Out with the Old Electronics

HOW TO GET RID OF THE OLD TV, COMPUTER, STEREO OR MP3 PLAYER

Did you get a new stereo or computer for Christmas? Get a new TV for the upcoming digital broadcasting conversion? How about a new cell phone?

New electronic gadgets are tons of fun, but your can be left with a perennial question: What do I do with the old one?

In California, electronic equipment cannot be thrown out with the regular garage because there's toxic waste built right into their components.

The Solano County Recycle Guide (www.recycle-guide.com) has an excellent list of local organizations that specialize in electronic items. Here's a brief rundown:

• Goodwill (1819 North Texas, Fairfield): Open seven days a week. Accepts TVs, computers, microwaves and other small appliances free. 707-429-2338
• PG&E and JACO Enironmental: Will pay you to come by and take away your old refrigerator or freezer. Call 800-299-7573 for information and to schedule pickup.
  
• Potrero Hills Landfill (Highway 12 east of Suisun City): Open seven days a week, but charges to take items ($25 for each TV or computer monitor; call for other prices). 707-429-9600
• Freon Free (409-D Railroad Ave., Suisun City): Open weekdays, but charges to accept items. Will come and haul away refrigerators and other large appliances. 707-429-9013
  

If you are a Costco member, click here to learn about their free mail-in electronics recycling program.

If your items are still usable, you may want to look into the Freecycle program, which matches useful items with people who can use them. >>Click for more information on reuse options.>>

Dumping unwanted TVs, refrigerators, and other electronics and appliances along roadways, on vacant lots or in waterways is illegal and damages the environment. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Treecycle the Christmas Tree

HERE'S HOW TO GET RID OF THE TANNENBAUM

With the Christmas holiday winding down, it's time to think about removing live cut Christmas trees from your house before it becomes a fire hazard.

In Suisun City, you can get rid of your live cut tree this way:

• Call the Boy Scouts at 707-421-5308 to schedule a whole tree pick up for January 6, 13 or 20. The Scouts ask for a $5 donation for trees under 6 feet tall, and $10 for larger trees or those that are flocked or tinseled.
• Cut your tree to fit inside your green waste toter for regular curbside collection. The toter lid must close. For more information, call Solano Garbage Company at 707-437-8900.

For either method, please remove all ornaments, nails, tinsel, stands and metal spikes from the tree to prevent injury to collection staff or grinding equipment.

Alas, artificial Christmas trees are not recyclable. Please dispose of them in your regular garbage toter.

>>Check out the Treecycling Fact Sheet at Earth911.com>>

Designate a Driver

DON'T DRIVE DRUNK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

The holidays are a terrific time for family and friends to gather together and celebrate. The Suisun City Police Department urges you to take a simple step to keep yourself and other motorists safe: Designate a driver.

A Designated Driver refrains from drinking alcohol, and is responsible to getting their riders safely to their destination. This is a statewide effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related collisions and fatalities on California's streets and highways.

The California Office of Traffic Safety even offers some great recipes for festive non-alcoholic drinks so designated drivers can celebrate without becoming impaired.

In 2007, 1,616 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in California. Additionally, 203,866 people were arrested for driving under the influence.

If you've had even one drink, don't risk getting behind the wheel. The Suisun City Police, California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies will heighten their vigilance for drunk drivers during this holiday period.

If you see a suspected drunk driver, call 911 to alert the Highway Patrol.

Christmas Tree Safety

SIMPLE STEPS HELP ENSURE A SAFE HOLIDAY

We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season. The Suisun City Fire Department would like to help make sure that Suisun City residents are safe and secure by offering some simple tips to ensure a safe holiday:

• Make sure your artificial Christmas tree is labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.
• Check to see that your live cut tree has fresh, green needles that don't fall off easily when touched.
• Cut about 1 to 2 inches off the trunk of your live cut tree before placing it in a stand that can hold water.
  
• Make sure to add water daily because trees consume lots of water, and can dry quickly indoors.
• Place your tree at least 3 feet away from a heat source, such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking any exits.
• Use lights that carry a label from an independent testing laboratory.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. String no more than 3 strands of mini string lights, and a maximum of 50 screw-in bulbs.
• Never use candles to decorate a tree.
• Always turn Christmas tree lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
• Get rid of the tree when it begins to drop needles. Dry trees are an extreme fire hazard. Use an after-Christmas community disposal program to remove the tree from your property.

