A2 Monday, August 30, 2021 — DAILY REPUBLIC
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Marine World moved to Vallejo 35 years ago
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whales. He even dressed o why did former Vallejo Mayor Terry up as Noah to boot. Curtola receive a kiss The trip did not take from a killer whale and a 40 days and 40 nights, hug from a diaper-wearjust nine hours. Onboard ing baby chimpanzee in were 100 plants and 1985? Both trans-species 22 animals including four displays of affection were camels, three llamas and to celebrate the announcefive peacocks. Demement that wild Tony Wade trios wasn’t the only animal-themed amuseBack in the day one onboard wearing a ment park Marine World, costume. An elephant which had been in Redwood City named Mardji was rocking a since 1968 and was floundering definitely-not-mentioned-in-thefinancially, was moving to Bible-book-of-Genesis “Star the South Bay. Wars” Bantha outfit. It was the culmination of a Besides the ark, some of the long campaign that had started aquatic mammals were transtwo years prior when Vallejo was ported by airborne slings and the chosen as one of three finalists giraffes made the 55-mile trip to (including Oakland and MounVallejo in specially made vans. tain View) that had been whittled Construction on the new down from a pool of more than Marine World began shortly after 100 applicants vying to be the the announcement of the decipark’s new home. sion was made. The expected While orcas and chimps may 18 months of work to get the have expressed (anthropomor160-acre park up and running phized) happiness at the news, only took nine, but the price some of their fellow mammals – tag ballooned from $35 million Vallejo golfers – were upset that to $50 million. Marine World the new facility was to be built opened in Vallejo on June 16, on a golf course they loved near 1986. At the grand opening cereLake Chabot. mony, the traditional red ribbon Marine World merged with that was cut was appropriately Africa USA in 1972 and offered replaced by a vine held between guests close – very close – two elephants. encounters with wild animals. Marine World instantly Decades before “Tiger King” became Vallejo’s fourth-largest became a Netflix pandemic must- employer. Excitement on opening watch, Redwood City’s Marine day was evident as 12,000 people World Africa USA guests could poured in to get splashed, see the pet a wild tiger that was led sea lions, seals, water-skiers and around the park on a leash. the killer whale stars of the park, Moving all the animals to 9,000-pound Yaka and 5,500Vallejo could have been done by pound Vigga. the freeway, but where’s the fun While most enjoyed the new in that? Marine World President attraction, Vallejo-based People Mike Demetrios had more than for Animal Welfare and Galta bit of P.T. Barnum in him and based Performing Animal on Oct. 13, 1985, he opted instead Welfare Society called keeping to sail down the San Francisco the animals there inhumane. Bay in a “Park Ark” named Prin- The animals may not have loved cess Yaka after one of the killer it there, but there was still some
Courtesy photos
Microfilm images of Marine World’s opening in Vallejo in June 1986. serious lovin’ going on. Even before they had opened to the public, Marine World animals gave birth to two harbor seals, two tigers and a zebra. Local shared remembrances of Marine World – now Six Flags Discovery Kingdom – on Facebook: Raife Blake: I remember when it was Marine World Africa USA in Redwood City – and I still remember the jingle from the old radio/TV ads, too. Eddie Kim McGee: I hated it because it took away one of my favorite short courses, Lake Chabot: 18 holes you could play in two hours. Robert Basa: In 1975, Homer Formentera and I were golfing there and we came across a dead mud hen. We could see it had been struck in the head by a golf ball. We figured since it was still warm it was a “fresh kill” so we stuck it in our golf bag and took it home to try and cook it. Mud hens are bottom feeders so when we tried to clean it, the smell of what it had been eating stunk up the whole house. It smelled so bad we tried to give it to my dog, but he took one sniff and left. We ended
up throwing it over my fence. So I can actually say that I got a “birdie‚ on my second attempt at golfing. I haven’t golfed since. Mark Rose: My mother-inlaw helped get Marine World to Vallejo and worked there for years. She would put a big speaker on her car and drive around town telling people to bring them to Vallejo. Kathleen Cordingley: One of the riding camels at Marine World bit me. I still have the scar. Sharon Lim: I was a balloon/ merchandise/kiosk girl with a striped shirt and fuchsia skirt trying to sell giant dolphin balloons. I got the worst tan lines ever! Jeff Ackman: At Marine World, they would let you take a pic with a live monkey. Kevin Miller: Jeff Ackman, that’s because taking a pic with a dead monkey wouldn’t go over so well. Reach Fairfield humor columnist, accidental local historian and author of the upcoming book “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” Tony Wade at toeknee weighed@gmail.com.
Solano board lowers business license cost for small home-based businesses Todd R. Hansen
thansen@dailyrepublic.net
FAIRFIELD — The Solano County supervisors this week lowered business licence fees 75% for small home businesses. The action takes the initial fee from $429 to $110, and a renewal license from $277 to $72 for those qualified businesses with gross incomes of $15,000 or less each year. The program applies to the micro-enterprise home kitchens, as well as other home-based businesses, the board was told. Mitch Supervisor Mashburn said he had been contacted by several constituents on the matter, specifically noting an older woman who sells crocheted squares to offset her Medicare prescription costs. The county will initially take the word of the
license applicant but could require proof of business income as necessary. In other action, the board: n Approved the Notice of Completion for the Claybank Campus Perimeter Security Fence Replacement Project at 2500 Clay Bank Road in Fairfield. The cost was $785,047, of which $518,937 was construction. The fund balance was $200,953, which will be used for project-related costs including some maintenance. The contractor was Golden Bay Fence Plus Iron Works Inc. of Stockton. n Renewed the Behavioral Health performance contract with the California Department of Health Care Services through June 30, 2024, outlining conditions and requirements to receive funding
for Mental Health Services Act, Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness, Community Mental Health Services Block Grant and Substance Abuse Block Grant programs. n Received the Sheriff’s Inmate Welfare Fund Report of Expenditures that ended June 30. n Accepted the $257,698 California Office of Emergency Services grant for the county Victim Services Program through Dec. 31. n Approved an appropriation transfer of $493,446 to recognize unanticipated revenue for Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant-Juvenile Justice Realignment. n Authorized the Solano County Probation Department to participate in the Youth Programs and
Facilities grant program funded through the state general fund and administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections, and approved an appropriations transfer of $152,571 for unanticipated revenue from the state board. n Approved an agreement with Yolo County for each jurisdiction’s Public Works agencies on a joint one-time chip seal maintenance project of various Yolo County roads. n Approved submitting a request to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for a $133,590 allocation from the state Pedestrian and Bicycle Project funding for the Benicia Road Complete Streets Project for
the current fiscal year. n Approved an appropriations transfer for $200,000 to recognize unanticipated revenue for the California Department of Public Health California Safe Schools for All, program and approved a $317,750 amendment to the contract with California Health Medical Reserve Corps, for a total contract of $365,750, to support the project’s goals through June 30, 2022. n Approved a $25,000 revenue contract with Solano Community College for the Department of General Services to provide vehicle leasing and vehicle maintenance services from Sept. 1 through May 31, 2022.
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