating hot dogs, buns, condiments, plates, and napkins.

Here is a picture of residents with a new Neighborhood Watch sign which will be posted next month. Be on the look out for a Sign Installation Event. Holly will be leading this event.

And here is a video with crime prevention tips from our two POP Officers (Problem Oriented Police). They gave great tips.

Succesful Pancake Event

2008-09-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Correction: Ken Cooley has informed us that there were actually 18 candidates present.

We had a great time visiting with Rancho Cordova Council Member Ken Cooley and about a dozen other local candidates in the neighborhood. We had somewhere around 100 people total. Ken's wife says we went through 128 cups throughout our 90 minutes together. Thank you to everyone who helped to pull off this event. See pictures HERE and a video below.

12 Candidates so far for Pancake Event

2008-09-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

We have a free pancake and OJ breakfast on Saturday that is being sponsored by Ken Cooley. This event, dubbed as "Pancakes with Ken Cooley," will be full of local candidates which Ken has invited. This event is profound in that it is local politics coming to us in our neighborhood. This is good on so many levels. If you are in the White Rock area or nearby (or anywhere in Rancho), please make it a point to attend. For further details, see our website at http://www.cordovatowne.com/

As of 1:18pm on 9/11/08, here is who is coming so far:

Park Board:
Kendall Tough
David Ivazian
Mark Baxter
Dave LaPierre

* City Council:
Ken Cooley
Robert McGarvey

SMUD:
Nancy Bui

FCUSD:
Conrade Mayer
JoAnne Reinking
Kumar Kalagara

SCUSD:
Joan D. Miller

Trustee, Los Rios Community College District 7:
Steve Edward Miller

Other:
Vice-Mayor Dan Skoglund (not running, but coming)

* Incumbent Council Member David Sander is no longer able to make the breakfast due to out of town city business.

Free Pancake Breakfast THIS SATURDAY

2008-09-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

As advertised in the Grapevine, there will be a free pancake breakfast in the Cordova Towne neighborhood on THIS coming Saturday, 9/13/08 between 8-9:30am on Stoke Court. This event is for the entire White Rock area of Rancho Cordova as well as any other interested Cordovans. Come along and bring your friends and family. Let's mingle with Council Member Ken Cooley as well as other candidates for City Council, Park Board, FCUSD, SMUD, etc... See our website HERE for details and click on the image below to read a Grapevine article in last week's paper.

Veggie Chase: October 12, 2008

2008-08-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

We highly recommend this event to residents in the neighborhood and others in nearby cities. The Veggie Chase will take place on October 12, 2008 and it looks to be a great way to get outside, have a blast, exercise, and let our little ones participate in some fun events. Kids ages 12 and under are FREE and there is only a minimal cost for adults. See http://www.veggiechase.com/ for details.

Community Building 101 Series

2008-08-18T08:02:00.001-07:00

I asked the Rancho Cordova Post if as a guest writer I could post a few mini-essays relating to community building, the start of our association, and some of the good things we have seen happen over this past 16 months. The series just began last week and is entitled "Community Building 101." The series will tell our story in part while asking important questions in order to help us make a difference in our neighborhoods. Check out the series HERE and join in on the conversation if you'd like. There are many people in Rancho Cordova who are doing great work to make our community stronger and better. Let's keep it up ourselves.

Meeting at City Hall: CDBG

2008-07-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

The City of Rancho Cordova Department of Public Works will be conducting a community outreach meeting 6:30 PM Wednesday July 30, 2008 at City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive . The City will be receiving a grant from CBDG (community development block grant) for pedestrian and safety improvements in the neighborhood near Cordova Towne. The meeting will be an open form to discuss the possible improvements to the area. Please plan to attend and spread the word to other concerned residents of the area. If you are unable to attend and have concerns or comments please feel free to call Brit Snipes 916-851-8700 Direct 916-851-8905 City of Rancho Cordova.

Neighborhood BBQ: Swansea Way

2008-07-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

We will be having a BBQ on Taisley Drive (the only court off of Swansea Way) on Saturday August 9, 2008 between 5-7pm. This BBQ was in response to a break-in on Swansea Way in June 2008. Residents on Swansea Way decided that it would be a good idea to do a BBQ for Swansea & Blackpool in order to build relationship, get signed up on a phone list in order to help communication flow on the streets, and simply have a great time. This BBQ is geared toward these two streets but residents from other streets in Cordova Towne are encouraged to attend in order to show support and get to know others in the Eastern portion of the neighborhood. Let's have fun!!! This is for all ages.

This is a potluck, so please bring a dish to share. The Weed & Seed program will be providing hot dogs and the Association will be providing plates, utensils, drinks, and condiments.

There are some very practical ways you can help out. Please download the flyer below to find out about such simple opportunities like bringing a table, providing music, donating a pop-up tent for usage, etc... More details to follow on the e-Group.

DOWNLOAD BBQ Flyer

NOTE: This event was originally scheduled for August 2nd but was changed to August 9th.

New Meeting Date for Park Meeting

2008-07-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

The meeting date has changed for our White Rock Park meeting as mentioned below. Guy Anderson has some sort of baseball game to coach tonight and so we had to reschedule with him for July 24th at 7pm (same location - 3008 Margate Way). This is a Thursday night. Sorry for the last minute notice if you were relying upon the blog as your only mechanism for information. Most others have been emailed and our website already indicates that the event date has changed.

Please consider making this a a priority to attend. Your voice for the community matters. Community strength occurs when many small voices come together to form one unified and resounding voice. Our park matters. Our people matter. Our neighborhood matters. Having a vibrant park will help to give both kids and adults (and dogs on a leash) a place to be within the neighborhood. We could even save gas from having to drive to other parks and get some exercise by walking to a great park just around the corner in the heart of our neighborhood.

White Rock Park Meeting

2008-07-10T15:33:00.001-07:00

Next week we are going to have an important neighborhood meeting. This event is open to all White Rock residents as well as other Cordovans who might be interested in supporting our cause. Please see www.cordovatowne.com for the specific house address we will meet at (located on home page).

One of our residents set up a meeting with Guy Anderson who sits on the board of the Park District. We are going to meet then at 7pm on 07/16/07 (Wednesday) in order to have meaningful, thought-provoking, and purposeful discussion. We hope that this will be a beginning for effective and necessary communication between residents and our Park District.

Please bring your own chairs.
Refreshments will be served.

Critical Questions: Do you have any questions or concerns about White Rock Park and the improvements that the Park District has promised us? How do you think our community would change if our park was updated? What do you think our community (and your household) is missing out on by not having an adequate park?

Contact us through our website at www.cordovatowne.com for further information or if you would like to help with this event. Hope to see you there!

Neighborhood Pool Party

2008-07-01T11:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Pool/BBQ Party. We had a great time. It was nice to have some new faces at the BBQ.

Thanks to those who let us use their tables and chairs.

Brandon and Jen

Who ya gonna call?

2008-06-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a meeting with residents on Swansea Way in order to talk about a recent break-in. A flyer was passed out the previous day and then residents met at a particular house for 30 minutes in order to talk about what happened and also to kick around some ideas regarding community building on their street. Residents will be planning a BBQ at some point soon too, which is really a beaming portrayal of unity and neighborhood effort to come out of something dismal like a burglary. It was decided that having a contact list for all Swansea residents would be a great idea. This list will have names, phone numbers, and addresses of residents. You never know when you'll need to contact someone on your street. I have certainly had to reach people before, but then not had their phone number. Anyway, this list will be something good to post on the fridge, so check it out and consider gathering a few names and phone numbers on your street too in order to help foster communication and promote safety.

Download: Neighbor Contact Form (pdf)

One more thought. When crime happens in the neighborhood and it is something that residents should know about, it may be worth considering calling a simple meeting together like what we did last night. If not though, then just make sure word gets out if it needs to. After calling the police to report the crime, please make sure to tell other residents via word of mouth, a letter, the e-Group, neighborhood website, or whatever way you can. It is vital for our neighborhood that we communicate about what is going on so that we can be a better team together.

Neighborhood Pool Party

2008-06-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Fun in the Sun, Cordova Towne BBQ/Pool Party

Where: 3035 Stoke Ct.
When: June 28th
Time: 12:30-3:30pm

Please bring a dish to share, towel and other fun pool items.

We will provide hamburger/hot dogs and condiments.

Please no kids without parental supervision.

We hope to see everyone.

Brandon and Jen Tartaglia

Idol BBQ Reminder: Tomorrow Night

2008-05-20T08:08:00.001-07:00

Remember everyone, the second annual American Idol BBQ is tomorrow night, 05/21/08 from 6-8pm on Croydon Way. You don't have to be a fan of Idol to come. This is just a great excuse to get together before the season finale of Idol. Some residents have said, "but I don't even like Idol." That's not a problem because we don't plan to have an in-depth analysis and discussion of Idol. Let's just hang out and be neighbors together. The Association will be providing burgers, hot dogs, and drinks. We are asking that each household bring a side dish or something to share (if you are able to - if not, just come).

Neighborhood Garage Sale: May 17-18

2008-05-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Be a part of our upcoming Neighborhood Garage Sale on the weekend of May 17-18, 2008. Multiple houses throughout the neighborhood will be selling their stuff, so join the club. You can sell on both days or just one day. Make sure to create a sign for your yard in order to direct people to your house. Let us know too that you are planning on selling so that we can also direct people your way (email or call in your address). Best of luck to you. See Garage Sale for more information and feel free to send family and friends our way by giving them the link to our website at www.cordovatowne.com Thanks to Janel also for being the point person for this sale.

American Idol BBQ # 2

2008-04-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

The American Idol Finale is on May 21st at 8pm, so we thought it would be fun to get together and do a BBQ at 6pm just like we did last year. Isn't it fun to have "2nd annual" events now? Whether you like Idol or not, this is just a great excuse to get together and have fun with neighbors. Please bring a side dish to share. We'll provide burgers, dogs, buns, and condiments. This is for all ages. Do you have any ideas to make this even more fun? Speak on. You don't have to even be a fan of Idol to come. We'll hang out, BBQ, have a good time, and then go our separate ways to watch the finale. If you are able, let us know that you are coming. For pictures from last year, see our picture site at http://picasaweb.google.com/cordovatowne.

