O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?
— Percy Bysshe Shelley
This is such a special time of the year where we can put away all of our deep thoughts and revel in the upcoming showers that will bring our spring flowers. Bulbs are planted, pine needles and leaves raked, and I am ready for that special crisp air that smells so fresh from the rain mixed with the blue skies peeking out from the freshly budded trees. I have a feeling that this year will be wonderful, and when we look back, it will be a turn of the tide for all good things.
2019 is here! Remember how in 1999 all the computers were going to crash, and people were planning for a doomsday event? Crazy to think that 20 years have passed, and even crazier if you watch the original Blade Runner movie and realize that it is now the time the movie was set in: at the time it was made (1982), 2019 was 37 years away. If that is not making you feel old, you must not have been going to the movies in 1982. People have oftentimes wondered what the future would hold, and we’re glad that 2019 is not much like the movie. So, while we wait until the ball drops on December 31st to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our 1999 party, we still have much to enjoy this year.
In addition to the new year, our 8th Annual Local’s Choice Awards have also arrived! A collection of our annual reader’s survey to find the best spots in the area. As you may know, we select one winner for each category in Contra Costa, Napa and Solano counties. If your favorite did not win, make sure to vote for them next year!
You may have also noted that the days are getting a bit longer, and a bit warmer, which means that soon the plants and trees will be blooming, and outdoor events will soon be upon us. (For all of you prone to allergies—get ready!) It is never too early to start planning for upcoming events and our calendar is always there to help. The moment we learn about new events in the region, they go up on our calendar so you can plan right away. As we look through them for this issue, the number of events constantly happening all around never ceases to amaze us. We wish we had more pages to list every great event we can find, but we chose carefully. Please make sure to take a look when you are planning your next adventure.
If it is still too cold for you to go outside in comfort, and if you like films and crabs, this is the season for you. While it is the tail end of the crab feed season, there are still plenty of these feasts happening for the next few weeks, and the film festivals are going strong right now as they align with the national film awards season. It is a great time to enjoy both.
We want to leave you wanting for more — so remember that next issue (April/May) will be our home improvement issue and the Total Home & Garden Show in Vacaville will be from April 5th to the 7th, 2019 —so mark your calendars!
Here are a few birthday wishes for the coming months. We would like to start with our oldest brother, Larry: we wish you a very happy birthday! And we offer even more birthday cheer to Stephen, Megan, Jo Ann, Mars, Marco, Tracey, Johnny, Myrna, Judy, Askari, John, Gary, Marc, Socorro, John Troupe, Louise, Betsey, Tim, Erin, Shane, Rafaela, Christina, Patti, Dennis, Elizabeth, Judi, Dalia, Uncle Gabe, Frank, Francis, Raymond, Judi, Dennis, Louise, Reyna, Judy, Liz, Eric, and Juanita.
We hope all of you enjoy our upcoming spring season to the fullest. Cheers!
Deanna Baillie
Robert Briseño & Deanna Troupe
Well, another year is coming to a close, and it is always with a bit of sadness and trepidation that we wind up the year. What will 2019 bring us? Hopefully, more rain will fill our skies, and less fire will burn our hills and homes. 2019 is not an election year, so we should all be able to focus a little more on going out and enjoying our community. We know that the California fires have made 2018 a very difficult year for many people near and dear to us. It is our hope that we will all come together to help our neighbors rebuild their lives after such devastation, and maybe even find a way of preventing such disasters from ever happening again.
In times like these, community is more important than ever, so we will continue to highlight all that our dynamic tri-county region has to offer in order to keep our communal spirits thriving stronger than ever before. To celebrate those who have gone above and beyond, helping to sculpt our region into such a great place to live, we will be announcing the winners of our Local Happenings Magazine Local’s Choice Awards in our next issue.
