there are a lot of people in need right now. the good news is there's a huge effort to help out. it's not just food and supplies, but to give fire evacuees normalcy. lisa galesion is live with more on this, lisa. >> reporter: eric, it really is

amazing seeing these communities coming together and people are really thinking outside of the box to try to bring some sense of comfort to these evacuees. >> it's not as easy as it looks. and then we reach inside the bag -- >> reporter: tonight the owner of shuffles magical ice cream shop here in downtown santa rosa is offering a free magic show. the focus is on the children, the ones way too young to understand what's going on around them. and who are scared, a lot of kids showed up wearing masks, some are staying in shelters or with other relatives inside the shop, they're able to laugh and just be kids again. >> events like this lets families in the most difficult times come and have a release and a moment to not think about all the devastation, and the horrible things that are going on right now.

>> reporter: and there's a real effort to bring back a little bit of normalcy to this community, at finely rec center, it's now a shelter for evacuees. the shelter manager is trying to trim the 4ers game on this big screen tomorrow. he's also setting up a tailgate party because again, watching football on a sunday can bring a lot of comfort to these folks. back here live now, the ideas are still coming in, in fact i spoke with the owner of shuffles behind me, a short time ago, and he said that he's planning to take the magic show on the road and head to petaluma tomorrow to entertain some kids in shelters over there. live in santa rosa, abc 7 news. >> lisa, thank you very much. today governor jerry brown visited the fire zone is in noh ma beforing senators diane feinstein and harris at a meeting. tiffany wilson was there.

>> reporter: many of the people inside the town hall were weary with worry and numb with loss. >> all i got out was my kitten and my little dog. >> it's been an emotional week. they moved repeatedly to escape notices. he told the crowd help will arrive. his statement didn't satisfy everyone. many want to know specifics like where do you get your mail? how do you get permits to rebuild? and what do you need to get a new driver's license? >> if you go online, it's like november before you can get an appointment at the dmv, and i'm not quite sure what they're going to require in terms of being able to prove your identification. >> reporter: others had more

intangible and perhaps impossible questions. like when will the fires stop and the recovery begin? >> that's the big question. and nobody knows. i just hope that between the politicians, our cities, and all of these wonderful people, that it'll be soon. make it happen. >> reporter: today small glimmer of good news in the acres of ash and rubble, they were able to walk the neighborhood looking for hot spots, they tell me they did not find any. in santa rosa, tiffany wilson, abc 7 news. >> the news from lake county where the sulfur fire is burning is getting better. the 2200 acre wild fire is now 70% contained and mandatory evacuations have been lifted. residents of the spring valley community returned home, however, officials caution they should gather medication, pets, and important papers just in case the wind shifts. lake county and clear lake officials are opening up a local assistance center next week for sulfur fire victims.

it'll be the senior community center on bower's avenue, that'll be open tuesday through saturday from 11:00 to 7:00. in mendocino county, they've been lifted for residents forced out by the 34,000 acre redwood fire. burningwet of the national forest. it is blamed for the deaths of at least eight people. cal fire says the blaze is about 20% contained, 50 homes and 40 other structures are burned. officials say that number is expected to go up. the flames so far have destroyed 5700 homes in sonoma county. firefighters are doing all they can to protect homes and help people escape the fire. abc 7 news reporter katie unis has more. >> reporter: a calvary circumstantials homes in sonoma trying to save them during extreme fire conditions. all residents can do is wait behind the evacuation lines.

>> anxious, extremely anxious. >> reporter: early this morning, embers from fires in the hills ignited homes on castle road. forcing evacuations. >> it's been a tumultuous few days back here. and i can see right now that it's not ian close to being over. >> reporter: we found two homes destroyed on castle road. and one on half-moon street. someone managed to save these classic cars by pushing them out of a garage that burned on half-moon street. we shared images with jim tie tus who choked up with relief that his homemade it. >> a lot of people found out that their places were okay. >> reporter: but not everyone is in the clear. the front of the fire is burning northeast of the town of sonoma, that black smoke you're looking at, firefighters here on the ground think it may be a structure. we are at the park winery with the hot spots all around. firefighters are trying to keep them contained. >> this isn't a run, this is a

