Next time you pass by Vallejo’s Blue Rock Springs Park, try to imagine the area bustling, full of colorful characters, melodious stringed instruments, and with the aroma of Italian sausages, white wine and wood-fired pizza. Because come May 2nd and 3rd, the park will transform into such a scene as Vallejo hosts a new, one-of-a-kind renaissance fair, known as Carnevale Fantastico.
Renaissance fairs are well known as a great way to provide hands-on history lessons from one of the most influential and important periods in Western civilization. They tend to focus almost exclusively on British history, but Carnevale Fantastico aims to diversify this a little by bringing focus on another European country that helped shape the Renaissance Era and influence artists all over the world: Italy.
“The Renaissance started in Italy—in Florence and in other places, in the early 1500s,” said event organizer Dalia Vidor. “We wanted to do something a little bit different. It also fits in really well with our venue.”
One reason for this, Vidor said, is that the Renaissance was essentially started by wealthy Italian families, like the Medici family (members of which will attend Carnevale Fantastico), whose appreciation for art and culture led to them putting their money behind certain artists, and giving them more of a platform. Their popularity spread, and the rest is history.
“That’s what sparked the Renaissance,” Vidor said. “They were also really into fashion and poetry. It was just this amazing time period.”
Italy is the birthplace of great artists like, say, Leonardo de Vinci, and composers like Gregorio Allegri. But it’s also the birthplace of amazing food, and Carnevale Fantastico aims to please in that department. They boast a number of Italian-themed delicacies, including fried calamari, polenta, meatball sandwiches and, of course, as the old saying goes, “Don’t forget the cannoli.”
There will also be a live Italian cooking demonstration, guaranteed to make you hungry and teach you a thing or two about how to construct a yummy meal. In this demonstration, chef Mamma Focaccia and her two daughters will take the stage and show their audience exactly how to make a variety of Italian dishes, and offer reminders on why, “the heart of any meal is food, laughter, and loves,” which echoes a quote from a prominent local Italian chef you may have read in our previous issue of Local Happenings.
For those with a sweet tooth, the fair will also have various gelato flavors and other desserts, as well as wines from all over the world. Of course, the Napa Valley world-famous vineyards are just a short drive north of Vallejo, so there’s no reason not to expect that Carnevale Fantastico’s organizers will impress in this department.
“The Renaissance community has been planning on this for quite some time,” Vidor said. “We’re expecting an excellent turnout, because who doesn’t love Italian food and wine?”
When it comes to theater celebration, Carnevale Fantastico is going all out. With the festival’s more than 15 different music, dance and performance acts, Vidor said they’re sure to have something for everyone. Some notable themes include an Italian-themed performance of Romeo and Juliette that promises to reveal the “real story” behind the events of the famous play.
For anyone who enjoys swordplay or weaponry and/or a nice taste of comedy, it might be worth it to take time to see Manly Men in Tights—When in Rome. This performance features “three wild and crazy brothers” who go way over the top in their eccentric attempts to prove their own manhood. And, of course, they’re all armed with Renaissance-style steel swords, so what could possibly go wrong?
“Everybody is just so incredibly, talented, fantastic and so focused on the scene,” Vidor said. “I can’t wait to see how everyone brings it together in May.”
Vidor added that Carnevale Fantastico has gone the extra mile to ensure historical accuracy. Some Renaissance Fairs deviate from that, but Carnevale Fantastico is making an effort to give their attendees the next best thing to an actual time warp to 16th century Italy. Of course, they had to concede in a couple areas, though.
“They didn’t have utensils back then, so we couldn’t be that accurate,” Vidor said. “You can’t feed people spaghetti and then not give them a fork.”
We at Local Happenings agree. That would just be cruel.
Carnevale Fantastico’s organizers will also have craftsman demonstrations—everything from weave making to live glass blowing demonstrations—but all Italian-themed. There are also a few surprises in the works, which Vidor wouldn’t reveal, but she said they’re, “amazing, amazing acts, and definitely worth seeing.”
This year will be Carnevale Fantastico’s inaugural event, but the organizers hope to have more in the future. In recent years, Vallejo has seen an influx of similar festivals, like the Pirate Festival or their well-known Alice in Wonderland-themed holiday parade, and Vidor hopes Carnevale Fantastico will continue that trend and help the city grow.
“I really think festivals can be used as an economic engine in Vallejo,” Vidor said. “For one thing, they can be used to highlight all of the beautiful parts of Vallejo, but they can also bring people in from the outside and they can see what a delightful, lovely city it is, and that there’s a lot to do here.”
Carnevale Fantastico will start at 10 a.m. at Blue Rock Springs Park in Vallejo on both Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3. Tickets can be purchases at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1375509 for less than $13 per person. There will be NO PARKING at Blue Rock Springs Park (so the performers can have that parking lot space), but there will be parking, along with a free shuttle, at Solano Community College, Jesse Bethel High School, Valley Ferry Terminal and Blue Rock Springs Golf Course, which is literally just a stone’s throw away from the park.
For more information, visit www.carnevalefantastico.com.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
… Join the dedication for Vallejo’s newest tourist attraction.
Downtown Vallejo is on the upswing, right along with the rest of the city. Lots of exciting and wonderful things are happening in our community and now is the time to get involved—support everything you can that’s going on, especially the arts. Currently the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation (VCAF) is part of a major new development downtown that is to be known as the Art & Architecture Walk, which will be educating and inspiring Vallejo’s citizens and visitors for years to come.
