Staff Report The Benicia Fire Department battled an intense vegetation fire for nearly two hours Thursday evening before it was finally under control. At approximately 6:43 p.m., the Fire Department received reports of a vegetation fire in the area of Eastbound Interstate 780 between Glen Cove and Columbus Parkway, according to a news release by […]
HPRC approves design review guidelines for City Council consideration
The Historic Preservation Review Commission (HPRC) voted to adopt design guidelines to the Downtown Historic Conservation Plan (DHCP). The guidelines will now go to the City Council for approval. The DHCP was adopted in 1990 with amendments in 1992, 2008 and 2009. Principal Planner Suzanne Thorsen said the biggest changes were the adoption of the […]
Musical entertainment announced for July 4 Picnic in the Park
Benicia’s Torchlight Parade on July 3 is always one of the city’s most celebrated events of the year, but the 4th of July fun does not stop there. There is also the Picnic in the Park the following day, and if the looks of its amenities and entertainment are any indication, it is worth forgoing […]
Benicia resident recalls time as off-Broadway singer in 1950s
By Jay Brome Special to the Herald If the City of Benicia had its own version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one person who has earned her star is resident Barbara Schrager. Born in New Jersey in the 20th century, this writer wouldn’t dare ask Schrager her age because she still has that rough, […]
Throwback Thursday: Herald headlines for the week of July 1, 1943, 1968 and 1993
Compiled by Nick Sestanovich 75 years ago Observation Post Changes Command (July 1, 1943) After two years, A.W. Stapleton, who was appointed chief observer by the Fourth Fighter Command Aircraft Warning Service, has resigned that office and recommended that Mrs. Ivy Nance be appointed to succeed him. In summing up two years, Stapleton stated that […]
First Street ‘Monkey business’ celebrating anniversary
We are not monkeying around here. Pocket Money Vintage, Benicia’s premier retro men’s wear and vintage goods store, is celebrating one year in town with a party featuring discounts and free bananas Sunday. Pocket Monkey Vintage is the brainchild of Jay Brome, a collector who travels to vintage shows about five or six times […]
Patterson among hundreds of elected officials urging governor to phase out oil, gas drilling
Staff Report Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson was one of more than 100 local elected officials throughout California who signed a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday calling for a statewide plan to phase out oil and gas drilling. “We are here with a message to Governor Brown and the nation,” Patterson said in a statement. […]
Letter: Not a simple issue
Not a simple issue As a citizen of Benicia who lives close to a refinery I, like many other Benicians, would simply like to know what is in the air that we breathe. At the June 19 City Council meeting, the council missed an excellent opportunity to get us that information. Valero clearly does not […]
HPRC to vote on new modifications for Bella Siena
After more than a year of planning and renovation, the new Italian-American restaurant Bella Siena opened its doors in the Tannery Building on June 4. The fine dining establishment has been a hit, drawing a massive amount of five-star reviews on Yelp and filling a space that had been largely unoccupied for nearly a decade. […]
Benicia Letters Once More: The Strong Silent Type
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 […]