For what seemed like an eternity during the summer of 2010, West Capitol Avenue between Garden and Jefferson was a mess. At the time, I was commuting by car to and from downtown Sacramento for my job and it was such a bottleneck with lanes closed, heavy equipment blocking the way, dirt piles here and there, and orange cones directing traffic this way and that. However, once this first phase of the streetscape finished last October, I was ecstatic. It is truly was worth the wait.

Phase 1 of West Capitol Avenue Streetscape. Designers kept the original large tree across from City Hall.

The street, crosswalks and sidewalks are wide and pedestrian-friendly, broken up with attractive benches and landscaping. I am thrilled the designers decided to retain the huge tree  across from City Hall. It is a magnificent centerpiece and focal point. And those new bus stops are so cool. According to project manager Jay Davidson of the City of West Sacramento, there has been little vandalism to that to date, which is refreshing. Davidson says the first phase of the streetscape was funded through redevelopment and federal funding.

Phase 2, which extends improvements further down West Capitol to the west, is in the design and planning stage. Figuring out funding is a stumbling block, Davidson says, as redevelopment funds may not be available with the state budget in crisis.

The streetscape was created to “reclaim the public realm away from the automobile” and toward bicycle, pedestrian and public transit use, according to the City’s website. Phase 1 definitely has accomplished this task.

The new West Sac bus stops are very cool, and have remained relatively unscathed so far.

The 2011 West Sac Little League parade on March 19.

One of the joys of spring in my neighborhood – in addition to the flowers blooming and hay fever (oh, well maybe not that) – is the annual parade that marks the opening day of the West Sacramento Little League. Fortunately for me, the parade has motored right by my front door since I moved here in the 1990s. It usually occurs on a Saturday morning about 10 a.m. around the time of year we make the switch to daylight savings time – March or early April. This year it was held last Saturday, March 19.

Even though I don’t have a child or grandchild who plays Little League, I thoroughly enjoy  watching the kids of all ages – from little five-year-olds to larger teens – dressed in their uniforms and throwing candy to me from the back of a pick-up truck or trailer lovingly decorated to honor their teams. The kids are all so excited and love it when we wave to them and catch their jawbreakers, Tootsie Rolls and Double Bubbles. (Though most of it becomes inedible as it winds up in the dirt or smashed to bits by a car). And rain doesn’t stop them, as evidenced by this year’s appearance.

Hmmm...I'm guessin' she's with the Blue Claws.

The parade wends through the neighborhood and winds up at Memorial Park on Delaware Street for opening day pitches and games. This year, the games were cancelled. But that didn’t stop the band from playing the Star-Spangled Banner, which I could hear in the distance from my home, and the opening pitch from being thrown. Hope everyone has a fun season. Check out the links to a slide show of opening day and the parade at West Sac Web. Love the baseball songs that accompany the images, including John Fogerty’s “Centerfield,”  Trace Adkins “Swing” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days.”

Play ball!

As a runner, I am always looking for interesting trails.  I was so thrilled to discover the beautiful Clarksburg Branch Line Trail about a mile from my home! Located in Southport, it starts at South River Road and runs to Gregory Road, crossing a few streets along the way. It is an actual  former rail line that has been converted to a trail of crushed stone about 3 miles long.

The Clarksburg Branch Line Trail in Southport section of West Sacramento is fantastic for runners and walkers.

I’ve run the full length of it and back, which is pleasant with a good pair of trail running shoes. I occasionally see other runners, but the trail is mostly used by people walking their dogs.  The canines can sniff, run off leash and bark without disturbing the neighbors. I’ve even seen dogs retrieve and frolic in the pond along the trail near Lake Washington Drive.

Quiet and scenic, the trail has views of mature trees and open space fields that stretch to the Sacramento River. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the adorable, small ,white-tailed rabbits that inhabit the brambles. You pass horses grazing on fenced properties and hear and see many small and large species of birds. In the spring, wild mustard turns the fields into a blaze of yellow.

And heading north from Gregory, there are beautiful views of downtown Sacramento, especially at sunset.

Another benefit useful for runners: there are signs marking every tenth of a mile! They must be a holdover from when the railroad tracks were used. These mileage markers are very accurate, according to my Garmin watch.

