Preserving YMCA Programs

On June 30, the San Francisco YMCA will no longer operate the North Bay YMCA in Suisun City. For years, the local YMCA has struggled financially, and the parent organization in San Francisco can no longer afford to subsidize local operations.

City staff is working diligently to examine which of the YMCA's children's and youth programs we may be able to continue at existing City or school locations with the staff and financial resources we have available. While research is continuing, it appears as though we may be able to continue between 80% and 90% of those programs.

The City also is working with another regional YMCA and two private parties that have shown interest in the possibility of operating the current facility, or major components of the facility. Details of those offers are being reviewed by City staff. At its June 17 meeting, we plan to present the City Council with options and alternatives for how we can proactively address the situation.

We understand the disruption the loss of this type of key asset has on the community and local families. Supporting Suisun City youth and families is a key mission of our Recreation and Community Services Department. We also take very seriously our responsibility to the community to manage taxpayer funds in a highly responsible and sustainable manner.

ABC 7 News recently did a news piece on the situation. Follow this link to see that news piece.

Hunters help the Marsh, too!

Lest you think that only college and government researchers work out in the Suisun Marsh (see earlier post about UC Davis biologists trudging around in the Marsh), Barry Eberling over at the Daily Republic wrote a story about duck hunters who build boxes 6-to-8-feet in the air to help wood ducks breed.

As Barry explains, wood ducks usally breed in trees. But habitat destruction and unregulated hunting made the sighting of wood ducks on Grizzly Island very rare. Now, officials are reporting seeing flocks of them thanks to the volunteer efforts of duck club owners and hunters who have built thousands of nesting locations for the birds.

To see Barry's article, visit the Daily Republic website at www.dailyrepublic.com.

Suisun City in books

We're always looking for new and exciting ways to share the beauty of Suisun City and the surrounding area with as many people as we can reach. The main purpose is to encourage them to come visit, fall in love with the area, plan a return trip and spend a few dollars in our local businesses in the process.

Over the weekend, we became learned that Steffni & Tom Muehleisen have published a compact book of their photos of the area called "A Walk in the West Wind." It's a great little book perfect to buy as a souvenir or send to family members as a keepsake of the beauty of Suisun City.

We don't know if it's available in local stores, but it can be purchased online. Worth checking out!

If you know any other books about Suisun City or its environs we can share with others, please pass along the tip by leaving a comment or shooting me an e-mail at scorey@suisun.com.

What are those scientists doing in Suisun Marsh?

Have you ever wondered just what those field researchers are doing out in Suisun Marsh?

We hear frequently that Suisun Marsh is one of the most important ecological resources in California and perhaps the entire West Coast of North America. We know it is the largest contiguous brackish marsh on the West Coast, and just happens to border our little burg, Suisun City, as one of the best neighbors anyone could request.

But I've never had opportunity (nor desire, frankly, aside from general speculation) to go along with any researchers out into the Marsh to see what they are up to.

But leave it to Anna Opalka, an intrepid student journalist with the UC Davis California Aggie, to don the hipwaders to bring her readers an interesting and readable first-hand account of what UC Davis biologists, researchers and students are looking for as they ply the Marsh. (The short answer: they are catching and counting small fish).

If you didn't see my other links, click here to get to Anna's story here.

2008 Street Resurfacing Project RFP released

The Suisun City Public Works Department has released for bids one of the most aggressive street resurfacing projects undertaken in Suisun City in several years.

The requests for proposal for the project is now available on the Public Works website. You can also click the headline of this article to get there or go to our homepage at www.suisun.com.

Depending on the results of the bidding, the City could resurface as many as 34 street segments across the City. By using a rubberized asphalt process rather than traditional grind and pave process, Public Works expects to really stretch the City's road improvement dollars.

Plus, the new process takes thousands of used automobile tires and reuses them as a durable road surface rather than send them off to landfills or other less green disposal processes.

The bids are due to be opened June 19, with work likely later this summer.

Marketing RFQ/P Issued

Regular readers of this news blog thankfully mostly know a lot about Suisun City.

But, alas, we find that many people don't know much about Suisun City, until they get here! Then, it's "WOW! I had no idea this is what Suisun City was like!"

The City's Economic Development Department would like to change that dynamic for the better. So we've issued an RFP/Q for help in putting together a marketing strategy that will really amp up our efforts to 'get the word' out about Suisun City.

If you meet the qualifications, we'd invite you to submit a proposal. Feel free to pass along the information if you know someone else who may be interested.

All the information is available on the City's main website at www.suisun.com/marketing.

A special thanks to Rick (who goes by Suisun over at flickr.com) for this great photo of the Suisun City Marina.

And now, back to the news

We're getting back to our regular habit of posting updates here after a couple pretty hectic weeks of putting together the next issue of our City newsletter - Discovery.

It's going to be hitting local mailboxes next week with tons of updates on local infrastructure improvements, including:

• $1.2 million in local street improvements this summer
• A new monument sign proposal for the City's Highway 12 entrances
• Major improvements on Sunset Avenue at Railroad Avenue
• Reconstruction of Goepp Park
• Three new bikeway expansions
• Plus, a fantastic event season, including a first-ever performance of the Air Force's "Tops in Blue" right on our waterfront!

We'll get more details up soon about all of this great news, including new & improved ways of viewing this information over at our main website www.suisun.com.

McCoy Creek Trail RFP Issued

The City of Suisun City Public Works Department has issued a Request for Proposals for construction of the McCoy Creek Trail.

This concrete 2,000-foot long trail will connect the Central Solano Bikeway running along the north side of Highway 12 with Pintail Avenue along the west side of McCoy Creek. It is an essential piece of the expanding network of pedestrian and bike routes through the City.

The deadline for McCoy Creek submittals is June 10.

We also have a bid open for the reconstruction of Goepp Park posted online.

For complete bidding info, follow this link to our Public Works Projects page.