Events with a Purpose

The Daily Republic ran a nice article this morning by Staff Writer Ian Thompson on the expanded events calendar being planned for this spring and summer in the Suisun City Waterfront District.

Last week, we published along with our quarterly newsletter Discovery a pull-out calendar listing the more than 40 dates on which we will sponsor a free family-friendly event in the Waterfront District. No wonder Daily Republic readers recently voted the District as a top Solano County 'staycation' destination! >>Click here to see the full schedule.>>

What Ian's article didn't really touch on was why we put so much time and effort into our community events, and why we are really pushing hard to get more businesses and community organizations involved in the events this year.

All of these events are part of our marketing strategy to expose Suisun City residents and those living throughout the region to all the terrific activity going on in the Waterfront District. We want everyone from Napa to Davis and Danville to know about the unique hideaway we have in Suisun City, and the 12 terrific & unique family-owned restaurants in the Waterfront District alone. Our strategy is for visitors to come fall in love with what we have, come back with friends and family, and help us build the foot traffic necessary to make boutiques, shops and galleries successful in the Waterfront District.

Each of you telling people you know about our great City is a key part to the marketing approach. Subscribe to this News blog or become a fan of the City on Facebook to keep in touch with what's happening in town.

And, when you come to the Waterfront for a free concert or outdoor movie, make sure to check out Main Street Bar & Grill, Bellezza Hair Studio or Waterfront Comics.

Here's the first part of Ian's story:

Bigger is better in Suisun

By Ian Thompson | DAILY REPUBLIC | March 11, 2009 23:30

SUISUN CITY - A bigger, family-friendly kite festival, a new June event called Shore Fest and jet ski racing at night are among the expanded events this year on the city's waterfront.

There is even talk of importing sand to an empty lot near the Suisun Marina during the Shore Fest so the city can hold a beach volleyball contest. The synthetic ice rink was a hit last December, so the city is thinking beach volleyball in June could be one as well.

'We are focusing on kids and families to get them out to enjoy our waterfront,' said Mick Jessop, director of the city's Recreation and Community Services Department.

The Friday Nights at the Waterfront, Saturday Nights at the Movies and The Waterfront Jazz Series are coming back and will start in early July.

The Kids & Kites Festival on May 2 is being expanded to offer activities such as slides, rock walls and a trackless train.

'We are making everything center truly around the children,' said Anita Skinner of the city's Redevelopment Agency who organizes the events. 'We are trying to bring in kite clubs for demonstrations of different kinds of kites.'

To see the full article, visit www.dailyrepublic.com

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>>

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.

What's up with the Daily Republic posts?

If you've enjoyed this news site for a while, you may have noticed a distinct change in how we display news articles.

Where once we posted the entire article, particularly from our local paper The Daily Republic, we now post only a snippet. You may be wondering: "What happened?"

After a discussion with the paper's Publisher & Editor Bill James, we agreed to limit the amount of article we post for free on our blog, and provide a link directly to the Daily Republic's website if you want to see the entire article

Here's why: The Daily Republic pursues a business model that involves readers subscribing to the paper to access the full news articles, which are proprietary, copywritten products of the newspaper. While many newspapers use a variety of different business models - many involving free access to their content - the Daily Republic has every right to run its business in the way its owners and managers believe is most advantageous.

Here at Suisun City Hall, my job as public information officer is to distribute information about Suisun City as widely, honestly and objectively as possible. While copying news stories is a useful way to accomplish this task, I also want to support a local business as it pursues its business model.

So we have this compromise: I can post the headline, top five paragraphs and, occasionally, the photo from the paper's website if I direct you to the Daily Republic's website for the full story.

The result has been posts that have a little more context and background from me that may, in the end, actually be more interesting for you.

Coming Sunday: New Police Beat System

The Suisun City Police Department will kick off a new patrol beat system starting Sunday that will dedicate police officers to particular sectors of the City and increase accountability.

Not only will officers gain specific experience about what is happening where and who is responsible, it will provide Police Department planners with a higher level of information to carry out enforcement strategies and community service enhancements.

Here's how the Daily Republic's Audry Wong described it in her article under the headline "New patrol beats to foster accountability"

SUISUN CITY - Starting Sunday, police will begin a new beat system that Chief Ed Dadisho hopes will create more accountability among residents and officers.

