Elk Grove Community Connection Files Financial Disclosure

The Elk Grove Community Connection (EGCC) recently filed its California 460 financial disclosure form with the Elk Grove City Clerk. The disclosure lists the group’s contributions and distributions over the last six months of 2009.


During that time period, the Elk Grove-based political action committee distributed $4,600 and raised $10,000.

The groups distributed $4,500 to three current city council members; Steve Detrick received $3,000, Gary Davis received $1,000 and Pat Hume received $500. Darren Yuen, who is considering a run for the Elk Grove City Council, received $100.

The groups received two donations of $5,000 from Terry J. Rodrique, Boulder Co., owner of Interwest Consulting Group and the UFCW8 Golden State, Roseville, CA.

Lady Robbed of Bank Deposit in Elk Grove

Elk Grove Police report the robbery of a employee yesterday afternoon as she left her workplace with a bank deposit.

According to police reports, the victim was leaving her place of employment on the 8400 block of Elk Grove Boulevard at 2:01 pm when she was approached by a man displaying a box cutter and pepper spray. The suspect threatened the victim and demanded the deposit bag.

The victim complied and gave the bag which contained an undisclosed amount of currency. The suspect was last seen driving a white Honda Civic that the victim was able to give a plate number for. The vehicle was found to have been reported stolen in Sacramento.

Officer were unable to locate the vehicle and suspect. The suspect is described as an Asian male adult, 5’4” to 5’7” tall, wearing a gray beanie and workout clothing.

SMUD Issues Power Line Warning

As the Sacramento area is being pummeled by strong wind gust, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is urging customers to avoid potentially dead situations caused by fallen power lines or tress coming in contact with power lines.

For the Elk Grove community, rural areas on the city’s east side, where overhead lines are more common, are especially prone to downed lines.

To report problems with tress contacting power lines, call (916) 732-5854. To report downed power lines, call 1-888-456-SMUD (7863) or 911.

Coffee With a Cop This Friday Morning

Elk Grove Police Department reaches out to the community


Have you ever wanted to ask a police officer a question, but didn’t know how to go about doing it? Officers from the Elk Grove Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing Unit will be available to answer law enforcement related questions from members of the community on January 22, 2010 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Starbucks (8450 Elk Grove Blvd.) as part of the “Coffee with a Cop” program.

The “Coffee with a Cop” program is a unique way to strengthen the partnership between the police department and the community it serves. “Being able to build relationships within the community is very important,” said Elk Grove Police Chief Robert Lehner. “By providing residents with the opportunity to informally meet with an officer, we believe that the information gathered will be invaluable in identifying and resolving issues within the community.”

Members of the community will be able to ask specific or general questions regarding issues that are affecting their neighborhoods.

This is the first “Coffee with a Cop” event of the year. Additional dates and locations will be posted on the Elk Grove Police Department’s web site (www.elkgrovepd.org) as they become available.

Elk Grove to Extend Marijuana Dispensary Moratorium

Council members express support for ideal, but say ‘not in my backyard’

The Elk Grove City Council decided last week to extend its current moratorium of not allowing for the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries for ten months.

Reporting to the city council was city attorney Susan Cochrane who cited findings in a California Police Chiefs Association study of the matter found that the dispensaries often act as a crime magnets and would not be appropriate for Elk Grove.

Among those commenting on matter was Sarah Wheat who said as downtown Sacramento resident she never feels threatened when passing by a dispensary. “I feel more threatened when I walk in front of a bar,” she said.

Wheat went on to say that “God made pot, man brewed beer. Who do you trust?”

During council deliberations council members Pat Hume and Jim Cooper indicated while they are supportive of medical marijuana, they don’t think it is an appropriate business for Elk Grove. It was noted there are plenty of dispensaries in Sacramento and they preferred not to have any located in the city.

The council decided unanimously to extend the moratorium.

Elk Grove's St Maria Goretti Parishioners Urged to Petition Elk Grove CIty Council

Parishioners at Elk Grove's St. Marie Goretti parish were urged this morning to attend the next Elk Grove City Council meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

Below is a copy of the letter distributed.

Page Two below

Madeira Win First Round in Battle With City of Elk Grove, Wal-Mart

This afternoon Friends of Madeira (FOM) scored a first round victory in their battle with the City of Elk Grove and retailing behemoth Wal-Mart over plans for a new store on Bruceville Road in Elk Grove.

Wal-Mart's motion to have the complaint filed by FOM against the city dismissed was denied.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Lloyd G. Connelly said he had a "huge issue" with the lack of notice to respondents regarding the status of the project. Apparently FOM had asked the city for information regarding the project and the city said either there was nothing to report or did not respond to requests.

During the hearing it was revealed that city planning director Don Hazen had determined "substantial compliance" for the project but that determination was never noticed.