A Note from Council Member David Sander

2008-04-28T09:30:00.001-07:00

Cordova Towne:

I just wanted to let you know how very proud Rancho Cordova is of your efforts in Cordova Towne.

Great Neighborhoods are hard to define, but I like one definition in particular. Great Neighborhoods are defined by residents who believe in the future of their community, and give their own money, time and energy in working to improve it. By these measures, Cordova Towne is truly a Great Neighborhood, and we are proud of it and you.

With these sorts of efforts, and I'm sure more to come, your neighborhood will continue to strengthen, with more beautification, more public safety, and a higher quality of life -- the benefits of living in a Great Neighborhood.

Keep up the great work!

David Sander
Rancho Cordova City Councilman

Beatification Week: A Big Success

2008-04-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Beautification Week was a great success over this past week. We noticed that some residents mowed lawns, edged sidewalks, cleaned up the yard a bit, planted flowers, and even two households that we know of painted the entire exterior of their houses. If you have a story or noticed something, please let us know. We have so much to be proud of as a neighborhood. In addition, we had between 30-40 residents volunteer to paint the cinder block wall on Mather Field Road and do some touch-up work on the landscaping. The level of community buy-in was incredible and though we thought we ran out of paint at one point, we ended up being able to complete this project in just over 1.5 hours (3300-3400 square feet).

GREAT WORK EVERYONE!!!! WAY TO GO!!!!!!

You are invited to view pictures and video from the weekend.

Painting Details: Please Join Us

2008-04-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are going to paint a large portion of cinder block wall on Mather Field Road on this coming Saturday, 04/26/08 between 9am-12pm. Please join us. We have 24 volunteers thus far and we'd love to see more residents and more Rancho Cordovans come out to support this project. This is not only for our community in the White Rock area, but it helps to beautify a main street in Rancho Cordova.

Get Involved:
1. Come out to paint between 9am-12pm.
2. Donate paint supplies (rollers, trays, drop cloths)
3. Does anyone have a paint sprayer that we can use?
4. Make sure to come to the potluck BBQ later that day on Betlen Court (5-7pm). We will have a bounce house, face painting, and BBQs to grill on. We are asking each family to bring a dish of food to share.

Foreclosure Information from SHRA

2008-04-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

SHRA (Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency) recently came out with their April 2008 newsletter and it is informative for any residents looking to find out additional information on how to deal with foreclosure as well as upcoming community events geared toward informing and empowering the public. Download April Newsletter (pdf).

Would you join us for painting?

2008-04-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

On Saturday April 26, 2008 from 9-12pm we are going to be painting the cinder block wall on Mather Field Road (everything South of Croydon Way- 485 feet of wall). This is a tremendous project to undertake for the last day of Beautification Week. Residents have selected the color "sound wall brown" and we think that this paint will help to beautify the appearance of our neighborhood in a big way.

Would you join us as we paint? We'd like to see as many residents as possible out there. All ages are welcome. You can join us for all three hours or part of the time. And remember students, as you do this, not only will you be helping to build a stronger community, but you can receive community service hours if you need them.

DONATIONS / PAINT SPRAYERS: We are also looking for donations of paint rollers, paint tins, drop cloths, brushes, and paint sprayers. We'd like to have 1-2 paint sprayers in addition to all of the rollers in order to help speed things up. Does anyone have experience with paint sprayers that you could bring to the table?

Please comment below or email us through our website at www.cordovatowne.com in order to get involved. Remember too, even if you are not a Cordova Towne or White Rock Area resident, we'd be glad to partner together in this endeavor.

"Cordova Towne" Letters

2008-04-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Southern corner of Mather Field & Croydon? The new "Cordova Towne" letters are up and they look fantastic. A resident named David took it upon himself to make exact replicas of the letters on the Northern corner in order to help the Southern corner match again in order to beautify the neighborhood. For those who did not know, the Southern corner was hit by a car between 2-3 years ago and the white letters were never replaced.

David and his daughter installed the letters earlier today and this is a tremendous gift for not only neighborhood residents, but for any passersby too. Let's give a big thanks to David and his family for dreaming up this project and seeing it through. It surely took hours to trace, cut, sand, paint, and finish the job. (and with the new landscaping just about done, the corners are looking pretty good, huh?) Click HERE for more photos.

Cordova Towne in the Paper: CDBG

2008-03-29T08:21:00.001-07:00

Cordova Towne was in the Grapevine newspaper yesterday. The article is posted below compliments of Jeanette, a resident. You can click on the image below in order to read the entire article, but the gist is that the Cordova Towne area received $400K for slated improvements from the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG). This is great news, so hopefully at some point soon we will see some sidewalk updates, street lights, and other basic improvements.

NOTE: The photo in the article shows some of the new landscaping that Ruth, Jamie, & Ysidro and family have been working on. This small group has been doing a fantastic job on that Northern corner of Mather Field Road & Croyon Way and it is neat that their work was deemed worthy to be included in a Grapevine photograph.

Reminder Flyer: Painting, Beatification, BBQ

2008-03-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

A flyer to remind residents about Beautification Week will be going out very soon. If you are available to help pass out flyers on a couple of streets, let us know. The flyer will:

1. Remind of Beautication Week.
2. Ask residents to volunteer to paint the wall on Mather Field Rd.
3. Remind about the free BBQ on the last day of Beautication Week (4/26/08)

Click HERE to download (pdf).

2 Colors of Paint for You to Vote On

2008-03-20T14:08:00.000-07:00

We are talking with both Weed & Seed and the City of Rancho Cordova in order to do a painting project for the ugly cinder block wall on Mather Field Road just South of Croydon Way. Whenever this wall gets tagged, the paint is thankfully covered quickly, but the paint does not match the wall exactly and so the wall ends up looking very blotchy. It is not a good first impression for residents and passerbys. So we figure that painting the wall one color will be a great addition to the look of the area and if future tagging occurs, then the cover-up paint will actually match the color that is used by the City.

We would like to see 20-30 residents gathered together in order to paint, so please don't be shy about volunteering a few hours on Saturday 04/26/08 (the last day of Beautification Week). This is a profound and yet simple way to really help the neighborhood improve. Let's unite and make this happen.

PICK A COLOR: For now, we have two colors to choose from. Now is your chance to let us know what you think about the color section. The City of Rancho Cordova had two potential colors painted on the wall today: "Cement Grey" and "Sound Wall Brown". What is your pick? What will look best. Please see the pictures below or go take a look at the wall in person. Leave comments below, email us through our website at www.cordovatowne.com, or if you are a resident of the White Rock Area, tell us what you think on the e-Group.

NOTE: This post was edited on 03/24/08 in order to clarify that relationship between the City & the County. The post had previously seemed to indicate that the County was in control of graffiti removal, when in fact it is the City of Rancho Cordova who schedules work, patrols streets, and determines response. The City of Rancho Cordova uses the County as their maintenance contractor and so the County performs work at the direction of City staff.

Cordova Towne Prayer Meeting - March

2008-03-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Our next prayer meeting will be on Sunday, March 16 at 6pm at the home of Rachik and Mariam (2933 Betlen Ct.; on the corner of Betlen and Winchester). If you believe in God and the power of prayer, and want to join us in seeking His favor for Cordova Towne, please come... we will be praying for Cordova Towne and any residents that might have needs. If you have any questions or prayer requests, please call Mark and Sarah Insco at 857-0781.

Landscaping Project: New Planting

2008-03-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Croydon/Mather landscaping project is moving forward again. After a delay due to weather, three residents were out on Friday to put in some roses and other plants. This will be a process of course, but the goal is to have this project complete by April 26th 2008, which is the last day of Beautification Week. The Northern corner will match the Southern corner also. We just might have the new "Cordova Towne" lettering up by then too, so the corner will be looking outstanding. Click the link above to see a handful of new pictures as well as progress over the past several months. If you would like to get involved, please comment below or contact us through our website at www.cordovatowne.com

Cordova Towne in "City Views" Newsletter

2008-03-06T00:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to any readers of Rancho Cordova's "City Views" quarterly newsletter. Our neighborhood association has an article (pdf) on the first page of the most recent publication. We are of course elated for the article and that some of the exciting things in our neighborhood are catching the attention of the city and other residents. Let us know if you have any questions. If you are a resident within Cordova Towne or the White Rock area, please contact us so that we can begin to communicate more thoroughly and find ways to work together for the sake of our area. Our neighborhood needs people like you and me to discover simple ways to help improve the neighborhood. The first step is communication, so have a look around our blog, website, and e-Group, and then let's begin talking together.

51 Members

2008-02-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

As of this morning we have 51 members in our Cordova Towne e-Group. This is a profound way to communicate as a neighborhood because it really allows anyone on the list to instantly talk with other residents right away just by sending an email. No logging in and no passwords. The conversation is only visible to those who are members too.

You may have received a flyer within the past week advertising the Cordova Towne Neighborhood Association since our Winter/Spring flyer went out this week. The e-Group is a perfect way to begin getting involved with other residents. So sign up HERE and let's get the conversation rolling. You may want to let your neighbors know about this too.

NOTE: Remember that you can receive each individual e-Group post in individual emails throughout the day or you can receive one daily email with all of the posts from the day ("daily summary"). You can either change your settings yourself by signing in and visiting www.yahoogroups.com or simply contact the site administrator. Be as involved as you'd like..... quite a bit, a little, or lurk in the background.

Announcing the Neighborhood E-Group

2008-02-22T06:50:00.001-08:00

We have exciting news.

A Cordova Towne E-Group has been set up in order to help us dialogue as a neighborhood. The blog, email list, and website have been working great, but the e-group will take things to the next level by making it even easier for all of us to communicate. Also, communication will not be contingent upon one person writing an email, which will truly make this a community forum.

Here is what you need to do:
1. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cordovatowne/
2. Click "Join this Group"
3. Begin posting by simply sending an email to the email address they give you. That's all. No logging in. No passwords. Just send an email.

What can you write about? The e-group is a place for us to talk about neighborhood stuff, events, crime, concerns, real estate, yard sales, Rancho politics, local issues, meetings, resident life, solutions to problems, traffic, city issues, local resources, family life, and whatever else we might want or need to chat about. This is a good place too to give away free stuff to fellow residents (I have a bike that is going to be listed shortly).

