Elk Grove Police Investigating Possible Homicide

July 24, 2014 |

Elk Grove Police are  investigating a suspicious death as possible homicide at Whitelock Parkway and  Bellaterra Drive.  

A 75-year-old male was found deceased in a field with obvious signs of trauma to his body this afternoon. The Sacramento County Coroner has taken possession of the body. Officers are canvassing the area.

The name of the vicitm will be released by the county coroner pending notification of next of kin.

Story Developing.

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Elk Grove City Council Conditionally Approves 'Silverado,' Further Toxicity Tests Required

July 24, 2014 |

At their regular meeting last night, the Elk Grove City Council conditionally approved a controversial housing subdivision but not before further environmental testing is conducted.

The so-called Silverado housing project, which is located on the northeast corner of Waterman and Bond roads, was unanimously approved after a nearly 10-year process. The 230-acre project, which is being built on a parcel being purchased from Sacramento Area Sewer District, will have a total of 651-residential units when built-out. 

Although the project proponents Vintara Holdings got the approval they have long sought, the project still faces another hurdle after the city council agreed the parcel needed further environmental testing for hazardous materials. In numerous public meetings, several long-time and well-respected Elk Grove residents acknowledged using the parcel as a dumping site for a variety of hazardous materials.

Prior to the their June 25 meeting, Elk Grove resident Lynn Wheat presented maps and documents from 1988 and 1993 to the city council from Sacramento County that suggested that hazardous material including lead may be present on the site. One letter from 1993 letter from the County of Sacramento Environmental Management Department that says 'Due to the lead analysis result of the initial site assessment, further testing for lead . . . should be conducted in the Independent Disposal Service Area."

During last night's meeting Elk Grove resident Steve Lee urged the council to conduct further soil testing beyond what was required in the projects environmental impact report. Lee stressed that soil contamination tests should have been done during the entire EIR process and that the council should force Vintara to do further analysis before the project progresses with soil samples being take from as deep as 15-feet. 

"It is an easy solution to a potentially very serious problem, " Lee said. "Please take care of that."

Duing her comments to the council Wheat also urged further testing based on a 1988 Sacramento County Public Works report  that she said report that the "northern portion of the parcel should not be developed for sensitive land uses such as day care facilities, school."

During their deliberations and after calling Lee back for further testimony, the council agreed to condition their approval of the project after further toxicity testing at 10 locations on the site. No time frame for when the tested will be conducted or when the result will be made public were provided. 

The project proponents indicated they would like the test done very quickly. Another condition the council placed on the project was funding for a new round-about for the Bond Silverado and Waterman (betweenWaterman and Sheldon) intersection.    

           

 

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Chew's Reviews - 'Lucy'

By Gary Chew | July 23, 2014 |

Opens this Friday |

Superman got his mojo by being born on Krypton. Lucy gets her mojo from having large quantities of CPH 4 in her system. In reality, the planet Krypton and the substance CPH 4 don't exist. But that can't keep Luc Besson from entertaining the hell our of moviegoers with his action/sci/fi flick, “Lucy.”

Scarlett Johansson stars yet again this summer as another hot female who kicks male buttocks bigtime. First it was in the ultra creepy “Under the Skin.” Now she does it even more convincingly as Lucy, a young woman who is abducted by an Asian mobster who surgically implants CPH 4 in her to mule out his new illegal drug to market. The drug looks as though it might've been cooked under the expert hand of Walter White.

Lucy is just your average American woman living in Taipai. She's been dating a real loser of a guy who  sets her up to make the drop of a briefcase with unknown contents to a Mr. Jang (Min-sik Choi) at a ritzy hotel. Mr. Jang is a very bad guy.

After she's viciously abducted, Mr. Jang's boys implant small bags of the CPH 4 in her stomach. Due to a later altercation with rape-minded guard where she's being imprisoned until she's to be put on a plane to transport the drug, a large dose of the drug releases into her blood stream.

Meanwhile a half world away, Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman) is lecturing students on the human brain. Professor Norman is a very smart guy. His chatter sets up a viewer to important neurological information that give credence to how Lucy later morphs into a human being who just might beat Clark Kent in more than just a game of rotation pool in the basement of The Daily Planet newspaper.

All the change is right there in her beautiful head … in her brain, as its wiring goes totally cerebral.  She senses everything, remembers things prior to her own cognition as an infant. She's already way ahead of Professor Norman in his own field in a matter of hours. It's a kinetic trip for Lucy, too. She can move stuff around with her mind ... that includes bad guys who work for Mr. Jang.

