Eyes snapped right, As they marched in review. Once many more, Now very few. A paunch on a belly, Once hard and flat. Once young and smooth, For all to look at. Now passed on the street, Seen in the day. Read in their eyes, See what they say. They speak of times, Both near […]
Poetry Corner: James Garrett “Old, Gnarled Tree”
There’s a gnarled, old, oak tree, All wrinkled with age. It’s seen the warm sunlight, And the cold winter’s rage. It’s been home to young families, Both below and on top. The wind’s song in its branches, Will not ever stop. Its branches are worn deep, By the ropes of an old swing, As it […]
Six great Benicia High School backs of the ’50s as seniors (Part 3)
CHARLES KIMBLE Sophomore season The team finished with a record of 4-5, but that was largely due to the fact five or six sophomores at a time were in the starting lineup. The season previously was the first time the huge majority of the now sophomore players had ever worn a football uniform. There was […]
James Garrett: Six great Benicia High School backs of the ’50s as seniors–Part 2
ROLLAND VAN BLARICOM (pronounced “Raw-land”) Junior season The 1955 team was a Co-Champion of the Solano County Athletic League and had a record of 6-2-1. Rolland Van Blaricom only scored 13 points as a junior. Big things were ahead for him as a senior. Senior season In the second game of the season, the 1956 […]
Poetry Corner: James Garrett “Cuddly Weather”
Night closes in. Doves have fed among the rocks. Water glistens in the distance. Tiny whitecaps rise and fall. Shadows stretch from shore to shore. Life ritually settles. A quiet time drops slowly. Calmness enfolds us all. A tugboat muscles its way, Pushing water aside in its journey. Long rays of light, Signal end of […]
James Garrett: Six great Benicia High School backs of the ’50s as seniors (Part 1)
The title is a little misleading, as I am taking advantage of a literary license. Each of the backs played during the 1950s, but one did not play his senior season and the senior season of another was 1960. The six backs, in chronological order, are: Harry Shoup, Dan Veien, John Galvan, Rolland Van Blaricom, […]
Poetry Corner: James Garrett “House”
House of stone, House of memories, Each living alone. Ghosts with love, Ghosts with a curse, Ghosts which wander, Which is worse? Blossoms in the orchard, Blossoms in the womb, Petals fall, Filled is the tomb. Fertile soil, Once old, now new. Old views seen again, In eyes of young two. James M. Garrett has […]
Poetry Corner: James Garrett “Heidi, Our Dog”
You’ve warmed our feet with your belly, On cold nights near and far. Seen sights that we’ve seen, And traveled miles in our car. You’ve warned us, too, of danger, On long walks through the night, And frightened off a stranger, With the presence of your bite. The tags on your collar tinkle, As you […]
James Garrett: The Benicia of yesteryear
We miss our hometown. We miss Benicia, the Benicia we knew. Roberta, my wife and I, have called this small city our home for over 70 years and do not want to live anywhere else. We walk on some of the same sidewalks and see some of the same trees though they are obviously older. […]
Thoughts of the Carquinez Straits in Benicia’s golden days
FIRST THOUGHTS At the Benicia Grammar School, that site now holds Benicia Unified School District offices, some teachers had stacks of Life Magazines in their classrooms which had been published during World War II. I often looked at them while eating my brown bag lunch. Among photos in the magazines which I thought of at […]