Enjoying the great outdoors is a favorite summertime activity, whether it be camping or just spending time in your yard. With the hot, dry days of summer here, David Giger offers valuable information on drought resistant plants.

Woodland has scored big with the Kids Triathlon coming to town in August. Details on this incredible event for kids ages 4-17 can also be found inside.

A historic landmark, the Capital Hotel, is currently being renovated in the heart of downtown Woodland, and you can read all about what is planned for this unique landmark.

Woodland has some exciting activities planned for the 4th of July celebration – everything from a pancake breakfast to a parade and fireworks. It’s an old-fashioned community celebration, and the whole town is invited!

All this, and the Community Calendar, inside. Read and enjoy. Have a safe and happy 4th of July, and lots of fun this summer!

Keep your family safe while cooking in the great outdoors:

• Some national and state forests do not allow the use of camping stoves during high fire danger periods. Check to make sure that camping stoves, barbeques and campfires are allowed in your camp area.

• Do not use camp cooking appliances when it is rainy or windy.

• Make sure you have adequate lighting while cooking and preparing foods.

• Never leave your cooking area unattended while appliances are turned on or fires are lit.

• Wait until all cooking appliances have cooled before leaving your cooking area.

• Keep a 3-foot childfree zone around your cooking area.

• Keep your cooking area clean and free of clutter, especially from items like paper towels, paper plates, and other flammable materials.

• Keep dry leaves and pine needles away from your cooking area.

• Always include potholders, lids for pots and pans, and a fire extinguisher with your camping supplies. An ABC fire extinguisher is the most preferred.

• Never use water on a grease fire or try to move a pan with burning oil. If you feel you are able to hold a lid with an oven mitt and gently place it over the pan on fire without getting injured, do so. Do not move the pan until it has cooled.

Camping safety tips:

• Purchase tents that are UL listed as flame retardant.

• Set up tents away from the campfire area.

• Use flashlights or battery powered lanterns inside tents or other enclosed spaces.

• Always build your campfire down wind, away from your tent.

• Build your campfire in an area that is free of vegetation.

• Make sure your fire pit is deep enough to keep the fire contained and that there are rocks surrounding the pit.

• Store lighter fluid away from tents and campfires.

• Always put out a campfire before going to bed or leaving the campsite.

• To extinguish the fire, cover it with dirt or pour water over it.

• Keep pets out of the cooking area.

• Keep pets away from campfires.

• Always carry water and some food while hiking.

• Do not park cars or RVs over dry vegetation, this can cause a fire.

• Be aware of your surroundings while smoking.

The Fire Department would like to wish you and your family a fire-safe and fun camping season! If you have any questions please call your local Fire Department.

What started out 6 years ago as a fun way to fill a summertime void has blossomed into the largest kids triathlon in the country with over 1,000 participants.

Conducted in a traditional swim-bike-run format, the California Kids Triathlon provides athletes (ages 4-17) of all abilities the chance to participate in a fun, safe and most importantly, a fitness-based event. The philosophy behind the triathlon is to build self-confidence as well as to encourage a foundation for daily exercise.

“Woodland is a city that our foundation has been eyeing for quite some time”, states Dave Miramontes, president and Executive Director of A Change of Pace. “The City of Woodland offers the perfect market and demographic to serve one of our boards’ goals: to educate, promote and enable ALL kids the opportunity to participate in highly visible, well-attended and professionally produced event that is build around youth fitness”.

The California Kids Triathlon is more than your average city-based event; it is a regional attraction with a national recognition. In a nutshell, we have reintroduced three common sports in a simple, pure and non-competitive manner. By doing so, we brought the fun back to exercise with no strings attached. Everyone who participates is a winner and even our faster athletes blend in with each and every finisher. The common goal for all is to simply to give it a TRY (tri).

By placing 100% of our focus on attempt and completion rather than placement and time, we create a stress-free environment that enables kids to enjoy themselves without any pressure from an outside source. Competition, high expectations, and the possibility of failure have taken the fun out of many sports and caused hesitation toward future participation. Our company believes the California Kids Triathlon is a perfect example of how one can successfully bring the fun back in youth competitive sports while reducing the intimidation factor.

