Benicia High School spring dance show puts fame under microscope

(Originally published in the 2/28/16 edition)

   As the late David Bowie once remarked “Fame puts you where things are hollow.” It is hard to resist the temptation of fame, but living the glamorous life has its downsides, especially when it comes to starting on the path down the rabbit hole of fame. This topic is the subject of Benicia High School’s spring dance show “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” 

   As Benicia High’s newest addition to the dance department, director and choreographer Marisol Almaguer said she wanted to do a story about royalty but was not sure how to approach it. 

   “I thought of celebrity royalty,” she said. “It was an idea I got from my sister whose daughter is a dancer, and we came up with ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World.’ I developed a story of two girls who wanted freedom.”

   The show is a coming of age story about two girls named Lila and Scarlett who are triple threats. They are both very talented singers, dancers and actresses and want to become successful, a thought that is shared by their parents. However, as they grow older, their managers start sending them in different directions. Lila is more naturally liked by the public which annoys the more driven Scarlett who wants the public’s adoration.

   Almaguer says a big challenge has been putting the show on in a short amount of time. 

   “In February, we had four less student days,” she said. “That was a real challenge because that was four less days of getting the production together.”

   However, Almaguer is impressed with the students she is working with.

   “I have never worked with a group this big,” she said. “To put a whole class of dancers together where I’m letting these girls where I’m letting these girls explore dances they’ve never done before is something I’m very proud of. They’re excelling in it, they’re doing well and they’re open to it.”

   This especially excites Almaguer who does not see herself as a technique dancer.

   “Even though I’ve been in dance and have choreographed dance since 2004, I don’t have the technique that they have,” she said. “For them to take my piece and make it look so amazing is a huge accomplishment.” 

   In addition to the main plot, Benicia High’s dancers will be performing to more than 20 songs— over an hour’s worth. The track listing ranges from Major Lazer and DJ Snake’s EDM hit “Lean On”— which Almaguer says  will be performed with Latin and hip-hop dances as well as a little bit of bellydancing— to R&B singer The Weeknd’s “Devil May Cry.” The production will also showcase songs from New Zealand alternative pop singer Lorde, including her brooding cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”— the inspiration for the show’s title— and Kanye West’s remix of her song “Yellow Flicker Beat.” 

   Almaguer believes the show will provide a lot of entertainment as well as a strong message to audiences about what is more important than fame.

   “It’s a phenomenal effort from these students,” she said. “They did an extraordinary job with the music, and they worked closely more than in other years.”

   “It’s gonna be very entertaining,” she added. “There’s gonna be a whole lot of passion in the dances and a lot of fun. “

   “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” will be performed at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 10 and 7 p.m. Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12. All shows will be held in the Benicia High Performing Arts Building, located at 1101 Military West. Admission is $8 for students and children and $14 for adults, with a $2 discount for tickets purchased online. Tickets can be purchased at BeniciaHighPerformingArts.org. For more information, contact BHS Performing Arts at (707) 751-2338. 

   

Vallejo Symphony to present debut performance of string quartet

(Originally published in the 2/26/16 edition)

   For its final production of the season, Vallejo Symphony will be presenting a chamber performance by New Falcon String Quartet. 

   The group is comprised of violist Raphael Gold, cellist Burke Schuchmann and violinists Joseph Gold and Dan Kristianson. On Sunday, March 6, the quartet will be performing their debut gig together, but Kristianson says all four members are accomplished musicians and he and Schuchmann had worked together previously. 

   “We’ve given concerts in Mendocino at the arts center,” he said. 

   Schuchmann was principal cellist and soloist with the Salzburg Solisten in Austria, and has been principal cellist and soloist with the Sacramento Symphony and Mendocino Music Festival. 

   Joseph is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he studied under legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz. Joseph has performed throughout the Bay Area and was the subject of the 2011 documentary “Gold Violin: Bow of Death,” which was an Official Selection for the Mill Valley Film Festival that year.

   Joseph’s son, Rafael, has played in several orchestras and chamber groups throughout the Bay Area and has performed in international music festivals in Mexico, Spain, Nicaragua and beyond. 

   Finally, Kristianson has been performing with the Vallejo Symphony for 14 years as assistant principal second violinist, and has been a member of a group called Symphony Orchestra of Northern California which has performed in venues in Fairfield and Napa. Additionally, he received his music degree from Yale University and studied in Japan under Shinichi Suzuki, founder of the Suzuki method, which posits that musicians learn from their surrounding environments. He has also been the assistant principal second violinist for the North State Symphony of Chico and Redding for 20 years and was the gust principal second violinist last season for Symphony Napa Valley and Solano Symphony. 

   Kristianson says the diversity of talents among the group often comes into friendly conflict.

   “The best and the worst thing is that we are all highly opinionated,” he said. “We have strong musical opinions, and there’s a wealth of different musical ideas that are generally quite well-founded and well-grounded, but then we have to duke it out in rehearsal to see the way they’re presented when they’re actually performed.”

   Nonetheless, the members of New Falcon String Quartet enjoy each other’s company, especially when the senior members share stories. 

   “Burke and Joe are loads of fun to work with because they are filled with literally hundreds of thousands of anecdotes about musical performances and famous musicians they’ve collaborated with,” Kristianson said. “We break the tension with a story and probably talk a little more often than we ought to in rehearsal.” 

