I just couldn’t leave you too long with the picture of that horse’s rear-end and have it associated with the 4^th of July parade. Two things - I was actually trying to get a side picture of that horse because it was beautiful but was moving very quickly - and I thought this year’s parade was very nice.

I’ve never been much of a parade person. Partly because I don’t really know how to relax and just sit back and watch things. I want to know when something is going to start, when it’s going to end, how big will the crowd be, who is that standing too close, where are the nearest exits. Once I got situated in my lawn chair, though, I was ready for the show.

The first group I witnessed parading through was the police force on motorcycles. They were moving at a pretty good clip, and I was glad that I had decided against crossing to the other side of the street because I would have been, as they say, toast. The movement continued with the fire department, the mayor, churches, cheerleaders, war veterans, clubs, dancers, Neptune and his friends, big dolls and various other sites not necessarily in that order. All in all it turned out to be a fun morning and it’s always a good time to see friends in town that I would not otherwise get the chance to see.

My only let down, and this really has nothing to do with the parade, was the fact that the city could not raise enough money to display fireworks that evening. Some years I have been able to just stand out on my front porch and watch, and other years I stood at the waterfront and watched them go off. It has been so nice to not have to go far to enjoy them and I hope they can come back soon.

On a happier note, I had been looking forward to hearing Norman Connors perform in Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza but I had been invited to my neighbor’s home to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. After it was all said and done, I was able to enjoy their company  and hear all of the performances from my neighbor's backyard at the same time. Now who says you can’t enjoy the good life in Vallejo?

This is one of the many pictures I snapped at the 4^th of July Parade, which was very nice this year, I must say.

I’m sure your next question is, why of all the pictures I could take, I would capture a horse’s ***? Or, more importantly, why would I put it up on this blog entry? Well, well, well. Just the other day I was driving along Broadway near Tuolomne, in the right lane, and as soon as the light turned green another car came over from the left lane to make a right turn -- right in front of us. Luckily we suspected the driver was going to do something, uh, to borrow a phrase from my cousin, FOUL, so we waited a couple of seconds before accelerating. We watched the car disappear up Tuolumne and had to wonder where was the fire?

That was not the first time I’ve had to defend myself along various points on Broadway. There’s the time I couldn’t make a left turn near Tennessee because some fool decided that he was just going to drive up the wrong side of the street, blocking my path and scaring me more than just a little bit.

I’m sure this happens at some point everyday, in every city, at various points in time during any given day. I just really, really wonder what goes on in some people’s minds. People routinely get mowed down along Tennessee, and Sonoma Boulevard is always slow-going as some people don’t even bother to drive the speed limit - I guess it’s called cruising.

My only real point here is that there are some really silly people driving around your neighborhood, so keep your eyes peeled whether on foot or behind the wheel .

I’m sitting on it right now. I go to the waterfront to board it, and I pick it back up in San Francisco at the pier for the return trip. What is it? It’s the Baylink Ferry, that’s what it is.

There was a method to the madness of settling in Vallejo. I figured I could get the best of both worlds - affordable housing, and a one-shot ride to the big city if I wanted to visit, or if I started working there.

After seven years of living in Vallejo, I did eventually end up working in San Francisco. I love taking the ferry to work. I used to make the 35 or so mile drive to San Ramon everyday, and I can tell you, it was a terror. Let’s see, I’d cross the Benicia Bridge, stop and go until I reached the highway 24 interchange, or whatever they call it, and from there it was uphill battle until I passed Blackhawk. Most of the jobs I held in the past few years ended up being in San Ramon, until I just couldn’t take the commute another year. I tried working Solano county, and needless to say after putting up with unimaginable work situations, I figured it was time to venture outside of Vallejo.

The Vallejo -San Francisco ferry is the sleep-deprived cube-dweller’s dream. I simply step on, go upstairs (I get motion sick very easily and the ride upstairs is a little nicer), find a seat. The boat pulls away from the dock, and before I know it my head is rolling back and forth because I am, you guessed it, sound asleep.

Most of the time I wake up in enough time to jump up and off-board, grab a cup of caffeine and I’m just like new until the evening commute.

The ferry ride and system does not exist without its flaws. There’s this small ferry, which reminds me somewhat of those diagrams of slave ships? Now, this is certainly not something to joke about, because I know nothing can compare to that harrowing experience. But, bear with me here. This ferry is avoided well by regular commuters, and after a few rides, anyone would understand. It’s a great ride if you are riding with say 200 of your closest friends and you really want to get closer, or if you are the only person riding on the boat. It goes by the name ‘Vallejo’, ironically enough. More bad juju? I’ll let you be the judge.

