Leah Shelhorn, the owner of craft-oriented gift store Studio 41 for 27 years, is about to embark on a second chapter in her life as she retires. She said the store would be retiring with her, as the shop is holding a 41 percent off sale through its final week. “I feel it’s my […]
Carter’s Biz Cafes loses lease
(This post has been updated from the print edition.) Carter’s Biz Cafes, a membership cafe based around providing individuals with home-based businesses a venue to work in a professional setting with other people, has lost its lease at the historic Commanding Officer’s Quarters, CEO and Founder Carter Rankin announced in an email. Rankin said that […]
Plein Air Gallery exhibit takes viewers to New Mexican desert
Susan Street had to really step out of her comfort zone for her new show at Plein Air Gallery. For one, her paintings were not done on site but rather through using photographs of a recent trip to Cochiti Lake in New Mexico as a reference. Street had been making the trip for about 20 […]
Former Richmond mayor, Lt. Gov. candidate to speak at Democratic Club meeting
Gayle McLaughlin, a former Richmond mayor and candidate for California Lieutenant Governor, will be speaking Tuesday at the Progressive Democrats of Benicia’s (PDB) monthly meeting. McLaughlin first became involved in politics in the ‘80s when she served as an activist with the Central American solidarity movement, and civil rights nonprofit groups People United to Save […]
City seeking applicants for open positions on commissions, boards
For those looking to become more involved in their community and possibly make a difference in the new year, the city is seeking applicants for a variety of open positions on commissions and boards. The positions are available to any Benicia resident who fills out a form and drops them off in the city clerk’s […]
2017 Year in Review: Local issues dominated Benicia in past year
The year 2018 is just around the corner. Before we see what the new year has to offer, let us look back at the big stories that affected Benicia in 2017. Staff changes In February, interim City Manager Steve Salomon left to become the interim city manager of Orinda. Fire Chief Jim Lydon initially filled […]
Benicia Teen Center to reopen in new location in January
After six months without a home, the Benicia Teen Center is ready to move into an even bigger space at Church Street next month. Providing a center for Benicia teens to be given support through counseling, mentoring and social interaction and express themselves by playing music and creating art has been a primary goal […]
2017 year in review: BUSD in 2017 characterized by state honors, public participation in board meetings
(The city recap will be provided on New Year’s Eve.) (This post has been updated from the print edition.) Benicia Unified School District has seen its share of activity in the last 12 months. Schools were honored by the state, the public turned up at school board meetings to voice their concerns on issues […]
BUSD music instructor thrilled with Henderson drum program grant
Joe Henderson Elementary School got an early Christmas present this year in the form of a $1,000 music grant for its Drum Circle program by the Solano Community Foundation. Gabe Guevara, an elementary music teacher with the Benicia Unified School District, said the grant was an honor. “I feel like there are areas to grow […]
Firm, timeline set for historic design guideline review process
Principal Planner Suzanne Thorsen delivered an update on Downtown Historic District design guidelines at Thursday’s Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) meeting. The city of Benicia was awarded a Certified Local Government grant from the State Office of Historic Preservation. Some of the money will be used to fund an update to the Downtown Historic Conservation […]