Your Preview of the Fall Discovery Newsletter

SUISUN CITY - While the paper copies of the Fall issue of Discovery newsletter make their way to every postal patron in town, those of you who follow us electronically get the sneak peak.

Here are the headlines, with links to individual articles:

• The Salvation Army reveals its $12 million community center vision
• Proposed Wal-Mart Center has cleared all legal hurdles two years after getting unanimous City Council approval
• Suisun City is using federal grants to stabilize local neighborhoods and create new home ownership opportunities for families
• A $685,000 grant will help improve the Suisun City Senior Center
• Suisun City Police and Fire Departments reach out to help families this holiday season, and you can help
• All the Christmas at the Waterfront festivities, which are bigger and better than ever! (Including Snow Day!)
  
• Keep F.O.G. out of your sewer pipes this holiday season
• Mark your calendar for the Dec. 14 General Plan workshop

You can also flip through an electronic version of the entire newsletter by clicking here.

We hope you enjoy the update, and have a very safe and happy holiday season!

Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Suisun City or on Twitter at Twitter.com/SuisunCity

21 Non-Profits to Participate in 3rd Annual Suisun City Christmas Tree Auction

SUISUN CITY, CALIF. - Twenty-one local organizations will benefit from the 3rd Annual Charity Christmas Tree Auction sponsored by local business organizations at the Christmas at the Waterfront celebration on Saturday, Dec. 4.

In addition to the auction, Christmas at the Waterfront features an outdoor skate rink, lighted boat parade, daylong live music - including a 38-piece Salvation Army brass band, Christmas tree lighting, pictures with Santa, a bonfire, unique vendors and more!

The artificial auction trees were donated by the Suisun City Historic Waterfront BID and the Suisun City Business Group. Each tree is auctioned off during the event, and all proceeds return to the organization that decorated the tree. Tree delivery service is available. All trees are judged by a committee for theme and decorations. The top three winners receive a monetary prize.

For more information, call Linda Feins at Air, Land and Sea Travel, (707) 422-9777.

These non-profits will participate with these themes:

• Premier Cats & Kittens - Shoes and Purses
• N. Calif. Sled Dog Rescue - All I Want for Christmas is a Fur-Ever Home
• Solano Parents of Twins and Triplets - Angels
• Greater Calif. German Shepherd Rescue - Traditional Elegance
• Assist-a-Grad Scholarship Foundation - Santa Claus Has Come to Town
• Peace Jam - Saving the Animals
• Suisun Marsh Natural History Assn. - Wildlife
• Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano - Sweets to Share
• Relay 4 Life - Lights, Cameras, Action!
• Relay 4 Life (Papa Joe's Pit Crew) - A Mickey Christmas
• Ramone gets a Service Dog - A "Green"Christmas
• Fairfield Civic Theatre - A Musical Christmas
• Greater Vallejo Jack and Jill of America, Inc - Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child
• Animal Life Line - Animals - Dogs
• OLMV Cancer Support Group - The Spirit of Christmas
• Missouri Street Theatre - Small World
• Cub Scout Pack #252 - Cub Scouting
• Regents of the University of Calif. - 4H
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the No. Bay - Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Volunteerism
• Armijo Softball Booster's Club - Giants

How to Make Your Christmas Tree Work for the Earth

SUISUN CITY - Now that Christmas is officially over, a lot of people want to get their live tree out of the house. If it is tender dry and dropping its needles, you need to get it out of your home to eliminate a fire hazard.

Rather than have the tree hauled to the landfill, here is how to make sure your tree is converted in reusable mulch for use in landscaping and other beneficial uses that eventually returns it to the soil.

First, remove all the decorations, nails and spikes from the tree.

Once you have a bare tree, you may cut it up into branches and sections that fit into your green waste cart. Make sure your cart lid closes. Solano Garbage will pick it up on your next regular refuse collection day. For more info, call Solano Garbage at 707-437-8900.

Another option is to call the Boy Scouts to schedule a special collection pickup on January 2 or January 9. They ask for a donation of $5 for trees under 6 feet, $10 for taller trees, and $10 for flocked or tinseled trees. Call the Boy Scouts at 707-421-5308.

For more information on household recycling, visit www.recycle-guide.com.