The Art and Architecture Walk will be dedicated on May 30th, but it is slated to be a permanent addition to the downtown Vallejo culture. “The dedication’s just going to be the beginning of it, really,” said Tom Arie Donch, volunteer for the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation, artist known locally for his work at Children’s Wonderland, and owner of Interplay Design, Inc. in Vallejo. There will be some permanent sculptures as well as other locations that will be on a rotation schedule every couple years or so. To begin the walk you’ll head to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and look for their sign with a QR code. Using your smartphone you’ll be able to guide yourself through the attraction.
Donch is convinced that by invigorating the arts in downtown Vallejo that it will henceforth invigorate the rest of the city. “In most cities the arts have led the way,” he said. “I saw it happen in Denver, I’ve seen it happen in Seattle and many other places. Being a Vallejo resident—I’d like to see that happen for Vallejo.”
Numerous community organizations are involved with making this Art & Architecture Walk a possibility, including the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, Central Core Restoration Corporation, Vallejo Main Street, Vallejo Community Arts Foundation, and more. “There’s quite a few different people wanting to see this kind of physical manifestation of the Arts & Entertainment District,” Donch said. “In Vallejo we have this wonderful architecture here that we really want to celebrate.”
Some of you community voters out there may recall the Participatory Budgeting vote that Vallejo recently held. For those that voted for the ABC grant (ABC: Arts, Beautification and Community Events), which did get voted in for funding, this Art & Architecture Walk is a direct result of those Participatory Budgeting funds. The Walk is one of two projects in the works from these funds. “The first of two projects that we’re doing as part of that is the art utility boxes—we have a call for artists who will be paid to create an original design for art utility boxes,” said Donch. “Also we’re hiring a videographer so when you come up to a piece of artwork with your phone there will be a sign with a QR code and it’ll pop up a video showing the artists making the work and talking about the artwork; why they did it and what it is.” This will also be the case when approaching an historic building on the art walk. “If they come up to a building it’ll be talking about why the building is particularly gorgeous. To start out there will be a total of 24 videos along this Art & Architecture Walk, highlighting different parts of it.” This is all just getting started so make sure to keep your eyes open and attend the dedication to stay in the loop.
The dedication will be at about 5 o’ clock in the evening on May 30th. There will be a few other events during the day, such as artists starting work on the utility boxes, maybe even some street painting at Georgia and Marin streets, details are yet to be finalized at this writing.
“Up until now we’ve had very little artwork in the downtown,” said Donch. “We have this Arts & Entertainment District but there’s almost no public art. What we’re kicking off on the 30th is really changing that to make the Arts & Entertainment District look like an Arts & Entertainment District by having public art and by showcasing the galleries, the museum, and other things that we have in Downtown Vallejo.” The whole city is on the up and up and it’s time to really bring out the creative artists to the forefront.
“It’s about quality of life; to celebrate the creativity of so many of the artists and so much of the Arts & Entertainment District that already exists, it’s really like coming out of the closet, if you will,” said Donch. “The thing about art, and public art particularly, is that it humanizes an environment.” Creating a more visually stunning arts district will only mean bigger and better things for the downtown, as doing so has been so successful in other communities as he mentioned before. By creating a more visually stunning arts district, he says, “It tends to draw businesses and people into a place.” That’s the goal is to create a more vibrant, lively downtown experience.
“With the grant in process we’re just starting to get our contracts with the city,” said Donch. “We will be doing a total of almost 20 projects over the next year, so it’s going to be pretty significant in terms of how much happens over the next year in the arts.” It’s going to be exciting to watch, and no one really knows what to expect. “I don’t really know what those pieces are going to be yet; that’s what’s special about public art is the surprise. I’m certainly looking forward to the new work by Vallejo artists coming in and I’m just hoping to see it grow into something really exciting for Vallejo.”
Join the Art & Architecture dedication at 5 p.m. on May 30th to be a part of Vallejo’s history. Try and come earlier in the day to see if anything else is going on. Remain posted at www.artsvallejo.com.
Matt Larson is a writer/actor/comedian who shamelessly promotes his Vallejo Comedy shows in his byline. He encourages you to visit www.vallejocomedy.com. Woot!
…spend this Earth Day with your community and collaborate for a better tomorrow.
While the global warming debate is still under the radar, let’s at least celebrate Earth Day with open arms. Here are the best Earth Day celebrations we could find in each of our three counties. Take a read, decide for yourself, but make sure to celebrate Mother Nature this Earth Day—at least send her a metaphorical thank you card by planting a tree or something.
SOLANO COUNTY – FAIRFIELD
The City of Fairfield has been celebrating Earth Day with a community event for over 10 years now. This year has two events running simultaneously in the same general area: City of Fairfield, Earth Day 2015, and Kids Day of Fishing (an organization dedicated to empowering special needs and underprivileged kids and families) held at the pond between Civic Center and City Hall. “It’s just a great day,” said Esther Blanco of the Fairfield Public Works Department. “It’s fun! It’s wonderful to see the kids and the families all just enjoying the pond, fishing, just lots of activities and it’s all free!”
Many community organizations will be there to help out with the event in their own way. Joe Scholtes of 95.3 KUIC will be MC for the event and they’ll be having giveaways throughout the day. “Pretty much starting at 9 o’ clock every hour on the hour we’ll be giving away raffle prizes,” said Blanco. “I don’t know for this year but in the past we’ve given away baseball tickets, basketball tickets, Six Flags passes—we have some pretty cool prizes that we can give away.”
Acting accordingly for Earth Day, there will be paper shredding available, a recycling-themed poster contest sponsored by Solano Garbage Company and Republic services (deadline is 5 p.m. April 10!), discounted pet adoption, composting demonstrations and more. There may also be a rummage sale as well.
There will be a recycling booth for information on how to improve your recycling habits. “Solano Garbage and Potrero Landfill will be there to help answer questions,” said Blanco. Maybe we can finally find out what to do with all these dead batteries we’ve been collecting.