The city will be divided into three beats: western, eastern and central. A sergeant and four officers will be assigned to each beat, Dadisho said, with the officers divided between day and night shifts.

Traffic officers and the crime suppression team will also conduct patrols throughout the day.

The sergeant assignments are Ted Stec in western, Andrew White in central and David Kasid in central.

For years, police divided the city into 11 sectors and officers patrolled the entire city. By stationing officers in beats, Dadisho said they will become familiar with neighborhoods.

To read Audrey's entire article, visit the Daily Republic website.

Life in the public service fishbowl

Everyone who works at building a career has faced the question: Do I leave my current job to which I've made a serious committment for an exciting opportunity that will pay more?

It's one of those times of personal reflection and goal-setting that is usually discussed and decided over weeks and months of family discussions around the dinner table or in the family room. Not only might the decision set a new course for your family, but it may also impact your current employer.

Now imagine that your employer is 28,000 City residents, most of whom have a serious opinion about your work product but all of whom are directly or indirectly impacted by your job performance. Particularly if you lead a major City function, such as the Police Department. And, of course, all of this plays out for all to see in this interactive, connected Internet age.

That's just the position our Police Chief Ed Dadisho found himself in recently as he weighed a job opportunity in a Southern California community. It's all part of life in the public service fishbowl that all of us in the public sector understand and appreciate.

Here's how Daily Republic reporter Audrey Wong started her story in today's paper under the headline "Police chief rejects new job offer, stays loyal to Suisun City":

SUISUN CITY - Police Chief Ed Dadisho could have lived closer to his relatives, made more money and run a larger department if he accepted an offer to become police chief in Baldwin Park.

His conscience wouldn't allow him to take the job, however.

'I talk to my officers about character and building character. I talk about loyalty, and for me to leave, I couldn't swallow that pill . . . my officers truly believe in me,' Dadisho said.

Dadisho conceded that although the offer was lucrative, it was one he had to refuse.

'It's never been about the money for me. I truly feel law enforcement is a calling for me,' Dadisho said. 'It afforded me to be closer to my family, but I gave a commitment to the city.'

After speaking with his wife, Dadisho said he is prepared to stay two to three more years in Suisun City at the least.

So how much money are we talking here? The former Baldwin Park police chief reportedly made $240,000 a year in salary and benefits. Chief Dadisho makes $162,480 in Suisun City.

We all got a glimpse of the kind of man leading our Police Department. He's a good example of what makes Suisun City a special place to live and work, and exemplifies the dedication apparent among employees at every level in City Hall.

For more of Audrey's story, visit the Daily Republic's website.

Mayor wants Suisun City Hall open on Friday

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - Mayor Pete Sanchez would like City Hall to open again on Friday so residents can conduct business such as paying water bills.

That is one of the ideas to change City Hall hours that Suisun City management is now discussing with city employees before bringing the subject back to the City Council in April.

Officials closed City Hall on Friday in 2006 as a benefit to city employees who had gone without raises as their part in helping keep the city's budget balanced.

Sanchez broached his proposal at a recent goal-setting session.

For the full article, please visit the Daily Republic website.

Suisun City police address evidence issues

By Audrey Wong

SUISUN CITY - Police Chief Ed Dadisho has requested a state agency evaluate his department's evidence room policies after he learned of two cases in which evidence was prematurely purged.

The evidence destruction, which occurred in 2006, didn't jeopardize the cases, Dadisho said. The chief wrote a letter to Police Officer Standards and Training in February to request an audit of the evidence room. Police will act on any recommendations POST representatives make.

POST representatives will probably meet with Suisun City police in late April, POST spokesman Bob Stresak said.

For the full article, please check the Daily Republic website.

Citizens group files suit to stop Wal-Mart

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The Suisun Alliance on Thursday filed a lawsuit to overturn the City Council's approval last month of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in eastern Suisun City.

The lawsuit also seeks a retraining order to stop any work on the 227,000-square-foot retail and grocery center at Walters Road and Highway 12, according to the document filed with the Solano County courts.

Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez called the development unsurprising and anticlimactic.

"We never entertained any thought that this was going to be a breeze," Sanchez said. "It will delay this project a few months, but we are very confident that we have covered all the bases and that our final Environmental Impact Report will hold its own in court."

