Supplies Dwindle for Salvation Army's Effort to Feed Solano County Families

ORGANIZATION ASKS FOR THE PUBLIC'S HELP TO 'FEED THE NEED'

The Salvation Army issued the following information this week regarding it's need for the public's help:

SUISUN CITY, Calif. - With recent reports of longer periods of unemployment after job losses and the unemployment rate still high, The Salvation Army serving Solano County is seeing heavy demand for food relief.  More and more, neighbors are telling The Salvation Army they’ve finally reached the end of their savings.  These people desperately need help.

"We don’t feed statistics, we feed people," said Captain Jonathan Harvey, Solano County Coordinator, explaining his assessment of increased need.  "In this community, we are seeing a whole new population coming to us for food.  Our regulars are now being joined by the formerly middle-class, a group that's just begun to embrace a nightmare they probably thought they'd never see; no money for food.  With foreclosures, gasoline and utility costs rising, not to mention the effects of recession, times are hard for many in our community."

Unfortunately, this phenomenon coincides with a seasonal low in Salvation Army food pantry supplies.  "We've used up our holiday donations feeding people through the holidays and beyond," Captain Harvey said. "We need a new influx of support."  

The Salvation Army is asking for donations of non-perishable food items.  There are certain “staples” provided in every box, including:

Soup                                Stew                        Jelly                        Pancake Mix        
Baby food                        Cereal                        Boxed Dinners        Spaghetti noodles        
Canned fruit                        Rice                        Spaghetti sauce        Canned Meat                
Beans                                Mac & Cheese        Peanut butter                Canned Veggies                

Individuals who would like to donate food for the food pantry can drop it off at Solano County’s Service Offices located in Fairfield and Vacaville at: 630 Orange Drive, Suite M in Vacaville >> map >> or 1216 Missouri Street in Fairfield. >> map >>

Monetary donations are always needed and can be sent to:
The Salvation Army of Fairfield        The Salvation Army of Vacaville:          Or, visit: www.GoSalArmy.org
P.O. Box 3157                                P.O. Box 5664                                to make a secure donation
Fairfield, CA 94533                        Vacaville, CA 95688                        

For more information, please contact:
Captain Jonathan Harvey-Solano County Coordinator
(707) 439-7881 Office   Jonathan.Harvey@usw.salvationarmy.org

Suisun City Welcomes Summer in a Huge Way!

With school over and the weather warming, summer is a favorite season for many, particularly the rain-weary in Northern California.

Suisun City, California, is welcoming Summer in a big, big way starting this weekend!

Dimitri's Lounge - the hottest new live music and comedy venue - is setting the table with soulful Jazz and Spoken Word by "Ifamodupe" on Thursday (6/10) followed up Friday night (6/11) with the region's favorite party band - The Time Bandits!

That should get you warmed up for Saturday (6/12) with fun for literally everyone:

• Shore Fest kicks off the summer festival season from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with Garratt Wilkin and the Parrotheads, The Honeybee Trio, and tons of arts, crafts and family fun.
  >>Get more info!>>
  
  
• The Lady of Suisun paddlewheel riverboat is pushing off from the Suisun City Marina for two public Shore Fest Delta cruises at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. This is a great chance for the entire family to see nature's wonders! >>Get more info!>>
  
  
• The Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class is sponsoring 'Grab a Mic Night,' a karaoke-themed fund-raiser from 5-10 p.m. in partnership with the Cast Iron Grill & Bar, located in the terrific new Harbor Square right on Main at Solano Street!
  
  
• Rather listen to your music? Dimitri's Lounge presents the Urban Bushmen Band at 9:30 p.m.
  
  
• Between all the scheduled fun, swing by the Lawler House at 712 Main Street to visit the Lawler House Gallery and the Solano History Exploration Center. Or head to the south end of Kellogg Street to stop by the Suisun Wildlife Center, a state-certified wildlife rescue center with resident animals and educational displays.
  

You might want to stop in to one of the 12 independent restaurants in the Waterfront District to refresh, and maybe consider an overnight stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites Suisun City Waterfront because we've got some more on Sunday!

On Sunday (6/13)

• Diablo Jet Ski Action will take to the Suisun City Marina waters for the most exciting, live jet ski racing in Northern California! Suisun City hosts the only venue to get an upclose view of all the free race action from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.!
  
