The Real Folsom Blog

December Is Looking Pretty Good in Folsom

As a Realtor working in Folsom, there is one thing I know: Folsom sells itself. This city has it all.  And if you call Folsom home, you know it’s hard to be bored here. Here is a selection of events to keep you busy this coming month:

 

• For some funky entertainment, check out Stage 9 Theater’s Holiday in the Hills, running now through Dec. 22 at 717 Sutter St. This is their fourth annual holiday show. Suitable for all ages. Check out their web site for more info.
• Just down the street, at the Folsom History Museum, check out their newest exhibit, “An Enchanted Christmas" by Dolph Gotelli. Running through Feb. 7, it features designer and artist Dolph Gotelli’s world famous collection of antique Christmas decorations and artifacts. The museum is located at 823 Sutter St.  More info go to the museum Web site.
• On Dec. 4, it’s time for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting at the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, 200 Wool Street. Running from 6-8:30 p.m., this free event features lots of entertainment, 1000 glowing luminaries, free wagon rides, Santa photos, face painting and a light dusting of snow (not sure how they are doing that last one). This is a very popular event so plan on getting there early as parking can be tough.
• And if you’re not too exhausted from the previous event, stroll along Sutter Street on Dec. 5 for the annual Holiday Arts & Craft Fair and get some holiday shopping in. It takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free but parking is $5 (with all proceeds from the $5 parking fee going to local non-profit charities). More at http://www.folsomfairs.com/christmasartscrafts.html.
• And now for the arts: In case you don’t know we have an award-winning Jazz program at Folsom High School. To see what all the buzz is about, check out their Winter Jazz Concert on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Jill Solberg Theater, Folsom High School, 1655 Iron Point Road. Even better, the concert is free! More info at www.folsommusic.org/.
• From Dec. 11-13, you can enjoy the 2009 Nutcracker presented by the Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet Theatre. The ballet takes place at the Jill Solberg Theatre at Folsom High School, 1655 Iron Point Rd. For show details and ticket prices, go to www.danceballet.com.
• Not to be outdone by their “rival” high school, Vista Del Lago High School presents their free Winter Concert on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. Location: Multipurpose Room at the High School at 1970 Broadstone Pkwy. Call the school at 294-2410 for more info.
• And, here is one final event to keep you busy: On Dec. 19 and 20, our very own Folsom Lake Symphony Orchestra presents its Season of Joy Concert at the Jill Solberg Theater at Folsom High School, 1655 Iron Point Rd. Members of the Folsom Lake Civic Ballet will also perform. For more info, go to www.folsomsymphony.com

There you have it, several good reasons this December to call Folsom home.

p.s. Having problems with coding today, so not sure this is all coming out in the same typeface :-)

Folsom's the Place To Be This Month

I never get bored hanging around Folsom as there always seems to be something to do. This month particularly has lots to offer in the way of keeping you busy. Check it out!

Folsom Cyclebration takes place Sept. 11-13. For more info, go to folsomcyclebration.com.

The 42nd Antique Peddler's Fair is on Sept. 20. Go to folsomfairs.com/antiquepeddlersfair.html for more info.

And on the 26th and 27th , there's the always popular Folsom Gourd and Arts Festival. More on that at folsomgourdfestival.com. 

And to rock out the month, why not attend Folsom Live on Sept. 26. Over 15 bands and four stages from 5 to 10 p.m. More on that one at folsomlive.com  

What more could you want from your town!

Bring on the Music!

Good news for music lovers in Folsom, especially of free music! The Folsom "Concerts in the Park" is back, kicking off the summer season with the Classic Rock group Shameless on June 5. The free live-music concerts take place at the City Lions Park, at the corner of E. Natoma and Stafford streets (where the Gazebo is), and go from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It's lawn seating so if you want to be comfy, bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Smoothies and kettle corn will be available for sale. For more information on the concert series, call the city at (916) 355-7285. Here is the rest of the concert lineup:

• June 12--Walking Spanish, a Contemporary Rock/Latin Beat
• June 19--Cash Tribute, Country
• June 26--Dave Russell Band, Country
• July 10--On Air, Classic,Rock/Horns
• July 17--Have Mercy, Classic Rock (and our own local town band!)
• July 24--Bad Iron, Cover/Contemporary
• July 31--Azuar, Classic/Alternative/Pop

What better way to wrap up your work week and unwind for the weekend!

