Neighbors Issue - Neighbor's Online Archives

COMPUTER E-MAIL SECURITY

Recently there have been several postings on the HB News Yahoo group regarding problems with e-mail hacking. While it is not completely unavoidable, there are some things you can do to significantly reduce your vulnerability to this type of intrusion.

First, make certain you have a good e-mail program. All internet providers offer e-mail accounts, however, not all of them allow you to easily adjust the level of protection from spam or junk mail. Just accepting the program your ISP offers to you may not be the best option.

Up to 70,000 malicious files are uploaded to the internet every day. These threats to your computer can come in many forms such as Viruses, Trojans, Adware, Spyware, and Malware among others. In order to combat these threats you need to stay on top of them.

From the New York Times archives, an article on home security systems has a lot to offer Hiddenbrooke residents.  New systems are wireless, so no drilling, running wires, etc involved and can be installed yourself if you desire.  They use battery, wireless, and cellular technology and can bypass monitoring firms and notify the owner directly. 

Home Network Security

Are you unknowingly inviting hackers into your home network?

Properly configuring your router is extremely important to your network’s security. Many people don’t know what the security settings of their router are or even that they can be configured for increased protection.

In this day and age of reduced public safety services and cut backs in all types of governmental programs did you ever stop to think of what would happen in a major disaster? How long would it take for help to arrive in Hiddenbrooke, how much help could we expect if Highway 80 was impassable? 

PC MAINTENANCE

Performing maintenance on your PC is just as important as protecting your PC from viruses or configuring network security to help protect your computer from being hacked. The better your computer is running, the easier it is for your protection software to do its job and the easier it is to remove a threat if one does get through.

So let’s go over some of the things you can be doing to help your computer run smoothly.

CPU/Tower Location

HCA Board Size Increases

The Hiddenbrooke Community Association voted to increase the number of directors to eight.  One director, Marcia Jarvis, resigned from the board as she is moving out of the area and the board appointed two new directors, Jen Pollack and Laura Kukta to a two year term.  The following are the officers for the 2011-2012 term.

President:  Nancy Berke

Vice President:  N Sasha Jain

Secretary:  Ramona Sampayan

Treasurer:  Laura Kukta

August President’s Report

These are some of the highlights of the August HCA Board meeting. 

Update on Candidates Night, which is coming up on August 31^st:

A recent search on the popular review site Yelp found 428 results for restaurants in Vallejo. Are there really 428 restaurants in Vallejo?!

No, there were actually 318 restaurants in Vallejo that were reviewed on yelp.com and I was rather surprised. At a second glance, it turns out the other 110 are in Benicia, American Canyon and Crockett. More on those another time…

"Tutoring With Class"
Serving Hiddenbrooke & surrounding areas

It’s time once again to plan summer activities for your kids!  How about including some low-cost learning along with 6 Flags, swimming lessons and summer camp?

Hiddenbrooke resident and career educator, Sue Wells, is open for business! 

November 12th from 6PM-8PM

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Make an Informed Vote!

HCA is sponsoring a Candidates Night on August 31, 2011 and we encourage all voters to attend. Vallejo is at an important turning point and what happens in our city affects all of us.   We have invited all the candidates for Mayor and the Vallejo City Council to come to our event.  We’ll be asking them a series of questions from our moderator, as well as taking some questions from the audience.   

The HCA board had a very productive meeting on Thursday, July 14^th.  Here are some highlights.

The golf club is once again providing complimentary food for National Night Out, which in on Tuesday, August 2^nd.  You need to sign up in advance for free food, otherwise it is $5.00 per person.  Sign up at www.hiddenbrookegolf.com.  They also are holding two Junior Golf Clinics – July 19-21 and August 3-5.

HCA Annual Meeting

Tuesday, June 21^st, 7:00 Hiddenbrooke Golf Club

Red White & Blue Garden Party!

Kick off the summer party season with your Hiddenbrooke friends and neighbors!  Come to a fun HCA garden party on Saturday June 25, 2011 from 6:00-8:00 pm., in the beautiful garden of Allen & Kathy Wildermuth.  Our parties are always a great time, and a good bargain as well, as a couple can come for only $20.00 if they bring an appetizer.  Don’t delay – space is always limited.  Click here to download the flyer.

May HCA Board Meeting Report

The following is a short recap of our May HCA Board Meeting:

Richard Matthews, the Safety chair, reported that CERT training will begin on May 24th and that a substantial number of people from Hiddenbrooke have signed up.  The presence of these trained people in our community will be invaluable in an emergency and an executive committee with members from both HCA and HPOA is being formed to determine how best to utilize these trained volunteers.