Membership is limited to current Cordova Towne / White Rock Area residents (owners and renters alike) and a select few individuals, primarily public officials, admitted on a case-by-case basis.

For examples of other local neighborhoods doing an e-group, check out. Sunriver in particular has quite a bit of traffic, so you can see that a tool like this can be very powerful:
1. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunriver/
2. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Arden_Park/

Remember, when you subscribe you can have every post individually emailed to you or you can opt for one daily digest email. If you don't have time to read, then just delete it. This makes communication simple!!!!

Cordova Towne Co-Op Meeting: THIS Monday

2008-02-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

There are so many of us throughout the neighborhood who grow fruit, vegetables and spices. Some of us might have elaborate gardens, others might have one tree, and still some are on the brink of trying a garden for the first time. In light of that, we thought it would be fun and creative to establish a neighborhood co-op, so please have a read and let us know if you would be interested in something like this. This idea is gaining momentum and it looks to be a reality very soon depending on what we hear back from you. We will have an informational meeting on Monday February 25th (details below). We have several core households interested already, and we will dream together to make this a reality. In addition, we would like to have one person / household lead the Co-Op, which would involve planning some very simple events and communicating with others (not a large time commitment). If you have a hint of interest, ideas, or experience, please attend the meeting. We plan to start small and have a simple non-stressful pace, so come on and join us.

The Cordova Towne Co-Op would help us do the following as a neighborhood:

1. Trade food.
2. Save money at the store.
3. Avoid pesticides on store-bought produce.
4. Get to know residents.
5. Encourage gardening.
6. Make sure what we grow does not fall to the ground in waste.
7. Have organic food gatherings.
8. Help out local families from time to time.

The Co-Op would be organized with a group of residents who are growing legal produce throughout the neighborhood. Co-Op members would grow food and then have a forum set up for trading/sharing food. We’d keep a master list of what is being grown and then develop a fair and simple system for communication. Moreover, there are probably a ton of fruit trees throughout the neighborhood that are producing fruit only to have it fall to the ground. If that is the case with you, maybe you could offer some of the fruit to residents.

On Monday, February 25, 2008 at 6:30pm at 2947 Betlen Ct (off of Winchester Way), we will be having a meeting to discuss the Co-Op and how we can organize it for upcoming months. We will not have dinner together, but we'll provide snacks and drinks. Come ready to get envisioned, share ideas, and plan for this creative way to build community. All ages are children are welcome. If you are able to, please let us know that you are coming. If not, no problem, just show up. Call Mark & Sarah at 857-0781 for details.

Website Issues

2008-02-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

Our neighborhood website has been down for nearly 48 hours due to our host, http://www.m6.net/. They "upgraded" the system a couple of days ago, which has in effect led to our site being unable to be live because of problems on their end. There is nothing that we can do about this right now, but hopefully the site will go back online very soon (especially since neighborhood flyers are going out in the next few days and we are advertising the website on it). Sorry to anyone who has attempted to access the site or even email me or a site address (those are down too).

In the mean time, if you are web savvy and you know of an affordable and stellar host, please advise. It will be soon be time to move on from our current host in light of issues like this.

Updated Flyer for Winter 2008

2008-02-18T08:43:00.001-08:00

Flyers should be passed out this week by resident volunteers, so if you do not get one, please let us know. Make sure to pin up the flyer on the fridge too since they will not be passed out monthly. You can download a flyer HERE (pdf). If you would like to volunteer to pass out flyers on your street or in your area, then we will gladly make room for you. Thank you to all who are helping out with this.

NOTE: There is a sign-up portion on the bottom of the flyer, so please fill that out when you can. Thanks.

Repaving Streets

2008-02-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

Per an article in last week's Grapevine, the following streets in and around our neighborhood are scheduled for repaving during the "upcoming construction season."

• Mather Field Road, from Peter McCuen Drive to Folsom Boulevard; $150,000.
• Mills Station Road, from Mather Field Road to White Rock Road, $400,000.
• White Rock Road, from Mills Station Road to Mills Park Drive, $820,000.

Let's hope that these improvements are able to be made and that funds indeed remain ample for these streets to be paved. This will help to improve the appearance of an important entrance to the neighborhood at Mills & Mather.

Examples of Beautification

2008-02-13T14:29:00.001-08:00

Below are some examples of neighborhood beautification as of late. It is simple things like this that make a difference in our area and help to foster a greater sense of pride in residents. As Beautification Week is coming soon in April 2008, be thinking of how you might help to beautify our neighborhood and your immmediate chunk of the neighborhood in particular. Is there an exterior project you have been wanting to do but have struggled to find time for? Would you like to help plant flowers in a neighbor's yard? Does painting street addresses so that they are visible interest you? Is it time for a bulk pick-up or yard clean up? What is it that we can do as a community to help our area continue to improve? Download (pdf) a flyer for more information.

The Fourplex on Portsmouth & Birmingham has finally closed escrow and the new owner has already installed new windows and is working on the interior. This is great for the image of the neighborhood and we hope that this property will turn from being one of the worst in the area to one of the best.

The Veterinary Hospital looks great, doesn't it? Have you driven by at night yet too? The cleanliness and lights help it to look great.

A new roof on Straw Hat Pizza is in the works.

White Rock Park is getting a new sidewalk across the front of the Park.

Cordova Towne Prayer Meeting - February

2008-02-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

Our next prayer meeting will be on Sunday, February 17 at 6pm at the home of Rachik and Mariam (2933 Betlen Ct.; on the corner of Betlen and Winchester). If you believe in God and the power of prayer, and want to join us in seeking His favor for Cordova Towne, please come... we will be praying for Cordova Towne and any residents that might have needs. If you have any questions or prayer requests, please call Mark and Sarah Insco at 857-0781.

Foreclosure Resources from SHRA

2008-02-06T11:39:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency will be hosting a free foreclosure workshop on February 20th 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at 6040 Watt Avenue, North Highlands (North Highlands Park and Recreation). Download a flyer for this event (pdf) and contact them for more information.

SHRA has other resources on their website at www.shra.org:
1. Foreclosure Resources.
2. Foreclosure Events.
3. An Interesting Article (pdf file)

A Simple Letter System Moving Forward

2008-02-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Holly, a resident who stamped and prepared all of our letters for the Park District letter writing campaign which is beginning this month. We have over 30 packets (as seen below) to deliver to residents who choose to take a simple and active stand to help our neighborhood voice grow stronger. There are still packets left, so speak up and we'll gladly get 11 stamped envelopes to you, which will cover the rest of 2008. Maybe different members of your household can trade off writing letters each month. We really want to communicate to the District that White Rock Park is important to us and that we are looking to see the Park updated. At the same time, our neighborhood needs to get strong and unifed together around this issue. Learning to voice our concerns together is critical in order to get things done, and if we can do it here in the basic way of writing letters then we will be better prepared the next time we need to tackle an issue together. This community is our responsibility, so let's keep finding ways to advocate on behalf of our residents.

Event Flyers for early 2008

2008-02-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

We had wanted to get flyers out last month, but they will be passed out at some point in the next two weeks most likely. If you would like to volunteer to pass out flyers on a couple of streets, speak on. For now, here are some event flyers that you can download. They all have sign-up forms too, so please fill those out and get them back to the appropriate person. We want to see all of the events and emphases below be profoundly succesful.

Beautification Week Flyer / Sign Up (pdf)
White Rock Park Letter Writing (pdf)
Cordova Towne Co-Op / Sign Up (pdf)

Rancho Cordova Library

2008-02-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

Did you know that our local library offers free classes for the community? Below are a few of the classes coming up. The library is located at 9845 Folsom Blvd and their phone number is 916-264-2770. Their webiste can be seen HERE.

Tree Pruning Class: February 2, 2008 10am. Attend a free tree-pruning class at the library. A variety of useful tools and procedures will be presented.

Prevent Identity Theft and Consumer Fraud: March 6, 2008 6-8pm. A detective will present this free consumer fraud altert program. She will tell you how to protect yourself, how to check if you are a victim, and what to do if you are.

Make International Crafts: Saturdays in 2008 through February 23 (10-11am). Make crafts from around the world with library staff. This is for the entire family.

Ventriloquism and Puppetry with Steve Chaney: March 22, 2008 2pm. Come hear Steve talk about various forms of puppetry along with his side-kick Cornelius Crowe. Steve will explain the art of vetriloquism and then demonstrate a few practice techniques kids can do themselves.

Reading with the Dogs - 1st Monday of every month 6:30-7:30pm (all of 2008). Kids bring books to read out loud to a friendly dog buddy waiting for them at the library (yes, a real dog along with a trainer).

Call the library for details, especially as it pertains to the age level for each class. This may be a simple way to be resourced and also have something free to do during rainy weather.

American Idol BBQ # 2

2008-01-30T09:01:00.001-08:00

Last year we had our first annual American Idol BBQ and we will have one again this year. I am having trouble finding out when the finale is scheduled. We will do the BBQ on the night of the finale a couple of hours before the show. Does anyone know the date of the finale? We will provide burgers and dogs and we'll ask if others will contribute side dishes and drinks and all that. BBQs are good for the soul of the neighborhood and for us to connect as neighbors, so keep your ears open for details. And remember, you do not have to be an American Idol fan in order to participate. We just figure that this is a fun reason to get together (before the finale.... not during). Click HERE to see pictures from last year.

A New Business in the Neighborhood

2008-01-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

It looks like today is the first day that the new Cordova Veterinary Hospital is open. We have been waiting for years for the commercial area on the corner of Mather Field Rd & Mills Station to be utilized, and so we are excited to see that a business has bought the building and has begun to really clean things up. The new sidewalks, signage, and exterior updates look great. Stop in and say "hi" when you can. Let's wish them much success and do our part to forge a cordial neighborhood relationship with this new business. Check out their website at www.cordovavet.com to learn more about their services.

