Solano Super Saver
FAIRFIELD • DIXON
VALLEJO
BENICIA
TRAVIS AFB
VACAVILLE • SUISUN
NAPA
RIO VISTA
Clients find healing experience at True Rest spa in Vacaville
down and my girls were running for their lives.”
Tragedy turned into triumph for Dawn Morrison, owner of True Rest Float Spa in Roseville and the new one in Vacaville. Rest is an acronym for Reduced Environmental Stimulus Therapy.
Her daughters survived the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise.
“With the amount of stress we were under as a family we didn’t realize it, but we all had (post-traumatic stress disorder) from the trauma of it all,” she shared in an email. “The entire town burnt
A friend who owns the True Rest Float Spa in Chico invited Morrison and her family to visit.
“She knew it would help with all of our trauma and stress,” Morrison wrote. “After we floated it was life changing and felt like a weight was lifted off my back.
“I told her if I lived closer I’d work for her, and she responded, ‘no, you should build your own,’ so I did just that.”
Morrison purchased the True Rest in Roseville in 2021. On June 8, she opened the Vacaville location, which began with
a dream, a vision Morrison said would not leave her.
“I fought for months to get the location I really wanted in the Nut Tree shopping center,” Morrison wrote. “It took us a year and a half to complete construction. We had hurdle after hurdle to jump over before we could see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
There are several things customers have noted as their favorite. Staff knows the members’ shoe sizes for the spa sandals provided by the business, their favorite tea and how they like to sit in the massaging chairs for a few minutes
before they float.
Another touch: An extra towel in their room for drying hair after the float.
“We cater to everyone, so giving them their favorite things is indeed part of the experience at True Rest,” Morrison wrote.
The float is the star of the show, but there is so much more to enjoy at the spa, she said.
When clients arrive they are offered tea or water, given some spa sandals and escorted to a video room, which is full of massaging, reclining chairs to watch a
Spa
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short video about floating.
“This takes away any apprehension the client may have about floating,” Morrison wrote.
“Our Oasis room has a journal to read and write in, tarot cards, adult coloring books and some relaxing books to read,” Morrison wrote. “We have made this space a place to come to relax and reflect. Our clients love this space and we have the best conversations with clients here.”
Morrison reads the messages in the Oasis room journals and is commonly told clients appreciate that the hard work that Morrison, and her husband, Greg, do.
“I’m constantly reminded that what I’m doing is so needed and much appreciated,” she wrote. “My clients are so happy I’m open and they are healing every day. That is truly the thing I hear the most, is how grateful they are that I’m open. It makes my heart so happy to know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
The key to the float is the Epsom salts, which is mixed in water to the same balance
the Dead Sea offers.
As one floats, the body starts to immediately absorb the magnesium sulfate. Conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and old injuries start to respond to the magnesium sulfate and inflammation starts to go away, Morrison wrote.
Sore backs, shoulders, hips and knees start to feel better after regular floating.
True Rest prides itself on helping veterans and first responders. On the 11th of each month, they can float for free, twice a year.
“We do this to give back to the folks that put their lives on the line day in and day out to keep us all safe,” Morrison wrote. ‘There are just not enough services available to them in this country.
“We know that floating will help them physically and more importantly, mentally. The suicide rate for vets and first responders is one of the highest of any profession,” she shared.
Float therapy is really beneficial to everyone, but some people that find it extremely helpful are athletes, recovering addicts, eating disorder clients, pregnant moms, arthritic clients and high stress clients, Morrison said.
Learn more at https://truerest.com/ locations/vacaville.
TRUE REST FLOAT SPA
1639 E. Monte Vista Ave., Suite 106, Vacaville 707-660-8251
https://truerest.com/locations/vacaville
GEOFFREY BRAUGHT/COURTESY PHOTO
Clients float in 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt at the True Rest Float Spa in Vacaville.
COMMUNITY
Vacaville Boys & Girls Club changes youths’ lives
ANGELA UNDERWOOD MCNAUGHTON MEDIA
City youths are a unique demographic.
While adolescents from a metropolitan area are resilient, clever and quick, these positive attributes are born from survival rather than choice. Living in a city is hard, hence the 2001 creation of the Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club.
