Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square (HSMPS), the group recently identified by the U. S. Navy as the only organization qualified to give the historic warship U.S.S. Iowa a final berthing as a floating memorial and museum in Vallejo is inviting families, supporters and the public to an open house at the Mare Island Museum to discuss progress towards a permanent Mare Island berthing.
Published: September, 2008
Battleship U.S.S. Iowa Faces Funding Hurtle to Find a Home
The open house will take place on Saturday, September 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and attendees will meet other Iowa supporters in an informal and fun atmosphere while learning how each individual can help further the project. The event, put on by HSMPS, will feature exhibits, video, a ship’s store, announcements, a raffle and much more. Admission and parking are free and food and refreshments will be available for purchase. All proceeds go to the U.S.S. Iowa project. After ten years of planning, site selection and laying groundwork, the major hurdle facing HSMPS is in generating funding commitments from foundations, corporations and the general public to meet the Navy’s requirement prior to acquisition of the vessel. Donations are encouraged and can be sent to: HSMPS, P.O. Box 361, Vallejo, CA 94590. For more information, contact Marylin Wong at (707) 712-8361 or info@battleshipiowa.org.
Walk with Rock
On Saturday, September 27, a 2.5 mile walkathon event to benefit Access Adventure, will be held at Lynch Canyon near Vallejo. Individuals, team walkers and wheelchair driving participants will be led by the gentle giant Rock, the largest Percheron draft horse in North America. Access Adventure is a program of the Solano Land Trust and provides outdoor recreation and environmental education for people with disabilities and underserved youth, using innovative, wheelchair accessible horse drawn carriages. A wheelchair accessible carriage will carry a limited number of people in wheelchairs who wish to participate. Supporters are urged to make pledges backing participants in the event. A picnic lunch, entertainment and awards will be held following the walk. For more information, visit www.access-adventure.org.
Looking For a New Buddy? Try the Adoptathon!
This is a must for all pet lovers! Grab your friends, pack up the kids (and the dog) and go to the 3rd Annual Bay Area Pet Fair & Adoptathon, a weekend of fun, education, entertainment and pet-related products and services. There will also be hundreds of adoptable animals at the Fair! Enjoy canine performances and demonstrations, interactive activities for you and your dog, contests, vendor exhibits, expert speakers, a Kids’ Pavilion, The Other Dog Show, and the Fair’s centerpiece, a multi-agency Adoptathon. The Pet Fair’s huge Adoptathon includes over 30 regional animal shelters and rescue groups bringing dogs, cats, rats, rabbits and more available for adoption. This is a wonderful opportunity for potential adopters to meet the right animal for their home and family. During the first two Bay Area Pet Fairs, nearly 400 animals found new forever homes! The Other Dog Show, which premiered in 2007, features a dazzling display of street mutts, shelter dogs and cast-off purebreds in a light-hearted competition for the title Best in Show. The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 6-7 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at The Marin Center in San Rafael. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 and seniors 55+ and kids 5 and under are free. Admission for dogs is $1 or a can of pet food for animals in need. For more information call (415) 229-3174 or visit www.bayareapetfair.com.
Webster Street Jam Brings Local Flavor to Alameda
Upwards of 30,000 people are expected to jam Webster Street for the 7th annual Webster Street Jam (formerly called the Peanut Butter Jam) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September 13 and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 in the heart of historic West Alameda on Webster Street between Central and Lincoln Avenues. The two-day food, wine, music and art fair also includes a special event with the Unauthorized Rolling Stones in concert from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Webster Street Jam will stay true to its local roots with all the arts and crafts on sale from talented area artisans. The food will be from local and Bay Area restaurants and locally-produced Drakes’ Beer and Rosenblum Cellars wine will be the only spirits sold. Even the bands will be local, with a wide variety of eclectic bands like local favorites Toot Sweet Dixieland Jazz, Meshugga Beach Party, and Finish Ticket. Hank Hooper performs music for children both days. For more information, visit www.westalamedabusiness.com.
Big Boats Race in the Bay
The Rolex Big Boat Series annually attracts thousands of world-caliber sailors, all of whom are eager to win one of the six specially engraved Rolex timepieces given to the winners of the St. Francis Yacht Club’s six Perpetual Trophies. Against the dramatic backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island in picturesque San Francisco Bay, intense competition is guaranteed in pursuit of the champion’s title. The 44th annual Rolex Big Boat Series – known as one of the sailing world’s most prestigious international competitions – will again be a premier international event. The races occur from September 11-14 and hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.stfyc.com.
Yo-Yo-Yo Dude!
All wound up with nothing to do? Swing by the Exploratorium for the 2008 California State Yo-Yo Championships on Saturday, September 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Meet National and World Yo-Yo Champions, watch daredevil tricks, and learn basic techniques from yo-yo masters. This event is included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium. Registration is open to the public and begins at 10:00 a.m. and winners will qualify for next year’s regional tournament. The Exploratorium is located at 3601 Lyon Street in San Francisco. For more information, go to www.calstateyoyo.com.
To have your event or announcement considered for the Bay Crossings Around the Bay listings, please send information or a press release to: joel@baycrossings.com.
Photo by Daniel Forster
