U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) will be speaking in Vallejo tonight. As a result, the city has issued a traffic congestion advisory in anticipation of the large crowds expected to show up.
A report sent out by the city manager’s office Monday evening predicted that the event would draw between 10,000 and 18,000 attendees.
“The city is coordinating with the event producers to ensure that public safety needs are met in and around the event area, in addition to maintaining regular staffing levels citywide,” the notice read.
Sanders will be speaking at Service Club Park on Mare Island Way, near the Vallejo Ferry Building and Front Room at the Wharf restaurant. The city has blocked off traffic on the portion of Mare Island Way south of Florida Street and north of Maine Street from 2 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m. People will be allowed to take a detour on Maine Street through Santa Clara Street. Capitol Street from the City Hall parking lot to Mare Island Way and portions of the City Hall parking lot are expected to be closed as well. Parking may be difficult downtown, so attendees are encouraged to take a bus or ridesharing service or walk. The waterfront promenade will also be closed to pedestrian traffic, although they will be able to access the sidewalk along Mare Island Way.
No city officials could be reached at press time, although those requesting more information can call Joanna Altman, assistant to the city manager, at 648-4362.
The California primary is considered to be crucial to Sanders’ campaign, as he is trailing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in pledged delegates, and 475 delegates are at stake. Sanders indicated in a May 5 interview with NPR that he would not give up until the California primary and is hoping he can convince enough superdelegates to vote for him. The speech in Vallejo is another stop on Sanders’ campaign tour in California. He will also be speaking at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose at 1 p.m. today. Additionally, he has had campaign stops in Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland, San Francisco and Carson in Los Angeles County.
The doors for the event open at 4 p.m., and Sanders is scheduled to start speaking at 7:30 p.m. Admission is first come, first served. The general admission entrance can be accessed in front of the ferry terminal.
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This would be a nice piece of history to take a part in. I’m going to have to try to make it, if only to say I saw Bernie speak, and to share with posterity.
That sounds like what I would might have said during the ’72 election cycle when I attended a McGovern rally to listen to both the candidate and Cesar Chavez.. I think this is the most…….. interesting? (shall we say), political cycles I have witnessed, since that long ago day and age.
The last time I saw a Presidential candidate was Bobbie Kennedy, just prior to the June primary here in 1968. He would have been President had he lived because he had the courage to stand up to the most divisive administration in memory (at least until now).
Wow, Reg, and DDL, thanks for sharing. I wish I could have seen Bobby Kennedy, who is my hero of mine even though I was 4 when he was killed. His words still resonate. I also saw McGovern, as well as Carter and Ted Kennedy in 1980 in my Ohio hometown.
Carolyn,
Bobby was very passionate and would have won in a landslide in November. Martin Luther King was also killed earlier that year. I had heard him speak the previous fall at Sacramento State. 1968 wasn’t a good year for many reasons. and we still bear the scars of that era.
How nice to see both Ellen Blaufarb and Kirsten Odegaard return to your paper. I had been missing them and wondering if there was an anti-female bias as far as commentary was concerned. Very glad to have them back!
I saw Ike in the back of a train during his whistle stop campaign in 1952 in Martinez.