Sacramento County Families & Children Digest

Citrus Heights will hold its first Stars and Stripes Celebration on July 1. It will include a fireworks show, food, and entertainment for the whole family. There will also be a Kids Zone.

The Fair Oaks Library is closed for renovations until mid-June. It’s the first major upgrade of the building since 1976, and improvements will include fresh paint, new carpet, and upgraded computer stations.

Sixteen years and an estimated 3.5 million visitors later, the Folsom Public Library is getting new carpet. The library will be closed from May 9-25 and will reopen just in time to kick off its Summer Reading Challenge.

To combat the barriers to attending the high school dance, some of Sacramento’s local organizations and schools are attempting to reframe the experience by reducing costs and allowing for self-expression.

From brainy write-ups to passionate pleas for reform, here are selected excerpts from CalMatters' Earth Day op-ed contest.

Alan Rowe’s organization, United College Action Network, was founded 35 years ago on the premise that anyone can go to college.

Some say the California Legislature must pass a bill to increase the monthly amount paid to youth in extended foster care, which could reduce homelessness and housing instability.

While California public school enrollment has dropped for the sixth consecutive year, new data shows the number of students leaving appears to be slowing down. “California has been going through demographic shifts from urban cores to outlying areas, dramatically altering demand in districts across the state,” said California Charter Schools Association President and CEO Myrna Castrejón.

When Nia MooreWeathers first heard about California’s sweeping plan to shutter its youth prisons and transform the state’s juvenile justice system, she hoped for a reimagining of how incarcerated youth are treated.

The Sacramento Zoo is opening an exhibit 65 million years in the making. Dinosaur Safari at the Sac Zoo runs through March 2024, featuring more than 20 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs.

SCOTUS rejected a last-minute plea from the tobacco industry and cleared the way for enforcement of a statewide ban that includes menthol cigarettes.

In online pregnancy discussion groups, dozens of California women have detailed their long waits for results and the anxiety it has caused.

The Rancho Cordova Youth Center, which opened Nov. 4, is the first local center to provide a safe haven for year-round youth programs and show young people that the community cares about their success.

Sacramento Zoo head Jason Jacobs says the zoo seeks an endangered white rhino to potentially relocate in five years to the new 60-acre Elk Grove site, near Sky River Casino.

Folsom Historic District Association opens a seven-day-a-week ice rink with fire pits and concessions.

Mayor Donald Terry says “this dream has come true” as he dedicates the 9,000-square-foot building. It will be operated by the the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control decided to list COVID-19 among the vaccines it recommends for children, but each state decides whether to adopt those guidelines. It's unclear what California will do.

A youth funding measure once again is on the Sacramento ballot with Measure L. If passed by a majority vote Nov. 8, the Sacramento Children and Youth Health and Safety Act would allocate 40% of existing cannabis business taxes to youth-related programs. It would not raise existing taxes or create a new tax.

More than 3,200 student fellows during the 2022-2023 academic year will receive up to $10,000 for completing a year of community service. The College Corps program helps students graduate on time with less debt while benefiting the community.

As the Sacramento Zoological Society explores the option of moving the Sacramento Zoo to Elk Grove, community members were invited to share their thoughts with the City Council. The proposed site is in south Elk Grove.

These pandemic-related programs may have been able to reverse a trend that has been incredibly detrimental to Black families during past recessions, like in the Great Recession.

The California Highway Patrol is marking the two-decade anniversary of the Amber Alert system. Hundreds of abducted children have been found and returned safely to their families following its implementation in 2002.

Ron Rammer has been the principal at McCaffrey since it opened 19 years ago. He has been in the education field for 38 years, 36 of them in Galt.

Rio Linda Library Branch Supervisor Sally McGrath is transferring to the South Natomas Library for what she calls “a bit of a promotion.”

Jayvyn Thwaites, a 6th grader at David Lubin Elementary School, contributed to a Grammy Award-winning album by Indian musician Falguni Shah, better known as Falu.

Natomas spray parks officially opened this weekend and will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day weekend.

Local children’s book author JaNay Brown-Wood, who’s “Imani’s Moon” was released by Penguin Random House is releasing a jaw-dropping 10 books in 2022.

The new Edie Macdonald Park includes two playgrounds, two adult fitness areas, a shaded picnic area, and a basketball half-court. Each amenity was requested by neighbors when the CSD designed the renovated park.

Nearly 600 girls and 260 adult volunteers from an 18-county region descended on Lake Camanche in Calaveras County to learn or improve their skills in archery, fishing, paddling, and horseback riding.

Asian Pacific CultureFest will feature live performances as well as foods and crafts from 80 AAPI-owned small businesses. The event takes place on Saturday, May 7 in Elk Grove.

Volodymyr Androshchuk, of Auburn, flew to Poland in March and traveled to Ukraine to rescue his grandson. The boy arrived in California with his grandmother a few weeks later, while Volodymyr stayed in Ukraine to help with humanitarian efforts.

The Natomas neighborhood now has a new water park and community center, after the grand opening event for the North Natomas Aquatic Complex. Amenities include a community center, water slides, a kids’ splash zone and several pools.