Professor Norman helps her get her really smart head on really straight with some wisdom that could be used more frequently than it is in our real world, alas, right at the moment. But in order for Lucy to carry out that strategy, she must employ harsh tactics … some of them rather bloody. More and more, she moves toward her goal with less and less emotion. Scarlett does an excellent “blank stare” at a movie camera while charming the hell out of an unsuspecting target … who is, more often, a dude with less than good intentions. Clark Kent would be proud. Lois Lane would be jealous.

“Lucy” gives awesome CGI; and Besson teases us with really neat documentary clips that allow for explanatory support for us folks who's brains don't work with the rapidity of Lucy's.

Finally, Lucy provides Professor Norman with what he had suggested she work for, in her unfortunate state of exponentially spreading genius occurring behind those mesmerizing eyes of Ms. Johansson's.  Besson has called for lots of extreme close-ups.

Bringing it off, “Lucy” goes … maybe … a little overboard. But hey … the water's fine and just right for nineties minutes of top notch entertainment for people who aren't locked into Creationism.

Copright © 2014 by Gary Chew. All rights reserved.

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Elk Grove Traffic Stop Nabs Suspected Identity Thief

July 23, 2014 |

A Tuesday night traffic stop led to the arrest of Sacramento man on numerous identify theft charges.

According to Elk Grove Police, 32-year old Joseph Weaver was stopped for a vehicle code violation on the 9100 block of Elk Grove-Florin Road. A records check revealed that there was an active warrant out for his arrest and that he was on probation.  

A search of Weaver's vehicle led to the discovery of several credit cards, identifications and personal information in the names other than his. Weaver was arrested and booked into the county jail where he is being held on $585,000 bail and for a warrant from Placer County.  

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Chaires Announces Endorsements in Elk Grove City Council District 4 Bid

July 22, 2014 |

Elk Grove City Council District 4 candidate Nancy Chaires announced she has received the endorsement of a significant labor coalition - The Sacramento Central Labor Council. 

"I am very impressed with Nancy's ability to bring all sides together," council president Rosalino Pedres said. "In addition to her professional and educational experience, Nancy understands first hand the needs of working families having grown up in one. Nancy has my support for Elk Grove City Council," .

The CLC is an alliance of more than a dozen labor unions representing a variety of construction, health, law enforcement, education, communications, commercial, service and transportation workers.

Also endorsing Chaires is Julian Canete, past president of the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and current director of public policy for the California Asian Chamber of Commerce.

"Nancy has a very analytical approach to decision making. In her seven years as a Planning Commissioner she has demonstrated that her goal is to always make decisions that are in the best interests of Elk Grove residents," Canete said. "As a business leader, I think pragmatism is essential. Nancy has my full support for City Council."  

"I am humbled by the support of such an important coalition that represents so many hard-working families in our area,," Chaires said. "I am also proud to have the support of business leaders that are an essential part of a stable and healthy economy."

Chaires is a seven-year member of the Elk Grove Planning Commission and currently serves as that body's chairperson.  

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Elk Grove City Council Member's Financial Disclosures Due Next Week; Crystal Balls?

July 22, 2014 |

For four members of the Elk Grove City Council, next Thursday is the due date for filing of semi-annual financial disclosure forms with the Elk Grove City Clerk.

As required by state law, California Form 460, Receipt Committee Campaign Statement, show campaign contributions each of the city council member received for the first six months of 2014. Council Member Bob Trigg, who did not accept any contributions, filed a Form 470 on July 1.

Six months before he first appeared in public at a Elk Grove
City Council meeting, Gil Moore gave Gary Davis $5,000.

According to Elk Grove City Clerk Jason Lindgren, the filings must be presented at the clerk's office or postmarked no later than July 31. In the past, the city clerk has generally posted the filings within one business day.

Review of 460 filings often can act as a crystal ball as to what sort of developments might be taking place in the near future. Prior to making his first public proclamation in March, 2012, some might say scripted, of his desire to gut the city's billboard ordinance to recruit a McDonald's for his strip center, Elk Grove fast food and gas station developer Gil Moore was a big campaign contributor.  

As was said during the Watergate years and is just as true today, if you want to know why elected officials do what they do, just follow the money.  

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Suspected Car Thief Eludes Elk Grove Police

July 21, 2014 |

A man who was driving a stolen car eluded Elk Grove Police Saturday morning.