  
• Grab some lunch or visit the Lawler House before you wrap up the weekend back at Dimitri's Lounge with The Sound of Souls Band at 7 p.m.

Whew! That's a seriously busy weekend! And that doesn't even include a trip out to Suisun Valley for some great wine tasting at the best wine country you've probably never heard about!

And that's just the start of the summer in Suisun City! The next weekend - right in time for Father's Day - we kick off the Friday Nights at the Waterfront concert series, the Saturday Night at the Movies outdoor film festival and the Waterfront Jazz Series each Sunday through September. Plus, the Lady of Suisun is running two Father's Day cruises on June 20!

Make sure to go to www.VisitSuisunCity.com for all the information, or join us on Facebook!

News About Suisun City, California | SCT Presents Shakespeare in the Park Production of Much Ado About Nothing

News About Suisun City, California | SCT Presents Shakespeare in the Park Production of Much Ado About Nothing

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Kids & Kites Fest to go on

Rain, Rain, Go Away! The weather forecast shows a 60% chance of no rain showers on our first festival of the year!

We've planned an awesome day on the Suisun City Waterfront with the Kids and Kites Fest. >>Click here for more info>>

But if it's too chilly for your tastes try on of the four performances of 'Emperor's New Clothes' in the Harbor Theatre and Free Comic Book Day at Waterfront Comics!  The Suisun Wildlife Center visitor center also will be open all day for you to check out their displays of native animals and plants. >>Click here for more info>>

Stop by the Waterfront District between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. today!

'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.

Go Inside the Salvation Army Community Centers

SPARKLING SF CENTER SHOWS POTENTIAL FOR SUISUN CITY

Everyone knows The Salvation Army. In the least, we recognize the annual Christmas kettle drive and know they do a lot of great work all over the country and the world.

But their work in recreation community centers wasn't really on a lot of people's radars locally until The Salvation Army showed interest in reopening the local recreation center shuttered by the YMCA.

The review committees paid a visit to The Salvation Army's San Francisco center as part of the research done into selecting a new partner to operate our local center. Committee members were very impressed with what they saw, especially considering the SF Center is located in the Tenderloin District.

The San Francisco center is one of The Salvation Army's Kroc Centers, a network of community centers created through a massive $1.5 billion endowment from Ray and Joan Kroc, the founders of McDonald's. The Kroc Centers are truly impressive; definitely Cadillac examples of what recreation-based community centers can be when they are built from the ground-up on large tracts of land. The Salvation Army runs these centers at a very high service standard.

That's the important part for any future relationship here in Suisun City. The center on Pintail Avenue at East Wigeon likely will never be a full-blown Kroc Center. But that same approach, commitment and outlook would be applied here in Suisun City on a somewhat smaller scale.

Daily Republic reporter Ian Thompson and photographer Brad Zweerink toured the San Francisco center this week and filed their report in Thursday's paper. >>Check out the Daily Republic web site for a peak inside the center.>>

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

The Salvation Army is Top Contender to Re-open Center

OFFICIALS LAUNCH DISCUSSION ON OPERATIONS AGREEMENT

The Suisun City Council has identified The Salvation Army as its top pick for further discussions regarding taking over the community center shuttered by the North Bay YMCA. This step allows both parties to focus on bringing back youth and family programs that are vital to supporting and strengthening the Suisun City community.

The City Council Ad Hoc Committee and Citizens’ Advisory Committee assigned to review proposals from seven organizations wanting to re-open the facility, unanimously selected The Salvation Army as the top choice based upon its commitment to families, communities and the high level of service evident in more than 360 recreation centers it operates across the nation.

In making this determination, the top priorities of the City Council Ad Hoc and Citizens’ Advisory committees were to ensure:

• Commitment to a safe place for children when schools are closed;
• Commitment to partner with other community groups for facility usage;
• Maximum access to programs regardless of ability to pay;
• Pool operations;
• Basketball court usage; and
• Fitness center, including machines and free weights.

Representatives of the City and The Salvation Army have begun discussions on a financial arrangement to take on operations of this facility that meets the fiscal and service needs of both parties. Program and facility assessments are also underway. Timelines for reopening the facility are expected to become clearer after the first of the year.

After a rigorous series of interviews and site visits, The Salvation Army rose to the top of the list because of the quality of its operations, its desire to provide services not otherwise available in the community, and its commitment to becoming part of the community. Specifically, the committees were impressed with The Salvation Army’s commitment to provide a safe and fun environment for children, its flexibility in programming and membership rates, its wide base of financial support, and its worldwide reputation for enduring high-quality programs. The Salvation Army prides itself on providing support services to families to ensure their success economically and as a basic building block of society.

