Time for annual Solano County quiz!

It’s the penultimate Sunday of 2012 and if you know what “penultimate” means, give yourself a bonus point on the quiz that follows.

It’s the annual Brad Stanhope’s Year-End Solano County Quiz, started so long ago that one of the original questions was whether Chief Solano should get a statue or if he should just stand in front of the courthouse. This quiz has been going on so long that Josiah Wing once called the office to dispute an answer! It’s been going on since Manuel Campos Parkway was where Manuel Campos parked his car!

I’m tellin’ ya.

Anyway, get your No. 2 pencil ready, read the following questions, answer them and tally your score. How well do you know Solano County?

The quiz

1. Who founded Fairfield?

2. Within 10 miles, how many miles of Interstate 80 are in Solano County?

3. What is the largest employer in the county?

4. Who is the county’s largest private employer, by number of employees?

5. What is the fourth-largest city by population in Solano County, putting it squarely in the middle of the seven cities?

6. What is the coldest month in Solano County? The warmest month?

7. Within $10,000, what was the median price for homes sold in Solano County in November?

8. Which are there more of in Fairfield-Suisun: Starbucks stores, Taco Bells or In-Shape fitness gyms?

9. What is the new name of the Solano mall? (For a bonus point, what are the four names that it’s used since opening in 1982?)

10. What is the name of the school district that includes all Rio Vista public schools?

11. What were the top three agricultural crops in Solano County in 2011?

12. Within 1,000, how many active-duty personnel are stationed at Travis Air Force Base?

13. Within 10 minutes, what’s the average commute time for a Solano County resident?

14. Which is larger in terms of population: California State Prison, Solano or California Medical Facility?

15. Which of the following performers did not appear at the Dixon May Fair in the past three years: Pat Benatar, Larry the Cable Guy, Trace Adkins, Snoop Dogg, Kellie Pickler, Styx, Selena Gomez, Foreigner.

16. What Republican candidate for president appeared in Fairfield in 2012?

17. If it’s Monday and you’re reading a local newspaper from that day, what are you reading?

18. When was the last time Solano County voted for a Republican for president?

19. How did Tabor Avenue get its name?

20. Are there more men or women in Solano County?

Answers

1. Capt. Robert Waterman.

2. 43.5 miles.

3. Travis Air Force Base, with 14,000-plus employees.

4. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, with 1,600 employees.

5. Suisun City, with 28,330 people, according to the 2010 census.

6. Coldest: January (average low: 37.7 degrees). Warmest: July (average high: 91 degrees).

7. $221,500.

8. Starbucks, with seven, beats InShape and Taco Bell, with four each.

9. Solano Town Center. It was previously known as Solano Mall, Westfield Shoppingtown Solano, Westfield Solano mall and Solano Mall (again).

10. River-Delta School District.

11. Walnuts, alfalfa, processing tomatoes.

12. 7,200.

13. 29.5 minutes.

14. California State Prison, Solano has about 6,000 inmates, while California Medical Facility has about 3,000.

15. Styx did not appear.

16. Rick Santorum in March. (Little-known candidate John Davis visited in 2011).

17. The Daily Republic, the only paper in the county that publishes all seven days each week.

18. 1984, when it voted for Ronald Reagan.

19. In 1958, Fairfield renamed it for “Travis Air Base Old Road.”

20. Men. For every 100 women, there are approximately 101.5 men, largely because of the nearly 10,000 men in Vacaville’s two prisons.

Scoring

15-20: Expert. You’re the CC Sabathia (Yankees pitcher who owns a home in Fairfield) of local knowledge.

10-14: Solid. You’re as hungry as Joey Chestnut (competitive eating champion from Vallejo) for information.

5-9: Mediocre. You’re the Raymond Burr (grew up in Vallejo) of local knowledge. When Burr was “Ironside,” not “Perry Mason.” When he was Perry Mason, he was awesome.

0-4: Poor. You are the Thomas Dickson (namesake of Dixon, which spelled it wrong) of local knowledge.

Reach Brad Stanhope at 427-6858 or bstanhope@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bradstanhope.

Brad Stanhope

Brad Stanhope is the Daily Republic's news editor. He began his career at the DR in the last millennium. He spent 17 years as a sports editor and three years as the associate editor before spending three years away from the newspaper (though continuing as a columnist). He returned in December 2010 as news editor. Brad lives in Suisun City with his wife, Mrs. Brad, and two sons. He enjoys cheese.

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