   The quartet will be performing three orchestral pieces from three different eras of symphonic music. The evening will begin with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Divertimento in No. 3,” which Kristianson says was unanimously chosen by the group as the introductory piece.

   “It’s a very optimistic and forward-moving piece, and it’s a great piece to introduce yourself to an audience,” he said. “You don’t want to start off with anything that’s too tragic or too wistful.”

   The group will continue with Felix Mendelssohn’s “String Quartet in E Minor,” which Kristianson described as a good middle piece due to it being performed in E minor— a step above what has been cited as “the saddest of all keys.”

   “It’s a little bit more dramatic in nature,” he said. 

   The evening will conclude with Antonin Dvorak’s “American” quartet.

   “Of all the great European composers, (Dvorak) was the one most adopted by American styles,” Kristianson said. “It’s great European music, but it has some great flavor of the United States.”

   “He had studied the spirituals and folk music, and you can hear it in his composition,” he added. 

   Kristianson believes the three pieces will be strong showcases of three different musical periods, with Mozart representing the classical era, Dvorak representing the Romantic era and Mendelssohn representing a bridge between the two. Additionally, he feels the audience will be treated to great music.

   “You will hear some of the finest string playing you’ll have heard in Vallejo in years,” he said. “You don’t often get a chance to hear musicians of the caliber.”

   New Falcon String Quartet’s concert will begin at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 6, at the First Presbyterian Church in Vallejo, located at 1350 Amador St. Tickets are $10 for students 13 and older, and $20 for adults. They can be purchased at BrownPaperTickets.com. For more information, visit VallejoSymphony.org. 

   

Fundraiser amasses more than $7,000 in honor of Gavin Buchanan

(Originally published in the 2/25/16 edition)

   The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation hosted a Dog-Wash-a-Thon at Pet Food Express Saturday to raise money for bulletproof vests for police dogs. The foundation’s goal was to raise $2,000, but due to strong support from the community, it ended up raising more than $7,000, with online donations still coming in. 

   Chairwoman Brandi Narvaez said she was elated by the results.

   “We are just stunned by the community outpouring, both financially and just people showing up,” she said.

   Gavin Buchanan, 8, was killed in September alongside his father, Adam, and mother, Molly McAffee in the family’s Greenwood cabin. His 16-year-old half brother, Nolen, was arrested on suspicion of the homicide, and his case is currently being handled in El Dorado County.

   Gavin was very passionate about the safety of police K9s. When he was 5, he donated his entire allowance and chore money to police K-9s. This effort so touched Benicia police officers that he even became an ambassador to K-9s. 

   Gavin’s family set up the nonprofit foundation in October to honor his commitment to protecting K9s. The first fundraiser was held over the weekend at Pet Food Express, where customers would spend $15 to have their canines washed at the shop’s self-service dog wash stations. All the proceeds went to the foundation which in turn will be donated to help outfit the Benicia Police Department’s new K-9 unit vehicles with proper safety gear, including window guards, door panel guards and alert systems. 

   Patrons also had the option to get custom embroidered pet collars and meet local officers, and they were also treated to K-9 demonstrations. 

   “We had three separate K-9 demonstrations,” Narvaez said. “We were lucky enough to have Palo Alto police present, and the two Benicia K-9 units did some really fun stuff.” 

   Officer Brad Young of the Palo Alto Police Department did obedience demonstrations with his department’s K-9 Eddie. Benicia officers Kirk Keffer and Jake Heinemeyer did additional demonstrations with K-9 Bak and K-9 Atos and also answered questions about the day in the life of a K-9 officer. 

   The event drew a large crowd and amassed $7,000 in donations. Two anonymous donators gave $500 each. Those who could not be at the event in person mailed checks. In a parallel to Gavin’s dedication, the first donor of the day was a young Benicia resident named Amaya who donated the entire contents of her piggy bank to support the protection of police dogs. 

   Narvaez said she was very appreciative of the event’s turnout.

   “People came by to tell us their stories about how they knew Gavin or his family and how they wanted to support the local community,” she said. “For the financial reasons, we are related but also really grateful for the community outreach as well.”

   Narvaez said the foundation has other fundraiser ideas planned for the spring and has received calls from local businesses about fundraising concepts, but she said nothing is set in stone. 

   “We don’t have anything formal to announce yet, but we have a couple ideas brewing for the spring and summer,” she said. “We’ll definitely reach out to the Benicia community and let them know where we’ll be hosting our next fundraising event.”

   For more information on the foundation, visit GavinBuchananMemorialFoundation.com or call Narvaez at (707) 365-5424. 

Photo courtesy of Brandi Narvaez

K-9 Eddie of the Palo Alto Police Department jumps a fence during an obedience training demonstration.

Mike Thompson files for re-election

(Originally published in the 2/24/16 edition)

   Benicia’s congressman, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) filed for re-election in the 5th Congressional District Monday. 

   “Today, I filed my papers to run for re-election in our Congressional District,” Thompson said in a statement. “I am incredibly humbled to have a broadly diverse group of supporters including the endorsements of supervisors, mayors, city councilmembers, sheriffs, as well as business and community leaders from our district.”

   Thompson was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998 as part of California’s 1st district. At the time, the district consisted of Napa, Del Norte, Mendocino, Humboldt and Lake counties as well as portions of Sonoma and Yolo counties. Following redistricting in 2013, Thompson now serves California’s 5th district, which includes all of Napa County and parts of Contra Costa, Lake, Sonoma and Solano counties, including Benicia. 