Senior golfers now have another reason to love the Hiddenbrooke Golf Club.

On Sunday, December 19th, 2010 at around 6:30pm, the Holiday Lighting Contest committee set out to look at all the holiday lights in Hiddenbrooke to pick the six best lighting displays.  Two and a half hours of driving later plus one more hour of putting our heads together, we determined that we needed to take another look the next evening in order to determine our six winners.  The winner of the best display in Hiddenbrooke was 2292 Bennington.  They had put a lot of effort into their display; a lot of lights on different levels and a large number of b

Hello neighbors, Hiddenbrooke social committee is busy planning some fun and exciting events for next year. Our first event of the year will be “Beat the Blues” party sponsored by HCA for January 30 at the home of Hugh Priscilla so mark your calendars. This is a great way to meet your neighbors, make new friends and find out what is happening in Hiddenbrooke.

Mardi Gras Madness

HCA’s first party of 2011 has a Mardi Gras theme and should be a lot of fun, so come and celebrate with your friends and neighbors.  We’ll have special food and drink from the New Orleans area (Hurricane punch anyone?) as well as a wacky hat contest.  Also, all current HCA members attending the party will be entered in a drawing for a bottle of fine champagne.  So dig out your funkiest or most unique hat and sign up today to attend. 

HCA Welcoming Committee Invitation

February HCA Board Meeting Recap

Jim Hayes reported that the Golf Committee has had their first meeting about this year’s Charity Golf Tournament.  The date will be September 25^th and the committee will be reaching out to those members who indicated on their applications that they are interested in helping.  The committee is also in need of additional major sponsors ($500-$800 commitment) and the HCA board agreed to assist in that effort.

Hi Neighbors,

Here’s a short recap of Thursday’s HCA Board Meeting:

November HCA President’s Message

We had some very interesting reports and discussions at our last HCA Board Meeting.  Here are some highlights:

December Presidents Message

These are some of what HCA is working on and was discussed at the December board meeting:

The Golf Committee presented a check for $16,564.00 to Alternative Family Services on
November 18th.  This was substantially more than was collected last year and of course
the charity can really use the additional funds.  There was a picture in the Times Herald
a few days later, here is a link:

The 2010 HCA Holiday Lighting Contest is HERE.  Judging will occur on Sunday, December 19.  Click Here For More Details!

On recent drives around Hiddenbrooke, we have noticed that the builder supplied back-lit house numbers on many homes are burnt out or broken, and some have been replaced with non-electric types, such as brass numbers or painted tiles. This is against Vallejo city code.

Summer is the best time to shop local farmers markets and if you live here in Hiddenbrooke, we're surrounded by some great markets!

The Vallejo Farmers Market is on Georgia Street in downtown Vallejo every Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm just west of Sonoma Boulevard.

Norman Rose Tavern, in Napa is (in case you didn’t know) quite the happening place. Before Jan, Cindy and I went to dinner, I checked out the place with my husband. To our surprise who was sitting next to us but- Masihara Morimoto… of Iron Chef and The Food Network fame!!

Hi Neighbors,

This is a short recap of what was discussed at the last HCA board Meeting, held September 9. 2010.

HCA has a new director!  Richard Matthews was appointed to fill the balance of Jason Hamilton’s term.  Jason has resigned due to scheduling conflicts, but remains committed to being an active HCA volunteer and we very much appreciate his years of service on the HCA board.

With over 20 people in attendance, the organizing meeting was a great beginning for the Security committee of Hiddenbrooke Community Association. The major inputs were from Richard Matthews on Neighborhood Watch, and Bob Sampayan on Watch and speeding issues, and Eli Cronbach on getting funding thru shifts of Hiddenbrooke Improvement District (HID) reductions, transferred to Hiddenbrooke Maintenance District (HMD) Welcome Center budget.

At our past HCA Board meeting, retired deputy sheriff Matthews had some very good ideas and suggestions to help address the increased concerns regarding the security in Hiddenbrooke.

Over the past few months, there has been a vigorous discussion about the security of Hiddenbrooke residents.  All of the dialogue has been useful, but it's now time for action.  Some of the ideas that will be explored will require some effort from the Community.

It’s Party Time!

HCA’s last party of the year is happening on November 6^th from 6-8 pm at the home of Robert and Nancy Sanders.  Our parties are a great way to meet new neighbors or have a good time with your existing friends.  And, HCA parties are a super value as well.  If you bring an appetizer, you and your guest can eat and drink all you like for $20.00.  We’re extending that offer to newcomers as well – if you have never been to an HCA party, you can take advantage of our two-for-one offer.