>>Click here for more Christmas tree safety tips>>
>>Click here for holiday safety information from the National Fire Protection Association>>

Helping Neighbors Keep Suisun City Strong

Suisun City has a tradition of working with neighborhoods and the community to ensure the quality of life for our residents.

Nowhere is this stronger than in the Police Department, which has worked consistently to arm residents with the tools they need to be proactive in ensuring crime does not become a significant problem in any neighborhood. Suisun City has a network of neighborhood watch groups that organize residents to work constructively with police.

On Tuesday December 23, the Police Department will host a general neighborhood watch meeting to bring together residents from across the City to coordinate efforts.

The meeting, which is open to anyone in Suisun City, will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Suisun City Library Community Room, 601 Pintail Drive. The new library is located between Suisun Elementary School and the Fire Station.

Plan to attend this important meeting on Dec. 23 because building a safer city means building safer neighborhoods, and now is the time to work together.

'Christmas at the Waterfront' in Pictures

Anyone who has ever tried to take pictures at night of any type of event can appreciate how hard it can be to get decent shots of something like Suisun City's 'Christmas at the Waterfront.'

This year, we actually turned to someone for some professional help. >>Here's a link to a catalog of those shots.>>

ABANDONED TILE GIFTS

During 'Christmas at the Waterfront,' Home Depot sponsored a terrific booth that allowed children to paint a tile as a special holiday gift. They all turned out great and everyone had a lot of fun!

But 16 of them were left behind to dry and never claimed. If yours is one of those, come by City Hall and ask for Anita Skinner or call her at 421-7309 during regular business hours.

Christmas Through the Lens

A LOOK AT HOW NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS WORK

On Wednesday, Daily Republic photographer Mike Greener posted a selection of his favorite photos from Suisun City's "Christmas at the Waterfront" on the DR Photo Department's blog entitled "Words on Pictures."

Mike was assigned to cover every community Christmas celebration in the area.

In addition to the very nice photos, he included a narrative discussing how the chose the images he did for the paper, including this candid observation:

"Suisun City's Christmas on the Waterfront was a really awesome display but my decision to not show the boat aspect in the paper was a mistake in the end."

For anyone who has ever wondered how photojournalists decide what makes the paper, this is a must-read blog post! >>Click here for the posting>>

Go Inside the Salvation Army Community Centers

SPARKLING SF CENTER SHOWS POTENTIAL FOR SUISUN CITY

Everyone knows The Salvation Army. In the least, we recognize the annual Christmas kettle drive and know they do a lot of great work all over the country and the world.

But their work in recreation community centers wasn't really on a lot of people's radars locally until The Salvation Army showed interest in reopening the local recreation center shuttered by the YMCA.

The review committees paid a visit to The Salvation Army's San Francisco center as part of the research done into selecting a new partner to operate our local center. Committee members were very impressed with what they saw, especially considering the SF Center is located in the Tenderloin District.

The San Francisco center is one of The Salvation Army's Kroc Centers, a network of community centers created through a massive $1.5 billion endowment from Ray and Joan Kroc, the founders of McDonald's. The Kroc Centers are truly impressive; definitely Cadillac examples of what recreation-based community centers can be when they are built from the ground-up on large tracts of land. The Salvation Army runs these centers at a very high service standard.

That's the important part for any future relationship here in Suisun City. The center on Pintail Avenue at East Wigeon likely will never be a full-blown Kroc Center. But that same approach, commitment and outlook would be applied here in Suisun City on a somewhat smaller scale.

Daily Republic reporter Ian Thompson and photographer Brad Zweerink toured the San Francisco center this week and filed their report in Thursday's paper. >>Check out the Daily Republic web site for a peak inside the center.>>

Planning Commission Approves 'Fresh & Easy' Facade

NEW GROCER WILL ENHANCE SUNSET SHOPPING CENTER

SUISUN CITY - The Planning Commission unanimously approved changes to the exterior facade of the proposed Fresh & Easy location to allow the grocer to begin improvements at the Sunset Shopping Center.