marathon. even after the active fire fight is done. there's still going to be a lot of hazards, trees down, power lines blocking the road. >> reporter: cal fire says there is no timeline for when residents may be allowed back into their homes here in the evacuated areas of sonoma. the good news this evening is that the winds have diminished lightly. abc 7 news. sky 7 was over sugar loaf ridge this afternoon where fires spread with sky map 7, we're able to pinpoint streets and landmarks. here the fires are not too far from stern ranch road. this unique feature gives abc 7 news the ability to show the exact location of where this fire is, and give you a better idea of where these devastating fires are burning. reporter cornell bernard was on the front lines in snow in a county early this morning when the winds began picking up again, that prompted new orders sending exhausted firefighters running to face the flames. here's cornell with more. >> reporter: still quite a scene

here in the sonoma valley where two fires continue to rage out of control. two homes have been claimed by the fire. firefighters believe embers flying embers from two fires burning up on the ridge is likely caught two homes here on castle road on fire early this morning around 5:00 a.m. didn't take long for the homes to be destroyed, firefighters did what they could to save them, but with little luck. protecting surrounding homes became the priority here. windy conditions have not helped the fire fight one bit. big flames continue to rage on two hills, two fires here in the sonoma valley, marching ever so close to the valley floor. cal fire says it plans to hit the fire hard with air drops and with ground crews, but those erratic winds are not helping the fire fight one bit. our heart goes out to the home owners who lost their homes here. in sonoma valley, abc 7 news. story now of tremendous relief, elderly couple missing since the fire broke out has

been found safe. the family of elliott and rob pearson said they're just fine. the couple's family reached out from new hampshire and asked us to find them. well, they'd gone to a hotel in san francisco, they're doing just fine. imagine surviving the mass shooting in las vegas just to lose your home in the fires. >> i would say i'm probably not processing it. >> that is exactly what happened to this woman. we'll hear from her next. and meteorologist drew tum sarks up next

she has to keep on going. >> it doesn't register. you just know there's -- you try to find things in the ash. there's things that need to be done, fortunately, unfortunately, the world does keep going. >> she's one of about 100,000

people forced out of their homes. abc news reporter maggie ruly looks at the effort to stop the flames and get people to safety in sonoma county. >> reporter: now an inside look to the deadliest week in california wild fire history. police going door to door in the middle of the night. >> mandatory evacuation order, lee your homes. >> reporter: now under mandatory evacuations. >> police going through the neighborhoods with sirens and with their big, get out now, get out now. >> reporter: more than 220,000 acres are charred. nearly 6,000 homes and other businesses damaged or destroyed. many know there is nothing left for them to go home to. >> my brother's home burned to the ground. >> reporter: others desperate to find out what they left behind. scott peterson hasn't been able to see his winery since the fire first ripped through sonoma on sunday night. >> we have totally locked down this neighborhood.

they're not letting anyone in or o out. >> reporter: but are blocked bay wall of smoke. >> it's right in the middle of that smoke wall, less than a mile away. >> reporter: right behind me is the kenwood area sonoma valley where that wild fire is active, extremely dangerous. we've seen helicopters and airplanes nonshortstop trying to put out those flames. right now the wall of smoke just keeps getting closer and closer. they're starting to get ahead of a few of the fires. some are nearly 50% contained. mandatory evacuations remain in effect, firefighters we speak to say they are doing everything they can to battle back these wild fires. extra resources have been brought in from across the country and all day long, we've seen helicopters and jet airplanes overhead working to douse these flames. maggie ruly, abc news, santa rosa, california. if you're a fire victim, we have good news to share with you regarding your pets. paradise nets santa rosa is now an evacuation center for dogs. it is already bursting with 500

evacuee dogs, they have room for more. people evacuated in the fires often can't take their pets with them and need to place to house them temporarily. once again, both paradise pets in santa rosa and ronner park are accepting dog. check our website for directions and hours. some of us notice today that outside of the north bay, the air quality was improving a little bit compared to yesterday, but with calm winds tonight, we may see more smoke set until parts of the region. outside we go, live look right now from the east bay hills camera. we have visibility at this hour. the air quality is still poor in the north bay. where we have those active fires right now, where folks are near smoke. we have the worst air quality, but elsewhere from the coast inland to the south bay, air quality has improved slightly. it is moderate at this time. the reason why -- take a look at satellite from a few hours ago, the smoke thanks to winds were

