Benicians Donna Ernst, Patti Baron, Penny Stell, Patty Gavin and Christina Strawbridge had front row seats on the red carpet at the 2017 Academy Awards. (Photo by Penny Stell)

Former City Councilmember and current fashion aficionado Christina Strawbridge brought a key group of Benicia movers and shakers to the Oscars Sunday, landing in the front row on the coveted red carpet where they cheered the stars of the big screen as they made their way inside Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. Community services officer for the Benicia Police Department Patti Baron, former Economic Development Board member Patty Gavin, former Arts and Cultural Commission member Penny Stell, City Attorney’s office assistant Donna Ernst and Strawbridge’s sister Anne Willis – all the way from her home in North Carolina – were on hand to greet and cheer the stars as they made their grand entrances to the annual Motion Picture Academy event.
“KGO came by and we saw ourselves on their live video monitor, and we were in most of the shots on the Jimmy Kimmel show,” Strawbridge told the Herald Tuesday.
The Benicia complement all wore red gloves to identify themselves as a group, helping them to stand out among the rows of fans along the path of A-list red carpet Oscar nominees and Hollywood VIPs.
“I heard from friends who saw us from as far away as Australia. We’re all over Facebook!” she enthused.
Strawbridge says she’s always been a big movie fan and self-proclaimed star groupie.
“It was great to be there with friends and see all the stars up close,” she said. “At the very end, Denzel Washington came up and high-fived all of us. It was surreal.”
Gowns that stood out for the the fashion arbiter included Emma Stone’s by designer Givenchy – “perfect for her, modern with vintage” – and the Louis Vuitton worn by Michelle Williams.
Christina Strawbridge served on the Benicia City Council from 2011 to 2016. She is the owner of Christina S Fashion Destination on First Street and serves on the board of directors for Benicia Main Street. She hopes her recent visit to the Oscars will be a repeat performance.

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