Please do your part to help make this a safe holiday season as well. Don’t drink and drive. Be watchful for others on the road, with extra attention to pedestrians and motorcyclists! Make sure to water your Christmas trees so they don’t dry and start a fire. Make sure the menorah is placed a safe distance away from anything flammable. Holiday lights and turkey fryers can also be dangerous, so make sure to use them carefully. Remember, small batteries and magnets can be present in many small toys and they do not mix well with small children. But of course, enjoy yourself, too. Yes, it is a season of giving, but you should give yourself time to enjoy it, without the constant worry of doing everything for everyone. Your friends and family will remember their time with you more than that pair of designer socks or bottle of limited wine you searched far and wide to find.
Sadly, we recently lost our faithful mascot, Ben, and we know many of you saw him out and about in his younger years. He missed seeing everyone these past couple of years and we know everyone will miss him! Here he is gracing the cover in 2015. You may see more of Ben’s travels on page 17.
Finally, we’d like to send our birthday greetings to our family and friends, starting with our brother-in-law, Ken, as well as Steven M., Marla, Rod, Joanne, Tony, Jill, Rob, Michael, Jose, Bobby, Rosemarie, Vrej, Vijay, Pancho, Margaret, Stacey, Gary, Momma Hand, Monique, Connie, Lucy, Kathleen, Leslie, Jim, Elissa, Ginger, Bonnie, Linda, Bobbie, our brother Gregory B., Sid, John, Rick, Stephanie, Roman, John, Adrianna, Peggy, Samantha, and Steve, and to any and all who we might have missed, we are thinking of you as well!
Cheers to the holidays, and to the new year!
Robert Briseño
& Deanna Troupe
And here we are, less than 90 days till the end of 2018. The days are growing ever shorter and cooler (though we have to say that this was a fairly cool summer here). Thankfully, we live in a region where summer extends well into October, sometimes as far as early November. So don’t lament the passing of 2018 yet as there is still much to enjoy: pumpkins and ghouls, turkey and family, and fall festivals!
Many of the crafters and artists are outselling their wares before the end of the year so that we can all get our Christmas shopping done early. We have plenty of events to enjoy in the coming months, such as Oktoberfest, Halloween, wine dinners, the symphony and opera season, the Dickens Fair, and more. Just because the days are a bit shorter does not mean that you should stay home; it only means that you need to get out and enjoy the fall evenings. After all, cooler nights mean comfy sweaters and warm fires to snuggle near.
By the way…
NOW is the time to vote. And not just for the local and national elections—some of which are already underway!—but also for our 8th Annual Local’s Choice Awards! Voting is already going strong, and remember that it is never too late to nominate or vote for your favorites in each of our 12 categories. Keep in mind that there is ONE winner per category for each county (Napa, Solano, and Contra Costa). So make sure to nominate and vote for your favorite in EACH county, not just your own. You can also vote once per day as well. So, just like Chicago, vote early and often! Our polls close on December 9th, so get out there and vote today, tomorrow and everyday until 12/9. Our winners will be announced in our 2019 February/March issue of Local Happenings Magazine.
This issue also marks the end of our 9th year. We will be celebrating our 10th anniversary next year, and we are excited that we have been able to connect our readers to their community for a decade. We look forward to many years to come, as it has been an honor to bring you the community news and events.
Along with Local Happenings Magazine’s birthday, there are so many of our family and friends that are also celebrating their birthday over this time as well. We would like to wish Christopher, Clara, Rory, Tim, Michelle, Susan, Jeannie, Bea, Caroline, Monica, Jon, Liz, Mark, Cristina, Curt, Lori, Shawna, Kathy, Candy, Luis, Nico, Emily, Hermie, Xavier, Reagan, Ben, Norb, Jennifer, Shawna, LeeAnn, Ken, Amy, Ali, Julia, Connie, Tony, Kevin, Josette, Linda, Cera, John, Angelita, Larry, Paula, Alyssa, Kevin, Teena, Billie, and everyone celebrating their special day of the year in October and November!