getting blown offshore, but still notice over the north bay that smoke was thick, but outside of the north bay, say san jose, livermore, you had a bluer sky earlier today. air quality, next couple of days, it still remains on the poor to unhealthy side the next 24 hours. as we go through the next couple of days. it'll improve and by wednesday midweek, we'll return to some locations having good air quality. so improving news there. out there right now, 50s and 60s, 62 in san francisco, it's 54 and 52 in nasa. winds are calm across the north bay. and the future tracker wind gust forecast rather will show you early tomorrow morning the wind remain on the light side and that'll be the story over the next 24 hours. good news for the firefighters on the front lines. we still have a red flag warning in effect in the north bay hills and the east bay hills. this is breezy out there. the humidity is running low and we're really concerned about any

fires right now in the north bay spreading potentially under these conditions. overnight tonight, here is the call, we have hazy skies, especially in the north bay, 40s and 50s, couple cool spots like half-moon bay, 39 in cloverdale, about 47 in oakland overnight tonight. the big takeaway tomorrow is a very summer-like sunday in terms of temperatures. it's 80s across the board. it's a mild finish to the weekend. 88 in san jose, about 87 in santa rosa and 86 that number in antioch. we are tracking the possibility of some showers. we bring back the storm impact skill. better idea of what to expect with the storm. the one we're expecting thursday into friday morning. it is a once, rain is likely with higher humidity and some spots could see three-fourths an inch of rain. there's some light rain and that's the pats earn through

thursday night and friday morning. rain is in the forecast. we'll show you totals, future tracker rainfall potential, look at the numbers. they will add up nicely in some spots. good bet is a quarter to a half an inch. that's thousand looks right now. keep posted on that. acuwlst seven day forecast. it's warm and hazy for some, folks in the north, they have the air quality. cooler air midweek. light winds and there is that chance of rain thursday and into friday morning, eric, a one on the storm impact scale. >> all right drew tuma thank you very much. we'll be right back. guardian dog's good deed. the news after he stayed behind the news after he stayed behind to protect a g ♪music because everyone likes easy. the news after he stayed behind to protect a g sure do. because everyone is on the go. because we all like to save energy, but sometimes we slip up. reaching up. shhh. because sometimes we want it cool at night then toasty in the mornings. introducing the easy to use, energy saving, adjustable from everywhere, easy on the wall and the eyes,

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fire crews have spent many hours in the air dropping fire retardant. they've dropped two million gallons since monday. an image shows how much they poured on each day, tuesday had the fewest at 262,000 gallons. the visibility that day was just a half mile in the morning. on thursday, crews dropped more

than half a million gallons of fire retardant. now to good news about animals missing after the fire in snow that county, oden the dog stayed behind while his family reason from the flames last sunday to guard the goats. his family's home burned, but the animals were safe. then on thursday, the dog and goats were nowhere to be found after a frantic search, we're happy to report that the owner called to say the dog and goats were found safe in the neighborhood, and this time, oden will be coming with the family to the evacuation site. they're still working on a plan for the goats though. and if you want to help the effort, easily donate $10 to the red cross, just text the word red cross to the number 90999, you can also call the number on your screen to number is 707-577-7600. we'll be right back. okay, we won't be right back. that's it for abc 7 news at

9:00. i got to remember to cut that out. we'll have much more coverage from the fireline tonight at 11:00. we will see you then. ♪ >> hi, everyone. i'm lizzie bermudez. welcome to "bay area life," the place where lifestyle, interests, food, and entertainment all come together. there's so much to explore. on today's show -- creating a home away from home for families... and mushroom madness in mendocino... plus, the power of music therapy. but, first, the harlem globetrotters are helping youth stand up to bullying. all of this fun driven by your northern california honda dealers. ♪ >> be inspired. >> be courageous. >> be brave. >> be happy. >> abc7 and the harlem globetrotters are teaming

up to stomp out bullying. ♪ good morning! >> all: good morning! >> all right. awesome, awesome. okay, as introduced, my name is anthony blakes, but my teammates do call my "buckets"... well, i came here to el toro elementary to talk to the kids about our abcs of bullying prevention program. we've put this program together with the national campaign to stop violence to help eradicate bullying from the schools so these kids could have a carefree learning environment. the abcs stand for action, bravery, and compassion. and those are some simple ingredients we like to share with the kids. it makes it memorable for them. they know to take action by telling the nearest teacher, telling the nearest adult. if they see anyone being bullied, they know to be brave by simply walking away. if someone tries to bully them, the bully follows them, they lead them right to the nearest adult. and the "c" is "compassion." they learn to show kids compassion who's been bullied before by making that person

