Daily Republic: Wednesday, November 10, 2021

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Solano appears to have escaped scary Covid holiday outcome A3

wednesday  |  November 10, 2021  |  $1.00

dailyrepublic.com  |  Well said. Well read.

Honoring our veterans

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Vanden girls tennis team wins D-3 Section title B1

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3 Coast Guard auxiliary units help patrol Solano waters Todd R. Hansen

thansen@dailyrepublic.net

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic

VALLEJO — Glenn Hunter, like so many others after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was called to action. “I was hopping mad at what happened, but I was too old to get an active position,” Hunter said about joining the military. His search to serve led him, instead, to the Coast Guard auxiliary. He has been serving in

that capacity for 20 year, and is currently the commander of Napa Flotilla 52, working out of Vallejo. It has 27 members. There are three Coast Guard auxiliary units that work in Solano County waters. In addition to Napa, there is North Solano Flotilla 53, which is based out of Suisun City, and the Sacramento Flotilla 35, with an area that includes Rio Vista. North See Units, Page A9

Logan Fontaine throws a line over a cleat at the Rio Vista U.S. Coast Guard Station, Oct. 8.

Rio Vista, Vallejo Coast Guard crews keep boaters safe, accountable

Todd R. Hansen

thansen@dailyrepublic.net

FAIRFIELD — Before a new member of the Station Rio Vista Coast Guard crew ever steps onto a boat, that “Coastie” must be able to map out dozens of reference points in the waters being patrolled. “It is easy to get lost in the Delta,” said Michael Bennett, a boatswain’s mate chief petty officer and commander of Station Rio Vista. “There are 86 reference points we ask them to memorize,” he said.

“They have to chart them before they get certified.” The reason is that boaters who get lost rarely will have coordinates to guide rescuers to their location. Typically they describe their locations by noting major points of interest they can see. The station’s area of responsibility has 1,900 miles of waterways, stretching from the mouth of the Feather River to Tracy, and from Simmons Point west of Pittsburg to the Port of Stockton. There are 95 marinas

and boat launches, 50 bridges and 350 named places. “It is an area larger than the state of Rhode Island,” information provided by the station states. It is an area that includes fresh water – namely the Sacramento River and Delta area – as well as coastal shorelines. Solano County is home to a pair of Coast Guard stations – the other in Vallejo. The service celebrated its 231st anniversary this year. It was See Crews, Page A6

Courtesy photo

US Coast Guard Auxiliary, North Solano Flotilla on patrol.

Coast Guard just months from moving into new station in Vallejo Todd R. Hansen

thansen@dailyrepublic.net

Board of Supervisors thanks veterans for service to nation Todd R. Hansen thansen@dailyrepublic.net

FAIRFIELD — Ted Puntillo, who has helped thousands of U.S. military veterans get their rightful benefits, said it was years after his return from Vietnam that he ever heard anyone say “thank you for

his service.” In fact, the U.S. Army veteran, and retiring Veteran Services director for the county, said those words were spoken to him for the first time in 2001. “I am a Vietnam vet myself and people See Service, Page A6

INSIDE

Local veterans share their stories in the DR’s special section, Honoring Our Veterans on Veterans Day.

VALLEJO — The Vallejo Coast Guard crew working out of a temporary facility is expected to move into their new $14 million station in March. Construction of the 13,200-square-foot facility, which includes a bay for small boat maintenance, sleeping quarters for 14 crew members, a galley, command center, training room and fitness

room, is expected to be completed in February, said Joshua Hollyfield, a boatswain’s mate chief petty officer and commander of Station Vallejo. He is a 21-year Coast Guard veteran. Herman Construction Group of Escondido is the contractor. Station Vallejo consists of 27 crew members and 15 reservists. Auxiliary members also work out of the station. See Station, Page A6

Solano DA clears officers in 2 use of deadly force cases Todd R. Hansen

thansen@dailyrepublic.net

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County District Attorney’s Office has cleared law enforcement officers in two use-of-force cases that resulted in the deaths of residents. One found that that the officer-involved shooting of Mark Meza, 59, of Woodland, was “objectively reasonable and necessary” because Meza, having already rammed one Vacaville patrol car, was driving his truck straight at another officer.

The second concluded that the officer-involved shooting of Carl C. Walker, 29, of Sacramento, was “objectively reasonable and necessary” because Walker abrams had pointed a loaded firearm at an officer. The incidents took place within nine days of each other. The first started about 8:25 p.m. Jan. 21 when a silver, two-door pickup truck, driven by Meza,

crashed into the front glass doors of New Life Church, located at 5900 Cherry Glen Road in rural Vacaville, the investigation letter released by the District Attorney’s Office said. Video footage showed the truck backed up twice after smashing into the door the first time, and twice more slammed into the church doors. His headlight was knocked out during the incident, the letter states.

INDEX  Arts B4  | Classifieds B6  | Comics A7, B5  | Crossword A8, B4 Obituary A4  | Opinion B3  | Sports B1  |  TV Daily A7, B5 WEATHER  67 | 49  Sunny. Five-day forecast on B9.

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