According to police reports, patrol officers attempted to stop a vehicle that was being driven erratically in a apartment complex near Kent Street and Elk Grove Boulevard. The suspect driving the car did not stop and led officers on a westbound pursuit on Elk Grove Boulevard.

The pursuit ended on 8800 block of Elk Grove Boulevard when the car was driven through a fence and crashed into a parked vehicle. The driver and passengers in the car fled on foot and officers were unable to locate the suspects who were described as Hispanic males in their 20's.


 

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Why Elk Grove continues to build houses and not jobs - The devil in the details of the political process

By Michael Monasky | July 20, 2014 |

The Elk Grove City Council has a penchant for rubber-stamping unchallenged proposals through its consent calendar. This calendar is a mish-mosh of various, previously passed, not yet funded proposals in the consent process. If you want to see who got paid what, go to the consent calendar and the roster of payments. And if you want to know what your city is doing without public exposure, you can find that there, too.

In particular, this week's city council consent calendar, item 8.9, renews the long-standing contract with Joe A. Gonsalves and Son, a lobbying group, to the tune of $3,500 per month for 36 more months. It is an uncontested contract where the city is dispensing with competitive bidding since, the city declares, competitive bidding would not be in its best interest. The staff report says: “It is the opinion of staff that a formal solicitation will not be in the best interest of the City and that the expenditures of time and money will not result in an outcome more advantageous to the City.”

It should be noted that, on its own website, Joe A. Gonsalves and Son claims 50-plus different cities, including Elk Grove, use its services; that “[i]t is a tremendous privilege and honor for us to represent each and every one of our clients and we will not quit until the job is complete.”

            

Furthermore, it becomes apparent that the power of this lobbying firm has a far-reaching reputation, as Gonsalves et al. further state: “The late Senator Ken Maddy coined Joe A. Gonsalves & Son the 'Gonsalvi'; when asked what he meant by the nickname, Senator Maddy responded 'it’s like alumni, when you guys are working an issue you are everywhere.'” So Elk Grove is a family member of the “Gonsalvi” and enjoy its benefits and protections. In fact, this relationship is regaled by Gonsalves in its newsletter (page 2), implying that the Gonsalves tail wags the city dogs.

     

Frank Tripepi is one of the senior vice presidents of Willdan, the jack-of-all-trades consultancy that has an office across the street from city hall. (Willdan is a client of Gonsalves.) For 28 years, Tripepi was city manager for the city of Rosemead, Calif., another Willdan-and-Gonsalves client city. Elk Grove city manager Laura Gill is one of the “Gonsalvi” according to the above-mentioned newsletter. Perhaps her future lies there.

Let's face it: these guys and gals are quite comfortable with each other, and push this kind of rubber-stamp process through the consent calendar regularly. It should be no surprise that they want their buddies, who cover their personal and professional backs, to remain in power and to reinforce the status quo.

The problem is that we don't need more houses, and the sprawling plans of suburbia are dying, casting a pale upon the people and Mother Nature's flora and fauna. Climate change is here and now. We need to rethink our urban planning and retool for public priorities, such as open space, clean air, and public transit.

We'll never achieve these important, essential changes without another look at competitive bidding and the contracted lobbyists that set the agenda for our city council. It's time for a change.

00:30 | 15 comments | Read More

Board approves emergency water rules as Brown promotes tunnels and fracking

By Dan Bacher | July 19, 2014 |

As the State Water Resources Control Board approved new emergency regulations to fine residential “water hogs” up to $500 a day, Californians Against Fracking urged Governor Jerry Brown to ban the environmentally destructive, water intensive oil drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.”

A dozen activists rallied outside of the EPA building in Sacramento where the regulations were approved. They held signs including, “When in Drought Ban Fracking,” “You Can’t Have Your Water and Frack It Too,” and “Save Our Water: Ban Fracking.”

“It’s critical to California’s future that we conserve water in the face of the serious drought,” according to a statement from Californians Against Fracking. “If the Governor and the State Water Board are really serious about protecting California’s water supplies, the Governor needs to ban fracking and similar methods. These techniques permanently poison and remove millions of gallons of water from the water cycle. If the Governor stops fracking, not only will he save Californians’ water from being wasted during this historic drought, but he’ll also protect their health and climate as well.”

“Big Oil is one of the state’s largest and dirtiest water users,” the group said. “If Gov. Jerry Brown wants to lead on climate change and effectively address our dwindling water supplies, he must ban fracking to protect and conserve water in California.”