their friend. everybody say, "hello, roxy." >> all: hello, roxy. >> okay, roxy, what's the correct action to take if you see someone being bullied in school? >> you stand up for her and say, "don't bully her." >> she said, "you can stand up for that person and say, 'don't bully them.'" give her a big hand. [ applause ] we hit over 400 schools a year with our abcs of bullying prevention program, and i think it's pretty awesome to have that positive effect on kids because they're your little messengers after you leave. >> bullying means when someone likes to pick on you. >> i got to see a famous basketball player tell us how to stand up to bullying and how not to get afraid from the bully and just understand what to do when you actually are getting bullied. >> when you see someone being bullied, you don't just stop and stare. you actually go up to them and say, "hey, leave this person

alone. that's not cool to bully someone." and if they fight you, then just walk away and tell the nearest adult. and then you, like, try and hang out with the person that was being bullied. got to look like you know what you're doing. [ laughter ] don't look, don't look. [ cheers and applause ] >> it was awesome. the kids were enthused. they got to see tricks. they got to learn a little bit about what to do, strategies to deal with bullying. we have a zero tolerance, but it's also a time to educate those -- both sides, the bully and the bullyer. we're still here to hear the message about bullying 'cause it's a very important topic. we don't tolerate that here at el toro. but bullying can be not only in school -- it can be anywhere. kids bring all sorts of things within the school. it could be a myriad of things. and they're walking through

situations at home, and they'll bring them here to school. we talk about being respectful, responsible, and safe. that's our mantra. and so we always tie it back to that. and that falls hand in hand with the abcs, right, with action, bravery, and compassion in bullying. so, really, we're having these conversations, and everything's a learning experience, a learning moment for our kids, no matter if they're being bullied or if they're the bully. >> yep, and lean forward and flip. [ all cheering, globetrotters' theme music plays ] 'round the back. under the legs. fake pass. over the shoulder. shake it to the left. >> we're working very strongly on helping students develop interpersonal skills, and so the abcs actually speak to that. it talks about the ability for students to take individual action between themselves and somebody that might have bullying behaviors and gives them choices and options so that the bullying can stop, or at least they would engage and stand up for themselves, but also develop interpersonal

skills. and that is what i think is lacking even more in society today, is those interpersonal skills, so we're focused on that in the district. >> all right, here we go. three claps. three claps. two claps. two claps. one clap. one clap. half clap. [ laughter ] >> the more that students engage in their devices or computer games or online social media, the less chance they have to develop very effective communication skills face-to-face. so the assembly today really worked toward that goal for us, and, as we saw, the kids were energized and inspired. [ all cheering, globetrotters' theme music plays ] >> all: be inspired! >> the harlem globetrotters will be in the bay area with seven games, january 13th through january 21st. get your tickets at ticketmaster.com.

[ cheers and applause ] >> yes. be awesome. >> coming up, one organization is putting smiles on many families' faces. [ all cheering ] >> the ronald mcdonald house has been super-supportive. they supply everything that you need. do you want to do a monster check? yes. no monsters. ♪

how about the drawer? ♪ no monsters. nightly monster checks are how grant makes home his. and homegoods is what makes it all possible. amazing finds. always great prices. make home yours. by living off the grid. completely. or...

set the washing machine to cold. do your thing. energy upgrade california. ♪ >> making a difference is important to many businesses in the bay area, and la-z-boy is making it top priority to make a

difference in its community. it's partnered with the ronald mcdonald house at stanford to create a home away from home for families going through a medical crisis. ♪ >> ronald mcdonald house at stanford is a place where families come when they need to access medical care for their children. so they travel outside their community and come live at a ronald mcdonald house to get the care they need and keep their family together during times of crisis. ♪ [ all cheering ] >> high five. good job. [ chuckles ] good job. >> family five! family five! >> yay! >> i want to do it again. >> this is lily. she is four. she will be five on october 8th. her birthday's coming up. right? you're gonna be five? >> [ laughing ] no? this is solomon. >> i'm gonna be seven on

july 29th. >> he's six. he'll be seven on july 29th. >> and this is nick, my husband. >> hi. [ both laugh ] >> we're from st. louis, missouri. lily was born with polycystic kidney disease. at five days old, they took out her kidneys -- well, one and then another one a month later. we knew, whenever i was 32 weeks pregnant, that we were gonna be on this adventure. and ever since her kidney removal, she's been on dialysis since five days old. and she's also had other complications. she had some strokes, so the hospital back at home wasn't comfortable with her special needs that she needed. and we were referred out to stanford by her nephrologist. she got the green light for a transplant, and they reactivated her on the list, and she got her transplant. and ever since then, it's just been, you know, beautiful.