With the rise of childhood obesity and Type II Diabetes continuing to affect our nation, large-scale, well-publicized and well-executed events such as the California Kids Triathlon can serve as an incentive for exercise as well as an event for others to mimic. In California, we seem to have rediscovered a goldmine. With only 1,000 spaces available….let the gold rush begin!

SPECIFICS:

Event Name: California Kids Triathlon
Location: Woodland, CA
Date: August 10, 2008
Years in Existence: 7th Annual in 2008
Participation: 1,000 athletes ages 4-17
Event Producers: A Change of Pace Foundation
Event Director: Dave Miramontes
Phone: (530) 757-2012 ext. 13
Fax: (530) 758-1850

• E-mail: davem@changeofpace.com

Website: www.changeofpace.com

By Crystal Lee

The historic Capital Hotel in Woodland’s downtown is expected to open this fall fully restored and with an expansion to the back of building. The 12,000-square-foot, three-story 1868 Italianate-style brick building at 601 Main St. had been vacant for several years. Pilot Properties in Elk Grove bought the building in 2006 and construction began early this year.

Pilot Properties CEO Tim Mullikin plans to convert each floor of the building into restaurant, office and lofts space. Mullikin said he expects work on the entire building to be complete in October.

If the timing is right, the ground-level restaurant could also be opening that same month, he said. “All the permits are in,” he said. “Now it’s just a matter of working full speed ahead.”

The restaurant, which has an alcohol license, will operate as Capital Saloon & Grill unless someone makes an offer to rent the space, Mullikin said. In which case, the tenant can serve any type of food and operate under a different name if desired. “I always like to be flexible,” Mullikin said.

Recently, Mullikin chose charcoal, green and white paint colors for the building’s exterior and the foundation is being laid for the one- story, 3,000-square-foot expansion in the back. The framing and plumbing is also being put in for office space and five 500- to 900-square-foot lofts for lease on the second and third floors, respectively.

Mullikin said he hasn’t “really pushed it” yet, but there has been some interest in the lofts. He said he also hopes to find tenants for the offices soon, since the area can still be adapted to tenants’ requests.

The building was originally called the Planter House before being renamed the Capital Hotel. It had 54 rooms and also included a barbershop and saloon on the premises. A Mexican restaurant and bar that was open for several years in the 1990s was the building’s most recent tenant.

The City of Woodland Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will kickoff the 4th of July Holiday with their Annual Fun Run/Walk. This family oriented event will start and finish at Pioneer Park located at 1925 Branigan Avenue. The run has been part of the City’s 4th of July celebration for over 15 years. Registration will be held at Pioneer Park from 7 to 7:45 a.m. The run will follow shortly after, around 8 a.m. Fees are $10 per person, which include a commemorative 2008 4th of July t-shirt. Participants interested in registering early can do so at the recreation office (2001 East St.) through June 30. Proceeds will go to the Woodland Recreation Foundation for next year’s 4th of July events. For further information, please contact Hector Lopez at 661-5880. Volunteers wanting to help out at this event are also urged to call.

Joining in as part of the community activities, local firefighters are sponsoring their annual pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at Woodland Fire Station #3, located at 1550 Springlake Court. The menu includes pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice, and a whole lot of community spirit. The cost is only $3 per person, and children under 5 are free. The firefighters are also holding an Open House at the station, which continues until 12 noon.

After a hearty breakfast, the public is invited to the Stars and Stripes Scooter and Bike Parade from 9:15 until 11 a.m. starting at Heritage Plaza, on Second and Main Streets. Decorating begins at 9:15, with judging taking place at 10:15. The parade begins at 10:45 at Heritage Plaza and ends at Freeman Park, 1001 Main Street. Following the parade, Freeman Park hosts the Family Funfest from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

No hometown 4th of July celebration would be complete without ice cream, so make plans to attend the Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social at the Woodland Community & Senior Center. The social event runs from 1 to 3 p.m., and cost is only $2 per person. The center is located at 2001 East Street.

For those seeking relief from the sizzling hot temperatures, a free Swimfest is being held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Charles Brooks Community Swim Center at 155 N. West Street. The event features swimming music and a giant waterslide, offering a chance to cool off and have fun.