And we always have room to print a special shout-out to Mom and Dad Briseño (Genny and Ray to everyone else) on their 65th wedding anniversary! We hope their day is as special as they are. We love you mom and dad!
Until next time . . .
Robert Briseño & Deanna Troupe
It is always with a touch of melancholy that we greet this issue and time of year. We are well into summer now, and there are but five months left in 2018. The days are long and hot, but they are growing ever shorter; as each day passes, there is just a little less sunlight to enjoy. That being said, we still have plenty of 2018 to enjoy, so our spirits remain lifted! Plus, the kids will be going back to school soon, and Robert is always a fan of returning to a more regular schedule. Baseball is still in full swing (pun intended) and while we enjoy the boys of summer, the men of the gridiron prepare for their return as well. We are now in the prime season for outdoor festivals and events for all of us to enjoy regardless of your passions. Music, wine, beer, art, jazz, crafts, and more will all be fully represented in a variety of festivals in the coming months. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for your favorites.
In addition to our busy festival and sports season, now is the time to give thought to your favorite business, festival, activity and non-profit as we gear up for voting in our annual Local’s Choice Awards. Voting will open up in September, as it always does, and please read more in the following pages to get all of the details so that you can nominate your favorites for next year’s winners.
In addition to our Local’s Choice Awards and our calendar, there are a few more stories in this issue of events and organizations around us to help you discover more of your community. Enjoy and if you have an idea or two for a story you would like to see in our pages, please let us know. We are always looking for those interesting stories from the communities around us.
We would like to offer some birthday wishes to some of our readers and faithful friends: Robert Briseño, one of the magazine’s creators, and his wife, Regina, are celebrating not only another revolution around our solar system’s sun, but also their 13th wedding anniversary (which has a theme of “lace”, hmmm…) too! Other birthday shout-outs go to our sisters Karen, Barbara and Clara, and to our nephew Christopher. There are a few more of course to recognize as well: John, Kenny, Joe, Catherine, Krystle, Jeff, Bob, Pippen, Yvonne, Michael, Duane, Christine, Wendy, Lou, Emily, Debbie, Dora, Therese, Freda, Cindy, Patty, Tricia, Harry, Joanne, Patrick, Cindy, Don, Mel, Derrick, Rich, Diane, Dan, Roberta, Holly, JoEllen, Jim, Eric, Caroline, Bea, Shannon, and everyone else whom we know and love who are celebrating in August, September, and early October!
To our loyal readers: Enjoy the rest of your summer, and remember to use this magazine (and our website!) to help you discover all that you could be doing tonight, tomorrow, and later this month.
Cheers!
Robert Briseño & Deanna Troupe
That was fast! We are almost to the halfway point of the year, and summer is descending upon us. Kids are getting out of school and another crop of high school and college graduates are about to embark on the next stage of their lives. Wedding and baseball seasons are both in full swing (we wonder if there is some sort of correlation there . . .) and many of us are getting ready for a vacation. Robert, one of the partners of Local Happenings Magazine, is about to begin a vacation himself with his family that will take him overseas to two different continents, multiple time zones, and to the southern hemisphere. Perhaps, he will regale us with the full tale of his adventure in the next issue. Those of us that are staying closer to home—do not worry, there is so much to do. The SF Bay Area is full of adventures for all types and budgets. Remember, for most of the world, a trip to the SF Bay Area would be a dream come true! With its numerous wine regions, delicious restaurants, sweeping vistas, and all the rest that it has to offer—and we are living that every day! We know the high costs and busy roads are not always the stuff of happy dreams, but there is always so much to discover here.
July 4th is also on the horizon, which marks the 242nd anniversary of the birth of our great nation, BUT it falls on a Wednesday this year. While a mid-week break is always nice we would imagine that many of you would be combining that with a couple of days off to make for a multi-day getaway. Many cities will be having parades, fireworks, picnics, and other traditional events. Many of those events will be listed on our calendar; whether it is a single day off or a multi-day mini-vacation, now would be a good time to start thinking about where you will be spending the holiday, and our calendar is there to help. Even if you are not a big fan of crowds, there will still be plenty for you to do. Remember too that there are just a few years to go until the 250th anniversary in 2026—mark your calendars now!
