Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Spenger Grotto to Open Saturday (April 1, 1943)

On Saturday Spenger’s Fish Grotto will be open to the public in the famous old ferry “Encinal” which is now located in Benicia city limits, two miles west of town on the Benicia-Vallejo highway.
Spenger Brothers who have had many years in specializing in fish and steak dinners, promise the public the same high class quality of foods and service that they maintain in their famous cafe in Berkeley. Their Berkeley establishment has been in operation since 1930 and the “Encinal” was anchored and operated as a cafe at San Rafael for six years, and was towed here several monthse ago.
The ferry was first launched at San Francisco in 1887 and was operated on San Francisco Bay by the Southern pacific Company until sold to the Spengers.
The management here will be under the direct supervision of Paul Spenger, and Frank Spenger will remain at the Berkeley Cafe.

50 years ago

Benicia Marine Helps Guide Scouts (March 28, 1968)

Cub Scouting at the American school in Mexico City has taken on a certain ring of authority and smartness thanks to a Benicia Marine sergeant and seven of his fellow sergeant and corporals.
You might say the Marines have landed and have the situation well in hand. They do, too.
The Marines are members of the United States security guard at the embassy. The young boys are from the Webelos and Cub Scouts attending the American school nearby. The Marines are acting as “pack fathers” and helping to train the boys who are the in-between stage between Cub and Boy Scouts.
The Marines are headed by Sgt. C.N. (Nate) Holmes who said the idea of helping the boys occurred to him last July 4 when he watched the boys parade by and afterward proposed his ideas to scout leaders who accepted.
This year when the boys strut by on next July 4 there will be some eyebrows raised as they will march with the precision of a Marine drill team and all the smartness and polish of real Marines.

25 years ago

Benicia tightens budget belt again (March 28, 1993)

By Sarah Rohrs

It’s not a pretty budget picture.
The city is bracing for a $2.5 million cut in fiscal 1993-94, partly because of the recession and partly because the state Legislature is threatening to keep more property taxes in its own coffers.
A collective hit of 18 percent has affected the General Fund from 1990 to 1994. The city estimates that the housing market slowdown, the recession, and sources of revenue related to construction growth and tourism are lower than what staff originally estimated.
To address these matters, the City Council will have a special one-hour study session on the budget beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. That will be followed by a public hearing on the pipe union’s appeal of a use permit approval for Exxon’s $30 million gasoline-additive facility.

The full articles of these and other stories are available on microfilm at the Benicia Public Library.

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