By Charise Felton
I am a married mother of 2 daughters 17 & 13. I am a long time resident of Solano County.
I moved to Fairfield from Richmond, CA in 1990. Before moving here, We had never even heard of this little place.
As my parents packed our things into our U-Haul truck, my sister and I cried as we drove away to this "better place" as they called it. They comforted us with thoughts of them doing what was best for us. We heard things like, "You'll like it.. & You'll see.."
I can't thank my parents enough for this change. I really don't know where we'd be had we stayed there in Richmond.
It was less than 40 miles away from our hometown in Richmond, CA. But it was worlds away from it in every way imaginable. It was like a moving to a foreign land from the crime ridden streets of Richmond.
It was truly a safe and clean place to raise a family.
Once we moved here, we could walk from Suisun to Solano Mall safely without our parents giving it a second thought.
In Richmond, we couldn't leave our front porch for fear that someone could be shooting.
We got the opportunity to be taught by the elite of educators. I personally had Nelda J. Mundy as a teacher in several classes while at Armijo.
She inspired us an educator. She helped us to realize what a gift it was to be a part of this community.
Small businesses like Joe's Buffett, Kristina's Boutique, Dave's Hamburger, Mr. Carey's, The Hip Hop Shop not only helped a maintain a thriving local economy, but helped build a beautiful tapestry of people from different ethnic backgrounds, who as a local community introduced us to the great world around us.
Solano County was ripe with possibilities.
And at last, my parents had found a place to plant their two little flowers where they could flourish and grow.
As of today, the crime rate in Solano County is the highest it's ever been in its history!
We are now compared with the likes of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
Our community has regressed in so many ways. We are slowly becoming a police state.
Our jails are just bursting at the seam. They are overcrowded to the point that we are releasing criminals back into our community not based on how rehabilitated they are, but how much room is available at the time.
We can no longer sit idle and allow a reactive approach to fighting crime take root on our community, instead of a proactive approach to prevent it in the first place.
I believe with all my heart that Krishna Abrams with her visionary approach is the change we all want to see in Solano County.
I first met Krishna Abrams in July 2011 after I filed charges against xxxx xxxx (name removed) for crimes committed against my daughter.
She fought to make sure that my daughter's cries did not go unheard in the midst of a overwhelmed justice system.
She could have went after bigger cases with more media coverage or notoriety. But she didn't.
She put herself in my shoes. She put arms around my family and let us know that she was in our corner to get to the truth.
She showed me the true spirit of Solano County when she fought for my daughter as if she were her own!
Krishna's 'hold-no-punches' approach to our matter burned with a fire that would not be quenched.
And on November 20, 2013, thanks to Krishna's hard work, we finally got a guilty conviction.
Krishna has been an inspiration to our family as we strive to be the best we can be for our community.
Because of her efforts in helping our family stay on track in the midst of a tragedy. I am ever more proud to call Solano County home and great place to plant my two little flowers.
I thank Donald DuBain for his years of service and dedication to our beloved community.
Solano county has been a beacon of light that has in the past illuminated the neighboring counties. We've lighted the darkest ways in education, safety, business development and community involvement.
Now, we need fire to continue to burn bright. I believe that Krishna is the fire that Solano County needs. She will help us burn bright, lead the way and fight the good fight!
The illumination and effectiveness of this light can only be limited when we allow our own agendas to take priority over the commitments we made to our community.
Our common goal as a community is to press forward during these tough times.
We can do our part by seeing that the torch is passed so we can all move ahead!
It is my prayer that this torch and responsibility to light the way for us as a community be trusted to a person who has the fire within to keep it lit and going strong long enough so that we all can find our way home.
I believe that person is Krishna Abrams.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Charise Felton
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