Salvation Army Makes 15K Meals | $2K For Donkeys: Saturday Smiles

Do you need a break from all of the bad news? We have twelve sweet stories we think will make your holiday weekend a bit more special. Check out these uplifting Northern California anecdotes.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Partially Reopens

• Food and retail spots began reopening Wednesday.

Walnut Creek Among Top 10 Cities For Retirement 2020

• A new study by SmartAsset has named Walnut Creek among the top 10 places in the country for retirees to live and work.

Palo Alto's Resident Donkeys, Perry & Jenny, Receive $2K Donation

• The Barron Park burros are mini-celebs, with one inspiring the "Donkey" character in "Shrek."

Children's Fairyland Raising Money Ahead Of Reopening

• The magical place for children is turning 70 this year, and is sprucing-up to reopen post-coronavirus.

Livermore Brewery Opens Outdoor Beer Garden

• With umbrellas and six feet of distancing, Eight Bridges Brewing is still pouring up pints to customers.

Ono Hawaiian BBQ Opens In Castro Valley

• Craving chicken katsu or grilled Spam & eggs? The new restaurant offers a blend of Hawaiian, Japanese, and Korean cuisine. Aloha to that!

Hit The New 'Taco Trail' In Concord For Delish Dining & Prizes

• More three dozen restaurants & taquerias are participating in the promo, which begins next week, with a trophy going to most frequent diner.

SF's Iconic Buena Vista Cafe Transformed By Vibrant Outdoor Art

• Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax," the Muppets, and San Francisco touchstones from crabs to cable cars are all depicted in neon colors.

Credit Union Offers Dollar-For-Dollar Match To Meals On Wheels

• The program that delivers meals to seniors can get an extra $20,000 this month.

Walnut Creek's California Symphony To Stream Live Performances

• There will be one performance per month, starting this month, featuring everything from Beethoven to an Afro-Caribbean jazz-inflected work.

Pleasanton Rallies Behind SCU Firefighters

• Every morning, families show up to the Alameda County Fairgrounds to cheer on SCU Lightning Complex firefighters.

The Salvation Army Serves 15K Meals To Evacuees, First Responders

• Currently, the organization's largest response to the LNU Lightning Complex fires is serving 80 people per meal at five Napa County hotels.

If you have an idea for a nice news story in your town, let us know. Email your story tips to autumn.johnson@patch.com.