Holly Stell in Concert in Suisun City

SUISUN CITY - Holly Stell performs as part of the Wednesday Club of Suisun's Young Artist Series at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009.

Dubbed "Petite Pavarotti," Holly Stell has an exceptional gift for singing opera. Still a teenager, this vocal prodigy has garnered worldwide acclaim forher angelic stage presence and heartfelt emotional delivery. A native of Vacaville, Holly has performed on some of the biggest stages in the world.

This performance at the historic Wednesday Club of Suisun, 225 Sacramento Street, Suisun City, is a unique opportunity to hear Holly upclose in an intimate performance setting.

Tickets: $10; available at Gordon's Music or Vacaville Music.

For additional information, call 707-631-4852.

Go to VisitSuisunCity.com for more exciting holiday events.

Treecycle the Christmas Tree

HERE'S HOW TO GET RID OF THE TANNENBAUM

With the Christmas holiday winding down, it's time to think about removing live cut Christmas trees from your house before it becomes a fire hazard.

In Suisun City, you can get rid of your live cut tree this way:

• Call the Boy Scouts at 707-421-5308 to schedule a whole tree pick up for January 6, 13 or 20. The Scouts ask for a $5 donation for trees under 6 feet tall, and $10 for larger trees or those that are flocked or tinseled.
• Cut your tree to fit inside your green waste toter for regular curbside collection. The toter lid must close. For more information, call Solano Garbage Company at 707-437-8900.

For either method, please remove all ornaments, nails, tinsel, stands and metal spikes from the tree to prevent injury to collection staff or grinding equipment.

Alas, artificial Christmas trees are not recyclable. Please dispose of them in your regular garbage toter.

>>Check out the Treecycling Fact Sheet at Earth911.com>>

Christmas Tree Safety

SIMPLE STEPS HELP ENSURE A SAFE HOLIDAY

We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season. The Suisun City Fire Department would like to help make sure that Suisun City residents are safe and secure by offering some simple tips to ensure a safe holiday:

• Make sure your artificial Christmas tree is labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• Check to see that your live cut tree has fresh, green needles that don't fall off easily when touched.
• Cut about 1 to 2 inches off the trunk of your live cut tree before placing it in a stand that can hold water.
  
• Make sure to add water daily because trees consume lots of water, and can dry quickly indoors.
• Place your tree at least 3 feet away from a heat source, such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking any exits.
• Use lights that carry a label from an independent testing laboratory.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. String no more than 3 strands of mini string lights, and a maximum of 50 screw-in bulbs.
• Never use candles to decorate a tree.
• Always turn Christmas tree lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
• Get rid of the tree when it begins to drop needles. Dry trees are an extreme fire hazard. Use an after-Christmas community disposal program to remove the tree from your property.

>>Click here for more Christmas tree safety tips>>
>>Click here for holiday safety information from the National Fire Protection Association>>

'Christmas at the Waterfront' in Pictures

Anyone who has ever tried to take pictures at night of any type of event can appreciate how hard it can be to get decent shots of something like Suisun City's 'Christmas at the Waterfront.'

This year, we actually turned to someone for some professional help. >>Here's a link to a catalog of those shots.>>

ABANDONED TILE GIFTS

During 'Christmas at the Waterfront,' Home Depot sponsored a terrific booth that allowed children to paint a tile as a special holiday gift. They all turned out great and everyone had a lot of fun!

But 16 of them were left behind to dry and never claimed. If yours is one of those, come by City Hall and ask for Anita Skinner or call her at 421-7309 during regular business hours.

Christmas Through the Lens

A LOOK AT HOW NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS WORK

On Wednesday, Daily Republic photographer Mike Greener posted a selection of his favorite photos from Suisun City's "Christmas at the Waterfront" on the DR Photo Department's blog entitled "Words on Pictures."

Mike was assigned to cover every community Christmas celebration in the area.

In addition to the very nice photos, he included a narrative discussing how the chose the images he did for the paper, including this candid observation:

"Suisun City's Christmas on the Waterfront was a really awesome display but my decision to not show the boat aspect in the paper was a mistake in the end."

