Welcome to Rio Vista!

By Carol Bower Foote with Judy Tussy

Sixty-seven years ago, Judy Tussy moved to Rio Vista with her husband, Hank (Henry). Hank had survived the bloody June 1944 D-Day landings at Omaha Beach where he captained a Higgins boat which shuttled soldiers to the shore and the wounded back to hospital ships. Judy was pregnant with their 3^rd child who was born 10 days after their arrival here in Rio Vista. In the coming years, the couple became part of the heartbeat of the community… leading, serving, enriching.

Judy found a home in the Womens Improvement Club of Rio Vista, founded in 1912 as a 501(c)(4) organization to improve the lives of local women and children through social, cultural philanthropic and educational activities.  Hank ran the Mobil gas station located in the “V” between Highway 12 and Main Street at its Western Entrance, and was a Rotary Club Member. Once their 3 children were in school, Judy was Hank’s bookkeeper at the station.  Judy served as WIC President in 1966-67 while Hank was Rotary President from 1968-69.  

During their Rotary convention travels, the couple were often met with an inquisitive “Where is that?” when they said they were from Rio Vista. When they explained where the town was, conventioneers would say something like “Oh!  I’ve been by on Highway 12 lots of times. I didn’t know the town was there!” An idea was born. The vacant lot behind the Mobil station was overrun with an unsightly tangle of tall weeds. Judy approached the owner, Ernest “Ernie” Trigueiro, seeking permission to clear and improve the lot with landscaping and a sign. If they could commit to keep up the property, permission was granted. CalTrans was approached and provided a plan and offer to donate plants. The overall plan proved to be too expensive to implement as suggested.

Plans were drawn up and approved by the City. Judy approached the Womens Improvement Council with a proposal. In December 1966, the board and membership approved sponsorship of a civic beautification project for 1967 to landscape the Western entrance property. The financial aid of other service clubs and organizations in the area would be enlisted to make it happen. A committee was formed to drive the project which included Judy Tussy, Mildred Hansen, Joanne Hurley, and Helen Blackwelder.  Hank Tussy took charge of the Rio Vista sign which read: “RIO VISTA WELCOMES You !” A commemorative plaque would also be installed on the property with roses and evergreen shrubs.

After 15 months of planning and fundraising, Judy turned over the first shovel to break ground at a ceremony attended by Mayor Sal Fisher, City Foreman Elger Vengley, State Landscape Engineer Don Young, and representatives from Mobil Oil Co., Delta Jaycees, and the WIC.  Mr. Trigueiro was unable to attend.  The Welcome Sign, fabricated by Hank Tussy, was erected and dedicated in 1968.

When the Club was unable to use city water to keep up the garden, despite the city water connection on the property, Hank and Judy ran a hose from their Mobil station over to the plot to keep it green. The Womens Improvement Club also planted the trees lining Highway 12 from the west of town toward the Trilogy entrance, Judy recalls the club hiring a wagon and a driver to take barrels of water out to the trees to water them. She is hoping that when CalTrans widens the highway, at least one of those trees will be transplanted somewhere in town as a remembrance.

Over the next 35 years, the entrance fell into disrepair and the Welcome Sign fell down in a storm. W.I.C. president, Renee Tingey, asked Judy to chair a make over. In November 2004 plans were put into motion. Over the next few months, with the help of volunteers, especially Scoutmaster Doug Tingey and Boy Scout Troup #285 of Rio Vista led by Kurt Hobbs who attained Eagle Scout status for the project, plants went in. Hank Tussy made and installed a new sign, raising it up higher this time.

Once the water and lights were on and the sign up, Hank and Judy did their best to maintain the landscaping as long as they were able. Sometime over the next 6 years, Judy indicated, at the suggestion of Steven Bissell, a Financial Planner in town, an addition was made to the sign indicating “Historic Downtown” with an arrow directing drivers to Main Street.

Now at 90, Judy (and the WIC) are happy for RioVision to take on the Western Entrance as a project. Master Gardener David Bellamy from Trilogy has been pruning and clearing.  Dave unearthed the commemorative concrete plaque on the plot inscribed with “Womens Imp Club.”

RioVision’s City Art Project Committee is in charge of refurbishing the Rio Vista Welcome sign. Updates will include strengthening the sign structurally, changing the background color to match the street signs downtown and updating the letters. The upper sign will continue to read “Historic Downtown” with the arrow toward Main St. Trim and a decorative sculptured metal cut out indicative of our natural Delta environment may be added in a complementary color. Work will begin after the winter rains with the help of Brian Spradling Construction. The utility boxes on the plot will be painted in designs awarded through the ROCK THE BOX project sponsored by RioVision and approved by RioVision’s CAP committee, Rio Vista’s Dept of Public Works, the Planning Commission, and Cal Trans. Other improvements are pending CalTran’s 2022 plans to redo Highway 12 from the bridge to Trilogy.

Thank you Judy and Hank Tussy, the Womens Improvement Club of Rio Vista, Rio Vista Boy Scout Troup #285, and the volunteers of RioVision for keeping Rio Vista’s Welcome alive at Highway 12 and Main Street.