ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - The Elk Grove Disability Advisory Committee on Oct. 9 named a Project R.I.D.E. volunteer as the recipient of the 18th annual Above and Beyond Program Accessibility Award.

The committee presented the award to Danny Ford, a Project R.I.D.E. board member, at the regular Elk Grove City Council meeting.

The award goes to community members, organizations and businesses that have “gone above and beyond for individuals with disabilities in our community.”

Project R.I.D.E. provides therapeutic horse rides to people with disabilities.

Nominated by his Project R.I.D.E. colleagues, Ford is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq. His son has benefited from the nonprofit’s services. Ford’s nominators said he “not only helps with the riders and the board but also puts in even more work taking care of the barn, the ranch and all the horses.

“We want to thank Danny for providing all these opportunities to those with disabilities that they might not ordinarily get and for going above and beyond by working so hard in so many ways for those who participate in his organization,” the nomination statement read.

Ford said his family has supported him through his time with Project R.I.D.E.

“This organization, I feel like I give just a fraction of what I get back out of it. It’s absolutely amazing. It is a great place to be,” Ford added.

City Council also recognized October as Disability Awareness Month. It issued a proclamation emphasizing the right of those with disabilities “to live independently, enjoy self-determination, make choices, contribute to society and experience the … mainstream of American society.”

The proclamation described the “vital role” that community members can play in enhancing the lives of disabled people and it laid out the city’s goal provide opportunities and agency for disabled people.

The city issued a proclamation declaring Oct. 14 as Indigenous Peoples Day. The proclamation recognizes the Plains Miwok as the “first and rightful inhabitants” of the Elk Grove area and opposes systematic racism against Native Americans. Additionally, the proclamation pointed to the rights of Indigenous peoples and the importance of honoring their cultures.

Wilton Rancheria tribal Chair Jesus Tarango commended the city for its “meaningful” effort to honor the local tribe.

“By recognizing and celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day, Elk Grove takes an important step toward healing and reconciliation by sharing a true and accurate history of what happened on this land and across the nation,” Tarango said.

In addition, the city recognized Oct. 6 to Oct. 12 as Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week.

City Council cleared the way for liquor sales at the new Safeway in Elk Grove.

The Safeway is close to opening at Laguna Reserve Parkway shopping center on the southwest corner of Whitelock Parkway and Bruceville Road. It is planned as a full-service supermarket, with liquor sales in two aisles, including a refrigerated case. Alcohol sales will be allowed from 6 a.m. to midnight.

To get a state license to sell beer, wine and distilled spirits for off-site consumption, the supermarket needed a finding of public convenience and necessity from the city.

Planning Manager Antonio Ablog said the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control requires the public convenience and necessity finding in this case because the Safeway is in a sector of the city designated as a “high crime” area, meaning that the number of crimes reported there last year is at least 20% higher than the average crimes reported in all of the city’s 26 crime-reporting sectors.

Ablog noted that an Arco gas station and a Walmart across Bruceville have liquor licenses but there are no other licensed businesses nearby.

The Safeway has “appropriate separation” from schools and playgrounds, Ablog said. The nearest park, Bartholomew Sports Park, is 750 feet away. The nearest schools, Franklin High School and Arlene Hein Elementary School, are more than 1,000 feet away.

Elk Grove Police Department said it found no public safety reason to oppose the license.

City Council voted 5-0 to make the public convenience and necessity finding.