Dental Work for Kids

2008-01-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

There is an event coming on February 2nd (Saturday) called Smiles for Kids Day. Per an email from FCCP, "This event, coordinated by the Sacramento District Dental Society and its member dentists, provides free restorative dental treatment to uninsured children and youth in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, El Dorado and Amador counties. This is a great opportunity to connect families with this wonderful resource. Children that are seen on this day are treated, if possible but may also receive necessary follow up treatment throughout the year via the society's Adopt-a-Kid program." As noted to me by the organizer of this event, slots in Sacramento County are limited and they are likely to be filled by kids with chronic restorative needs, so if you are interested in this event, please call Kelly at (916) 684-7751. See also the attached referral form for additional information.

Download "Smiles for Kids" Flyer (pdf)

He's Pulling His Weight: Making Letters

2008-01-15T08:24:00.001-08:00

David on Portsmouth Drive is a neighborhood hero. He attended one Association event in the Summer and actually won a $20.00 Home Depot gift card during our Walking Nights raffle. He decided to use this gift card to buy wood in order to carve out new letters for the Southeastern corner of Croydon & Mather where the "Cordova Towne" letters were never replaced after a car accident 2+ years ago. So he traced the letters from the Northern side so that the font for the Southern side would be exactly the same. Anyway, while on a walk last night around 6pm, I ran into David and I was blown away at how great the letters look and how far they have come along. He had mentioned that he was planning on doing this, but I had no idea that he was actually moving forward. He is just about finished with the letters and so they will soon enter a priming and painting stage. Then we will need someone with experience in masonry to hang them (after we make sure to converse with the City and get the okay to hang them of course).

David is truly "pulling his weight" for the neighborhood. He is applying his abilities for the sake of everyone. He is a great example. Imagine a neighborhood in which everyone found simple ways to benefit the community. Wow.

The picture above is a cell phone image of the letters, in which you can see that the new letters resemble the font of the old ones (and they are not old and crusty like the current letters).

As far as timing, please be patient in order to see these letters hung. David is doing this in his spare time. It would be great to see them hung by Beautification Week (April 20-26, 2008), but we'll see. And maybe the landscaping project will be complete by then too so that new flowers can coincide with new lettering.

Letter Writing Campaign: 5 minutes per month

2008-01-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

Big Questions: How would life be different for your household if White Rock Park was updated? How would life change for our community and for kids in local apartments if the park was renovated? We think that if the Park was restored, that our neighborhood just might begin to see White Rock Park as a soul for our neighborhood and a dynamic community setting rather than a run-down and unused parcel. We believe that White Rock Park has the potential to be a vibrant community hub for the entire White Rock area.

A Five-Minute Donation: We know that life is busy, but if we are to see change, it is crucial for our neighborhood's voice to be heard. Therefore we want to ask Cordova Towne and White Rock Area residents to donate five minutes per month to write a letter to the Cordova Recreation & Park District in order to let them know how important White Rock Park is to us. We want the Park District to get a sense of our passion for this community and the high value we have for our residents, both young and old, and that we want to see the Park District follow through on their promise to update the park. Would you consider doing this for your neighborhood?

Could it Get Any Easier? If your household will write one letter per month, the Cordova Towne Neighborhood Association will provide you with enough pre-stamped and pre-addressed envelopes for the rest of the year (as pictured above). In fact, different members of your household can take turns writing throughout the months (even your kids). We will stuff the letter with a letterhead too so that all you have to do is write and send it off. We can say truthfully then that writing a letter will indeed only take five minutes. In fact, I just wrote one and it took me 3:58 to write the entire letter.

Every Day of the Month: Our goal is to have at least 31 residents per month writing letters to the Park District so that they are getting at least one letter per day. Again, we'll supply you with pre-stamped and pre-addressed envelopes so that you can express your thoughts to the Park District by sending your letter or faxing it to 916-362-9602. You'll be assigned one day per month to write (for example, if you were 5, you'd write on the 5th every month). If you are interested, comment below or contact us through the website.

This is a very practical way for us to advocate on behalf of our neighborhood, for kids in local apartments, and for our area of Rancho Cordova. Change takes effort and we want to invite our residents to be advocates for change by taking a stand on this important issue. Let's keep finding simple and non-burdensome ways to put in effort for the sake of building a dynamic neighborhood.

For additional information, see the following links:
www.cordovatowne.com/whiterock.html
White Rock Park Flyer - Winter 2008 (pdf)

Cordova Towne Prayer Meeting - January

2008-01-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

Our next prayer meeting will be on Sunday, January 13 at 6pm at the home of Rachik and Mariam (2933 Betlen Ct.; on the corner of Betlen and Winchester). If you believe in God and the power of prayer, and want to join us in seeking His favor for Cordova Towne, please come... we will be praying for Cordova Towne and any residents that might have needs. If you have any questions or prayer requests, please call Mark and Sarah Insco at 857-0781.

A Cordova Towne Co-Op????

2008-01-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

My wife and I were talking the other day about the simple idea of having a Cordova Towne Co-Op. We are rookies when it comes to gardening, but last year we started with tomatoes, zucchini, spices, squash and peppers. Everything went over pretty well except for the peppers and squash. The reason why we began a garden was to eat food without pesticides and chemicals, save money at the store, and to be able to share any surplus, not to mention, it's fun to "farm".

We recently threw away some green tomatoes that did not ripen in time for Winter. Had we thought about it more though, we could have kept some for ourselves and then given the rest to residents in a Co-Op in order to have a Winter supply of fried green tomatoes. Doh!!!

As we began to talk about what we will be growing in our backyard this year, we thought of so many neighbors and residents who are also growing on their own or who might have fruit trees with fruit simply falling to the ground in waste because there is nobody to give it to. Wouldn't it be great then to be able to trade food with each other, make any surplus available to the neighborhood, share recipes, have organic food feasts/BBQs every now and then, promote healthy eating in Cordova Towne, and have the opportunity to be able to put our food together if need be to a Cordova Towne family in need?

If anyone is interested in this possibility, let us know. We think it will be fun and simple to organize a network of people throughout the neighborhood. If others are into this, then we can set up a time to meet and talk about the nuts and bolts and how it could work. One other thing that we could do is promote this idea during Beautification Week and maybe give away some free seed and plants, etc.... This could go over well with both newbie gardeners like us and also veterans. Anyway, there it is for you. Call five nine five three seven three five for questions or ideas.

Storm Review

2008-01-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

It was quite a storm that blew through our area on Friday and then some over the weekend. There were quite a few downed trees and fences throughout the neighborhood, not to mention blown over trash cans and the power being out for a number of hours. What was your experience like? Was your house damaged? Any leaking? Some neighbors might need help cleaning up a bit and making repairs, huh. If anyone has any other pictures to post, email them to "info [at] cordovatowne [dot] com" in order to get them online.

Per the City website, here is some helpful information:
* To report all problems during business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM), including flooding, solid waste issue, and downed trees or traffic signs, call 851-8700.
* To report all after-hours problems, including flooding and downed trees or traffic signs, call (916) 875-5000.
* To report solid waste issues during regular business hours, call (916) 638-9000.

Anyone in need of some exercise?

2008-01-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

Elaine, here.
I received a mailing in regards to walking or running a marathon for the American Heart Association's Train to End Stroke campaign and after weeks of thinking on it, I have signed up.
If this sounds at all interesting to any of you, log on to http://www.ttes-ca.org/ for more information.
Maybe we can get a group from the neighborhood together. Knowing myself as I do, I'm sure I'll be more apt to stick it out if there are others going with me.
As to actual marathons, I would like to do the August 3rd in San Francisco due to it's further off, and it'll be cooler there. Besides, maybe I can get my husband to incorporate it into a long weekend of shopping and eating in the city by the bay.

PLANNING MEETING - THIS SUNDAY

2008-01-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

REMINDER - THIS SUNDAY: NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING MEETING: 01/06/08, 2-4pm. Keep this Sunday, January 6th from 2-4pm on your calendar for a neighborhood meeting in which we will brainstorm, discuss and plan in detail the coming "Beautification Week" as well as decide on some other upcoming emphases and potential events (American Idol BBQ # 2, Coffee with a Council Member?, a meeting with the Park District? Other ideas? What do you envision?). Being a part of a simple planning meeting like this is a big way to help us get on the same page as neighbors, diagnose the needs of residents, and to actualize dreams for Cordova Towne. Beautification Week will actually be a profound opportunity for not only improving the physical appearance of our neighborhood, but to foster relationships and teamwork throughout Cordova Towne. The planning meeting will be held at 3239 Portsmouth Drive. If you are able to, let us know that you are coming. If you forget to do that, then just show up. Free drinks and snacks will be provided. Let's keep finding simple ways to help develop a strong neighborhood.

White Rock Power Point

2007-12-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

The link below if of a presentation from Council Member Ken Cooley. It is a Microsoft Power Point file, so you'll need to have MS Power Point installed on your computer in order to view the sideshow (12/22/07 update: Thanks to Donald Childs, you can view the slides online HERE instead of Power Point). Upon clicking the link below, you can save the file to your computer. This presentation was prepared several years ago to support the grant application (for White Rock renovations) among lawmakers and State Executive Branch staff. This was prepared in order to advocate for full funding when it was just one of the many teeming grant requests for funding statewide (per Council Member Cooley). Of course, the word on why renovations were not completed boil down to two factors according to CRPD / City: 1) Rising costs of steel, concrete, and other building materials, and 2) A complete overhaul of the park was estimated to cost closer to 10 million, which was obviously more than the allotted 2.5 million.

One wonders though why it has taken so long to implement a new design though that could spend 2.5 million readily. Whatever the case, the updates are scheduled for 2008-2009 per an article in the Grapevine recently, so hopefully we will see movement in that direction. We will certainly work together to help see that happen. It truth, it is critical for the White Rock area to come together to develop a neighborhood voice over this issue. See White Rock Park Campaign for details. Without a voice, we have no power.

By the way, interesting stats in the presentation. Does anyone have updated current stats? Please share if you do.

http://www.cordovatowne.com/WhiteRockCommunityPark.ppt

White Rock Park Update

2007-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

One of our emphases for 2008 is to see the White Rock area develop a strong voice for the sake of seeing our park restored. We want our park to become a well-used and vibrant part of our community. Just think of the difference it would make in our community if we had a park that was not only adequate, but that was highly desirable. Please see our White Rock Park Committee page on our website for details about how to get involved.

