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To outsiders, Dixon may seem like another Northern California agricultural town, but it is actually a city steeped in history, from its roots in the now-defunct town of Silveyville to its growth that continues today.

In between, it has experienced devastation from fires, the construction of a highway that has contributed to its growth and the establishment of the Dixon May Fair, which continues to draw droves of people to the city every May.

Until Thursday, Dixon did not have a physical location to showcase its history. For more than 20 years, the Dixon Historical Society has been trying to establish a museum in town, and their dreams were realized in the form of the new Dixon History Museum on West A Street.

Various photographs and artifacts are on display at this new museum, which joins Vacaville, Vallejo, Benicia and Rio Vista to become the fifth museum in Solano County dedicated to a town’s local history.

Bill Schroeder, president of the Dixon Historical Society, told The Reporter he was happy to have the museum open after 20 years, especially in the location it is in.

“You can’t get any more historic than this corner right here on First and A,” he said. “This is the heart of downtown Dixon right here.”

The building itself also happens to have a lot of history, as Schroeder later related in a public speech. In the late 19th century, the row was home to an Odd Fellows building, livery stable and the Arcade Hotel. However, there was a massive fire in 1883 which Schroeder said “wiped out all of downtown Dixon,” stopping right after claiming the Odd Fellows lodge. Since most of the structures were built with wood, all new structures were required to be built with bricks.

In 1900, the Arcade Hotel burned down due to a fire that started in its kitchen. For the next 22 years, property owners John and Roy Mayes constructed a new building, which later became the town’s ice house. Originally called Pacific Coast Ice House, then shortened to Coast Ice House due to a lack of signage space and later sold to Union Ice, and became the place for Dixonites to purchase ice and even hang fresh deer carcasses during deer season. The business closed in 1950 as a result of refrigeration becoming more popular.

“We didn’t need ice boxes (anymore),” Schroeder said.

Schroeder said the building was seen as a potential spot for a museum for a long time but was always occupied by other businesses, most recently The Barn & Pantry. Following the organic grocery store’s relocation a few blocks down last summer, the building’s owner agreed to lease it to the Dixon Historical Society for a few years, Schroeder said. The Dixon Planning Commission approved a use permit in October.

The opening of the museum Thursday was preceded by a short ceremony with speeches, a commendation from Rep. John Garamendi’s office, bluegrass performed by the Pleasant Valley Boys and a ribbon cutting by the Dixon Chamber of Commerce. A replica of the kind of covered wagons used by settlers of Dixon and pulled by oxen in the 19th century was also displayed outside.

Such wagons were used to transport pioneers “through the territories through Nevada, up over the Sierras and into the Sacramento Valley,” Museum Director Gary Erwin said.

Mayor Steve Bird said the opening was a “monumental event” for Dixon. He said he has always enjoyed visiting small towns and learning tidbits about their history, whether through museums or plaques.

“This is kind of an education for people who come to visit us,” he said. “This is a great addition to our downtown. It’s kind of a walking tour. You can attend our businesses and shops and now this wonderful museum to celebrate the great, rich agricultural history of our community.”

Former Fire Chief Bill Fairfield said he actually worked at Union Ice when he was a senior in high school.

“I thought, ‘How can you beat Dixon summer when you can step into an ice house?'” he said. “I was wrong. My job was going to Vacaville and putting ice in boxcars, so I got educated pretty quickly.”

Fairfield said Dixon was a unique city with a lot of history and has even come across plenty of artifacts within its buildings. He recalled when he was sitting in the basement of a business that was being converted from a bar to a beauty salon. As fire chief, he inspected the walls and found an antique lantern that predated electricity. Fairfield held onto the item and even displayed it at the ceremony.

“Why I salvaged it, I don’t know because I probably haven’t looked at it for 50 years,” he said.

Loran Hoffmann, vice president of the Dixon Historical Society, expressed appreciation toward those who donated items.

“The community has been tremendous in providing us with artifacts and various pieces to complete exhibits and expand some of our exhibits,” she said.

