Compiled by Nick Sestanovich

75 years ago

Lemos’ Plea To President Saves Theater (Sept. 24, 1942)

A personal letter to the President of the United States by Jimmy Lemos was responsible for completion of the new Victory Theater, opened to the Benicia public last Friday night.
This information was confided to opening night patrons through an Address by John J. O’Grady and by a slide proclaiming the gratitude of the management to the President.
O’Grady told how work on the new playhouse was halted May 1 by order of the War Production Board “for the duration of the emergency.” This was a staggering blow to the promoters, James Lemos and Frank Bernards, as well as a loss of entertainment to the community.
Lemos made frantic appeals to the W.P.B. but two communications were turned down. Then in desperation he decided to appeal directly to President Roosevelt. Under date of June 9 he wrote the president that his theater building had been halted when sixty-five percent completed, that his mother had assisted him to borrow money for his half of the investment, and that he was required to repay the bank in monthly payments, that being an unskilled laborer there would be no job that would pay him enough to support his wife and child and at the same time pay off the loan.
“The population of Benicia is increasing every day,” Jimmy’s letter continued,” and is now around 8,000. And with the Arsenal expanding it is essential for the welfare and morsought office once– he ran for sheriff in 1856– and was beaten.”

50 years ago

James Reed Sworn In As New City Councilman (Sept. 21, 1967)

James Reed was administered the oath of office as a city councilman Tuesday night amid the roar of drag racers on East Second Street that almost drowned out the brief ceremony and hordes of flying insects which filled the chamber on a hot, humid night.
The oath to the successor to Enos P. Nebergall was administered by Acting City Clerk Thelma J. Spencer while members of the City Council looked on.
Reed, 44, will serve Nebergall’s unexpired term. Nebergall, who was serving his first term, recently moved to Walnut Creek.
Reed is a former Planning Commission member, a past president of the Kiwanis Club and Chamber of Commerce and past commodore of the Benicia Boat & Ski Club.

25 years ago

Rose probe goes public (Sept. 20, 1992)

By Sarah Rohrs

The state department of Toxic Substance Control will have its first public meeting Monday night to present the latest findings in the Rose Drive landfill investigation, and also to answer questions about testing results on the 50 lots within the landfill footprint.
An open house will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at Henderson Elementary School, with a public meeting to begin at 7:30 p.m.
The open house and public meeting are in response to the July 1991 discovery of a pocket of chromium and lead-tainted soil in the back yards of three Rose Drive homeowners.
Those lots abut undeveloped Blake Court, where 15,000 cubic yards of waste was left unexcavated.

The full articles of these and other stories are available on microfilm at the Benicia Public Library.

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