Watching the kids go fishing is probably the best part of the day. “One of the things I was asked was why do Earth Day with a fishing derby,” Blanco explains. “Kids Day Of Fishing actually gets all the fish from a fish farm, so it’s all sustainable; and we’re teaching children about how to fish using sustainable methods—we teach them why you wouldn’t leave fishing line out when you’re fishing, how that damages the environment and how animals can get tangled in it, they learn why not to use lead weights—it’s actually teaching kids through them having fun and actually experiencing it.”
The event is kicks off with the Kids Day Of Fishing Derby at the Civic Center Pond behind City Hall on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Registration for fishing begins at 7 a.m., and the fishing derby lasts from 8 a.m.-12 noon. First come first serve for first 250 kids that sign up. Special needs children may pre-register. For more details visit www.kidsdayoffishing.org or call (707) 816-2037. Contact the Fairfield Public Works Department at (707) 428-7528.
NAPA COUNTY – NAPA
Head to the intersection of 3rd Street and Main in Napa for this year’s Earth Day festivities. “It’s a one-stop shop for families to come down and learn about Earth Day,” said Steve Konakis, Chair of the Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County. “We started in 2011, this year we’ll have some musical groups coming to play, vendor booths, earth-friendly items, we now also have an environmental scholarship that we offer to high school students that plan to pursue an education in the area of the environment.”
There will be plenty of goings on. Check it out on Saturday April 25 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in downtown Napa. For more information visit www.earthdaynapa.com.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY – LAFAYETTE
“Earth Day is the premiere event that our organization hosts, we’re really looking forward to it this year,” said Amanda Walter, committee member for the Earth Day Festival and board member of Sustainable Lafayette. This year is the 10th annual event, she says, “It’s impressive that the community has been embracing this for that long.”
Every year the event has grown and grown. “This year we’re including more local youth groups,” said Brad Crane, board member of Sustainable Lafayette and chair of the Earth Day organizing committee. “We’re hoping to have well over 1,000 attendees this year.”
Last year the theme for the event was water conservation; this year it’s transportation. You’ll be able to see some pretty cool eco-friendly modes of transportation such as the SolarELF, or as its be called, “the most efficient vehicle on the planet.”
“They’ve committed to bringing some demonstration units,” said Crane. “It’s a bike-car hybrid—a solar-charging electric-assist bike with a protective shell. I haven’t seen any in Lafayette but I’m hoping that once people see them at Earth Day there’ll be a few around town; it looks like a really cool way to get around if you’re not going too far; a great short-distance vehicle.”
In addition to the SolarELF you can test ride electric scooters from EcoReco in San Jose, see some kids’ bikes presented by Clearly Bikes in Sausalito, and much more. “Throughout the day we’re offering a lot of demoing of environmentally friendly transportation,” said Crane. “There will be opportunities to try out these different transportation methods.” Regular bicycling is also heavily promoted at this event.
“This year we are expanding our bike parade,” said Crane. The last three years they’ve done a family friendly bike ride that leads from Stanley Middle School over to the library where the main event is. This year they’re including the Bay Area Bike Mobile to do bike repairs. “We’re using this [parade] to promote cycling to the event,” said Crane. Amanda adds, “We are also going to have bike parking; we really want the community to come to this event in the most earth-friendly way as possible.”
Spots in the bike parade are attained on a drop-in basis. The Bay Area Bike Mobile will be doing repairs from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m., and the group ride will be leaving Stanley Middle School around 11 a.m. The total ride is only about 10-15 minutes long.
Sustainable Lafayette is funding the event along with donations from local businesses, such as Whole Foods. Other businesses are offering services as well, such as Republic Services, the new local waste management company. “They’ll be providing the waste services for us including composting, trash and recycling,” said Crane. “They’re going to work with all the vendors and encourage them to use compostable materials.”
The primary goal of Sustainable Lafayette is to encourage residents and businesses to be more sustainable in their daily lives. “This event gives us the opportunity to promote programs, technology, or tools that people might not otherwise know about,” said Crane. “It’s also a way to promote some of our other programs like recycling partnerships and things we’re doing in the school district.”
The biggest draw for the festival really depends on what your interests are. “For the tech geeks, the UC Berkeley Solar Car Team (CalSol) is bringing the latest version of their competition solar car,” said Crane. “For the daily commuter the draw might be to find a better way to get either from home to the city or from home to the BART station. If you’re a daily cyclist there’ll be bike companies, free repairs, different bikes on display; and kids activities for families in town.”
Crane adds, “I look at it as a great community-building event with an environmental theme. It’s a great opportunity to come out with neighbors, family and friends and take a look at what’s going on in the city from an environmental aspect—a lot of these things we’ve promoted and people know about already, but we also do a lot of programs that people don’t know about.” To further that, Walter says, “It’s an opportunity to see other fun ways of getting around not just in our own community but also around the region itself,” she says. “We don’t always have to rely on cars; getting out and seeing how you can expand the way you get around is a draw in itself.”
Check out Lafayette’s 10th Annual Earth Day Festival on Sunday April 26th from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center. For more information visit www.sustainablelafayette.org.
So there ya have it! Look around for your own Earth Day outing or head to one of these. Either way, acknowledge the day and contribute to a greater greener Earth this year.
Matt Larson is a writer/actor/comedian who shamelessly promotes his Vallejo Comedy shows in his byline. He encourages you to visit www.vallejocomedy.com. Woot!
Three months into 2015 already!! It just never slows down, does it? We know that life is busy (Robert has three young children and Deanna has three dogs – two of which are puppies) and it’s hard to take the time to do all that you enjoy each day, week, month, or year. Before you know it, your “want to do” list becomes the “wish I had” list.