Californians Against Fracking is a coalition of environmental, business, health, agriculture, labor, political, and environmental justice organizations working to win a statewide ban on fracking in California.

The Board approved emergency regulations Tuesday that would allow water agencies to ask courts to impose a maximum $500-a-day fine on water wasters. On the same day, data released by the state revealed that water use statewide has increased 1 percent over the past three years, in spite of calls by Governor Jerry Brown for Californians to slash water use by 20 percent during the drought.

“The new conservation regulation is intended to reduce outdoor urban water use,” according to a statement from the Board. “The regulation, adopted by the State Water Board, mandates minimum actions to conserve water supplies both for this year and into 2015. Most Californians use more water outdoors than indoors. In some areas, 50 percent or more of daily water use is for lawns and outdoor landscaping.”

State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus said, “We are facing the worst drought impact that we or our grandparents have ever seen. And, more important, we have no idea when it will end. This drought’s impacts are being felt by communities all over California. Fields are fallowed; communities are running out of water, fish and wildlife will be devastated.

The least that urban Californians can do is to not waste water on outdoor uses. It is in their self-interest to conserve more, now, to avoid far more harsh restrictions, if the drought lasts into the future. These regulations are meant to spark awareness of the seriousness of the situation, and could be expanded if the drought wears on and people do not act.”

Ironically, the Board approved the regulations after a drought year, 2013, when the state and federal governments drained Shasta, Oroville and Folsom reservoirs to export water to “corporate water hogs” including corporate agribusiness interests farming toxic, drainage impaired land on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, Southern California water agencies, and oil companies conducting fracking and steam injections in Kern County. None of these “water hogs” were fined for draining northern California reservoirs to abysmally low levels – and leaving little carryover storage for 2014.

Even more ironically, the same Brown administration that supports fining residential “water hogs” is fast-tracking the biggest and most environmentally devastating public works project in California history, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan to build the peripheral tunnels under the California Delta. The tunnels won’t create one drop of new water, but they will hasten the extinction of Central Valley Chinook salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other species. The project will also imperil the salmon and steelhead populations of the Trinity and Klamath rivers.

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Elk Grove Planning Commission Rejects Sign Request, 'Disappointed' Applicant to Seek Relief From City Council

July 18, 2014 |

Following an unusual sequence of events, the Elk Grove Planning Commission rejected a controversial proposal for a 76-foot tall billboard at their Thursday night regular meeting. 

By a 4-1 vote, commissioners rejected the proposal which sought to locate the massive sign on the east side of Highway 99 between Elk Grove Boulevard and Bond Road. 

Following a presentation by the applicant for the billboard, Bruce Bishop of Fairfield, Calif.-based Monument Markers, commissioners had expressed willingness to approve a shorter billboard with some modifications. Among the modifications discussed by the commission were shortening the billboard to 55-feet in total height, removal of a large fiberglass elk that would have topped the sign, and the use of so-called routed panels that would provide a consistent background for each of the nine-advertisement panel on the structure. 

During deliberations commissioner Frank Maita said that following the city's approval of the new highway sign ordinance, this first billboard would be precedent-setting and that he wanted something that reflected well on the community. 

"This is a reflection of the city at large," Maita said. "And how we set this sign up and what it looks in the future has an impact on even attitudes about the people and city in general."

Although they initially expressed willingness to approve a shorter structure, as the commission deliberated the matter, they wanted more details on a last minute billboard design Bishop submitted. That design is the so-called alternative B pictured above.  

When  the commission asked Bishop if he would be willing to continue the matter to a date-certain meeting and return with more information on routed panels, he said he was unwilling to do so.  

  

"I have seen so many badly designed signs where they all have uniform backgrounds," Bishop said. "I request you deny the application so that I can appeal the decision."  

A motion was made to approve the proposal but lost with Commissioner Sparky Harris casting the sole affirmative vote. Harris had said at this and the previous hearing on the matter that he supports tall billboards as an aid to highway travelers. 

After the hearing Bishop said that he was disappointed with the vote, but would appeal it to the city council.  

Elk Grove gas station and fast food developer Gil Moore, who successfully lobbied city council members to gut the city's billboard ordinance, attended the meeting but left before the matter was heard. Bishop had spoken on behalf of Moore and McDonald's during the series of meetings that led to the highly criticized and controversial decision favoring Moore, a large campaign contributor to four of the five current council members.   

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Armed 'Hoodie' Gunmen Rob Woman in Elk Grove Parking Lot

July 18, 2018 |

A 30-year old woman was robbed at gunpoint early yesterday morning in Elk Grove.