The Woodland High School Stadium at Beamer and California Streets offers a myriad of pre-show activities from 6 to 9:15. Visitors there can enjoy music, bounce houses, a rock climbing wall, and games, all free of charge. Donations for next year’s event will be gratefully accepted, and BBQ, hot dogs, hamburgers will be available for purchase.

The 4th of July festivities wrap up in a very traditional way, with the 16th Annual Fireworks Display from 9:30 to 10 p.m., featuring Brianne Wilson performing the National Anthem.

Some say that we are in a drought year. When many home gardeners hear this they automatically start thinking of drought tolerant plants because they want to conserve water. You’d be surprised how much vegetation there is currently around your home landscape that doesn’t require a lot of water. There are also many plants you can install that are not super slurpers.

Those old shade trees around your house are a great example of plants you don’t worry about watering. The important thing to do of course is to deep water them for the first two years after planting. After that just be sure to keep your lawn at least 18 inches away from the base of the tree! Those big shade trees are also really important for water conservation all around your home. The more shade you have the less water you will be using on the rest of the plants, specially the lawn. Energy conservation of your home will be improved also.

Like trees, shrubs also do not need a lot of water after establishment. This is about a year after planting. Infrequent deep-watering is good. A drip system or soaker hose works well for this. Some shrubs don’t need much supplemental water at all like photinia, nandina and dodonaea (purple hop bush). This depends, however, that we get the normal rainfall in the winter. Also, soil type makes a difference. Heavy soils that are high in clay content will hold water much longer than sandy soil. This is a big problem with lavender in clay soils. The soil holds so much water that the plant gets root rot and dies. Your shrubs should stay healthy as long as you don’t prune them when the weather is hot and dry. Actually, only a few acid-loving shrubs such as camellias and azaleas need frequent watering.

Most perennials need regular water. That is when the top several inches of the soil is dry it is time to water. I have found that some perennials like agapanthus, common geranium and bearded iris are drought tolerant. Like lavender, armeria (sea pink) and scaevola don’t like wet feet. The main thing with perennials and shrubs is that they are in the right environment. If they are in the environment they are meant to be in they will be fine. This environment is usually listed on the plant tag. The Sunset Western Garden Book will also have all the pertinent cultural facts on your plants.

Some people recommend native plants. These are great because they are used to only what nature provides. You will have to look hard, however, to find them in nurseries. My favorite native is the California poppy. These are easy to find in seed packets. Just spread them in the fall. One great place to see and buy California natives is the UC Davis Arboretum (arboretum.ucdavis.edu). Also the Arboretum Terrace next to Borders Bookstore in Davis is a great little place to see hardy Central Valley plants together in a landscape setting.

-David R. Giger has been a professional landscape gardener in Woodland since 1993. He can be reached at Dmmegiger@aol.com.

Spending quality time as a family is increasingly important these days, so check out the information on page 7, courtesy of First 5 Yolo.

There is still time to do some garden work, but the type of plants you choose can make a difference to the ecosystem, so be sure to check out the information provided here.

For those who love hot rods and custom bikes, check out the Hot Rod Reunion and Motorcycle Show event at the Fairgrounds on June 8. Or take a motorcycle ride with Iron Steed Harley on June 28.
Check out the revised Community Calendar on pages 14 and 15 – June seems to be bursting with activities, so there is no lack of things to do.

All this, and more. Read and enjoy. Have fun in the sun!

No matter how busy life gets, it is important for families to connect regularly. Studies show that spending time together as a family boosts children’s self esteem and promotes healthy social development. This quality family time is particularly important during a child’s first five years - the time when his or her brain develops most.

“Between work, school and other commitments, it is often difficult for families to sit down for even one meal together each day,” said Julie Gallelo, executive director of First 5 Yolo. “In spite of our limited time, it is important we find a time that works to connect with our children.”

Activities for the Whole Family - Spend time together doing a variety of activities suitable for the entire family.

• Start a family dinner tradition. Once a week, assign everyone a task to help prepare the family’s meal. Encourage your children to be creative with their jobs, whether it’s helping choose the menu, mixing ingredients or working with an older sibling to set the table.