For the complete article, go to the Daily Republic web site.

Citizens group threatens suit over Wal-Mart

By Carol Bogart

SUISUN CITY - A citizens group opposed to the Wal-Mart Supercenter has engaged a Sacramento law firm to challenge the Suisun City Council's approval of the project last month.

In a letter faxed to Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez, the City Council and City Clerk Linda Hobson, the law firm of Kenyon Yeates warned that the Suisun Alliance will file a lawsuit unless the City Council rescinds its approval of the project or proposes alternative settlement terms.

The letter stated that the action will commence 'on or about March 13.'

For the full article, visit the Daily Republic website.

Code-Kid program recognizes efforts of youth

By Audrey Wong

SUISUN CITY - Shawna McPherson, 10, didn't realize she was making a good impression as she wrapped gifts for her parents outside in the cold last year.

An organizer of Code-Kid was impressed by Shawna's efforts and selected her the nonprofit group's first Suisun Youth Ambassador in January for having a good attitude.

The Crescent Elementary School student received a plaque, $50 and a wallet. Shawna said the recognition was exciting.

• Who: Code-Kid
• What: Nonprofit group to help law enforcement and the community
• Info: 971-9091 or CodeKidSolano@aol.com
• Fax: 448-8525

For the full article, visit the Daily Republic website.

Suisun City vets building committee considers stricter rules

By Carol Bogart

SUISUN CITY - A fatal shooting outside the Suisun Veterans Memorial Building on Feb. 9 has prompted the committee that oversees building operations to consider changes in how it rents out the hall.

The Suisun Veterans Memorial Building committee is revisiting its rental rules and regulations in response to the death of an 18-year-old Vallejo resident.

The shooting occurred after an altercation inside the hall at 427 Main St. as a party was in progress, building manager Sally Magee said.

For the complete article, visit the Daily Republic web site.

Sandwich franchise coming to Waterfront District

By Carol Bogart Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - Subway Sandwiches has signed an agreement with Main Street West Partners to lease space in the Suisun City developer's Harbor Square project.

The mixed use retail/office building is under construction at the corner of Main and Solano streets.

Main Street West Partners co-manager Frank Marinello said the sandwich franchise is one of two tenants signed so far and that negotiations are in progress with several others. The building's shell should be completed by September.

Taste of Vacaville coming to Suisun City

By Carol Bogart

SUISUN CITY - If you have been going to Vacaville to dine at the restaurant that Daily Republic readers have voted that city's best the past three years, you might be able to enjoy a similar dining experience in Suisun City by November.

Merchant & Main Grill and Bar owner Bob Tooke has signed a lease to open a 4,000-square-foot restaurant in Harbor Square at Solano and Main streets in Suisun City's Waterfront District.

Tooke said the restaurant's look and menu won't be identical to Merchant & Main's, but he added the as-yet unnamed restaurant will resemble Merchant & Main in that it will be 'casual, comfortable and fun.' The new restaurant will accommodate 130 to 140 diners.

Tooke believes his new restaurant will draw from Suisun City, Fairfield and some of the '30,000 cars that pass by daily on Highway 12,' he said.

For the complete article, visit the Daily Republic web site.

Media: Suisun City to pave way for street repairs

By Carol Bogart Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - The city will likely go ahead with planned street repairs in the summer even if the state withholds money the city counts on to pay for the work.

The city typically spends $150,000 annually to maintain its streets, using its share of gas tax revenue to cover the costs, financial services manager Mark Joseph said.

The state normally sends gas tax payments to cities monthly. In Suisun City's case, the tax provides $40,000 to $45,000 each month, Joseph said. Now, however, the state is in fiscal crisis and may exercise its option to defer those payments for six months.

'The (City) Council does not want to defer the street repairs,' Joseph said. 'The city is in the process of getting summer road projects going.'

Suisun City's streets ranked among the worse in the Bay Area in a three-year survey published by the Metro Transportation Commission in 2005.

'Our streets need a lot of attention,' Councilman Mike Hudson said.

Provided the state has adopted its budget by August, it would forward the deferred gas tax payments to cities in September.

To do the work this summer, Suisun City can tap its cash reserve funds that currently total about $6 million, Joseph said. When the state forwards the deferred gas tax payments, the city would then replenish its cash reserves.

