Water Rising! The League of Women Voters Benicia would like to invite all interested people to join us for a panel discussion, “Water Rising!” this Wednesday evening. Issues of climate change, sea level rise, water shortages, and increased water costs will be discussed. Panelists include Jerry Potter, NASA Climate Scientist; Andy Florendo, Solano County Water […]
Greg Gartrell: Understanding the water rate increases (Part 2)
(Part 1 of this article, published in Friday’s paper, focused on the reasons for Benicia’s water and sewer rate increases. Today’s article aims to explore solutions.) So what can be done about the cost of water and wastewater? I have heard many suggestions as to the causes of the rate increases and how to fix […]
School board OKs 2nd interim financial report
The school board approved Benicia Unified School District’s second interim financial report at Thursday’s school board meeting. According to Chief Business Official Tim Rahill, BUSD’s revenue for 2017-18 is at $44.4 million. Thirty-seven percent of the revenue comes from the Local Control Funding Formula, 6 percent comes from local and other funds, 5 percent comes […]
Commission approves alcohol prohibition in parks amendment
The Parks, Recreation & Cemetery Commission unanimously voted to add an amendment to Title 12 of the Benicia Municipal Code, taking the first step to prohibit alcohol in parks without a permit. It will next be submitted to the City Council for approval. The amendment is intended to remove the allowance of alcoholic beverages and […]
Retired architect showcases art in new Gallery 621 show
Napa artist Dennis Smith is one of Gallery 621’s newer members, having joined in 2017. However, he has been painting for more than 30 years. Benicians hoping to become acquainted with Smith’s art can do so for his new show at Gallery 621, unofficially titled “Napa and Other Things,” where he is the featured artist. […]
Greg Gartrell: Understanding the water rate increases (Part 1)
As the City Council prepares to review water and wastewater rates and revenues, it would be good to review facts about these issues, in part because I have heard so much speculation over the past months that is simply wrong. Let’s start with: How did we get to a point where a big rate increase […]
Voice of the Village: Human Services Commission: Take One
By Lois Requist Script, still pictures, and video—we were ready when the team of students from Benicia High School met us. We talked about what we had prepared and how the process would work. A member of the Human Services Commission was there to make sure everything went well. The product, a video about Carquinez […]
The A Cappella Handyman: A Little Good News
Last Friday I received a call from the Benicia Herald’s office on First Street that “a piece of U.S. Mail had arrived” for me c/o the Herald, and I could pick it up at my convenience. Hot Damn! What could it be? An offer to be published somewhere or with a second paper? A syndication? […]
Letters: Cannabis and trade dumping
The Tipping Point Benicia literary aficionados are familiar with Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point.” Our nation has experienced a steady tipping in favor of normalization of cannabis as an agricultural product with multiple uses, most prominently as a medicinal supplement, or mood-modifier far safer than alcohol and completely non-toxic. Cannabis as an agricultural product brings […]
Throwback Thursday: Herald headlines for the week of March 18, 1943, 1968 and 1993
Compiled by Nick Sestanovich 75 years ago Local Women Broadcast In Victory Program (March 18, 1943) Mrs. Madeline Quandt was one of four women to assist in a broadcast held recently in San Francisco over Station KWIB on a program arranged by Lt. Knight. Benicia Arsenal, in the interest of presenting the war effort of […]