Hoffmann said exhibits would be rotated every three months and that the museum hopes to offer programs and speakers in the future.

“Even if you say, ‘I’ve been to the museum’…three months from now it will be different,” she said. “We hope that you’ll come back often.”

On its opening day, the museum provided a rich cornucopia of Dixon’s history. There were exhibits dedicated to the city’s Fire Department, schools, the iconic Milk Farm Restaurant and some of the city’s notable figures like artist James Everett Stuart and Sarah van Deman, the first female plane passenger in North America.

Artifacts included an old Milk Farm menu, a Fire Department switchboard, Phirehouse Philharmonic bass drum, old fire station bell and a desk that was used in the old post office in the 1860s.

In a larger room, photos adorned the walls depicting former Dixon institutions such as the Opera House, Kirby Drug Store, Van Sant’s Grocery Store, Dixon Cannery and Timm Dairy. The room also serves as an art gallery, which currently features artwork from this year’s Dixon May Fair winners.

Margaret Mongeau of Sacramento was very happy with the museum.

“I thought it was wonderful,” she said. “They’ve done a great job.”

Mongeau is a descendant of the Kilkenny family, who were early settlers in Solano County in the 19th century, dating back to when Anthony Kilkenny came to Vacaville and Dixon and had nine children who farmed the region. Mongeau’s grandfather grew wheat and barley which he sold for grain out in the current Valley Glen subdivision, and her great grandfather owned the property where the Pacific Gas & Electric Vaca-Dixon substation currently operates.

“We all grew up in Dixon and Vallejo,” she said. “My family members were all graduates of Dixon High School.”

Despite no longer living in Dixon, Mongeau said she still visits often and is glad the town has a place to represent its history.

“I’m looking forward to going to the museum and it being a part of Dixon’s venue and eating in Dixon when I visit there,” she said.

Schroeder said the museum will be a great way for people to learn about Dixon’s past, including parts they might not have been aware of.

“We’re doing a lot of research in the old (Dixon) Tribunes, and there’s most lost history for the town than you really realize,” he said.

The museum is located at 125 West A St. and open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

For more information, visit Dixonhistoricalsociety.org.

Jake Donham, who was last seen Jan. 7, is remembered for his 'kind heart'

The body of a Meadow Vista veteran and resident whose disappearance prompted community-wide searches this month, was found in Lake Combie Lake on Monday.

Jake Donham, 39, was last seen Jan. 7 at a neighbor’s home disoriented and confused, said Courtney Carson, Donham’s ex-wife and mother of his two children. After the concerned neighbor called law enforcement, Donham disappeared.

Donham, who lived alone, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000 and served one tour in Iraq, Carson said. He had a history of post-traumatic stress disorder, and his family and friends thought that may be why he went missing, she said.

“It was not like him to go missing,” Carson said Thursday. “It had not happened before.”

After law enforcement’s initial search, the Meadow Vista community rallied together online and created a forum of people interested in helping find the lost veteran. The online group followed leads and organized two in-person searches around where Donham disappeared.

“I thought it was wonderful that everybody, even people who didn’t know Jake, showed up to help search for him,” said Carson, who attended both community search events and searched on her own. “They were all hopeful he would come back and get the help he needed. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”

On Monday, a friend found Donham’s shoe on the shore of Lake Combie, Carson said. Another friend came out to the lake with his drone and spotted Donham’s body floating in the lake, she said. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team recovered Donham on Monday night, said Capt. Jeff Tettitt of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

Carson said family and friends do not know what happened between when Donham went missing and his death. Tettitt said an autopsy will be performed. Donham owned a jet ski and was known to recreate on the lake, which was just a mile and a half from his home, Carson said.

Carson, their children and those who knew Donham are facing a huge loss.

“Jake had a really good personality,” Carson said. “He was funny and fun to be around. He was always doing goofy things just to make people smile and laugh. He was just an all-around good guy who served his country and cared about his two kids and family.”