According to Elk Grove Police, the victim was in the Winco parking lot on Sheldon Road when she was approached by two unknown suspects, one of whom was brandishing a handgun, and demanded her personal property. After the victim complied with the demands, the two suspects fled on foot towards Lewis Stein Road.

The suspects were described as Hispanic males with one wearing a grey hoodie and dark jeans and the other wearing a dark colored baseball cap with a black t-shirt. The victim was not hurt during the robbery.   

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Elk Grove Police Accepting Applications For Citizen' Academy

July 16, 2014 |

The Elk Grove Police Department is now accepting applications for the next Citizens’ Academy, which starts on September 2.   

The Citizens’ Academy is a 13 week program designed to inform and teach interested residents about the various aspects of municipal policing.  The program covers procedures from patrol and investigations, vehicle operations, arrest and control techniques, 911 communications, code enforcement and animal control.

The Citizens’ Academy is free of charge and meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Elk Grove Police Department.  Participants must be at least 18 years of age, live or work in Elk Grove and have no felony convictions (a background check will be completed on all applicants before entering the Citizens’ Academy).

For more information please contact Officer Dave Monti (916) 478-8126 or visit the Elk Grove Police Department website at www.elkgrovepd.org.

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Suspected Identity Thief Arrested After Elk Grove Traffic Stop

July 15, 2014 |

A Sacramento man was arrested yesterday morning after he was found to be in possession of other people's and fake identifications.

According to Elk Grove Police, 19-year old Tresean Alexander was operating a motor vehicle on the 6000 block of Allbrittion Way that was stopped for a motor vehicle violation. Upon contact, a passenger in the vehicle was found to be on probation which led to a search of the vehicle.

The search led to the discovery of marijuana, identification cards of three individuals, approximately 100 different gift cards and a Chase bank ATM card all belonging to Alexander. Also retrieved was a portable printing press that appeared to be used to printing fictitious identifications. 

Alexander was arrested and booked into the county jail where he remains in custody of $50,000 bail.    

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Rich Lozano Announces Bid For Second Term on CCSD

July 15, 2014 |

Cosumnes Community Services District (CCSD) Board President Rich Lozano formally announced his campaign for re-election to the the Board of Directors yesterday. 

“I am honored to have the support of community leaders from across the District,” Lozano said. “The people standing with me today understand that during tough fiscal times we need to ensure we have someone on the Board who can make certain that taxpayers’ money is spent properly.”

Lozano, who was first elected in 2010, said the necessary budget cutbacks brought on by The Great recession meant the directors had to work closely with the district firefighters to ensure continued service that ratepayers had come to expect.  

"We worked closely with Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522 to ensure that while necessary cuts were made the impact on emergency service were negligible," Lozano said. "I will continue to work with the brave men and women of our fire department to ensure that they have the equipment and training necessary to protect our neighborhoods.”

Lozano has also been a sworn police officer with the Elk Grove Unified School District since 1993 and as a supervising sergeant for the last 12 years. An ardent supporter and coach of youth athletics, Lozano served as President of the Elk Grove Softball League from 2005-2010. 

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Elk Grove Athlete Appears in Top 10 World Ranking

July 15, 2014 |

An Elk Grove-based professional athlete has broken into the top 10 worldwide rankings recently.

According to the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF), professional waterskier Brian Detrick is now ranked eighth in the sport's slalom classification. Detrick’s recent performances have moved him up ten places on the IWWF Elite Skier List since the onset of the 2014 season. The Elite Skier List is determined solely by tournament performances. 

“Brian is skiing really well right now. I’ve watched Brian develop through the boys and junior’s ranks, always knowing that he had the talent and skills to make it as a top-notch professional slalom skier and he’s there now," Paul Crawford, Centurion’s Boats Director of Three Event Skiing said. "Centurion is proud to have a quality skier like Brian using our boat to perform at such an elite level.”

For the 2014 season, Brian Detrick placed second at the Australian Open and at the prestigious Moomba Masters he took third, both scores helped him improve his Elite Skier World ranking. 

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Chew's Reviews - Third Person

By Gary Chew | July 14, 2014 | 

Now Showing

Screenwriter and director Paul Haggis is back with a new film with much the same construction he put to “Crash,” which won the Best Picture Oscar in 2004.

“Third Person” doesn't have as much humanitarian weight as “Crash.” That makes it vulnerable to criticism such as mere narcissistic ramblings of a fictional author working through his screwed up life by putting words and sentences to paper.

