As we look back a decade at the closure of the naval base at Mare Island, my memory goes back another 10-plus years to recall a singular moment that occurred in Vallejo in 1985.

I had recently taken my seat on the Napa County Board of Supervisors. One of my committee assignments was to represent the board on the Vallejo Armed Services Committee.

Joining me for my first meeting at the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce office on Florida Street was relatively new Napa City Councilman Mike Joell, the city's representative on the armed services committee.

The meetings generally consisted of updates from the group's lobbyist, a former newspaperman and aide to Luther Gibson, a one-time state senator and publisher of newspapers in Vallejo and Benicia.

He would tick off a list of pending projects at the shipyard, ship refurbishings and the number of jobs being created.

Toward the end of the meeting, Joell stunned the suits sitting around the conference table by asking if they had given any thought to what would happen if Mare Island were ever slated for closure. What preparations were being made, and what about potential job losses in the community?

He later told me, "I'd seen a story on CNN about base closures around the country, and Mare Island was mentioned for future study."

Once the harrumphs from around the table quieted, Mike was told that was a problem for the Chamber of Commerce to ponder. This despite the fact that it was the job of the Armed Services Committee to promote economic activity.

The topic was not raised again, perhaps for years, but the prophetic moment had occurred and sticks with me to this day.

-- Jay Goetting