• Host a weekly game night. Each week, have a different person in the family choose his or her favorite game to play.

• Spend time outdoors. Go for a walk together or ride bikes in your neighborhood, at a park or on the beach.

Activities for Parents - Parents are children’s first teachers. Spending time together is a great way for parents to encourage a love of learning in their children.

• Take a field trip. Visit a zoo or museum to learn about exotic animals, fascinating history facts and many other educational topics. Call local zoos and museums to see if they offer free or discounted tickets on certain days.

• Set a play date. Show your children the importance of play and exercise by taking them to a local playground or park. Challenge each other on the monkey bars and demonstrate your skills on the swings.

• Make every moment count. Use every moment together to learn from and listen to your children, even when running errands. For example, while grocery shopping ask your children questions about their favorite foods. Have your children help bag fruits and vegetables while describing each food’s shape and color.

Activities for Older Brothers and Sisters - Encourage older siblings to spend time with their younger brothers and sisters by sharing their interests and experiences.

• Share school stories. Have older siblings discuss what kindergarten or preschool was like for them.

• Encourage younger children to ask questions to make them feel comfortable in the classroom.

• Play teacher. Give your older children the job of playing teacher. Chal-lenge the big brother or sister to teach the younger ones how to do one of their favorite hobbies, such as dancing or drawing.

• Read by example. Send older siblings to the library to choose their favorite childhood books. Then, have them read to their younger brothers and sisters pointing out their favorite parts.

Activities for Grandparents - Grandparents have so much love to give to their grandchildren. Suggest these ideas to create new memories together.

• Create a craft box. Use everyday objects from around the house to create a special craft box for young grandchildren. Encourage grandparents to keep a box of scrap paper, stickers, stamps, crayons and scissors for art activities when grandchildren visit.

• Swap stories – both old and new. Suggest grandparents tell family stories, including tales from their childhood. To keep children interested, show photos to illustrate the stories. For added fun, challenge grandparents and kids to create their own silly stories.

• Prepare traditional family recipes together. Ask grandparents to prepare family recipes with the help of younger children.

For more information on quality family time activities or First 5 Yolo programs, call 669-2475 or visit www.First5Yolo.org.

About First 5 Yolo

Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a meaningful impact throughout life. In November 1998, California voters passed a statewide ballot initiative to add a 50-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes. The funds collected are utilized to fund education, health, and childcare programs that promote early childhood development from prenatal through age 5. For more information about First 5 Yolo, please visit www.First5Yolo.org.

By Ann Schmidt-Fogarty

With a burst of spring energy, California’s PlantRight campaign has kicked off across the state to empower home gardeners to avoid using invasive plants. Invasive species are the second leading threat to wildlife and biodiversity, and are expensive for public parks and agencies to remove. Although most garden plants are not a threat, more than half of invasive plants originally arrived through gardens and landscaping, so home gardening choices matter. The PlantRight campaign is led by a diverse partnership of the horticulture industry, environmental groups, scientists, public agencies and other experts to help home gardeners make smart gardening choices that protect California’s unique wildlands and wildlife.

“Most of the plants used in gardens and landscaping do not invade natural areas and harm wildlife. But a few species can – and do – escape from cultivated areas into open landscapes and cause serious ecological problems,” said Terri Kempton, PlantRight Manager at Sustainable Conservation. “Fortunately, there are plenty of beautiful, safe alternatives to invasives, so it’s easy for gardeners to find plants that will thrive in their yard.

For each region of California, PlantRight’s steering committee identified the problem plants and non-invasive alternatives that will thrive in that area. These are shown on the PlantRight website, www.PlantRight.org.

The PlantRight campaign asks gardeners to: (1) Avoid planting invasives; (2) Plant beautiful non-invasive alternatives; (3) Find local retail partners and other resources at www.PlantRight.org.

“Invasive plants like brooms, Arundo donax and iceplant cause significant harm to parks and natural areas across California,” said Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks. “They crowd out native plants, insects and animals. Once they take hold, they are expensive to remove or control. Invasions can also lead to flooding and fires.”

