'Dream Come True' Marriage Proposal; CHP Officer Saves Choking Woman; Touching Act of Kindness: Saturday Smiles

If you are looking for a lighter news story for your weekend, Patch is here to brighten your day.

Fourth of July 'Dream Come True' Marriage Proposal Sets Off Fireworks

• Watch as the longtime fair employee asks his best friend to marry him in a touching proposal on the last day of the Alameda County Fair.

Meet San Ramon Police Department's 80-Year-Old (Honorary) SWAT Officer

• Criminals in San Ramon better get out of town because octogenarian Barbara Salazar is ready to protect and serve.

Uplifting Random Act of Kindness Caught on Camera: Man Pulls Over, Helps Elderly Woman Hang Flag

• "If you recognize him, please mention this and thank him for me," a Pleasanton man said.

Livermore Police Explorers Bring Home Awards, Scholarship From Annual Competition

• The competition draws volunteer police explorers from all over California.

Danville Restaurant Listed Among Top Places to Eat in Northern California

• Want a hint? It can be found on Hartz Avenue.

Grand Opening of New Livermore Art and Wine Studio Announced

• Funds raised during the grand opening at Pinot’s Palette will benefit the Danville teen paralyzed in a swimming pool accident.

Progress Underway On Marin-Sonoma Narrows Project

• Groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies held for separate phases of the U.S. Highway 101 widening project.

CHP Officer Uses Heimlich, Saves Choking Woman At North Bay In-N-Out

• The same officer made headlines last year when he found a wandering pig on Highway 12 in Sonoma County.

3 Minutes on a Park Bench with Chris Frothinge of P-Town Book Rescue in Petaluma

• Chris Frothinger of P-Town Books talks about one of the most memorable books he has rescued and discusses how he defines success.

Netflix Series Using North Bay As Backdrop

• "Spotlight" Director Tom McCarthy is leading the filming of "Thirteen Reasons Why."

SHED Summer Events: It's A Packed Line-Up Of Great Workshops, Dinners In North Bay

• Learn to make tea with flowers, your own kitchen condiments, sourdough bread from scratch, or how to pair beer and cheese! List goes on ...

Junior Giants Players To Receive Free Gloves From Buster Posey

• The charity event is this afternoon before the game against Colorado Rockies.

Kevin Durant Picks Golden State Warriors

• One of the game's greatest players has chosen Golden State.

Bay Area's Historic Angel Island Immigration Center Receives State Funding

• The $3 million boost will aid the facility, the West Coast equivalent of Ellis Island, in historic restoration and preservation.

How A Star Is Born: CA Scientists Get First Views Of Supermassive Black Hole

• International team, including Stanford researchers, unveils findings on dynamic behavior of galaxy clusters and ties to cosmic evolution.

Santa Cruz Invites Public to Grand Opening of Chestnut Park Playground

• Santa Cruz Mayor Cynthia Mathews will speak at the ribbon-cutting and refreshments will be served.

Water Board OKs Grants For 11 Wildlife Habitat Restoration Projects

• That means more than $52,000 for the Friends of the Stevens Creek Trail, among other projects

Ride 'Ghostbusters'-Style Today and Saturday in SF, Courtesy Of Lyft

• Rides are free. AND ... come with Hi-C Ecto Cooler and Ghostbusters-themed Twinkies!

Congrats To Contra Costa 'Meals On Wheels' For $2K Grant For March Campaign!

• Community leaders from Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill and surrounding towns helped as volunteers.

Kaiser Permanente Recruits Local Students for Summer Job Training and Educational Opportunities

• Hundreds of students aged 16-20 will work in paid internships this summer at Kaiser Permanente medical centers throughout California.

Pathway Upgrades Under Way For Marin

• "Investing in and upgrading our pathways is the healthy thing to do," says Marin County Department of Public Works Director Raul Rojas.

Officials Celebrate Progress Of Marin-Sonoma Narrows Project

• Groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held Wednesday for separate phases of the U.S. Highway 101 widening project.

Novato 4th of July Parade Results; And The Winners Are...

• An overall theme trophy was awarded, plus there were first-, second- and third-place winners in eight categories.

Buster Posey Gives Junior Giants Free Gloves

• Giants catcher Buster Posey was set to host 1,000 players at the Glove Giveaway event prior to Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

Novato Citizen of the Year Honored at 4th of July Parade

• “I don’t know anyone who has given for that length of time and that deep a commitment to this community as Alan Dunham has," said Kay Jones.

Honoring Novato's Generations: Meet Parade Grand Marshal Herb Rowland

• “As a fifth-generation Novatan, it’s a great honor,” he said

$2.3M Winning Mega Millions Ticket Sold in California as Jackpot Rolls to $508M

• The jackpot could continue to grow if ticket sales spike more than anticipated

A Riot of Colors: Albany Photos of the Week

• Patch loves photos! Share your photos to Albany Patch and your work could be featured.

UC Botanical Gardens: Berkeley Photos of the Week

• Patch loves photos! Share your photos to Berkeley Patch and your work could be featured.

Tiny Blossoms: San Leandro Photo of the Week

• Patch loves photos! Share your photos to San Leandro Patch and your work could be featured.

Breathtaking Sunset: El Cerrito Photo of the Week

• Patch loves photos! Share your photos to El Cerrito Patch and your work could be featured

Berkeley Summer Concerts: Complete 2016 Lineup

• Grab you chairs, picnic blankets and the kids for these free concerts in the parks.

Fremont’s Central Park Summer Concert Series Kicks Off Tonight!

• Six free concerts will be held throughout the summer, starting tonight. Bring the kids to enjoy the Kids' Fun Zone.

Newark Memorial High School Grads Receive $24,000 in Scholarships

• The scholarships are funded by Cargill, which has awarded nearly $140,000 to local grads since 1999.

Bear Swims In Giant Pool; Seals Race to Ocean; Rescued Horses to Be Adopted: All in Calif.

• Patch has had a wide array of unique animal stories from around the state. Check out the winner of the 2016 'World's Ugliest Dog' contest.

Photo courtesy Alameda County Fair from Fourth of July 'Dream Come True' Marriage Proposal Sets Off Fireworks