Architects Sought to Design Highway Signs

Architects Sought to Design Highway Signs

SUISUN CITY - The Suisun City Redevelopment Agency has issued a Request for Qualifications to assist in identifying a professional sign design/architectural firm to work collaboratively with staff and an ad hoc committee to develop enhanced highway signage at the main easterly entrance to Suisun City, California.

The Agency has spent considerable time and resources reviving the economy of the Waterfront District. As more businesses located in the Waterfront District and marketing programs have generated increased interest in the Waterfront District as a destination, the need for enhanced signage has become apparent.

The Agency Board has authorized staff and the ad hoc committee to pursue designs of two signature sign features:

• An electronic reader board to be located on Highway 12 at the southeast corner of Pennsylvania Avenue; and
• An “iconic” sign near the Suisun City Train Station announcing the Waterfront District as a destination to motorists traveling east bound on Highway 12.

How to Make Your Christmas Tree Work for the Earth

SUISUN CITY - Now that Christmas is officially over, a lot of people want to get their live tree out of the house. If it is tender dry and dropping its needles, you need to get it out of your home to eliminate a fire hazard.

Rather than have the tree hauled to the landfill, here is how to make sure your tree is converted in reusable mulch for use in landscaping and other beneficial uses that eventually returns it to the soil.

First, remove all the decorations, nails and spikes from the tree.

Once you have a bare tree, you may cut it up into branches and sections that fit into your green waste cart. Make sure your cart lid closes. Solano Garbage will pick it up on your next regular refuse collection day. For more info, call Solano Garbage at 707-437-8900.

Another option is to call the Boy Scouts to schedule a special collection pickup on January 2 or January 9. They ask for a donation of $5 for trees under 6 feet, $10 for taller trees, and $10 for flocked or tinseled trees. Call the Boy Scouts at 707-421-5308.

For more information on household recycling, visit www.recycle-guide.com.

Suisun City Police Launch Program to Combat DUI Deaths and Injuries

New enforcement measures to combat impaired driving are coming in 2010 as a result of the Suisun City Police Department being awarded a $97,827 traffic safety grant for a year-long anti-DUI program aimed at preventing deaths and injuries on our roadways.

“Keeping our streets safe from drunk drivers is one of the Department’s top priorities this year. Our officers will be on patrols looking for drunk drivers and we will have a zero tolerance,” Suisun City Police Chief Ed Dadisho said.

The special DUI Enforcement and Awareness grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety will assist in efforts to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in collisions related to alcohol and other drugs.

Grant activities will specifically target impaired driving offenders as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving. This will be done through the use of DUI/driver’s license checkpoints, warrant searches and stakeouts for repeat DUI offenders, saturation patrols, and court stings targeting DUI offenders with suspended or revoked driver licenses who get behind the wheel after leaving court.

During a recent DUI/driver's license checkpoint operation, the Suisun City Police Department

• Screened 964 vehicles
• Conducted 4 field sobriety tests resulting in one arrest
• Issued 12 non-DUI related citations
• Towed 12 vehicles
  

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2008, over 11,700 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

“Last year in California 1,029 died in alcohol impaired crashes, a 9 percent reduction in deaths from 2007,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “This grant will help keep that trend going by getting drunk drivers off the roadways of Suisun City, making it safer for everyone.”

New this year is the addition of special Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operations. Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise in California, increasing 175 percent statewide in the last decade, from 204 killed in 1998 to 560 killed in 2008.

Suisun City police officers will be conducting specialized enforcement efforts throughout the course of the next year. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by motorcycles. Officers will be cracking down on traffic violations made by motorcyclists, and other vehicle drivers, that result in far too many motorcycle collisions, injuries and deaths.

Funding for the grant comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Travis AFB Plans Mass Launch Drill for Monday

TRAVIS AFB, Calif. – It won’t be Santa’s reindeer streaking across Northern California skies Dec. 21 but tankers and cargo aircraft from Travis. The base will conduct its first-ever “mass” aircraft launch starting around 10 a.m.

Travis will be launching up to six KC-10s, two C-17 Globemasters and a C-5 Galaxy cargo aircraft in succession. Once airborne, the aircraft will fly in formation then separate to fly normal low-level and air refueling routes. At that point, residents should not notice anything different than on a normal day of flying, said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Cooper, 60th Operations Squadron commander.

"This ‘mass’ launch will give the 60th and 349th Air Mobility Wing’s operations, maintenance and support folks a chance to train together on a larger scale than normal,” said Colonel Cooper. The maintenance squadron rarely gets the opportunity to generate, launch and recover so many aircraft at one time, he said.

More than 330 training events will be conducted during the flights. The 615th Contingency Response Wing at Travis will control the C-17 aircraft during landing exercises.

