By Cathy Bennett Special to the Herald When the subject of Valero comes up most of us think about the refinery. For many of us, this is a reminder of the toxic emissions it releases into our air on a daily basis. That’s troublesome enough, but most of us are unaware that Valero also operates […]
Bob Livesay: ISO vote was win for voters, residents
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald Mayor Patterson must be in shock. Why would I say that? The mayor and her gang of 12 just got the shock of their life. Their attempt to hijack the City Council meeting went down in a big defeat, that being the Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). Backed by […]
Poetry Corner: James Garrett “The Package”
He stood there thinking, moving his feet. His only love waiting across the street. The light seemed stopped as he waited at ease, Watching her dress ruffled by the breeze. The small package held firm in his hands, While inside lay the tiny gold bands. For a moment he looked from the woman he knew, […]
Voice of the Village: A weekend in the village, virtual and otherwise
By Lois Requist Occasionally, someone still asks me where the village is. I explain that it’s a virtual village, not a place where all participants live, but it occurs to me that is also a very real place. We live in our own homes, but things happen in the real world, so don’t get the […]
Christina Strawbridge: Another late night spent at the City Council Chambers
Several important issues have been voted on by the Benicia City Council in the wee hours of the morning as of late. This past Tuesday was no exception. The packed Chamber was full of those who wanted to speak on the noise ordinance, and the rest of the attendees were there for the Industrial Safety […]
The A Cappella Handyman: My CD Progress Report
Such a Hoot! As reported in this column two weeks ago, Yes, I’m putting out a NEW CD of my poems and graphics (see cover label attached). In the previous 48 years of writing and publishing I’ve done chapbooks, a DVD, Facebook postings, a creative newsletter “Taproot & Aniseweed,” a weekly BLOG, and this column […]
A Vibrant Faith for the 21st Century: The treatment of immigrants in the Bible
I have to preface this column with two confessions. First, my heart aches that I even have to discuss, as calmly and theologically as I can, the immorality of separating immigrant children from their families at the border. Second, due to the circumstances of this column, and in particular how quickly this abominable situation developed, […]
Benicia Letters Once More: A Boy’s Education
The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”. He does not plan to publish the book but instead is choosing to share the letters with the readers of the Benicia Herald. The letters continue the storyline of Garrett’s first novel “Benicia and Letters […]
ISO Working Group: The rest of the story on air monitoring in Benicia (Part 2)
The rest of the story on air monitoring in Benicia In Part 1 of this series, we explored the many health risks and costs of air pollution in Benicia, including premature deaths, hospitalizations and respiratory symptoms including asthma in adults and children. Today we will take a look at air monitoring – and the lack […]
Jeff Burkhart’s “Rhyme and Reason”: The Illusion of Ownership
Think of all the things on Earth, which people think they own Buildings, land and money, they can spend or waste or loan It all works if everyone, respects the current laws Sometimes ownership breaks down, exposing all its flaws We use small bits of paper, which we trade for things we buy We’re living […]