Jane Bogner
Solano Group

Help Needed - Get Involved Locally

Solano Group has teamed up with several local movements to preserve and protect areas from development. Please get out and help these groups in your hometown.

• Fairfield / Suisun City
  
  Potrero Hills Landfill expansion has been approved and lawsuits have been filed.
  
  Friends of Allan Witt Park continue to gather signatures and alert residents about the city of Fairfield's proposal to privatize a large portion of Allan Witt Park for condominiums, townhomes and shopping areas, with over 700 signatures so far. For flyers, petitions and updates visit www.allanwittpark.org, or contact Brad Smith at (707) 425-7527 or brsassoc@jccomp.com. The park is beautiful right now with lush green lawns and leaves still on most of the trees. The City of Fairfield is doing a great job keeping the park manicured and clean. Please stop by next time you are in the area of West Texas and 5th St. in Fairfield!
• Vacaville
  
  Your neighbors, the Friends of Lagoon Valley, continue to fight against subdivision development of our last remaining semi-rural valley. For information, contact Friends of Lagoon Valley 735 Brookside Drive, Vacaville CA 95688. Marian Conning, 447-7356.
  
• Vallejo
  
  Vallejo Waterfront Coalition VWC (707) 645-3186 or info@VallejoWaterfrontCoalition.org. The city of Vallejo has certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approved the original developer: Callahan-DeSilva. The City Council did put in some restrictions and a design review process. The VWC will remain vigilant on this issue.
  
• Solano County Fairgrounds
  
  The county is reviewing possible development plans for shopping and housing on our public fairgrounds. Mills Corp is the only developer who has offered a plan. The area has serious traffic concerns now. The current plan has very little public space. Jim Dekloe is watching the issue and developing alternate plans.

Sierra Club Proudly Announces the 2005 Environmental Scholarship Winner for Solano Community College

Vallejoan Sigi Hawkins is a "mature adult" who decided to return to college after a long break from school. I immigrated to the US from Germany in 1985, and worked for many years in business and accounting, before I made the BIG decision to go back to school. I did not want to crunch numbers for the rest of my working life, but rather be involved in a job that would allow me to be part of nature and contribute to the conservation of wildlife and their habitat. I enrolled in classes at Solano Community College, and joined a "bunch of kids" in learning Calculus and Chemistry.

It was hard work, but it also has been fun, especially now that I have transferred to UC Berkeley, and am able to take subjects that really interest me. To balance the mental work of college with more physical work, I teach group exercise classes in a couple of gyms in Benicia/Vallejo, and my fiancé and I try to get out and hike whenever time allows. I was thrilled to learn that I had been awarded the Sierra Club, Solano Group Environmental scholarship! It came at a great time: right about when I received my second billing statement from UC Berkeley.

I am grateful to the Sierra Club sponsors, and also what to thank Ms. Danielle Widemann, a Solano Community College Physical Geography/Geology teacher who encouraged me to apply!

10th Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival, January 27-29, 2006

Free Family Wildlife Exploration and Birding Expo on Mare Island in Vallejo open on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am - 4 pm. Free Outings, Hikes, and Birding Sites around the North Bay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's not to late to schedule your north bay outing or volunteer to help out. Contact Myrna Hayes, Festival Coordinator, at 707 557-9816, cell 707 319-1886, Email: myrnahay@pacbell.net.

HIKES - Want to lead a hike?
Our Oct 15 Hike to Skyline part lead by Louis Chiofalo was grand. Call our membership chair, Phil McCullough (707) 554-4412 for detail on volunteering.

VALCORE Community Recycling: Check out www.VALCORErecycling.org and www.recycle-guide.com for Solano county recycling info. Solano Group and 8 other nonprofits run this recycling center.

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NEW HOURS @ VALCORE Recycling

• 38 Sheridan St., Vallejo
• New Hours: Monday through Saturday
• Donation: 9am - 5pm (4:30 in winter)
• CRV Buy Back: 10am - 5pm (4:30 in winter)
• CLOSED FOR LUNCH 1pm - 2pm

Donate your cans to Sierra Club during CRV Buy Back hours. Sierra Club gets a higher price for aluminum cans donated to them than what VALCORE pays to the public. Please also bring CRV #1 PET and glass bottles. This is how Solano Group raises money.

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VALCORE Recycling Workday: 2006 schedule not available. We work from 9 am to Noon. $50 is offered to volunteer supervisors for their favorite classroom or environmental project. Call 644-9183 or e-mail jabogner@juno.com.

On September 17, we participated in our local Coastal Cleanup in Vallejo (and know plenty of you were working up county on other sites). We thank Jane Bogner, Kenn Browne, Phil McCullough, Rollye Wiskerson, Doris Wiskerson, Bob St. John and Al Molnar.

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Wanted: VALCORE Board Replacement

Solano Group has been a member of VALCORE Recycling since 1985. Jane Bogner has been our representative off and on since 1988. Guess what, she needs a break. Obligations for a board member include attending the monthly board meeting on the 4th Monday of each month at 6:30 in Vallejo and arranging volunteers for the 8 Saturday workdays at the recycling site. It's an exciting board and a great way to 'act locally' on a global issue.

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