Fresh & Easy, a small-scale grocer focused on regionally fresh produce and easy to prepare food, has proposed to open a store in about half of floor space previously leased to Albertson's, which closed locally in 2006.

The Community Development Department worked with the applicant to break what previously was a large single space for a store sign into two pieces to accommodate two tenants. Weingarten Realty anticipates leasing the remaining 15,000-square-foot space in the anchor tenant location to another business.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is a local, neighborhood store providing fresh,
wholesome foods at affordable prices to everyone. It is a company of Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer and one of the world’s leading international retailers. Tesco is investing $2 billion dollars over 5 years in the U.S.

The company has opened a number of locations in Southern California, and has plans for a significant number of store openings in the Bay Area and Sacramento regions. >>See proposed locations on the company website>>

$2,820 for Non-Profits in First Suisun City Christmas Tree Auction

LOCAL BUSINESSES LAUNCH NEW HOLIDAY TRADITION

Eighteen local non-profits raised $2,820 for their groups through the Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration and Tree Auction held Saturday as part of the Christmas at the Waterfront event.

Sponsored by the Suisun City Business Group and the Suisun City Historic Waterfront B.I.D., the celebration and auction offered local residents a real fun opportunity to help local non-profits while being able to take home a beautifully decorated tree to plug right into their home holiday decor.

Particularly given the dour economy, the results of this first local tree auction show the generosity of the Suisun City community.

The $2,420 total haul for the non-profits included $350 in prize money awarded by the business organizations to the first, second and third prize winners.

Groups participating were:

• Cassa of Solano County
• Twilight Rotary Club - Early Act Club
• We "R" Family Childrens Christian Center
• Sullivan Middle School Band Boosters
• Kiwanis Club of Suisun City
• NorthBay Healthcare Foundation
• Solano Christian Academy
• Fairfield Civic Theatre
• Wednesday Club
• Armijo High School Indian Softball Boosters
• Kassondra R. Seney Relief Fund
• Victory Outreach
• Relay for Life - Papa Joe's Pit Crew
• Fairfield-Suisun Community Action Council
• Armijo High School Band Boosters
• Cancer Support Group
• Westwind 4-H Club
• International Order of the Rainbow Girls #7

Congratulations to every group involved, and thank-you for decorating such beautiful trees!

A very special thank-you to the Suisun City Business Group and the Suisun City Historic Waterfront B.I.D. and their committee that brought this event together and worked tirelessly to make it such a success. This wouldn't be possible without you!

We can't wait until next year!

Last Push for Firefighters Toys of Kids Drive

TOY DROP-OFF DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, DEC. 12

Time is running short to bring in a new, unwrapped toy for the Suisun City Toys for Kids drive. Friday is the last day the Firefighters Association will accept toys to be delivered this year.

Toys for children of all ages - from infants and toddlers to young teens - are needed to make Christmas brighter for local families that may go without this holiday season.

To participate, drop-off a new, unwrapped toy in the collection bin at

• Ace Hardware - 252 Sunset Avenue, 94585, in the Heritage Park Shopping Center, Sunset Ave. @ Highway 12
• Athenian Grill - 750 Kellogg Street, 94585
• Virgil's Bait & Tackle - 201 Main Street, 94585
  
• A&J's Pub and Grill - 605 Main Street, 94585
• Suisun City Fire Station - 621 Pintail Drive, 94585, @ East Wigeon Way

Your contribution will help make the Christmas season brighter for Suisun City's children.

"Beauty & the Beast" at Suisun City's Harbor Theater

MULTIPLE SOLANO YOUTH THEATRE
PERFORMANCES ON DEC. 6, 7, & 13

The Solano Youth Theatre is putting 10 performances of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" in December utilizing three different casts in Suisun City's Harbor Theater, 720 Main Street. >>Click for Directions>>

These talented young people from across the county have worked diligently to put this complex production together! When you come to the Suisun City Waterfront District, stop for a meal or snack at one of the 12 terrific restaurants - many within an easy walk of the theater!

Showtimes are:

• Saturday Dec. 6: 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday Dec. 7: 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday Dec. 13: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are

• $10 Adults
• $5 Children & Students
  

Tickets are available online and, if there are any left, at the box office starting one hour before showtime.
>>Click here for online ticketing information>>

Christmas at the Waterfront Schedule

ENJOY SKATING, FESTIVE LIGHTS, FIREWORKS &
DECORATED TREE AUCTION!

