Gardens will bloom The “soft opening” for local 2018 elections has given voters a look at pols and prospects that may be on the ballot this November, for ours as well as county level elected office, and heard their views on cannabis sales in Benicia. Some are supportive of regulated cannabis activity, others are still […]
Letter: Another POV on cannabis
Another POV on cannabis I am not part of an anti-cannabis assembly. I’m coming from a different view of pot. Benicia is such a small town that we have only one main street. All the other surrounding streets are residential. The downtown is one street only. Think about it. Walk down First Street, and you […]
Letter: What about medicinal only?
What about medicinal only? Many opponents of regulated cannabis activity in our town have stated that the convincing win of Proposition 64 in Benicia was not an indication that the community actually wants adult use sales here. Some have even stated they voted for legalization but don’t want it sold here. Some of these folks […]
Steve Young: The rationale for my cannabis vote
A recent guest column by Dennis Lowry referenced the following article that I posted on social media two days after the Dec. 19 meeting at which the City Council voted 4-1 to allow cannabis businesses– exclusive of downtown and the Southhampton Shopping Center. I want to thank Mr. Lowry for his kind words about my […]
Bob Livesay: No change in council thinking in 2018
By Bob Livesay Special to the Herald A very happy new year to all. Yes, 2018 will be a challenge for the city of Benicia. The biggest thing to look forward to is the City Council election in November. The biggest issue is water/sewer rates. Economic development will be a major issue too. At that […]
Dennis Lowry: Council gives Benicia a lump of coal for Christmas
(Editor’s note: This column was published in two parts in the print edition for spatial reasons. It is being posted here in its entirety.) I was disappointed that all but one member of our City Council voted to allow marijuana to be legally grown, cultivated, processed and commercially sold in our little town beginning sometime […]
Cannabis: Evolving in Benicia
“You bet I did, and I enjoyed it!” said businessman Michael Bloomberg when answering a reporter’s question about cannabis consumption previous to his first run for mayor of New York City, where he went on to serve three terms. I had the same response back in 1965, and went on to enjoy “recreational” cannabis consumption […]
Letter: Better regulated than unregulated
Regulated is better than unregulated Benicia parents are concerned about regulated cannabis activity in Benicia. In a perfect world, youth would not want to experiment with cannabis but that is not the reality. For whatever reason, youthful interest is consistent from generation to generation. Few if any members of our community disagree that chronic youthful […]
2017 Year in Review: Local issues dominated Benicia in past year
The year 2018 is just around the corner. Before we see what the new year has to offer, let us look back at the big stories that affected Benicia in 2017. Staff changes In February, interim City Manager Steve Salomon left to become the interim city manager of Orinda. Fire Chief Jim Lydon initially filled […]
Council takes next step in approving cannabis businesses in town
After several hours of listening to public input on both sides, the Benicia City Council voted 4 to 1 to allow cannabis businesses in Benicia at its Tuesday meeting. The topic of cannabis use in Benicia has been on several residents’ minds since the passage of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act in November 2016 […]