For anyone who has ever wondered how photojournalists decide what makes the paper, this is a must-read blog post! >>Click here for the posting>>

$2,820 for Non-Profits in First Suisun City Christmas Tree Auction

LOCAL BUSINESSES LAUNCH NEW HOLIDAY TRADITION

Eighteen local non-profits raised $2,820 for their groups through the Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration and Tree Auction held Saturday as part of the Christmas at the Waterfront event.

Sponsored by the Suisun City Business Group and the Suisun City Historic Waterfront B.I.D., the celebration and auction offered local residents a real fun opportunity to help local non-profits while being able to take home a beautifully decorated tree to plug right into their home holiday decor.

Particularly given the dour economy, the results of this first local tree auction show the generosity of the Suisun City community.

The $2,420 total haul for the non-profits included $350 in prize money awarded by the business organizations to the first, second and third prize winners.

Groups participating were:

• Cassa of Solano County
• Twilight Rotary Club - Early Act Club
• We "R" Family Childrens Christian Center
• Sullivan Middle School Band Boosters
• Kiwanis Club of Suisun City
• NorthBay Healthcare Foundation
• Solano Christian Academy
• Fairfield Civic Theatre
• Wednesday Club
• Armijo High School Indian Softball Boosters
• Kassondra R. Seney Relief Fund
• Victory Outreach
• Relay for Life - Papa Joe's Pit Crew
• Fairfield-Suisun Community Action Council
• Armijo High School Band Boosters
• Cancer Support Group
• Westwind 4-H Club
• International Order of the Rainbow Girls #7

Congratulations to every group involved, and thank-you for decorating such beautiful trees!

A very special thank-you to the Suisun City Business Group and the Suisun City Historic Waterfront B.I.D. and their committee that brought this event together and worked tirelessly to make it such a success. This wouldn't be possible without you!

We can't wait until next year!

Last Push for Firefighters Toys of Kids Drive

TOY DROP-OFF DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, DEC. 12

Time is running short to bring in a new, unwrapped toy for the Suisun City Toys for Kids drive. Friday is the last day the Firefighters Association will accept toys to be delivered this year.

Toys for children of all ages - from infants and toddlers to young teens - are needed to make Christmas brighter for local families that may go without this holiday season.

To participate, drop-off a new, unwrapped toy in the collection bin at

• Ace Hardware - 252 Sunset Avenue, 94585, in the Heritage Park Shopping Center, Sunset Ave. @ Highway 12
• Athenian Grill - 750 Kellogg Street, 94585
• Virgil's Bait & Tackle - 201 Main Street, 94585
  
• A&J's Pub and Grill - 605 Main Street, 94585
• Suisun City Fire Station - 621 Pintail Drive, 94585, @ East Wigeon Way

Your contribution will help make the Christmas season brighter for Suisun City's children.

Skate Rink Arrives in Suisun City

OPENS AT 6 P.M. FRIDAY FOR WEEKEND FUN

The first-ever outdoor skate rink arrived at the Suisun City Waterfront District this morning amid the early December fog and chill. There's nothing like 30-degree temperatures to bring a skating mood!

The rink will be open

• 6-9 p.m. Friday (Dec. 5)
• Noon - 8 p.m. Saturday (Dec.6)
• Noon - 6 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 7)

Prices, with skates included:

• Children (under 12) $2
• Adults (ages 12-54) $3
• Seniors (55+) $2

All skaters will need to sign a completed waiver before entering the skating surface.

We'd like to thank all our sponsors who made this exciting new Christmas at the Waterfront element possible:

• Jelly Belly
• Anheuser Busch, Fairfield
  
• Solano Garbage
• Main Street West Partners
• Hudson Business Networks, Inc.
• Suisun City Business Group
• Suisun City Historic Waterfront BID

First Holiday Lights Come on Tonight

The first twinkle of holiday lights come on tonight (Monday, Dec. 1) in the Suisun City Waterfront District!

Thousands of lights wrapped around trees and on the wreaths lining Main Street, Kellogg Street and the Marina Promenade will be lit tonight as a warm-up to Suisun City's official welcome of the Christmas holiday season.

Thousands of more lights will be turned on for the first time on Saturday night during the annual "Christmas at the Waterfront" spectacular from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 6. In addition to the Lighted Boat Parade, Santa's arrival, tree lighting and fireworks, we've added an outdoor skate rink and the Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration and Auction.

