Youth Business Boot Camp

The Solano College Small Business Development Center will conduct a free week-long Youth Business Boot Camp on June 20-24, 9 am – 3 pm, as part the Young Entrepreneur Program (YEP) for for youth ages 14-27.

This free program is designed to teach young people how to start a business or simply explore the world of business. The Boot Camp will be held at the Solano College Main Campus, Room 706.

“We had 42 very motivated youth participate in our pilot program in Vacaville and Vallejo," said Charles Eason, Director of the SBDC, "Entrepreneurship is an important element for increasing the self-confidence levels of students. Many students have a desire to achieve their dreams and goals of developing a business. However they need guidance, a clear plan, and encouragement."

During the week long business boot camp, participants will work individually or in teams to develop a business plan for starting and growing a business of their choice. The 30-hour program is structured to offer practical and hands-on learning from Solano College Certified Business Advisors and Local Business Leaders.

The YEP program is funded by a grant through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Economic Workforce Development Program to promote entrepreneurship as a career pathway.

The program focuses on practical interpersonal and technical skills needed to own and operate a business. The goal of YEP is to provide information, knowledge, and “real world” experience to help students master business related skills. “We are teaching youth how they can turn their passion and talents into a business,” Eason said.

For more information regarding the YEP program or to register for the Youth Business Boot Camp, contact the SBDC at (707) 864-3382 or visit www.solanosbdc.org.

GREAT Program Combats Gang Influence

POLICE TO IMPLEMENT CURRICULUM THIS SCHOOL YEAR

SUISUN CITY - The Suisun City Police Department is the first agency in the Solano County region to launch a new gang education program to help inoculate incoming sixth graders against gang lifestyles.

The Suisun City Council recently accepted a federal grant to pay for the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) Program. The curriculum, taught by specially trained police officers, will be introduced at Crystal Middle School this school year, but may expand to the three elementary schools in Suisun City depending on scheduling.

“The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District has been a great partner of ours in bringing these types of youth-oriented prevention programs to our schools,” said Police Chief Ed Dadisho. “The District recognizes the importance of implementing the GREAT Program as a preemptive anti-gang measure for our at-risk youth.”

The GREAT Program, which is administered by the federal Office of Justice Program’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, is a classroom curriculum intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership. GREAT lessons focus on providing students with life skills to help them avoid engaging in delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems.

>>Read More>>

>>About the Suisun City Police Department>>

UPDATE: Suisun City Firefighters Raise $11,484.40 to Save School Sports

SUISUN CITY — The Suisun City Firefighters Association collected $11,484.40 during its "Boot Drive" to help restore local school sports programs on Saturday April 24.

About 25 firefighters and their families were joined by more than 70 local school athletes, parents and coaches on Sunset Avenue near the Heritage Park and Sunset shopping centers. The Association had hoped to raise $3,000 to $5,000.

"It was a very successful day," said Fire Capt. Greg Renucci, who helped organize the event for the Firefighters Association.

All proceeds from the Boot Drive will go to the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District “Save Our Athletic Programs” effort to raise community donations to fund Middle and High School sports programs for the 2010/11 school year. The District recently cut all funding for sports programs to reduce its budget while preserving classroom instruction.

"We think sports are an important part of the school experience, so we want to do something to help," Renucci said. "This is just our part to support our local kids."

Residents are encouraged to stop by to visit. The sports programs could be fully restored if every household in Suisun City and Fairfield donated $18.

For more information, contact the Suisun City Fire Department at 707-425-9133.

>>Make a direct online, tax-deductible donation to the FSUSD SOAP Fund>>

ABOUT THE SUISUN CITY FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION

The Suisun City Firefighters Association has 43 members all of whom serve as volunteer firefighters in the Suisun City Fire Department. The Suisun City Fire Department is the largest urban fire service in California that is entirely staffed with volunteer firefighters.

In addition to staffing the Fire Department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Association sponsors a number of popular community events, including the annual Toys for Kids drive, Easter Egg Hunt and the Halloween Parade and Costume Contest that has been an annual favorite for more than 50 years.

Planning Commission to Consider Salvation Army Application

PERMIT TO HELP FINALIZE SALE OF PROPERTY, REOPENING OF COMMUNITY CENTER

SUISUN CITY — The Suisun City Planning Commission will consider on Wednesday a conditional use permit and general plan finding necessary to re-open the center for family and youth activities.