   In a statement, Thompson extolled his ability to work with community officials during times of need.

   "I have strong working relationships with local and county officials and community members,” he said. “Together, we secured federal funds to rebuild after the 2014 South Napa Earthquake and the 2015 Valley Fire in Lake County.  And, we acquired assistance to help revitalize Mare Island, invest in Sonoma County’s transportation infrastructure as well as complete the Napa flood project.”

   During his time in Congress, Thompson has been a proponent of environmental issues, a public health care option and gun control. He is also the co-chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus, which protects the interests of the viticulture industry. 

   “As your representative, I will continue to protect Social Security and Medicare, keep fighting for comprehensive immigration reform and strengthen our national security,” Thompson said in a statement. “As a Vietnam combat veteran, I will continue to support our veterans and their families.”

   Thompson’s nomination papers included signatures from several Solano County officials, including Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis, County Supervisor Erin Hannigan and NAACP Vallejo President Jimmie Jackson. 

   A Republican challenger to Thompson has yet to declare. 

DVC professor to discuss Benicia's railroad history

(Originally published in the 2/23/16 edition)

   As the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot at the end of First Street undergoes the process of being considered for the National Register of Historic Places, residents can learn all about the town’s railroad history in a series of formal presentations. 

   The Benicia Historical Society will be hosting a series of lectures to tie in with its latest project of getting the Depot listed in the Register. To kick off these presentations, Diablo Valley College history professor Greg Tilles will be delivering a lecture at Camellia Tea Room titled “Before the Railroad Came to Benicia: Building the First Transcontinental.” 

   “In my presentation, I will provide an overview of the history of Benicia as a railroad town from 1879 when the link with the Transcontinental Railroad was established to 1930 when the railroad would bypass the town by crossing the new bridge spanning the Carquinez Strait,” Tilles said. 

   In 1863, construction began on the First Transcontinental Railroad with the goal of being able to link the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States via railway. Over the next six years, workers underwent the daunting task of building a 1,776-mile railroad that extended from Sacramento to Council Bluffs, Iowa— which itself was connected to several East Coast train stations. The project had the blessing of President Abraham Lincoln; was heavily funded by a group of investors known as The Big Four, including future Stanford University founder Leland Stanford and utilized several Chinese and Irish-American workers for its construction. The project was completed when the last spike was driven into the ground at the Promontory Summit in Utah in 1869. 

   Tilles will discuss the history of the First Transcontinental Railroad and how Benicia became linked to it in 1878. Tilles will also talk about Benicia’s years as a railroad town and briefly talk about Benicia’s train and ferry system to Port Costa in the early 20th century, although he says many of those details will be covered in a March presentation by David Hyde, a member of the Society’s board of directors and Ph.D candidate in anthropology at UC Berkeley.

   “The bulk of my lecture will focus on the earlier monumental task of connecting California with the rest of the nation through the building of the first transcontinental railroad between 1863 and 1869,” Tilles said.

   Tilles says his goal is to let Benicians know where their town fits within the larger picture of California’s history.

   “I have given several talks for the Society in past years,” he said. “In each of them, one of my central goals has been to provide the audience with an appreciation of the link between Benicia history--the town's people, experiences and institutions--and the larger context of California and United States history.  My plan is to continue this focus at this year's presentation so that those who attend will take away a sense of how the railroad placed Benicia significantly in the larger arenas of state and national history.”

   Jerry Hayes, former Society president, says he hopes people come away with a better understanding of their town’s long, colorful history.

   “It is our hope that attendees will take away a better appreciation of Benicia's rich history and our responsibility to respect and enhance that gift to us all,” he said.

   The presentation will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25 at Camellia Tea Room, located at 828 First St. Society members will get in for free, and non-members will pay a $5 admission. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit BeniciaHistoricalSociety.org. 

Benicia elementary schools nominated for Gold Ribbon status

(Originally published in the 2/21/16 edition)

   Three of Benicia’s four elementary schools have been nominated to become Gold Ribbon California elementary schools.

   Mary Farmar, Joe Henderson and Robert Semple elementary schools are in the running to become Gold Ribbon schools for the year. The Gold Ribbon Schools Award Program was created in 2015 as a replacement for the California Distinguished Schools program, which is on hiatus as the state works to accommodate new assessment and accountability systems, according to Tom Torlakson, the state superintendent of public instruction. The program honors schools that have made major gains in the implementation of academic material and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education. Schools are invited to apply, and their applications are submitted to the California Department of Education where they undergo review. Schools are later selected by the department for verification review by staff members of their respective county offices of education. 

   Last year, the program honored California’s middle and high schools. This year, the state’s elementary schools will be honored. 

   At Thursday’s school board meeting, Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Charles Young highlighted the same things each school highlighted in their applications. 

   “Joe Henderson highlighted their school's focus on building a reading life, Robert Semple highlighted the impact that Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports has made on their school culture as well as their reading intervention support program and Mary Farmar highlighted the positive impact that classroom-embedded professional development through Teachers College Reading and Writing Project has made on their instructional practice and grade-level collaboration,” Young said. 

   The schools will be reviewed by the Solano County Office of Education. Recipients will be announced by Torlakson in April, and a regional ceremony will be held for the winning schools in May.

   As for Matthew Turner Elementary— the one school that was not selected for Gold Ribbon status— Young noted that the school was recognized as a California Distinguished School in 2014. 