I am very honored to be serving as HCA president for the coming year.  Hiddenbrooke is such a unique community and I want to follow in the footsteps of those who have given so much to help make it so special. 

The committee for this years Hiddenbrooke Charity Golf Tournament is making a considerable effort to organize a classy and fun tournament, but also raise a substantial amount of money for Alternative Family Services.

AFS is a noble, hard-working Vallejo organization that supports and trains young adults to live independently after ‘aging out’ of the foster care program. These teens have a HUGE responsibility dumped in their lap when they are only 16-21 years old.

The most memorable Hiddenbrooke Community Association Charity Golf Tournament ever is coming up October 3rd at the Hiddenbrooke Golf Course!

Gather your friends for a foursome and join us in supporting the community and an exciting Vallejo charity helping to foster and nurture young adults. This charity tournament invites all levels of golfers to come out and play an 18-hole scramble.

Silent Auction, prizes, games, and food...the best ever!

Hiddenbrooke will be having it's biggest party of the year August 3rd,  5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the flagpole area at the Golf Club, for National Night Out.

About 6 months ago, I was at my first HCA party, and being new to the neighborhood, I figured this was a great way to meet my neighbors.

Hello Neighbors, it's January and that means it's time for the HCA membership drive.  Our volunteers have been working hard for the Hiddenbrooke this past year and we need your support to continue. 

June 23d is the annual meeting for HCA and, accordingly, the close of business for the association.  This is my last year as president-by design.  I have served on the Board or a committee since the founding of this organization. Pat and I are the sixth family to move into Hiddenbrooke.  It is time for other people to take over the leadership. With new people come new ideas and new energy.  Our Board of incredibly dedicated and hard working individuals has accomplished quite a lot over the years of which I am proud to have been a part.

This story is about a choice we have to make: if you want to hit the jackpot you need to either work for the City of Vallejo or you need a strategy to win the lottery. Either way, you'll do well.

The Vallejo Independent Bulletin does some excellent reporting on local government issues. Their contributors are, as often as not, concerned citizens who take the time to do solid research and present interesting and compelling findings.

Many readers of Neighbors will know our neighbor Paul Norberg. You may not know of the great advice he is giving our mayor about the City's finances!

From time to time, there are items of interest to the entire city that merit repeating here on our web site. As a part of my personal effort to keep this web site relevant and timely to those of us here in Hiddenbrooke, we will borrow from local reporting on the City Council meetings and share their summaries with you.

Protect Yourself From Winter Sports Knee Injuries

By Douglas Dennis, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon

Those who love winter sports anxiously await their opportunity to get out on the slopes and enjoy skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities. Most people will return home in the same condition they left. Some will fall victim to knee injuries, in particular ACL and meniscus tears, that will leave them watching from the sidelines for quite a while.

What is an ACL?

There’s a whole lot going on at the golf club and that’s good news for golfers and, apparently, eaters!

If you missed the annual HCA residents golf tournament this weekend, you may have missed the event of the year! The tournament was one of the best organized events we've ever attended and it was a complete sellout!

Hello Neighbors,

It's time to sign up for "Fun in the Sun", HCA's  "south-of-the-border" party which is always loads of fun.  This is one of our most popular parties and it books up quickly, so send your application in now!  If you bring food, you can come for only $20.00 and if you are new to HCA parties, check out the two-for-one special price. 

The election for the three open spots on the Hiddenbrooke Community Association (HCA) will be held at our annual meeting on June 23rd at 8pm at the Hiddenbrooke Golf Club. 

Please click here for the bios of the three individuals running for election

Please click here for the official HCA 2010-2010 election proxy/ballot form

President Joyce Estes,  Phone 647-7053

Annual Meeting Minutes have been posted to the web site.

Prostate Cancer Screening Saves Lives

 By Edward Levin, M.D., a board-certified urologist affiliated with Sutter Solano Medical Center and a member of Solano Regional Medical Group

With fall just around the corner, we’ve started thinking about what we might do to get up to the snow for some skiing and down time away from home. If you don’t have a second home in the mountains to call your own, then it’s not too early to start planning for your getaway now. Here are a few tips as you think about that trip to the mountains.

The first question is, short stay in a hotel, or a house or cabin rental? And what about special deals on lift tickets and ski equipment?

Real Superman? Here in Vallejo?

In times of perhaps the greatest blends of ‘hope versus despair’ for a nation in deep hangover due to a long overseas war and tail-spinning economy, Vallejo now garners the Bay Area spotlight once again: only this time for a reason quite beyond the explainable. It comes with a pragmatic irony, on the heels of the first elected African American President and a feeling that we finally have a true White House hero, that the city of Vallejo now boasts a different kind all its own.

