A clear choice for health I moved to Benicia 15years ago, knowing it to be a small, safe, friendly community. My daughter and three grandchildren followed. I am responsible for their presence in this town. I am deeply committed to their health and safety. Valero’s power failure in May 2017 engulfed Benicia with black smoke […]
Officials, candidates decry campaign calls
As election season shifts further into gear, several Benicians have reported receiving calls purporting to be surveys about the City Council election while asking questions reportedly putting one of its candidates in a negative light. One person who reported hearing the call was Vice Mayor Steve Young, who detailed his experiences with a recent call […]
Letters: Yep, it’s election season
Swaying the vote I get a kick out of the campaign season and have for the past 25 years or so. I remember a day when local, city elections were supposed to be free from political parties. Then in the early 2000s, Dan Smith (the first to do so that I remember) mentioned that the […]
Letters: Birdseye views
Don’t be fooled I have talked about the “Shadow Government, the self-appointed leader of whom appears to be Mayor Patterson. Her self-appointed second in command is Vice Mayor Young. She is now hard at work to get Birdseye elected to the City Council as a third vote and have a very simple majority. Now she […]
Letter: Birdseye for council
Birdseye for council Ever since I was elected to be your supervisor, I have found Kari Birdseye to be a tireless advocate for Benicia. Nearly two decades ago, Kari and her husband chose to make Benicia their home. Kari raised her family in Benicia, put her kids through Benicia’s schools and volunteered numerous hours as […]
City Council candidates discuss issues at Chamber of Commerce forum
Viewers of Wednesday’s Candidate’s Night forum, sponsored by the Benicia Chamber of Commerce, had an opportunity to ask questions of the City Council candidates and learn their perspectives on hot-button issues facing the city. The forum was held in the Council Chambers of City Hall and moderated by James Cooper, the president of the Vallejo […]
Pat Toth-Smith: Birdseye puts safety first
It’s been two years since the 2016 crude-by-rail permit for Valero was denied, but a strong memory of it remains for me and probably for a lot of Benicians. It’s because of that experience that I’m urging Benicians to vote for Kari Birdseye for the Benicia City Council. Birdseye was a new Planning Commissioner […]
Candidate Spotlight: Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye sees council as next step
After three years on the Planning Commission, including a year and a half as its chair, Kari Birdseye is ready to continue serving the city in a bigger way, hence why she is running for the City Council. “(It’s) the natural next step in my service to Benicia,” she said. Birdseye received a bachelor’s […]
Birdseye nets endorsements from Rep. Thompson, local Democratic groups
Staff Report Kari Birdseye, chair of the Benicia Planning Commission and a candidate in the City Council election, garnered four endorsements over the last two weeks, including one from Benicia’s representative in Congress, Rep. Mike Thompson. “I’ve endorsed Kari because she shares our vision of serving the community to make Benicia the best that it […]
Benicia Democrats endorse Birdseye, Dean in local races
Staff Report At its Tuesday meeting, the Progressive Democrats of Benicia interviewed candidates for the Benicia City Council and Solano County Board of Education. Club members cast their votes and announced the results on Wednesday. Of the three candidates running for City Council, Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye and former Councilmember Christina Strawbridge. Ultimately, Birdseye […]