There’s also the 200 bus which is a great option as well if you just don’t want to ride the ferry. I frequent it in the mornings, and have actually gotten to know a couple of people who are pretty nice.

Back to the ferry flaws. Recently the fare was jacked up quite a bit, and at not the best time, with gas prices skyrocketing and when the economy started tanking. I guess the lost revenues woke folks up because the fares came back down to a fairly reasonable amount, even though the ridership still remains low to this day.

Oh well, more room for me. Generally I think the ferry system is one of the best things Vallejo has going for itself and I would advise officials to do whatever they can to keep it before Benicia reconsiders and starts lobbying for service. If they could take state capitol status from Vallejo in the 1800’s, anything is possible, believe me.

Perhaps Vallejo was doomed from the start. Way back in the day when General Vallejo was trying to put this city on the map, he had grand plans to build a real city complete with a penitentiary and insane asylum. When it was time for legislators to convene for a meeting, their building wasn’t even complete and they moved the meeting to Sacramento. One missed opportunity after another kept Vallejo out of the major decisions for Nothern California and Benicia became the state capitol, when that designation was once that of Vallejo’s. It seems grand plans paired with inaction had spelled disaster for this city.

The city’s decision makers hands are cuffed together, much like that of a chain gang. The question is, who has the key, or who has the guts to break free, grab a saw and make a run for it?

I truly admire the spirit of those residents devoted to making a life in this city. My neighbors hadn’t been in Vallejo for a month before their car was stolen, and more recently they were hit again for goods located inside their home. I see business owners come and go on Georgia street, but there are a dedicated few who are not only determined to stay, but keep finding innovative ways to make downtown a better place.

One of the greatest assets Vallejo does have is the farmer’s market that takes place every Saturday morning and lasts through early afternoon. We may not have an organic market located in a storefront, but one stroll down Georgia street during the farmers market will make you forget that we actually need one. Fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood, flowers, plants are abundant. Sometimes you can find beautiful jewelry, clothing, purses, blankets, and rugs at a great price. The market it situated between Sonoma Boulevard and Contra Costa Street. Many stores are open for business, and when the economy was stronger, this was a great place to spend some time shopping the antique stores and boutiques. I still don’t quite understand why a greater effort hasn’t been made to extend the market down to the ferry building. Just about any traveler would be happy to be able to pick up a few fresh fruits and vegetables before returning home. And why just Saturday? If the city wanted to really wake people up, this farmer’s market should last the entire weekend. I just don’t understand. To take it even a step further, I think it would even be worthwhile to place a greater emphasis on arts and crafts for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. I’m well aware of the difficulty in creating awareness of events located downtown, but that’s all the more reason to get started now so that when we come into greater economic times, we will already have the momentum in place to carry the presence forward. A low fee, say $5 - $10 could be charged to participate with strict participation guidelines. Once the event is marketed and well attended, the fees could gradually increase.

General Vallejo would roll over in his grave.

I imagine if General Vallejo could look into the future he would imagine a great namesake city. After all, he had initially planned to invest $370,000 into building up this city, one that would be known for innovation and beauty. I too, had imagined a city with so much to offer on its way up shortly after I moved in. I had completely bought into the notion of Vallejo’s downtown turning into a hotspot, so I invested and waited for the city to deliver on all of its promises for a better tomorrow.

I started to realize that something was wrong after I started promoting my first book during the city’s annual Wednesday night celebration. The first year went by without incident and even managed to turn a nice profit. The following year, however, brought an interesting element -- the newcomers versus the teenagers who lived downtown. Many of the newcomers were affluent (at least many thought they were) people from neighboring counties, looking to turn Vallejo into the next Sausalito. The only problem was, well magnificently large and looming apartment building nearby that housed many of our city’s lower income residents. The teenagers that lived there wanted to join in on the festivities alongside the newcomers in true teenage fashion, and the newcomers decided that they were having none of it. The end result was a disaster. The police chased rowdy teenagers up and down the street, and a chain link fence was erected to keep the undesirables at bay. No one was happy or getting what they wanted and that summer changed the otherwise very enjoyable Wednesday night celebration forever.

The first impulse might be to blame the teenagers, but what kind of city allows itself to be run over by the group of citizens who can neither vote nor purchase liquor? No, I think Vallejo suffers from low self-esteem. Can a city have low self-esteem? Yes, and that city is located in California, and goes by the name Vallejo.

