As the City Council prepares to review water and wastewater rates and revenues, it would be good to review facts about these issues, in part because I have heard so much speculation over the past months that is simply wrong. Let’s start with: How did we get to a point where a big rate increase […]
Dennis Lund: Potential Trump trip to Korea drives Maddow crazy
Last week it was announced that President Trump had accepted an invitation from North Korea’s Kim Jong-un to meet in the near future. When one considers the threat posed by the North Korean despot, the opportunity to diffuse that threat has to be taken. That is one attribute of a leader: Charting previously uncharted courses […]
Letters: Cannabis and trade dumping
The Tipping Point Benicia literary aficionados are familiar with Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point.” Our nation has experienced a steady tipping in favor of normalization of cannabis as an agricultural product with multiple uses, most prominently as a medicinal supplement, or mood-modifier far safer than alcohol and completely non-toxic. Cannabis as an agricultural product brings […]
Bruce Robinson: How to stop school shooters
Ever since the Parkland school shooting on Valentine’s Day, media pundits and politicians of all stripes have spewed forth an avalanche of disparate explanations for and radical solutions to this most recent manifestation of what CNN has listed as the 34 “deadliest mass shootings in United States history since 1949.” The explanations have ranged from […]
Letters: Proposed sculpture and alcohol in parks
Support for sculpture How wonderful if all the good citizens of Benicia could have been at the Tuesday, March 6, City Council meeting. There were fabulous art ideas for Benicia city streets presented by the Arts Council. They would have also seen pictures of the exquisite sculpture, “Neptune’s Daughter,” which has been donated to the […]
Cannabis: ‘The Smell’
Seasoned Benicia residents may remember “Creature Features” with Bob Wilkins as a Saturday night TV staple for those interested in classic horror films. These days, I am following the antics of “Svengoolie” on Saturday nights, featuring the usual platter of sometimes really bad early horror genre. A lot of works were simple two word titles […]
A Vibrant Faith for the 21st Century: Between Scylla and Charybdis
By Rev. Henry Sun Special to the Herald I wonder how many of you know who Bart Ehrman is. He and I share three things in common. First, we’re both men. Second, we both read Greek. And third, we both attended Wheaton College and eventually pursued a doctorate in Biblical studies, me in Old Testament […]
Bob Livesay: Finally, the city takes up budget
By now, you must know that I will not give up on the city budget. The mayor takes a cavalier approach to the budget. This is not new, but this time it is very serious. Mayor Patterson’s sidekick, Vice Mayor Young, seems to side– no pun intended– with he approach. Meanwhile, the three other members […]
Letters: Civic engagement and ISO
Civic engagement of young people The League of Women Voters Benicia (LWV Benicia) would like to congratulate Benicia High School for their outstanding achievements in student civic engagement. The LWV Benicia has been active in their program for several years, going into senior government classes to explain the voting process and register students to vote. […]
Letter: Fighting back against bullying
Fighting back against bullying Have you ever been the victim of bullying? Do you wonder how to stop it? I am a well-respected resident of Benicia, and I was a victim of neighborhood bullying. Over 70 homes in my immediate area received a letter filled with false accusations and lies about an incident that I […]