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.

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. 

Santa to stop at Fire Department

(Originally published in the 12/4/15 edition)

   Santa Claus is coming to town.

   For the sixth year in a row, Saint Nicholas will be taking a break from supervising his elf workers up in the North Pole to pay a visit to the Benicia Fire Department on Dec. 19, giving children an opportunity to have their pictures taken with the jolly Christmas figure. This event has proven to be a big hit with children and parents alike.

   “Last year, we had approximately 400 people attend the event and we took approximately 170 pictures,” Fire Chief Jim Lydon said. 

   In addition, the Fire Department will be providing crafts to keep kids entertained as well as light refreshments. There will also be an opportunity to donate toys to those in need.

   Benicia Fire Department will be participating in Toys for Tots, the nonprofit organization founded in 1947 to give toys to children whose parents can not afford to buy them Christmas presents.

   “We do encourage people to support our toys program by bringing a toy to that event,” Lydon said.

   The toys must be newly purchased and unwrapped. The toys can be dropped off throughout the Christmas season at Fire Station 11 on 150 Military West, as well as Fire Station 12 on 601 Hastings Drive, The Benicia Senior Center on 187 East L St. and the Family Resource Center at  200 East L St.

   The Pictures with Santa event will take place from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 19, in the garage area of Fire Station 11, located on Military West. Additionally, Santa will be in between the AT&T Store and Sport Clips at the Southampton Shopping Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19. Santa will also be at Pizza Pirate from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 20. Pizza Pirate is located at 72 Solano Square, off Military East. 

Free library concert to spotlight Martinez band

(Originally published in the 12/3/15 edition)

   Why shell out hundreds of dollars to see great music performed live? You can see it in your local community for free at your local library.

   The Diablo Regional Concert Band will be performing its annual winter concert at the Benicia Public Library, Dec. 11. The Martinez-based group has been performing for over a century, having first come together in 1910 as the Martinez Liberty Band. It eventually became the Diablo Regional Concert Band and has been performing with various conductors ever since.

   The all-volunteer band has performed annually for the Pleasant Hill Fourth of July Parade, Benicia’s Holy Ghost Parade and various events for the Benicia Yacht Club. The band has also performed multiple times at the Golden Gate Park Band Festival in San Francisco.

   According to Library Director Fran Martinez Coyne, the band first became involved with the library over a decade ago when then-conductor Frank Cavoto approached staff about the possibility of performing there. 

   “He wanted to play in the fireplace area, which is the first time anyone had ever done that,” Coyne said. “He really liked the sound.”

   The group has since gone on to perform two annual concerts a year, one in the spring and one in the winter. 

   “The band has found that the library is a wonderful place to perform, the acoustics are great and the audience is always responsive,” Martens said.

   Coyne says the band is a huge hit among audience members.

   “The community does enjoy seeing them,” she said. “I have regulars who ask about whether the band is coming. I always get rave reviews.”

  The band will perform a special holiday show. The concert will include favorites like “Sleigh Ride,” “I'll Be Home for Christmas” and a piece of Hanukkah songs.

   Coyne admires the band’s devotion to its audiences.

   “I’ve seen their dedication through the years,” she said. “Even if it’s raining, I’ve had people coming in. It’s just a very nice group of core people.”

   The Diablo Regional Concert Band will be performing 7:30 p.m., Friday Dec. 11 in the Library’s fireplace area. The concert is free and appropriate for all ages. For more information, contact the Library at (707)-746-4343. For more information on the band, visit DiabloRegionalConcertBand.com. 

Clairdee to perform holiday concert for Vallejo Jazz Society, Dec. 6

(Originally published in the 11/20/15 edition)

   Internationally renowned jazz vocalist Clairdee will be providing atmosphere for the holiday season for her Dec. 6 show “Clairdee’s Soulful Sounds of the Season” at Vallejo’s Empress Theatre presented by the Vallejo Jazz Society.

   The Vallejo Jazz Society is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2010 with the goals of raising awareness of jazz in Vallejo and surrounding areas, providing opportunities for the greatest Bay Area jazz musicians to perform and reaching out to the community by bringing concerts to local schools and youth organizations.

   In just five years, Vallejo Jazz Society has put on 29 concerts featuring some of the Bay’s top jazz talents, including Larry Vuckovich, Denise Perrier, Pamela Rose and Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. For its 30th concert, Vallejo Jazz Society has chosen Clairdee to bring her soulful vocals and jazzy renditions of holiday classics to the stage.

   “She’s a wonderful performer,” Chairman Bryan Girard said. “She does a blend of jazz, soul and pop music. She’s very flexible and good at what she does.”

   Clairdee has performed across the globe, often playing to sold-out venues, and she has played with a variety of performers including Boz Scaggs, Bucky Pizzarelli and Chuck Redd. She has also opened for legendary acts like the Count Basie Orchestra, Johnny Mathis and Etta James. Additionally, she is a faculty member with the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley and has worked as a vocal jazz instructor for UC Berkeley and Diablo Valley College. 

   “We consider it a real coup to have gotten her to perform for Vallejo Jazz Society,” Girard said. “We can’t pay as much as some of the for-profit venues. Clairdee believes in what we’re trying to do and was willing to play for somewhat less than what she could normally command for a performance.”

  Clairdee’s setlist will consist of jazzy renderings of holiday songs, something she is very familiar with. In 2003, Clairdee released an album titled “This Christmas,” which featured jazzified renditions of standards like “Winter Wonderland” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The CD also featured interpretations of lesser-known holiday songs like Charles Brown’s “Bringing in a Brand New Year.”

   Girard expects audience members to have a lot of fun watching “one of the best vocalists around singing great music and backed by a five-piece band.”

   He also encourages people to support nonprofit jazz organizations.