Also, a quick reminder for our Annual Local’s Choice Awards. Our voting will be opening up in September. If you want to nominate a person or a business, that is when you will be able to, so put on your thinking cap now.
Finally, to all our all friends and family that are marking their annual journey around the sun, we say Happy Birthday!! Here are but a few of them: our mother, Genevieve, Robert’s daughter Veronica as well as our niece, Danielle, along with Julie, Jim, Lisa, Donna, Christine, Victor, Kyle, Sam, Ken, Maureen, Marc, Faith, Ann, Lynn, Karen, Juan, Jodi, Gigi, Sherry, Kenny, Jack, Jay, Tom, Matt, Jennifer, Clint, Ken, Phil, Amelia, Tina, Doug, Krystal, Bob, Pippen and to all who are adding a year to their bio—we are celebrating with you!
Cheers!
Robert Briseño & Deanna Troupe
Three months down and tax day is on the horizon. Spring has sprung; and before you know it, we will be pulling out our bathing suits for a trip down to the pool or the beach. Until then, we hopefully will enjoy a bit more rain before we gear up for the warmer months.
April is always a busy time of the year for events, and this year is no different. Mother’s Day and Memorial Day are the two big ones in May. Easter was early and has already past; so beyond tax filing day (which it is always nice to have a glass of cheer once you get those pesky returns taken care of), we have Earth day, Take Our Daughter and Sons to Work Day, and Arbor day (we are big fans of the trees). May Day, Star Wars Day and, of course, Cinco De Mayo are all in May as well. All my teacher friends will remind me that May 8th (the Tuesday of the first full week in May) is National Teachers’ Day, which shares the date with V.E. Day (Victory in Europe Day) as well. V.E. is not celebrated as much anymore, nor is May 19th Armed Forces Day. I guess people save it all up for Memorial Day. I am sure many of you have a few birthdays sprinkled in there (we have a few big ones to celebrate ourselves) in addition to some family days, perhaps an extra work day or two (especially if you are in the tax business), but most of our calendars are filling up fast—which is why it is SO important to use our calendar to find out about all the other great things you could be doing when you have a bit of downtime.
April is also the month when the Boys of Summer return to town: the Giants and the A’s are once again setting their sights on the postseason. Hopefully, both of them will be playing well into October. Who would not love another all Bay Area series? In addition to those Boys of Summer who play in the “bigs,” there are the minor league teams full of plenty of hopefuls. Make sure to read about the local minor leagues that play right around us from late May to August. It is a wonderfully affordable way to enjoy a baseball game and be able to root for the home team!
As I said earlier, April is a busy birthday month for us over here at Local Happenings Magazine. We celebrate our father’s birthday (we: Deanna and Robert; we are brother and sister as well as business partners and creators of this “Happening” publication). We also celebrate Deanna’s birthday and Robert’s eldest son’s—all three falling in April! To our friends and family, Happy Birthday! This list includes, but isn’t limited to: Jackson, Debbie, Lindsay, Judy, Bonnie, John, Eric, Ronda, Juanita, Dennis, Shawn, Donna, Greg, Stacey, Dave, Carol, Sherri, George, Jim, Adam, Jimmie, David, Norman, Leeann, JD, Michael, Dan, Mike, Leonard, Amber, Benny, Steve, Joey, Tom, Scott, Renee, Kelly, Leah, Cathy, Jonathan, John, Leanne, Russ, Colleen, Leslie, Kathy, Wanda, Kim, Jeanne, Miguel, LaGuan, Marc and all the rest of you wonderful people out there who make our community so amazing. We hope each of you have a fabulous birthday and great year!!
Until next issue, cheers!
Robert Briseño & Deanna Troupe