After purchasing and renovating the property, The Salvation Army plans to operate

• Family fitness and recreation center activities seven days a week, including fitness machines, aerobics classes, gymnaseum sports, swim lessons and pool operations.
• After-school youth tutoring and supervised recreation activities.
• Social assistance for local families, such as emergency pre-packaged food, applications for utility asistance programs, information and referrals to other agencies, and personal counseling.
• Summer and Christmas seasonal activities.
• Disaster response training and services as needed following a disaster.
• Various community meetings and events, such as weddings, anniversaries, etc.
  

The Planning Commission review and action will help The Salvation Army finalize negotiations to purchase the facility formerly operated by the North Bay YMCA. The Suisun City Council may be asked to consider a sales proposal later this month.

The Planning Commission meeting will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday August 5 in the City Hall Council Chamber. >>READ MORE>>

A book for every child: Giveaway program is run by teens

TEENS BRING PROGRAM TO SUISUN ELEMENTARY

I spotted this in the Vacaville Reporter this morning. It's great to see local teens recognized for working with the younger kids.

By Ryan Chalk/ RChalk@TheReporter.com
Posted: 02/05/2009 01:00:54 AM PST

One book at a time, brothers Kyle and Brady Baldwin are bringing smiles to children's faces.

On Wednesday, Brady Baldwin, along with two other volunteers, visited two classrooms at Suisun Elementary School in Suisun City, to read stories to the students and give each one a book to take home.

Brady and his brother are the founders of My Own Book, a nonprofit organization designed to promote reading and distribute brand-new children's books to less fortunate children.

Inside Janet Robertson's first-grade classroom, Armijo High School seniors Sarah Doolittle and Blanca Guerra took turns reading stories as students got up, one by one, to pick out a book from one of the three boxfuls that Baldwin carted in with him. Once the students picked a book, Baldwin placed a personalized bookplate with their name on the inside cover.

"It feels really nice to see all the kids," said Guerra. "They really enjoy it and have fun with it."

The brothers started the organization a few years back as part of their Suisun Valley 4-H service project. Since then it has blossomed, with the pair and their devoted volunteers reading and distributing more than 16,000 books throughout schools in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District and at Solano County Library branches.

Brady, who's brother Kyle is currently attending Bryant University in Rhode Island and doing outreach on the East Coast, said they get books from publishers and bookstores for free or at a discounted rate.

Their organization recently won a $10,000 grant sponsored by Best Buy, which will allow them to purchase and distribute 8,000 new books.

"Usually, the average children's book is pretty expensive," said Brady Baldwin. "We're trying to get a book to every child 8 and under. And if their family doesn't have the means to buy a book, they can give us their address and we'll send them a book."

This month, the brothers are promoting their National Share the Love of Reading Month event. They encourage every teen and adult in the nation to buy a children's book, read it to a child and then give it to him or her.

Anyone who knows of a child who needs a book can contact the brothers through their Web site at www.myownbook.net, or write to Brady Baldwin, 4657 Green Valley Road, Fairfield, CA 94534. Include the child's name and a personalized book plate will be added. Schools are invited to participate in the program as well.

Our thanks to the Vacaville Reporter for letting us link to their story and help spread the good news.

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.

Suisun City Dancer in 'High School Musical 3'

Tiffany Mallari, grew up in Suisun City and got her start as a dancer and performer at Dance Directions - a long-time Waterfront District studio, is starring in Disney's "High School Musical 3."

Here's how Amy Maginnis-Honey started her story on Tiffany in today's Daily Republic:

SUISUN CITY - Look closely at Disney's 'High School Musical 3' on the big screen and you will see two local dancers with featured roles in the film.

Tiffany Mallari, who grew up in Suisun City and now lives in Southern California, and Tyler Welling, an Armijo High School senior, share the silver screen with the movie's main characters.

Mallari credited her 'dance mom,' dance teacher Lisa Clark Schmelling of Dance Direction in Suisun City, for helping her grow as a performer.

'She always looked out for me and was there when I needed advice,' Mallari said. 'She pretty much helped raise me since I was 4.'

