They would’ve been in the first grade.

Using a huge rebounding edge, solid defense and balanced scoring, Vanden cruised past Valley of Sacramento 66-44 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs at Jim Boyd Gym on Wednesday.

The sixth-seeded Vikings (22-6) advance to play at No. 3 Center of Antelope (20-7), a 78-50 first-round winner over Patterson, in Friday’s quarterfinals.

“We went back to what we know best, playing defense,” Vanden coach Micheal Holloway said. “It was really about dictating what we wanted to do defensively. That fueled our offense. It made the shots go in. We played with a lot of energy after the first couple minutes of the game.”

Even before a second was played, Vanden found itself in a 1-0 hole. The home team was whistled for a technical foul because it ran completely around the gym floor before pregame warmups, which is OK during the regular season, a no-no in the playoffs.

In fact, the visiting Vikings (15-13), who came in seeded 11th, took a 6-0 lead before a Tahron Morrison basket put Vanden on the board.

Vanden took its first lead at 7-6 when Leon Williams scored on an inbounds play. They took the lead for good at 9-8 on two Stephen Burns free throws with 2 minutes, 54 seconds to go in the first quarter.

Vanden held a 14-12 advantage after the opening period and netted the first 10 of the second to race to a 24-12 lead. Nate Gibbins had eight of his 11 points in the quarter.

Valley cut the deficit to 29-21 at the break, but was outboarded 16-4 in the second quarter, 31-12 in the first half, a trend that continued in the second.

Vanden upped its lead to 49-33 after three quarters and, just as it did to start the second quarter, exploded to open the fourth. The home squad scored the first nine points of the period and 14 of the first 16 to erase any doubt.

“The kids don’t want to lose,” Holloway said. “This is the first time (winning in the playoffs) for anyone in my program, including the seniors. We had losing seasons the last three years.”

Vanden enjoyed a 46-22 edge on the boards and held Valley to 31.1 percent shooting (14 of 45), while hitting 38.2 percent (26 of 68).

Brandon Davis led the host team with 13 points, while Morrison added eight and six others — Williams, Demetrius Reed, Keenen Wade, Burns, Malik Bynum and Ben Scott — scored between four and six points.

Valley’s Arron Redd led all scorers with 14 points.

The last time Vanden won in the playoffs was in 2001, reaching the semifinals before falling to Riverbank.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.

After leading for most of Wednesday night, the Fairfield High boys basketball team couldn’t muster much in the fourth quarter, falling to Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove 55-54 in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs at Ronald D. Thompson Gymnasium.

The Falcons (19-9) trailed 55-53 with 5.9 seconds to play, but Jamarae Moss missed the second of two free throws after being fouled. Fairfield then had a last-second shot for the win, but Jalen Dupree’s attempt was way off the mark from beyond half court.

“It’s tough to swallow,” Falcons coach Tony Bryant said. “We just didn’t compete as hard as we needed to compete on the glass to win this basketball game. We played hard in spurts, but we spent too much time watching them get offensive rebounds. And we missed too many layups.”

The Falcons actually outrebounded the Wolf Pack 38-36, but were clearly outclassed on the offensive end.

Fairfield led 46-45 to open the final period, and scored the first four points in the quarter for a five-point advantage, but a layup and a 3-pointer by Cosumnes Oaks tied the game at 50 with 4:03 to play.

The Falcons regained the lead 51-50 on a free thrown by Moss, but were then outscored 5-3 over the last 2:51 for the final outcome.

Moss ended up leading his team with 13 points, while Jeremy Condez scored 12 and Terrance Tyson-Fairley chipped in 10 points. Isaiah Brown led the team with nine rebounds, while Dupree and Moss each grabbed eight.

Manny Trillo led the Wolf Pack with a game-high 19 points, while Alex Van Dyke had 14. LJ Reed added 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

It was a tale of two halves for the Falcons in the turnover department, giving up the ball just four times in the opening 16 minutes — and the Falcons led 33-30 at the break — but squandered away possessions 13 times in the final 16 minutes, giving the Wolf Pack a chance to stay in the game.

“Wow,” Bryant said of the difference in turnover margin. “That’s very big. They went to the zone (defense), packed it in some. That’s been our Achilles’ heel all season long. And then when we got the ball inside, in places where we wanted to get it, we wanted to pass the ball back out, instead of taking the easy layups.”

It looked as if the Falcons might put the game away early, scoring the first six points en route to a 17-10 advantage after the opening quarter, thanks to six points by Tyson-Fairley. But Cosumnes Oaks rallied in the second period, winning the quarter 20-16, to keep the game close.

Overall, Bryant was proud of this season’s squad, but hinted that it could have been better.

“(The season) was a great experience,” the coach said. “We found a way to come together as a team, but we just couldn’t quite get over the hump to become a great team. We couldn’t find a consistency that we needed and we competed in spurts. We talked about creating opportunities, and we didn’t create enough opportunities.”

One big opportunity got away Wednesday night.

Reach Brian Arnold at 427-6969 or barnold@dailyrepublic.net.

But the basketball gods clearly had other plans as the shorthanded Mustangs fell 72-32 to host Pleasant Grove in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs Wednesday.