“Our mission is to inspire and
empower the youth and teens of our community, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens in a safe and fun environment,”
Anna Dinh Eaton, VNBGC chief executive, said of the nonprofit youth development agency. “We strive to make our services accessible to all youth regardless of their socio-economic background.”
According to the chief
executive, up to 54% of local club youths come from a low- to extremely low-income family.
“Our goal is never to turn away a child because they could not afford it,” Eaton said. “The VNBGC sees the benefits of providing access to our programs to help level the playing field with their more affluent counterparts.”
One of the best ways to keep students in school is to keep them interested. Diverse
programs represent the unique tween populations, ranging from sports to the arts. Up to 12 tailored trainings encourage volunteerism while preparing youths with solid skill sets. Take Triple Play, for example, a comprehensive health and wellness program.
“It strives to improve the overall health of Club members ages 6 to 18 by increasing daily physical activity, teaching them about good nutrition, and helping
them develop healthy relationships,” Eaton said. “Eighty percent of club alumni said the club positively impacted their attitude toward fitness and health.”
When not getting physical exercise, the VNBGC strengthens other muscles with the Summer Brain Gain. The fun, week-long curriculum includes themed activities for elementary, middle and high school students,
See Vacaville, Page 8
COURTESY PHOTOS
Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club members.
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Vacaville
From Page 6
which are “aligned with common core anchor standards,” Eaton said.
Along with specific programs, Eaton said there are other enrichment opportunities, including music, dance, karate, cooking and financial literacy programs, which are “offered through the involvement of community partners, contractual instructors and talented volunteers.”
It’s all about bonds, according to Eaton, who said, “Relationships are key, and 89% of Club kids say they can talk to an adult at the Club if they have a problem.”
“In a mentoring program at the VNBGC, young people find positive adult mentors in staff and volunteers who notice their strengths, listen to their concerns and open up doors of possibility,” Eaton said. “From connecting youth to a program that deepens their interests to sparking their curiosity in a future career field, inspiring mentors help kids and teens explore their full potential.”
As with monetary limits, VNBGC is not constricted by physical ones, either.
“Our service reach includes youth who
are primarily from Vacaville, although not exclusively,” Eaton said. “Club members also come from the cities outside of Solano County, so we do whatever it takes to ensure all kids have a great future. “
While monetary donations are essential, so are mentors. Eaton said being a friend to area youths helps prevent early drug use, encourages college and career-ready training, and promotes positive mental health outcomes.
“We do not discriminate in any way in which a person may want to give and are happy to receive the support with some vetting,” Eaton said of the core group of volunteers, including a board of directors, fundraising committees and others who work alongside staff.
“Our board of directors meets monthly to provide oversight, strategic planning, policy setting and fund development, and is 13 members strong,” Eaton said.
VACAVILLE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
100 Holly Lane, Vacaville 707-999-5034
www.vnbgc.com
COURTESY PHOTO
A Vacaville Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club member.
Fluffy Donuts comes full circle
KAREN LEVY MCNAUGHTON MEDIA
The pink sign beckoned as I turned into the Westlake Plaza on 1260 Lake Blvd., new home to the long awaited Fluffy Donuts, which had been closed since last August and finally reopened in September.
While loyal customers looked forward to their favorite shop’s return and a taste of those irresistible fried pastries, no one was more excited about finally opening those doors than owner Sak Sopheak, who walked me through the site.
As Sak bent over plans stretched out on a nearby table, he explained that the new sticker logo of a pink frosted donut with colorful sprinkles was created by a UC Davis art student.
As we sat at a nearby table outside the shop where construction workers were hard at work, Sak said that he loved the new location.
“We’re pretty much the only ones open in the morning. It’s different from the University Mall. This area is residential, nice and quiet, plenty of parking.” He added that all the other breakfast places are downtown and since “this plaza doesn’t really have anything,” the donut shop will be just right for it and make it lively. It took him about six months of various frustrations until he found the perfect place.
“Customers just want to come in and out to pick up donuts, not look for a place to park downtown and walk a couple blocks to get there.” As I looked around, it was clear that parking at this new location would not be an issue.