Enjoy the festive lights, and celebrate the season safely!

Christmas at the Waterfront

HOLIDAY SEASON KICKS OFF DEC. 6

Ring in the holiday season with "Christmas on the Waterfront" in Suisun City. This day-long festival is the most unique holiday celebration in the region with unique features found nowhere else.

The fun gets underway at 2 p.m. when the Christmas Street Faire opens offering a wide array of unique gifts and delicious food. We have an all new gift-making opportunity for children to make a unique present of their very own for that special relative made possible through a partnership with Home Depot.

Also new this year is the special outdoor skating rink! Bring the family down to the Waterfront District for this truly unique and festive opportunity!

Of course, we'll have the Lighted Boat Parade, Christmas tree lighting, spectacular fireworks, a festive bonfire, haywagon rides, and performances by the Dan O. Root II Elementary Chorus, Armijo High School Jazz Band and Solano Youth Theatre's Teen Touring Company.

>>Click here for the day's full schedule>>

You won't want to miss the very special Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration and Auction. Come enjoy and bid on fully decorated Christmas trees trimmed by local nonprofit groups. The silent auction starts at 2 p.m. with bids closing at 6 p.m. All proceeds go to the decorating nonprofit, and you'll get a tree ready for your living room or business.

Come enjoy the holiday season in Suisun City's Waterfront District!

Skate Suisun City's Waterfront District

NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION STARTS THIS YEAR

Outdoor skating in Suisun City? Absolutely!

Imagine gliding across the slick surface on a pair of ice skates overlooking the beautiful Suisun City Marina and Harbor Lighthouse. Holiday music wafts through the air as festive lights twinkle.

Starting at 6 p.m. Friday Dec. 5, the rink will be open right on the Waterfront Promenade across Main Street from the Veterans Memorial Building at Common Street. The rink will be open during the "Christmas at the Waterfront" spectacular on Saturday Dec. 6 from Noon to 8 p.m. and on Sunday Dec. 7 from Noon to 6 p.m.

A family of four can skate for only $10, with the skates included! Adults are $3 and children (up to age 12) and seniors are $2, all including free use of skates.

We'd like to thank our business partners who made this terrific opportunity available at such an affordable price:

• Jelly Belly
• Anheuser Busch, Fairfield
  
• Solano Garbage
• Main Street West Partners
• Hudson Business Networks, Inc.
• Suisun City Business Group
• Suisun City Historic Waterfront BID

The Daily Republic recently lauded the new skate rink:

"Cheers to Suisun City for once again showing the way when it comes to celebrations across Solano County. The City always seems to be the most innovative when it comes to putting on community events. This holiday season is no different."

Come enjoy the skate rink and help us make this a new annual tradition!

Santa Comes Ashore in Suisun City

From The Daily Republic (Subscription required)
By Nika Megino

SUISUN CITY - Santa Claus arrived to town not by air but by water Saturday night as hundreds of Suisun City residents welcomed the holiday season at the annual Christmas in Old Town Suisun.

Lights, Christmas trees and snowmen were among ornaments topping more than a dozen boats at the event's Lighted Boat Parade.

Santa and his elves, all in red-and-white Santa hats, greeted families, couples and individuals lined up at the waterfront with a jolly 'Merry Christmas' from their red-lighted sleigh boat.

The crowd counted down the lighting of the city's Christmas tree, decorated in candy canes, as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus stood alongside Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez.

'Merry Christmas,' Sanchez said as he greeted the crowd with a smile.

Cheers and applause streamed from every corner as the tree was lit in multi-colored fashion. Children reached their hands out as drops of snow dribbled down.

Seven-year-old Sophia Valentino and 5-year-old Olivia Hicks shared their joy of the season as they sang Christmas songs freely along the waterfront.

It was the first time that Cara Valentino, Sophia's mother, had attended the event in 10 years.

'It's better. It was beautiful,' said Valentino, adding that it's beginning to feel like Christmas.

'Having the water and having the boats is unique.' Peter Valentino, the head of the Valentino clan, expressed his pride in how Suisun City rings in the holidays.

'It was great to see a lot of people come out and have that sense of community again,' Cara Valentino said.

Reach Nika Megino at 427-6953 or nmegino@dailyrepublic.net.