Much of Wal-Mart's and Elk Grove's argument for dismissal had been that FOM's complaint had not been filed within the 90 day statutory limit.

Another issue addressed during the hearing was what guidelines are used to determine if one project is substantially compliant with another. In this instance, the proposed development site had been approved for a larger Target store but when they withdrew from the site, Wal-Mart proposed a smaller store using the same approvals originally granted to Target while not taking into consideration the entire site.

Connelly overruled Wal-Marts motion for dismissal on this as well as citing non-compliance with CEQA laws in his decision.

No future date has been set, but in discussing the matter with attorney's involved with the case, the court clerk said Connelly's schedule was booked through May and the next available slot would be in late May or July.

Elk Grove city officials did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter.

Huber Recognized as Outstanding Legislator by State Sheriffs

The California State Sheriffs’ Association has recognized Assemblymember Alyson Huber as an Outstanding Legislator of 2009. Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness met with Huber to deliver the award and express the Association’s appreciation for her support of law enforcement.


“The Sheriffs of California are very pleased to present this award to Assemblymember Huber," McGinness said. “Even as our economic times become more critical, she has been very clear that public safety is a top priority.”

During her first year Huber authored AB 640 that would treat methamphetamine dealers the same as cocaine, heroin and PCP dealers, as well as a bill AB 870 to add razor blades and box cutters to the list of prohibited weapons on school campuses.

“I am honored to be recognized by the State Sheriffs Association,” Huber said. “It has been a pleasure working with the dedicated law enforcement representatives in my district. I look forward to continuing to work together to improve the safety of our communities.”

Elk Grove Starbucks Robbed

An Elk Grove Starbucks store on the 5600 block of Laguna Boulevard was robbed yesterday morning.

According to police reports, an unknown suspect entered the store at 7:07 AM and demanded money from an employee. The suspect indicated he had a weapon but no weapons were seen by the employee.

The employee complied with the demands and gave the suspect an unspecified amount of money. The suspected left the store and was last seen running toward the Bel-Air store.

Police officers arrived within a minute of the incident, but after an extensive search were unable to locate the suspect. The suspect is described an black male in his 30’s, 180 lbs and wearing a black hooded jacket and blue pants.

In other activity, police report the arrest of 32-year old Raymond Castro of Elk Grove after he was allegedly found to be in possession of four marijuana plants. Castro, who was on probation, was arrested and transferred to the county jail.

Elk Grove City Council Decides to Shelve Charter

Voters to decide on direct election of mayor; charter chair delivers blistering rebuke to council


The Elk Grove City Council unanimously decided last night to delay the city charter process until an undetermined date. The council also decided the place an initiative on the ballot that would ask Elk Grove voters if they want to have a directly elected mayor.

The decision came after a year-and-a-half process where the Elk Grove City Charter Commission drafted a proposed charter that had become mired in several controversies that resulted in a series of claims and counter-claims. Although the charter commissioners had been appointed by the council, the two bodies frequently expressed frustration with one another during public meetings.

Last night’s meeting started with the formal presentation of the charter by commission chair Jake Allen. While Allen expressed appreciation for the support extended by city staffers in the charter drafting process, he said his time spent on the commission was a waste of time.

Allen said that he and fellow commissioners thought they were charged to independently write the charter and said if the council wanted to control the direction, they should have written it themselves. “You should not have allowed us to waste two years of our time,” he said.

Allen also addressed perhaps the most continuous issue of the process, prevailing wages. Calling labor groups “special interests,” Allen said they interfered with the process and the commission’s efforts to address the fiscal impact of prevailing wages.

During the public comment, the vast majority of speakers opposed the draft charter for a variety of reason ranging from the attempt to eliminate prevailing wages language to the improvement of city governance over the last few years.

One public speaker, former Elk Grove Planning Commissioner Tim Murphy, opposed the charter but for a different reason. “I urge to you reject any charter that will have prevailing wage language,” he said.

Concerted effort to circumvent prevailing wage laws

Elk Grove Police Make Two Narcotics Arrests

Two separate narcotics arrests were made yesterday according to Elk Grove Police reports.

Early Monday morning officers contacted 24-year old Asish Kumar of Sacramento who was sitting in a parked vehicle on the 9200 block of Bruceville Road. A record search showed Kumar to be on a searchable probation.

Officers found that Kumar was allegedly in possession of narcotics paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested and transferred to the county jail.

On Monday evening police reportedly initiated an enforcement stop for a vehicle code violation on the 9000 block of Elk Grove Boulevard and found that a passenger, 26-year old Amie Martin of Sacramento, was on probation. A search of Martin’s purse found her to be in possession narcotics and paraphernalia.

