The Benicia Christmas Bird Count is, well, not just for the birds. It is an activity that many do year after year, some of whom inspire others to get in on the fun. Every year, a group of bird watchers choose a date in December to observe birds and tally how many they come within […]
Public art proposal update to be given at HPRC meeting Thursday
The Historic Preservation Review Commission will hear an update on the city’s Public Art Initiative at its Thursday meeting, the last one of 2017. In 2012, the Benicia City Council approved the Benicia Public Art Program, which is aimed at creating and acquiring public art. The program is administered by the Arts and Culture Commission […]
Photo: On the sixth night of Hanukkah
As holidays generate trash, Republic Services urges recycling
By Donna Beth Weilenman Martinez News Gazette ‘Tis the season for decorating homes, merry partying with friends and sharing gifts. It’s also the time of year that waste and trash increases about 25 percent, Tracy Skenandore, spokesperson for Republic Services, said. But that doesn’t have to be the case, Skenandore said. The company, which as […]
Benicia mortgage company bestows client with replica of plaque lost in fire
Jim Ruddell worked for the San Rafael Bus transit system for 37 years. When Ruddell retired, he received a plaque honoring his nearly four decades of work. The plaque was a treasured item, and Ruddell was devastated when the Wine Country fires destroyed his Santa Rosa home and everything in it, including the plaque. However, […]
School board approves financial report, suggests serious look at budget
The school board voted to approve the 2017-18 first interim financial report at its Thursday meeting. The contents of the report were presented and summarized by Chief Business Official Tim Rahill. He noted that the general fund was budgeted at $50.5 million, 86 percent of which comes from the state’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), […]
Boy Scouts to recycle used Christmas trees
By Gretchen Burgess Special to the Herald Some of us enjoy the look, feel, and scent of a real Christmas Tree. It’s a great family adventure, picking out the perfect tree, getting it home, and decorating it. After Christmas is over, you might not want an adventure as the tree moves on to be returned […]
Council to resume cannabis discussion Tuesday
The Benicia City Council will continue to tackle cannabis at its Tuesday meeting, this time focusing on areas outside the downtown. Following the passage of Proposition 64 in November 2016, communities have been working to come up with their own rules regarding cannabis. The issue has been hotly debated at 14 public meetings throughout the […]
BOTTG seeking auditions for spring play, ‘Coming Apart’
Benicia Old Town Theatre Group (BOTTG) is known for its madcap comedies, and another one is coming this spring: Fred Carmichael’s “Coming Apart: A Romantic Comedy in Two Acts.” Auditions will be held in January. The play is described as a romantic comedy, centered around married couple Colin and Frances Kittridge. Both are employed in […]
BUSD reopens graduation requirement discussion at community forum
Six months after Benicia Unified School District halted its proposed new high school graduation requirements, the discussion was reopened in a forum at Benicia High School on Tuesday night. The school board held a study session in January to discuss proposed new graduation requirements and went into further detail at its regular March 16 meeting.The […]