We are very excited to be in our sixth year and becoming an integral part of the communities we serve. THANK YOU for taking the time out of your busy life to read our thoughts and peruse the pages of our publication and/or website. Our hope is that you are getting all the information you need to find for all of these great events that surround us each day. Please share with us if we are missing some (I am sure we are) so we can get the information up on the website for all to see. If you are reading our print magazine please make sure that you check out the website as well because our print magazine has only a fraction of the events on our full website calendar. There is just literally not enough space to print them all in the magazine. The website also allows us to put a LOT more information about each event. The best part is that it is smartphone friendly so you can be out and about and visit our website to find out what is happening that day nearby!
Our April/May edition also marks the start of spring – though this year spring started in February, at least in Northern California! While it has been a disappointing rain season we’re sure that it will still be a wonderful spring season here in this lovely region we are honored to call home. April 22 is also Earth Day and if you are really worried about the rain and want to learn how you can help this little blue marble that we call home please read our Earth Day article in this issue to see how you can make a difference. If you’re wondering what to do with Fido this spring make sure to catch up with Deanna and her intrepid travels as she catches us all up on some great places to not only spend time with your favorite pooch but to take in a few suds (of the adult beverage kind) as well. Lots more to read about in this issue, so sit back and enjoy the ride!
As always we would like to give out our birthday wishes. We at Local Happenings are celebrating our Father’s birthday (we…Robert & Deanna, are brother and sister as well as business partners and creators of this fine publication) as well as Deanna’s and Robert’s eldest son, all in April. It should all make for a rather busy month – as it always does – for us. To our friends and family happy birthday as well to: Jackson, Debbie, Lindsay, Judy, Bonnie, John, Judith (we miss you), 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, Jonathon, John, Leanne, Russ, Coleen, Leslie, Kathy, Wanda, Leslie, Kim, Jeanne, Miguel, LaGuan, Marc and all the rest we do not have room to fit in here. (Happy one year birthday to Devlin as well!) We hope each of you have a fabulous birthday and a great year!!
Until next issue, cheers!
Robert Briseño &
Deanna Baillie
Memorial Day, originally named “Decoration Day,” began as a day dedicated to decorating graves of fallen Civil War soldiers. Though there is some discrepancy over where and when the holiday actually started, we do know that “Decoration Day” (Memorial Day) started a few years after the end of the Civil War. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo, NY as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. A ceremony was held on May 5, 1866 in honor of local veterans who fought in the Civil War. Today, Memorial Day is a holiday honoring all veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made to ensure our continuing freedom.
Whether you are gathering with local veterans or spending a relaxing day off with loved ones, here are some recipes to make you the hero at your Memorial Day cookout so that you can have your own very Local Happening.
Stovetop BBQ “Baked” Beans
1 pound (two cups) navy or pinto beans
½ onion, diced
½ jalapeño, diced
½ pound thick cut bacon or salt pork, diced
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground mustard
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
16 oz. can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup molasses
½ cup brown sugar
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon vinegar
20 +/- cups water
Place the beans and 1 tablespoon salt into a bowl, cover with 2-3 inches of water and soak overnight or for at least 4 hours. Drain the water off the beans. In a large pot, over medium low heat, cook the bacon until most of the fat is melted (rendered). Leaving the oil from the bacon in the pan sauté the diced onion and jalapeño with the bacon until onions are translucent. Pour the water into pot and add in all other ingredients. Stir to combine, increase temperature to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and the other ingredients thicken to form gravy (around 4 hours).
Fresh Fried Potato Chips
1-2 russet potatoes, washed
1/2 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
Enough oil to fill your pan to roughly 1-2″
Fill a large bowl with water, seasoning salt and vinegar. Slice the potatoes a 1/16 of an inch thick using a mandolin or electric meat slicer, rinse and soak the potato slices in the vinegar/water mixture for a half hour. Preheat your oil in a large skillet or pot to 350 degrees. Remove sliced potatoes from water, drain and layer potato slices between paper towels. Line a colander with a few crumpled paper towels. Begin frying with just one chip to test how hot the oil is and what the cooking time should be. Working in batches of 12, fry chips using a slotted spoon or spider spoon to circulate in the oil while cooking. Fry chips 1-2 minutes or until golden. Remove chips from oil and place in colander. Repeat. Salt to taste.
Tri-tip Hamburger Patties
If you are looking for a better burger this Memorial Day, try using a better cut of meat. If you can’t grind you own meat, pick out a nice cut of meat at the butcher counter and ask them to grind it for you. Most supermarkets will grind meat for free.
2 pounds freshly ground tri-tip
Seasoning Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Onion powder
In a large bowl, sprinkle seasoning salt, black pepper and onion powder over meat and mix by hand to incorporate. Next, section out patties in 3-ounce portions, shape by hand and layer them in between pieces of waxed paper. Place stacks of patties in a Ziploc and put in freezer. When ready to cook, take out desired number of patties, which can be cooked frozen. Preheat grill or pan to medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
Cornbread
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup corn flour
5 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
scant teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees and prepare a 9×9” pan either with baking spray or butter and flour.
Mix together all your dry ingredients. Pour in the melted butter and combine well. Incorporate the eggs, then milk and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl from time to time until mixture is smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes or until top is golden and it starts to crack. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from oven and cover with tin foil right away to keep cornbread moist.
Grilled Watermelon Salad
Watermelon
Olive Oil
Arugula
Goat Cheese
Raspberry vinaigrette
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic vinegar
Preheat grill or grill pan to medium heat. Cut the watermelon into 3x3x1” slices and brush with olive oil on both sides. Once grill is hot, grill watermelon slices for two minutes per side or until grill marks and slight caramelization appear. Remove from grill and place watermelon slices in refrigerator to chill until ready to use.