A further search of Martin allegedly found narcotics on her person. The suspect was arrested and transferred to the county jail.

In other activity, officers separately arrested 32-year old Andrew Summers of Elk Grove and 20-year old Michael Xiong of Elk Grove for active warrants and 34-year old Jennifer Bartow on suspicion of DUI.

Elk Grove Police Make Arrests For Shoplifting, DUI’s

This weekend Elk Grove Police made four separate arrest for shoplifting at local merchants.

The first arrest was Friday afternoon when loss prevention agents at the WinCo store on Sheldon Road detained 51-year old Angelo Cruz of Sacramento for shoplifting. The suspect was transferred to the county jail.

On Friday evening police arrested 28-year old Frank Babbit of Sacramento. The suspect was observed exiting the Kohls store on Calvine Road with unpaid merchandise. Babbit was transferred to the county jail.

Also on Friday evening police arrested Henry Perez of Herald after he was detained by loss prevention agents at Wal-Mart for shoplifting. The suspect was arrested and transferred to the county jail.

On Sunday night 27-year old Kevin Hartfield was detained by loss prevention agents at the Wal-Mart store for shoplifting. A records search showed the suspect was on approbation. He was arrested and transferred to the county jail.

DUI, public intoxication arrests

No Elk Grove Crime News is Good News

The old adage about no news is good news certainly holds true for Elk Grove.

For the first time in several weeks, the Elk Grove Police Department reports there were no major arrests made yesterday.

As the year progresses, Elk Grove Post will monitor daily arrest activity of the Elk Grove Police Department.

Elk Grove Junvenile Taken Into Custody For Threatening Parent

An Elk Grove teenager was taken into custody yesterday morning after threatening his parent.

According to police reports, the 14-year old male was involved in a verbal argument with one of his parents when he picked up a kitchen knife in a threatening manner and made threats to harm the victim. Upon arrival, officers took the suspect into custody and transferred him to juvenile hall.

In other activity, police arrested 21-year old Drukimbrea Hillard of Sacramento yesterday afternoon after she allegedly tried to cash a forged business check at the Citibank location on Laguna Boulevard. The suspect was transported to the county jail.

Elk Grove Man Stabbed by Juvenile

An Elk Grove man was stabbed late last night in the 4400 block of Hydra Way.

According to Elk Grove Police reports, the 35-year old male was stabbed in the back with a folding knife. The victim was taken to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The incident arose from a family argument. The 16-year old male juvenile was arrested and transferred to juvenile hall.

Officers also made another arrest late last in yet another domestic violence incident.

According to police reports, 18-year old suspect Christopher Jones of Elk Grove was involved in a verbal argument that escalated into a physical confrontation. Jones allegedly bit the victim and the hand resulting in a visible injury.

Jones was arrested and transferred to the county jail.

Glimmer of Hope For Elk Grove’s Commercial Real Estate

Following two years of bewildering home foreclosures and a high vacancy rate for commercial real estate, one the city’s largest commercial property owners announced the opening of five new retail and office tenants.

According to Jackson Properties, Inc., the company has signed leases for five new tenants at its Laguna Pointe development. Located on the southwest corner of Laguna Boulevard and Highway 99. The mixed used development already host a variety of businesses including BJ’s Brewery and Restaurant, Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and Edward Jones.

“The Laguna Pointe project continues to attract new tenants even in an economy that is going through some turbulent times,” President of Jackson Properties John Jackson, Jr. said. “We are in discussions with other potential tenants and will be making more announcements as we sign future leases.”

The five new tenants include Taglio Salon & Spa, East/West Café, Sylvan Learning Center, Dance 2 D Rhythm fitness center and electrical contractor Kirkland & Jones.

Elk Grove Police Make Two Arrests

Yesterday Elk Grove Police made two arrests.

Arrested for a restraining order violation was 48-year old MORGANE ENTRICAN of Elk Grove. The suspect was transferred to the county jail.

Officers also arrested a 17-year old male for shoplifting at the Elk Grove Wal-Mart. The juvenile suspect was transferred to juvenile hall.

If City Charter Commissioners Don’t Support a Decent Prevailing Wage, What Do They Support? Big Money Interests?

Elk Grove City Charter Commission to Try Again

After failing to get a quorum at its Wednesday, December 30 meeting, the Elk Grove City Charter Commission will again meet Tuesday night to consider final language for the draft charter it will present to the Elk Grove City Council at the Wednesday, January 13 meeting.

At the December, 30 meeting only three commissioners, chair person Jake Allen, Jake Rambo and Juanita Sendajas-Lopez showed up. With seven members, at least four commissioners were needed to legally conduct the meeting.

During tomorrow night’s meeting, the commission will again attempt to discuss and refine the draft charter before turning it over to the city council.

Allen says process is ‘politicized’