hitting the ground,” she said. She watched the events un-

fold in front of her house fromher front door.

She said she saw groups ofpeople run to her yard, grabrocks from their landscapingand throw them. She describeda scene of sheer chaos with carsand people, and beer bottles be-ing flung at cars.

Flower pots were broken.

Clothes littered her yard, shesaid.

“Everybody was after every-body,” Eleni said. “It was like awar.”

Both residents said the fightmoved down Hickory Avenuetoward Evergreen Drive andEleni said it moved back againtoward the house that held theparty.

“When the cops came (some)ran into the house and all the

lights started going off,” shesaid. “The cops went to theirdoor and none of them an-swered.”

Two of the stabbing victimswere found in separate loca-tions and transported to JohnMuir Hospital.

“They did not appear to havelife threatening injuries,” po-lice Sgt. Mike Mitchell said.

Pilcher said the third victim,whose condition is unknown,

later showed up at VacaValleyHospital.

Police said they arrested afew individuals on prowlingcharges and curfew violations.The incident is still under in-vestigation.

Anyone with information isasked to call the Fairfield Policeat 428-7300.

Reach Susan Winlowat 427-6955 or swinlow@dailyrepublic.net.

“It was kind of difficult withhim being gone for that long,”young Eric said of his father. “Itmade me stronger. I know wecan make it through withouthim. I learned that I’m tougherand I can do more things andtake charge.”

“I set him down and told himwhat I expected,” King said.“He did what I told him. Whenmy youngest son got sick, heshot my an e-mail to tell me.”

While King was in Iraq, hisfamily’s house flooded. With as-sistance from King’s squadron,his wife and sons made the bestof the situation.

“That was a hard time,”young Eric said.

King missed spending theholidays with his family for thefirst time.

“There were times it was alittle depressing,” he said. “Wehad a so-called Christmas din-ner (in Iraq) where we got to-gether as a unit.”

He was deployed in Septem-ber 2006 and had difficulty ad-justing to being away from hisfamily. “After the first threemonths, you deal with what youare dealt,” he said. “I spent a lotof time going to the gym to re-lieve stress.”

In addition to working out,he cut soda and juices with sug-ar out of his diet and lost 18pounds. “When my wife sawme, she said I looked younger,”he recalled.

King acknowledged how memuch he appreciated his eldestson’s effort on the home front.“He really matured,” he said.“He took on a lot of responsibil-ity.”

He also noticed how muchhis youngest son, Jordan, hadchanged. “When I left, he wasstruggling with reading inkindergarten,” he said. “Butwhen I came back, he was do-ing much better.”

Jaydon, the second son,stared at his father on King’sfirst day home. “Now before we

go to bed, we have to give eachother a hug,” King said.

That evening, Jaydonwalked into his parents’ bed-room to check on his sleepingfather. “It was like he had tomake sure I was really there,”King said.

King would like to sleep intoday, eat breakfast in bed, thenget up and sit on the couch withhis wife for a little time. “AndI’ll have my oldest go cut thegrass,” he said with a smile.

“I’d like to make up for thepast holidays we missed,”young Eric said. “We want himto know how much we love him.We want to make it a specialday for him. I’d just like tospend the day with him and goout and have fun. But whateverhappens, happens.”

King, a Lexington, N.C., na-tive, is pretty sure he’ll re-enlistfor another four years when hiscurrent commitment ends inMarch 2008.

“It’s rough at times,” he said.“But the good outweighs thebad. And the benefits are great.The military has been great tome.”

His friends in North Caroli-na always tell him he made theright move by enlisting. “If youdon’t have a college degree, youend up working in the textilesor furniture factories there,” hesaid. “Now when I go home, I’mlooked at as a person who leftand made a difference in theirlife.”

Young Eric isn’t sure he willfollow in his father’s footsteps.“I do want to go into the mili-tary sometimes,” he said. “I likethe idea of helping people, but Idon’t like the thought of war.”

King has an even bigger ap-preciation for what he has beenblessed with. “Nothing comesbefore family now,” he said.“Pretty much everything I donow is for my family.”

Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net.

down to their kids.”Gurian is a social philoso-

pher and author of 21 bookswho is best known as an advo-cate for improving the waysboys are raised.

Like most places, Spokanedoes nothing special for Fa-ther’s Day.

“I’d like to see every com-munity make a bigger deal ofit,” he said.

Sonora Dodd didn’t have anytrouble knowing how specialher father was. Widowed whenhis wife Ellen died in 1898while giving birth to their sixthchild, William Jackson Smartraised the teenage Sonora andher five younger brothers on afarm outside Spokane.

Some credit the creation ofFather’s Day to Grace GoldenClayton of Fairmount, W.Va.,who is said to have suggested tothe pastor of her church that hehold a service in honor of fa-thers on July 5, 1908.

But there is general agree-ment that the defining momentcame when Sonora Dodd waslistening to the sermon on thenew holiday of Mother’s Day atthe Central United MethodistChurch in Spokane. She had im-mediately approached theSpokane Ministerial Alliance tosuggest a holiday in June, whenher father was born, to honorall fathers.

The first citywide Father’sDay celebration was held ayear later in Spokane, andquickly spread across the coun-try. In 1916, PresidentWoodrow Wilson came toSpokane to speak at Father’sDay services.

But Congress, fearing com-mercialization, resisted makingit a national holiday. It was notuntil 1966 that President Lyn-don Johnson issued the firstpresidential proclamation hon-oring fathers and designatedthe third Sunday in June as Fa-

ther’s Day. In 1972, PresidentNixon signed the law that madeit permanent. Today, more thanthirty countries reserve a spe-cial day each year for fathers.

Mother’s Day, first held in1908, won a much quicker ac-ceptance. Congress designatedthe second Sunday in May asMother’s Day in 1914.

Mothers also get more mon-ey lavished on them. The Na-tional Retail Federation esti-mated that sales on Father’sDay items will total $9.9 billionthis year, compared to $15.7billion for Mother’s Day items.The average spending on gifts

for mom is $139.14, comparedto $98.34 for dad, the federationsaid.

After greeting cards, themost popular gifts for dads areclothing, gift cards and books orCDs. Flowers and gift cards topthe list for mom.

Sonora Dodd was honoredfor her work at the World’s Fairin Spokane in 1974, and died in1978 at the age of ninety-six.Today there are just a handfulof public signs of the city’s rolein the holiday.

There’s a plaque at the localYMCA, and another at the Cen-tral United Methodist Church,which reads:

“Here, in this sanctuary,Mrs. Dodd was moved to honorfathers in the same manner asmothers. . .” the plaque begins.

Her grave stone identifiesher as “Founder of Father’sDay.” But the biggest monu-ment to her work is that, for at

least one day a year, peoplethink about fatherhood andwhat it means. The U.S. CensusBureau this year released aspecial report on fathers, find-ing that:

■ There were an estimated159,000 stay-at-home dads in2006, who remained out of thelabor force for more than oneyear primarily so they can carefor the family while their wiveswork.

■ There were 2.5 million sin-gle fathers in 2006, up from400,000 in 1970. Currently,among single parents livingwith their children, 19 percentare men.

■ Thirty percent of childrenyounger than 6 living with mar-ried parents ate breakfast withtheir father every day, while 64percent ate dinner with theirfathers every day and 63 per-cent were praised three ormore times a day by their fa-thers.

MONDAYToddler Parenting Classes 9:30 to11:30 a.m. (15-24 months) and noon to2 p.m. (24-36 months), learn about childdevelopment, nutrition, building self-esteem, child fears and home safetytips. $20 for eight-week class. OurSchool Preschool, 3839 Brushwood,Fairfield. Info: 421-4155 or 422-7016.Register: www.AdultEdReg.com.

COMING UPStorytelling at the Library 3:30 p.m.Tuesday. Folk musician and storytellerwill be at the Fairfield-Cordelia Library,5050 Business Center Drive, Fairfield.Info: 784-2680.