Rinse and dry the arugula. Toss arugula with a pinch of fresh cracked black pepper and a little bit of raspberry vinaigrette.
When ready to assemble, place a bed of dressed arugula on a plate, top with a slice of grilled watermelon and sprinkle with a few grains of salt. Top with more greens. Finish salad with goat cheese crumbles then drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (reserving butter wrapper to grease pan)
¾ cup egg whites
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
16 oz. fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, sugar and salt on medium high speed until fluffy and light (around 5 minutes). In a small bowl, mix together the egg whites, milk and vanilla. In another small bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Add the dry mixture and wet mixture in three alternating parts to the butter mixture, beginning with the dry and finishing with the wet. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Once all ingredients are combined, mix for one minute on medium speed, then two minutes on high speed.
Using the reserved butter wrapper, coat two 8-inch round pans with butter, then line with parchment paper. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pan cool on a cooling rack at least 20 minutes before removing cakes.
Meanwhile, whip together whipping cream and a little sugar until cream is stiff. Chill in refrigerator.
Once cakes are completely cool, frost with whipping cream and place sliced berries in between layers and as decoration on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Not feeling up to hosting your own Memorial Day Cookout this year? Don’t worry, Local Happenings Magazine has you covered! Be sure to check out our online calendar, which adds hundreds of local events, updated each day.
Trish Lee is a long-time Vallejo resident and loves to cook, plant and meditate in person and on the web at www.cookplantmeditate.com.
If you’re a hot dog aficionado who lives in the northern regions of the Bay Area, pay attention—Local Happenings has good news.
After nearly 40 years and hundreds of thousands of hot dogs served from its headquarters on Vallejo’s Springs Road, Sac’s Tasty Hot Dogs has opened a second location in Napa.
The owner of Sac’s, George Maichel, said that over the years he has received numerous offers from various folks wanting to open a second location somewhere or another. But up until this point, he had turned all of those offers down. What changed his mind? A frequent customer named Eddie Aims, who loved Sac’s dogs and chili so much he would regularly make the trek out from Napa just to grab a bite to eat, eventually convinced Maichel to open a second location in Napa and make Aims the manager.
“He’s the first person who had that combination of work ethic and personality to open a Sac’s,” Maichel said of Aims. “It can’t just be a good hot dog, it has to be a friendly environment. You have to make it a nice experience.”
The Napa branch, located at 1453 West Imola, officially opened on Feb. 19 this year. But Maichel says—although the food will be exactly the same as the Vallejo branch—that the Napa restaurant’s aesthetic might change over time. He said it’s important for each branch to evolve on its own, and added that many of the trinkets and flair on display in Vallejo were given to the store by customers. He hopes that Napa’s residents will pitch in in similar fashion and help contribute to the look of the new store.
“The Vallejo store has its own personality, and it’s going to take some time for the Napa store to evolve into the Napa personality. That’s just a work in progress,” Maichel said. “I don’t want to just throw a bunch of things on the wall right away.”
Sac’s has become well known to the people of Vallejo, for their chili as much as their hot dogs. It was originally founded by a longtime, respected resident named Frank “Sac” Saccomano, who passed the torch down to current owner Maichel. Saccomano was known to Maichel as “Uncle Frank,” and Maichel remembers much of his childhood being centered around the business that he now owns.
“The remarkable thing is how so many things have changed in our community and yet here Sac’s is still serving the exact same menu, and being successful,” Maichel said. “It’s a testimony to that old saying, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’”
Since the Napa business has opened locals have taken notice and Maichel said that the new location has been kept very busy. They were surprised at first, though, to see a lot of familiar faces from Vallejo show up looking for dogs early on. Turns out, a lot of the weekend regulars at the Vallejo Sac’s work in Napa during the week, and apparently word spreads quickly amongst hot dog lovers.
“It’s been really the social media and the word of mouth is what we attribute to our success from the first month,” Maichel said. “It has really been overwhelming how many people showed up to try our hot dog in the first month.”
Maichel’s mother used to work at Sac’s too, and when his “Uncle Frank” was ready to retire and close the business, Maichel stepped up and took it over because he couldn’t bear the thought of one of his childhood favorite’s shutting down. Maichel has worked hard to keep his food the same quality as Saccomano was well known for having. With that in mind, Sac’s makes each day’s chili that morning and makes sure that its ingredients are fresh; their dogs are never frozen, and they buy their buns locally too. The same goes for the Napa location, and Maichel said he’s working with them for the first month or two to ensure that everything between the Vallejo and Napa branches’ food, taste, and preparation is consistent.
“I taught Eddie how to make the chili—I worked with him for a while to make sure he was getting everything just right,” Maichel said. “We also hired a bunch of local kids in Napa, and we really want the store in Napa to be what Sac’s is for Vallejo.”
Sac’s Tasty Hot Dogs Vallejo branch is located at 2445 Springs Road, and they can be reached via telephone by calling 707-642-2442. Their Napa branch is located at 1453 West Imola, and can be reached at 707-258-8905. For more information, visit or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sacstastyhotdogs
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
Every spring we try to bring you a travel story based on our adventures out and about in the Bay Area and beyond. For the last couple of months John and I have been out visiting local breweries while we out going to various dog parks and trails to keep our 4-legged kids happy and content. These have been such great family outings that we thought we would share them with you and all the other beer-loving canine lovers out there!
This hops-inspired story started in October of 2014 when we decided to go to the Annual “Gathering of the Cu” for The Northern California Irish Wolfhound Club. This event is always on the first weekend of December and is held at Toro Park in Salinas on Hwy 68 near Monterey. This “gathering” brings together Irish Wolfhound owners from all over California for some games and bonding with their dogs as well as an Ocean Beach Walk in Carmel and lunch at a canine-friendly establishment. (Aren’t they all in Carmel?)