Missing a host of players for various administrative or disciplinary reasons, No. 11 Rodriguez was already at a disadvantage when it walked in the door.

Still, the Mustangs (15-12) were able to hang with the sixth-seeded Eagles through one quarter, mainly on guts and a little bit of defense.

The Mustangs forced six turnovers in the first quarter, trailing just 12-9 after eight minutes of play.

“We hung with them in first quarter, we had some easy buckets missed,” said Rodriguez coach Chris Toler. “There we go (falling apart in the) second and third quarter, and then the fourth quarter was just ridiculous.”

Things got ugly fast for the Mustangs after the first period.

Pleasant Grove easily adjusted to Rodriguez’s defense and took advantage of opportunities from the free throw line, sinking 8 of 12 foul shots in the second quarter, pushing the lead to 28-18 at the break.

The Eagles kept their collective foot on the throttle for a 25-12 third quarter that blew the game open.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, went on to shoot just 20.6 percent from the floor, and was limited to one basket, a layup by Jacques Carraway, in the fourth quarter.

No Mustang broke double digits, as Kellen Hill came closest with seven points. Garry Wilson added six for Rodrigiez.

Missed opportunities abounded for Rodriguez as the Mustangs only grabbed 24 rebounds. The Eagles hauled in 52 to dominate with second-chance shooting.

“Given the situation, coming (here) we had five or six players that were suspended or we found out are ineligible on the way down, that kind of threw us for a loop,” Toler said. “But what do you do? You got to take what you’re given and go from there.”

Looking ahead, Toler is excited about the program’s future.

“With a young team — we had four seniors, two with any real time, any real varsity experience,” Toler said. “So we had 11 new players, and I’m kind of excited because we’ve got a host of sophomores and juniors that are going to be battle-tested (next season).”

It was tough for the coach to watch his players hanging their heads at the end of their season.

“You get kind of choked up. We’ve got a couple of guys that — it hurts,” he said. “And I tried to teach them, I preached to them to try to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves. Because when they’re gone, you regret them. So this is one of the ones that they regretted.”

Reach Mike Corpos at 427-6979, or mcorpos@dailyrepublic.net.

Reading a passage from her book “The Trouble with being a Mama,” her perception of her mother as an author changed. The book later changed its title to “When we were Colored: A Mother’s Memoir,” when it was republished in 2007.

“It’s a simple message, but it’s important,” the younger Rutland said about the book.

Wednesday night at the Vacaville Public Library – Cultural Center, three generations of Rutlands, author Eva as well as her daughter Ginger and granddaughter Eva Fields talked about the author’s life and works.

Ginger Rutland and Fields have been dedicated to telling Rutland’s stories through presentations since her book was republished.

Rutland, 95, couldn’t speak much, but both her granddaughter and daughter presented a thorough history of her life, starting from her birth in 1917 until now, using her book to illustrate her life.

Rutland’s life and works differ much from how the popular media often portrays black Americans, Ginger adds.

She is the granddaughter of Isaac Westmoreland, a former slave who sent all his children through college. Growing up, she lived in an integrated neighborhood, though she went to segregated schools.

Rutland raised her children during a time when integration and civil rights were emerging, but racial sterotypes and tension
still loomed.

As a mother, Rutland had to deal with raising her children in an intergrated world, despite still living in a racially divided one.

In “When we were Colored” she wrote, “Integration in theory is a fine, high-sounding utopia. In reality, I shivered as I watched my children unknowingly shed the warm cloak of segregation.”

Though in the 1950s Rutland started to go blind, she published “When we were Colored” in 1964, and, later, 20 Harlequin romances.

The family will be present Thursday at the Fairfield  Civic Center Library at 7 p.m. Rutland will have copies of her books “When we were Colored” and “No Crystal Stair” available for signing at the event.

Reach Heather Ah San at 427-6977 or hahsan@dailyrepublic.net.

Vacaville police believe the bicyclist was crossing the intersection on a red light.

The bicyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered severe head trauma, facial injuries, broken ankle and possible broken ribs, according to police.

The 31-year-old Vacaville man who was driving a Toyota pickup truck that struck the bicyclist told police did not see the bicyclist approaching from his left and struck the bicyclist within the intersection at around 6:45 a.m.

The bicyclist, who was not identified by police, was flown by air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

Anyone with additional information about the crash or who may have witnessed it is asked to call Vacaville police at 449-5200.

Reach Jess Sullivan at 427-6919 or a jsullivan@dailyrepublic.net.

The robber got out of his vehicle, went up to the window and demanded money, according to a California Highway Patrol press release Wednesday. Money in hand, the man ran back to his car and sped off into Vallejo.

There have been at least eight robberies of toll collectors since 2009 at the Carquinez or Benicia bridges. At least four of those robberies have been at the Carquinez Bridge and have occurred since October 2011.

Local CHP officers are working with a CHP specialized investigative unit, Caltrans and Vallejo police to track down the culprits and to deter future robberies.

Reach Jess Sullivan at 427-6919 or a jsullivan@dailyrepublic.net.

Three cars were involved in the 5:45 p.m. crash that left one car in a ditch and another car so seriously damaged that the car’s engine was slammed into the passenger compartment.