we've been here since august of 2016. it's been over a year, and it's been great. the ronald mcdonald house has been super-supportive with everything that our family has needed. they supply everything that you need, you know, down to food, dinners, entertainment for the kids, workout room, laundry room -- anything you can think of, they have. >> hi. >> daddy! >> hmm? >> daddy! >> what? >> here, look. >> the ronald mcdonald house at stanford is the fifth house in a network of more than 360 ronald mcdonald houses worldwide. and the ronald mcdonald house here at stanford just expanded, and we're really proud to serve 123 families every night. it's about having meals together, so we provide food. we have an on-site classroom with a unified school district teacher so children can keep going with their education. so they can feel that sense of normalcy even when they're in a time of crisis.

>> coming out here, i had no idea what the ronald mcdonald house was. when rebekah explained it to me, that we could all be together and be where lily was gonna get the best care, at lucile packard and... it sounded to good to be true, to be honest. it was a home away from home, and this journey wouldn't have been possible and isn't possible without ronald mcdonald house, and we're so grateful for it and everything that they do and everything that they've -- to keep families together, basically, while they're going through times like this. it's a rare thing, so we're very, very thankful and appreciative. >> daddy. >> [ laughing ] whoa! >> la-z-boy has been a fabulous partner not only to our house here at stanford but to all the ronald mcdonald houses nationwide. and recognizing that partnership was great for us because we had a two-phased growth strategy. and so the building that we're in right now was a ground-up new build, and we worked really closely with some other designers to make sure that we could provide an environment

that felt like home. so, we've got la-z-boy furniture in a lot of public areas for families to just retreat, relax, and enjoy each other's company. and then all of our bedrooms on our newly refurnished building have a la-z-boy chair in all the bedrooms. a new addition for us was the consultation room, and the idea behind that was a really private, nice, comfortable place where families come right when they check in. la-z-boy came in and furnished those initial rooms for us. that really embraces our families and makes them feel like we're here to take care of you. the partnership across the board has been great, and they've been enthusiastic and talented and generous, which is the best kind of partner you can have. >> it's important for la-z-boy to give back and be part of the community. la-z-boy has been associated with ronald mcdonald since 2008. the renovation project for the ronald mcdonald house, we donated $50,000 worth of furniture. also, at the existing house, we donated, at cost, the furniture. we have comfortable furniture,

and bringing comfort to the ronald mcdonald house, the children, and their families, it's a good fit. it's a win-win. [ laughs ] >> coming up, there are a lot more to mushrooms than you may think. >> in alternative medicine, it's called the "mushroom of immortality."

♪ >> hi, everyone. welcome back to the show. you know what puts me in a good mood? good tunes. i like having plenty of options, and i've got plenty here.

let's see. little old school. maybe a little bit of pop. one of the most scenic places to visit in california is the mendocino coast. there's so much to see and do, including the mendocino mushroom, wine & beer festival that happens every year. ♪ ♪ >> mendocino is close enough to the bay area and different enough from the bay area to be a great place to get away from it all. >> mendocino is the greece of america. we have a beautiful coast, and we have all these wonderful seasons here, of which one of the best is our rainy mushroom season. wow. nice patch. all here because of this fir tree. >> so, we have the mushroom, wine & beer festival

coming up. it's been in existence for many years, and it's in the fall, and it's a great time for local wild mushrooms. all the wineries and breweries take part in the event, and we do winemaker dinners. at little river inn, we do a beer-and-mushroom-pairing dinner every year with vinnie and natalie cilurzo from russian river. we pair seven of their craft beers with different mushrooms with each course. mushrooms are fantastic. they're a great vehicle for different flavors. the different mushrooms have different cooking techniques. some mushrooms, chanterelles, go with lighter meat -- halibut, chicken. and porcinis go really nicely with roasted meats. if you're not so into mushrooms, you can go the botanical gardens. you can go take a walk and a tour. you can still go mushroom hunting without eating them. catch a canoe does canoe tours up big river, which is fantastic. [ folk guitar plays ] >> people come from all over and