As John and I made arrangements we decided to make this our Spring Travel story. We arranged to stay at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel since we knew this to be a fabulously dog-friendly hotel that had a restaurant and sports bar on site. The Gathering of the Cu started on Saturday morning and is located right off the freeway and close to the Hwy 68 exit, we came in on Friday and decided to get rested up for the “Games.” We, of course, did not plan on hitting the biggest storm of the season on our way down the Highway, and there were a couple moments I thought we would float into the parking lot at the hotel.
Dinner was an easy decision, since there was no way we were going out in that storm again; We headed into the hotel’s TusCA Ristorante. We were so overwhelmed with the service and wonderful food that it was an easy decision to say to ourselves, “Now we know where to stay every year for this event!” The food and the wine that accompanied the meal were just what we needed before heading back to our rooms to make sure that our “Hounds” were settled in.
The next morning the weather had abated so we decided to have our breakfast outside with our 4-legged kids right in front of the Golf Course and next to the pool. This is where we started plotting our hops/canine agenda for later in the day.
After this trip ending with a romp on the unleashed Carmel’s Ocean Avenue Beach and lunch at the Forge in the Forest restaurant (where our hounds were allowed to be with us on the beautiful patio), we decided we wanted to combine the two experiences again. (Did we mention that John ordered a large beer and was he ever surprised when a 32-ounce mug was brought to the table?) We continued our excited banter as we sat on our deck at the ever dog-friendly Hofsas House. Ben, Devlin and Reagan love how Carrie Theis at the Hofsas House has their beds and treats ready for them when they arrive. Always curious about what dog parks are like in other towns as well as our love of checking out craft beers at brewpubs, we got busy with research and paired up a few out of many in the Bay Area.
For our first official foray, we chose to go to Rocky Memorial Dog Park in Petaluma, which is a fairly big expanse for large and small dogs to run unleashed. Also in Petaluma is the Tap Room, where many brews from different breweries are featured, and Dempsey’s Brewpub, which is just a stone’s throw away. Both of these establishments overlook the Petaluma River. Tap Room does not allow dogs but Dempsey’s does—we stop here often on our way home from the off-leash Dillon Beach. Dogs are also allowed at Lagunitas Brewing but they are always insanely crowded.
On this fine day, however, we decided to head north up Hwy 101 from the Rocky Memorial Dog Park to Villa Chanticleer, a beautiful park in the hills above Healdsburg. There are on-leash trails here as well as a large fenced area for dogs to run free amid shady trees, tables, chairs and water stations. After the dogs wore themselves out exploring and playing with other dogs we drove into town and landed at Bear Republic Brewpub just off the main town square, which is famous for its many shops and restaurants. They do allow dogs in their outside serving area but we chose to park the dogs in a shady spot and sit inside since Ben, Reagan and Devlin were exhausted. This is one of the better brewpubs for ambiance, service, quality craft beer and food. They are very well known for their Racer 5 IPA seen in all the stores.
For our next weekend adventure we decided to head to Point Isabel in Albany since we had heard nothing but good things and it is rated one of the top 10 dog parks in the US! This dog park is unique since it has a café and dog washing station. It is also the largest with the most acreage and the dogs can really run to their heart’s content. Unfortunately, parking fills up very fast so if you can’t find a space there is another one next door called Buchanan Dog Park behind Golden Gate Fields with a nice little beach, also off leash. There are no brewpubs in this area that allow dogs but Pyramid Brewpub in Berkeley is worth a visit for their great beers if you can find shade to park the dogs in their parking lot. A little further down the road there’s Pacific Coast Brewery in Oakland and Faction Brewing in Alameda that do allow dogs.
Our favorite trip so far was the Mill Valley Dog Park in Marin. It’s a bit of an on-leash walk to get to the off-leash area from the parking lot but it’s very scenic with Mt. Tamalpais on one side, the bay on the other and lots of grassy areas to run. Dogs can also play in the water here. Not too far from this canine haven is the Broken Drum Brewery in San Rafael that allows dogs in a nice semi enclosed area in front.
We decided to keep going on this very special day and just a few miles away in Fairfax at the end of Cascade Road there is a cool little trail following a creek upstream about a mile to a pretty waterfall. This trail is on-leash only and better suited for smaller dogs who behave on leashes, unlike our giants who are accustomed to running free! Parking is very limited here on a narrow road with houses on both sides right up to the trailhead. After this hike we were pretty tired so we decided we needed a bit of a respite, we headed to a gem of a brewpub called Iron Springs Brewery, also in Fairfax. John loved the 2 huge TVs (naturally) hanging over the bar just a few feet from us. There are picnic tables outside on the sidewalk where dogs and cyclists mingle with water bowls and pint glasses. What’s really cool about this place besides the great beer, wonderful food and friendly staff is what’s next door: it’s the K9 Scrub Club where you are provided everything you need to wash and groom your pet in a comfortable environment for 20 bucks. Unless they had a crane, we couldn’t get our 150 lb. wolfhounds into the raised, claw-foot tubs, but something like a Labrador shouldn’t be a problem. For an extra fee they will wash your dog while you quaff your favorite brew and catch the game. They also have dog treats, toys and food at very reasonable prices. This was an enjoyable day all around!
Vallejo has finally joined the club with the Mare Island Brewing Company in the ferry building on the waterfront. If you want to take Fido for an on-leash walk you can park at Zio Fraedo’s Restaurant and walk down to the brewpub where they allow dogs on the patio in back overlooking the water. When you head back to your car you can stop in at Zio’s and have a bite to eat since your four-legged companions are allowed on their outside deck. If your dog is still hankering for an off leash experience, head over to the Wardlaw Dog Park on Ascot Pkwy. It’s a nice grassy 2.2-acre fenced area great for dogs of all sizes.