A doctor who drove past the crash scene stopped and tried to provide first aid to the most seriously injured crash victim. With the victim lying on the ground, the doctor performed CPR while CHP dispatchers ordered a pair of air ambulances to fly to the crash scene.

One of the air ambulances was canceled after the victim died. The second air ambulance flew another crash victim to the John Muir Medical Center. A pair of ambulances each took an injured crash victim to hospitals in the area.

Identities of the crash victims were not available.

Shortly after California Highway Patrol officers arrived on the crash scene, Highway 12 was shut down to traffic both at the junction of Interstate 80 and in Napa County at the junction of Highway 29.

After more than an hour, Highway 12 was reopened to one-way controlled traffic. Both lanes were not reopened until after 8 p.m.

Reach Jess Sullivan at 427-6919 or a jsullivan@dailyrepublic.net.

The students were at the college to register for federal financial aid. The congressman stopped by on a tour of his 10th Congressional District.

Jowell Laguerre, superintendent/president of the college, introduced Garamendi to the unsuspecting room of students. Laguerre called Garamendi a “friend” of California higher education and said his door in Washington, D.C., is open to the college whenever it visits. Laguerre said many students need financial aid support but do not know how to take advantage of it.

“We don’t consider that giveaways — they are investments the government makes in you,” Laguerre said.

Garamendi, D-Fairfield, told the students that college was a bit different when he attended. By that he meant it was free or close to it.

“For me, education should be free,” Garamendi said. But because it is not, he said he works to ensure student loan rates are the lowest possible. Garamendi then took questions.

The stop was one of four Garamendi made Wednesday. He also toured the NextEra Wind Energy Farm in Montezuma Hills, Rockville Trails and Mission Solano Homeless Shelter on Beck Avenue. He also stopped by the courthouse in Fairfield to take part in a presentation.

College district governing board member Denis Honeychurch dropped in at the financial aid workshop. Before ending, Garamendi asked if Honeychurch was running for re-election. Honeychurch said his term is not up this year as Garamendi said he was going to plug Honeychurch.

A student then asked if Garamendi was up for re-election.

“Yes,” he said.

Earlier, Garamendi was at the courthouse for a presentation about the court’s Domestic Violence Prevention Act program and the court’s longtime Drug Court program.

“These programs reflect a remarkable shift in how we treat problems in the community,” Garamendi told a crowd of mostly court employees gathered for the afternoon presentation.

Court staff reminded Garamendi about the 56 recovering drug addicts, many of them parents, who graduated from the Drug Court program since it started in 2006. Staff also detailed the scores of restraining orders and other services provided to victims of domestic violence in Solano County.

Both programs rely in part upon federal funding and the court has a grant application pending in Washington, D.C., hoping for $200,000 to expand the Drug Court to another 150 participants.

In brief remarks, Garamendi pointed out the strong correlation between drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

Garamendi is running in the June 5 primary as the only Democrat. His Republican opponents for the new 3rd Congressional District are airline pilot Rick Tubbs of Vacaville, pizza store assistant manager Tim Core of Yuba City, farmer and former Marine Charlie Schaupp of Esparto, prosecutor Tony Carlos of Yuba City, Colusa County Supervisor Kim Vann of Arbuckle and real estate agent and karate instructor Eugene Ray of Vacaville.

Reach David DeBolt at 427-6935 or ddebolt@dailyrepublic.net.

They didn’t drive far.

A Suisun City police officer patrolling the area spotted the truck about a half-mile away, parked in the driveway of a Tioga Way home. Other officers quickly joined him and surrounded the home. One of the teens was spotted running into the backyard of the home and he started to jump a fence. Spotting the police officer on the other side of the fence, the teen changed his plans, turned around and ran back inside the home.

Then a waiting game started.

Police called the mother of one of the boys. She drove home from Vallejo to find her home surrounded by police. She agreed to call one of the boys, both 15, who answered his cellphone, talked with her briefly and agreed to give himself up. He came out of the front door of the home and police handcuffed him, put him into the back of a patrol car and then began a methodical search of the home and backyard.

The search came up empty, but police were convinced the second 15-year-old, the one spotted running in the backyard, was still inside.

Additional officers with “a fresh set of eyes” searched the home top to bottom for a second time. That search also came up empty.

The police search then turned to the very top of the two-story home — the home’s large, dark attic.

The waiting game played on until after 2 p.m., when an officer climbed up into the attic and spotted “an unusual bulge” in the ceiling insulation.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m., the second boy agreed to give up. He crawled out from under the insulation and was in the back of a police car a few minutes later.

Police searching the attic space found a lot of the loot from the Hummingbird Way home including a laptop computer, cellphones and other electronics, they said. They also found property they believe may have come from other recent burglaries.

Both boys were taken to juvenile hall, where they were locked up on suspicion of felony burglary.

Reach Jess Sullivan at 427-6919 or a jsullivan@dailyrepublic.net.

Presidents Day is a day set aside to honor all presidents, but it is primarily a federal day to celebrate the birthdays of two presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. As one historian put it, “The creation of the presidency was one of the grand achievements of the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia in 1782. Wary of giving the president too much power, the Founding Fathers wanted to place limits on the power of the office.”