Sak has been the owner of Fluffy Donuts for four years, after working in the corporate world “down south in Huntington Beach.” Yet he’s no stranger to the business of making donuts, since his uncle was the owner of the same shop “two owners ago” and when Sak was 12 years old, he worked in his uncle’s store.
Fast-forward to a few years ago and Sak shared that one day his uncle called him up and asked, “Hey, do you want to own a donut shop?”
“It’s like a full circle,” Sak said, “20-something years later I end up
Fluffy Donuts is right at home at the Westlake Plaza in West Davis.
owning my own donut shop,” and he still gets advice from his uncle who was in the business for 40 years.
Whether it will be students who need a pick-me-up during finals and with whom the Vietnamese coffee Fluffy Donuts serves is quite popular, or regulars who come in for the true and tried old fashioned maple-glaze, raised donuts “nice and fluffy.” Then there’s the ube cake donut Sak described as “one of the best looking donuts just because it’s purple,” originally from the Philippines and popular in the Asian community.
“We do a lot of weekend specials, play around with a bunch of cereals, customized toppings, maple bacon bars.” During
the week they bake “traditional donuts, old-fashioned, raised, cake donuts, apple fritters, cinnamon bars, French crullers … then we have the big giant donut…a chocolate or cinnamon tiger tail, twisted … massive. Then … we have a giant donut for birthday cakes … we get a lot of requests for those. For birthdays and holidays we do something special.”
They also have maple bacon bars.
“People love it…We put a maple bar with cinnamon crumb and a strip of bacon drizzled with maple syrup.” Once you’ve tried it, “there’s no going back.”
“We serve lattes, hot chocolate, Thai tea, along with our Vietnamese coffee” which contains an espresso shot to keep you awake, “for that extra boost.”
Fluffy Donuts will also serve croissants of varied sorts – plain, chocolate, jalapeño and ham and cheese, as well as assorted bagels including plain, everything, cream cheese, jalapeño and sausage.
“This business has been here since the ’60s, and I want to continue the legacy and open up … it’s a part of Davis and I want to be a part of Davis.”
FLUFFY DONUTS
1260 Lake Blvd., Suite 110, Davis 530-761-2373 www.fluffydonuts.com
MCNAUGHTON MEDIA PHOTOS
Our new car has smart car features, not to be confused with one of those little Smart cars that looks like it fell out of a Cracker Jack box and can be washed in a dishwasher.
When the smart car is smarter than you are
LORI BORGMAN TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
It has been 10 years since we bought a new car, which puts us roughly 2,000 light years behind the curve on automobile technology.
Our new car has smart car features, not to be confused with one of those little Smart cars that looks like it fell out of a Cracker Jack box and can be washed in a dishwasher.
We are still learning about all the features on our new car and hope to master them before it is time to trade it in.
Our new vehicle offers adaptive cruise control, which means our car will automatically speed up or slow down to match the car it’s following.
If you’ve ever followed a vehicle that seems like the driver is punching the
gas, then letting off, punching, letting off, you’re following someone using adaptive cruise control.
Change lanes.
Smart car technology also prompts yellow lights to flash on the side view mirrors if a vehicle is in your blind spot. If we rely on that feature, we will eventually (or quickly) lose our own reflexes for checking blind spots. And doesn’t that make us less smart?
Don’t answer.
Our new vehicle also comes with a warning for braking – the driver’s seat shakes and a red light flashes if the car senses you need to brake. This is fabulous as those riding with you no longer need to yell, “Brake! Brake! Brake!” Although, so far, that hasn’t stopped anybody.
We did not pay extra for the back massage feature for the driver’s seat. No
doubt the intention is to soothe aching backs on long-distance drives, but for us it would signal naptime. Not smart.
The vehicle is also willing to wrestle the driver for control of the steering wheel. According to the driver’s manual, the steering wheel will “gently correct” when it senses you are veering out of your lane.
For all the shake, rattle and roll, there are a few obvious extras that were overlooked.
I’d like a voice-recognition feature that knows when I am seated as the co-pilot and after my every comment says, “Listen to her. She’s right 99.9% of the time.”
I’d also like a navigation function that automatically pinpoints the location of all craft and hobby stores within a 3-mile range.
It would be wonderful if new technology equipped vehicles with a laser that shot out from the steering wheel and disabled the cellphones of other drivers texting while driving.