“The Salvation Army is much more than ‘bell ringers’ during the Christmas holidays and service providers to the homeless and other people in crisis,” said City Manager Suzanne Bragdon.

“Their services are far-reaching and include the operation of more than 360 community recreation facilities similar to what is being proposed in Suisun City. They will be a welcome addition to our community.”

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a faith-based Christian organization that has actively supported those in need without discrimination in the United States for 128 years. Nearly 29 million American receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad array of social services ranging from providing food for the hungry to relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter for the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.

For more information about The Salvation Army, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org.

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!

Hiking Rush Ranch

Just southeast of Suisun City is one of the region's real gems: Rush Ranch.

The Ranch is an excellent place to learn and appreciate the history of Solano County, and enjoy the natural wonders that surround us.

The "Hikin' the Bay" blog recently posted pictures and descriptions of the terrific hiking available on the Ranch. (Good news: Our little treasure is becoming a region favorite.)

Offering sweeping vistas of upland hills and the Suisun Marsh, the Ranch's three hiking trails offer varied terrain and degrees of difficulty to suit just about any trekker.

If you've never been to The Ranch, or if it's been a while, you'll want to go on the 3rd Saturday of the month when they have blacksmithing demonstrations and hay-wagon rides from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also offer a guided nature walk starting at 9 a.m.

Key Link:

• Rushranch.net

Museum Train Ride to Pumpkin Patch

One of the truly terrific local family activities is the annual Pumpkin Patch Festival at the Western Railway Museum on Highway 12 east of Suisun City.

From the museum, you take a ride on an antique electric railway train along an express track 5 miles into the country to pick through hundreds of pumpkins! It's a trip the entire family will love!

The festival runs weekends through Oct. 26, so don't dally. The Hipwaders, a terrific band oriented specifically for kids, and Limber Jim Bartz Band are playing the festival!

I spotted this announcement on the Univision website.

Key links:

• Western Railway Museum
• Pumpkin Patch Event page

Saturday Movies Outdoors on the Waterfront

What could say "summer" better than a comfortable & fun Saturday Night @ The Movies?

That's exactly what you get when you bring your family to the Suisun City Waterfront District each Saturday night for the free movie series through Sept. 27 (except for Memorial Day weekend, which we leave to your family activities.)

The line-up is pure family fun, with a mix of newer hits with older favorites:

• July 19 – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (PG-13, Warner Bros., live action)
• July 26 – Surf’s Up (PG, Sony Pictures Animation)
• Aug. 2 – The Goonies (PG, Amblin Entertainment, live action)
• Aug. 9 – The Water Horse (PG, Beacon Pictures, live action, family fantasy)
• Aug. 16 – Back to the Future (PG, Amblin Entertainment, live action)
• Aug. 23 – The Golden Compass (PG-13, New Line Cinema, live action, family fantasy)
• Sept. 6 – High School Musical 2 (G, Walt Disney Pictures, live action, musical)
• Sept. 13 – Ratatouille (G, Pixar Animation Studios)
• Sept. 20 – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PG-13, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, live action, adventure)
• Sept. 27 – Happy Feet (PG, Kingdom Feature Productions, animation)

Come early for dinner at a great local restaurant, then stroll over to Harbor Plaza for the free movie, starting at dusk (approx. 9 p.m.) at Solano and Main Streets. Check out all the info online with an interactive map showing directions, parking and dining suggestions.

Make sure to pack the blankets and low-slung chairs because evenings can be a bit cool. Popcorn and light theater fare available for purchase.

When you come to the Waterfront District these days you will notice some really exciting construction projects underway.

Right off Highway 12 at Civic Center Blvd, a new Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel is under construction. This 102-room waterfront hotel is expected to open next Spring and provide a terrific place to stay overnight right in the heart the burgeoning Waterfront District. (Click here for more information.)

On Main Street at Solano Street (right across from the Harbor Plaza concert stage), 40,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space is nearing completion. Harbor Square is expected to be completed this fall with exciting new restaurants to open there in early 2009. (Click here for more information.)

Come see Waterfront District renaissance, then grab a friend to come explore the Waterfront District again for yourselves.