For example, Arundo donax (giant reed) forms massive stands that crowd out the native plants that provide valuable habitat for birds and other wildlife. At least 10 protected animal species in California, including the endangered bird the Least Bell’s Vireo, suffer habitat loss due to invading Arundo. These tall plants burn quickly and at high temperatures, allowing flames to jump streams that would normally act as barriers to the spread of wildfires. Safe alternatives include Clumping Bamboos (Bamboos multiplex, B. oldhamii, Fargesia nitida) and New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax cultivars).

Nationally, invasive plants cost more than $35 billion per year in eradication work and economic losses. In California alone, $85 million in taxpayer funds go to fighting invasive species every year. Fortunately, home gardeners and professionals are making smart choices to avoid planting invasive varieties.

“Plant growers, garden centers and landscaping professionals can help gardening enthusiasts find the perfect match for their needs,” said Bob Falconer, Executive Vice President, California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers.

In addition to being environmentally responsible, some non-invasive plants offer additional benefits such as drought resistance, lower fertilizer requirements, attracting wildlife and reducing fire risks.

About PlantRight

PlantRight was created by the California Horticultural Invasives Prevention (Cal-HIP) partnership to help protect California wildlands and wildlife from invasive plants. Sustainable Conservation, a nonprofit organization known for forging lasting collaborative solutions to critical environmental problems, created the Cal-HIP partnership and manages PlantRight. www.PlantRight.org.

The Iron Steed Chapter of Harley Owners Group invites all motorcycle riders to participate in their annual Poker Run this year on Saturday, June 28, 2008. The event will start at Iron Steed Harley-Davidson in Vacaville, ride through our area back roads with a few quick stops for leg stretches and will circle back to the Harley-Davidson dealership for a full BBQ Tri-Tip / Chicken lunch. Portions of this event will benefit local charities. This event is open to all motorcycle types & riders and includes lunch, games, live music, raffles and lots of fun!

The Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) is an organization founded and sponsored by Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The group was established to offer motorcycling benefits and services to Harley-Davidson enthusiast throughout the world, and to develop a close relationship between the Harley-Davidson rider, the dealer, and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Currently there are over 1 Million H.O.G. members worldwide.

The purpose of the Iron Steed Chapter is to promote responsible motorcycling activities for Harley Owners Group members by conducting chapter activities and encouraging participation in other H.O.G. events. The Chapter’s events are family oriented and non-political. Each Chapter is sponsored by a Harley-Davidson dealer and in our case this is Iron Steed Harley-Davidson located at 100 Auto Center Dr. in Vacaville. Iron Steed Harley-Davidson, formerly known as Vacaville Harley-Davidson, has recently changed hands and is under new ownership.

Our chapter has over 200 members all supporting our goal of “riding and having fun”. On any weekend, there are motorcycle events in the Northern California area sponsored by H.O.G. Chapters and other motorcycling groups such as poker runs, observation runs, and tours.

Iron Steed H.O.G. volunteers in the community with various projects such as working traffic control and security at Merriment on Main in Vacaville, the Vacaville Toy Run during the holidays, and Ronald McDonald House in Sacramento. We have been working closely with Ronald McDonald House for several years helping with their annual Christmas Party, Easter Egg Hunt, fund raising, and have been selected as one of their volunteers of the year in the past. We support Opportunity House with donations of supplies, Vaca FISH with food and support during the holidays, and have worked with Court Appointed Special Advocate of Solano (CASA) in fund raising.

As a group, we have rides each month for our members to sites in the local area, on the coast, and the in the Gold Country. We have day rides and also plan overnight trips with our longest being to the 105th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson/25th Anniversary of H.O.G. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2008. This group likes to travel and attends National and State H.O.G. Rallies annually as opportunities allow.

Ladies of Harley (L.O.H.) is a part of our group encouraging women in their pursuit of “riding and having fun” on motorcycles. L.O.H. sponsors rides and has regular dinner meetings – L.O.H. activities and dinners are open to all members and not limited to ladies only.

To join the Iron Steed Chapter of H.O.G. you must be a member of H.O.G. National and own a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. If you would like further information about the Iron Steed Chapter, contact the Director, Keri Clements, at 510-691-6553.