How about a little red flashing light on the dashboard to signify radar up ahead?
And may I suggest AI evaluate establishments along the route and offer the driver notifications like: “Don’t exit. Keep driving. Clean restrooms in another 16 miles.”
They may call these new vehicles smart cars, but they should really call them “Smarter Than You Are” cars.
Lori Borgman is a columnist, author and speaker. Her new book, “What Happens at Grandma’s Stays at Grandma’s” is now available. Email her at lori@ loriborgman.com.
OLEG KRYUCHKO/ DREAMSTIME/TNS
Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian eggplant pasta dish named for the opera “Norma,” a musical masterpiece. DREAMSTIME/TNS
Singing praises of Pasta alla Norma
BETH DOOLEY
THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE
Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian eggplant pasta dish named for the opera “Norma,” a musical masterpiece, and both reflect the country’s exuberant culture.
The pasta dish was created in the city of Catania, on the eastern coast of Sicily and the hometown of Vincenzo Bellini, who composed the opera in the 1830s. It was said the composer adored the pasta with such a passion that the bold, deeply satisfying dish was eventually named after his opera.
The pasta is based on just a few inexpensive and accessible ingredients, including olive oil, eggplant, tomatoes and pasta — the homey flavors that define “cucina povera,” or “peasant cooking”: simple, delicious meals made on the cheap. In Pasta alla
Norma, eggplant stands in for meat, and is perfect for vegetarians and omnivores alike. There’s no correct recipe for Pasta alla Norma. This humble, traditional, iconic dish varies from cook to cook. Some fry the eggplant in olive oil to toss with tomato sauce, cheese and top with bread crumbs; others sauté the eggplant, lay the slices over the pasta and drizzle with the sauce. Updated versions roast the eggplant in a hot oven, forgoing the messy frying step. The pasta’s shape seems inconsequential; some recipes call for rigatoni, ziti, penne or mezzi, others for spaghetti and linguini. This dish is best made with a quick, fresh tomato sauce, but a good store-bought marinara will certainly do in a pinch. Because eggplant is the star here, make sure you choose those that are shiny, firm, bruise-free and
heavy for their size. Don’t bother to salt them first; that step is really unnecessary with eggplant this fresh.
Served with a tossed salad and a hunk of good bread, pasta alla Norma is a fullthroated aria. Bravo!
PASTA ALLA NORMA
Serves 4 to 6.
Eggplant takes the place of meat in this classic Sicilian recipe. Here, it’s roasted, not fried, yielding a lighter, more flavorful dish. Plus, it’s less messy. If you’re short on time, feel free to substitute your favorite marinara for the quick tomato sauce. Fresh basil is a must! From Beth Dooley.
2 medium eggplant, about 2¼ to 2½ lb. total, peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
16 oz. pasta, rigatoni, penne or
ziti
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Generous pinch red pepper flakes
1½ to 2 lb. tomatoes, chopped 1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
¼ to ½ cup dry white wine, optional
½ c. chopped basil, plus a little more for garnish
½ c. grated ricotta salata or pecorino
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the eggplant into ½-inch thick discs, discarding the end pieces. Brush the eggplant slices with the oil on both sides and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast until browned and very tender, about 40 to 45 minutes, flipping the slices over half way through. Remove and cut into strips; set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt that it
tastes briny. Stir in the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Remove about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining; set aside.
Film a large deep skillet with about ½ inch of oil and set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to color, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, then stir in the red pepper flakes, tomatoes and oregano. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved pasta water and wine and continue cooking to make a thick sauce, another 5 to 8 minutes. Gently stir the roasted eggplant into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in most of the basil and half of the cheese. Serve garnished with more cheese and chopped basil.
Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.
SUDOKU
FUN BY THE NUMBERS Like puzzles? Then you’ll love Sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your Sudoku savvy to the test!
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
SOLUTION ON PAGE 15
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
1 PAGE 14 PAGE 11
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS WORD SEARCH SOLUTION
I am a singer born in California on Oct. 25, 1984. As the daughter of two pastors, I was only allowed to listen to Gospel music growing up. Eventually I found my way to popular music, and had several hits involving kissing, being a dream and having a tiger’s eye.
KATY PERRY
