“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 […]
Roger Straw: Councilmembers and city staff, please get the ball rolling on ISO
At its May 23, 2017 meeting, the Benicia City Council agreed on a 4-1 vote to “agendize in the future” a discussion on possible adoption of an Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). That was over seven months ago now. More than most, I am aware of the time it often takes for government to move forward […]
Dennis Lund: Predictions? We don’t need no stinkin’ predictions
With apology offered to B. Traven for the above appropriation of his words, I wanted to take a moment, as we approach 2018, to look back on tumultuous 2017 or more specifically, some of the comments made foretelling of coming events. It takes a certain person: cocky, self-assured and thick skinned to make such predictions. […]
Mark Altgelt: Stop an impending global crisis
By Mark Altgelt Special to the Herald (Note: This article has been corrected and expanded from the previous version.) Antarctica, Greenland and Arctic ice is melting because more than 90 percent of the heat from greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed into the oceans and warm currents are rapidly melting exposed ice. Warm currents are […]
Carrie Rehak: Responsible freedom and spending, and the question of a local Industrial Safety Ordinance in the city of Benicia
By Carrie Rehak Special to the Herald I have been following the discussions about whether it would be of value for the city of Benicia to have a local Industrial Safety Ordinance (ISO). To my mind, two main arguments for and against having a local ordinance—freedom and spending — mirror one another, though from different […]
Letters: DMUMP amendment and letter from Santa
Put DMUMP amendment on ballot Accurate community sentiment about cannabis on First Street can be measured by placing the Downtown Mixed Use Master Plan (DMUMP) amendment on the ballot with the local cannabis tax measure next year. This is the only certain and indisputable method of determining how we feel about it, otherwise it will […]
Letters: Highway litter and cannabis ‘potency’
Open letter to City Council I am a longtime Benicia resident and would like to make a comment about an observation I made recently. I drove along Highway 780 not long ago, and I could not get over the amount of trash along the section that encompasses the five exits for Benicia. Every yard of […]
Letter: Fantastic Sams Giving Tree was a success
Fantastic Sams Giving Tree was a success Thanks in large part to the awesome publicity the Benicia Herald provided us—first with a front-page story and then through ongoing coverage in the Community Calendar—the 2017 Giving Tree at Fantastic Sams Cut & Color was a rousing success. This week, I delivered our treasure trove to the […]
Letter: Dec. 19 is decision day
Dec. 19 is decision day Dec. 19 will be a night to remember. I am hoping for an advance Christmas present from the city of Benicia. It may not be a big Christmas present, cut some members on the City Council are now going to have to back up their words. The first would be […]
Letter: Downtown dispensaries will happen eventually
Downtown dispensaries will happen eventually A speaker at the recent City Council meeting discussing cannabis activity on First Street asked where we (the “pro-cannabis crowd”) were since the chamber was dominated by an organized assembly of anti-cannabis citizens and, unfortunately, youth that have been indoctrinated that cannabis is all bad no matter what and has […]