Acts Of Kindness During Government Shutdown: Saturday Smiles

If you are looking for lighter news for your weekend, check out these sweet NorCal stories.

Coast Guard Families Receive Donated Food

• Most in demand was perishable food items - produce, meats, milk, dairy - which was bought early Sunday using donated gift cards.

Dog Lovers Raise Money To Reopen Beach Closed By Partial Shutdown

• "We felt the traffic situation was too dangerous to have people and their dogs parking and walking along the busy highway."

Tri-Valley Coast Guard Spouses Collecting Donations In Dublin

• Donations can be dropped off at Camp Parks.

Amazing Basil Pho To Open In Dublin

• The Asian fusion eatery will be located in the Fallon Gateway.

Wine-Country Specials: New Italian Restaurant & Market, North Bay

• MERCATO Pasta & Produce, in downtown Santa Rosa, is a new combo eatery and shop selling handmade pastas and fresh local produce.

Off-Duty Nurse Helps Save Pedestrian Hit By Car, SMC Police Say

• "The woman had visible head injuries, difficulty breathing, and was not responding to questions," police said of the incident.

Volunteers & Interns Honored In Marin County

• Congrats to all who served in a myriad of capacities to improve life for many ...

Laptops, Tablets Donated To 1st Graders At SF School

• "With these laptops and tablets, we hope these students will be inspired to learn more about science, technology, engineering and math...

Sunflower Hill Community For Special-Needs Adults On Track

• Irby Ranch in Pleasanton will be among the first such communities in the Tri-Valley and one of the first in Northern California.

Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association Reflects On 2018

• And congrats to the newly installed 2019-2020 Board of Directors!

El Cerrito Selects New City Clerk

• This California native has a master’s degree in Public Administration.

Kaiser Permanente Tackles Homelessness In Oakland

• "Housing is more than a roof over our heads -- it is central to our health and well-being."

Saratoga Native Leads Tony-nominated 'Violet' In SF's Alcazar

• A disfigured young woman transfixed on beauty discovers its true meaning onboard a Greyhound bus to Oklahoma. Juliana Lustenader stars.

Dutch Bros Donates Proceeds To Davis Officer's Memorial Fund

• Participating NorCal locations spanned from Davis — where fallen Officer Natalie Corona was a regular — to Sacramento, Sonoma, Napa and beyond.

Petaluma Police Department Announces 2018 Officer Of The Year

• The dedicated detective is known for his thorough investigations and for not leaving any stone unturned.

Photo of Coast Guard Cutter Munro after it returned to home port in Alameda on Christmas Eve via US Coast Guard, Photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Masaschi