Joseph isn't counting on the state adopting its budget by August.

'That doesn't even happen in good times,' he said.

Compounding the issue is that the city won't earn interest on the deferred state money, Joseph said. The state will keep the interest the deferred payments earn.

'It's good to be king,' Joseph quipped.

The League of California Cities may address the issue in the fall if cities don't receive the money in September, he added.

Having to wait for the money 'wouldn't kill us, but it would make us really grumpy,' Joseph said.

Going ahead with summer slurry sealing could have an advantage for the city.

With the economy slumping, more companies may bid for the work and that could lower costs, Joseph said. But the high price of oil could mean oil-based asphalt will be more expensive and erase any savings, he added.

Reach Carol Bogart at 427-6955 or at cbogart@dailyrepublic.net.

Media: Hotel to join 'emerging market' in Suisun City

By Carol Bogart Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - Visitors to Suisun City will soon have a new option for an overnight stay. Within the next few months, ground will be broken on the Hampton Inn and Suites, a 102-room hotel.

The hotel will be bordered by Lotz Way and Civic Center Boulevard. Its entrance will face Driftwood Drive.

To create a pleasing streetscape as visitors approach the hotel, the city is considering a design that would recast Driftwood Drive as a 'meandering cottage lane.' Economic Development Director Jason Garben called the design a 'work in progress,' and it may be included in plans that are being finalized for the city's Harbor Center Drive Extension Project.

Public Works Director Fernando Bravo said the project's core construction costs are estimated at $800,000. Plans call for full street improvements for portions of Lotz Way and Driftwood Drive, he said, to enhance traffic circulation, pedestrian safety and landscaping.

The hotel is slated to open in summer 2009.

The city's willingness to invest 'a lot of money in creating energy along the waterfront' was a big reason that Basin Street Properties, the hotel's Petaluma-based developer, chose Suisun City for the project, said Paul Andronico, the company's senior vice president.

'We saw Suisun as an emerging market with a downtown that's in the process of being revitalized,' Andronico added. 'They really provide the anchors that allow the private development to go forward and be successful.'

Andronico also pointed out that the involvement of Frank Marinello, a managing partner of Suisun City-based Main Street West Partners, was a key in Basin Street's decision to build in the city. Andronico said Marinello helped find the site and worked with Basin Street on the hotel's design.

Main Street West's Harbor Square retail/restaurants/office space project in the city's Waterfront District is scheduled to open in September.

Reach Carol Bogart at 427-6955 or at cbogart@dailyrepublic.net.

Media: Science Olympiad to test teams from Sullivan and Crystal schools

Click here for the Vacaville Reporter's take on this same story

By Nika Megino | Daily Republic

FAIRFIELD - Kyra Duncan squinted at a test tube containing a thick orange liquid. She added drops of blue Biuret solution and then watched in amazement as the liquid turned purple, indicating a presence of protein.

The eighth-grader at Sullivan Middle School is a member of the school's Science Olympiad team, which will face Crystal Middle School (located in Suisun City) in the Sullivan Science Olympiad competition from 8 a.m. to noon today.

The competition requires students to compete in 12 stations that involve building, analyzing and problem solving. To prepare for the event, both teams have worked since September on the various types of challenges.

Duncan has become familiar with the Food Science challenge, an experiment that tasks students to find the composition of foods by testing substances for carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.

The 13-year-old said it's her favorite activity because she gets to look beyond the surface with the use of chemicals.

'They tell you stuff you wouldn't know just by looking at it,' Duncan said.

All around her, students were perfecting their knowledge in various subjects. Behind her, seventh-graders Emily Lamb and Michelle Reyes, both 12, began building a monoplane glider to be launched by a balloon.

The girls said their experience on the team has been fun.

'But we still work hard,' Reyes said. 'We have to know a lot of stuff.'

As part of the Science Olympiad team, students are exposed to Earth and life sciences, chemistry, physics and astronomy. Teacher Denise Gordon, who has been a coach with Sullivan's team for seven years, said the activities cause students to exercise their critical thinking abilities.

'It gives us a chance to go beyond what we can in the classroom,' Gordon said. 'They have the opportunity to explore.'

