Local News

This week we felt multiple earthquakes in Martinez. They were, without a doubt, a scary wakeup call. My husband and I were getting ready to settle in for the night and all of a sudden our home started shaking. We rushed outside with no jackets, no shoes and no leash

Creating connections is by far one of my favorite things to do! Just yesterday I had the opportunity to connect two sweet families. They have children that are the same age, and both live in the heart of Downtown Martinez. Good, ol’ fashion connections aren’t something that are as cherished

The amount of support and love felt at this weekend’s food drive was incredible!   As a community, we raised nearly 800 pounds of food, for the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano. We met with over 75 lovely neighbors. Many neighbors simply pulled their car up to our

Though it doesn’t quite feel like fall (it’s currently 97˚ outside), it’s finally here. The mornings are crisp and the afternoons are as hot as the real estate market in Martinez! Around our home, we’ve busted out the chili & cornbread recipes, put out the pumpkins and changed out the

September is Hunger Action Month – A month where people all over America stand together with Feeding America and the nationwide network of food banks to fight hunger. It’s a month to spread the word and take action on the hunger crisis, and dedicate ourselves to a solution. I am

My husband, Mark and I are so thrilled to be taking our belated honeymoon this week! We decided to hold off on taking a honeymoon until we were able to take a proper vacation. This has been five years in the making, and it’s an incredible way for us to

When we were first researching Martinez, years before we moved there, we always heard rumors about beavers taking over Martinez. Then, when we were in the process of purchasing our home those rumors turned nasty. Some of the neighbors had told us that we would have to pay a large

The Martinez Art Council’s Art in the Park, this past weekend, was an absolute blast – There were local musicians jamming on the stage; incredible metalworkers; talented jewelry makers, and event snowcones! We had the opportunity to catch one of our neighbor’s sons playing with one of the bands and

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday and decided to treat myself to a lovely staycation. What exactly is a staycation? To me, a staycation is where I intentionally relax in the comfort of my home, enjoy some of the local sites and take in the beauty that is my

On August, 18th Martinez will be hosting its 50th annual Art in the Park event!   There will be a great variation of arts, vendors and local musical artist. Admission is free and they can just about guarantee an awesome time.   Our family will be there, will yours?  

RES|Success is an incredible Martinez based nonprofit whose mission is “To provide dignified and respectful day program services to adults with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, with attention to the very individualized needs of each of our clients.” The program is near and dear to my family’s heart as

Family always comes first – Bar none. With that being said, I’ll be flying back to Indiana to help my mother make her move from her previous home to her new one. Choosing to focus on work with my few days in the Bay Area, I won’t have time for

Looking for something fun AND active to do this summer in Martinez? Then you’ll love the Martinez Summer Bike Challenge! Not only will you get to know your neighborhood better, but there are also freebies at each station. There are a total of five parks on this challenge, so pack

This weeks adventure lead us to discover “Mr. Martinez”, John Sparacino. John was a lifelong resident of our little town and became the town’s first major, back in 1973. His impact throughout our community was so grand that we have a park dedicated to him, at the corner of Alhambra

As you’ve already learned, I held two terms with AmeriCorps. Within those terms, there were weeks where I was empty in my stomach but my heart was full. This is the point in my life when I learned about food insecurity. To combat this I would volunteer extra hours at

The feeling of belonging is something that humans innately crave. This week we had that feeling of belonging to our community, and it was incredible! It wasn’t one action or situation that made us feel this, rather it was many small moments throughout our week. From our neighbors coming over

On one of our evening strolls this week, we were greeted by an incredibly beautiful sunset. The air was cool, fresh and had an earthy smell to it. The sounds of the park were just incredible – From kiddos chasing each other around the many play structures to the sounds

The boxes are all unpacked, the linens are all washed and the storage bins have been put away! Our first two weeks in our new home have been blissful, and we are falling head over heels for our new town. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of our delightful