For now, the following documents were provided by three Cordova Towne residents. The first is image is an aerial view of the park and it will be used as a part of our initial campaign. The second image is a of a recent article in the Grapevine. A link will be added soon once the Grapevine archives this story. The final image is a list from the Park District of proposed improvements. At least two residents never heard back from the Park District requesting this list, but it was obtained several weeks ago from someone with connections.

ANNOUNCING: The Resource Guide

2007-12-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

We now have a Resource Guide hosted on our neighborhood website. Simply click "Resource Guide" from the home page and you'll get where you need to go. There are over 150 local resources listed which are relevant for neighborhoods, family, and individual needs. The big idea is for us to be able to know what is out there, know our community, and also be able to help residents when issues arise. Have a look and if you have a suggestion for a resource to add, please let us know.

The following are examples of what the Resource Guide looks like as well as various categories within the Guide:

Caroling: A Whopping Success!!!

2007-12-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who contributed to help pull off our "Caroling on a Flat Bed" event as well as the "Cookie Exchange" afterward. It was a roaring success. What did you think? What did you enjoy most? What was most memorable? The 24 foot flatbed truck was looking wildly festive and full of residents too. We had a good-sized initial crowd of Cordova Towners and then we also added between 8-10 other residents throughout the neighborhood as people climbed aboard to join us. It was nice to see kids smile, families come outside to listen, watch folks waving from inside, not to mention, getting to embody joy and have such great fun with neighbors. Of course many of our vocal chords were tired come Sunday morning, but it was all worth it. This was an outstanding community building event for our neighborhood and it brought something festive and special to Cordova Towne. Way to go everyone!!!!

Sorry if we were not able to pass your street while caroling. Next year we will have a better sense of how to pace the truck, when to stop, how long to stop for, etc.. This was our rookie year and so it was a learning experience in that regard.

View nearly 100 event pictures on our neighborhood picture site. And as always, if you find yourself in a picture and you'd rather not have your photo online, please let us know and we'll gladly take it down.

View a video below from our event. It is very dark, but that's indicative of an event at night and also not much illumination from street lights. One more video HERE too. Enjoy.

Photo: David Goard

Singing & Cookie Exchange & Lights

2007-12-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

Remember that tomorrow evening our neighborhood will be getting festive by doing two events:

1. Caroling on a Flat Bed: Show up at 10267 Croydon Way and we'll hop on a rented flat bed truck (with gates and hay) in order to be drive around the neighborhood while caroling. This is for any age. We have song packets as provided by Ann & Holly. Make sure to bring a flashlight to see the songs and please dress extra warm (gloves might be a good idea too). We are hoping that it does not rain. We will cross that bridge if it comes. We will be leaving to carol at 5:30pm, so please show up between 5:00-5:30pm at 10267 Croydon. If you want to decorate the truck too, come earlier in the day and add anything festive and non-permanent (signs, wreaths, ornaments, be creative). This is an image of what our truck will look like per the rental company website as well as a photo of the stack of carols:

2. Cookie Exchange: From 7-9pm after the caroling, we will head over to 3034 Ramsgate Way for a Cookie Exchange. If you are able, please bring some holiday treats to share. Let's enjoy a party, cookies, and of course hot chocolate.

If you have any questions, please let us know. We think this is a great way to celebrate as a neighborhood and we are very excited. If it goes well this year, we can do it again next year.

Lights: Also, there are houses starting to pop up all over the neighborhood with Christmas lights, manger scenes, and other decorations. Let's keep the decorations coming and maybe someone in the neighborhood can even take photos of stellar houses or give out awards (if that is up your alley let us know. We'll provide the awards and supplies, you pick out the houses and take photos).

NOTE: A resident said that Santa used to come around in a fire truck, but that she had not seen that recently. Anyone want to call the Fire Department and see if they are doing that or if they would consider coming by at some point in December?

Toy Drive for WEAVE

2007-12-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

A resident named Holly is doing a Holiday Drive for WEAVE Inc. throughout our neighborhood. You should be receiving a flyer on your doorstep within the next few days actually. Holly dreamed up this idea and presented it to us, and we thought it would be great to see if residents of Cordova Towne (and Rancho) would be interested. "WEAVE" stands for "Women Escaping a Violent Environment". The drive will consist of donating new sweats, non-perishable food items and new unwrapped toys. There is a detailed and specific list attached for your viewing based upon a compiled wish list from the teens, adults, and children that WEAVE is working with. Some items are very simple and inexpensive and others are more pricey - WEAVE flyer (pdf). As the flyer says, please call 916-216-2170 for details or questions. You are welcome to drop off any of these items at 10267 Croydon Way between December 6-December 17.

WEAVE is a relevant organization to know about since they help women who are survivors of violence and sexual abuse. You can read up on them by clicking the first link above.

Cordova Towne Prayer Meeting - December

2007-12-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

For the last few months, some of us in the neighborhood have been gathering to pray for Cordova Towne and any residents that might have needs. Our next prayer meeting will be on Sunday, December 9 at 6pm at the home of Rachik and Mariam (2933 Betlen Ct.; on the corner of Betlen and Winchester, opposite where the tents were set up for the Block Party). If you believe in God and the power of prayer, and want to join us in seeking His favor for Cordova Towne, please come. If you have any questions, please call Mark and Sarah Insco at 857-0781.

Christmas Caroling / Cookie Exchange

2007-12-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

A quick reminder that we will be going Christmas Caroling as a neighborhood on THIS coming Saturday. We are going to meet up on Croydon Way at 5:00pm, look through the songs, and then hit the road in our gated flat bed truck at 5:30pm. All ages are welcome, as our children. We have a tow-truck driver who will be "towing" us through the neighborhood as our driver. We'll carol until 6:30pm-7:00pm. At 7:00pm, we'll venture off to 3034 Ramsgate Way for a cookie exchange / party. If you are able, bring a plate of cookies to share. This will be a great time to connect as neighbors and enjoy a festive holiday season in Cordova Towne. Celebrating as neighbors is something special and it is not something that every neighborhood is fortunate enough to do. For details, click the above link, comment below, or contact us through our website at www.cordovatowne.com

1. Bring a jacket.
2. Bring a flashlight (so that you can read the words).

NOTE: We have been publicizing this event to be at 4:30pm. However, we have to stick with meeting on Croydon at 5:00pm and then leaving at 5:30pm since our neighborhood flyers say 5:30pm.

Passing out Foreclosure Flyers???

2007-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Would anyone like to help pass out flyers for the upcoming Foreclosure Clinic by the City of Rancho Cordova? This is a very relevant clinic for not only Cordova Towne residents, but for residents throughout the City. The clinic will empower residents to know how to speak with their Lenders when it seems that foreclosure is inevitable. The truth is that Lenders are often times able to re-negotiate the terms of the loan, and so they can get you out of a nasty rising adjustable rate mortgage payment and into a fixed rate. It's worth a shot!!!! Anyway, if this interests you, please let me know ASAP so that we can communicate with the City and get printing done. You can take 25, 50, 100+ flyers, or even just a few. This is a simple way to help fellow neighbors out. Just let us know what you'd like to do and then go for it. There will be flyers available in English, Spanish, & Russian. The clinic is coming on December 12th and so passing out flyers would need to be completed soon. This goes for anyone in the White Rock Area, whether Cordova Towne or the Mills Tower area.

Download the English Flyer (pdf), Spanish Flyer (pdf), Russian Flyer (pdf) or a 9-page resource entitled, "Protect Your Home" provided by Council Member Ken Cooley. Please see our Resource Guide also under "Neighborhood Services" and "Housing Services" for additional resources. If you have other resources too, please comment below.

Foreclosure Clinic by City of Rancho Cordova

2007-11-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Provided by Ken Cooley, Rancho Cordova Council Member

Avoiding Home Foreclosure:
A Homeowner Mortgage Clinic
To be held December 12th, 2007, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Rancho Cordova City Hall

We’ve all heard about the home foreclosures that have been occurring in the Sacramento Region as the result of the real estate downturn and problems in the lending market. City residents with loan worries are urged to help themselves and their neighborhood by calling their lender to see what alternatives they may have to address a loan problem. It’s an amazing fact, but today national finance leaders are telling bankers it makes more sense to modify a problem loan rather than get saddled with the expense of repossessing and being responsible for upkeep at foreclosed properties.

On Wednesday, December 12th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the City Council Chambers in Rancho Cordova City Hall will be host to an informative Homeowner Mortgage Clinic to help at-risk homeowners know their options. Presentations by nationally-respected NeighborWorks (an independent, not-for-profit organization that promotes responsible home ownership), by the Fair Housing Commission of Sacramento County (with tips on avoiding foreclosure scams) and by the lending community will help attendees know steps they can take to address their loan worries and improve the odds they can avoid losing their family home to the auction block.

Another excellent resource is NeighborWorks National Housing Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE (1-888-995-4673). You can reach them online at http://www.995hope.org/)

The NeighborWorks Housing Hotline can connect a family in need with an educated, compassionate counselor. You’ll receive counseling and a written action plan to help you manage your finances and get back on track. If needed, your counselor will connect you with local housing agencies, employment networks, or other community resources.

Even if you feel like you’re too far behind already on your mortgage payments, calling right now could be the difference between keeping your home and being forced out of it. Call 1-888-995-HOPE today, or visit http://www.995hope.org/.

NOTE: You can DOWNLOAD (pdf) all of this information in PDF format from our website or email this post to family or friends by clicking the envelope just below.

Are you paying too much in property taxes???

2007-11-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

In light of property values having declined in our Region, you may be paying too much in property taxes. The Assessor's Office realizes this and so they have sent out 57,000+ notices to home owners, typically who purchased properties in 2005-2006.

If you think you are paying too much, here is what you need to do:
1. Understand that your properly taxes for 2007 are based upon the value of your home as of January 1, 2007 (not current market value). Obviously now, your home is worth less, but that assessed value will be reflected on January 1, 2008, so your taxes should be lower in 2008.

2. If your assessed value as of early 2007 is still higher than what you think your home was worth on January 1, 2007, then you'll need to provide two comparable properties to the Assessor's Office to dispute your tax bill. This needs to occur by November 30, 2007. You will need to go to the Assessor's website at http://www.assessor.saccounty.net/index.htm and then download THIS (pdf) file.

