A lonely Summer Solstice at the Massive East Area Tank

Tourists fail to show for Davis' annual solar attraction

My concerns stemmed from giving two artists from across the Causeway all that cash instead of hiring locally. Then again, Davis is pretty much a backwater burg completely devoid of artists and people who appreciate art, so I guess the city was forced to look elsewhere.

It's been 13 years since the City of Davis hired two young and talented artists to the tune of $75,000 to paint the Massive East Area Tank (the MEAT) in all sorts of bright letters and colors in the hope it would attract flocks of tourists, not to mention crows.

The crows have come. The tourists, not so much.

Some folks claimed at the time that I was using my column in a small-town newspaper to oppose this project, which is simply not true.

My concerns stemmed from giving two artists from across the Causeway all that cash instead of hiring locally.

Then again, Davis is pretty much a backwater burg completely devoid of artists and people who appreciate art, so I guess the city was forced to look elsewhere.

I did suggest that the city place thousands of cans of spray paint all around the tank with signs warning "DO NOT USE SPRAY PAINT ON THE TANK."

At that point word would spread among every teenage tagger from here to the Oregon border - some of them incredibly creative - and we'd have had the tank painted for free in no time at all.

The City Attorney did not like that plan.

Actually, the Davis City Council slipped an additional $16,650 into the pot at the last minute when it was determined that the nearby Jacques DeBra pump house could use a new coat of paint, lest it present an eyesore for all those expected hordes of tourists.

And never mind that my kids would have painted it for cookies and lemonade and been darn proud of their work to boot.

According to a report in the esteemed Treatment Plant Operator publication, "The abstract mural is more than a painting. Three metal sculptures containing letters are mounted outward along the top (of the tank) and cast shadows on the side of the 4-million gallon prestressed concrete tank."

Prestressed? That pretty much describes my reaction when I saw that $75,000 blowing away during one of our frequent North Wind events.

Added the Treatment Plant Operator story, "Following the sun's travel, the shadows move and reveal their letters on the side of the tank. During and around the Summer Solstice, they align perfectly with white letters painted on the side to complete the Latin phrase 'sol omnibus lucet' ("The sun shines upon us all.")

And here I thought Latin was a dead language.

However, I was actually and unexpectedly inspired by that phrase, so I decided to make a trip out to the tank this year at the exact moment of the Solstice, which just happened to be today at precisely 1:50 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Apparently, even God and Mother Nature have to set their clocks ahead an extra hour at this time of year.

I left early to avoid the crowds and find a place to park where I could observe the tank in all its glory at this blessed moment in history.

I expected to be greeted by the mayor, the chief of police, the chancellor of UC Davis and maybe even John Philip Sousa himself, with 76 trombones marching in unison behind him.

Shockingly, when I arrived the parking lot was empty. It was devoid of any evidence of human activity, save for four stuffed white garbage bags near the fenced-off entrance to the tank.

Evidence of human occupation outside the Tank

I thought maybe I had the wrong date. More often than not the Summer Solstice arrives on June 21. But my handy pocket sundial never lies. It was indeed the exact Moment of Truth and I had the tank all to myself.

Unfortunately, an iron gate, complete with sharp spikes at the top, surrounded the tank and blocked me from getting a close-up look at that cherished Latin phrase as it sprung to life, if ever so briefly.

Desperate tourists risk impalement to get a close-up look at the Tank

There were no picnic tables for tourists to rest their weary bones and enjoy a catered lunch. No speeches for prominent local leaders. No evidence of the artists themselves to explain their project in detail for those not in the know.

In fact, there was no access to the tank at all, just signs warning that only "Authorized Personnel" were allowed to approach this precious art-bearing behemoth at the very moment of its glory.

But all was not lost.

The nearby Ikeda Gourmet Fruit Stand remained open to accommodate the needs of the anticipated crowd and I was able to enjoy one of their sparkling fruit freezes on what would otherwise have been an enormously disappointing ride home.

But, as they say in baseball after you lose the big game, there's always next year.

Same time, same place.

You can reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com