Pre-school Story Time 10:30 a.m.Tuesday, stories, songs and crafts,Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky St. Info: 421-6503 or

www.solanolibrary.com.

Terrific Tuesdays 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.The Fairfield-Cordelia Library will haveactivities for children ages 5 and older.5050 Business Center Drive, Fairfield.Info: 784-2680.

Baby Bounce 11 a.m. Tuesday. TheFairfield-Cordelia Library has story timefor infants ages 1-18 months withsongs, stories and finger plays. There isno charge, and no registration is neces-sary. 5050 Business Center Drive,Fairfield. Info: 784-2680.

Nonprofit Funding Workshop 9-11 a.m.Wednesday. The Solano CommunityFoundation will conduct a free workshopfor people interested in identifying andresearching potential sources of funding.Space is limited. 1261 Travis Blvd., Suite320, Fairfield. Info: 399-3846.

Fairfield-Suisun Newcomers Meeting10 a.m. Wednesday. The Fairfield-SuisunNewcomers meeting will be in the multi-purpose room of the Fairfield SeniorCenter. The speaker will be Jane Kibbeyfrom the Senior Center Travel Program.Lunch will follow at Strings Cafe onWaterman Boulevard. 1200 Civic CenterDrive, Fairfield. Info: 428-7421.

CNA Orientation 1 p.m. Wednesday.Fairfield-Suisun Adult School is holding aCertified Nursing Assistant Program ori-entation, registration and fee paymentsession. The CNA class will begin Aug.27. Payment of a $100 program fee and$75 for a textbook is due at the orienta-tion. The course is approved by theCalifornia Department of Health. 1100 Civic Center Drive, Fairfield. Info:421-4155.

Spanish Story Time 11 a.m. to noonWednesday, stories and songs for twoage groups: 2 and younger or 3 andolder, Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky St. Info: 421-6503 orwww.solanolibrary.com.

Toddler Time 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.Wednesday. The Fairfield-CordeliaLibrary has story time for active toddlersages 18 months to 3 years old. Songs,stories and finger plays. There is nocharge, and no registration is necessary.5050 Business Center Drive, Fairfield.Info: 784-2680.

Moose Lodge Bingo Wednesday: 5:30 p.m. quickies, 6:30 p.m. early bird,7 p.m. regular bingo, $10 pack gameswith a half-time prize drawing. FairfieldMoose Lodge, 623 Taylor St., Fairfield.Info: 422-3245.

Geranium City Garden Club 1:30 p.m.Wednesday. Fairfield Senior Center,1200 Civic Center Drive. Info: 425-8177.

LapSit Story Time 11 a.m. Thursday.Songs, finger plays and stories forinfants to 18 months. Fairfield CivicCenter Library, 1150 Kentucky St. Info:421-6503, www.solanolibrary.com

Girls Empowering Girls After SchoolGroup 4 p.m. Thursday. A group wheregirls can talk openly to other girls aboutthe issues and pressures of their lives.This is a free group that meets everyThursday. 1530 Webster St., Fairfield.Facilitated by Leslie Gay Solana, LCSW.Info: 425-6065.

Gardening Class 7 p.m. Thursday.Presented by the Vacaville Public LibraryCultural Center and led by the MasterGardeners of Solano County. This is afree program. Info: 449-6290.

“Cuentos y Cantos” 11 a.m. Thursday.Weekly Spanish storytime for children.Fairfield-Cordelia Library, 5050 BusinessCenter Drive, Fairfield. Info: 784-2680.

Fairfield Farmers’ Market 4-8 p.m.Thursday, corner of Jefferson and Texasstreets.

Senior Center Ballroom Dance 7:30 to10 p.m. Thursday. “Town and CountryBand” will play waltzes, polkas, fox trots

and Latin patterns at the Fairfield SeniorCenter. A donation of $7 will be accept-ed at the door. 1200 Civic Center Drive,Fairfield. Info: 425-6257 or 425-4276.

3-4-5 Jump ‘n’ Jive 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Friday. Formally known asPreschool Storytime, Fairfield-CordeliaLibrary has an interactive program withstories, music, movement and crafts forchildren ages 3 and older. There is nocharge and no registration is necessary.5050 Business Center Drive, Fairfield.Info: 784-2680.