According to the City of West Sacramento website, the trail will be paved from South River Road to south of Linden, and a pedestrian/bike bridge built from the trail to River City High School, by 2013. I’m not sure I like that idea, although I understand the reasoning.

I guess I just enjoy the little slice of nature that the Clarksburg Branch Line Trail offers my city as it is.

West Sacramento Recreation Center, a combined use facility with River City High School.

When the new River City High School was built, the West Sacramento community reaped a big benefit in its adjacent West Sacramento Recreation Center, which the City of West Sacramento shares with the high school. The rec center, which like the new high school opened about a year ago,  is a complete workout facility, with both competition and recreational pools (including a water slide!), workout rooms, indoor basketball/volleyball court, aerobic room and even a climbing wall (er, I’ll skip that one). And the best part is that West Sacramento residents can use it at a reduced rate, and no one who uses the rec center has to sign a contract or make a super long-term commitment.

Personally, I already have a gym membership at 24Hour Fitness. However, there are still times I like to use the rec center. And for $5 for a one-day use, why not? Sometimes it is pouring down rain and I don’t want to drive to downtown Sacramento. I can hop on the treadmill at the rec center at 6 a.m. and get my morning run in.  Other times, I want to swim laps in an outdoor pool, rather than one of the indoor pools  at 24Hour. The rec center’s pool is deluxe — the competition pool has about 7 or so lanes, and it is separate from the recreation pool where the kids romp and play. It is heated year round. And that water slide! Personally, I’ve never used it…but how unique is that? In addition, I have taken swim classes at the rec center, something my health club doesn’t offer.

The center's recreation pool, with its "famous" water slide.

My teen daughter uses the rec center quite a bit; it is even cheaper for her as a student. And there are some fun, unique events, such as the recent WII bowling tournament. Plus the staff is SUPER friendly, and the rec center employs many of our RCHS and other students during the summer as lifeguards and swimming teachers. It gives you a great sense of community to jump in the pool to swim your laps after waving to your next door neighbor’s teenage daughter working as a lifeguard.

So we West Sacramentans have one less excuse to avoid exercising — an excellent workout facility is minutes away and doesn’t cost a fortune.

So this doesn’t fall under reasons to love West Sac, but maybe it does. Law enforcement did a great job of keeping West Sacramentans safe in this morning’s robbery car chase that landed two suspects in the Westmore Oaks section of our city. Apparently, two suspects were caught trying to break into an ATM at 16th and P Streets in downtown Sacramento and police wound up chasing them to West Sac.

The crash did a number of the suspect's pick-up truck, not to mention local streets.

The suspects ended up near the old Westmore Oaks Elementary School (now the College Preparatory Academy), and were shooting at police from their vehicle, according to a woman I talked to who lives a block from the scene. The silver Dodge pick-up truck then crashed into a fire hydrant right ouside the fence line of the school playground. One suspect was nabbed immediately but the other (the shooter) fled on foot.  A police dog found him a couple streets away in someone’s garage and the police arrested him. Can you imagine having that person in your garage?? So scary.

 The neighbor woman said she and her family heard the gunshots at 4 or 5am. Many neighbors woke to the sound of the police helicopter circling overhead with a spotlight.  A voice over a loudspeaker told them not to leave their homes. A barricade was set up over a two block area near the crash at Grande Vista and Haverhill Street. The precautions lasted more than two hours until about 7:30 am with Sacramento Police, West Sacramento Police,  S.W.A.T. , Sacramento CSI, police detectives and more at the scene. Most of the major news trucks were there as well outside the police barricade tape at the end of Deerwood Street, near the old high school (the new Westmore Oaks K-8).

News crews set up at the end of Deerwood Street near Grande Vista (near the old high school/Westmore Oaks K-8).

As soon as the second suspect was apprehended, I went out and took some photos. Also, I met Buck, the German Shepherd who found the suspect in the garage and saved the day, and his handler. I told Buck he was a good boy. I think her heard me, but he still seemed kind of wired up from the hunt.

A side note not covered in the news: the broken fire hydrant caused a stream of water flowing down Clarendon Street, almost flooding a few garages. The wonderful City of Sacramento Public Works Department were right on the spot and kept the damage to a minimum.