   “Nobody gets paid,” Girard said. “We work as hard as we can just to keep this music alive and growing.”

    “Clairdee’s Soulful Sounds of the Season” will be performed from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Empress Theatre, located on 330 Virginia St. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $7.50 for Vallejo Jazz Society members. They can be purchased at the door or online at VallejoJazzSociety.com. Up to two children 18 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Refreshments will be available for purchase. For more information, contact (707) 533-4593 or visit VallejoJazzSociety.com. 

   

Benicia gift boutique set for Saturday, Nov. 14

(Originally published in the 11/10/15 edition)

   Many people wait until after Thanksgiving to buy their Christmas gifts, but it never hurts to start shopping even earlier. This Saturday, Benicia residents can buy more than the usual store-bought junk.

   As they have for the past 12 years, 10 Benicia women will be hosting a gift boutique where they will be selling handmade crafts out of a garage. 

   “We started making crafts years ago and decided that we’d like to do a little boutique for buying in Benicia so that people had another choice for affordable Christmas items,” participant Linda Ormond said. 

   All items are hand-crafted by the sellers. The gifts include stained glass, wine barrel crafts, knitted hats and scarves, quilts, jewelry, dog treats, holiday rice pilaf, pickled beets and more.

   “It’s a way of giving people quality homemade items,” Ormond said.

   The boutique will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 1332 Bonita Bahia, located off West 13th Street. The items will range from $2 to around $100. 

   For directions or more information, contact Ormond at (707)-373-5494.

Valero to light up the holidays

(Originally published in the 11/4/15 edition)

   It’s the story of the Christmas that almost wasn’t- at least at the Benicia Capitol. 

   Lining the buildings on First Street with wreaths, lights and other festive decorations has long been a tradition for Benicia’s holiday season. This year, however, it almost looked as if the historic Capitol building would be without lights.

   Typically, the lights are hung by the Benicia Fire Department. However, this year the department no longer has a truck with a ladder big enough to reach the top of the building’s facade or its two columns where the lights are hung.

   “The city sold the old ladder truck for two reasons from what I heard,” Jon Van Landschoot, a senior park aide with Benicia State Parks Association, said. “One is it brought them some money, and secondly, they didn’t really use it that often.”

   "It was a decision based on the serviceability and the cost to maintain the vehicle," Fire Chief Jim Lydon said. 

   However, when Van Landschoot was looking around for alternatives, Lydon referred him to Valero’s fire department. The refinery agreed to provide a truck with a big enough ladder to hang lights from the facade.

   “We have a mutual agreement with the city of Benicia,” Valero Fire Chief Joe Bateman said. “If they call us, we’re always willing to help.”

    The lights will be hung tomorrow at the Capitol, located at 115 West G. St. The Capitol will be holding a Holiday Open House from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday Dec. 4, where people can view the colorful lights. The event will coincide with the annual parade down First Street, which will feature live entertainment and wine tasting.

Classical guitarist to bring holiday cheer at free library concert

(Originally published in the 11/3/15 edition)

   Christmas will come to the Benicia Public Library early this year, as the Dona Benicia Room will be filled with the classical guitar stylings of Peter Fletcher on Nov. 15.

   Of course, Benicia will be just one stop for the New York City-based classical guitarist who is doing a national tour to promote his new CD “Music for the Christmas Season.” Fletcher will be playing selections from his new album as well as works he has recorded in the past.

   Fletcher began studying guitar at the age of 7 under classical guitar instructor John Sutherland.

   “I was told that if I start with the classical style, then other styles would come easier,” Fletcher said. “I did some recordings and decided to stay with classical and have loved it ever since.”

   Fletcher has been performing professionally since the age of 15, and his journey has taken him to appearances on NPR and full houses at Carnegie Hall. 

   After being requested by fans, Fletcher finally decided to make a Christmas album. The CD features classical guitar arrangements of holiday standards like “Silent Night” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” as well as classical compositions associated with the season, like Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from “The Nutcracker.” Other highlights on the record include three pieces from Michael Praetorius’s “Terpsichore,” the traditional Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts,” and “Jubilation” by contemporary guitarist Andrew York.

   Fletcher has played at the Benicia Library before and has gained enough of a following in Benicia for Fran Martinez-Coyne to invite him to play again. 

   “We thought it was time for a return visit,” Fletcher said. 

   In addition to performing music from the CD, Fletcher will also be performing some of the selections he performed at Carnegie Hall last spring, like Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’ “Prelude No. 1,” as well as selections from an album he did of recordings of compositions by Edvard Grieg. 

   There will be two different portions of the show where he uses two different guitars designed by Darren Hippner.

   “I use a spruce top for the first half of the concert and a cedar top for the second half,” he said. “The spruce top is more suited for the first half like Bach. The idea is that the clarity will bring out the texture of the music.”

   “The cedar has a warmer, sweeter, darker tone, which I feel is more suited for the Romantic tone, which I’ll play in the second half of the concert.”

   The Benicia Library is nowhere near as large as Carnegie Hall, but Fletcher says he has no preference between large and small venues.

   “I consider all performances equally important,” he said. “I have as much fun, and I try to play my best whether it’s a library or a larger venue.”

   That said, Fletcher does like the intimacy of the smaller performances. 

   “You have more options,” he said. “You can play more quietly and have a bit more range dynamically. With a larger hall, you can’t play as quiet.”

   Overall, Fletcher enjoys being able to create and share music.

   “I enjoy the practicing, the recording and the process of making something beautiful,” he said. “When you have a life in music, you get an education- not in the practical things of living, but an education in feeling and beauty and poetry.”

   The concert will take place at 6 p.m., Sunday Nov. 15, in the Dona Benicia Room of the Library, located on 150 East L St. The event is free and open to all ages.