3. Your selected comparables must be as close as possible to January 1, 2007 and cannot exceed March 31, 2007.

4. Fill out the form and mail it to the appropriate address as listed on the form (link above). You must pay your tax bill in full, but if the Assessor's Office agrees that your property was worth less than the amount they had assessed, then you will receive a refund. If they disagree with you, you can always dispute their findings if need be.

If you are not able to find comparable properties that sold in early 2007, then it will be important for you to contact the Assessor's Office, a Real Estate Agent, or the best source, a local competent appraiser who understands your market.

NOTE: You can email this post to local friends and family members (especially anyone who purchased a home in 2005 or 2006) by simply clicking on the envelope just below.

Digging in Cordova Towne

2007-11-19T11:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Rich, Janel, & Jamie for their hard work on Sunday to remove the overgrown plants in the planter box on Mather & Croydon. This project is looking good and it'll help to beautify the neighborhood. On behalf of the entire neighborhood and Cordova Towne area, thank you!!!!! View pictures HERE.

Landscaping in Action

2007-11-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

The landscaping project on the Southern corner of Mather / Croydon has begun. Janel flooded the planter box yesterday and the plants are scheduled to be ripped out this weekend. Ruth will then beautify this area with new plants and wood chips. And of course, the Northern side was re-landscaped by Jamie a few months back.

Let's give these all-star residents a huge thank you. What they are doing will impact the look of a main entrance to Cordova Towne and we will all benefit from their work. They are certainly finding a way to do their part for the neighborhood. If you would like to join their efforts or future landscaping projects (on Mills Station Road possibly), comment below or contact us through www.cordovatowne.com

You can follow this project through our picture site HERE.

Counting for the Neighborhood???

2007-11-14T14:54:00.001-08:00

Would anyone like to count how many houses are in the Cordova Towne Neighborhood? You could always drive the neighborhood, but the easiest way would probably be to view aerial images from Google Earth or any other online mapping system (Map Quest or Zillow) and simply count 'em. We have guesstimated 300-400, but let's find out how many exactly so that:

* we don't have to guess any longer.
* we know exactly how many flyers to print.
* we can win a Rancho Cordova trivia contest.
* we can set goals for how we will reach households.
* we have an even better sense of our neighborhood.

Neighborhood Boundaries:
West- Mather Field Rd.
East - White Rock Park
North - White Rock Road (south side of Road only)
South - Highway 50

If you have a few spare moments and want to do this, contact us and let us know (or comment below). We will give you public kudos for your kind service (unless of course you'd rather not be mentioned). Thanks.

NOTE on 11/15/07: Thanks to Donald Childs for emailing the image to us. This will make counting very simple. Simply click for a larger view and then save to your computer.

NOTE on 11/19/07: Per Lee, a resident, "I did a count and came up with 367 lots. But at least eight of those lots are commercial and another 20 (est.) are a mix of Apartments, 4-plexs and Duplex's so that does not give an accurate count of houses or families. It might be fun to drive around the streets and identify each lot as to what is what. Hope someone can come up with a more accurate count. " Thanks Lee. Anyone else want to give a count too so that we can measure stats against stats?

Momentum for 2008

2007-11-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

As a result of our meeting last night, we have some outstanding ideas and momentum for the Cordova Towne Neighborhood Association. In 2008, be on the lookout for:

Beatification Emphasis: One week in March dedicated to beautification (big dumpster bins for Spring cleaning, donations for planting of free flowers, Sacramento Tree Foundation to come out to give free trees, other ideas... Let's get a large amount of residents involved and live out creative ideas. Ruth will be the point person for the Beautification Week / Day.)

Work Day in September: A focus on renovation projects for a few Senior households. We'll partner with local organizations and contractors and such to pull this off.

January 6th Meeting: 2pm, at Clark & Elaine's house on Portsmouth-- we will have a 2-hour meeting to talk about the details of these two above events. Please join us, give your two cents, and find out how you can help pull these two events off. At this meeting we will also select a few other dates for the remainder of 2008 to meet as a neighborhood.

White Rock Park Committee: Holly will be chairing an effort to communicate with the Park district regarding renovating White Rock Park. We have been promised renovations but they have not occurred. It's time for our neighborhood voice to become stronger. Our park is highly unused by so many residents and we are really missing out. If our Park were all of the sudden renovated, I think we would truly see just how much we have been missing. This is about our kids, families, and hope for our area. Who would like to join this committee? We'll need residents to rise up to make this happen. The more people we have to give a voice, the better we will be.

Welcoming Committee: Elaine is stepping up to the plate to welcome new families (renters and owners alike) to the neighborhood. So long as we know about them, they will get material regarding our Association and an introduction to neighborhood life. Would anyone like to join her efforts?

Misc Events in 2008: Other miscellaneous events include Ryan & Jenny's 2ND annual American Idol BBQ, and Ryan will do a "Lattes on the Porch" event (or probably several) so that we can sip coffee and hot chocolate when he finishes his deck porch project. We will add other simple events here and there. What do you want to do? BBQs, cook-offs, crafts, games, sports? What will help us connect as neighbors? What will help us become stronger? Would you like to do a simple event on your street to get neighbors together?

Membership: We are looking for a resident or group of residents who would like to serve the neighborhood by organizing a contact list and membership structure for our Association. This is critical for our success and also a good tool for welcoming new people too and pointing them in a direction as to how to get involved. Does this emphasis interest anyone?

Closing Thoughts: Let's keep finding simple ways to become an even stronger neighborhood. We encourage all residents to turn it up a notch in 2008. This does not mean that we all need to take on a load of work and be busier than we already are, but that we prioritize neighborhood issues and events, find ways to contribute, operate out of our strengths and abilities, and enjoy our neighborhood life. It is really exciting to see forward moving vision and to have specific events and emphases on the agenda for 2008 that are going to have a dramatic impact for our community. Join us. Let's do this together!!!!

If you have ideas for now or 2008, please contact us and visit our website at www.cordovatowne.com for more information.

Neighborhood Meeting: THIS MONDAY

2007-11-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

A quick reminder that our neighborhood planning meeting is coming up on THIS Monday, November 12, 2007. All residents in the neighborhood are invited and encouraged to attend. It will be at 3239 Portsmouth Drive between 6:30-8:30pm. Dinner is free (pizza, salad, and drinks). If you have not yet let us know that you are coming, please do so if you are able to, so that we can plan best. Otherwise, just show up.

At the meeting we will discuss:

1. Neighborhood Needs: What do you think the neighborhood needs? What are the felt needs of residents on your street or in your part of the neighborhood?

2. Organization: We will talk about some simple ways for us to be organized in order to have maximum impact as an Association. Having some specific roles and also committees will be a huge plus. For example, there has been so much talk about White Rock Park and the need to communicate with the Park district in order to help promised renovations move along. Well, we need a committee of people to help get the ball rolling then. There is power and growth when we come together with common vision and then invite other residents to take action. We have had some great successes since we began. Now it is time to take things to the next level.

3. Events: We will get some events on the calender for 2008. These events will be geared toward meeting our goals and building community within the neighborhood. There are already so many tremendous ideas, so let's talk about what we will focus on doing. Be thinking about what you think the neighborhood needs and what types of creative things we can do to help build relationship. Events can be big or small.

Sac Bee Article Today

2007-11-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

In response to at least five neighborhood businesses being targeted a few weeks back by a company in Illinois "representing" Cordova High School, there is a story in today's Rancho/Folsom section in the Sacramento Bee. (See original blog post HERE). The company, Spirit Solutions, basically wanted to collect money for Cordova HS from local business in exchange for providing free spirit supplies to the high school (posters, flags, etc...). It sounds good in theory, but the problems were: 1) The company is in Chicago, 2) The company is not in good standing with the BBB, and 3) Most importantly, there is no accountability between how much a company like this collects from the community and then disperses to the school. So local business could donate generously but then Cordova HS would possibly not see the full benefit of the donation because Cordova HS has no idea how much has been donated. You can see the story HERE. Sometimes the Sac Bee does not allow direct clicks from links from other websites, so if you have trouble viewing the story, then paste the following link in your browser and that should get you there. http://www.sacbee.com/folsom/story/475558.html

NOTE: The whole point here is to donate directly to a school. Please don't let a company like this deter you from supporting our local schools.

The Word on Halloween

2007-11-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

The general buzz so far amongst neighbors is that there were quite a few kids out trick-or-treating this year. This was definitely true for the Western end of the neighborhood and so far confirmed on a couple of other streets. What about the Eastern & Middle side of the neighborhood (Swansea, Birmingham, Cardiff, Joeger...)? Anyone want to report on that?

A big thanks to Windy, a neighbor who hosted a cider stop-in. Residents were able to stop by her driveway on Portsmouth to find hot cider, candy, hay, and conversation. What a great idea. Maybe next year several households throughout the neighborhood could do something like this. And a huge applause to neighbors like Tim on Croydon who really decked out their houses. Many people decorated their homes this year!!! Great work everyone.

Short Sales Instead of Foreclosure

2007-11-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Being upside down in your mortgage these days is not atypical, especially if you purchased your home within the past two to three years (at 100% financing particularly). If you are in a place where your adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is going to adjust in a big way and you will not be able to afford the payments, then start doing research so that you can know what your options are. The consensus is that it is much better to do a short sale rather than go into foreclosure, so that is something for you to consider. But even better, see if you can try to keep your house by communicating with your Lender. Sometimes Lenders will rewrite the terms of a loan and give you a fixed rate instead of a nasty adjustable that you may be in now. The foreclosure does not look good on the performance record of the Lender and it may be even more costly for them, so they may be open to rewriting the terms of your loan. Here is the point: If you hear the ticking of an ARM, then research with local agents and online as to how best to approach your Lender. The key is that you know what you need to do, are able to have dialogue regarding your situation, and that you can have effective communication with your Lender. Below are a few links to get the ball rolling for you (they are from a quick google session). The first link is actually a local Realtor with experience communicating with Lenders. If anyone has any great links or stellar Agent contacts for helping current owners effectively talk with Lenders, please comment below.

http://shortsales.thompson-brown.com/index.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_8132_short-sale.html
http://homebuying.about.com/od/4closureshortsales/a/shortsalebasics.htm
http://homebuying.about.com/od/4closureshortsales/qt/060807SellShort.htm
http://homebuying.about.com/od/4closureshortsales/qt/060907SScredit.htm
http://www.inmanwiki.com/Real-Estate/Short_Sales

Don't Invite Burglars In

2007-10-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

*** New Sponsor Contributor***

By Jake Stewart, State Farm Agent

Imagine coming home to find that someone has broken into your home and stolen valuable items and ransacked your personal possessions. The feeling of devastation can be overwhelming for victims of burglary . It’s a crime we are all vulnerable to, whether we live in a city or rural area, have a high or low income, live in a house or in an apartment or condominium. According to the FBI, a burglary happens every 15 seconds in the United States . It’s a serious crime. The problem is many of us, through our own carelessness, make it easier for burglars to carry out their work. A few simple steps can make your home a harder target for burglars.