While some neighbors grumbled about this event hurting property values, I don’t agree. This crime started downtown and the suspects simply landed here. It could have ended up anywhere in the Sacramento area — from Granite Bay to Oak Park. 

The scene on Grande Vista. Buck (the wonder dog) on bottom left with his handler.

It’s a good reminder — crime does not discriminate. Where it happens, it happens. West Sacramento was blessed with a happy ending this time. And for that, we can be grateful.

Flooding on Clarendon Street from broken fire hydrant.

This week begins an annual tradition for West Sacramento residents — the coming of Santa Claus on top of a large red ladder firetruck directly into our neighborhood streets. I remember when I first moved here in the early 1990s, the blast of siren and flashing lights startled me. Was someone hurt? Is there a fire nearby? But what a joy to see a jolly Santa spotlighted on top of a firetruck  shouting his Ho-Ho-Ho’s into a microphone, as his “helpers” walked alongside handing out candy canes and collecting cans for a local food drive.

This year, the Santa Run  is Dec 8-11, and also Dec 14, starting at 6pm. The West Sacramento Fire Department and the West Sacramento Firefighters Association are the sponsors. For a detailed schedule, see the City of West Sacramento calendar. What’s great is the Fire Department pretty much visits every neighborhood in the city. When my daughter was younger, she was so thrilled to see Santa come down our street. Imagine her joy multiplied by the thousands of other children who felt the same. THAT is the Christmas spirit at work in our community.

Happy holidays!

West Sacramento has an abundance of beautiful heritage trees lining its neighborhoods, riverfronts and parks, as well as some newly planted and young trees beginning to mature. Trees are something this community takes seriously — the City of West Sacramento has its own Tree Program, promoting the planting and caring of trees — even giving two trees away for free to residents who take sponsored workshops.

Although the fall colors of West Sacramento are subtle compared to places like New England, they have their own unique beauty. In mid-November, I visited various neighborhoods throughout the city and took some photographs. With this post are a few samples. All impressed me – gorgeous.

West Sac Chat has arrived and welcome to my first blog posting! See the About section to learn more about me and my purpose. To kick off the blog, I am going to do a series titled “Reasons to Love West Sacramento.” I don’t have a specific number of reasons in mind; we’ll just see how many come up as I go! Feel free to share your ideas on the comment section.

Reason #1: The new Arthur Turner Library

West Sacramento has a brand, spanking new library! Coincidentally, the library opened about a month ago on West Sac Chick’s birthday- October 10. To say it is gorgeous is an understatement — Yolo County, the City of West Sacramento, Friends of the Library and others who funded and developed this building went above and beyond the call of duty here. This library has something for everyone from baby to senior citizen, and everywhere in between. Plus, it has a light, airy setting and plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in with a good book, magazine or your laptop (free WiFi throughout the library).

The new West Sac Library, 1212 Merkley Avenue.

Also, an added bonus — it is open on Sunday afternoons now, from 1pm – 5pm. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For those without home computers, it has 30 computer workstations available free for up to 90 minutes at a shot with a library card, including free Internet access.  Got extra books and magazines lying around the house? Donate them easily at the Friends Book Sale area in the lobby, a shopping bargain as well with $1 hardbacks, 50-cent paperbacks, $1 CD/DVDs and 10-cent magazines (that’s right TEN CENTS).

Kid-sized chairs are scattered throughout the West Sac Library's Kid's Zone.

The Kid Zone is separate from the main area and has low tables with brightly colored computer monitors loaded with kid-friendly games…there are also lots of adorable low chairs scattered about the area. There’s  an array of childrens’ programs, geared to ages infant on up, with even a pre-school story hour in Spanish and Russian. (Where else can you find that?)

The Teen Room is also separated and has highboy chairs/tables and banquet seating with loads of outlets for all those electronic devices teens need to survive.

The main section has all the usually library needs — fiction, nonfiction, reference and fabulous information desk staff to guide you through it all. There’s also two private group study rooms, and a large community room in the front, all available via reservation.

Super cool — you get to check out your own books when you leave, just like at the grocery store. Oh, and the entire building is green, designed to save loads on energy and water use.

So this booklover thinks the new Arthur F. Turner Community Library (named after a local landowner and philanthropist) is one of many reasons to love living in West Sacramento.

For more library photos, see West Sacramento Photo of the Day.