The troubled, yet celebrated author is named Michael, played by Liam Neeson. Michael is a work of fiction out of the mind of Haggis; but it's a safe to say that a generous amount of what's gone into “Third Person” wafts a strong redolence of the autobiographical.

This intimate movie carries three story threads that are presented as concurrent, yet one takes place in New York City, another in Paris and yet another in Rome. Stunning things are shown on the motion picture screen in regard to location.

Michael has left his wife Elaine (Kim Bassinger). He's in a ritzy Paris hotel writing. She's back in the States. His lover, Anna (Olivia Wilde), comes to stay for a while. It would be an understatement to say that the younger Anna is unpredictably obstreperous. She moves in a fast lane that proves to be much more that you might suspect. Although I must say, I did happen on to a secret possibility of her habits before they become clear.

Julia (Mila Kunis) is a washed up actor in New York embroiled in an custody battle with her former husband, Rick (James Franco). It's alleged that Julia has earlier put their young son in danger. Rick, a noted artist, has custody of the boy and lives with his girl friend Sam (Loan Chabanoc). Julia is undone with this stressful proceeding. She and her attorney, Theresa (Maria Bello), are trying to get Julia visiting rights. But Theresa isn't sure if her client is truthful when Julia claims she's not culpable.

Meanwhile in the Eternal City, Scott (Adrien Brody) is about to leave Rome after purloining new fashions in mens' clothing. Scott will take these sketches back to the States and sell them to low-grade clothing manufacturers. At a Roman bar, Scott meets a seductive woman named Monika (Moran Atias). Scott is caught up in Monika's problem to retrieve her young daughter from a Roman bad guy who will put the daughter to work on the streets if Monika doesn't hand over lots of cash.

Like Julia's attorney is unsure if her client is being truthful, Scott is also dubious that Monika may be setting up him for a scam … in league with the bad guy.

As in a big novel, “Third Person” has lots of characters to keep straight in your head, while you're grasping at the perpetually nuanced bent of Haggis's script. What's really going on that the story has yet to reveal; and how is it that characters an ocean apart seem to be “walking right by” one another down the same hall in a hotel?

“Third Person” might need a second look --- if you can handle its length and the desperation being lived by its characters.

Trust and guilt get a work out in this film that seems to me to be all in the mind of one guy who's making all this stuff up, and getting his characters mixed up between three great cities … in order to write a better novel and tame his personal demons. It's not a bad movie but, sometimes, a slog.

Copyright © 2014 by Gary Chew. All rights reserved.

 

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Elk Grove House Party Capped by Gun Fire

July 14, 2014 |

A house party in Elk Grove was the scene of a non-injury shooting early Sunday morning.

According to Elk Grove Police, a 19-year old male and female were at a house party on the 10000 block of Corton Way when the male became involved in an argument with an unknown male suspect. When the male victim left the residence, he was confronted by the suspect who fired a handgun in his direction.

After discharging his weapon, the suspect left the area in a white Toyota RAV4. The female victim also discovered the side passenger window of her car had been shot out. 

The suspect was described as a black male who was wearing a gray hoodie and had dreadlocks.

12:36 | 2 comments | Read More

76-Foot Billboard Request Being Heard Again by Elk Grove Planning Commission

July 14, 2014 |

At their Thursday night meeting, the Elk Grove Planning Commission will once again hear from an applicant hoping to place the first of what he said will be two billboards in excess of 76-feet along Highway 99.

The proposal for the billboard is being made by Bruce Bishop of Monument Partners Laguna. Bishop, who also represents Elk Grove fast food and gas station operator Gil Moore, is seeking placement of the billboard directly next to Highway 99 on the site of the Full Gospel Church on East Stockton Boulevard. 

The matter was first heard by the planning commission at their June 5 meeting at which time Bishop was asked to come back with some modifications to the proposed billboard. In addition to proposed 76-foot billboard topped with a large fiberglass elk, Bishop also indicated at the time he will seek placement of a similar sized billboard along Highway 99 between Bond and Sheldon roads that will feature a life-size replica of Wells Fargo-style stage coach. 

Among those in support of Bishop's proposal is Darrell Frick, owner of the Elk Grove Chick-Fill-A franchise owner. Frick's letter to the planning commission said that his business employs 65 Elk Grove residents with a payroll of $530,000 annually and that placement of the billboard will help his under-performing store.

Thursday's meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.  

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