For the complete story about Tiffany and Tyler, see www.dailyrepublic.com

$100 Dilemma Solved

If you found a $100 bill while you were picking up garbage, what would you do with it?

Quinn Weaver, a 9-year-old Cub Scout from Suisun City, found himself in just that spot during the Coast and Creek Cleanup Day on Sept. 20. Working with his family near Laurel Creek, the boy found a $100 bill among the weeds and litter.

Here's how the Daily Republic's Cecil Conley started his Sept. 27, 2008, A1 story about Quinn:

"Nine-year-old Quinn Weaver grinned when asked whether he would define 'a lot of money' as having two quarters in the palm of his hand.

Quinn may be just a fourth-grade student at Crescent Elementary School in Suisun City, but he knows a thing or two about currency and the value of money.

As Quinn, his father and sister were gathering trash at Laurel Creek last Saturday during the California Coastal Cleanup Day, Quinn found a $100 bill.

'It was a lot of quarters,' he said.

Quinn first thought the bill was a leaf. After his father, Kelly, inspected it, Quinn and his sister, Bridget, soon knew they had found 'a lot of money.'

As the finder of the bill, Quinn could have very well become the keeper of the money. And what would a 9-year-old boy buy with $100?

'Video games,' he said."

Instead, Quinn donated the money to the Cub Scouts!

There's the Suisun City community spirit in action!

Here's a link to the Quinn family's very proud blog post. (Kudos the Quinn's parents for teaching life's real lessons!)

By the way, Crescent Elementary School's slogan: "Stars Rise at Crescent Elementary." Quinn is definitely a star in our book!

Suisun City's Wednesday Club offers several scholarships

From the Vacaville Reporter

The Wednesday Club of Suisun City is seeking qualified students to audition for two $500 music scholarships which the club presents each year.

The students must be a graduating high school senior planning to major in music. They also must reside in the Fairfield-Suisun area.

Students are required to be prepared to perform two selections. Any accompaniment necessary will be at the expense of the applicant. Applications must submitted by April 1.

Auditions will be held at The Wednesday Club at 4 p.m. May 1. The Wednesday Club is located at 225 Sacramento St., Suisun City.

The Anna Kyle-Isla Wright Music Scholarship has been presented for many years. Anna Kyle was a Solano County music teacher and an active Wednesday Club member. Isla Wright was Anna Kyle's cousin.

Kyle started the original Music Scholarship in memory of Isla Wright. Caroline Covey is a Fairfield area piano teacher and violinist who has also been a Wednesday Club member for many years. She was the founder and director of the choral group, The Dulcetones.

Scholarship awards will be made at the June 11 meeting of The Wednesday Club.

Applications are available at all area high schools.

For further information, call Caroline Covey at 425-0427 or Jacklyn Warner at 425-0846.

Code-Kid program recognizes efforts of youth

By Audrey Wong

SUISUN CITY - Shawna McPherson, 10, didn't realize she was making a good impression as she wrapped gifts for her parents outside in the cold last year.

An organizer of Code-Kid was impressed by Shawna's efforts and selected her the nonprofit group's first Suisun Youth Ambassador in January for having a good attitude.

The Crescent Elementary School student received a plaque, $50 and a wallet. Shawna said the recognition was exciting.

• Who: Code-Kid
• What: Nonprofit group to help law enforcement and the community
• Info: 971-9091 or CodeKidSolano@aol.com
• Fax: 448-8525

For the full article, visit the Daily Republic website.

ATOD to launch social marketing campaign

This spring, the Solano County Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) program with the full support and partnership with the City of Suisun City will launch an effort to educate parents, other adults, and youth on the dangers of teen drinking and drug use.

The social marketing campaign will create a variety of resources including brochures, tip cards, bookmarks, napkins, coasters, posters and bumper stickers in both English and Spanish on

• How to talk to young people about the effects of drinking
• How to identify alcohol and drug problems
• What the community can do to help

A public service announcement will be broadcast on local cable stations beginning in April to heighten community awareness of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs as a danger to the youth and families of the community.

This broad outreach and education program will spur conversation about potential hazards and proactive solutions on teen drinking from Solano County and nationwide.

Need more information, contact Kelly Davis at kdavis@suisun.com or call 707-421-7200.