Here in Napa, where we live, there are several excellent options and in my biased opinion we have the 2nd best dog park in California. Located just 2 miles west of Hwy 29 off Redwood Road is Alston Park on Dry Creek Road with 30 acres of off-leash heaven with 150 acres total. There is also a smaller fenced area close to the parking area called The Commons where the timid, small, shy and friendly can socialize. That rule applies to humans as well as dogs! There is water, poop bags galore and plenty of garbage cans placed strategically throughout. (Beware of foxtails at Alston though, mid-spring through midsummer they are the worst.) In east Napa near the state hospital is Shurtleff Dog Park with a nice seasonal creek running through it for the dogs to play in. There’s no gate so you should keep your dog on leash until you get at least 50 yards into this long and narrow park. There’s a nice grassy area, a school on one side and houses on the other but it really feels like country in there. At the far end there’s a eucalyptus grove with the creek and it’s extremely scenic and very nice.
Kennedy Memorial Park at the end of Streblow Drive behind Napa Golf Course and Napa College is another good place to run your dog off leash—in the undeveloped areas only, which is north and south of the boat ramp along the Napa River. From here Napa Smith Brewery is not too far at Hwy 29 and Airport Road where dogs are allowed inside the tasting room, since they don’t have a kitchen or serve food. You are welcome to bring your own food though and we’ve taken pizza from Napoli’s in Vallejo, deli sandwiches from Genova Deli in Napa and hot wings from the Wing Stop in American Canyon getting envious looks from uninformed customers! Napa Smith’s beers are excellent and we return often.
Downtown Joe’s is a great brewpub in downtown (of course) Napa and dogs are allowed in the outside serving areas. Just down Main Street, south from Joe’s, is Angele Restaurant, which has a nice covered outdoor eating area that welcomes dogs and has great food. Right next-door to Angele’s is The General Store which has an expansive outdoor patio that welcomes their canine friends.
From Alston Park it’s also just a short ride up Hwy 29 to Yountville and Pacific Blues’ wonderful outdoor eating area in front of V Marketplace. On your way there you might see the famous Don Giovanni restaurant on the right, which allows dogs as well.
I am not sure about you but I am exhausted just reading this! After we rest up we still have a couple more places to go like Pena Adobe Park in Vacaville and Berryessa Brewing Company in Winters.
But that’s another story…
Dog-Friendly Brew Pubs and Restaurants Near Off-Leash Dog Parks
Angele, 540 Main St. (allows dogs), Napa, CA 94559, (707) 252-8115 www.angelerestaurant.com
Downtown Joe’s American Brewery, 902 Main St. (allows dogs), Napa, CA 94559, (707) 258-2337 www.downtownjoes.com
Napa General Store, 540 Main St. #100, Napa, CA 94559 (707) 259-0762 www.napageneralstore.com
Napa Smith Brewery, 1 Executive Way (allows dogs inside and out) Napa, CA 94558 (707) 254-7167 www.napasmithbrewery.com/home/
Pacific Blues, 6525 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599 (707) 944-4455 www.pacificbluescafe.com
Mare Island Brewing Company, The Ferry Building, 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo, CA (707) 556-3000, www.mareislandbrewingco.com
Zio Fraedo’s, 23 Harbor Way, Vallejo, CA. 94590, (707) 642-8984, www.ziofraedos.com/v_main.htm
Lagunitas Brewing Company, 1280 N McDowell Blvd. (allows dogs), Petaluma, CA 94954, (707) 778-8776 www.lagunitas.com
Bear Republic Brewing Company, 345 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, CA 95448 (allows dogs), (707) 433-2337 www.bearrepublic.com
Dempsey’s Restaurant and Brewery, 50 E Washington St. (allows dogs), Petaluma, CA 94952, (707) 765-9694 www.dempseys.com
Petaluma Taps (No Dogs**), 54 E Washington St, Petaluma, CA 94952, (707) 763-6700, www.petalumataps.com
Moylan’s Brewery and Restaurant, 15 Rowland Way (allows dogs), Novato, CA 94945, (415) 898-4677 www.moylans.com
Pacific Coast Brewing Co., 906 Washington St. (allows dogs), Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 836-2739, www.pacificcoastbrewing.com
Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St, Alameda, CA 94501 (allows dogs), (510) 523-2739, www.factionbrewing.com
Berryessa Brewing Company, 27260 Hwy 128, Winters, CA 95697 (allows dogs), (530) 795-3526, www.berryessabrewingco.com
Heretic Brewing Company, 1052 Horizon Dr. Suite B, Fairfield, CA 94533 (allows dogs),(925) 526-6364, www.hereticbrewing.com
Broken Drum Brewery and Wood Grill, 1132 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 (allows dogs,(415) 456-4677 (HOPS) www.brokendrum.com/
Iron Springs Pub and Brewery, 765 Center Boulevard (allows dogs), Fairfax, CA 94930, (415) 485-1005 www.ironspringspub.com
K9 Scrub Club, 767 Center Blvd Fairfax, CA 94930 (415) 578-4944 www.k9scrubclub.com
**Taps does not have the space for dogs but it’s near Rocky Memorial Park and on the way home from Dillon Beach, so the dogs sleep in the truck since we park in the shade! Taps has brews from many breweries, making it worth the stop. It also has some of the best Chicken Wings and Mac ’n’ Cheese with Pork Belly! It is also just a stone’s throw across the parking lot from Dempsey’s.
