Neighbors Issue - Neighbor's Online Archives

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.