The Rancho Cordova Podcast

Few players electrified fans with breakaway speed more than Mark Young. His 28 touchdowns and 2,257 all-purpose yards as a senior led the Max Miller coached Lancers to an 11-1 record in 1983 and a 22-2 two-year varsity record. Young was an elite flanker, punt returner and tailback who was named to the Bee’s 1983 1st team All-Metro squad.

Young’s signature football moment was a bewitching 53-yard TD catch-and-run as time was running out that gave the Sacramento State Hornets its first Causeway Classic win over UC Davis in 18 years, 31-28. Young played for the Chicago Bruisers in the Arena Football League and is an inductee into the Sacramento State Hall of Fame. He is the brother of 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Reggie Young.

One of Northern California's busiest musicians, Music Director and Conductor Pete Nowlen has been a member of the UC Davis faculty since 1988 and currently serves as Director of Concert Bands. Pete currently holds Artistic Director posts with Camerata California Chamber Choir and the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. He has been the California Youth Symphony Brass Coach since 1992 and summer camp co-director since 2007. 

Orchestral conducting credits include the Sacramento Symphony, U.C. Davis Symphony Orchestra, Sacramento State University Symphony Orchestra, Camellia Symphony, and Music in the Mountains Orchestra. Opera, ballet and theater conducting credits include La Boheme, Hansel und Gretel, Magic Flute, Amahl, Orpheus in the Underworld, La Finta Gardiniere, Billy the Kid, L’Histoire du Soldat, Façade, Little Shop of Horrors, Falsettos, Company, and Man of La Mancha.

Horn performance credits include the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet orchestras, Symphony Silicon Valley, Sacramento Symphony, Philharmonic and Opera, the Music in the Mountains Festival, and the International Orchestra of Italy.

Pete is the founder and driving force behind Sacramento’s VITA Academy, dedicated to revitalizing classical music through innovative community and audience engagement and school music programs.

Mike Marando sits down with Larry Wolfe, one of Cordova High School’s early three-sport stars who went on to play MLB for the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox.

Wolfe is a 1971 CHS graduate who starred in football, basketball and baseball for the 1969-1971 Lancers and developed into one of the area’s top quarterbacks, infielders and pitchers as a senior.

Larry was inducted as part of the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame’s first class of inductees in 2015.  What’s Larry doing today? Find out on the next edition of the Rancho Cordova Sports podcast!

On today’s show we welcome back Rancho Cordova Mayor, David Sander to the podcast.

Mayor Sandor has served the City of Rancho Cordova since the city was incorporated back in 2003 where as one of the original elected officials, has served on the city council for over 20 years and this year, 2024 is serving his fifth term as Mayor.

We are particularly delighted to have Mayor Sander on the show today as this year he is also serving as the president of the National League of Cities which also celebrates their 100th anniversary in 2024. The NLC represents the 19,000 cities, towns, and villages of our country in Washington, DC which gives our Mayor a great insight and connections to other cities and their operations across the country.

I really enjoyed welcoming Mayor David Sander PHD back on to the show, my name is Charles Lago and please enjoy todays episode.

Arts and Entertainment: Rancho Cordova is known as the "City of Events" and houses one of the best Art Complex in our region The MACC. The City has its own orchestra, Symphony D'oro, a Swing Dance Band, a Black Box Theatre, and features one of the largest July 4th fireworks displays in the region, and a whole slate of large outdoor events.

Every month Director/ Curator of The MACC, Cheryl Gleason speaks to visual artists, musicians, actors, theatre groups as well as other notable influencers in the art scene in the Sacramento Region.

It is not uncommon to hear people marvel at the explosion of the arts in Rancho Cordova, and for good reason. Where ever you go in our city, you are likely to experience a bit of art – whether painted on the side of a utility box, as music heard wafting through a grocery store or enjoyed during a casual wander through the Mills Station Arts and Culture Center.

 It’s true that the arts have continued to grow in Rancho Cordova in so many ways that it is easy to forget that it has been only 10 years since this spark was ignited, and how the wonderful Marsha Mason has guided it to success.

Marsha brought a background as a landscape architect with experience running large programs in the public sector to Rancho Cordova’s newborn arts movement back in 2012. She was CEO of Sites Pacific, Inc., a landscape architectural firm specializing in public works projects and visual impact assessments. She taught landscape architecture courses as a lecturer at U.C. Davis. Marsha served as President of the Sierra Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, was a founder of WalkSacramento.