Off-Leash Dog Parks and Trails
Alston Park, 2099 Dry Creek Road, Napa, CA 94558
Kennedy Park Trail Walk On-Leash*, 2318 Streblow Dr., Napa, CA 94558
Shurtleff Park Dog Park, Shetler Ave. and Shurtleff Ave., Napa, CA 94559
Wardlaw Dog Park, 1805 Ascot Pkwy., Vallejo, CA 94591
Rocky Memorial Dog Park, Lakeville and Casa Grande Rd., Petaluma, CA 94954
Dog Bone Meadows at O’Hair Park, Novato Blvd. and San Marin Dr., Novato, CA 94945
Dillon Beach, Dillon Beach Road, Dillon Beach, CA 94929
Mill Valley Dog Park, 425 Sycamore Ave. Mill Valley, CA 94941
Cascade Falls, Cascade Dr. and Canyon Rd., Fairfax, CA 94930
Badger Park at Villa Chanticleer complex, 1142-1298 N. Fitch Mountain Rd., Healdsburg, CA
Pena Adobe Dog Park, 1 Pena Adobe Rd., Vacaville, CA
Bayfront Park, End of Tennant Ave. off San Pablo Ave. in Hercules*
Isabel Dog Park, 2701 Isabel St, Richmond, CA 94808 (Voted one of the top 10 dog parks in the US)
Buchanan Dog Beach and Park, 24 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710
*Even though Kennedy Park only has an on-leash trail it is worth going to since it wraps around the Napa River and is very scenic.
**Bayfront is technically an on-leash park but many people let their dogs loose if they are well behaved to romp and play in the water
When they are not out exploring new places (and breweries!), John and Deanna can usually be found hanging out at the local dog park with Ben, Reagan and Devlin!
As new cases of autism continue to explode, efforts to understand the condition in childhood is on a rapid growth.
To help augment this understanding, April has been designated as Autism Awareness Month, which provides a perfect platform to review some important facts about autism and how it impacts our daily lives.
Think about this – in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the rate of children with ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, was 1 in 150. Four years later, that rate increased to 1 in 125 and in 2008, the rate changed again to 1 in 88.
Are you ready for this? Just last year, in 2014, the rate of children identified nationally with ASD jumped to 1 in 68. These numbers are alarming, no doubt.
Both Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders describe complex disorders of brain development that are typically seen before the age of 3, and are diagnosed through behavioral observation’s, checklists, and developmental histories. It is also characterized by impairments in social communication skills, which is seen as an inability to create friendships and develop relationships.
Autism also features the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. That is, possible obsessions or perseverations on an object or topic of conversation, as well as body rocking and hand flapping.
In California, 10 percent of the total statewide school enrollment receives special education services. For the 2013-14 school year, there were 705,279 students receiving special education services in California. Of these students, 84,718 are classified as having ASD. This is an increase of 9,931 students from the 2012-13 school year!
This is a dramatic jump in the number of students with ASD being served in the public schools in California. Looking back for the 2000-01 school year alone, 14,039 students were identified as having ASD (2% of the students receiving special education services that school year)!
It is unclear what actually causes autism. However, it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function. Brain scans show differences in the shape and structure of the brain in children with autism compared to neurotypical children. Although researches do not know the exact cause of autism, there are a number of theories, including the links among heredity, genetics and medical problems.
Grasping a handle on Autism may be difficult, but there is a method that is used to bring about meaningful and positive change in behavior – Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA.
This safe and effective treatment for autism has been endorsed by a number of state and federal agencies, include the U.S. Surgeon General and the New York State Department of Health. In fact, the nation has seen a particular dramatic increase in the use of ABA to help persons with autism live happy and productive lives.
In particular, and based on Autism Speaks, ABA principles and techniques can foster basic skills such as looking, listening and imitating, as well as complex skills such as reading, conversing and understanding another person’s perspective.
Bottom line, ABA is the most widely accepted and documented effective method for educating and treating ASD. Touro University California has responded to this growing need by offering a Master of Arts degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. This program trains teachers, educators, school psychologists or those seeking knowledge of ABA and ASD. Additionally, the program is specifically designed to have educators and personnel become highly skilled in using an evidence-based method.
The ABA Master of Arts program will enhance the skills of personnel in the field of special education with the knowledge and skill to implement scientifically based practice to meet the acute shortage of diverse and well-qualified personnel. It also provides scholars with the competencies that are necessary for board certification as behavior analysts.
In more than 40 years of research, ABA has established standards for evidence-based practice, recognized experience and educational requirements for practice, and identified sources of requisite education in universities.
When searching for an ABA program, however, do your homework! As there is a huge demand for ABA intervention for autism, many individuals and programs now claim to provide ABA. Always check credentials of those who claim to be qualified in behavior analysis. You should inquire about the level of training in behavioral interventions for autism, including training in applied behavior analysis.
For more information on the Master of Arts degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, visit www.tu.edu.
FACTS:
- About 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder. (CDC, 2014)
- Prevalence in the United States is estimated at 1 in 68 births. (CDC, 2014)
- More than 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder. (Buescher et al., 2014)
- Prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased by 119.4 percent from 2000 (1 in 150) to 2010 (1 in 68). (CDC, 2014) Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. (CDC, 2008)
- Prevalence has increased by 6-15 percent each year from 2002 to 2010. (Based on biennial numbers from the CDC)
- Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236-262 billion annually. (Buescher et al., 2014)
- A majority of costs in the U.S. are in adult services – $175-196 billion, compared to $61-66 billion for children. (Buescher et al., 2014)
- In 10 years, the annual cost will be $200-400 billion. (Autism Society estimate)
Linda Haymes, PhD., BCBA-D, Assistant Professor of Special Education Graduate School of EducationTouro University California
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track. 