At Crystal Middle, seventh-graders Jessica Sims, 13, and Giovanna Singh, 12, have been working on a Food Science project. The girls said they joined the school's team because of their love of science.

'Science is pretty cool,' Sims said. 'You can experiment with things and get outcomes you never believe you would.'

Singh said she was surprised to learn that food has DNA.

'There's more things in (food) than you believe,' said Sims, who added she was shocked to find Vitamin C in apples.

This is Crystal Middle's return to Science Olympiad after taking a one-year break. The school brought it back because of high student interest, said teacher Tara Spinelli, who has coached the team for six years.

'They enjoy it. We enjoy it,' Spinelli said.

The teams are competing in preparation for the Northern California Regional Science Olympiad, which will be held in April at Cal State Sacramento. Today's competition, which will be held at Sullivan Middle, is open to the public. The school is located at 2195 Union Ave.

Reach Nika Megino at 427-6953 or nmegino@dailyrepublic.net.

Media: Suisun City man lucky at the lottery

By Nika Megino | Daily Republic

SACRAMENTO - A Suisun City man has won $25,000 on the California Lottery's 'The Big Spin,' which aired Saturday.

Thomas Delgado Sr., a retiree, won the reward over nine other contestants in the Aces High game, according a press release from the California Lottery headquarters. Delgado said he plans to buy his wife a new car and take her on the honeymoon they never had, according to the press release.

On the show, three contestants won a total of $125,000. The other awards were won by Eman Helo from Thousand Oaks and Felipe Adlawan from Westminister.

Media: Spring wildlife season prompts need for volunteers

By Barry Eberling Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - The Wildlife Center next week will begin teaching prospective volunteers how to care for injured and orphaned creatures.

Classes will be 7- 9 p.m. Feb. 19, Feb. 21, Feb. 26 and Feb. 28. The center receives more than 200 species of birds and animals. Spring is a particularly busy time, with volunteers caring for orphaned baby birds.

People who are members of the nonprofit Suisun Marsh Natural History Association pay a $6 book fee for the classes. Non-members must join at a cost of $15 for individuals or $25 for families in addition to the book fee.

The Wildlife Center is located at 1171 Kellogg St., near the Suisun City boat ramp. For more information or to register for the classes, call 429-4295.

Media: Flu takes toll on Suisun Elementary children

By Carol Bogart Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - Flu is suddenly hitting children hard across the country, and those at Suisun Elementary School are no exception.

What was a mild flu season has taken a dramatic turn, said Dr. Ron Chapman, Solano County Health Officer.

Two weeks ago Suisun Elementary attendance clerk Terri Phillips might fill 'half a page' a day with the names of 14 or 15 absent students, she said. Now, she has days when she fills 2.5 pages, 30 names to a page, and a page and a half is not unusual.

Chapman has been following reports issued by the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, which tracks flu outbreaks. Severe pediatric cases are on the rise across the country, he said, with 20 children so ill they had to be hospitalized just in the past week.

'We watch the number of childhood cases very closely because it's an indicator of what's going on in the bigger picture,' said Chapman, who added that most of the 36,000 people who die from the flu each year are older than 65.

The flu strain causing at least 30 percent of the current spike 'mutated' from one that is in flu shots administered this year, Chapman said. Symptoms are those of a respiratory flu: cough, fever, muscle and joint aches, occasional headaches or dizziness, weakness and fatigue.

Suisun Elementary staff members call a student's family whenever the child is out sick. Phillips said. She has heard of symptoms such as 'hoarseness, stuffy nose and stuffy head, a lot of ear infections.'

At NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield, spokeswoman Marilyn Ranson said one employee has four children and 'all four have the flu.' Pediatricians she contacted Tuesday said, as yet, they are not seeing an increase in children with the flu.

Statewide, however, severe pediatric cases have more than doubled in the past two weeks, with a 50 percent increase in those requiring hospitalization, Chapman said.

Nationally, 31 states so far are reporting widespread flu activity, Chapman said, while California is experiencing pockets here and there.

Children and others who have had the flu shot may experience less severe symptoms of the strain that has mutated, Chapman said.

'The way it's changed, it's similar to what's in the vaccine, but not the same,' he added. 'With 'partial coverage,' those infected may not get as sick as they might have otherwise.'

Reach Carol Bogart at 427-6955 or at cbogart@dailyrepublic.net.