Folsom Considering Changes to Water Conservation Ordinance

Just doesn't seem right. We're in the midst of what seems like the wettest February ever and the city of Folsom is considering making some changes to its Water Conservation ordinance to give it some teeth to pursue non-compliers. That shows the sad reality of where we are water-wise. Even with all this rain, we are in the middle of a drought. So Folsom is actively looking at how to ensure residents comply with water use reduction goals. If you remember, we have been in a Stage 2 water alert since last August (that calls for a voluntary 20 percent reduction in water use) and last month our city manager warned we might soon be in a Stage 3 alert (a possibility still hanging over our heads). Here is what the penalties will look like: 1st violation--you receive a personal or written notification; 2nd violation (within 3 months of 1st violation)--you receive a written notification and a notice of correct; 3rd violation (within six months of the 1st)--penalties up to $100 and some other "corrective" measures. Under the revised ordinance, we would have the following five stages:

• Stage 1--Basic stage
• Stage 2 water alert--Mandatory water use reduction up to 12%
• Stage 3 water warning--Mandatory water use reduction up to 20%
• Stage 4 water crisis--Mandatory water use reduction up to 35%
• Stage 5 water emergency--Mandatory water use reduction up to 50%

Not a pretty picture of where we are. But it's good the city is being proactive.

Folsom's Rivage Development Impacted as John Laing Homes Halts Construction in NorCal

In a move that surprised many in the real estate community, major home builder John Laing Homes has halted construction on all its Northern California developments effective immediately, according to a report from CBS 13 that aired last evening. This will have a direct impact on Folsom where John Laing was developing the "Rivage at the Parkway" community. This is a major blow to our local real estate market and not reassuring when a company that's been around for 150 years has to take such a measure. The town home-style condominium homes being built at Rivage are smaller 2-3 bedroom homes ranging from 1313 square feet to 1747 square feet. Locally John Laing Homes is also the builder of "Hideaway at Treehouse," "Outlook at Treehouse" (both off of Iron Point Road near Folsom High) and "Marbella." At this point, according to the news reports, the company is restructuring and saying it is not halting operations entirely. Stay tuned on this one. One interesting p.s. on this one: John Laing Homes was purchased in 2006 by Dubai's Emaar Properties.

Folsom Headed for Stage 3 Water Alert

Last evening, I attended the Folsom City Council to hear how bad the budget cuts were going to be as the Council and City Staff considered how to reduce expenditures in light of reduced influx of sales tax dollars (among other things) due to the bad economy. There was plenty of bad news to make plenty of people unhappy about the proposed cuts to programs and services Folsom residents hold dear. Mixed into the bad news was the announcement by the city manager that the Stage 2 Water alert we've been living under since early fall will be going to a Stage 3 alert within a few weeks. We simply have not been receiving the rain we need and the Sierra snow pack won't be enough to make up during the spring melt for that lack of rain. Expect fewer watering days. Might be time to look into artificial turf as our city manager suggested last night.

Get Your Ice Skates Out

Life in Folsom keeps getting better and better, especially for those of us who love winter sports. I learned at last night's City Council meeting that we will have an ice rink for the holidays located near the Historic District light rail station. Word is it will open around Thanksgiving. Time to sharpen those skates!

Folsom Hosts Emergency Preparedness Fair Sept. 13

If you haven't gotten around to putting together an emergency plan for you and your family in case of, well, an emergency, don't worry. The City of Folsom is hosting a free Emergency Preparedness Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. You'll learn how to keep your family safe through safety demonstrations, exhibits, and emergency resources.Get there early and they're promising free emergency supplies to the first 400 attendees. Sounds like they're expecting quite the crowd. For more info on putting together your Family's Disaster Plan, go to http://www.folsom.ca.us/depts/police/family.asp.

Planning a Trip to the Folsom's Planning Department? Check the New Hours

I don't know if it's a result of a tightening budget, but I see Folsom's Community Planning Department has posted new public counter hours on the city Web site. Since July 1, the new hours for the building, planning and engineering public counter are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment, call 351-3555. If you want a next day appointment, call before 3 p.m. The public counter is located on the 2nd floor of City Hall at 50 Natoma Street.

Folsom Asks Residents To Cut Water Use by 10 Percent

Concerned about the ongoing drought, City of Folsom officials have asked residents to cut their water usage by 10 percent. And in an effort to help us be more water efficient, the city has expanded the hours for its free Water Wise House Call service until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Your water usage is analyzed during the one-hour House Call and you will be given some customized water conservation solutions. To schedule a free Water Wise House Call, call (916) 355-7252. By the way, did you know that about 60 percent of residential water is used for outdoor irrigation, a lot of which ends up as run-off in the gutter? Not surprising then to learn from the city that improper irrigation is Folsom's single biggest waste of water.