Come celebrate the Christmas season with Christmas at the Suisun City Waterfront!

Here is the schedule for Saturday Dec. 6:

• Noon to 8 p.m. -- Skate rink open on Promenade along Main Street at Common Street (across from Veterans' Hall)
• 2 p.m. -- Festival opens: Christmas Street Faire, Children's gift-making booth, Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration & Silent Auction, Main Street Merchants Open House & Santa Hat Stroll, Hay Wagon Rides

Harbor Plaza Performances

• 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. -- Solano Youth Theatre Touring Company
• 4:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. -- Dan O. Root II Elementary School Chorus
• 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. -- Armijo High School Jazz Band

Welcome the Season!

• Approx. 5:15 p.m. -- Solano Yacht Club's Lighted Boat Parade
• After parade -- Tree lighting and fireworks spectacular (end of Solano Street)
• Approx. 6-8 p.m. -- Photos with Santa at the Harbor Theatre
• 6 p.m. -- Bids close at the Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration & Silent Auction (in tent on Solano Street adjacent to Air, Land & Sea Travel and The Athenian Grill)

Plan to enjoy the Main Street Merchants Open House & Santa Hat Stroll! >>Click here for interactive map of participating businesses>>

Come back on Sunday Dec. 7 to skate from Noon until 6 p.m.!

Skate Rink Arrives in Suisun City

OPENS AT 6 P.M. FRIDAY FOR WEEKEND FUN

The first-ever outdoor skate rink arrived at the Suisun City Waterfront District this morning amid the early December fog and chill. There's nothing like 30-degree temperatures to bring a skating mood!

The rink will be open

• 6-9 p.m. Friday (Dec. 5)
• Noon - 8 p.m. Saturday (Dec.6)
• Noon - 6 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 7)

Prices, with skates included:

• Children (under 12) $2
• Adults (ages 12-54) $3
• Seniors (55+) $2

All skaters will need to sign a completed waiver before entering the skating surface.

We'd like to thank all our sponsors who made this exciting new Christmas at the Waterfront element possible:

• Jelly Belly
• Anheuser Busch, Fairfield
  
• Solano Garbage
• Main Street West Partners
• Hudson Business Networks, Inc.
• Suisun City Business Group
• Suisun City Historic Waterfront BID

The Salvation Army is Top Contender to Re-open Center

OFFICIALS LAUNCH DISCUSSION ON OPERATIONS AGREEMENT

The Suisun City Council has identified The Salvation Army as its top pick for further discussions regarding taking over the community center shuttered by the North Bay YMCA. This step allows both parties to focus on bringing back youth and family programs that are vital to supporting and strengthening the Suisun City community.

The City Council Ad Hoc Committee and Citizens’ Advisory Committee assigned to review proposals from seven organizations wanting to re-open the facility, unanimously selected The Salvation Army as the top choice based upon its commitment to families, communities and the high level of service evident in more than 360 recreation centers it operates across the nation.

In making this determination, the top priorities of the City Council Ad Hoc and Citizens’ Advisory committees were to ensure:

• Commitment to a safe place for children when schools are closed;
• Commitment to partner with other community groups for facility usage;
• Maximum access to programs regardless of ability to pay;
• Pool operations;
• Basketball court usage; and
• Fitness center, including machines and free weights.

Representatives of the City and The Salvation Army have begun discussions on a financial arrangement to take on operations of this facility that meets the fiscal and service needs of both parties. Program and facility assessments are also underway. Timelines for reopening the facility are expected to become clearer after the first of the year.

After a rigorous series of interviews and site visits, The Salvation Army rose to the top of the list because of the quality of its operations, its desire to provide services not otherwise available in the community, and its commitment to becoming part of the community. Specifically, the committees were impressed with The Salvation Army’s commitment to provide a safe and fun environment for children, its flexibility in programming and membership rates, its wide base of financial support, and its worldwide reputation for enduring high-quality programs. The Salvation Army prides itself on providing support services to families to ensure their success economically and as a basic building block of society.

“The Salvation Army is much more than ‘bell ringers’ during the Christmas holidays and service providers to the homeless and other people in crisis,” said City Manager Suzanne Bragdon.