The 60th AMW is the largest air mobility organization in the Air Force and handles more cargo and passengers than any other U.S. military terminal. The wing operates and maintains C-5 and C-17 transport aircraft along with KC-10 aerial refueling aircraft that can fly peacetime and combat support missions anywhere in the world as directed by the Department of Defense.

A solution for the hard-to-find gift

Having a hard time finding the right gift for that special person who has everything? Is this weekend your last chance to go shopping?

Try the brand new gift shop at The Lawler House Gallery!

The Suisun City Waterfront District Artists have added a terrific gift shop to the art gallery on the first floor of Lawler House (718 Main Street, Suisun City). They're open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

They have prints, photographs, jewelry and many more items for sale created by some of the region's most creative artists. The items for sale change all the time as artists create new unique items of art. >> Learn more about the Lawler House Gallery>>

While you're in the Suisun City Waterfront District, check out the local boutiques and salons, or try one of the dozen or so unique family-owned restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisine choices. >>More about the Waterfront District>>

Solano College Theatre Announces an Evening with Tom Hanks

Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks will make a one-night only fundraising appearance at Solano College Theatre in Fairfield on February 6, 2010. Mr. Hanks’ visit will include a presentation on the Campus Theatre stage, as well as a dinner with guests.

An Evening with Tom Hanks will begin with a special meal at 4:30 p.m. with Mr. Hanks in the Solano Community College dining hall. The dinner will feature entertainment by past and present SCT Actor Training Program students as well as a catered dinner and wine exclusively provided by Green Valley Cellars of Suisun Valley. Tickets for the dinner are $100.

After the fundraising dinner, Mr. Hanks will move into the Campus Theatre to give a first-person exploration of non-fiction film entertainment, utilizing clips from his movies as well as from other documentaries. The presentation will also include an exclusive preview of Mr. Hanks’ newest project, The Pacific, a ten-part miniseries executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and set in the Pacific Theatre during WWII, which will premier on HBO in March 2010. An audience-interactive question and answer period will conclude the evening’s presentation. Tickets for the presentation are also $100.

Sponsors of the event include Advocates for the Arts, NorthBay Healthcare and Copart.

Tickets for both the dinner and the theatre presentation go on sale to the general public on January 14th at noon. SCT subscribers can begin buying tickets to the event on January 7th at noon. Tickets can be purchased by calling (707) 864-7100 or in person at the Harbor Theatre Box Office at 720 Main Street in the Suisun City Waterfront District. Box Office hours are Tuesday-Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

All proceeds from the event will go to support the Tom Hanks/Rita Wilson Endowment Fund which was established by the actor and director earlier this year. The fund is a living legacy from Mr. Hanks and honors students as well as his long friendship with SCT Artistic Director George Maguire. The endowment will support the programs and students in the Solano Community College Theatre Arts department.

Mr. Maguire met Mr. Hanks at Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, OH, 32 years ago and the two have maintained a close friendship ever since. Mr. Hanks is a strong supporter of the arts and arts education. The Theatre Arts Department at Solano Community College is one of the few schools Mr. Hanks is kind enough to support.

For further information, contact Amy Lenahan, Marketing Associate, at (707) 864-7000, ext. 4541 or amy.lenahan@solano.edu. Press passes are available to the stage presentation only, but are extremely limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

Celebrate the Holidays with Suisun Valley Wine Country

The holiday season is a great time for family, celebration, relaxation and wine. Particularly, Suisun Valley wine.

Our own Wine Country is getting quite a bit of attention across the region leading up to the annual Suisun Valley AVA Anniversary Celebrations! Suisun Valley not only shares a distinct name with Suisun City, it is also a great place to take family and friends who want to try a great selection of wines, without having to deal with the headaches of Napa Valley. Plus, we have a local hotel special!

COMSTOCK'S ARTICLE

In it's December issue, Comstock's Magazine - the Sacramento region's leading business publication - asked a number of wine and food gurus to sample Suisun Valley wines and make their recommendations about wine and food pairings. This is a great little piece for wine novices and experienced enthusiasts alike!
>> See that full article here >>

SUISUN VALLEY WINE CELEBRATION

Right after Christmas, the Suisun Valley celebrates it's anniversary as an established appellation with a weekend of winery events, including two days of special tastings on Dec. 26 & 27 at

• Ledgewood Creek
• Suisun Valley Wine Cooperative
• Tenbrink Vineyards
• Winterhawk Winery
• Wooden Valley Winery

Plus there's the Special Winemaker Reception & Dinner on Dec. 29!
>>Get all the celebration details!>>

INSIDERS' TIP

The brand new Hampton Inn & Suites Suisun City Waterfront has a terrific Wine Lovers Package! Overnight stay, limo to The Valley, plus wine discounts!

Make sure to ask about this package! >>Get all the details!>>

>>Learn more about Hampton Inn & Suites holiday special>>