Nowadays, we’re probably flooded with too much information about those aspiring to run for the office. The United States presidency has overcome a Civil War, controversies, assassinations, resignation and scandals, and no matter what we think about the primaries, the institution has and will survive. And, Americans definitely did not and do not want a dictator or a king.

The presidency remains the most visible part of the government, and technology increases that visibility. I once read a fascinating article about the hair of various presidents, based on research about how baldness, beards, etc. have influenced the race for the White House.

Many would agree that we have a tendency to exaggerate the virtues and flaws of our presidents. If you’re fond of reading presidential biographies, as I am, you soon find out that just as many flaws plagued our former presidents as they do in our time. “The presidency does not yield to definitions like the glory of the morning sunrise, it can only be experienced — it cannot be told,” President Calvin Coolidge once said.

We go to the polls this year to elect a president, and we should exercise this privilege — that so many around the world fight for and too many times give their lives for the privilege to vote.

I thought that it would be fun and informative to find out how much we remember from our history lessons. I am amazed at how little I remembered — even with a good amount of reading thrown in.

Trivia Questions

1. He lived longer than any other American president.
2. He has a holiday, a province, a town, a museum and a soccer team named after him in a South American country.
3. He established Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872.
4. He didn’t cast his first vote until he was 62.
5. He was the last president born in a log cabin.
6. The New York Stock Exchange was founded during his term.
7. The Erie Canal was completed during his term.
8. He said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
9. He was the most highly educated man ever to become president.
10. He was the only president born on July 4th.
11. He proposed marriage to his future wife on their first date.
12. During his presidency, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States.
13. He put a bathtub and a cooking stove in the White House.
14. He served the shortest term of office.
15. He was the first American president to visit the People’s Republic of China.
16. He was the first president to be a Rhodes Scholar.
17. He was the first president to take up golf as a hobby, and the only president to serve as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
18. The federal civil service system was reformed during his presidency.
19. Standing 5 feet 4 inches and weighing 100 pounds, he was the shortest and lightest president.
20. He was the first president to have his inauguration reported by telegraph and the first to fulfill all of his campaign promises.

Trivia Answers

1. John Adams. 2. Rutherford B. Hayes. 3. Ulysses S. Grant. 4. Zachary Taylor. 5. James Garfield. 6. George Washington. 7. John Quincy Adams. 8. Franklin D. Roosevelt. 9. Woodrow Wilson. 10. Calvin Coolidge. 11. Lyndon B. Johnson. 12. Thomas Jefferson. 13. Millard Fillmore. 14. William Harrison. 15. Richard M. Nixon. 16. Bill Clinton. 17. William Taft. 18. Chester A. Arthur. 19. James Madison. 20. James K. Polk.

Mayrene Bates is a trustee on the Solano County Board of Education.

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and Solano County each signed off on the permits over the past month. One allows for the dump south of Suisun City to build a 22-acre composting facility on existing landfill space. The facility is not expected to change the hours of operations, tonnage or traffic volume, according to officials.

A second permit allows the landfill to increase the height limit from 320 feet to 345 feet and expand the landfill from 320 acres to 340 acres. The capacity of the landfill increases from 21.5 million cubic yards to 83.1 million cubic yards, under the permit. More space means a longer life for the landfill.

Potrero Hills serves Fairfield, Suisun City and various communities in other counties.

Opponents of the Potrero Hills Landfill expansion say it flies in the face of Measure E, a Solano County initiative approved by voters in 1984. Measure E limits garbage importation from other counties to 95,000 tons annually, but the county stopped enforcing the measure in the 1990s after county lawyers said it was likely unconstitutional. The issue was brought back to life in 2005 when the Board of Supervisors voted to expand the landfill.

A series of lawsuits were subsequently filed by opponents. One of the lawsuits is set to be heard March 14 in San Francisco Superior Court. Judge Harold Kahn will hear arguments on a lawsuit challenging the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s approved marsh development permit.

The hearing was set for Thursday but was delayed, according to Kelly Smith, the attorney for the Sustainability, Parks, Recycling and Wildlife Legal Defense Fund.

Jim Dunbar of Potrero Hills Landfill was not available for comment.

Reach David DeBolt at 427-6935 or ddebolt@dailyrepublic.net.

Goode, a longtime resident of Vacaville, served as a commissioner for the city since 2009 and is chairwoman for the city’s parks and facility naming committee.

“Part of the reason why I’m getting involved is because I love the city so much,” Goode said in a press release. “I want to make sure that as Vacaville grows, we don’t lose sight of the city we once were.”

One issue Goode has taken an interest in is the development of the Vacaville Transportation Center on unused land.

“While its proponents tout its environmentally friendly structure and the green solution it provides for transportation issues in the greater Solano County area, what this transportation center says to me is that people are leaving our town to work and spend their money somewhere else. . . . I would like residents to be able to stay in town to work and to play and to enjoy what Vacaville has to offer,” she said.

Spots held by Vice Mayor Ron Rowlett and Councilwoman Dilenna Harris are up for election in November. Neither has announced whether they will run for re-election.

