Its been fun..thank you

The time has come for me to end the battle. Thank you to everyone that lent their support and encouragement. We made good progress...the 3rd Street tunnel and pathway are restored to their original beauty, and Riverview Park is once again being used by families for picnics. We now have regular patrols and security checks, which are much appreciated. I sincerely believe that there is a renewed focus by the City and all of us on the growing problem of graffiti, and vandalism in general, in our community. That is a very good thing. Our time and energy were not wasted.

I really do hope that the City of Benicia works toward strengthening the graffiti code and toward implementing an effective multimedia anti-graffiti/vandalism strategy as other cities have done. Those efforts will go a long way towards improving the quality of life for all of us in Benicia, which by the way, is already awesome.

My special thanks to the following people because absent their contributions we would have not gotten to first base.

Thank you Mayor Patterson for answering my calls and emails.

Thank you Chief Spagnoli for spending a significant amount of your valuable time on working with us. You promptly answered each and every one of my queries. Also, I thank you for putting together the neighborhood meeting.

Thank you to the officers of the Benicia Police Department for always quickly responding to our calls for assistance.

Thanks to Officer Fred Ayala for your great attitude and cooperative spirit.

Thank you to Councilman Ioakimedes for continuing a dialogue with us and pledging your support for our neighborhood and our city.

Thank you Roger Core for your efforts. The fact that virtually all graffiti has been abated is a tribute to your effectiveness.

Thank you Sara Stroud from the Vallejo Times Herald and also the Benicia Herald for helping to get the word out.

Thank you friends and neighbors for your continuing support and encouragement. A special thanks to those that gave, and continue to give, constructive guidance and counsel...you know who you are.

Finally, thank you to my wife, Cathy, for her enduring love and patience. Without her, everything would be meaningless.

Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you.

Its been fun...thank you.

- Ross Sagun