As always, there will be new faces at Liberty High School this year. Chief among them is the person in charge, Zachary Pless. Pless is the new principal at Liberty High, taking the reins of JoAnn Severson who retired in June after 31 years with Benicia Unified School District. Pless received his master’s degree in […]
Brown to hold public meeting on Phillips 66 draft environmental report
Supervisor Monica Brown will be holding a community meeting at City Hall on Monday to discuss the proposed expansion of crude oil tankers at the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo. Phillips 66 announced its plans to double the amount of ships to deliver crude oil to its marine terminal. However, the plan has raised concerns, […]
Artist captures evolution of creative process in new Gallery 621 show
Every artist’s work evolves over time. This is certainly true of Gallery 621 artist Kathy Oja, who has chosen to highlight how her creative process has changed over time in her new featured exhibition “Unforeseen Consequences,” which is on display through Sept. 3. The exhibit features various forms of paintings by Oja, but according to […]
Supervisor Monica Brown opposes Phillips 66 tanker expansion in letter to BAAQMD
Monica Brown, who represents Benicia on the Solano County Board of Supervisors, voiced her concerns about the expansion of oil tankers at the Phillips 66 refinery in Rodeo in a public comment sent to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). The refinery recently announced its intention to double the amount of ships to […]
Clocktower fundraiser to benefit Fairfield woman battling rare form of cancer
A spaghetti feed fundraiser will be held at the Clocktower to benefit a Fairfield woman battling a rare, aggressive cancer known as Leiomyosarcoma. Jamie Ramirez, 39, works as a massage therapist in Napa but has been on disability for more than a year. In March 2016, she went to the doctor for a hysterectomy due […]
Carquinez Village auction event to be held at former library space
After a successful launch in April, senior service organization Carquinez Village is ready to celebrate. They will do so by hosting a Wine & Lite Bites and auction Aug. 18 at the home on 144 East G St. If that address seems familiar to longtime residents, it is because for many decades it was the […]
Boatyard draws inspiration for poets, Plein Air artists in new exhibit
One of the most eye-catching sights in Benicia is the old Joe Garske Boatyard, located between C and D streets. When it opened in the 1950s, it specialized in marine services and oil spill cleanup in the Carquinez Strait. Now, the shipyard is a cluster of old fishing and utility boats, cranes and other nautical […]
Robert Semple Elementary honored for positive behavioral support efforts
Following last year’s designation as a California Gold Ribbon school, Robert Semple Elementary has another honor it can claim: a Silver level recognition by the California PBIS Coalition. Last week, Robert Semple was one of many schools throughout the state to be honored for its implementation of Positive Behavioral Supports and Interventions (PBIS), an educational […]
City launches new weekly email newsletter
As part of its ongoing efforts to increase community awareness of local issues, the city of Benicia has implemented its own weekly online newsletter. The inaugural edition of “City of Benicia This Week” was released on Sunday. Six items are briefly highlighted in the first e-blast. These include the hiring of Cindy Mosser as the […]
Solano County volunteers sought for Coastal Cleanup Day
California’s annual Coastal Cleanup Day is more than a month away, but volunteer positions are already available. Coastal Cleanup Day was founded in 1985 by the California Coastal Commission to pick up the plastic debris that was flowing into the ocean. Its inaugural year saw 2,500 participants, and it had blossomed to more than 50,000 […]