Reach Heather Ah San at 427-6977 or hahsan@dailyrepublic.net.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, “We don’t believe that it makes sense to contribute now to the further militarization of Syria.” Note the caveat “now.”

And then came the opening door: If we can’t get Syrian President Bashar Assad “to yield to the pressure we are all bringing to bear, we may have to consider additional measures.”

One of those additional measures, arming the opposition, will surely be on the table Friday when the anti-Assad “Friends of Syria” group meets in Tunis. Heading the U.S. delegation will be Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, testimony to the growing importance the administration attaches to getting Assad to step aside peacefully.

Other than arming the opposition, the “Friends” are left with pretty much the usual options: additional sanctions, helping the fragmented opposition unify into a true counterforce to the regime and establishing safe havens for refugees, in the neighboring states of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan.

The Arab League, which was essential to helping overthrow Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, has been ineffectual in this case. It sent an observer mission to Syria that was allowed to see little and accomplished nothing, and has proposed a joint observer mission with the United Nations.

But the world agency, because of opposition from Russia and China, also has proved useless. The two nations vetoed an innocuous Security Council resolution merely calling for an end to the violence.

President Barack Obama is under pressure from the hawkish trio of Sens. John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham to take more assertive action against Syria. But Obama faces resistance from the U.S. military, one reason being we have no idea who the opposition players are other than disaffected defectors from the Syrian military.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has said: “I would challenge anyone to clearly identify for me the opposition movement in Syria at this point.”

Meanwhile, Assad’s Russian-equipped, Iranian-financed military continues to pound opposition neighborhoods into rubble, killing many inhabitants and, this week, a U.S. journalist for a British newspaper and a French photographer.

The outlook is not great, but maybe the Friends of Syria can satisfy Dempsey’s objections by identifying and organizing a credible opposition, one capable of handling “additional measures.”

A married woman is “madame,” an unmarried woman is “mademoiselle.” Men are simply “monsieur.” The argument is that women should not be needlessly forced to reveal their marital status.

The government arrived perhaps rather late to this controversy, and, as The Associated Press points out, “It’s all the more strange given that French young people widely shun matrimony, and more than half of French children are born to unmarried parents.”

Americans finessed the difference between “Mrs.” and “Miss” with the handy construct “Ms.,” pronounced “miz” and not really short for anything. The French are welcome to the usage, but they feel that far too many Americanisms have infiltrated their language already. Still, “Ms.” is there if they need it.

Actually, the handwriting on the wall for “mademoiselle” might have been apparent here even earlier, when a popular women’s magazine of that name went out of business in 2001.

Since the term will one day be archaic and perhaps drop out of use, the government’s dictum rather makes an orphan out of the World War I marching song “Mademoiselle from Armentieres,” whose lyrics ranged from the ribald to the frankly obscene.

The song does have the immortal chorus, “Hinky, dinky, parlay voo.” On further reflection, maybe it is time to retire “mademoiselle.”

Among the issues at stake is how a variety of properties owned by the old redevelopment agency get sold. That land ranges from commercial land in Green Valley to a former bank building in downtown to land in the Gateway area leased to a restaurant. Fairfield is hoping to keep the Center for Creative Arts, which was also owned by its redevelopment agency.

Fairfield oversight board appointments

• Solano County (two appointments): Supervisor Jim Spering and a member of the public yet to be named.
• Fairfield (two appointments): Former Fairfield Economic Development Division Manager Curt Johnston and Fairfield Senior Planner David Feinstein.
• Solano County Water Agency: Fairfield Mayor Harry Price.
• Solano County Superintendent of Schools: Unknown.
• Chancellor of California Community Colleges: Unknown.

Fairfield has already named itself as the successor agency to the city redevelopment agency, which along with all such agencies in California was dissolved Feb. 1. But, while the City Council runs this successor agency, it must answer to a seven-person oversight board as specified in state law.

Price gets to make two appointments to the oversight board. On Tuesday, he did just that and the City Council unanimously ratified his decisions.

One appointment is Curt Johnston, who served as the city’s economic development division manager until his retirement last year. City Manager Sean Quinn said that Johnston has experience in such areas as real estate.

The other appointment had to come from the largest employees union associated with the former redevelopment agency. Price chose city Senior Planner David Feinstein. Quinn said that Feinstein has extensive knowledge of land use, as well as real estate.

Price himself will also be on the Fairfield oversight board. That’s because the board must have an appointment from the area’s largest special district, which in Fairfield’s case is the Solano County Water Agency. The water agency Board of Directors is the county’s seven mayors, the five county supervisors and officials from various water districts.

On Feb. 9, the water agency board voted to appoint Price.

Two members of the Fairfield oversight board are to be appointed by the Solano County Board of Supervisors. The board on Feb. 7 appointed Supervisor Jim Spering as one of these members. Spering served as mayor of Suisun City from 1986 to 2006, a period during which that city used its own redevelopment agency to renovate a deteriorating waterfront.

The Board of Supervisors will also appoint a member of the public to the Fairfield oversight board. At its Feb. 7 meeting, it decided to ask interested community members to submit applications.

