Robert Louis Salaber, 58, former DDBA President and a key anchor for downtown revitalization projects honored at City Hall
Robert Louis Salaber, 58, former DDBA President and a key anchor for downtown revitalization projects honored at City Hall
By Ben Edokpayi, Staff Writer ©
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Dixon — CA: 2023 was a sombre start for City Council members.
In their first session Dixon Council members took time to recall and pay tributes to Fairfield Mayor Harry Price and former Downtown Dixon Business Association President, DDBA, Robert Louis Salaber who both passed away suddenly just before Christmas.
“He was a fine gentleman,” recalled CouncilMember Jim Ernest who said he cherished the time they worked together.
In his tribute Mayor Steve Bird said “Harry was a saint able to bring people together. I appreciate the opportunity to work with him.”
The tributes were more effusive for Salaber who died on Christmas day in Idaho where he had relocated from Dixon with his family. He was buried in Boise, Idaho, where an American Airlines plane mishap was fortuitously avoided yesterday. American Airlines flight s kids off runway at Boise, Idaho air port https://www.q13fox.com/news/american-airlines-flight-skids-off-runway-at-idaho-airport
An announcement on his web site saiservices.com read “ With much sadness, we announce the recent passing of Rob Salaber, P.E., our President, and company founder. Rob was known for his larger-than-life personality. He was a free-thinker and steadfast leader. Anyone who knew Rob understood his profound love and pride for his family. He spent his last day celebrating the holidays and enjoying the company of his wife, children — Ant and Nick Salaber — and their spouses.”
In an email his son wrote “Robert and Mary moved in 2019. They lived in Dixon for 27 years. Dixonites lost a coach, friend, and tireless leader.”
An emotional Bird, visually shocked by the tragic news, dedicated the January 3 Council session to him.
“He will be truly missed and our condolences to his family and friends,” said Bird who recalled that Salaber’s positive community influence included working as a coach for local youth sports teams in his spare time. “Some of the Kids could have headed the wrong way but he instilled value in their lives,” said Bird.
Indeed sports was the catalyst in our conversation and special friendship when this reporter met him on my first day on the job in 2002 as former Tribune editor.
In my first stint at the Tribune between 2002 and 2006 it was not unusual to encounter readers and subscribers in civil conversations, who for one reason or the other at that time, were dissatisfied with the quality of the newspaper.
On our first meeting in February 2002 for an interview in his bucolic DDBA office ( Located on main thoroughfare in Dixon headed toward Davis, Yolo County) the table was literally turned on me by Rob Salaber. I spent almost an hour defending the credibility of the paper instead of interviewing the DDBA President, who said he had stopped reading our newspaper because of poor quality and content prior to my tenure.
A few months after that interview Mr. Salaber was happy with the quality of our product so much so that he became a reporter on under-14 girls soccer in our sports section. I am sure he will be happy that our product is still top quality.
Soon after that challenge from Rob Salaber I wrote an Op-ed in The Dixon Tribune titled “How I Turned The Tables On Those Who Had Lost Faith In The Dixon Tribune” and here are important excerpts on how we revitalized the paper’s quality which is still maintained.
“Through letters and verbal contacts with all kinds of folks in the city I also know we are doing a better job at putting out a quality newspaper that readers and subscribers eagerly look forward to every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I know because our telephone call rates rise every morning the newspaper delivery boys are late on the job.
All of this would not be possible without a solid team effort, which begins with our Advert Manager Sarah Villec who has almost single-handedly and selflessly held this place together. (I still don’t know how she survived without an editor for so long!)
Then behind the scene is our meticulous and (former) creative production manager Laura Pearsall who has played a great role in some of the improvements you see in the newspaper. On the administrative side I can’t say enough good things about the dedication and professionalism with which Sharon Haycox and Susan Carman handle affairs. Then there is Tel Aviv born Dan Jacobs, our (late) circulation manager who has assembled a hardworking crew and done a good job of making sure that the paper gets out to the readers in all nooks and crannies with his Israeli wife.
Within the last two weeks we have also been able to hire David Henson, an enterprising young reporter all the way from Alabama. David (Whose wife is a Doctor stationed at Travis) comes to the Tribune fresh from a journalism program at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and he is already proving to be a ‘gem in the rough.’
Before him was another equally enterprising young man Travis Blaschek-Miller who we have now deployed to the West Sacramento Press after spending two summer months logging over 5,000 miles across Canada and the United States.
We have also received tremendous help along the way from a number of interns including CSUS graduate Joseph Craig, Fairfield High Junior Amanda Delapa (who is now married to Ian MacDonald) and Cosumnes River College Alex Aliferis.
While I know we have made progress there is still a lot of room for improvement. I remember writing in my first column that Dixon is growing and the people of the city will like to see a paper that reflects that growth.”
From his criticisms Robert Salaber was instrumental in how the paper regained its verve between 2002 and 2003
Here is how former Mayor MaryAnne Courville recalled her special relationship with Mr. Salaber.
“I first met Rob Salaber in 1992 when he asked me to work on his campaign for a seat on the Dixon City Council, and he won. He then asked me to help write, along with then Chief Rick Fuller, the Dixon Community Crime Watch Plan, to help Dixon residents become the eyes and ears for the police department. The Neighborhood Watch was created, Community Policing was established, and Dixon Police Officers became more involved and engaged in the community. Rob was instrumental in starting the Downtown Revitalization Plan, which used Federal, State, and City money to develop the Renewal Plan for new streets, sidewalks, landscaping, Highway 113 repaved, made downtown more ADA compliant, along with business loans for downtown businesses. Along with new businesses, Rob started and was president for many years of the Downtown Dixon Business Association to keep the downtown vibrant and vital for Dixon. In his words, “Downtown Dixon is the heart and soul of the City of Dixon.” I have lost a good friend and brother ….” Mary Ann Courville, former Mayor in an online tribute via Facebook.
Jill Ferguson Orr, Real Estate Associate at Motley Realty and Owner Dawson’s Bar and Grill who served with Mr. Salaber, on the DDBA, was effusive on his contributions to a vibrant downtown Dixon.
“Rob was completely devoted to his community and his family. He was the President of the Downtown Dixon business Association for a number of years; he personally provided an office for the Downtown Dixon Association, and a paid staff member for it out of his own pocket. He was instrumental in many of the projects to include the N. 1st St. project, which was a replacement of the street going through our downtown and infrastructure, which was a great undertaking. He also was a part of the many fundraisers and events that took place in our downtown, always supporting them. He was an Integral, part of all of what we see right now. We are shocked and saddened by his passing as everywhere he went, and everything he did was always for the betterment of others.”
Benjamin Netanyahu scaled back intelligence-sharing when Biden took office — report https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-scaled-back-intelligence-sharing-when-biden-took-office-report/
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2009/03/20/the-science-of-traffic
Rob Salaber was buried in Boise, Idaho, where an American Airlines plane mishap was fortuitously avoided on Monday. American Airlines flight s kids off runway at Boise, Idaho air port https://www.q13fox.com/news/american-airlines-flight-skids-off-runway-at-idaho-airport
https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/boise-airport-jet-boeing-737-goes-off-taxiway-monday-american-airlines-dfw-to-boi-january-16-2023/277-50a88958-3fc7-44e2-a463-555328d23d66 https://www.faa.gov/
Photo Courtesy Felicia Salaber Gwynn
This is the front page lead in the Wednesday January 18 edition of the Dixon Tribune, the newspaper of record for the Dixon Tribune, population, 21,000. The city was formerly known as Dickson.
