Award-winning Wise Villa Winery (wisevillawinery.com), which also holds the title of being a certified California Sustainable Winery and Vineyard, is opening a new eco-friendly winery this fall. Twice the size of their existing facility, the new space will use 60% less cooling-related energy, a feat that’ll be accomplished by building the winery into a mountain so three sides have earthen walls, which will radiate cool air into the winery year-round while using no electricity. Learn more about Wise Villa’s healthy, flourishing, and fully sustainable farming operation at wisevillawinery.com/sustainability.

Oak Ridge High School graduate Patrick Sammon, who’s heading to Arizona State University this fall to swim for Bob Bowman (Michael Phelps’ former coach), qualified for Wave II at the 2021 U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle events last month. In addition to Sammon, three more local swimmers also qualified for Wave II: Colby Mefford, Ben Dillard, and Matt Klotz. Haley Anderson and Bryce Mefford from Granite Bay and El Dorado Hills, respectively, will both be competing on the U.S. Olympic swimming team in Tokyo this month.

The Cancer Program at Marshall Medical Center was granted a three-year reaccreditation by the Commission on Cancer (CoC), a program of the American College of Surgeons that’s earned by meeting 34 CoC quality care standards and maintaining high levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered care.

The El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce awarded four scholarships of $750 each to local Oak Ridge High School graduates who plan to continue their education at a university, college, or technical school. This year’s recipients—chosen mainly for their dedication to community service, along with other criteria like extracurricular activities and scholastic GPA—included Logan Barth, Amanda Immer, Rithvik Murali, and Victoria Kolanski.

Folsom interior designer Leyla Jaworski of Design Shop Interiors (designshopinteriors.com) and The Shop by Design Shop (theshopbydsi.com) was featured on the pilot episode of HGTV’s Wasted Space. After recording a Loomis family’s normal traffic and activity patterns using sensors, Jaworski used the data to reconfigure the house using a $200,000 budget.  

Thunder Valley Casino Resort (thundervalleyresort.com) received the 2021 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for consistently receiving outstanding traveler feedback, placing them in the top 10% of hospitality businesses around the globe. In addition to a 17-story, 408-room hotel, the resort destination also features 18 restaurants and bars, a full-service spa, and 270,000 square feet of gaming space.

All three of the local ninjas from THE STUDIO Martial Arts & Fitness (trainatthestudio.com) who competed on Season 13 of American Ninja Warrior—Francisco Barajas, Brian Montagnese, and José Gomez Jr.—advanced to the semi-finals. As of press time, the outcome was unknown.

Congrats to Lara Gularte who will serve as El Dorado County’s Poet Laureate for 2021-2023. Over the course of her two-year term, Gularte will follow the Laureate Trail (a series of free poetry readings held at each of the El Dorado County Public Libraries), compose occasional poems to commemorate special public events, and participate as a judge for Poetry Out Loud.

Attention budding artists! Blue Line Arts is seeking original and thought-provoking designs to be featured on their merchandise. Selected artists will receive $200 for each design used, along with an Artist Membership and promotional feature on the Blue Line Arts social media channels. The deadline to enter is July 31. For more info, visit bluelinearts.org/art-on-tees-2021.

Congrats to Tanya Agrawal and Ishi Shah (Folsom High School) along with Caroline Chochrane and Daisy Cuadra (Vista Del Lago High School) for winning this year’s Folsom Rotary Anne scholarships. Each student will receive $1,000 to put toward their education and future endeavors. To learn more about the club and their ongoing community service projects, search “Folsom Rotary Annes” on Facebook.

The Green Room Social Club—which combines a traditional brick and mortar venue and events space with high-end livestreaming—is up and running at 251 Main Street in Placerville. This month’s performances include Achilles Wheel Quartet (July 4), Stu Allen & Friends (July 11), Jerry's Middle Finger (July 17), and Lantz Lazwell & The Vibe Tribe (July 30). To learn more about memberships and/or tickets, visit clubgreenroom.com.

Stop by Roseville’s Royer Park at 6 p.m. on July 24 for entertainment by Sons of the Golden State, food truck fare, meet-and-greets with police and fire personnel, and a viewing of Small Foot on a 30-foot screen (movie begins at sundown). The free event is hosted by the Roseville Coalition of Neighborhood Associations (RCONA). For more info, visit rcona.org.

Join Mandarins Music Center (mandarins.org) on July 11 from 5-9 p.m. at 9792 Business Park Drive in Sacramento for LIVE! From the Mandarins Music Center: A Benefit for Music Education. The outdoor event will feature performances by local artists and a simultaneously live-streamed telethon to support Mandarins' music education programs, Chinese and American food, and the inaugural performance of the 2021 Mandarins Drum & Bugle Corps prior to their national tour. Admission is free. Visit bit.ly/mandarins-live for more info.

Terrie Bennett Sculpture Gallery/Studio (bennettsculpture.com) has reopened in Camino at 3400 Carson Court. The gallery is holding a monthly 2nd Saturday event thru the fall, in conjunction with neighboring Via Romano Vineyards (vrv.vin). Attendees can expect rotating art, plus music, wine, and beer. Non-event gallery hours are Friday-Sunday from noon-5 p.m. or by appointment. 

From 5-9 p.m. on July 17, head to Downtown Roseville for 3rd Saturdays featuring artisan vendor booths selling one-of-a-kind handcrafted items, music from Life in the Fast Lane, public art projects, art activities for all ages, and more. The event continues monthly thru September. Visit bluelinearts.org/3rdsaturdays for details.