Dan Foley Park
If you're visiting from out of town, one place I recommend is on the other side of Discovery Kingdom near State Highway 37, surrounded in a tranquil setting called Dan Foley Park. Visitors can expect to witness several picnic areas, a huge baseball field with lights for nighttime games, a children's area and located on the grounds rests the Dan Foley Cultural Center. Its size can accommodate any function including the city's annual prayer breakfast.
What will grab your attention when you enter the park is the calm setting of nature around you. Ducks and swans swim in a nearby pond where several places to fish are found. Trails which direct you to the different points in the huge park are worth a good walk for exercise, as I've personally had the chance to do when I want to get away from the clutter and noise of the day.
Dan Foley Park is one of the places in the city of Vallejo that the city can be proud about. True, there are a ton of issues that sometimes outweigh the good here, but this serene spot is not one of them. There is a fee to park (April to October, it's $4.00 for residents, $5.00 non-residents), yet the experience of spending one day at Dan Foley is worth it and is sure to be one of the best destinations in the North Bay.
For more information, please call the Greater Vallejo Recreation District office at 707-648-4600. Listings to plan an event at the park are found on this page.
Take care, Vallejo.
Charles Chatmon
C Dyann Designs
Chatmon's Books
We All Want A Better Vallejo
One thing I really appreciate about the Vallejo Farmers Market is the opportunity to see familiar faces as well as meet new ones. I have been involved in some capacity for the past seven years with the farmers market, buying, selling, or both. This past Saturday morning I met a woman who was wearing a pin on her hat entitled 'Better Vallejo'. She had stopped by to look at our books when I noticed the pin and I asked what it was all about. I found it a little amusing that I had never heard of it before, but happy to hear that there are people who not only care about Vallejo's image and welfare, but are also actually doing something about it.
Better Vallejo is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the economic, cultural and spiritual health of our community. You can read the rest of their mission at
http://www.facebook.com/BetterVallejo
Chandra
Chatmon's Books
C Dyann Designs
Ethnic Notions
Ethnic Notions relocated initially to Vallejo on Georgia Street, and after a brief hiatus set up shop on Tennessee Street. Sinnamon-Johnson made the decision to strike more of a balance in her life and is only open Thursday-Saturday, but this hasn't stopped her customers and friends from filling her days with their company, whether it is to shop or to just stop by and say hello.
Ethnic Notions will be hosting an exhibit for C Dyann Designs Saturday, February 11th from noon until 5 pm. Please stop by, enjoy the gallery and see what a novelist turned jewelry designer has to offer.
Where: Ethnic Notions
1035 Tennessee Street
Vallejo, CA
(707) 334-3060
When: Saturday, February 11th, 2012, 12pm - 5pm
Chandra
Chatmon's Books
C Dyann Designs
Vallejo Rising
That may be relatively easy to achieve against the ghost-town backdrop of midday downtown Vallejo. With every other store front available for lease and the few bodies moving quickly through the streets, a leaf blowing in the wind could capture someone's attention and make them long for more. More voices, more movement, more volume in the vacant storefronts.
I captured just a portion of this mural because I would have had to cross the street to capture it in its entirety. That would have been nice, but I would have had to compete with passing cars and people and control my irritation at the lamppost blocking just one piece of this work. I stood as close as I could, to get as much in my lens as possible. Just as quickly as my camera snapped, I was off, my curiosity leading me farther up the block.
A little later I sat down with my camera to revisit this mural and could not believe that it was jumping out of my camera and really forcing me to look at it again, but with a clearer set of eyes.
The Vallejo Youth Commission dedicated this mural in early January. It is located on the corner of Marin Street and Georgia Street and is intended to represent rebirth. It is also was dedicated to the memory of Paul Brunson, who owned the barbershop adjacent to the mural and who also lost his life in a 2008 shooting.
Vallejo will rise through the wonderful artists and creative people who remain dedicated to helping reveal the beauty in this city. Not far from this mural along Marin Street, Virginia Street and many other areas you will find art galleries, imports and antiques. Many merchants have come and gone, but many have stayed and continue to build a strong arts community. Come down and take a look at Vallejo Rising, and see what else you discover.
Chandra
Chatmon's Books
C Dyann Designs
Neighborhoods Watch
There’s nothing like seeing community members come together to look out for each other. Vallejo’s Quarterly Citywide Neighborhood Watch Meeting took place January 25th and good information was plentiful.
Fighting Back Partnership is hosting Trivia Night, their 2nd Annual Fundraising Event:
When: March 24th, 2012, 6:30 PM - doors open @ 5:30 PM
Where: Vallejo Historical & Naval Museum, 734 Marin Street, Vallejo, CA
Cost: $25.00 per person
Contact: Marian at
mswanson@fight-back.orgPasta Pomodoro is hosting a community fundraising program:
Friends and family are invited to dine in & to-go
When: Monday, February 20th - Friday, February 24th all day
Where: Pasta Pomodoro Vallejo, 163 Plaza Drive, Vallejo, 94591 (707) 557-6100
Pasta Pomodoro will donate 20% of your bill to Fighting Back Partnership
Did you know that Vallejo has a neighborhood watch website, Vallejolamplighter.org? You can also find them on Facebook.