enjoy all the incredible mushrooms that we have here. we have dinners and walks, and we have cooking demos. i do at least about 10 events in 10 days -- walks and talks and seminars. we have some nice fir trees here. i bet you there's a patch in here somewhere. so, i had no idea that we would take off like this to become the world's largest. and it's so much -- i use it as a soapbox to talk to people about our world and our changing world and how mushrooms have taken me on a journey of connection. well, that was a good morning. >> it was. >> it's all downhill from here, i wish. >> [ laughing ] yeah, i know. ♪ we get all those amazing wild-mushroom dishes back in the restaurants. i lead mushroom-identification hikes at the stanford inn. it's about an hour-and-a-half long, where you'll come in, sit down, have a talk about some of the identification features of

the mushrooms. and then we'll go out for an hour and look and see what we can find out there and talk more about how amazing mushrooms are. you'll see at least 15 to 20 different species of mushroom. not all are edible, 'cause we do have 3,000 species, and about 500 of them are edible. but we have a big variety, so you end up seeing a lot of mushrooms out there. so, here we have chanterelles and a varnished conk. these are both species of mushrooms that you can pick locally. in alternative medicine, it's called the "mushroom of immortality." it has a lot of anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties. it helps all the organs in your body synergize with each other, and it just helps you to lead an all-around healthier life. ♪ >> penny royal farms is participating in the mendocino mushroom festival during their grand tasting, serving our cheese and our wine. we're doing a four-course brunch on sunday, and then we also do a

couple events in the tasting room. we have some small bites, and we do some additional farm tours. cheese, mushrooms, wine -- they all go [chuckles] well together. mushrooms, in general, like, you get so many earth tones. they go naturally with chardonnay or pinot noir and then when you add the flavors of the cheese in there, as well. ♪ >> so, one thing that's really unique to mendocino county is the candy cap mushroom, as well as candy cap mushroom ice cream. it's something that everybody has to try if they come here, and we highly encourage people to do so even if they're a little hesitant. most people like it. it's ice cream. that's an easy thing. so, these are the candy cap mushrooms. there are dried. they're harvested wild out in the forest. and when our producer gets the mushrooms, they grind these up into a pretty fine powder. and they're really intensely scented, and the ice cream is the same. it's extremely sweet, it's extremely pungent, and very

delicious. >> [ whispering ] that's so good. [ normal voice ] it's really good. >> if you're coming to mendocino for the mushroom festival, enjoy mendocino. enjoy the beauty. come into frankie's. enjoy some candy cap mushroom ice cream. >> mmm! >> is it good? >> yum, yum, yum. >> you like it? yay! it's good! ♪ >> this is a new event that's been added to the mushroom, wine & beer festival. we are the mendocino county home brew festival. it's our first year. we are aiming to make this an annual event and become a big flagship, anchor event for the festival every year. almost all commercial brewers start out as home brewers, and there are at least a couple of home brewers entering this event that are actively working on going pro. so you will get to taste their beers before they make it big. not only that, but as a people's choice event, you're gonna get to vote on the beers and tell them which of their

beers are the best and help them choose which ones to focus on. ♪ >> mendocino has the ocean, the redwood trees. we have 3,000 different kinds of mushrooms. we have incredible wines. and so it all comes together in this beautiful convergence of the festival. and people -- i hope they'll come from all over and share it with us. >> coming up... kids are thriving, thanks to the power of music.

the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california

and do your thing.

♪ >> welcome back to the show, everyone. i'm en route, and i'd like to relax a bit, and i know just the thing to do it. ah. that's nice. not only can passengers up front enjoy heated seats, but so can the passengers in the back. dealing with the loss of a loved one is devastating. for children who've lost a sibling or a parent, it could be confusing or a lonely time, too. the taylor family foundation's camp hope is a place where they can come together with other children going through the same thing. ♪ >> my family is very, very short. i lost most of them by suicide -- my dad, one of my uncles because he missed my dad so much and... yeah. >> that's really sad. >> yeah, and they were just lost without my dad. >> recently -- in may i think it was, this last summer -- my dad died from a lung disease.

