Folsom

Empire Ranch is a newer community in Folsom CA.

Some interesting facts about Folsom from the Wikipedia

Folsom started as a small town called Granite City, mostly occupied by gold miners seeking fortune in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Though few amassed a great deal of wealth, the city prospered due to the Joseph Folsom's lobbying to get a railway to connect the town with Sacramento. Though Folsom died in 1855, the town was later renamed to Folsom in his honor. The railway was abandoned in the 1950's[verification needed] but later opened up as the terminus of the Gold Line of Sacramento Regional Transit District's light rail service. A few former gold-rush era towns are located within city limits of Folsom, including Prairie City, and Mormon Island.

Folsom Prison was established in 1880, when the Livermore family made an agreement with the state to donate land for the prison in exchange for prison labor. Their plan was to build a hydro-electric dam from the American River for a sawmill. Though the sawmill did not work out, the Livermores soon realized that the natural force of running water could provide enough power to transmit to Sacramento, and the Folsom Powerhouse, now a National Historic Landmark, was opened. At the time it was opened, it had the longest overhead run of electricity (22 miles) in the country. The powerhouse operated until 1952.

Folsom Dam was built in 1956, providing much-needed flood control and water rights for the Sacramento Valley. The creation of this dam also created one of the most popular lakes in Northern California, Folsom Lake.

After 9/11, the Bureau of Reclamation did an analysis on potential targets for terrorism and measures that can be done to eliminate or reduce this threat. With several hundred thousand residents directly surrounding the American River, the possibility of an attack on Folsom Dam was great enough concern for Bureau officials to close down access to the road which went over the dam.

Unfortunately for Folsom residents, this Dam Road was a major artery in the city. With its closure, traffic has been severe during rush hour times, and businesses along the snarled traffic areas have suffered. Residents and Folsom officials alike have been calling for re-opening the Dam Road in some venue. This effort has been successful, as the road will be re-opened during commute hours for a toll.

A bridge to bypass the road is in the works and may be open as early as 2007.

Today, Folsom is most known as being a popular middle-class suburb, with abundant parks, good schools, and a strong community. Folsom is home to Folsom Lake College, Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake, and a charming historic district. Folsom is also home to the largest employer in the Sacramento area, Intel. The population was 51,884 at the 2000 census.

For more information about Patrick Warholic and to read his bio and what others have to say about him, visit his California Home Network website.

Neighborhood Watch Program

This e-mail Neighborhood Watch Program, otherwise known as Watch-mail, is designed to notify Empire Ranch residents about suspicious or unlawful activity that has taken place in our neighborhood, and has already been reported to the Folsom Police Department.

Should you see any suspicious activity, please first call the Folsom PD, then call Patrick Warholic, your Empire Ranch Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. You can call Patrick on his cell phone at 916-208-3892 or contact him at any of his other locations shown on his California Home Network website.

Click this link for further information about the Neighborhood Watch Program for Empire Ranch, Folsom.