· Lock all outside doors before you leave or go to bed.

· Lock all windows.

· Leave a few lights on when you are not home.

· Keep all garage doors closed and locked.

· Don’t allow daily deliveries, like newspapers and mail, to pile up when you’re out of town. Ask a friend or neighbor to pick them up for you or arrange to have deliveries stopped until you return.

· When you’re on vacation, arrange to have someone take care of your yard.

Other things to consider:

· Contact a locksmith for advice on pick-resistant locks for your doors, sliding glass doors and windows.

· Don’t leave keys under flower pots, doormats or other “secret” hiding places – burglars know them all.

· Keep a detailed inventory of all your personal possessions. Include a description of the item, date of purchase, original value and any serial numbers. A videotape can be helpful.

Be a good neighbor. If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, contact the police immediately.

NOTE: Jake Stewart is a local State Farm agent here in Rancho Cordova. If this article has prompted any questions regarding insurance or financial services, feel free to contact him at 916-852-8070. He is happy to be a resource for Cordova Towne residents. Cordova Towne sponsors will periodically post on our neighborhood blog with relevant community-oriented information to help us further our vision. This post was put online by Ryan.

Halloween: Residents Outside

2007-10-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

A local resident just emailed me to let us know that several residents on Silverwood Way (just North of White Rock Road) will be sitting outside on Halloween from 6-9pm and keeping their houses well-lit in order to provide a safe environment for the kids. This is good stuff. Way to be intentional about safety for children!!!

Click HERE to see their flyer (PDF).

Grafitti Removal

2007-10-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

A resident on Ramsgate recently reported some graffiti out on Mather Field Road to the City. She used the Comcate system (aka "MyCityHall Online"). I also used it the other day to report graffiti on a fire hydrant I saw while on a walk. The graffiti on the fire hydrant was then taken care of within days. I believe the outer wall on Mather still has the graffiti, so feel free to address the same issue. It is important to have a strong unified voice as a neighborhood and let the City know what is important to us. If you have not yet signed up for a "MyCityHall Online" account, please do so. It is free and very easy to use. It only takes a minute to file a complaint and it beats having to make a phone call. This is a simple way for us to report code issues that need to be addressed. This is the job of everyone. Click HERE to sign up.

Pumpkin Carving Fun

2007-10-28T08:55:00.001-07:00

Thank you to William & Joanna for doing an excellent job hosting the pumpkin carving event yesterday. Thanks also to everyone who came and to those who brought extra pumpkins too. We had a good time and it was fun to get together as neighbors to do something creative and festive. It's little moments like these where community happens. Let's keep finding ways to intentionally connect as a neighborhood and move forward with vision to build a strong n-hood.

Click HERE to see pictures from the event on our neighborhood picture site.

Caroling on a Flat Bed: Sign-Ups

2007-10-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

As a neighborhood we are looking forward to Christmas caroling on Saturday December 8th (and of course there is a cookie exchange afterward at a house on Ramsgate at 7:00pm). The plan is to meet up on Croydon Way at 4:30pm that day and then get rolling by 5pm. We are going to have a flat bed truck (with rails) and hay so that we can sit or stand as we sing throughout the neighborhood. This is going to be a blast and definitely a memory building event for us. This event is for all ages and we would like to see residents take ownership of this event by participating and volunteering for the following opportunities listed below. The opportunities will be highlighted red once someone volunteers. Keep in mind too that there is funding available for both the truck and the hay, so no money needs to come out of your pocket.

The following opportunities exist for volunteering. You can let us know what you'd like to do by commenting below or by phone or email (see contact information below to the right). The items in blue are still needed:

- Find truck service (Janel)

- Reserve truck (Ryan)

- Pick up truck/return (money will be given to you to pay for the truck) (Rich)

- Sing and hang out on the truck (many residents: Holly, Scott Family, Ryan & Jenny and Kids, Mark & Sarah & Kids, Ann, Elaine & Clark, Naquita, Ruth, Candy, Elliot, Destiny......... who else???)

- Drive the truck (Rich)

- Provide 3 bails of hay (Windy)

- Pick out songs and make photocopies for the group (Photocopying: Ann, Holly)

- Decorate the truck with hay and make a few signs to hang on the truck (Ruth & Janel-maybe)

- Be the point person to make sure all of the above is going as planned (Ryan)

Lastly, here is a picture of the band U2 while performing a concert on a flat bed truck in New York City. This is proof that great things can happen while on a flatbed truck.... :) NOTE: Our flatbed will have railing for safety reasons.

Green Thumb Needed for Mather/Croydon

2007-10-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

We are looking for one (or a few) residents who would like to help beautify the Southern corner of Mather Field Rd & Croydon Way. You have probably noticed how great the Northern corner looks with the new plants and bark in the planter as well as the new white painted letters (thanks to Jamie). Anyway, as an Association we have come into some funding to help the Southern project match or at least compliment with similar beauty. We figure that it would take about $50.00 to help the Southern corner look great. All you would need to do is purchase the supplies and then make it happen. Supplies would include plants/flowers, wood chips, and plastic for under the wood chips. We figure that $50.00 should do the trick and we'd like to stay within that budget. If more is needed, then we can talk. And yes, in case you were wondering, permission has already been granted from the folks who live on the Southern corner.

Who is interested? Does anyone have passion for this? We like to see residents operate out of a sense of their gifting and calling and abilities for the sake of the neighborhood. To some, the idea of planting sounds dreadful and tiresome, but to others it would be something enthralling and inspiring. We are looking for the latter.

Maybe you have a green thumb that can benefit the entire neighborhood (and you don't even have to pay for it). Email "cordovatowne at yahoo dot com" or call five nine five three seven three five for more information or questions.

UPDATE: We have a resident who has volunteered to make this happen. Thanks to Ruth and her husband, who will be updating this corner in about a month or so just before Thanskgiving when their schedule is free to do so. 10/25/07.

Cordova HS Basketball Scam

2007-10-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

We have had at least three neighborhood businesses solicited to see if they would be willing to help Cordova High School's Boys Basketball Team with financial support. If this was legit, that would be fine, but it ended up being a scam. The thing is that those who were so-called acting in the name of Cordova High were calling from a Chicago telephone number (the first red flag), so I immediately called Cordova High School's Athletic Director and he confirmed that they have not outsourced fundraising activities to a company in Chicago. So these people are using our local youth basketball team to "earn" money. I am going to post the phone numbers below so that neighbors and anyone else in Rancho Cordova are well informed about this scam. Also, if you have a national calling plan and it is free to call Chicago, feel free to contact both of these numbers and say what you'd like. :)

309-722-4172 - this is the # that called my phone
309-455-4173 - this is the # she left for call back

Cordova Towne Prayer Meeting - Update

2007-10-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

The first prayer meeting was held tonight! There were 6 adults and a few children present, and we spent time reading from the Bible, praying, and getting to know each other - it was a good time of fellowship. Those that were in attendance decided to try to make this a regular meeting on the first Sunday of each month. So... the next prayer meeting will be held at 6pm on Sunday, November 4 at 2933 Betlen Ct.

If you need to be prayed for, or want to join us in prayer, please come. Children are welcome. If you have any questions, call Mark and Sarah at 857-0781. Hope to see you there!

Pumpkin Carving Party (coming soon)

2007-10-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

On October 27 – 2:00-4:00pm – Saturday, we are going to have a Pumpkin Carving Party as a neighborhood event. All you need to do is show up to 10259 Croydon Way with a pumpkin and carving tools, and we’ll have a blast creating pumpkins just before Halloween/Thanksgiving. All ages are welcome. This is a great way to help the neighborhood be festive for Halloween or Harvest. I wonder what types of pumpkins will be made. Maybe we'll have to take pictures of them and put them on the site. Give thanks to Joanna & William for pulling off this event.

Also, let's be thinking about how to keep kids safe during Halloween and also how to help them have a fantastic time enjoying the neighborhood.

Cordova Towne Prayer Meeting

2007-10-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

* new contributor (Mark) *

At the Block Party, a few of us were talking about getting together to pray for Cordova Towne and any residents that might have needs. Since that time, our neighbors Rachik and Mariam at 2933 Betlen Ct. have graciously volunteered to host a monthly prayer meeting/Bible Study for the community. (Their house is on the corner of Betlen and Winchester, opposite where the tents were set up for the Block Party.) We've decided to hold the first meeting on Sunday, October 14 at 6pm. If you believe in God and the power of prayer, and want to join us in seeking His favor for Cordova Towne, please join us. If you have any questions, please call Mark and Sarah Insco at 857-0781.

Bank Owned Properties

2007-10-03T10:07:00.001-07:00

We have a number of bank-owned properties in our neighborhood. I suspect that in coming months we will have more since the record level of 2-year adjustable rate mortgages done in 2005-2006 will be resetting over the next year and therefore mortgage payments will be going up. In light of this, it may be difficult for some of our residents and so there will be needed creative support along the way.

Here are some simple tips toward helping our local market out in the midst of foreclosures.

1. Mow a neighbor's lawn if it is a foreclosure and the bank is dropping by the ball on taking care of the property (unfortunately that is too common). A household on Croydon Way has done a fantastic job doing this very thing. The lawn is green and mowed only because of them.

2. Keep an eye on vacant properties and report any suspicious activity to the Police.

3. If the property has issues continually, call and complain to not only the Police, but the Listing Agent also. The bank/Agent needs to take care of their property. This goes for debris on the premises or anything unkempt about the property. The Listing Agent should be working with the Bank to maintain cleanliness.

