Countdown to Sonoma: Toyota/Save Mart defending champ Clint Bowyer pays area visit By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Clint Bowyer made an appearance in Northern California on Monday, taking part in a race — this time with a shopping cart — and fan Q & A to kick off the countdown to the […]
‘Vessels’ — an intersection of art and environment — opens this weekend
■ Regional show to be juried by Berkeley Art Museum director By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor It started with a suggestion by Arts Benicia board member Bob Nelson. Nelson, chair of the nonprofit’s exhibition committee, floated the idea of a show about boats. As it will in committee — especially those comprised of artists — […]
Benicia High preps for annual Grad Night
June 8 event gives seniors place to spend safe, sober Saturday; volunteers needed By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor A longtime Benicia High School tradition is looking for help from the community. Since 1989, Grad Night has given outgoing Benicia High seniors a safe, sober and substance-free place to celebrate with their friends and classmates: on […]
Joy: Happy to be there
Benicia racer has rough time getting to Thunderhill By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor Things didn’t go smoothly at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows last weekend for Benicia Legends driver Phil Joy. Anything but.
CBO: May Revise doesn’t brighten district funding prospects
By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor Chief Business Official Tim Rahill on Thursday outlined a preview of Gov. Jerry Brown’s May Budget Revise and what it may mean for Benicia Unified School District. Speaking to district trustees, Rahill said, “We’ve got some some information on how that will impact schools, and we’ll find out many more […]
New band, sound motivate Bay Area blues mainstay
Tommy Castro and the Painkillers to play Empress Friday By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor The last time Bay Area blues fixture Tommy Castro played Vallejo’s Empress Theatre was in October 2009, when he joined Roy Rogers and his band. Castro has been trying to get back ever since. He’ll get his wish Friday when he […]
Historic horsepower: Benicia business owner off to the races in Sonoma this weekend
By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor Sonoma Raceway is gearing up for its 21st annual Historic Motorsports Festival this weekend, when more than 400 historic race cars — some dating back before World War I — will grace the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. Locally, Ron Myska, vice chair of the Benicia Economic Development Board, has just […]
Trustees to honor music shop owners for $100K in donations
By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor Stan and Marianne Houston will be acknowledged Thursday by Benicia Unified School District trustees for their years of contributions to the district’s music programs. The owners of ABC Music Store, 739 First St., have donated more than $100,000 to music education in Benicia over the past five years, Stan Houston […]
DBA short $7K in BID fees
More than 30 businesses have failed to pay assessments By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor A recurring question arose again at Monday’s monthly meeting of the Downtown Benicia Alliance: How to compel reluctant business owners to pay their share in Business Improvement District fees. Benicia Economic Development Manager Mario Giuliani, who acts as an adviser to […]
EDB recommendations on downtown business enhancement may soon be sent to Council
By Keri Luiz Assistant Editor Benicia Economic Development Board on Wednesday will continue a discussion from last month on policies and programs to encourage more retail businesses to open downtown. A subcommittee formed to explore the question initiated a discussion April 17 that focused on two policy ideas and two program concepts that could help […]