Remaining appointments are to be made by the Solano County Superintendent of Schools and Chancellor of California Community Colleges. Solano County Superintendent of Schools Jay Speck said he is consulting with Fairfield-Suisun School District officials and should make his appointment by Monday.

Price previously said the decision as to who serves on the oversight board is important. On Wednesday, he said he likes what he sees so far.

“I’m very optimistic that we were able to get very knowledgable, committed people who are willing to sit down and take on a responsibility like this without any compensation at all,” Price said.

It still remains an unknown when the Fairfield oversight board will hold its first meeting. Fairfield Deputy City Manager David White said the successor agency will provide staff for the oversight board. That means staff will be Fairfield officials.

The successor agency board — that is the City Council — will make rulings on how to wind down the redevelopment agency. The oversight board will do such things as supervise the successor agency board as land and other agencies assets get sold. The oversight board, in turn, can be overruled by the state Department of Finance.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Those were among the steps taken Tuesday by the City Council. It looked at proposals to update the city’s parks and open space laws.

Fairfield is building two off-leash dog areas in Cordelia Community Park, one for small dogs and one for large dogs. But the city code as it now stands doesn’t allow for such areas.

The City Council unanimously introduced an ordinance to take care of that problem before Cordelia Community Park opens, perhaps in April or May. The revised law will allow the city to designate fenced-in areas where dogs can be off-leash as long as the person having custody of the dog remains nearby. The Cordelia Community Park dog areas are the only ones now planned.

But the City Council decided to send other proposed changes for city parks and open space laws back to the Community Resources Commission for more work. Several members of the public objected to a proposal that would prohibit the “tilling, digging or planting of any plant material, seed or bulb” in city parks and open space areas.

Some residents whose yards back up to city-owned open space have planted gardens there. Several speakers told the council people should be able to enhance the appearance of such areas.

“Don’t fix what isn’t a problem,” resident Carolyn Cotton told the council. “This is a bureaucratic response when there is no problem to solve.”

Fairfield staff also wanted the ability to use remote-control model airplanes to try to keep geese away from the ponds at the Civic Center and Dover parks. The city gets a number of complaints about the mess the geese and other waterfowl make, Assistant Public Works Director Steven Hartwig said.

City Councilman John Mraz didn’t object, but expressed doubt the idea will succeed. Geese will return to the ponds within 10 minutes of the model planes leaving. People feed them there, he said.

Hartwig said the geese and waterfowl can go to such places as Suisun Marsh.

“I’m Daffy Duck and I can go to the marsh and get shot at or I can go to Dover Park and get fed,” Mraz said. “What am I going to do?”

City Councilwoman Catherine Moy suggested the city could make it illegal to feed the waterfowl in city parks. But Mraz said he doesn’t want to use police resources to nab “that heinous violator, the bread-feeder.”

The final proposal is to ban cloven-hoofed animals from city open space areas. The city already bans horses, but that law hasn’t stopped people from bringing llamas to Rockville Hills Park.

The Community Resources Commission looked at the proposals Feb. 8 and recommended the City Council approve them. But Chairman Rick Horton expressed doubt that the public notice of that meeting and the issues to be discussed at it was sufficient.

Now the Community Resources Commission and public will get another chance to address every issue except the off-leash dog areas. The meeting date has yet to be announced.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-6929, or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

“If we start with the parents, it trickles down to the next generation,” said teacher Betty Harrington. “If we don’t speak up, they are going to take it.”

To close a $6.5 million deficit, the Fairfield-Suisun School District governing board could vote Thursday on two options for proposed budget cuts. Cutting $862,607 from the adult school is on both lists.

Related content

• School board could vote Thursday on cuts lists

Such a cut could amount to the elimination of 15 teachers, five teaching assistants and a vice principal. It would also eliminate programs for adults with disabilities, parent education, adult independent study and English as a second language. Those programs serve an estimated 1,188 students, according to Principal Kay Hartley.

With transportation an issue for students, closing the programs would leave students with no alternative, Harrington said.

The majority of the protesters Wednesday were ESL students. Teacher Nancy Cathcart said the messages on protest signs summed up the school’s value to the district. Signs read: “I became a citizen.” “We help our children learn.”

Victor Navarro, 62, held an “I became a citizen” sign. He came to the United States from Mexico in 1974, became a citizen in 1989 and now takes English classes at the Adult School.

“It’s important to everybody,” said Navarro, a Fairfield resident.

Next to Navarro was Rabih El Chaar, who came from Lebanon in 2011 and is studying to obtain citizenship. El Chaar said his English “is not perfect” but he did say this of the campus: “I love my school.”

Sony Almarinez held two signs. One read, “Keep ESL programs” while the other read, “Keep kindergarten.” Eliminating kindergarten for one year is an option before the board. Almarinez has a 4-year-old son, Elijah, who is supposed to enter kindergarten at Laurel Creek Elementary School in the fall.

Almarinez, who attends the adult school, said if kindergarten is cut she has no one to watch her son during the day.

“I don’t have a backup plan,” Almarinez said.

Teacher Shamina Qureshi sees a trend in school districts cutting or closing adult schools. She called it “shortsighted.” Qureshi said there is a perception that the adult school primarily serves illegal immigrants. She disagrees.