Aside from the waterfront and Victorian era homes, Vallejo as a city has yet to define itself. Vallejo was once a naval town and refused to prepare itself for the future, believing that the base on Mare Island would never go away. Cities like Alameda had closed its army base yet has maintained a reputation for being one of the finest and more exclusive bay area cities. Vallejo officials and planners decided to keep its own air of exclusivity -- one that would certainly insure its current impoverished state. A city with approximately 120,000 inhabitants has done precious little to retain any companies other than healthcare/hospitals with the ability to employ its inhabitants. It has the potential to build on its strong arts community, but few efforts to insure its growth have been nurtured by the city.

Vallejo is the perfect setting for tourism and arts. With a three-mile stretch of paved waterfront and land on either side, there’s really no other reason except poor marketing and planning that we don’t have businesses fighting for a spot to erect and bed and breakfast hotel. Vallejo could easily put Napa to shame with its beautiful hilltop views and proximity to the ferry other thriving cities easily reached by all of the major roads that run through and near the city.

Another asset that Vallejo has it its diversity. Philipinos, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, Latinos and Caucasians have all managed to co-exist in this beautiful city. On any given day, I can go to the Philipino owned and operated market to purchase lumpia, dumplings, fresh seafood and produce. If I’m in the mood for an all American breakfast I can swing by any number of cafes and enjoy a leisurely breakfast or brunch with friends or the company of a newspaper. I can cross town for some soul food, or take my pick of commercialized or more homestyle Mexican food. The only other city I know of where there’s such a broad level of diversity is Oakland.

All types of opportunities to build commerce could begin and end with Vallejo’s ferry system. I depend heavily on Vallejo’s ferry system for my livelihood, and I can not help but feel a sense of despair as I shuttle from Vallejo’s ferry terminal to the one on the other end in San Francisco. I understand that there’s little comparison between the economic support San Francisco is able to provide versus Vallejo, but I think the disparity goes beyond scale. While the San Francisco Ferry Building houses merchants who sell organic produce, cigars, wine, olive oil, tea, seafood, cheese and many other items, the only merchant housed in the Vallejo Ferry building is a coffee house. And mind you, this in itself is an accomplishment, because prior to the coffee house, there was nothing there. Adjacent to the ferry building is a couple of restaurants, but the space within the ferry building is severely underutilized. Businesses have come and go, but none have stayed that would give anyone a reason to continue to stop and shop inside of the building. Why doesn’t the Vallejo ferry building have an organic produce market, a book store, a wine store? Think of all of the people that pass through the ferry building to purchase tickets that came from Napa and are on the way to San Francisco. As someone who lives downtown and often dreads going home and getting in my car to drive across town to get to the supermarket, I can tell you firsthand how lovely it would be to be able to stop by and pick up some vegetables or eggs before I head home. Sure, I can do that at the San Francisco ferry building, but I should just as easily be able to do the same thing in Vallejo and put some money back into the city.

I decided to live downtown with the promise from the city of a renaissance. Major developers had set upon Mare Island to make it an exclusive area -- several new homes were in the works and a lottery system put in place for those chosen few who wanted to occupy one of the new homes. People from neighboring cities had moved in to Vallejo with hopes of making it like Sausalito or Santa Rosa. The Empress Theater had been refurbished and the doors opened for private parties.

I recall when I noticed that things started coming to a standstill. We were supposed to see the launching of a new shopping complex complete with condominiums and underground parking on Sacramento Street and that effort was supposed to have broken ground in 2006. 2007 came and went, and finally folks started realizing that construction wasn’t going to happen. Businesses that depended on financial investments into the downtown area began to realize that they had relocated downtown to their own detriment.

The newspaper began to report city budget problems, for instance, how the city was spending $0.95 for every dollar on city services. Pretty soon the fire department became the area of focus as firefighters were judged for bringing in salaries well into the six figures in overtime, salary and benefits. Next came battle royale over who would become mayor of our bleeding city. The victor, Osby Davis, inherited a mess that foreshadowed the type of mess our entire country is currently facing.

In spite of it all, we have a strong arts community, a beautiful waterfront and parks, and Vallejo is an overall beautiful city centrally located to other major cities such as Sacramento and San Francisco. I would say that the city’s biggest asset is its citizens, who will ultimately have to be responsible for helping the city reach its potential.