Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Benicia-Vallejo Hiway Officially Opened Friday (April 22, 1943)

Ceremonies for opening the new highway between Benicia and Vallejo will be observed Friday morning, April 23, at 11:30, when state officials, civic leaders and representatives from Benicia Arsenal and Mare Island will meet at a designated spot three-fourths of a mile west of Benicia for a ribbon cutting ceremony which will officially open the highway.
The new road has been under construction since last July and has been built so that all sharp curves have been eliminated.

50 years ago

Circus Is Coming Here For 2 Shows Saturday (April 18, 1968)

A small and different kind of circus will be in Benicia for two shows on Saturday, April 20.
The Dewayne Bros. Circus will pitch its tents in the 700 block of East M St. Their appearance here is sponsored by the Benicia Fire Fighters Association. Shows are scheduled for 2 and 8 p.m. with admission $1 for children and $1,50 for adults.
This circus is a department store buyer who takes off from his job to become a fire eater, a pharmacist who sold his pharmacy to put up tents and to patch the wounds of tightrope walkers, a young girl who trains and travels with dangerous snakes, a 16-year-old boy who became a clown at the age of 10.
For eight months of the year they and about 30 others in much the same situation live together through hot dusty towns and big cities. They work together, putting up and taking down shows, constantly preparing for and cleaning up after crowds. They share their joys with each other and when there’s suffering they share that, too.
They’ve all banded together because they love circuses.
The show they’ve put together is one of the few old-time circuses left in the world today.
It’s a circus complete with smells of popcorn and horses, with cookie-box animal trailers and a big flop-eared elephant. It has escape artists, magicians and aerial performers. And six miles of rope string together the tents– which have all but disappeared from the modern circuses that are moving into auditoriums and baseball parks.
Bimbo is belled as the “world’s only water-skiing elephant.” She earned that title several years ago when circus owner Ted DeWayne bought the elephant from Columbia Pictures. DeWayne began taking the elephant out to the beach to swim with him.
Elephants are fine swimmers.

25 years ago

City ponders limits for progress in Sky (April 18, 1993)

By Sarah Rohrs

The City Council will try once again Tuesday night to resolve its wrangling over Sky Valley.
Councilmen will consider a resolution establishing a number of hurdles that must be crossed on the I.T. closure process before any development in the northern area can proceed.
City Manager Mike Warren said the resolution was written based on the council’s comments at previous meetings.
The proposed policy statement states that because of the uncertainty over the closure of the International Technology Corp.’s, hazardous waste dump, no more staff time or resources will be put toward planning for a massive residential development north of town.
According to the draft resolution, the following conditions must be satisfied before the city puts any more time into planning the northern area or before development entitlements are granted:
* The EIR for closure of the I.T. facility has been certified by the Department of Toxic Substances Control.
* The city is satisfied with the environmental analysis in the EIR.
* I.T. has secured permits necessary to allow closure to proceed.
* The city is satisfied the plans fully protect public health and the environment.
* Funding has been secured by I.T. to cover the full cost of site closure and post-closure monitoring.
* After a public hearing, councilmen will make findings to determine that residents within any development in Sky Valley would not be at any risk.

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

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