Sacramento County Parks & Recreation Digest

After 11 years with the Sunrise Recreation and Park District, Dave Mitchell is stepping down from his role in overseeing parks in the area, including 25 spots in Citrus Heights.

Sacramento is unveiling new public artwork this summer, featuring everything from bright murals to fresh tree groves. The nonprofit Sacramento Tree Foundation is leading one project that will plant groves of cherry blossom trees at Robert T. Matsui Park.

Ground has broken on a new $31 million rec center situated at Morse Community Park in Elk Grove. It is slated to open in early 2025.

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.

Officials from the Fair Oaks Parks and Recreation District got together in March to discuss a new vision for Phoenix Park. While upgrades and changes were solidified, construction likely will not begin for approximately two years.

The Cosumnes Community Service District will have a new manager. Phil Lewis is slated to start managing the Cosumnes Fire Department and Elk Grove Parks and Recreation on May 16.

The city of Folsom has hired Kelly Gonzalez as its next Parks & Recreation director, effective May 8. Gonzalez will oversee the operations of 48 parks, over 50 miles of paved trails, facilities, and recreation programs.

A Civil War reenactment that is planned for May 6 is meeting criticism with Elk Grove residents. Concerns over the promotion of racism and inaccurate historical accounts from one participating group have led people to voice concern at the most recent City Council meeting.

With Measure Q tax dollars within reach, the Galt City Council voted to use the funds to double Parks and Recreation staff, which will put them back at the numbers prior to 2019 budget cuts. The Council also rejected a bond proposal.

The Elk Grove Rotary Club, along with Fallen Leaf Tree Management and the Consumnes Community Services District, brought 20 new trees to Glenn Houde Park on April 20.

The Citrus Heights City Council last week agreed to begin a formal selection process to determine a name for the an unnamed green space area on Greenback Lane.

After months of anticipation, residents of Fair Oaks can finally see the new amphitheatre begin to take shape. Walls have gone up, and roof trusses are being installed in what will be the revamped outdoor stage, as well as an indoor blackbox theater.

The American Jazz, a riverboat that docked for years in San Francisco, is now more local. Citing a dispute in docking fees, the cruise will now start and stop in Sacramento. Previously, Sacramento was the final stop on the week-long cruise before heading back to the Bay Area.

California State Parks are inviting aspiring rangers and lifeguards to take an exam to become a peace officer cadet. Applicants may apply through June 10 and must be 21 or older, a licensed driver, and have at least 60 college credits.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors heard from several residents requesting the annexation of Del Paso Park so it can receive appropriate upkeep and police response.

The North Natomas skate park honors Tyre Nichols, who grew up in Sacramento. The 29-year-old Black man was severely injured during a Jan. 7 confrontation with police and died of his injuries Jan. 10.

California State Parks invites individuals to “Live the Parks Life” as rangers or lifeguards in the nation’s largest state park system. Through June 10, individuals can apply for the State Park Peace Officer Cadet exams.

The 66-year-old Western Festival has been called off for the third year in a row due to a combination of financial, logistical, and security issues.

The Cosumnes Community Services District approved Elk Grove’s newest recreation center, located within Morse Community Park. It is scheduled to break ground this summer and open in late 2024.

Folsom is planning on adding nine new parks, starting with the 10.5-acre Prospector Park. The ultimate goal is for every Folsom resident to have a park within a 10-minute walk of their home.

With the blessing of the Board of Supervisors, a portion of the Dry Creek Parkway will be renamed in honor of community leader Robert (Bob) Bastian.

California State Parks and the California Natural Resources Agency are reminding visitors about three ways to explore the great outdoors for free.

JLL will prepare a dozen regional strategic plans to help the state marketing organization promote smart, sustainable tourism over the next decade.

The 30-year-old park needs new lighting and is currently not compliant with the ADA. Work is expected to be final next fall.

Sierra College professor Gary Noy delves into a sublime, sometimes painful past in “Nature’s Mountain Mansion.”

Big changes are coming for a stretch of century-old railroad track that runs through several neighborhoods south of the grid in the form of the Del Rio Trail, a nearly 5-mile-long, multi-use trail.

Sierra 2 Park in the Curtis Park neighborhood is an unofficial dog park, but the city of Sacramento may be ordering leash law enforcement on the grounds of public complaints and lack of fencing.

Avi Kwa Ame National Monument will protect sacred Native American sites, wildlife.

American River Conservancy announced the purchase of Lewis Ranch—972 acres protecting 3 miles of creek frontage and oak woodland and forest habitat near the South Fork American River in El Dorado County.

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.

The park honors Roy C. Marcum, shot and killed on duty in November 2012; dedication ceremony includes animal fair, K-9 unit demonstration and a speech by Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli.