Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015 year in review: Benicia Unified has big year

(Originally published in the 12/31/15 edition)


   The past year for Benicia Unified School District has been characterized primarily by changes in leadership and continuing bond projects.
   In February, Superintendent Janice Adams announced her retirement after eight years with the district. In May, Dr. Charles Young was chosen as her successor. Young had spent four years as associate superintendent of educational services in the Palo Alto Unified School District and earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from California State University- East Bay in 1995 and his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of La Verne. 
   Benicia High School and Benicia Middle School also saw new leadership. Benicia Middle School principal Christina Moore was appointed to become the new principal at Robert Semple Elementary, where she previously taught for 16 years. She was succeeded by Stephen Brady, who had previously served as principal of Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord. Maya Nelson, an art teacher at Benicia High, was appointed to become one of Benicia Middle School’s new vice principals. 
   At Benicia High, Mark Corti was announced as the new interim principal following Damon Wright’s resignation in June. Corti received his master’s degree in educational leadership at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga and served as principal of California High School in San Ramon for 15 years. 
   Measure S projects continued to dominate school board discussions in 2015, and some projects were even completed. The bond revenue initiative was passed by voters in June 2014 to provide $49.6 million in bond funding for projects at the district’s schools. In September, new playgrounds were constructed at Robert Semple Elementary School and Mary Farmar Elementary School, and buildings at Benicia High received new coats of paint designed to fit more with the school’s blue and gold colors. The renovation of Benicia High’s stadium was discussed at many school board meetings, and the draft design was approved in November. The project is scheduled to be completed in October.

   On a sad note, longtime board member Rosie Switzer passed away Nov. 29. Switzwer had been representing the district for 46 continuous years, first as an elementary school teacher from 1969 to 2004 and then as a board member from 2005 until her death. The board observed a moment of silence for Switzer at its Dec. 10 meeting, and members praised her generosity and dedication to students. The board will appoint a new member Jan. 21 after an application process. The new trustee will serve until the general election in November.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Places to be in Benicia/Vallejo on New Year's Eve

(Originally published in the 12/30/15 edition)

   The end of the year is a time of celebration, and everybody celebrates in their own way. However, if you live in Benicia, you do not have to drive very far to take part in festivities outside of your home.
   First of all, many local businesses will be offering various kinds of entertainment as well as deals. Sailor Jack’s, located on 123 First St., will have a four-course preset menu featuring such items as ahi tuna stack, Alaskan halibut, lobster tail, vegetarian wellington and a dessert. The entire meal will be $89 per person. There will also be live music upstairs from 9 to midnight by The Baker Street Band, a Reno-based classic rock cover band led by Adrian Baker, a former touring member of The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons. For more information, call 746-8500.
   Down the street, The Rellik Tavern, located at 726 First St., will be hosting its seventh annual New Year’s Eve Party. The doors open at 9 for a set by Oakland-based rock band Muncie, and there will be a champagne toast at midnight to ring in 2016. The event will have a $10 cover charge and limited VIP and bottle service. For more information, call 746-1137.
   Rookies Sports Bar and Grill, located at 321 First St., will have a more low-key New Year’s. There will be a DJ and $5 cover at the door, and TV screens will be broadcasting both the East Coast countdown to 2016 before 9 p.m. and the West Coast countdown before midnight. For more information, call 746-7665.
   There are events beyond Benicia too. The Front Room at the Wharf, located at 295 Mare Island Way in Vallejo, will be hosting a dinner and dance party. The meal- which will consist of an appetizer, soup or salad and a choice of entree and dessert- will be served at 5:30 p.m.. There will be live entertainment by local jazz and R&B singer Darrell Edwards from 9 p.m. to 1 in the morning. For more information, call 649-8889.
   Also in Vallejo, The Mic Gillette Band will be performing a special New Year’s Eve show at the Empress Theatre, located on 330 Virginia St. For more information, visit EmpressTheatre.org or check out the article in the Dec. 29 edition of The Benicia Herald.
   If you are planning to drink lots of alcohol and don’t have a designated driver, do not get behind the wheel. AAA will be offering its Tipsy Tow program from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Call 800-222-4357 for a free tow home of up to 10 miles. Tell the AAA operator “I need a Tipsy Tow,” and a truck will be sent over. Service is restricted to a one-way ride for the driver and his or her vehicle to the driver’s home. You do not need to be a AAA member to use this service. 

   The Herald would like to remind you to have a safe and happy new year. Enjoy 2016. 

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Mic Gillette Band to perform New Year's Eve show at Empress Theatre

(Originally published in the 12/29/15 edition)

   The end of 2015 is nearing. People have a variety of ways they can spend their last few hours of the year. They can stay home and watch “The Twilight Zone” marathon or Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin make playful banter until the ball drops, or they can go to the Empress Theatre in Vallejo and have a very funky New Year’s Eve.
   Empress Theatre will be presenting its New Year’s Eve Party with the Mic Gillette Band. Gillette was a founding member of Tower of Power, an Oakland-based funk/soul/jazz/rock group who had several charting R&B singles throughout the ‘70s. Gillette played brass for the group but left in 1984 to focus on raising his daughter Megan. He also was a member of numerous other bands, including Cold Blood, Sons of Champlin and a brief stint with Blood, Sweat & Tears. His resume as a session musician extends even beyond that, having recorded with acts including The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Santana, Heart, Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, The Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis and the News and more. 
   “I’ve been performing since I was 5 years old,” Gillette said. “I was given a gift from my father of musical expression, and I’ve just followed it all my life.”
   Gillette also is known for his philanthropy. He founded the Music in the Schools program to keep music programs alive in schools across the country. He does so by touring America and performing with schools’ jazz bands, sometimes by bringing in other professional performers.
   “I’ve been very active in helping students get scholarships to colleges,” he said. “There’s so much money available out there for kids who will apply themselves and spend a couple of years working on recording stuff. I can help them audition, and I can provide recommendations for some of the best music schools in the country.”
   Gillette currently leads the Mic Gillette Band, which features two Benicia residents- Jason Stewart on guitar and Andres Soto on saxophone- and daughter Megan Gillette McCarthy serving as vocalist and percussionist as well as the band’s manager. The group has put out two albums and performed songs by Tower of Power as well as other bands Gillette has performed with and numerous originals.
   “I’ve been blessed enough to play with many big name bands and artists all over the world for many, many years, and this is my favorite band I’ve ever played with,” Gillette said. “It’s just an amazing group of musicians, and I’m actually doing a little bit of singing but only as a background vocalist.”
   The idea to perform the Empress’ New Year’s Eve show came from Stewart, who knows Empress manager Don Bassey.
   “He said ‘Have Mic call me. We’d love to have him up here for New Year’s,” Gillette said. “I called, the ball got rolling and here we are.”
   The group will be performing a variety of original compositions as well as songs by acts Gillette has performed with.
   “I’ve got stories to go along with some of the songs,” he said. “We consider ourselves to be a dance band. People love to get up and dance when we play, so that’s why New Year’s Eve is gonna work.”
   The doors for the Empress Theatre’s New Year’s Eve Party will open at 8 p.m. with the show beginning at 9 on Thursday, Dec. 31. The Empress Theatre is located at 330 Virginia St. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at TicketFly.com. For more information, contact the Empress at 552-2400. 

Photo courtesy of The Empress Theatre

   

   

Sunday, December 27, 2015

New comic book store flying high in Benicia

(Originally published in the 12/27/15 edition)

   Comic book stores: the final frontier for Benicia. This is the story of the newest specialty shop in town: Zeppelin Comics. Its long-term goal: to sell unique goods, to frequently bring in a variety of customers, to boldly go where no local business has gone before. 
   Zeppelin Comics opened its doors to the public on Dec. 5, but the new comic book and collectibles shop’s staff had been promoting the store on sites like Facebook as far back as June. The store is run by husband and wife Dan and Natasha Curtis with Natasha serving as the primary owner. The couple had wanted to run a business in Benicia for a long time and settled on a comic book store to fill a void in town.
   “There really hasn’t been a comic book shop in town for a while- I don’t know if ever,” Dan said. “The nearest neighboring store is over 10 miles away, so my wife and I would have to constantly drive to Berkeley, and I know other people in town were driving out to Concord and Suisun. We’ve always wanted to have a store in Benicia, so we figured comics was the way to go.”
   Zeppelin Comics differs from the typical image of comic book stores in two ways. The first is that it sells more than just comic books. Patrons also can pick up graphic novels, T-shirts, toys and collectibles related to the worlds of superheroes, science fiction and fantasy. Among the available items are a plastic model of the Starship Enterprise from “Star Trek,” a plush of Marvel’s Deadpool character and a figurine of Daenerys Targaryen of “Game of Thrones,” complete with a dragon.
   The other major difference is in the store’s design. Unlike the typically dingy, dimly lit comic book shops, Zeppelin Comics is brightly lit with a shiny wood-panel floor and metallic-colored walls. In fact, the store’s industrial look is paying homage to the Cold War era, which coincided with the silver age of comic books where Spider-Man, The X-Men and The Flash all made their debuts. The appearances of zeppelins in many of these comics provided inspiration for the name.
   “It evokes a time period and style that we’re trying to convey to our customers,” Dan said. “It’s an old-time, peaceful, world-traveling silver-aged motif.”
   The shop also has a game space where people can bring their games, tabletop and roleplaying games. The store also hopes to host a variety of events.
   “We’re trying to bring in local artists as well as some others to do signings,” Dan said. “We’re also looking to do launch parties, game nights and book clubs based on various genres and genders.” 
     In the few weeks the store has been open, Dan says the response has been very positive. 
   “People have been stopping by, and they like the store,” he said. “It’s got a different feel than your average comic book store. It’s open, well-lit, well-adorned and peaceful. It’s a place that people can come, browse and enjoy talking with others about all things comic and comic-related.”
   The Curtises hope their store can become a major community hangout.
   “Mostly we hope to be a spot that people come to and know about,” Dan said. “We want to partner with the libraries in town- both the public library and various school libraries. We want to have regular events and just be a place that’s known for not just the youth but also their parents and everybody in town.”
   Zeppelin Comics is located on 191 East H St. and is open from noon to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The store’s website can be found at ZeppelinComics.com

(All photos by Nick Sestanovich)
   
Star Wars merchandise on display at Zeppelin Comics in honor of "The Force Awakens."

Mannequins Lynn and Zep, seen here dressed as Princess Leia and Obi-Wan Kenobi, will continue to have rotating outfits. 



   

Benicia centenarian and former riveter dies

(Originally published in the 12/27/15 edition)

   Benicia resident and World War II riveter Dorothy Wivel passed away from pneumonia Wednesday, Dec. 16, at the age of 100. 
   Wivel was born Nov. 20, 1915 in the small town of Cedar Grove, Ark. In 1934, she married Ernie Wivel, and in 1942, she moved to California shortly after the U.S. started taking part in World War II. As her son-in-law Richard Reza described it, she became a bit of a “Rosie the Riveter,” working as a welder in shipyards in San Francisco, Richmond and even at Mare Island.  Her husband served as supervisor.
   “She used to tell us stories about things that happened to her when she was working on ships,” Reza said. “She’d talk about going down into the bilges or having to go to the top of masts on ships to replace the lights and replacing lightbulb holders on Liberty ships that had been shot out.”
   “She had done a lot of things that the other women didn’t want to or wouldn’t do, and she did them because her husband was the supervisor,” he added. “He called for Dorothy to do the things the other women didn’t want to do.”
   After the war ended, Wivel continued to work as a welder until 1955. In 1965, Ernie became ill, and Dorothy looked after him until he died in 1984. The Wivels had moved to Benicia in 1978, and after Ernie’s passing, Dorothy moved into the Benicia Senior Center in 1984. She lived there until 2008, when she was transferred to a senior care facility in Vallejo.
  Even in her later years, Wivel loved the outdoors and traveling to places like Germany and across the country for family reunions in Ohio and Arkansas. Additionally, she shared her husband’s love of hunting, camping and fishing. One of her proudest moments came when she caught a 6-foot-plus sturgeon all by herself while fishing in Rodeo in the ‘50s.
   Wivel also loved her family and would come to visit her grandchildren at their football, baseball and basketball matches.
   “She used to just walk from the senior building to the little league field to watch them play,” Reza said.
   Wivel was also loved for her generosity and perseverance. 
   “She was generous to everyone,” Reza said. “She wasn’t financially set, but that didn’t stop her from doing the things she wanted to do. She was a wonderful lady.”
   A memorial is planned for early 2016, but a date has not yet been set. 
   

   

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Congressional App Challenge open to high schoolers in 5th District

(Originally published in the 12/24/15 edition)


   Benicia teens will have an opportunity to show off their technical skills, as the second annual Congressional App Challenge is currently underway for all high school students in California’s 5th Congressional District.
   The nationwide competition, established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, allows high school students from participating districts to create applications for mobile or desktop devices to promote the importance of STEM- science, technology, engineering and mathematics- courses.
   “It’s a congressional effort,” Benicia’s congressman, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Santa Rosa), said. “I think it came about when Anna Eshoo, my colleague from Silicon Valley, brought the issue to the attention to the rest of the caucus. It’s a great program. It gives our future leaders and entrepreneurs an opportunity to showcase their stuff, and hopefully there will be a lot of interest in the schools.” 
   Thompson said the outcome was rather slow in the 5th District last year, but his staff has been trying new things this year to draw bigger numbers.
   “We’ve tried more personal outreach to some of the schools, and we’ve contacted a few people in the tech industry for their ideas on how to get this out,” he said. “They’ve helped promote it through some of the work that they do.”
   The competition is available for all students above the age of 13 who live in the 5th District to participate, even if they do not have much experience with coding. The app must address a problem and provide a creative solution. Students must also provide a 1 to 4 minute demonstration video illustrating how the app works and what tools were used to create it. The video may be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. 
   Thompson believes the challenge could open doors for a lot of young brilliant minds. 
   “It probably appeals to a small universe of people, but the truth of the matter is there are some real bright young stars out there,” he said. “This could be something they find very beneficial from an educational perspective and a career perspective.” 
   Thompson has already met with some technical creative people, even outside of the challenge.
   “Last year, we had a student from our district who developed an app on water conservation measures,” he said. “I met him in Washington, D.C., and he was a smart young guy who developed the app, and I think it’s going to benefit him personally and possibly the community.”
   One of the main goals of the contest is to promote STEM and computer science skills to teens. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration, STEM jobs are expected to grow 17 percent over the next two years. However, while nearly half of all STEM careers require a bachelor’s degree or higher, only 29 percent earn a degree in STEM fields, according to a study by Burning Glass Technologies. 
   Thompson believes STEM skills are important for students to learn because he feels they will benefit their futures in a big way.
   “it’s the future of our country and our district,” he said. “Young men and women are going to become leaders, not only in our towns and counties and state and country, but in the world. Anything we do to promote this is beneficial not only to them but to our future.”

   All interested Benicia High School and Liberty High School students, as well as other high schoolers in the 5th District, can participate by going to challenge.gov. The deadline for students to submit their source code online is midnight on Friday, Jan. 15. For more information on the contest and the steps to participate, visit MikeThompson.House.gov and click on “2015 House STEM Competition” under the “Fifth District” tab. 

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Benicia Women's Club nearing 78 years of serving local welfare

(Originally published in the 12/23/15 edition)


   The Benicia Women’s Club capped off a productive year by donating toys to the less fortunate for the holiday season. The toys were donated to the Toys for Tots program and will be distributed through the Benicia Fire Department.
  Children of lower-income families will now be able to enjoy a variety of toys this Christmas, including books, teddy bears, remote-controlled cars, a Captain America shield and a “Frozen” backpack.
   The donations were just one of the many activities the club took part in during the year. Since its inception in 1938, the Benicia Women’s Club has worked to “serve the general welfare of the community,” as member Mary Marino put it. The club has been very active in the community, having planted flowers along First Street and dedicating benches on First and at the Benicia Historical Museum. 
   Marino said the club planted several trees along Military East and East Second Street where a church was operating. Eventually, the church gave way to the Davies Square shopping center- home of Buon Appetito and Nation’s Giant Hamburgers, among other businesses- and the trees were cut down.
   “The Women’s Club got in touch with them and said ‘Hey, you took those trees down,’ and they replanted them,” Marino said. “It was a David and Goliath kind of moment.”
   The club has also provided scholarships to graduates of Liberty High School and Benicia High School and started the Junior Organization in 2014 to get middle school girls involved in the community. 
   “A small group of them went out last weekend to do Christmas caroling around neighborhoods,” Marino said. “They also have fundraisers and support projects.
   Members have also partnered with the Benicia Community Action Council and meet once a month at the Union Hotel, often with a guest speaker. In 2016, the club will mark 20 years of supporting the California reforestation program Pennies for Pines. In that time, the club has planted over a thousand trees. Additionally, 2016 will mark 78 years of the Benicia Women’s Club taking on projects to improve the lives of people in the community.

   “We started in 1938 and are still going strong,” Marino said. 


Benicia Women's Club members pose with toys they donated at December's monthly meeting at The Union Hotel. (Photo courtesy of Mary Marino)

Five dogs find new homes at Pups 'N' Purrz event

(Originally published in the 12/23/15 edition)

   People packed Pups ’N’ Purrz for the pet supply store’s last adoption event of the year Saturday. 
   The store partnered with Pittsburg-based animal rescue organization Umbrella of Hope. The organization was aiming to adopt out a minimum of four pets to reach its 275 mark for the year, but five dogs ended up being adopted.
   The animals who found new homes this weekend were 5-year-old poodle/schnauzer mix Diego, 1-year-old chihuahua Gertrude, 4-year-old chihuahua Aura, 8-year-old schnauzer/Jack Russell/Tibetan terrier mix and Raphael and 16-year-old chihuahua Cybele. 
   Cybele’s adoption was particularly emotional for Pups ’N’ Purrz owner James Long, himself an owner of three senior-aged chihuahuas.
   “When that dog got adopted, I welted up a little bit,” he said. “I was happy to see that somebody adopted a dog that was that old.”
   Long was very pleased with the results, noting that neighboring businesses told him they were receiving more customers than usual. He also believes that the people who adopted the dogs were not just picking them up as Christmas gifts as none of them had children.
   “For them, this is a pet they’re going to have, not just like a Christmas gift,” Long said. “It’s an animal they wanted to adopt.” 

   Pups ’N’ Purrz will be hosting two more adoption events in January. The first will be with Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, and the second will be another Umbrella of Hope event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9. Pups ’N’ Purrz is located at 44 First St. For more information, contact (707) 748-7433.

Cybele, a 16-year-old chihuahua was one of five dogs adopted over the weekend. (Photo courtesy of James Long)

Monday, December 21, 2015

Benicia High students rank top five in forestry challenge

(Originally published in the 12/20/15 edition)


   Benicia High School students recently took fourth and fifth place in the 2015 Santa Cruz Forestry Challenge out of 22 teams. 
   The competitive event, held at Redwood Christian Park in Boulder Creek, allowed over 90 students from California high schools to engage in hands-on lessons in technical forestry and current forestry topics. Seven Benicia High students- Riley Snowder, Ethan Castiglione, Sandra Campero-Vohs, Bell Soileau, Mara Guerin, Aizik Rogers and Ciara Roybal- participated under the advisory of science teacher Emily Hudson, who had previously had students participate when she taught in Sacamento. This was the first year that Benicia High had taken part, and all of the students volunteered to participate.
   “I opened it up, and I had seven total students who then prepared through all of October and December,” Hudson said. “They met with me twice a month, where I taught them all the different skills.”
   Students participated in several activities for the three-night event. Through the field training and testing, they learned how to identify and measure trees, determine the value of trees, familiarize themselves with forestry tools and learn about the sustainability of national forests. 
   One of the most memorable activities was the creation of content for a downloadable application to be used for self-guided tours for Soquel Demonstration State Forest. After learning about the forest’s ecology and history, students wrote parts of a script that would be used for the app.
   The app would answer questions like “What are the kinds of wildlife there?” and “What are the different recreational things that can be done there?” according to Hudson.
   Students also had to come up with an answer to a current forestry-related issue and deliver a 15-minute presentation to local individuals. The grade for this presentation made up 40 percent of the team’s final score, and the field testing made up 60 percent. From these two scores, a final ranking was determined for each team.
   The two teams from Benicia High ranked fourth and fifth overall. Hudson said some students were disappointed they did not rank in the top three, but she was still very impressed with their performances.
   “For a brand new team that had never done anything like that and never experienced it or had never seen the test, they did very well,” she said. 
   Hudson believed that the students gained a lot of important skills, especially collaboration and problem solving.
   “They worked as a team both in their presentation and in their field testing,” she said. “A lot of times what they present could be an answer to a real-life problem.”
   After a strong showing in Benicia High’s first participation in the event, Hudson remains optimistic that the school will do very well again next year and possibly even better.
   “This team that I took this year, aside from my seniors, is planning on doing it with me next year,” she said. “This gives you a little bit more of an advantage. The presentation part always changes, but usually the field testing is fairly similar. They did very, very well, and that was awesome.” 


From left to right: Adviser Emily Hudson, Riley Snowder, Ethan Castiglione, Sandra Campero-Vohs
Front Row - From left to right: Bell Soileau, Mara Guerin, Aizik Rogers, Ciara Roybal


Benicia High School student Sandra Campero-Vohs learns how to measure forest density using an angle gauge, one of the many skills learned at the 2015 Santa Cruz Forestry Challenge.


Benicia High School student Aizik Rogers measures the height of a tree using a Biltmore stick, with assistance from Big Creek Lumber forester Harlan Tranmer, one of the many skills learned at the 2015 Santa Cruz Forestry Challenge.

All photos courtesy of Diane Dealey Neill
   

   

Friday, December 18, 2015

Pups 'N' Purrz partners with Umbrella of Hope to host last adoption event of 2015

(Originally published in the 12/18/15 edition)

   Those looking to get someone a new a dog for Christmas will have a chance this Saturday when they visit Pups ’N’ Purrz.
   Umbrella of Hope, an animal rescue organization out of Pittsburg, will be holding its last adoption event at the store for the year. The organization has been doing events at Pups ’N’ Purrz since 2013 and has adopted out 46 animals at the store in that time.
   Throughout 2015, Umbrella of Hope has had 271 animals adopted out at various locations. If just four dogs are adopted on Saturday, the organization will have hit the 275 mark.
   Pups ’N’ Purrz owner James Long feels that animals taken in by Umbrella of Hope are in good hands.
   “All their rescues are not in shelters,” he said. “They’re actually being fostered by foster people until they can find the right homes. That way, when somebody adopts the animal, the foster is here and they can tell the people about the demeanor of the animal.”
   With this being the last weekend of the year for adoptions, Long believes now is the time for people to pick up the furry friend they have always wanted.
   “This will be the best chance to pick up the animal that their kids or they want for Christmas,” he said. “The rescue group does a really good job with the rescues, so it’s almost hand in hand.”

   The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19 at Pups ’N’ Purrz, located at 44 First St. All adoption fees will be waived. For more information, contact (707) 748-7433.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Benicia ranked as one of 20 best places in Northern California to raise families

(Originally published in the 12/17/15 edition)

   For the second year in a row, Benicia was ranked as the best city in Solano County for young families in a study of the best cities in Northern California to raise a family. 
   The study was done by personal finance website NerdWallet.com, which looked at factors such as home prices, crime risk, education and income growth in 202 cities, towns and census-designated places with at least 10,000 residents. 
   “Not every place got top marks in all the categories we looked at, and housing affordability is an issue in some places,” NerdWallet writers Kamran Rosen and Anna Helhoski said. 
   Benicia ranked at No. 17 on the list, a slight drop from its No. 12 rank in 2014. Nonetheless, it ranked higher than every other city in Solano County with a rating of 63.08. The city received a crime risk rating of “Most safe,” a 73.09 school rating, a median home value of $424,000, a median family income of $113,235 and a 45 percent income growth. 
   The list solidifies Benicia’s reputation as a family-friendly town. With its four elementary schools, family-oriented events throughout the year, child-centered businesses along First Street, swimming pool and plethora of parks and playgrounds, Benicia has a lot of amenities and activities for children. 
   El Dorado Hills received the highest ranking on the list, with Folsom placing right behind. Three communities from the Bay Area- San Ramon, Dublin and Clayton- were represented in the top 10 with the remainder being suburbs of Sacramento or Fresno. 

   For the full ranking, visit the list at NerdWallet.com

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Kyle Hyland Foundation attains new space for teen center

(Originally published in the 12/16/15 edition)


   After almost a year of searching, the Kyle Hyland Foundation for Teen Support has found space for its new teen center at the Gateway Church on Military West. 
   Hyland was a 16-year-old Benicia High School student who died by suicide in December 2014. After his passing, Hyland’s mother, Barbara Gervase, set up the foundation to promote awareness of teen suicide statistics and provide support to those in need. One of the goals has been to open up a teen center where high schoolers can hang out to perform music, create art, play video games and table tennis and get help from peers and counselors on stress and anxiety issues. 
   One of the main obstacles has been finding a space big enough to provide all these amenities. However, Gervase says that Gateway Pastor Jerry Pollard agreed to lend 1,500 square feet for the center.
   “Police Chief Erik Upson had a conversation with Jerry, and he was looking for ways to reach out into the community and make a difference,” she said. “Upson mentioned the goal of our nonprofit- to open a teen center- and next thing we knew, Jerry had talked to his congregation and the elders and his ward there, and he reached out to us and offered the space.”
   Gervase says the building was actually designed for the church’s youth group.
   “They have a fairly small congregation and small youth group, so it never really worked out for that purpose,” she said. “They’re looking for ways to use that building for the community, so this was a perfect fit.”
   The church is located on 1035 Military West, about a block from Benicia High and within walking distance of Benicia Middle School. 
   “It couldn’t be a better location for us,” Gervase said. 
   The space also has a coffee bar that the foundation will be using as a snack bar and a stage area with a drum set and a sound system. Since Hyland was an avid piano player, Gervase wanted the center to provide teens an opportunity to create music. She also noted that several amenities are lined up to be used.
   “We have furniture that we collected in our yard sale we had a few months ago,” she said. “We have a game table, and we’re looking for someone that has a pool table that we’ll hopefully be moving in soon.”
   Gervase says the foundation is looking at ways to modify the space, including cubicle dividers to create an office space. However, the church does not have room for a private area for counseling. Gervase says the foundation is looking for ways to create additional space, including the possibility of a portable if the city allows it. 
   “We’re hoping we can have a way to somehow have that private space for the counseling,” she said.
   The foundation will be hosting a memorial walk for Hyland on Saturday. Gervase said she wanted to hold the event close to Dec. 22- the anniversary of her son’s suicide- but felt having it on a weekend would allow more people to participate. The walk will begin at 10 a.m. at the First Street gazebo with participants going all the way down to the pier. At 10:30, a short ceremony will be held at the pier with music and poetry as well as friends sharing memories of Hyland.
   Gervase said the original plan was for a canopy to be set up with light refreshments, but with the weather forecast calling for heavy rain on Saturday, the refreshment portion may have to be moved to Gateway Church at around 11:30.
   “It’s a good opportunity for people to see the space before we move in,” she said. 
   Donations will be accepted for the event, and funds for the center are still being accepted through the crowdfunding site YouCaring.com. As of press time, close to $19,000 has been raised of its $30,000 goal. 
   “We are a nonprofit, so all of the donations are tax-deductible,” Gervase said. “We really do need donations to help fund and be able to continue to run the teen center.”
   An open house is scheduled for Jan. 9 to sign up volunteers to help run the center. Gervase hopes to have the center open two weeks afterwards.
   “It feels great to finally have space,” Gervase said. “I’ve been working on it for the past 11 months, so it’s very exciting. We have a lot of plans, and we can’t wait to open.”

   For more information about the center, the memorial walk and suicide prevention or to donate to the YouCaring site, visit the foundation’s website at KyleHyland.com

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Drones, droids take over Benicia High School

(Originally published in the 12/15/15 edition)

   On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Benicia High School was one of the many worldwide participants in the Hour of Code, an annual event in which users learn how to code hands-on for free by logging on to Code.org. The goal is to teach students skills in computer science.
   Benicia High students participated in variety of workshops. In the Active Learning Space, Annette Fewins showed students how to fly drones around using iPads. In Room B-106, Andreas Kaiser's robotics class designed remote-controlled jumping robots that they piloted around the quad. Finally, in Matt O'Reilly's classroom, students created a replica of the new BB-8 droid from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" that they were able to control.
   The Hour of Code was started in 2013, with more than 100 businesses coming together, including Apple which hosted Hour of Code at all of its stores around the world. For more information on Hour of Code or computer science statistics, visit Code.org.

(All photos by Nick Sestanovich)








Fischer-Hanlon House hosts holiday concert

(Originally published in the 12/15/15 edition)


   Tim Heney, a longtime Benicia resident and choir director of St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, will be performing a piano concert at the Fischer-Hanlon House Sunday for the second weekend in a row. 
   Heney has performed holiday concerts off and on at the historic Victorian home since the ‘70s, but according to Benicia State Parks Association spokesperson Mike Caplin, he has turned it into an annual tradition for the past seven or eight years.
   The piano that Heney will be performing on has a long history. It was manufactured by Steinway & Sons in 1866 and shipped from New York to a San Francisco dealer in March of that year. There are no records available to confirm if it was purchased directly by proprietor Joseph Fischer, but the piano has been in the house since 1867. It was where Fischer’s daughter Elizabeth took piano lessons from Hugo Mansfeldt, a student of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.
   Caplin said the piano was a rosewood 7 square, in which the keyboard is not in the center but on the lefthand side. 
   “There weren’t that many that were manufactured because I guess they weren’t that popular,” he said. “They abandoned that style and went to the standard which you see now where the keyboard is in the center.”
   Reports vary as to how many pianos were made in this model, but the general consensus is between three and five were shipped to the West Coast. The piano in the Fischer-Hanlon House  is reportedly the only surviving model as the others were destroyed in the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906. 
   Because of the piano’s age, it only gets played a few times a year, including Heney’s performances. According to Caplin, the piano has not been tuned in a long time so the house has had trouble finding a professional tuner willing to tune it.
   “The strings are attached in such a way that they could snap, and if they did it could actually injure someone,” he said. 
   However, Caplin says the exterior is in very good condition, and the sound is decent despite not being tuned in a long time.
   Heney will be performing an array of holiday classics like “Joy to the World” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” Combined with the ambiance of the house, Caplin believes concertgoers will be put into the Christmas spirit.
   “It’s very beautifully decorated for Christmas,” he said. “We actually had a professional decorator do the main parlor, so it looks great and smells great and it gives the whole feel of the season. It will put everybody in a great Christmas spirit- Victorian style, if you will.”

   The concert will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 in the parlor of the Fischer-Hanlon House, located at 115 West G St. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first- served basis.  Admission is free, but donations to the BSPA are welcomed. For more information, contact (707) 745-3670. 

Sunday, December 13, 2015

School board hears discussion on mental health

(originally published in the 12/13/15 edition)

   The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District heard a discussion on the need for more counseling and mental health support in the district at a busy Thursday night meeting.
   Carolyn Patton, the district’s special services director, led the discussion through a Power Point presentation. She cited one of Superintendent Charles Young’s goals for the district, which was “to promote safe and welcoming schools, and building empathetic, responsive, student-centered networks of support.” She then mentioned two practices that would allow schools to reach this goal: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports- which looks at data to see if students understand what school behavior is like- and the American School Counselor Association’s national model. 
   The data for the first practice is determined by the California Healthy Kids Survey, which has already been completed by students and is currently underway for staff and parents. 
   The American School Counselor Association’s national model looks at what direct services counselors provide to students. According to Patton, one-third of their time should be spent on core instruction, another third should be spent on helping students plan their schedules and the last third should be spent on responsive services like resolving conflicts between students and teachers. Patton will delve into this data at a later date.
   Patton also brought up the student-counselor gap at Benicia High School. The California Department of Education recommends a student-counselor ratio of 361-to-1, while ASCA recommends a ratio of 250-to-1. Benicia High has a ratio of 550-to-1, which is well above the recommended ratios. Currently, the school has three counselors plus a career counselor and administrative assistant to serve the needs of around 1,700 students.
   “We would need more counselors at the high school to beat that ratio,” Patton said.
   On a more positive note, Patton noted that Mental Health Coordinator Jessica Garcia has been able to implement a number of services, including weekly meeting with Benicia High and Benicia Middle School’s counselors and psychologists, a mentoring program at Benicia Middle, a Stress Less Week to take place before Benicia High’s finals week and a suicide prevention handbook as well as suicide awareness training. 
   Patton says the district wants to implement the Sources of Strength suicide prevention program to train staff involved with the Safe School Ambassadors program. it also is looking to enact a social emotional learning curriculum that deals with how to handle stress and depression.
   “We do not teach this on a regular basis,” Patton said. “We introduce it a little bit in the middle school, and we hit suicide prevention and some emotional development in ninth-grade health, but it’s not taught systematically. We’ve heard from parents, students and staff that we need to be more diligent about that.” 
   Additionally, a “Stress Less Holidays for Families” event will be held 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 15 at Benicia Middle School. Mental wellness experts and psychologists will be on hand to talk about the causes of stress and provide tips on how to overcome it.
   Patton called upon the community to continue to provide feedback.
   “I want to thank the board for holding us accountable on helping us to get a suicide prevention policy,” she said. “I want to ask you to continue to hold us accountable and look at that second goal and help us to work towards that.” 
   Trustee Andre Stewart highlighted the need for specificity in the plan.
   “I would ask that we do consider putting target dates into when we’re going to archive these goals,” he said. 
   Stewart also asked if there was a number as to how many students were helped by counselors. Patton said the tracking form indicated how many cases were closed and which students and how many students were referred on to other services. 
   Additionally, Stewart also underlined the importance of the high school bringing in more counselors.
   “I hope that we really are more aggressive in 2016 in hiring more counselors,” he said.
   A public comment was given by Barbara Gervase, the mother of Kyle Hyland, a Benicia High student who died by suicide last year. Gervase thanked Patton for presenting her plans but agreed with Stewart that specific dates were needed.
   “We all hope for the best, but we really need a thorough, laid-out plan so we can reach those targets and make sure that the board knows what needs to be funded,” she said. 
   After her son’s death, Gervase set up the Kyle Hyland Foundation with the goal of raising awareness of suicide rates among teens. The foundation has been working to establish a teen center in Benicia with activities geared toward teenagers and counselors and mentors to provide support. Patton announced at the meeting that a space has been found for the center. According to the foundation’s Facebook page, the center will be operating within the Gateway Church, located at 1315 Military West, just down the street from Benicia High. An open house is planned for January.
   In other business, the board re-elected Gary Wing as president and elected Diane Ferrucci to fill late Trustee Rosie Switzer’s role as clerk. The board also observed a moment of silence for Switzer after short speeches by each trustee, and it determined that an appointment would be made by Jan. 28 to fill the vacancy on the board. 

