Alcohol 4th-leading cause of preventable death

News release

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control recognizes the importance of Alcohol Awareness Month every April due to the high number of alcohol-related deaths each year in the U.S. More than 140,000 people die each year from excessive alcohol use, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2020, 11,654 people died in alcoholrelated car crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Raising awareness is important in preventing alcohol-related deaths and traffic crashes,” states ABC Director Eric Hirata in a news release. “Alcohol Awareness Month is an opportunity to talk about the dangers of alcohol misuse and promote safety on our roads.”

Cameron Park generation of lake users, but most were against spending the large sum of money on an item they said will not be used by the majority of Cameron Park residents. Other factors brought up against the project included the lack of parking at the lake and the maintenance the pad will need from all of the geese plus the short seasonal use of the splash pad, April through October.

The board voted 3-2 in favor of directing General Manager André Pichley to write up a letter for the April meeting rescinding the splash pad project.

Pickelball racket

At issue is the pickleball noise level and sound that resident Liz Gates, whose property backs up to the Cameron Park Lake courts, has been dealing with since the CSD modified the area in 2017, turning tennis courts to pickleball courts.

Gates described her

ABC regulates the sale, manufacture and distribution of alcohol in California. This month the department will continue enforcing alcoholic beverage laws and providing education. ABC recognizes the serious health and public safety concerns surrounding alcohol, especially when it is misused.

The effects of alcohol misuse are both deadly and expensive. Alcohol is the fourth-leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and about 18.5% of all emergency room visits involve alcohol. The financial burden of alcohol misuse cost the U.S. an estimated $249 billion in 2010. NHTSA estimates drunk driving crashes cost the U.S. $44 billion annually.

Continued from A1 living situation as “unacceptable” and said she reached out to the board three years ago. In 2022 CSD staff visited the property to hear firsthand the sound Gates experiences on a daily basis. A task force was formed to address the issue, intended to come up with mitigation ideas and estimated costs, but then later decided that a better course of action would be to hire an acoustical engineer who could take sound measurements.

Certified noise engineer Steve Pettyjohn with The Acoustics Vibration Group Inc. addressed the board, highlighting his findings and offering a solution — build two barrier walls, a 12-foot wall close to Gates’ property line and a shorter, 10-foot wall to be built mid court. Pettyjohn said this would drop the noise to an acceptable 65 decibel level, which would then bring it in compliance with county standards. The estimated cost for two walls is $300,000.

Gates spoke during the meeting, in favor of pickleball as a sport, just not one played in her backyard. While some residents maintained the courts should remain at the lake, many stood in solidarity with Gates and made recommendations to move them to a less private propertybordering park like Christa McAuliffe Park, which is located on Merrychase Drive and backs to the freeway.

Resident Eve Lowry came prepared with a plan in hand created by a local court builder with estimates for up to 10 courts for that location. Currently Christa McAuliffe Park has a soccer field used by the Prospector soccer team. According to Lowry’s estimated costs, for not much more than the two proposed walls at least eight courts could be built at that park, which would also keep its soccer field.

Since January the CSD has offered three indoor open pickleball courts and officials said they regularly see up to 20 people using them

“We house the multiple abilities program for EDCOE so we have nine children in wheelchairs at Jackson Elementary,” explained Williamson. “At this point they basically wheel down to the edge of the playground and watch the other children play. It’s a bark playground so they don’t have access to the equipment.”

“This does allow us to get something within our community pretty quickly,” urged Lisa Donaldson, RUSD Assistant Supervisor of Business Services. Donaldson hopes groundbreaking for the new playground will begin in June and be completed in time for the 2023-24 school year.

Loewen suggested the CSD fund its $125,000 portion via the Opportunity Fund, currently untapped at $100,000. “We allocate funds into the Opportunity Fund annually for projects that would not otherwise happen unless there’s some sort of matching support for community benefit.”

The remaining $25,000 would be carved out of capital reserve funds.

“This is a prime example of what our community is really about,” said board President Noelle Mattock. “It’s about inclusivity — meeting the needs of everybody within the community.”

Past projects funded by the Opportunity Fund include terracing at Jeff Mitchell ball field and $50,000 of this year’s capital was intended toward a Comcast expansion project. Should the Comcast expansion project costs come due prior to the fiscal yearend, the fund would expend more than currently budgeted.

The $125,000 for Jackson Elementary’s new inclusive playground via the Opportunity Fund was unanimously approved by the board, contingent upon an equivalent or greater matching amount from EDCOE.

As for historical Peter Bertelsen Park, plans were unveiled for a new pavilion to replace the burned down remains of structures destroyed by fire in May 2021. Located next to William Brooks Elementary School, Bertelsen Park was constructed in 1962 as the

CSD’s first park.

CSD Principal Planner Jeff Kernen presented a concept that includes a shade shelter with 10 picnic tables, two barbecue grills, six benches, a three-stall restroom with drinking fountain and bottle filler, a 1,218-square-foot firefighting themed splash pad with above ground features, a shower tower, a 1,229-square-foot in-ground splash pad and multi-use plaza with decorative paving and a concrete block pump enclosure with a themed mural.

“This splash ground is probably about six to seven times bigger than both the existing splash grounds,” said Kernan, noting the old splash pad measured at approximately 300 square feet. “It would rival our other splash ground in the community at Promontory Park.”

Project costs are estimated at $2,076,333. An initial budget of $1,042,500 was approved in July 2022 for replacement of the pavilion structure. With insurance set to cover $1,200,000 of project costs, further budget adjustments are not anticipated. Costs are also supplemented by deferred reserve funds totaling $43,837. The construction contract was awarded to Helix Environmental Planning.

Surprised by the substantial expansion of park features, board President Mattock asked whether community outreach was conducted. “There was no consideration as to the impact to the local community and the potential increase in attendance,” she said. “My concern is the surrounding area, that has been very quiet for over 20 years, is going to have an increase and influx.”

Kernan assured that park infrastructure is overbuilt for current use. “There are 74 spaces there,” he specified. “The expansion from what is there now to this proposed design is definitely accommodated by the existing parking transportation situation.”

Approval of park plans was postponed in a 4-1 vote with board Director Ben Paulsen dissenting. “We’re enhancing the park,” he explained. “We don’t have to do public outreach for every single thing we do. That’s not a requirement.” on a daily basis. Other short-term ideas were thrown around meant to address the noise issue, including reducing days and hours for game play at the courts and using softer balls.

Staff was directed to conduct community outreach.

Board member Tim

Israel expressed support for the reduced days and hours but was not in favor of having the two walls built at such an expense, especially if other courts could possibly be built down the road. The topic ended with the understanding that an immediate, shortterm solution, such as reduced hours and days for court use, will be implemented and give the board time to work on long-term solutions.