2023 Pocket Girls Softball Registration until Jan 15th

2023 Pocket Girls Softball Registration Open
Pocket Girls Softball is back for its 54th season! Discounted Early Spring registration is now available! Players of all experience levels are welcome to join us at the 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U divisions. Don’t wait; Roster spots fill up quickly!

Early registration runs until Nov 30th.

6U: $75
8U-14U: $200

Regular registration will run from Dec 1st – Jan 15th

6U: $100
8U-14U: $250

Details and to Register: www.pocketgirlssoftball.org

Membership Benefit Program 2023

Member Benefit Program is Coming Soon!
We are pleased to announce that the new Member Benefit Program is launching soon. Local businesses within our boundaries are partnering with the Pocket Greenhaven Community Association (PGCA) to offer exclusive benefits to its members.

Besides offering an outlet for information and an amplified voice for our neighbors, we are proud to be able to offer another reason for residents of the Pocket-Greenhaven area to join the PGCA, as well as encourage them to stay hyper-local and support the businesses within our boundaries.

Visit www.pocketgreenhaven.org/membership/benefits for more information.

From Councilmember Rick Jennings


COUNCIL BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Council’s Budget and Audit Committee will meet at 11:00 am on Tuesday, December 6.  You can find the link to the meeting here. I am a member of this committee, which oversees the City’s Budget and the activities of the City Auditor. For those of you that do not know, the City of Sacramento has a City Auditor that is tasked with overseeing our Whistle Blower Hotline and providing oversight performance audits of the various City departments and activities. For more information on what the City Auditor does and the services that they provide please visit the Auditor’s web site.
One item that might be of interest is the City Auditor’s report on the City’s Cannabis Code Enforcement activities. This is an important oversight function that the city performs on all cannabis businesses that operate in the City of Sacramento. The City Auditor has some recommendations and findings that would improve the code enforcement oversight of cannabis businesses. You can read the link to the staff report on this item.


CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
The City Council will hold meetings at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm today. The agenda and link to the 2:00pm meeting can be found here, and the agenda and link to the 5:00 pm meeting can be found here.
During the 2:00 pm meeting the Council will be discussing, and hopefully approving, the legally binding agreement between the City of Sacramento and the County of Sacramento regarding homelessness. Adoption of an agreement between the City and County was a condition of the recently-passed Measure O.
There are multiple aspects to this agreement, and I wanted to highlight a couple of important points. The first is that the agreement is legally binding and has a five-year term with the ability to extend the agreement for an additional five years. It also requires that the City and County present a joint report on progress to the City Council and County Board of Supervisors every six months. It clearly outlines roles and responsibilities, including the provision of additional shelter beds for those experiencing mental health issues. I believe that this agreement is a substantial step forward and am committed to its implementation and continuing to increase the services we provide. The link to the staff report which contains the entire agreement and an analysis can be found here.
The 5:00 pm City Council meeting will have one public hearing on the expansion of the Sacramento Services Community Facilities District in relationship to the development of the “Panhandle” area of Natomas. You can find that staff report here. The rest of the 5:00 pm meeting will be centered on saying goodbye to outgoing Councilmembers Angelique Ashby, Jeff Harris, and Jay Schenirer, who have served Sacramento with distinction for many years.
As always, it is my immense privilege to be your District 7 Councilmember. If you have any concerns or need assistance from my office, please send an email to rjennings@cityofsacramento.org or leave a voicemail at (916) 808-7007. Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you around the neighborhood!

Pocket Canal Lights & Ceremony

2022 Pocket Canal Lights
Since 2018, PGCA co-founder and parks commissioner, Devin Lavelle, has led the effort to light the Pocket canal for the holidays along with City Council member Rick Jennings.  Since then, the lights have become a holiday favorite and have grown to span more and more of the canal.

Donate

Each year, the goal is to further expand the lights, but your help is needed. You can donate to light even more of the canal at giftstoshareinc.ejoinme.org/donate.

Volunteer

Each year, the community comes together to string the lights along the canal. If you would like to volunteer to help string lights, visit bit.ly/3GgWHA9.
 When: December 3, 2022, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where:Portuguese Community Park, 7350 Durfee Way Sacramento, CA 95831


Canal Lighting Ceremony

This year’s lighting ceremony will feature a visit from Santa!
 When: December 4, 2022, 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (weather permitting)
Where:Portuguese Community Park, 7350 Durfee Way Sacramento, CA 95831

Holiday Toy Drive Sat. 12/3 @ 2-4pm

Holiday Toy Drive Returning on December 3rd
The Greenhaven Soccer Club and City Council member Rick Jennings are proud to announce that they are once again hosting their annual holiday toy drive, benefitting Outside the Walls.
 Where: Parking lot of the School of Engineering and Sciences, 7345 Gloria Drive
When: December 3, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Bring new and unwrapped toys to donate at the convenient drive through drop off, where volunteers will help you unload your donation.  Last year, approximately 1,100 toys were collected.

Outside the Walls (OTW) is a 501(c)3, dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty, domestic violence, food insecurity and incarceration. OTW works with at risk youth and families; providing a wide variety of counseling services, as well as parenting classes, job training and a food/household item pantry. They serve families in a large geographic region, including our area.

Soccer Skills Clinic & Fundraiser: Friday 12/2 @ 6:00pm

5th Annual Holiday Soccer Skills Clinic & Fundraiser
The Greenhaven Soccer Club, City Council member Rick Jennings, and the John F. Kennedy High School Women’s Soccer Team will be holding their annual holiday soccer skills clinic and fundraiser.  All proceeds will be split evenly to benefit the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and the JFK Women’s Soccer Team. The cost is $25 and all kids age 4-13 are welcome to join in a fun-filled soccer clinic.

When: December 2, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: John F. Kennedy Stadium, 6715 Gloria Drive

Announcing the Pocket Greenhaven Community Association Scholarship

The Pocket Greenhaven Community Association (PGCA) is proud to announce that it will be awarding two $500 scholarships to local high school seniors who live within the organization’s boundaries for the upcoming 2023-2024 academic year. These hyperlocal scholarships will help students and their families cover some of the costs of attendance to accredited colleges. 

“The PGCA is so excited to be offering a first-of-its kind scholarship to students in our community,” said PGCA Board President Katie Butler. “These grants align with our mission to enhance our community by supporting local. It is our hope that through partnerships with Pocket-Greenhaven businesses, we will be able to increase the amount of scholarship funds going to our high school Seniors in subsequent years.” 

The main requirement is that students must live within the group’s boundaries (North – 35th Avenue; South – Freeport Regional Water Authority Intake Facility; East – Interstate 5; West – Sacramento River).

The PGCA is currently accepting applications for the scholarships at: www.pocketgreenhaven.org/scholarship. Applications are due by March 1, 2023. 

2023 General Meeting Schedule

General membership meetings are held quarterly on the third Thursday of the month at Robbie Waters Library. Our schedule for 2023 is as follows:

Q1 – January 19, 2023
Q2 – April 20, 2023
Q3 – July 20, 2023
Q4 – October 19, 2023