Marci Allendale, who knew Donham for more than 20 years, remembers his “kind-hearted spirit.”

“He had a heart of gold and would give the shirt off his back if you needed it,” Allendale said in an email to the Auburn Journal. “He would always have a smile on his face from ear to ear no matter the circumstances, always looking at the positive. He had a way of making everyone feel comfortable and always willing to lend a hand.”

Jeremiah Slack said Donham was over at his house for family occasions for the last 28 years and remembers him over at his house daily working on cars, riding bikes or motorcycles and attending events together.

“He was a true friend, loving family member, true-hearted individual,” Slack said. “He was always there for the fun times, and the hard times. He would go out of his way to help someone in need and was one of the most caring and true people one could ever know.”

Slack’s father, Andy, and step-mother Lynda remembered how eager to help Donham was.

“He was one of the kindest, most helpful souls in the world,” Andy and Lynda said in an email to the Journal. “He will always hold a place in our hearts and minds, we will always love him and he will be missed dearly.”

Slack’s grandmother, Bonnie, considered Donham family.

“He was always there to lend a hand, have fun, or get in trouble like the rest of the kids,” she said. “He always brought a smile to my face.”

Amanda Snow-Dodson, who dated Donham in high school at Del Oro, remembered his “goofy” and “confident” personality. Snow-Dodson said the two were still close friends and talked often.

“Jake was extremely outgoing, loving, loyal, and his smile and laugh are something I will never forget,” she said. “When I think of him, I immediately picture his smile. He loved people and more than anything else he loved his kids. Without even knowing, he made an impact on a lot of people. He made this world brighter. He is truly going to be missed.”

(TNS) — Rural residents of Placer County often don’t have reliable Internet. The county’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday on a project to try to change that.

The board unanimously approved a grant for Wave Broadband of Roseville to build fiber-optic Internet infrastucture in parts of Auburn, North Auburn and Penryn, the first phase of a long, concerted effort to bring high-speed Internet to the county's rural communities.

“We’re extending fiber to the home, which is a very exciting thing for rural communities because you don’t see that very often,” said Dieter Wittenberg, manager of the county’s telecommunications in the meeting Tuesday.

The project will cost more than $2.2 million and will bring service to 1,500 households in the areas of Edgehill Road in Auburn, Butler Road in Penryn and Christian Valley Road in North Auburn.

Placer County will contribute $500,000 to the project, said Jarrett Thiessen, chief information officer for Placer County.

“A network build in these service areas is cost prohibitive without the county’s financial contribution due to the rural nature and rocky terrain,” he said in a presentation.

Without the county’s contribution, it’s unlikely any Internet service provider would have wanted to build the infrastructure in these rural areas. The lots are too big, and they’re not densely populated, making the venture very expensive without much opportunity for an immediate return on investment, he explained.

The project is expected to be completed by October 2022.

“Placer County’s efforts in the broadband arena are far from over,” said Jane Christenson, assistant county executive officer.

The county also dedicated part of its CARES Act funding to this effort.

“This is really the beginning,” Christenson added.

The county plans to award more grants to companies for building broadband infrastructure, Thiessen said. This first grant was focused on installing fiber-optic cable, which is the fastest broadband Internet connection currently available.

Internet connectivity issues have been an ongoing problem for the majority of rural residents, ranging from those in Auburn to Truckee and Lake Tahoe.

Supervisor Suzanne Jones said her constituents in Granite Bay have reported issues with their Internet speed because of aging or outdated infrastructure. The issues are so persistent that it has prevented some who have relocated to Granite Bay from effectively telecommuting, she said.

Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, who represents much of rural Placer County, said slow Internet connections or no Internet service at all has been an issue plaguing her constituents for awhile.

In Meadow Vista and Olympic Valley specifically, she said, residents have been weeks and even months without service.

“The customers pay and get no service,” she said.

In July, the Board of Supervisors sent a letter to the Internet service provider for these communities, Suddenlink, asking the company to address its customer service and infrastructure issues.