“I think people need to realize that actually students do give back to the community,” Qureshi said. “I just don’t want us to be unfairly targeted.”

Reach David DeBolt at 427-6935 or ddebolt@dailyrepublic.net.

The event is sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Solano Valley Alumnae Chapter.

Warren’s memoir is about the protest by Warren and 60 other black officers against racial segregation at Freeman Field, Ind., in early 1945 while they were training to fly bombers during World War II.

He will also discuss his book with educator and Daily Republic columnist Mayrene Bates at the event. The evening will start with a reception, followed by the interview and questions from attendees.

Warren’s book signing coincides with the recent release of the movie “Red Tails.” Warren served as a technical adviser during the film’s production.

The event is co-sponsored by Solano County Library Foundation and Vacaville Public Library next to the Town Square.  Seating is limited so call 1-866-57-ASKUS to reserve a seat. You may also contact http://solanolibrary.com, or 864-8446.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.

“It’s horrific choices,” board president Kathy Marianno said Wednesday. “What do you do?”

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• Fairfield-Suisun Adult School students, teachers protest proposed cuts

The Fairfield-Suisun School District is $6.5 million in the hole and needs to decide on cuts in time to send out nearly 80 pink slips to employees by March 15, as required by law. The board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at its headquarters, 2490 Hilborn Road.

The governing board narrowed down a list of possible cuts at its Feb. 15 study session. Superintendent Jacki Cottingim-Dias pared the list based on the board’s direction to offer two options.

Each option would eliminate home-to-school transportation, independent study, a school safety grant, a summer school program for standardized testing and school improvement block grants to each site and reduce by 10 percent funding for custodial and school site services and significantly cut adult school education.

“Option A” would result in $6.18 million in savings while “Option B” would result in $6.5 million in savings. The district needs to cut at least $6.5 million. Here are the differences between the options.

Option A:

• Reduce maintenance services by 5 percent.
• Close an elementary school.
• Close a high school.
• Reduce classified positions by two-thirds in instructional library services.
• Eliminate athletic stipends (possibly ending sports).
• Eliminate co-curricular stipends.
• A 10-percent cut in discretionary allocations.
• Close swimming pools.

Or Option B:

• Eliminate kindergarten (a $3.7 million savings).

The district could be bailed out of the $6.5 million in part if Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax proposals pass in November and district teacher and classified unions agree to concessions.

In response to a question from board member Pat Shamansky, the district Wednesday released its budget for professional/consulting and operating expenditures. At the Feb. 15 meeting, Shamansky asked whether any thought was given to cutting the specific budget by 10 percent. The district has budgeted $4.45 million and a 10-percent cut would equal the savings from closing an elementary school.

A district report shows $1.86 million of that fund is restricted, leaving nearly $2.6 million to possibly trim. The fund pays for legal fees, district elections, software licensing, alarm services and vandalism claims and a contract with the Solano County Office of Education for the Golden Hills program, among other expenses.

In an email before the list was released, Shamansky wrote: “I have no idea whether or not a 10-percent reduction to this budget is possible. If there is an opportunity for us to adjust those expenditures, I would like our staff to investigate that. In other words, we must leave no stone unturned when looking for means to minimize the cuts and I am asking staff to revisit the budget for that purpose.”

Reach David DeBolt at 427-6935 or ddebolt@dailyrepublic.net.

British Chatterbox Club  Noon, JWC Sports Bar and Grill, 2390 N. Texas St. Join the ladies from the United Kingdom for lunch and chat. Meet old friends and make new ones. Info: 422-7240, 451-7291 or 449-9936.

Homework Help for Children 4-6 p.m., Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky St. and 4-5:45 p.m. Fairfield Cordelia Library, 5050 Business Center Drive. Free. Info: 866-57ASKUS or http://www.solanolibrary.com.

Bocce Lessons and Games 5:30-8 p.m., John Magnetti Memorial Courts, 1200 Civic Center Drive. The Fairfield Bocce Federation, free for people 16 and older. Seniors 85 and older receive free membership. Enrollment required. Info: 425-5301 or 425-5592.

Gentle Vinyasa Flow Yoga 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., McBride Center, 91 Town Square Place, Vacaville. Fee, preregistration required. Info: 469-6672.

Suisun Senior Center Dinner and Dance 6 p.m., Suisun City Senior Center, 318 Merganser Drive. Dinner, wine and dancing to a live band. Fee, reservations required. Info: 421-7203 or Karen Mickens at kmickens@suisun.com.

Boy Scout Troop 182 7 p.m., Dan O. Root Elementary, 820 Harrier Drive. For boys ages 11-17. Info: 426-2567.

Valley Writers Association 7 p.m., Fairfield Senior Center, 1200 Civic Center Drive. Writers of any genre and all ages welcome. Info: Norma Green at 422-8072.

Mare Island Toastmasters 7:30-9 p.m., Merrill Gardens Retirement Community, second floor annex, Common Room, 350 Locust Drive, Vallejo. Info: 644-4204, http://www.mareisland.toastmastersclubs.org.

