Lions Club celebrates the arch. Photo courtesy of Deanna Dyson Photography

RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) - The Lions Club of Rio Linda has been working on a MASSIVE community project that started in 2015. If you have been through downtown Rio Linda, it would be very hard to miss our famous “Arch”. It was given to us from a nearby town called Marysville in late 1925 and erected in 1926. Now that the town has a basic landmark, people reflect back by saying, ‘oh yeah, I drove through there in…” Fast forward back to 2015. The Lions Club of Rio Linda have PROUDLY been working on three Welcome signs to the Rio Linda area. Lion Larry George and Lion Ed Valencia have been the two major contacts that have documented ALL the issues, upgrades needed and such with the County, and Lion Larry has kept a FINE documented binder of everything involved!

New arch in Rio Linda. Photo courtesy of Deanna Dyson

The Lions Club of Rio Linda sketched out and designed what they wanted. We found an engineer that did the lay out, drawing and preparing for the Sacramento Building Dept. In days past, if you had a “Welcome to the Community” sign, with all the local groups and organizations represented, they were very basic block or wooden structures. We wanted ours to be unique to us and stand out as art, classic and be memorable. The first sign that was constructed is located at 16th and Elkhorn Blvd. It is property we lease from Rio Linda Parks and Recreations. It was designed with our historic “ARCH” layout, very similar to the main bike trail Arches, that prevail for several miles, from Elverta to Del Paso Heights. They are updated arches designed after our downtown Archway with the blinking light, located at Rio Linda Blvd and “M” St.

New arch in Rio Linda. Photo courtesy of Deanna Dyson

We wrote to our County Supervisor of District 4, at that time Roberta MacGlashan, and explained our proposal and goal. She really helped and blessed it with a good-sized monetary kick off! Once we had the official County requirements fulfilled, we started this endeavor! We worked with Pacific Powder Coating and Metal Fabrication in Sacramento for all three signs. We presented them with our plans in hand, and they were instrumental with the designs and working the magic we laid out for our community! The Lions Club of Rio Linda orchestrated all the building, planning, selling of sign space, operation and coordination of, drilling ground holes, pouring cement, erecting, bracing, etc. Once the actual structure was done and delivered, the signs were attached. It was erected and then dedicated on December 11, 2017.

The second structure was a replacement sign and was built almost identical as the first in the same historic “ARCH” fashion. This time around, we did ask for monetary help, but now it was from County Supervisor Sue Frost! Same story for collecting sign space, digging, cementing, etc. and the second sign was erected at 5931 Rio Linda Blvd, December 1, 2020.

Our third and final sign was another NEW unit, not a replacement version. Once again, this being another $12K-$14K project, we went back to our County Supervisor District 4 Representative and asked for another possible little donation. Granted!!! Yay and THANK YOU! It was built and powder coated with the same basic “ARCH”, but different style letters. The beautiful new sign was delivered with the help of Aerial Lift a few years ago. Instead of trying to install immediately amidst COVID-19 scary and unclear rules and regulations, plus a county mandated remodel plan, we decided to delay actions, saving grief and money. A little remodeling of the landscaping at George Reed Asphalt property, plus PG&E and Sacramento County coordination to put in sidewalks from the Elkhorn Levee Park and Ride, up to W.6th St., delayed our original installation. On February 6, 2023, a crew came in and dug the holes and erected the third sign!

The best address it can be given is 1060 W. Elkhorn Blvd.  We contacted our County Supervisor to let her know, looking for time slots for a Dedication Ceremony. Once that was secured, Lion President Gene informed all of the individual groups that are on the sign, plus local dignitaries and news media, of the time and date. It took a bit more time to receive the remainder signs getting placed upon this last beautiful Arch, but the Dedication was ON!

A mass of community loving, service minded people attended this new “Welcome to Rio Linda” sign Dedication. A table full of treats and beverages hosted by the Lions Club of Rio Linda was available for all to enjoy! Our in-house photographer once again came up from Tracy to help us out with the documentation. Lion President Gene pinned our honored guests, Lion Ed, Lion Larry, and Supervisor Sue with a boutonniere: Yellow Rose with baby’s breath wrapped in blue ribbons. The Lions Club of Rio Linda also gave out a very special card to Lion Ed and Lion Larry, thanking them for their dedication to seeing this thing through!

Lion Gene started the ceremony by welcoming the crowd, and then gave them a brief history of these three signs we had constructed and why we did it. Lion Gene then introduced our Guest Speaker and facilitator of our official Dedication, Sacramento County Supervisor of District 4, Sue Frost! She welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending. She read a Proclamation to the Lions Club of Rio Linda, and then handed it to Lion President Gene. She then read another Proclamation and gave it to Lion Secretary Ed Valencia. Last, but not least, Proclamation number three was read and given to Lion Larry George: Honors from the County of Sacramento, recognizing the amazing efforts by such individuals and the Lions Club of Rio Linda for improving and beautifying this Community. Going well above and beyond in Lionism.

Lion Larry gave a little speech and then presented our Supervisor Frost with a thank you plaque for her efforts and love given to our community. Then Lion Larry asked for the representative from George Reed Asphalt to come forward: Corey Turner was presented with a beautiful plaque for their gracious donation of $2K AND the space that this sign is sitting on! After all the bigger shots were introduced, Our District 4-C5 Big Shot, aka District Governor Lion Tim Luckinbill was introduced. Lion President Gene let the crowd know that he is in charge of 50 Lions Clubs in our area, not just ours! He spoke well, and congratulated our club for our efforts, and Lion Ed and Lion Larry for their tenacity! The Dedication came to an end with gracious thank you’s to EVERYONE that attended, and we then had snacks and beverages while breaking out into several side sessions of conversation.

Actual service hours for this long of a project, plus all the volunteers in and out of our lives helping, are unknown. Members hours alone are in the thousands. Almost every club, service organization, meeting group, Chamber, etc. came together and helped with sponsorships. Over $40K has been invested into this 9-year ongoing, now completed, project. And yes, the last few signs are on!

Without the dogmatic tenacity of two long-time members of this AWESOME CLUB, this would not have been possible. Please thank them and give it up to OUR members of the Lions Club of Rio Linda, Lion Ed Valencia and Lion Larry George for such dedication and excellence in LIONISM, the epitome of service to our community! Years from now, these two men’s kids and grandkids will say “my dad built this!” This is a wonderful representation of what Lions do!

Lions Club celebrates the arch. Photo courtesy of Deanna Dyson Photography