 Those skills all come together in 2012 as Marsha joined a small group of local artists to work with the Cordova Community Council to form what has become known as “Rancho Cordova Arts.” That year, the first City Hall exhibit launched with a fine art exhibit of local artists aptly named “Genesis.”

Most artists are content – and prefer -- to simply work on their art, but Marsha is not like most artists. Understanding the importance of having an organization of people committed to an artistic future, she rolled up her sleeves to accomplish less glamourous foundational tasks like creating a non-profit organization, developing a website, creating a newsletter and focusing artistic energy in the community to produce memorable art events.

On today’s show we speak to Robert Sanger Executive Director of the Folsom Cordova Community Partnership.

The Folsom Cordova Community Partnership is a 501(c)3 community based non-profit whosemission and vision is to: build strong families, meet the needs of struggling parents to increase self -sufficiency, promote youth development through positive peer and adult relationships and develop employment skills for individuals to achieve their career goals.

With two primary focuses.  First, to prevent child abuse through parent education and support, and free family activities and vital resources. The other is to assist families in achieving self-sufficiency through job search assistance, providing scholarships for career training, professional skill building education, financial empowerment, refugee / asylee employment supports, youth leadership and career exploration.

Robert Sanger joined the FCCP team in 2006.  During his tenure, he has provided leadership and vision for mission fulfillment in an effort to meet the needs of our community.  For 25+ years, Robert has dedicated his career to enhancing supportive services for overburdened families in Sacramento County.  He feels that one of the greatest pleasures is to see families succeed because they have the tools and opportunity to achieve their full potential.  His educational background includes a degree in Psychology from California State University Sacramento, years of working in the human services field and multiple professional certificates.

The Rancho Cordova Podcast is produced by Jose Ruiz, engineered by Rafael Portillo with music by Anthony Espina.

We are honored to have Cheryl Gleason Curator/ Artist Director of the MACC Gallery- Mills Station Arts and Cultural Center to be joining us again.

Cheryl Gleason's roots in the art world date back to her childhood. Growing up in Sandpoint, Idaho, she was passionate about drawing, often recreating found pictures on paper with pencil. She dreamed of being an artist. After finishing high school Cheryl moved to California and started community college for art classes and fell back in love with art the thing that was missing in my life for the longest time".

With a degree in fine art and a minor in art history from the University of California, Davis. Today Cheryl is the Curator/Director of the Mills Station Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) regularly featuring exhibits focused on local artists, culture, history, and social justice.

Starting February, Cheryl will be a regular guest host on the Rancho Cordova Podcast where she will host a show on all things art in the City of Rancho

On this episode of the Rancho Cordova Podcast, we introduce you to the new Rancho Cordova Police Chief, Matthew Tamayo who took over the reigns as RCPD Chief from Chief Brandon Luke in December 2023. Chief Tamayo is no stranger to Rancho Cordova, having had three previous stints at RCPD as Sergeant, Lieutenant and Assistant Chief under Brandon Luke. 

Matthew Tamayo started his law enforcement career with the Sacramento Sheriff's Office 24 years ago, and has held numerous assignments including Corrections, Patrol, Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Officer, Gang Detective, Narcotics Detective, Internal Affairs, and most recently as the Commander of the Training and Education Division. Tamayo also previously served the Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) as a Patrol Supervisor, Patrol Watch Commander, Operations Commander and Assistant Police Chief.

Chief Tamayo has been committed to building relationships and trust through community involvement and transparency throughout his career. With his experience previously working as a sergeant and lieutenant in the City of Rancho Cordova, and knowledge of the diverse neighborhoods, The Rancho Cordova Police Department is in great hands under his leadership. 

We really enjoyed getting to know Chief Tamayo and we hope you enjoy the show as much as we enjoyed speaking with him. 

The Rancho Cordova Podcast is brought to you by the Rancho Cordova Film Office. 

As the gift of Christmas and the hope of a New Year approach, on this weeks show, guest host Mike Marando sits down with 1989 Cordova High School Alum and former football player Joey Ortiz, for an unabashedly candid conversation how he overcame a series of personal tragedies, and how his experience can offer a beacon of hope to those addicted to drugs and alcohol.

AS we prepare for our new season of shows premiering on January 10, 2024, we hope you enjoy this special episode and on behalf of everyone here at the Rancho Cordova Film Office, Charles Lago, Jose Ruiz, Rafael Portillo and Daniel Aniceto we wish you very happy holidays and a very happy and successful 2024. See you next year!