Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Men At Sea Need Playing Cards (June 25, 1942)

American men leaving West Coast ports for fighting fronts abroad want to do a bit of playing while they’re at sea– and they want bridge decks, pinochle decks and small games to do their playing with,
Number of decks turned over to the men thus far has not even dented the problem of recreation aboard ship, and the Red Cross said yesterday Army officers had requested that literally thousands of decks be given.
From women’s clubs, men’s fraternal organizations, from homes and apartments the new or used decks must pour forth in a tremendous stream to meet the requests.
The cards and games contributed by Benicia men, women and organizations should be mailed or taken to the Red Cross Sewing Rooms at First and J Streets.

50 years ago
Water Bond Issue Vote Set July 25 (June 22, 1967)

Only Residents Living in Special District Eligible

The city council set a special election for Tuesday, July 25, on a $4,650,000 bond issue to finance construction of a pipeline, pumping station, treatment plant and other facilities to provide water for the new Humble Oil refinery and other users in the area. Included in the project is a 36-inch pipeline extending from Cordelia to the Benicia Industrial Park. Only voters living within the boundaries of Benicia Water Facilities Improvement District No. 1, i.e., the industrial park, will be eligible to vote.
There are only two property owners affected– Humble Oil and the Benicia Surplus Property Authority. The latter has granted Benicia Industries Inc. a long-term, master lease on the former Benicia Arsenal lands

25 years ago

BUSD toughens policy on truants (June 21,1992)

School board reduces number of missed days from 10 to 5, but allows students to appeal disciplinary action

ByDavid Haggerty

The school board has shown some mercy on truant students by allowing them to appeal disciplinary action for missing class.
Trustees voted 3-2 Thursday night to adopt a new policy at Benicia High School, in which any student missing five or more sessions of the same class in a single semester will automatically fail.
The policy toughened existing truancy, rules which stated that students missing a combination of 10 periods of the same class for any reason, whether excusable or not, receive an “F” in that class.
Mercy came into play as the school board decided to allow kids an appeal if they were to be flunked out of a class for delinquency. High school administrators, acting at the behest of teachers, initially proposed that there be no appeals of truancy failures.
The board reasoned it is possible for a good student to dodge class for a week because of personal or emotional problems, such as the break-up of a relationship, and still pass the course.
High school officials, though at first reluctant, agreed to the change.
“Our interest is not to be punitive,” Gloria Maher, a BHS vice principal said.
Maher said teachers want to cut down on intermittent truancy by lackadaisical students who think they can cut nine class periods without consequence.
The policy change does not affect kids who miss class for illness or other excusable reasons. They still can miss up to 10 sessions before failing, and beyond that have an opportunity to appeal for readmittance to the class.

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

Sharing is caring!