   

School board discusses next year's enrollment at Thursday's meeting

(Originally published in the 2/21/16 edition)

   Tim Rahill, the chief business official of Benicia Unified School District, delivered a report on enrollment projections for the 2016-2017 school year at a shortened school board meeting Thursday.

   Rahill noted that kindergarten and transitional kindergarten enrollment numbers are slated to be about the same as the previous year. Meanwhile, the district’s four elementary schools are projected to have slightly fewer students.

   “What you can see in the handout is that when we roll the grade levels into next year, we might be experiencing a decline in enrollment at the elementary schools by about 56 students,” Rahill said. “That’s basically due to the fact of a fifth grade exiting out to the middle school, and a smaller TK (and) K coming in.”

   Additionally, Rahill said that Benicia Middle School is likely to see a decrease in enrollment by 56 students, but this is par for the course. 

   “Historically, what happens at the middle school level is that we get students that enroll primarily from other private schools that come into the public school system,” he said. “We experience that, and it’s pretty flat. We’ve experienced that for the last seven years, so we’re not really anticipating a decline in enrollment at the middle school.”

   At the high school level, Rahill said the district is expecting a slight increase in students at both Benicia High School and Liberty High School by 33. 

   Rahill said the district is primarily focused on the elementary school enrollments.

   “Know that the office managers and the principals are working hard to do community outreach to get folks to enroll as soon as possible,” he said. “If that decline in enrollment sticks, we’ll be talking to the principals about potential adjusting to the staffing that we provide for less students.”

   In terms of staffing projections, Deputy Superintendent Michael Gardner pointed out that the district has experienced double the amount of retirements at the elementary schools as well as several resignations. 

   “We don’t anticipate any kinds of notices for any layoffs this year,” Gardener said. “We will be able to cover them with attrition.” 

   President Gary Wing asked what the dates were for students being accepted into transitional kindergarten and if students with slightly later birthdays would qualify. The dates are from Sept. 2 to Dec. 2, and Assistant Superintendent Marie Morgan said the district does not open transitional kindergarten up to all students.

   “There are a couple of exceptions, depending upon educational circumstances in terms of assessments or special circumstances for students,” she said. 

   Transitional kindergarten is an optional program for students who have their fifth birthday between September and December and can be taken in place of regular kindergarten. Trustee Stacy Holguin asked how much longer the district would be offering transitional kindergarten. Rahill responded by saying the state provides funding for transitional kindergarten, and BUSD would continue to offer it to families who choose to take part.

   “At this point in time, they’re not required to enroll, but if they want to we will provide TK,” he said.

   In other business, the board approved the first reading of several board policies, including the development of protocols to ensure that students are placed into an appropriate math class and not one they have already taken and a new law that prohibits districts from discriminating against a person requesting accommodations for disability or religious beliefs. 

   The board convened early to attend Benicia High’s open house night. The board will be holding a special board meeting study session at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25. The next regular board meeting will be Thursday, March 3 at its regular start time of 7 p.m. in the Benicia Unified School District Board Room at the district building on 350 East K Street.

   

Parent teacher groups join forces for auction event at Clock Tower

(Originally published in the 2/19/16 edition)

   For the third year in a row, the Parent Teacher Groups of Joe Henderson and Robert Semple Elementary schools will be joining forces for a Mardi Gras-themed live and silent auction for adults only. 

   According to Crystal Luna-Yarnell, the event’s co-chair and a parent of a third grader at Joe Henderson, the idea came about when the two schools’ parent-teacher organizations started collaborating and talking about fundraising ideas. 

   “One of the schools is not always able to bring in as much capital as some of the other schools are,” she said. “We just thought it might be a really fun thing to do if we just sort of collaborated together and split the proceeds.”

   In 2014, the groups put on their first Mardi Gras-themed auction event. Although the celebration of Carnival is typically observed in February, the event will actually be held in March. Luna-Yarnell said she was not sure why the Mardi Gras theme was chosen but suggested it would be an interesting event for the end of winter to bring adults together. 

   “It is our only adult only event,” she said. “A lot of the events we do, we look at how we can involve the kids. This gives the parents an opportunity to get to know each other.” 

   The committee begins planning and obtaining items for the auction in July. Among the more than 100 goodies to be bid on include tickets for The Golden State Warriors’ March 26 game against the Philadelphia 76ers, four tickets to San Francisco Giants games, a seven-night stay in Puerto Vallarta in August, a Disneyland package with a $1,000 Visa gift card, tickets to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Oakland Symphony, a Lake Tahoe getaway, a Lagunitas Brewery basket and tickets to see Adele perform in one of her sold-out shows at San Jose’s SAP Center in July. 

   Luna-Yarnell said the process of obtaining items takes a lot of work.

   “It just takes a lot of asking,” she said. “It definitely takes a village, and we’re just reaching out and using all the resources that we have.” 

   Nonetheless, Luna-Yarnell says she is thrilled at the response the groups have gotten.

   “This year, I don’t think we’ve really had to ask as much as in the past,” she said. “People were really looking forward to the auction, and some people solicited us and said ‘We would like to donate.’”

   In addition to the auctions, there will be Cajun-inspired chicken, salad and side dishes catered by Gracie’s Family BBQ in Vallejo, a full bar, music by DJ Kevin and games. One of the games, “Heads or Tails,” will feature DJ Kevin tossing a coin in the air. Those who choose “Heads” will put their hands on their heads, and those who choose “Tails” will put their hands behind their backs. Participants whose poses correspond with the coin’s outcome will remain in the game, and the process will continue until one person is left standing. The winner will receive a $350 plasma-screen TV. 

   Luna-Yarnell said the proceeds will be split between the two schools, and much of the money will go toward student enrichment.

   “At Joe Henderson, we are very focused on art education and reading,” she said. “We’re also making sure our teachers have the extra money they may not get from the school district.” 

   The event will take place from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m., Saturday, March 5 at The Clock Tower, located at 1189 Washington St. Tickets can be purchased at EventBrite.com. The event is for adults only, but attendees do not have to be parents of Joe Henderson or Robert Semple students. For more information, visit JHRSAuctionEvent.org. 

Police to enforce citations for parking too long in 30-minute zones

(Originally published in the 2/18/16 edition)

   After Friday, if you park in front of a downtown business for too long, you could be receiving a ticket. 

   The Benicia Police Department has begun a campaign to seriously enforce citations against people who park in front of designated 30-minute zones, which are identified by a green painted curb. According to Lt. Scott Przekurat, the police department had been receiving complaints from business owners about people parking in front of their stores for too long. 

   “Some of the businesses have been complaining about people parking in front of their establishments for long periods of time,” he said. “They’re concerned that that may keep people from shopping in their businesses because of limited parking.”

   According to Przekurat, there are about eighteen 30-minute parking zones on First Street which have been there for years, but the Police Department generally has never enforced them. However, after receiving an influx of complaints, the department has decided to seriously impose the parking laws. For a two week period that began on Monday, Feb. 8 and will run until Friday, Feb. 19, the department has been placing warning notices on vehicles that park in the designated spaces for longer than 30 minutes to determine how many drivers have been violating this rule. Following this Friday, the violations will be enforced for people who park excessively in the green zones. 

   Przekurat says the department will try to enforce the citations as much as possible, but he said it will largely depend on the availability of staff.

   “We don’t have anybody to just enforce that parking,” he said. “It will be on a case by case as resources allow. If we have staff to mark the tires on these cars starting next week and they’re still there after 30 minutes, then we’ll issue citations.” 

   If cars park in the green zones for too long, the drivers will receive written citations and receive an as of yet undetermined fine. 

   “We’re hoping residents will comply with the law,” Przekurat said. 

   For more information, contact the Police Department at (707) 745-3411. 

Fundraiser held to honor late 8-year-old's passion

(Originally published in the 2/17/16 edition)

   The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation will be holding a fundraiser at Pet Food Express, Saturday. The funds will go toward the same thing the slain Benicia third grader was so passionate about in life: donating bulletproof vests to police dogs. 

   Gavin, 8, along with father Adam and mother Molly McAffee, was murdered in the family’s Greenwood cabin. Gavin’s half brother was arrested on suspicion of having committed the murders. 

   In October, members of Gavin’s family established The Gavin Buchanan Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the goal of carrying on his legacy.

    “He was very passionate about protecting K-9 law enforcement officers,” Gavin’s cousin and foundation Chairwoman Brandi Narvaez said. “He was definitely passionate about this cause, and we are continuing that in his honor.”

   Shortly before his 6th birthday, Gavin had converted all the money he had earned from chores and through the tooth fairy into a $100 bill. He then walked into Pet Food Express, which was holding a fundraiser for Bay Area police dogs, and donated the money.

   Gavin’s efforts did not go unnoticed in the community. He was subsequently featured on a poster with Benicia police dogs outside Pet Food Express and was the subject of a 2014 Benicia Herald article. When asked why he would give up all his money to help a police dog, Gavin told then-staff reporter Donna Beth Weilenman, “So he doesn’t get shot and killed.”

   The foundation will be holding its first big event Saturday at Pet Food Express. 

   “They are offering us the use of their self-service dog washing station,” Narvaez said. “Any patron who comes in that day and purchases a dog wash token for $15 or any increment will wash their dog and enjoy their day.”

   The proceeds from the $15 purchases will go to the foundation who will then donate the money toward outfitting Benicia Police Department’s new K-9 unit vehicles. There will also be local law enforcement officers on site to do K-9 demonstrations and stations where people can have their names embroidered on dog collars.

   “We’re going to have a fun energy and a fun crew all the way around,” Narvaez said. “It’s gonna be a really really great day.”

   The foundation has more events planned for the summer, but Narvaez said the board is still waiting to see how Saturday’s event will go.

   “We are looking to really knock it out of the park, but we’re also clear we need to learn how to do this,” she said. “In the future, we will make announcements about upcoming events.”

   Narvaez expressed gratitude to the community for its support.

   “We really want to make sure we stay partnered with them, express our gratitude and really look for the long term of continuing Gavin’s legacy,” she said. “We’re working with local law enforcement and really making sure that this little 8-year-old has a legacy that we can all be proud of.”

   The fundraiser will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 at Pet Food Express, located at 838 Southampton Road. A Benicia Police Department K-9 demonstration will be held at 2 p.m. For more information on the fundraiser or the foundation, contact Brandi Narvaez at (707) 365-5424. 

   

   

   

Benicia mom’s homegrown cookie business goes commercial

(Originally published in the 2/14/16 edition. A correction was made regarding the date of the event)

   In just three short years, Whipt Baked Goods has grown from a small mom-and-pop organization to the place where people from all over come to have cookies designed for their big events. 

   Whipt became open for business following the enactment of Assembly Bill 1616, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2013. The bill allows people to prepare non-hazardous food items in their kitchens to be labeled as “Cottage Food Operations.”

   A few months later, local mother of three Krizy Osada registered her business with the Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, making Whipt the first CFO in the county. Osada initially intended for the business to be something she did on the side as she raised her children with plans to return to school for a master’s in education, but Whipt ended up doing so well that it now operates as a commercial bakery. 

   “We initially started out by vending at local events,” Osada said. “But then a buzz happened and people started hearing about us. We just got really busy with our private orders.” 

   Whipt offers a variety of treats, including cookies, cupcakes and shortbread, but Osada says what distinguishes the treats is the fact that the ingredients are organic, sourced locally and do not contain GMOs. 

   “We have an organic flour mill from a local organic company, as well as our chocolates which are produced here in the Bay Area,” she said. 

   The store also has vegan and gluten free options as well as ingredients like cage free eggs and organic cream-top milk. Whipt’s specialty is the Whipt Original Cookie Cake, which is a two and a half-inch diameter circle with a frosty center encased in a crunchy shell.

   “The texture itself is something that one would want to sink their teeth into,” Osada said. 

   In addition, Whipt also utilizes photo-quality edible graphic options that clients can put on their cookies for events like birthdays, weddings and company promotions. The business has a will call window where customers can pick up their treats by appointment, or they can have the items shipped to them.

   “Our clients come to us and basically get their picture or logo on our Whipt products,” Osada said. 

   Currently, Osada says, the designs are all chosen by the clients, but Whipt is looking to revamp its website to include a catalog of custom designs for special occasions throughout the year. Designs chosen by past customers include an array of cupcakes embroidered with the Disney princesses and another set of cookie cakes featuring the covers of famous hip-hop albums, including Nas’ “Illmatic” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Low End Theory.”

   Osada said the designs often draw a strong emotional response out of clients.

   “I have met with customers in public, and they have admitted to me ‘I had to save that cookie. I never ate it,’” she said. “Some people have told me that they’re collecting my cookies almost like they’re collector’s items. I’m like ‘No, you have to eat them because they’re delicious.’”

   Osada attributes much of the growth of her company to social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram. 

   “There’s a lot of power in social media,” she said. “People will see a picture, they’ll like it, their friends will see them like it, and then they’ll learn about it that way and want to order.”

   Osada is very happy for how her business has thrived.

   “We’ve grown from this mom-and-pop baking company that didn’t even really have a vision for serving people outside our community, but we have orders coming in from L.A., New York and all across the country,” she said. 

   An event will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 21 where members of the community can stop by and enjoy complimentary milk and cookies. The event is free and open to the public. Whipt Baked Goods is located at 1440 E Second St. For more information, call 742-3215. 

   

Fundraiser held for local attack victim

(Originally published in the 2/12/16 edition)

   A fundraiser was held Saturday at the Benicia Safeway for its manager, who is recovering from a brutal attack that occurred Feb. 2. 

   Christine Joens, 37,  was walking back to her car in the parking lot of a Wells Fargo bank on Tennessee Street in Vallejo when she was struck over the head with a hammer in an apparent violent robbery. Joens was transported to a local hospital where she is being treated for her critical injuries. 

   William David King, a 19-year-old Vallejo resident and Benicia High School alum, was arrested on the suspicion of committing two violent crimes over the course of two days. On Feb. 3, 63-year-old Suisun City resident Cheryl Ann Sherwood was in the parking lot near Macy’s and Best Buy outside the Solano Town Center shopping mall in Fairfield when King allegedly struck her in the head with a baseball bat. Sherwood was sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, which she succumbed to on Friday, Feb. 5.

   King confessed to the crimes and is being charged at the Solano County Superior Court for robbery, murder and attempted murder. 

   A fundraiser for Joens was held Saturday at the Benicia Safeway, located at 50 Solano Square. Patrons enjoyed hot dogs, chips and sodas with all the profits going toward Joens’ medical costs.

   “We raised $6,000,” a Safeway staff member who requested anonymity said. “People are also dropping things off at the store, and we make sure she gets them.” 

   Additionally, Joens’ friend, Krystal Huffman, set up a fundraiser on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe.com to help pay for Joens’ medical costs. As of press time, the fundraiser has received $4,100 in donations from 104 people.

   To donate to Joens’ fundraising campaign, visit gofundme.com/zhmw63e7. 

Black Irish Band to bring Gold Rush-era sound to Benicia Historical Museum

(Originally published in the 2/11/16 edition. An update was made because Rick Restivo was initially- and rather inexplicably- unmentioned.)

   The Benicia Historical Museum loves its Celtic folk bands, and next weekend, one of Northern California’s most popular Celtic bands will be playing.

   The Black Irish Band, based out of Sonora in Tuolumne County, will be performing at the Museum to celebrate more than 25 years of playing together as a band. Lead singer Patrick Karnahan and guitarist Rick Restivo met in 1989 on the set of the Western-themed “Back to the Future Part III,” where they played members of the Hill Valley Brass Band. Another bandmate, Steve McArthur, also had a speaking role in the film, and the three would talk about the idea of starting a traditional Irish folk band that crossed cultural barriers. 

   Shortly thereafter, The Black Irish Band was born, eventually recruiting Jim Nelson to play long-neck banjo and provide vocals. The group blends its Celtic folk stylings with Italian and Spanish genres, and their songs are laced with a heavy nostalgia for the Old West. Since the members all hail from areas that were the centers of the California Gold Rush, many of their songs are inspired by that era. 

   According to Benicia Historical Museum Curator Beverly Phelan, The Black Irish Band have been playing the museum since 2000.

   “Our president at the time came up with the idea of having these Irish concerts and that we needed to find a variety,” she said. “The Black Irish were very different than the other groups we were getting. They didn’t sing only the traditional Irish ballads and jigs, but they did the Gold Rush and railroad folk songs.” 

   Phelan also described the band as very instrumental and having a variety of vocalists, including one member who yodels. 

   Additonally, Phelan says the band is well-liked in Benicia, and the group helps make the show interactive. 

   “They include the audience in some of their songs,” she said. “They just love to work with the audience.”

   The band will be promoting their newest album, “Give Us All Yer Whiskey: Songs of Hard-Rock Miners & Hard Luck Sailors,” released in November. The album includes a variety of originals and traditional folk songs, including “Oh! Susanna” and “Buffalo Gals.” The album is available to purchase on CDBaby.com and will be available at the show during intermission. 

   Overall, Phelan believes The Black Irish Band will continue to do what they do best: provide an upbeat, foot-stomping show packed with great Celtic music. 

   “They will give you a two-hour show that you will thoroughly enjoy,” she said.

   The Black Irish Band will perform from 8 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Benicia Historical Museum’s Stone Hall, located at 2060 Camel Road. The doors will open at 7 p.m., and there will also be a no-host bar. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at BrownpaperTickets.com, the museum’s gift shop and at Bookshop Benicia, located at 636 First St. For more information, contact the museum at 745-5435. 

   

   

   

   

True 'puppy love" to be celebrated at adoption event Saturday

(Originally published in the 2/9/16 edition)

   This Valentine’s weekend, you will have the opportunity to bring home a cuddly critter. No, not a teddy bear. It is something better: a living, breathing dog.

   Pittsburg-based animal rescue organization Umbrella of Hope will be partnering with Benicia pet store Pups ’N’ Purrz for its Valentine’s-themed adoption event “Love is All You Need” Saturday.

   Umbrella of Hope and Pups ’N’ Purrz have hosted several events over the years, although Pups ’N’ Purrz Owner James Long says the organization did not come by the store as much last year because of the weather.

   “Now that the weather’s getting a little bit better, in January I asked them ‘When are you guys coming out in February?’” he said. ‘They said ‘How does Feb. 13 work,’ and I said ‘That works fine for me. It’s a Valentine’s weekend.’”

   In honor of Valentine’s Day, all dogs will be available to adopt for $14. Long also says that those who adopt dogs at this event will get a 10 percent discount off their first purchase. 

   Long ultimately hopes that people walk away with a new friend ahead of Valentine’s Day.

   “Hopefully, people will come out and find their new love for Valentine’s Day,” he said. “February is the month of love, and I’m trying to promote Valentine’s Day as well as I can for pet owners. Why can’t humans celebrate Valentine’s Day with their animals?”

   The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13. Pups ’N’ Purrz is located at 422 First St. For more information, call the store at 748-7433.

Benicia and Liberty High discuss WASC updates at school board meeting

(Originally published in the 2/7/16 edition)

    The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District heard reports from Liberty High School and Benicia High School regarding the institutions’ Western Association of Schools and Colleges visits at its meeting Thursday.

   WASC is an academic body responsible for the accreditation of K-12 schools and universities in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam and American Samoa, and even extending toward Tokyo. Accreditation signifies that a school has met the standards set by the state.

   Liberty completed its WASC visit earlier in the year, and Benicia High completed its mid-cycle report in preparation for WASC visits on March 7 and 8. 

   JoAnn Severson, the principal of Liberty High, was the first to present. She noted that back in the 2012-2013 school year, Liberty underwent its first full self-study. Afterwards, the school was granted a six-year accreditation term. 

   “Mid-cycle, they come back and visit us, and that’s what just happened,” she said. 

   Liberty had its WASC visit in October, and the school will be accredited through 2019. 

   “It’s a great accomplishment for your small school down the hall, and we’re very proud of the work,” Severson said. 

  She then outlined the school’s WASC goals, which were to increase student learning as demonstrated by course completion and graduation rates, to empower students to successfully transition to college or into a career and to continue to foster a positive environment that addresses individual student needs and supports success for all students. 

   She also noted that staff was lauded for addressing all recommendations from its previous visit, improving its communication with Benicia High and making it easier for students who wish to return to Benicia High to be able to do so. 

   “It’s just so fantastic that we have this sort of alternative for our kids,” Severson said. “It’s something to really celebrate.”

   Severson also brought up recommendations from WASC staff, including continuing to increase the transition between Liberty and Benicia High and considering to increase its counseling services. For the first recommendation, Severson noted that the two schools had a joint meeting in November led by Special Services Director Carolyn Patton.

   “We talked about kids that wanted to come to Liberty, and we talked about kids that wanted to go back to Benicia High School, and that worked really well,” Severson said. “We have another one coming up in the springtime to talk about our next school year.”

   For the second recommendation, Severson mentioned that the school has a counseling intern who has been holding a girls’ group every Friday and the implementation of Teen Talk, a confidential group where kids can talk to each other.

   Severson then highlighted some ongoing work at Liberty, including the restoration of the Liberty greenhouse on J Street and a recent cookoff by the Solano County Association of Realtors where the profits were given to Liberty. The grant will allow the school to create a female vocal group as an expansion of Liberty’s partnership with the choral group VOENA. Severson said that almost all the female students are interested.

   “I have a piano,” she said. “We’re set to go!”

   Next to present was Benicia High social science teacher and dean of students Stacy Starkweather, who has co-coordinated the WASC committee with social science department colleague Sadie O’Neill. The school has completed its mid-cycle report ahead of its upcoming WASC visits, which are a followup to its 2013 visit. 

   Interim Principal Mark Corti praised Starkweather for his leadership during the process. 

   “Things that leaders have initiated, along with Stacy’s leadership, are leading Benicia High School into a great place,” he said. “This report will lead Benicia High School into the future.” 

   Starkweather began talking about the contents of the five-chapter report. The first chapter deals with updated community demographics and data. Among the data points reflected were the increase in advanced placement participation, strong CAASPP scores and proficiency in science scores. 

   “That doesn’t mean that we don’t need to continue to develop stronger programs,” Starkweather said. “We’re still creating successful opportunities for our students, and that’s what our report is about.” 

   Chapter 2 deals with significant changes and developments, including changes to leadership and staffing. Starkweather noted that since the last WASC visit, the district has had a new superintendent, the school a new administration and more than 30 faculty members have changed in the past three years out of 75.

   “What that has done is it’s created this really dynamic atmosphere where new ideas are coming in, new teachings going on and a shift to student-centered learning,” he said. “I have to commend the fact that this year, the VPs and everybody at that school did an amazing job getting that school open successfully in the fall in a middle of a paint job and a shifting leadership.”

  Chapter 3 outlines ongoing school improvements. It describes the yearly steps in collecting data and gives over focus group meetings, home group meetings and staff meetings. Chapter 4 focuses on critical areas for followup and Chapter 5 outlines continuing work to do. 

   “We’re not ready to present the results yet,” Starkweather said. “This is what we’re presenting to them, and I’m looking forward to coming back with our results from the report.” 

   Trustee Stacy Holguin commented that she had read the full report.

   “I really appreciated how in-depth the background was and the presentation of the steps,” she said.

   In other business, the board honored the district’s teachers of the year and classified personnel of the year from each school, including the BUSD Teacher of the Year Kim Thompson from Benicia High and BUSD Classified Personnel of the year Kristen Jovino from Benicia Middle School. 

Schedule Advisory Committee recommends new schedule at Benicia High School

(Originally published in the 2/5/16 edition)

   On a regular day of school, Benicia High School students wake up early in the morning to be in class at 8 a.m. Those who take “early bird” classes have to be in the door at 7. The day ends at 3:05, and students who do not have extracurricular activities try to finish the reading and homework they have for that night, giving them just barely enough time to do the things they want before they go to bed and repeat the same routine the next day.

   This schedule has been seen as a source of frustration for many Benicia High students and their parents, which has led to the creation of the Schedule Advisory Committee. The group’s goal is to develop a recommendation for a new bell schedule.

   According to Shirin Samiljan, an SAC member and parent of two Benicia High Schoolers, Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Charles Young and Benicia High administrators invited members of the community to participate in SAC. The committee is made up of students, parents, teachers and administrators. Among those serving on the council are new BUSD trustee Stacy Holguin, vice principals Kathrine Cole and Sean Thompson, and teachers Morgan Hill, Carleen Maselli, Matt O’Reilly, Kathryn Osmer, Stacy Starkweather and Kim Thompson.

   “We have been meeting and working, looking at data and talking to students and teachers since November of 2015,” Samiljan said. “We need to make a recommendation in May of 2016. Implementation will be fall of 2017.”

   Samiljan feels the current schedule creates a lot of stress for students.

   “It is hard for a university-bound student to cram in all their classes, participate in extracurriculars, have any time for themselves and get enough sleep,” she said. “We are one of the last few schools in the area who still use a traditional non-rotating schedule. Research shows that teenagers need more than 8 hours of sleep every night.”

   Community members agree. A petition was set up on change.org by BUSD substitute teacher Annette Balter requesting a later start time for Benicia High. As of press time, the petition has reached 215 signatures. 

   Samiljan also believes that if classes meet fewer times a week for longer periods of time, there will be more opportunities to support students and “more time for teachers to collaborate across departments, have student-focused meetings and to have department meetings.” 

   However, SAC has not yet determined a specific schedule for students. 

   “There are so many options that at this point, we as a committee have not yet sat down with sample schedules,” Samiljan said. “Department heads are talking to teachers, getting their input and we as a committee are prioritizing our desired outcomes.”

   One possibility is a block schedule where certain classes would meet on certain days- e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday- for extended periods of time, not unlike college schedules. However, Samiljan said nothing is set in stone.

   “At this point we have not looked at any schedule in particular,” she said. “We are not starting with a schedule and trying to come up with ideas for why that one schedule will meet these requirements. Instead, we are looking at the requirements and sorting those, and then we will determine which schedule is closest.”

   According to Samiljan, the meetings are always on point.

   “We never go late, and we always stick to the agenda,” she said. “In fact, I've never before participated in any committee that is this focused and well-run.”

   Samiljan says SAC will be inviting schools that have adopted schedule changes to come to Benicia to participate in a public forum. The date has not yet been announced, but Samiljan says it will likely be between Tuesday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 16. For more information on the committee, email scheduleadvisorycommittee@gmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/groupsBenicia.SAC.