Community

The Sylvan Ranch Community Garden in Citrus Heights has planned its 6th annual harvest festival this Saturday, with an all-you-can-eat dinner fundraiser, raffle prizes and a silent auction. Inviting the community to see what the garden has accomplished and to learn of future projects and how to get involved, the spaghetti dinner fundraiser will be held at Rusch Park on October 4, complimented by garden salads, rolls, beverages and desserts. Funds generated from the dinner will go to support the garden, with an at-the-door requested donation of $15 for adults and $5 for kids under 11 years old. The community garden began in 2009, and is made up of a group of “civic-minded gardeners” who are dedicated to teaching, using sustainable organic growing methods and fostering a community spirit. Thanks to the help of many volunteers, the group has turned a once-empty lot at the corner of Sylvan and Stock Ranch Road into a productive 1.85-acre organic growing area, complete with decomposed granite walkways and raised beds for wheelchair access — distinguishing it as almost fully ADA compliant.

A weekend police motorcycle rodeo and Traffic Safety Fair drew about 2,000 people to the northern parking lot of Sunrise Mall, raising over $2600 for charity and leaving the Citrus Heights Police Department with six awards for performance of several competing officers. With 23 officers enlisting in the competition from around the state, Officer Kristopher Frey took home the most awards from the Citrus Heights Police Department (CHPD), earning first and second place in several competitions. Navigating his thousand-pound Harley Davidson Road King through a maze of obstacles and tight corners, Frey took first place in the Harley class “Slow Speed Challenge Course” – a course described by officers as “extremely challenging,” and one that some contestants couldn't complete. Frey also took home third place in the same course on his BMW and second place in the “Solo Officer Speed Course” on his Harley.

A weekend neighborhood association barbecue in Citrus Heights drew about two dozen neighbors together for burgers, brats and a question and answer time with Vice Mayor Sue Frost. Held at the corner of Twin Oaks and Mariposa Avenue on the Twin Oaks Baptist Church lawn, organizer Doyle Champlain said Saturday's event was designed as a way for residents to "meet and greet" their neighbors, with guests invited to bring their families -- and a side dish. Blending in amidst a table of residents, the Vice Mayor was invited to share an update with group towards the end of the event, mentioning an upcoming candidate forum on October 16 for the five people running for three seats on the Citrus Heights city council.

Orange safety cones dotted the parking lot at Sunrise Mall as part of Saturday's police motorcycle competition and traffic safety fair, which also featured a kids bicycle rodeo, face-painting and bounce-houses.

Tucked away behind a parking lot and several trees on the northern outskirts of Citrus Heights stands a unique, peaked-roof structure, decked with blue and white trim. A sign painted above the front entrance highlights that breakfast and lunch are served inside, and another bright orange sign facing Auburn Boulevard spells out “Coffee Shop” for the steady flow of traffic passing by. Curious to check out the place, my husband and I invited grandpa to watch the kids and set off for a visit to "The Lodge." Upon stepping inside the front entrance early one morning, the sound and smells of breakfast cooking met us as we were warmly greeted and invited to find a seat at one of several tables inside. We made our way down to one of the well-worn but clean booths where we met Aime (pronounced “Amy”), one of the diner's cheerful waitresses.

With a live orchestra loudly playing in the background, an 18-wheeler full of supplies headed out of the parking lot of a Citrus Heights-based charity Thursday, as local pastors and community leaders joined to celebrate the shipment of their first container of relief supplies to Ukraine. "We are motivated by the amount of people who have reached out and offered emotional or material support," Ukraine Relief said in a statement, promising to supply those in Ukraine with clothes, food, medical aid and shelter. "Ukraine Relief would like to thank every person involved in relief efforts." Mostly made up of the area's large Ukrainian immigrant population, organizers say the newly formed volunteer organization was created "to connect and unite people, businesses, organizations, and religious communities together" to provide aid to those caught in the current turmoil in Ukraine.

An inflatable big-screen projector will be set up behind Dress Barn in Citrus Heights Saturday night, as the Citrus Town Center hosts a showing of "The Nut Job" cartoon -- the final film to be shown during its summer "Outdoor Movie Series" this year.