Toddler Story Time 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.Friday, stories, activities, songs andmore, Fairfield Civic Center Library,1150 Kentucky St. Info: 421-6503 orwww.solanolibrary.com.

Food Addicts Anonymous (FA) Meeting7-8:30 p.m. Friday. Meetings for individu-als recovering from addictive eating,bulimia and undereating. Meetings areheld every Friday. There are no dues,fees or weigh-ins. Kaiser Permanente,3700 Vaca Valley Parkway, Vacaville.Info: (800) 600-6028.

“Walk - Jog - Run” 7:30 a.m. Saturday.The City of Fairfield Community ServicesDepartment continues its “Fairfield GetFit” program with a one-hour exerciseprogram at Laurel Creek Park. $5 perperson; water included. Info: 428-7714.

A8 Sunday, June 17, 2007 — DAILY REPUBLIC

NEWS OF THE

WEIRD COMMUNITY CALENDARKeep us inthe know“Community Calendar” runsdaily and includes meetingsof interest to the generalpublic as well as communityevents, fund-raisers, andactivities. Write “CommunityCalendar” on your submis-sion and e-mail it to commu-nity@ dailyrepublic.net, fax itto 425-5924, or mail it to theDaily Republic, P.O. Box 47,Fairfield, Calif., 94533.

California LotterySuperLotto Plus/SaturdayNumbers picked 4, 24, 35, 36, 38 Meganumber 26Saturday’s jackpot estimate (drawing 7:57 p.m.) $11 M

Daily 3/SaturdayAfternoon numbers picked 1, 8, 7Night numbers picked 5, 1, 7Match three in order for top prize; combinations forother prizes.

Fantasy 5/SaturdayNumbers picked 8, 16, 26, 30, 31Match all five for top prize. Match at least three forother prizes.

Daily Derby/Saturday1st place 12, Lucky Charms2nd place 9,Winning Spirit3rd place 1, Gold RushRace time 1:42.95Match winners and time for top prize. Match eitherfor other prizes.

On the Web: www.calottery.com

▲ “Beat the Heat,” 3-4 p.m. Tuesday, teenagers are welcome to learn how to make smoothies atthe Vacaville Public Library - Cultural Center, 1020 Ulatis Drive, Vacaville. Info: 449-6290.

Police: Woman namedButts stole toilet paper

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa— Police blame a womannamed Butts for stealing toiletpaper from a central Iowacourthouse, and while they’rechuckling, the theft chargecould put her in prison.

“She’s facing potentiallythree years of incarcerationfor three rolls of toilet paper,”Chief Lon Walker said, stiflinga laugh as he talked to KCCI-TV about Suzanne MarieButts. “See, I can’t say it witha straight face.”

Workers had noticed therolls disappearing from theMarshall County Courthousemuch faster than usual, Walk-er said.

Butts, 38, was caught lastweek after an employee sawher taking three rolls of two-ply tissue from a storage clos-et, Walker said.

Butts insisted it was thefirst time she’d pilfered toiletpaper, but she declined to an-swer further questions on herattorney’s advice.

The fifth-degree theftcharge, a misdemeanor, nor-mally carries a sentence ofless than a year in jail.

But Butts could face moretime if convicted under thestate’s habitual offender lawbecause she has prior theftconvictions.

Walker did not know whyButts was at the courthouse,but said that she did not workthere.

— The Associated Press

Men:Woman wanted fathers to get equal treatmentFrom Page One

Father:Not home longFrom Page One

On theweb

www.michaelgurian.com

The Associated Press

A plaque commemorating Father’s Day founder, Sonora Dodd, is shown in the Central United MethodistChurch in Spokane, Wash. Dodd, the founder of Father’s Day, was listening to a Mother’s Day sermon atthis church in 1909 when she became inspired with the idea to create a holiday that honors fathers.

Gangs:Police suspect Nortenos and Surenos gangsFrom Page One