A defeat in 2016 did not deter Lionel Largaespada from running again for the Benicia City Council. If anything, he says it has made him more energized. “Friends, residents, voters asked me to keep at it,” he said. “Momentum was on our side, and that really inspired and motivated me to stay in the race.” […]
City Council candidates discuss issues at Chamber of Commerce forum
Viewers of Wednesday’s Candidate’s Night forum, sponsored by the Benicia Chamber of Commerce, had an opportunity to ask questions of the City Council candidates and learn their perspectives on hot-button issues facing the city. The forum was held in the Council Chambers of City Hall and moderated by James Cooper, the president of the Vallejo […]
Bob Livesay: The state of the Democratic Party in Benicia
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald I have been following politics for many years. The first election I voted in was 1954. My first presidential election was 1956. I voted for Eisenhower, and he won. You had to be 21 then, and I was not 21 for the 1952 presidential election. So as you […]
Pat Toth-Smith: Birdseye puts safety first
It’s been two years since the 2016 crude-by-rail permit for Valero was denied, but a strong memory of it remains for me and probably for a lot of Benicians. It’s because of that experience that I’m urging Benicians to vote for Kari Birdseye for the Benicia City Council. Birdseye was a new Planning Commissioner […]
Arts & Culture Commissioner Gethsemane Moss running for school board
With more than 20 years of educational experience and a child about to graduate high school in the spring, Gethsemane Moss is ready to serve Benicia and its youth in another big way. She wants to be a school board trustee. Moss is running for a seat on the Governing Board of the Benicia Unified […]
Candidate’s Night set for Sept. 12
Staff Report As election season begins and yard signs for candidates pop up all throughout town, many Benicians may be trying to decide which of the four City Council candidates to vote for. For those trying to get a sense of where the candidates stand on certain issues, the Chamber of Commerce will be providing […]
Candidate Spotlight: Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye sees council as next step
After three years on the Planning Commission, including a year and a half as its chair, Kari Birdseye is ready to continue serving the city in a bigger way, hence why she is running for the City Council. “(It’s) the natural next step in my service to Benicia,” she said. Birdseye received a bachelor’s […]
Longtime educator wants to bring his experience to school board
Mark Maselli, a 25-year teaching veteran, wants more than to sit on the Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District. He wants to bring a new attitude to the present school board. “I never thought I’d be motivated to do this, but just watching the way things were being handled in the leadership and […]
Birdseye nets endorsements from Rep. Thompson, local Democratic groups
Staff Report Kari Birdseye, chair of the Benicia Planning Commission and a candidate in the City Council election, garnered four endorsements over the last two weeks, including one from Benicia’s representative in Congress, Rep. Mike Thompson. “I’ve endorsed Kari because she shares our vision of serving the community to make Benicia the best that it […]
Real estate agent seeks school board seat
Adrean Hayashi became inspired to run for the Benicia school board in the midst of a yearlong dispute over teacher’s wages. The driving factor for the mother of six was seeing teachers rallying and holding signs outside Joe Henderson Elementary School as the Benicia Teachers Union and Benicia Unified School District were at an impasse […]