Placer officials, along with Nevada County, Mono County and the city of Truckee, signed the letter, calling the service issues “significant,” and asking the company to address them immediately.

“ . . . Our continued efforts to work with Suddenlink have been frustrated by a lack of local staff, Suddenlink’s unwillingness to commit to specific steps to improve its service or to provide a specific timetable for improvements,” the letter said. It also cited “Suddenlink’s failure to provide basic information such as customer service standards, and the ongoing volume of complaints received from the public regarding Suddenlink’s customer service.”

“It’s so critical to so many families, homes, businesses and youth to have access,” Gustafson said.

Thiessen said the county is developing a strategic plan for addressing the county’s broadband infrastructure goals and will complete it in December.

In future grants, the county will identify specific communities with high need to be the recipient of upcoming infrastructure projects.

©2021 The Sacramento Bee, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

An investor in affordable, workforce and value-oriented apartments nationwide has expanded its Northern California portfolio with the purchase of two Novato complexes for $131.5 million.

An affiliate of Irvine, California-based Avanath Capital Management LLC acquired 220-unit Bay Vista at Meadow Park and 77-unit Creekside at Meadow Park on Dec. 15, 2022, according to real estate agents involved in the deal and public records. The seller, an entity tied to Walnut, California-based Shea Homes, had owned the property with both complexes since 2003.

“Based on the lack of development pipeline in the immediate area, both properties will remain as some of the highest quality affordable communities in fast-growing Marin County, serving an incredibly strong demand for years to come,” Daryl Carter, Avanath founder, chairman and CEO, said in the announcement.

The firm’s vice president of acquisitions, Connor Mortland, noted that the San Francisco metropolitan area had an area median income that’s the third highest in the U.S. and has grown at average rate of 8.79% in each of the past five years.

San Francisco’s median annual income for 2022 was $97,000–$110,850, according to the city. Marin County’s median was $151,500, according to Fannie Mae.

Avanath now manages more than 3,000 units in Northern California and over 800 in the Bay Area. The firm’s other North Bay property is Lincoln Creek, a 172-unit complex at 1395 N. Lincoln St., Dixon, acquired in April 2017, according to the website.

Both properties were 98% occupied at the time of sale. The complexes are covered by low-income housing tax credits.

Bay Vista at Meadow Park was built in 2005 on 16.4 acres at 5 Hutchins Way in Novato. It has 15 two-story buildings with two- and three-bedroom units. Amenities include a daycare center, swimming pool, spa and picnic areas.

Creekside at Meadow Park was built in 2003 on 7.81 acres at 46 Tinker Way in Novato. It has 26 two-story buidlings with two-, three- and four-bedroom units.

Avanath plans to install LED lighting and electric appliances and water heaters, and is considering the addition of chargers for electric vehicles. Planned programs include after-school programs, community forums and art classes.

In the sale transaction, CBRE represented the seller, Bay Vista at Meadow Park LP, and buyer, Avanath Bay Vista LP. Avanath purchased the properties through its Renaissance Fund and financed the acquisition via CBRE and Fannie Mae.

Jeff Quackenbush covers wine, construction and real estate. Before coming to the Business Journal in 1999, he wrote for Bay City News Service in San Francisco. Reach him at [email protected] or 707-521-4256.

2nd & last Thursday of the month

Find out which local companies are moving and expanding with the latest local commercial real estate news.

Cities in counties including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Placer and others in the region will offer safe disposal days over the next few weeks.

SACRAMENTO, Calif — The holiday season is winding down, which means it's time to begin the process of taking down lights, undressing the Christmas tree, and disposing of the dry evergreens making a mess in the living room.

Once the decorations are off, here's where you can properly dispose of your Christmas tree in cities in Northern California and the Central Valley:

Sacramento County

SMUD Corporation Yard

When: Saturday, Jan. 7 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where: 6100 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento

Sacramento Recycling & Transfer Station

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 7, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: 8491 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento

Elder Creek Recovery and Transfer

When: Saturday, Jan. 7 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: 8642 Elder Creek Road, Sacramento

Curbside Collection

When: Monday through Friday, Dec. 31 through Jan.14.