Donate, communicate, watch out for yourself and your neighbor.
Chandra
Bill Bloom Arts
Bill Bloom left a lasting impression on me about his work - he loves it and is eager to share his knowledge with others. I first became acquainted with him about seven years ago at Vallejo’s Wednesday Night Celebration. We stood adjacent to each other at the corner of Marin and Georgia, selling novels and ceramic art. If I even glanced sideways at one of his pieces, he would tell in great detail how that final product came to be. His excitement was infectious and I could not resist investing in one of his pieces which hangs on my office wall and beautifully entertains sunlight every morning. 
Bill teaches ceramics classes out of his work-live space on Marin Street. I’m sure he’d be happy to have you, and I just might see you there myself.
Chandra
Vallejo Welcomes WinCo
Vallejo is taking bigger steps into the 21st century by allowing WinCo to settle here. Hip hip! Hooray! Hip hip! Hooray! It’s great to see another grocery option here. Maybe when Fresh & Easy gets their act together they will follow. We shall see!
Chandra
Sardine Can for Breakfast
I have had two very good experiences at the Sardine Can. The funny thing about it is that I have walked by this restaurant for years during my walks along the waterfront. Every time I walked by, I thought, this place is a greasy spoon and kept walking. In meeting a friend of mine recently for coffee, we both decided that we were actually very hungry and she suggested the Sardine Can. Not much you can do to harm eggs, right?
Not only was breakfast delicious, I found a new spot to relax while I eat. The first time I visited I had a crab, avocado and cheese omelette, which was delicious, and shared the french toast with my friend. I thoroughly enjoyed my food and also got the chance to catch up on the latest with my companion and gaze out at the water from our table near the window. Ahhhhh.
I returned today with my husband and we both enjoyed a pancake breakfast and good conversation. I might also add that the home fries are the best. So I can definitely speak for breakfast, they have a solid menu which amounts to some good comfort food.
Where to find:
Sardine Can
0 Harbor Way
Vallejo, CA 94590
(707) 553-9492
Chandra
C Dyann Designs
Chatmon's Books
Hummingbird Bakery & Dessert Bar
Strawberry-Lemon Cake. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bread Pudding. Oreo Cupcakes. Mmmmmmm. Yummmmm. 
I chose the Strawberry-Lemon Cake after trying a sample. Paired with a cup of hot green tea, I can say I made a great choice. This wasn’t my first visit to Hummingbird Bakery and Dessert Bar. I love that place. I would go everyday but who can justify eating a huge hunk of cake each day for 365 days a year? 
The cake and all the other pastries in this establishment are sweet for sure, but not nearly as sweet as the operators and owners, Anastasia Dominique and Zipporah Johnson as well as their employees. Half the battle with retaining customers is excellent customer service and these ladies and their staff have it. It appears to be no problem for either of them to come out from behind the counter to talk to patrons and ask for feedback on their food. The workers are pleasant, professional and helpful. Their dessert bar is clean, bright and inviting, and what I would consider one of the jewels of Vallejo. Located in an area between our struggling downtown and the busy and thriving Plaza Drive, it provides yet another location in Vallejo to sit and enjoy the company of family and friends, or to take some time for yourself to reflect on life over a sweet treat.
The only complaint I have is that they were actually offering some type of San Francisco 49ers cupcakes today…
Hummingbird Bakery & Dessert Bar is located at 2037 Springs Road, Vallejo CA. They can be reached at (707) 644-4885. You can also find them on Facebook, be sure to Like.
Chandra
Community Trust
So I’m just going to get this out in the open right away - we’ve been gone a long time. It’s true, we know. But we’re back to resurrect Sweet Home Vallejo because Vallejo is still as sweet as ever. Don’t laugh, it’s true.
I was walking by a credit union the other day and for the gazillionth time the name changed, this time to Community Trust. It stopped me dead in my tracks and made me ask, does Vallejo really have the trust of the community? We’ve seen a rise in theft and robberies, but we recently emerged from bankruptcy and re-elected Mayor Davis, which is one sign of increasing stability. Vallejo is still struggling to meet its potential, but some progress is underway with construction along the waterfront and the ferry building. Our police force could use a lot more personnel, but the number of neighborhood watch groups has grown exponentially in the past two years.
Vallejo is certainly not up to par with cities like Oakland, we’ve got a long way to go to get to that level! (Smile). We plan to continue to highlight the best that Vallejo has to offer in the meantime, so allow us to finally say Happy New Year and we’re glad you came back to visit.
Chandra