4. Call Code Enforcement if you know of a rental that is not being taken care of. We want to see the City come down very hard on slumlords (and it is the job of Code Enforcement to do so).

5. Do what you can for your own household in helping your house be well-kept on the exterior.

6. Get FREE trees from SMUD through their tree program.

7. Talk to your Lender if your mortgage is going up. They really do not want your house to go into foreclosure, so they will sometimes get creative and work with you when you have a ballooning mortgage payment. Communication is worth a shot.

8. Welcome new owners and residents to the neighborhood. Let them know about our efforts also.

9. Report code violations where necessary. (Why have there been two mattresses on the corner duplex at Portsmouth & Birmingham for over two weeks? Has anyone reported this?)

10. Be deliberate about being involved in the neighborhood in terms of events and walking out a daily vision of learning to be a neighborhood that takes care of each other and is a positive and dynamic place to live. Find out how you can apply your own abilities and gifts for the sake of the neighborhood.... and then do it!!!

11. Find ways to open up communication between neighbors on your street (BBQs, dinner together, talking, etc...). Building community is the key to success.

12. If your house is heading toward foreclosure, talk with your Lender and/or an experienced Realtor about a possible short-sale instead of foreclosure. A short-sale is a much better way to go and may be less painful for you and your family.

Please add tips and ideas below or email "cordovatowne at yahoo dot com".

Relay for Life Details

2007-10-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome Cordova Towne Relayers! It's time to get this party started. Relay will kick off on Saturday, October 6th at 10 am at mills Jr. High School track. I am so proud to announce that we have 16 signed and registered participants. That is unbelievable. thank you so much for all of you that have signed up in this fight against cancer. If anyone is still interested in Getting involved, Please contact me and we would be more than happy to have you join our team. It's never to late to come out and support your community. If your not able to walk in the event, don't worry, Bring a chair and come cheer our team around the track! You can get involved in more ways than one! Just look at this as another way to get together and Party...So come out and Join the fun!

Windy Mathison
hopesfire2007@comcast.net

Event day Info:
What if it Rains?: We walk rain or shine, the weather is suppose to hold up nicely though.
What should I wear?: Day walkers: Be comfy, T-shirts, shorts and tennies for the Day (it may be a little warm)! Nights Walkers: bring your snugly warm clothes out (It gets Cold & damp) Extra Socks and a blanket.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast on Sunday will be provided (if Registered)
you may bring treats to snack on through the day. Water will be provided through the whole event.
Can I bring Pets?: We are sorry due to health concerns with our survivors, no pets are allowed.
Restriction: No bikes, Skates, skate-boards,weapons, or controlled substances of any kind will be permitted on the track at any time.

Bring anything that is going to make your experience better for you. We want you to be comfortable. We encourage games, music, dancing, laughter and tons of fun! So put on your walking shoes and Join in our Fight to eliminate cancer as a major disease!

NOTE: post put up by Ryan, written by Windy.

Block Party Success

2007-09-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

It didn't rain and our first Block Party was a roaring success. Not only was the food great, but it seemed like everyone had a fun time and that the goal of building community was met. This was truly a community event in that so many neighbors pitched in to pull this off.

We want to give a big thank you to everyone for your commitment to the neighborhood and for all of the work you put into this event, whether it was with publicity, signs, passing out flyers, making a dish, bringing tables, bringing chairs, setting up, tearing down, face painting, bringing a bounce house, inviting friends, letting us use your grill, picking up drinks at the store at the last minute, offering to help in any way, donating supplies for the event, etc... A big thanks also to Queen for her hard work and for being our emcee and for tracking down the bands and for making quite a bit of food, to Mark & Sarah for being a host, to Code Enforcement and to the Sacramento County Sheriff for representing yourselves at the Block Party, to Windy and her daughter for taking sign-ups for the Relay for Life (we now have 14 neighborhood team members), to all who worked so hard on set-up and tear down (Rich, Janel, Jamie, Inscos, John, Roy, William... and many others) and to the two bands and one rapper who came out tonight. Thanks also to the Grapevine for supplying us with free newspapers to pass out.

Let's keep moving forward in building a tremendously strong neighborhood.

Click HERE for Block Party pictures. Enjoy the video below also.

A Raining Block Party Tonight?

2007-09-22T12:10:00.001-07:00

It is sprinkling right now. Can you believe it? We are still planning on going forward with the Block Party though, so come on down tonight at 6pm. We are hopeful that it will stop by then, but if it is pouring, we'll have to cancel. Otherwise be ready for some live music, good chow, and a great time. If the ground is wet, that is no big deal and it won't effect our plans. The big deal is if it is pouring down rain. If you have any questions, please call five nine five three seven three five. Thanks.

Two Things + One More

2007-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

1. Block Potluck BBQ: Remember that the Neighborhood Block Potluck BBQ is coming up on THIS Saturday, 09/22/07, at 6pm. There is still opportunity to help out, so please comment below, see the original blog post HERE, call five nine five three seven three five, or email cordovatowne at yahoo dot com for details. Actually, what would be helpful is for a handfull of neighbors to bring drinks. We will be setting up at 3pm for those interested in assisting there. And we do have a bounce house, live music, face painting, and a bit of food to supplement potluck dishes from neighbors. Also, we'll have a Sacramento Sheriff, Code Enforcement Officer, and the Mayor at this event. If you would like to pass out last minute flyers to remind neighbors, feel free to do so by clicking on THIS file (pdf) and then printing it (or email it to others to save paper).

2. Buzz: Have you seen the "Buzz" section of the website. It has not really been promoted much at all, but here is a first promotion and we'd like to use this section of the website for a bit of interaction as a useful tool for us to dialogue. The gist is that you can email in a response to a particular question and your response will get posted on the website. Please see www.cordovatowne.com or www.cordovatowne.com/buzz.html for more details and instructions on what to do. The new "Buzz" question is: What do you think we should focus on accomplishing as an Association/Neighborhood for 2008? Over these next few months we will be taking an intentional effort to understand the felt needs and vision of fellow residents, so please throw in your two cents because we always want to operate on the pulse of what is stirring within the neighborhood in order to live out a relevant vision.

3. Bloggers: If you have any interest in putting up blog posts from time to time, please see the side bar on the right side of this blog for instructions on what to do. Maybe you could throw up a post once a month for starters (it does not have to be weekly). The more residents we have, the better we will be able to communicate. That is a recipe for success.

Neighborhood All-Stars

2007-09-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

Jamie, who lives in the Southern portion of the Cordova Towne Neighborhood, has taken it upon herself to plant and landcape the Northern corner at Croydon Way & Mather Field Road. She has added plants and wood chips in the brick planter box undneath the "Cordova Towne" lettering which she also recently painted. I had previously assumed that it was the owners on the corner house who had done this. On behalf of all of the residents of Cordova Towne, thank you so much for doing your part to help a main entrance into the neighborhood look so good. We all benefit from what you are doing!!!!

Ruth, another resident, picked up trash the other day on Croydon Way, even though she does not live on the street. Kudos to Ruth.

These are two great examples for us of two people who are playing an intentional role in the improvement of our neighborhood. This begs the question then: What unique contribution do you have to offer for the sake of our neighborhood? What gifting, abilities, creativity, and passions do you have to apply in order to help us grow forward as a neighborhood? Leadership and service comes in both big and small ways, so as Fall unfolds in 2007 and then 2008 emerges, let's continue to dream in little and big ways for how our neighborhood can positively develop.

4-Plex Update

2007-09-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

The 4-plex on the corner of Portsmouth & Birmingham is currently for sale on the open market through MLS as of 08/31/07. It is listed as a "Complete Fixer Upper Fourplex and Ideal for Contractor or Handyman". Does anyone (or a group of people) in the neighborhood want to buy this property? It would be great to have a responsible Cordova Towne resident not only own this property, but rehab and manage it and therefore help breathe hope and revitalization into the immediate area in which the 4-plex is located. Just a thought....

Previous 4-plex posts: 1, 2

Team Cordova Towne: Relay for Life

2007-09-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Windy, the coordinator for our Cordova Towne Relay for Life Team sent me THIS link today. Click on it in order to join our team (I just joined). Remember, raising money is optional and not mandatory. Windy already paid our registration fee too, so when signing up, make sure to click the option that the fee has already been paid. Obviously if you have no idea what I am talking about, please see the previous post below or click HERE to read about the Relay for Life coming in early October.

A great cause, a great event, and a fantastic thing for our neighborhood to do.

Relay For Life

2007-09-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

***NEW CONTRIBUTOR***

Cordova Towne.... I would like to welcome you to the 2007 Relay for Life. My Name is Windy Mathison and I am the Event co-chair for this years event. I am so excited for this years event. We are shaping up to have the best year ever. Each year our community of Rancho Cordova rallies together and Fights back against cancer. For 24 hours October 6-7 the we walk the track at mills Jr. High. We do this because cancer never sleeps.

I have registered the Cordova Towne neighborhood as an official team for this years event. The team will be a collection of your friends, Family and Neighbors. I encourage you to invite everyone you know to get involved. The event is life changing. Your Cordova Towne team will honor one of our own Mrs Candy and her family.

At the Block BBQ Party on September 22nd I will be out taking team Registration, it's free to join the team. So please come out and get involved. This event will change your life and enrich the lives of so many that fight this battle every day.

If you have questions or want to get involved in the planning, please contact me at HopesFire2007@comcast.net

Thank you,

Windy Mathison

Closed Median

2007-09-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

The final word from the City Council is that the median shall remain closed, which some are for and some are against. Along with keeping it closed, the City says it will be taking extra attention to clean up Mills Station Road, which is a good thing for the image of our neighborhood. Per the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, the following is occurring on Mills Station Road: the check cashing business will be painted on the exterior within the week; the gas station on the corner of Mills Station & Mather Field Rd was recently purchased by Unocal 76 and will be updated; the owners with broken or damaged rod-iron fences have been contacted; going after abandoned vehicles is in process; and over time it is possible to implement street paving and additional lighting so long as funds are available.

NOTE: The City has THIS (PDF file) document online that may be useful for residents as it contains thoughts from the City regarding the median, Mills Station clean-up, and also other documents.