Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Plan For New Streets Are Progressing (July 22, 1943)

According to the tabulation of returns from property owners less than 5 per cent of the property owners opposed to the simplified form submitted for forming the proposed Street Improvement Assessment District in Benicia,
The City Council recently sent out notices to property owners proposing that certain streets be improved with modern macadamized roadways.
The next procedure will be the publication of a Notice of Intention to proceed with the formation of the district, and property owners will then have the opportunity of appearing before the City Council should they wish to file protest and if less than 51 per cent oppose the proposed improvement the council will then call for bids for six miles of street work, according to the plans submitted by engineers.
The City Council has appointed William Mackenzie Brown, of Los Angeles, to represent the city’s interest in order that property owners’ interests may be safeguarded in connection with the proposed street improvement bonds. Phil R. Jones of Vallejo and Richmond, has been appointed to superintend the engineering details.

50 years ago

Sollit Construction awarded school bid by district trustees (July 18, 1968)

Sollit 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 pruchase 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

Pool fee now 75 cents, IDs required, too (July 18, 1993)

By Sarah Rohrs

The price of swimming at James Lemos Pool will officially increase from 50 cents to 75 cents Monday.
Out-of-towners who would like to swim at the Benicia city pool will have to pay $1.50; Benicia pool users will now be required to show proof that they live inside the city limits to avoid paying the charge.
Rather than bring identification each time they use the pool, city staff will issue orange Benicia residency cards to all swimmers. Each family member must have a card.
Amy Hanson, the pool’s assistant recreation coordinator, said an adult can bring a driver’s license or utility bill to the pool or the Parks and Community Services department at City Hall, and fill out an application for their residency cards.

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

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