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences by 6 a.m. each day

Special Waste Collection Center

When: Sunday through Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: 9255 Disposal Lane, Elk Grove

North Area Recovery Station

When: Saturday, Jan. 7 and Sunday, Jan. 8 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: 4450 Roseville Road

Kiefer Landfill

When: Saturday, Jan. 7 and Sunday, Jan. 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where: 12701 Kiefer Blvd, Sloughhouse

More information about recycling guidelines and services in Sacramento County can be found HERE.

Placer County

Auburn Transfer Station

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Where: 12305 Shale Ridge Road, Auburn

Foresthill Transfer Station

When: Monday through Friday, Dec. 26 through Feb. 6 from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Where: 6699 Patent Road, Foresthill

Meadow Vista Transfer Station

When: Friday through Monday, Dec. 26 through Feb. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where: 2950 Columbine Road, Meadow Vista

Miners Ravine

When: Jan. 7 and 8

Where: 7530 Auburn Folsom Road, Granite Bay

Lincoln Airport

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 8

Where: 1420 Flightline Drive, Lincoln (open field adjacent to the airport)

Del Oro High School

When: Monday through Friday, Dec. 26 through Jan. 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Where: 3315 Taylor Rd, Loomis (football parking lot)

Twin Oaks Park

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 6

Where: 5500 Park Drive, Rocklin (by baseball fields)

Johnson-Spring Park

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 6

Where: 5480 Fifth St., Rocklin (front parking lot)

Maidu Park

When: When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 6

Where: 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville

Mahany Park

When: When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 6

Where: 1545 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville (west of library and sports complex, on the backside of the softball fields, in dog parking lot)

Saugstad Park

When: When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 6

Where: 100 Buljan Drive, Roseville

More information about recycling guidelines and services in San Joaquin County can be found HERE.

El Dorado County

Waste Connections

When: Jan. 1 through Jan. 15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: 4100 Throwita Way, Placerville

Community Park Recycling Event

When: call for the date set for January (El Dorado Hills residents only)

Where: St Andrews Dr., El Dorado Hills

Resource Recovery Facility

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 6

Where: 2140 Ruth Avenue, South Lake Tahoe

Cameron Park Christmas Tree Drop-off

When: Dec. 26 and Jan. 21 from 7 a.m. to dusk

Where: 2989 Cambridge Road, Cameron Park Lake

More information about recycling guidelines and services in El Dorado County can be found HERE.

Yolo County

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Dec. 27 through Jan. 22

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences on regular collection day (must be cut if longer than 5 feet)

Cub Scouts Recycling

When: Dec. 27 through Jan. 22

Where: Cub Scout Pack 49 is offering a Christmas tree cleanup service for donations. Email [email protected] a name and address for pickup.

Waste Management Recycling Bin

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 9 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: 1271 West Capitol Avenue, West Sacramento

Yolo County Central Landfill

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 15 (excluding New Year's Day) from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: 1271 West Capitol Avenue, West Sacramento

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 31

Where: Trees can put in green waste piles by 6 a.m. each day, (if the tree is taller than 6 feet, cut it in half so it is easier to remove). More information HERE.

San Joaquin County

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 13

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences by 6 a.m. each day, (if the tree is taller than 6 feet, cut it in half so it is easier to remove). More info HERE.

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 13

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences on regular collection day (if the tree is taller than 6 feet, cut it in half so it is easier to remove). More info HERE.

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 7

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences on regular collection day (if the tree is taller than 6 feet, cut it in half so it is easier to remove).

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Jan. 13 through Feb. 28

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences on regular collection day. More information HERE.

Stanislaus County

Residential Christmas Tree Collection

When: Dec. 26 through Jan. 7

Where: Trees can be left in front of residences on regular collection day (if the tree is taller than 6 feet, cut it in half so it is easier to remove).

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