The retail cannabis issue Just where is retail storefront cannabis sales headed for? Is it going to be medical only, medical and recreation, all products for both recreational and medical? There are many issues that must be resolved: site issues, distance issues, types of products, outdoor versus indoor growing, Industrial Park retail, Industrial Park distribution/manufacturing, […]
Joyce Middlebrooke: Musings of a Benicia newbie
By Joyce Middlebrooke Special to the Herald “You and Dad are too old to be living in the sticks,” my daughter, Karen, had insisted many times the past five years. It’s true that since 1970 we had lived in a tiny community of about 800 in the Sierra Foothills. It consisted of two-hour round trips […]
Letters: Preserving our history
Preserving our history In response to C.J. Fitzsimmons’ letter, it is sad that we are losing all our historical monuments just because this generation doesn’t like what they stand for. How can we remember the history of our country without monuments to remind us of good or bad decisions made by previous generations? People have […]
Dennis Lund: Considering the People’s Budget by the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Occasional forays to the dark side of progressive thought can serve to remind us of how invidiously damaging their proposals can be. Such trips serve to reinforce the importance of keeping such political elements at bay. This past weekend such a trip was undertaken; it was not a pretty sight. Recently the Congressional Progressive Caucus […]
Letters: Thanking a business, and the flag on The Union Hotel
Taking Mississippi’s lead I recently read in the Wall Street Journal an article by Melissa Korn about how the University of Mississippi will rename Vardaman Hall, its administrative building. For those who do not know, James K. Vardaman was a former Mississippi governor and U.S. Senator who once said “If it is necessary, every negro […]
Cannabis: Budless in Benicia
Smoke has played a prominent role in the succession of humankind, from rudimentary heating and cooking fires to elaborately staged ceremonies featuring smoke from incense burners, or ritual smoking pipes. Few cultures, if any, are devoid of traditions and practices that include smoke of some sort, as a meat preserver, signaling device, in cremation processes […]
Letters: An important proposal
An important proposal While members of the Republican majority are competing to see who can make the deepest cuts, there is a budget proposal before Congress that would boost the economy for all of us while cutting the number of people in poverty in half. It’s The People’s Budget, proposed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. […]
Bruce Robinson: Whose hate speech?
Let’s begin with the understanding that there is no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment. That has been settled law since the founders first signed the Constitution of the United States in 1787. Yet, on college campuses all across the United States, the First Amendment rights of commencement speakers have been repeatedly violated by […]
Letters: More police supervision needed at events
More police supervision at events I would like to thank our police force for responding quickly and efficiently to a shooting incident that happened in our neighborhood a month ago. With that said, I would like to request that our celebration gatherings at our parks would be better supervised by our police. This last 4th […]
Letters: Keep local control of cell towers
Keep local control of cell towers A bill taking away the ability of the city of Benicia–and all California cities– to regulate and approve the placement of cell phone antennas and related equipment is on a fast track towards approval in Sacramento. Senate Bill 649 would remove the power of cities to control where the […]