“Their services are far-reaching and include the operation of more than 360 community recreation facilities similar to what is being proposed in Suisun City. They will be a welcome addition to our community.”

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a faith-based Christian organization that has actively supported those in need without discrimination in the United States for 128 years. Nearly 29 million American receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad array of social services ranging from providing food for the hungry to relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter for the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.

For more information about The Salvation Army, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Police Make Burglary Arrests

SUISUN CITY POLICE ARREST SEVEN IN TWO SEPARATE CASES

On December 1st, Suisun City Police Department Officers arrested seven individuals on two separate cases. The arrests began just after 3 a.m. when officers were dispatched to the area of Klamath Dr. regarding a report of juveniles looking inside parked cars. The suspects ran once the officers arrived, but the officers were able to apprehend them. The investigation confirmed various acts of theft and vehicle tampering. Four 16-year-old boys were arrested. Two reside in Suisun City; the third resides in Vallejo; and the fourth resides in Fairfield.

At about 10 a.m. a resident in the 1100 block of Lawler Ranch was awakened by a subject ringing his doorbell. Before he could answer his door, the subject began kicking the door to gain entry. The resident yelled out and the subject fled. The resident captured a good description of the getaway vehicle and called the Suisun City Police Department.

Suisun City Police Department Officers located a vehicle on Hwy 12 that was similar to what the resident had reported. A stop was made and three suspects were detained. The investigation confirmed the burglary attempt. The investigation also confirmed that numerous residences in that area had previously been identified as potential target homes. John Alcutt, a 25-year-old resident of Richmond, was arrested on charges of burglary, conspiracy, and a violation of probation. Garland Callum Sr., a 39-year-old resident of Berkeley, was arrested on charges of burglary and conspiracy. Callum’s 17-year-old son, a resident of Fairfield, was also arrested on charges of burglary and conspiracy.

These acts of theft and burglary are a reminder of the increase in crime many cities experience during the holidays. To help deter these types of crimes, residents are always encouraged to immediately telephone the police if unknown or suspicious vehicles or people are observed. It is exceptionally helpful when citizens are able to safely provide detailed information to the Dispatch Center about the suspicious vehicles or persons observed, as illustrated by the Lawler Ranch incident above. Further deterrent is realized by knowing and talking with your neighbors, starting or joining a neighborhood watch program, and by using quality theft prevention devices.

Anyone with information about these crimes can telephone Suisun City Police Department at (707) 421-7373.

First Holiday Lights Come on Tonight

The first twinkle of holiday lights come on tonight (Monday, Dec. 1) in the Suisun City Waterfront District!

Thousands of lights wrapped around trees and on the wreaths lining Main Street, Kellogg Street and the Marina Promenade will be lit tonight as a warm-up to Suisun City's official welcome of the Christmas holiday season.

Thousands of more lights will be turned on for the first time on Saturday night during the annual "Christmas at the Waterfront" spectacular from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 6. In addition to the Lighted Boat Parade, Santa's arrival, tree lighting and fireworks, we've added an outdoor skate rink and the Suisun City Waterfront Christmas Tree Celebration and Auction.

Enjoy the festive lights, and celebrate the season safely!

Dredging to Improve Suisun City's Marina

REGULAR MAINTENANCE KEEPS MARINA VITAL

The Suisun City Marina is getting deeper day by day as two dredge rigs perform routine silt-removal to ensure this waterway remains Central Solano County's premier public marina.

The Roy G. Garren Construction team is working 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. six days a week to get thousands of cubic yards of accumulated silt out of the bottom of the waterway.

The dredge work also will clear Whispering Bay and the slough serving the homes along Marina Boulevard.

Improving the marina and keeping it suitable for a wide variety of boats is essential to the economic health of the Waterfront District, and the viability of the Solano Yacht Club, which routinely draws fellow boaters from across the Bay Area to Suisun City.

"It is a critcal asset that is more important than ever as we work hard to attract new restaurants and businesses to Harbor Square, solict new ventures to four remaining waterfront sites, and market to visitors to come and stay at our soon-to-be-opened waterfront hotel - all occurring during more than challenging economic times," said Recreation and Community Services Director Mick Jessop.

All work must be completed by December 31, 2008.

>>More on Suisun City's dredge work from Solano EDC>>