so...yeah, that's why i'm here. >> one of the common themes i hear from the kids is they felt so isolated at home. there's nobody... no kid their age could ever understand what they're going through. >> well, they think there's no other kid because nobody talks about it, but there are a lot of campers here who actually find that they do have classmates that have gone through the same thing. >> ♪ can you feel the rhythm? my company is in harmony music therapy services, and we contract with the taylor family foundation to provide all their music-therapy services at their hospital and medical facilities and then here at camp for all the different groups that come and use the campgrounds. so it could be that the kids need a place to be where they can be social and bond with other kids who have the same conditions that they do. and so, through music-making, we provide that opportunity for

them to get to know each other, but in a fun way. ♪ can you feel... >> when they sit down and they start singing the songs, you know, songs are so powerful. and then they start talking about their grief and writing a poem with the music. and then they write a letter to their loved ones and talk about what they're missing and how much they miss them and they wish that they could say goodbye one more time. and so, in music therapy, they actually write a letter to their loved ones. and each one of them sing their letter, and then they send it off. it's really powerful. >> "i remember when we fished together. when you died, i was so sad. i hope to put special things in my box to remember you," like pictures of cars that me and him

used to work on. >> "dear dad, i'm writing you this letter to tell you that you have inspired me to do much greater things than i ever believed i could do. lately, i've been feeling lonely, but don't worry about me, because i know you are in a better place, and i have an amazing community around me to be with you and talk to my friends. i can feel better by playing music, hanging out with friends, and writing songs. one more thing i want to say is that i love you, and i will make you proud. from your son, blake." >> there's so much to explore in the bay area, so we'll be back with more stories to share. in the meantime, we want to hear from you, so send us your favorite stories, pictures, videos, and places in the bay area. visit us online, join us on facebook, and follow us on twitter. all of this fun driven by your northern california honda dealers. ♪

♪ ♪ she saw her friend only once. >> she wouldn't hang out with her friends anymore, which is all classic stalker method of operation. you cut them off from their friends. you seclude them. >> reporter: leon denies keeping valerie from her friends. >> you know when you're first in a new relationship, you kind of isolate yourselves with your -- you know, with each other. >> reporter: but despite everything that's happened, valerie never turns on leon. >> i know it's going to upset a lot of people, but i love him, >> reporter: but when we come back, is leon about to turn on valerie? >> it seems his defense strategy is going to be, it's her fault. she got me into this. >> reporter: and which leon jacob will a jury get to meet? what i'm trying to understand is, are you dr.

>> reporter: valerie's former lover, leon jacob, has been sitting in the harris county jail for seven months. he's awaiting trial on charges of stalking and solicitation of murder. when i sat down with him, he wouldn't talk about the details of his case, but denied any wrong doing. >> i am innocent of these charges. i still maintain that throughout. i find them to be atrocious in

manner because i'm not some monster that wanted my ex-girlfriend killed and her ex-husband. i'm a healer by nature. >> reporter: did you hold yourself responsible for her suicide? >> no. that was a decision she made on her own. >> reporter: so, you never thought, for a minute, that maybe you'd put her in a position that she just couldn't hasn'tle and it drove her to commit suicide? >> no. she had so much pressure on her, and i wasn't there to help support her. >> reporter: leon asked the judge to allow him to attend valerie's funeral, but his request nied. his request to be released on bond was also denied. >> his bond will remain at zero bond. all right. thank you. >> reporter: prominent defense attorney george parnham is representing leon. >> do you know of any recordings? >> reporter: he gave us a preview of any defense strategy, accusing the police of entrapment. >> oh, my god. >> they were active players in

this whole solicitation of capital murder. >> reporter: leon's in this pickle, according to parnham, because of valerie. >> valerie was extremely instrumental in the facts situation that lands my client in jail behind bars. >> reporter: if it weren't for valerie, do you think that leon would be facing this charge of murder for hire? >> no, i don't. >> reporter: it's awfully convenient, because she's no longer here to defend herself. >> i wish she were here, so i could subject her to cross examination. >> reporter: you're a guy with some of the best pedigree around. you went to the best schools around in the nation. how does a guy like you end up in a place like this? >> that's a really good question. i don't necessarily have an answer for you, and the only thing that i can say about that is, you know, i've been knocked down a bunch in my life, and i always got back up. let me explain something about valerie. i feel still today privileged to have been able to know her so intimately. and i did love her. i still do very, very much.

very deeply. i can't tell you how much i cared for that woman. >> both leon jacob's ex-girlfriend meghan and valerie mcdaniel's ex-husband denied our request for interviews. >> jacob has pled guilty and his sk trial is scheduled to begin this december. that's our program for tonight. i'm elizabeth vargas. >> and i'm david muir. for all of us here at abc news and "20/20," have a good evening. good night.

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