  

Author Event features former Benicia herald columnist

(Originally published in the 12/13/15 edition)


   Conservative author and former Benicia Herald columnist Jim Pugh will be doing an Author Event at Bookshop Benicia today to promote his book “Flim Flam Man: A Legacy of Lies.”
   “Flim Flam Man” is a collection of political columns that Pugh wrote for the Benicia Herald and Vallejo Times-Herald between 2009 and 2013. Many of Pugh’s columns expressed his displeasure with Barack Obama’s presidency, which resulted in praise from the area’s right-leaning residents and criticism from left-leaning residents.
   “I knew when I first started writing the column that I was going against the grain because this area is pretty much left-wing,” he said. “Just about everything I wrote kind of ruffled a lot of people, and we got a lot of feedback mostly on the Internet. (Then-editor) Marc Ethier was running an online version of the Forum page, so there was a lot of activity in that time.  Most of that activity was not in favor of my column.”
   Pugh stopped writing his column because of health reasons, but he got an idea to compile all of his columns into one book which he says was a long process.
   “The last year or so I’ve been tied up in getting this book published, which wasn’t all that easy,” he said. “It’s a lot harder than most people realize, but we got it done. We got Random House to do it*, and I think that it turned out to be a pretty nice job.”
   Pugh says his goal is to open readers up to some of the negative things he feels Obama has done as president.
   “We’ve had a man in the White House for the past six years who has done some remarkably negative things to this country,” he said. “Nobody seemed to care or have a reason to do anything or say anything about it. What I’d like to do is open people’s eyes and let them see what exactly has happened to this country in the last seven years.”
   “If they can’t get it from this book, they’re not going to get it anywhere,” he added. 
   Pugh has made his dislike for Democrats clear, but he considers himself more of an independent these days after being disappointed with the Republican Party in the last few years. However, he says he will vote for a Republican in the 2016 presidential election but only if they nominate a candidate he likes.
   “When I vote, I will vote Republican, provided the candidate is acceptable,” he said. “If not, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’d hate to vote for somebody I didn’t like.”
   At the Author Event, Pugh will be doing a meet and greet with store patrons and answer their questions. He believes it will be a good opportunity to talk with residents.
   “I’d just like for people to come in and meet the author,” he said. “If they want to buy a copy of the book, they can do that, but they don’t have to.”
   The Author Event will be held at 3 p.m. today at Bookshop Benicia, located at 636 First St. For more information, contact the store at (707) 747-5155. 

*In actuality, the book was published by AuthorHouse, a self-publishing company. However, it is a subsidiary of Random House. 

  

Friday, December 11, 2015

Matthew Turner students learn creative, technical skills

(Originally published in the 12/11/15 edition)


   All this week, students at Matthew Turner Elementary have been learning important skills in areas like math, science and engineering by having fun.
   Dec. 7 to 11 was the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) Week where students of all grades participated in a variety of activities that taught them about these areas. The week was funded by Parent Teacher Association, and various parents and community organizations volunteered to assist.
   Although this is the first year the school has done a STEAM Week, the school had done a STEM program for third through fifth graders in past years, Matthew Turner Principal Leslie Beatson said.
   “We had a separate art day, and this year we brought it all together, made it STEAM and did it for a whole week,” she said. 
   Every day of the week has different activities. On Monday, the students had an assembly in the Multi-Purpose Room called Kid Science Safari, which provided them with a number of experiments and hands-on activities.
   “It was sort of like the Exploratorium in mini on wheels,” Beatson said.
   Tuesday was an in-school STEAM Day, where every class had six 30-minute workshops in the areas of STEAM. Throughout the day, third graders attempted to build towers out of straws, second graders designed tinfoil boats to see how many pennies they could hold before sinking and kindergarteners learned about the science of bubbles by determining which instruments would create the biggest bubbles.
   Students also made use of technology. Third graders shot short movies on iPads and learned coding lessons in the library, and second graders got to see Lego robotics in action. 
   On Wednesday, classes did buddy projects related to STEAM, and Benicia Middle School’s jazz band and drama club came by to perform. On Thursday, guest readers read STEAM-related books, and today, third through fifth graders will be doing hands-on activities by community partners. 
   Beatson believes students will learn important lessons through the week’s activities.
   “They’re going to learn skills outside of STEAM like collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking,” she said. “They’re very short sessions, so they’re a jumping point for more in-depth work that can happen in the classroom.” 
   Beatson noted the week, particularly Tuesday’s STEAM Day, was a collaborative effort among techers, parents and community members, who donated items and helped with instruction. 

“I think I have about 30 parent volunteers and community members coming in to help,” she said. “Without them, this day would not be possible.”