Protecting Your “Windows to the World”

By Julie Chen, M.D., ophthalmologist

All adults should get regular eye disease screening exams, as recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Since your perception of the world can change tremendously with vision problems, it’s also important to know the risk factors of common eye diseases, including glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. For all three, regular eye exams are the best way to prevent vision loss.

Chief Solano, born to the name Sem-Yeto, is the namesake of our Solano County; known to be tall and charismatic, few people know that he was an interesting, historic and important figure in the history of California in the 19^th century. He factors as one of the players surrounding the founding of our Golden State as an important ally of General Mariano Vallejo.

With the re-launch of HiddenbrookeOnline we have moved squarely and boldly into the 21^st Century! Our intention was to make HiddenbrookeOnline an easy to use community resource and a place where you can easily find everything you might need about Hiddenbrooke.

The most memorable Hiddenbrooke Community Association Charity Golf Tournament ever is coming up September 20th at the Hiddenbrooke Golf Course!

Gather your friends for a foursome and join us in supporting the community and an exciting Vallejo charity helping to foster and nurture young adults. This charity tournament invites all levels of golfers to come out and play an 18-hole scramble.

There will be a grand prize awarded to the foursome that beats the Hiddenbrooke Club Pro’s pro shop score. Silent Auction, prizes, games, and food...the best ever!

The Hiddenbrooke Community Association held an open meeting together with the regular monthly Board meeting on October 8,2009. Those present heard a presentation from Curt Johannson of Triad and Nicole Byrd Executive Director of the Solano Land Trust about our current effort to get the park back on track.

You may recall that we have been working for many years on a joint school/park project to be located in the Orchards on a site dedicated by Triad.

If you haven't had a chance to visit some of the treasures over the hill then the coming weeks may be just the opportunity that you needed. Suisun Valley is a treasure trove of family-farms, vineyards and other great finds that are just off the beaten path and right around the corner.

Welcome to the 21st Century and the start of Neighbors online.  We are deeply indebted to Kevin Elliott and Sasha Jain for taking on this critical project and seeing it through to fruition.

Ask the Expert?

Fire Marshal Rusty answers your mail

Well, I’m back, once again doling out my expansive knowledge on all things Hiddenbrooke. It’s been a while my friends, but now that I have my column back, I’m really looking forward to spreading my conjecture to all who have so vehemently called me out of retirement.

Enjoy an elegant and romantic dinner at the Hiddenbrooke Clubhouse with your sweetheart on Friday, February 12!

Chef Michael has a special evening planned for those who want to celebrate St Valentine’s Day right here close to home. Though the actual history of St Valentine’s Day is shrouded in mystery, what is certain is that the month of February has long been a time to celebrate love and romance. Chef Michael promises just such a celebration with a lovely five course meal at the club. Here’s the menu for the evening:

I love living here. While I can list things that I particularly like about Hiddenbrooke, there is something that I haven’t put my finger on...until I thought about the place itself. What I love about living here is that this is more than a subdivision and less than a town. Hiddenbrooke is a village – I think that I must be a villager!

Our hillside neighbors are among the most desirable and sought after, among those in the know. We don’t have to worry about them running stop signs, driving too fast on Bennington or having loud parties on the weekends. These are truly model neighbors. Five star, you might say. They say, Five Dot.

On the hillsides from the northwest all the way around to the south side of Hiddenbrooke, cattle from the Five Dot Ranch graze the open space. The yearlings that are normally here are part of a family tradition that has spanned seven generations in Northern California.

There’s a renewed level of interest and activity on our Hiddenbrooke park project. Everyone in this community who is interested in seeing a park built will be glad to know that the Hiddenbrooke Community Association is working hard to bring a park to Hiddenbrooke. Here’s the latest…

Welcome to the holiday Season. I can't believe another year has passed. I was just getting used to summer.

HCA has had a very busy year so far and we are looking forward to the Holiday Lighting contest which will be chaired by Board member Jason Hamilton.Competition for best lighting is a good thing for the neighborhood. It makes us all take pride in how the neighborhood looks and it is a memory our kids and grandkids take into their adulthood.

Hello Neighbors,

HCA presents: The BIG Freakin Holiday Light Contest!

Back by most popular demand, Hiddenbrooke's 'The BIG Freakin Holiday Light Contest' is back for December 2009. This years judging will commence on the evening of December 17th between the hours of 6-9pm. Three cash prizes will be awarded for the most 'vegas-like' home.