Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Judge Fines Self For Overtime Parking (July 15, 1943)

Expecting to be occupied only for a few minutes, Judge Hartley Russell of the Benicia Police Court parked his car last Saturday in the 20 minute zone near the postoffice.
The Judge is a busy man and forgot that he was in a limited zone, so imagine his surprise when he returned to his car with Mayor Charles G. Clyne and found that Police Office George Joseph had tagged his car.
The Mayor approved the zeal of Joseph and we are informed that Judge Russell accepted the citation and later paid the usual fine of $1. It is presumed that he cautioned himself to be more careful in the future.

50 years ago

Trustees open bids at meet (July 11, 1968)

Sellit Construction Company of Benicia was the apparent low bidder when the bids for additions to Benicia High School were opened at the meeting of Benicia Unified School District Board, Monday night, July 8. The bids were opened and checked for authenticity by Milton Goldinger, representing Solano County Council and John Beland from the Architectural firm of Beland, Gianelli and Associates. They were presented to the trustees for final awarding, which will take place at next Monday’s meeting.
Other bidders were Siri Construction Company of Benicia; Royce Hall, General Contractors, Napa; Ralph E. Carlsen Construction Company, Lafayette; Western Empire Construction Company, Walnut Creek and Archie Q. Smith, Vallejo.
The board accepted the proposal by Superintendent Robert McKee to purchase service from the Sacramento Data Processing Center for the school year 1968-69 at Benicia High School. McKee said the service would assist teachers and office personnel in attendance, scheduling and give a total rundown on each student’s class standing. The estimated cost was $1200 for the year.
Benicia’s Intermediate School was given the okey to develop a library area, replace drapes and purchase student lockers. The lockers are needed to make the school into a departmentalized program similar to that of the high school here. The school will be furnished with necessary equipment to develop a library, which it has never previously had.

25 years ago

Planners let the (video) games begin (July 11, 1993)

By David Hagerty

City planners cleared the way Thursday for the establishment of game arcades in town, thereby allowing a Benicia couple to apply for permits to open one in the Southampton Shopping Center.
Doug and Rachel Wilson are expected to reappear before the Planning Commission in August to request a use permit for their game center. Almost simultaneously, the Wilsons also will appeal to the City Council, which will have the final say on whether the game center will be allowed in the city.
Such approval would be a reversal of attitude among city officials, who in 1987 effectively outlawed all arcades by restricting businesses to at most five video games apiece.
In part, it was the Wilsons’ promises to run an orderly and family oriented arcade that seemed to persuade commissioners.
“It will be drug-free,” Doug Wilson told the planners. “No drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or loitering outside the game center will be allowed.”
Several of the Wilson’s friends also spoke to the planners in such glowing terms that one commissioners joked the hearing was turning into a “testimonial for the Wilsons.”

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

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