Friday

3-4-5 Jump ‘n’ Jive 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., Fairfield Cordelia Library, 5050 Business Center Drive. Free. Interactive program featuring stories, music, movement and crafts for children 3 and older. Info: 866-57ASKUS or http://www.solanolibrary.com.

Freestyle Friday Night Open Mic 6-10 p.m., Matt Garcia Youth Center, 250 Travis Blvd. Hosted by the PAL Studio, bring your own tracks or choose from some at the PAL Studio. Annual fee. Info: 422-6288.

VacaValley Ramblers Square Dance Club 7-9:30 p.m., Masonic Hall, 897 Cotting Lane, Vacaville. Couples, singles, and children 10 and up. Info: 685-3969.

Food Addicts Anonymous 7-8:30 p.m., Kaiser Permanente, 3700 VacaValley Parkway, Vacaville. For people recovering from addictive eating, bulimia and undereating. No dues, fees or weigh-ins. Info: 800-600-6028 or http://www.foodaddicts.org.

Celebrate Recovery 7-9 p.m., Liberty Church, 2641 N. Texas St., Fairfield. For people seeking recovery from their hurts, habits or hang-ups. Info: 425-9673, ext. 317, or http://www.LCCWord.org.

Vivendo El Programa 8-9:30 p.m., Unity Hall, 711 Empire St., Fairfield. Spanish-speaking group of Narcotics Anonymous. Free. Info: 372-1304.

Friday Night Clean and Serene 8 p.m., Community United Methodist Church, 1875 Fairfield Ave., Fairfield. Free Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Info: 251-5982 or http://www.napasolanona.org.

Coming up

“A More Excellent Way Community Baby Shower” 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Friendship Baptist Church, 1905 Florida St., Vallejo. Celebrating California’s African-American Infant Health Awareness Week. Black pregnant women and expectant fathers are invited. Entertainment, food, health and education workshops and prizes. Free. Info: 648-1247.

Fruit Tree Grafting workshop 10 a.m. to noon (rain or shine) Saturday, Loma Vista Farm,150 Rainier Ave.,Vallejo. Free. Donations accepted. Registration and info: 556-8765.

Solano County 4-H Presentation Day 10 a.m. Saturday, Tremont Elementary School, 355 Pheasant Run Drive, Dixon. Demonstrations, public speaking, cultural arts and displays by Solano County 4-H youth members. Free and open to the public. Info: Valerie Williams, 784-1319.

ACT/SAT combo practice test noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Fairfield Cordelia Library, 5050 Business Center Drive. Free. Registration and info: 800-KAP-TEST or http://www.kaptest.com.

One World Agenda Black History Month celebration 1 p.m. Saturday, Suisun City Library, 601 Pintail Drive, Suisun City. Speech contest for middle and high school students, cultural dancing, genealogy workshop, food, music and art displays. Free. For entry form or more info: 384-2475 or oneworldagenda@yahoo.com.

Education assistance fundraiser 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday at Travis Air Force Base Theatre, 469 First St., Travis AFB. Screenings of “Red Tails.” Tuskegee Airmen of World War II will be there to sign autographs and for photo opportunities. Info and tickets: 631-6361 or 330-0613.

North Texas Street Business Association crab and shrimp feed 6 p.m. Saturday, Joseph A. Nelson Community Center, 611 Village Drive, Suisun City. Crab, shrimp, salad, bread, pasta, dessert. Fee. Info: 421-9085, http://www.ntsba.org.

Sue, 72, passed away at home from complications of end-stage COPD on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012.

She was one of five children (sisters, Paula and Molly; brothers, Mike and Tom) of the late Paul and Grace Buckingham. Sue graduated from Armijo High School in Fairfield, Calif., in 1957.

Sue married her beloved husband, Augustus (Gus) Daugherty on Feb. 7, 1959, in Suisun City, Calif. Sue and Gus celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary on Feb. 7, 2012. They lived in San Francisco and Brisbane, Calif., as well as Dayton, Ohio, and Dublin, Calif. They raised two sons, John and Doug; and a daughter, Katherine (Katie). Sue raised her family and also worked for GMAC, Liberty House and Mervyn’s Department Stores. Sue and Gus retired to Brentwood in 1998.

Sue is survived by her husband, Gus Daugherty; sister, Paula Buckingham; her brother, Mike Buckingham and his wife, Stephanie; nephews, Daniel and Paul; her brother, Tom Buckingham and his wife, Sandy; her son, John Daugherty; her son, Doug Daugherty and his wife, Michelle; grandsons, Robert and Patrick; her daughter, Katie McDonald; and granddaughters, Chelsey, Lindsey and Aimee.

Sue will forever be remembered as “G-ma” (a name she loved, created by Lindsey). Sue treated everyone equally. She never held a grudge and resolved all issues before the sun set each day. Her family will miss her smile, humor and support.

A memorial service and celebration of Sue’s life begins at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, 2012, at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 1850 West Texas Street, Fairfield. A reception will follow at 651 Red Rome Lane, Brentwood, Calif.

Donations can be made to Sutter Care At Home (hospice), 4071 Port Chicago Highway, Suite 120, Concord, CA 94520.