Benicia Magazine October 2018

FARM & FLOUR

A new gathering place for lovers of locally roasted coffee beans, specialty toasts and a farmhouse aesthetic

OCTOBER EVENTS

Scarecrows all over town, NorCal Oktoberfests, a haunted house, ghost walks, seasonal craft beer, art & music

FALL GARDENING

Ideas for adding seasonal color, improving soil and planting winter vegetables

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Bewitching Teas October 28 11 AM 1 PM 3 PM $45 Camillia Tea Room 707-746-5293

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Benicia

Benicia

B

magazine

P Protecting Benicia’s historic and small town charm P Ensuring access to clean air and water P Your neighbor at City Hall Paid for by Kari Birdseye for Benicia City Council FPPC ID: #1403514

Benicia

Be

Benicia

Editor Jeanne Steinmann magazine Editorial Assistant Kris Caplin

Kari Birdseye for City Council P Prioritizing economic development to keep Benicia vibrant

Benicia

Celebrating our 13th Year

FOR BENICIA

As a city council member, my priorities for our city will continue to be:

BeniciaM

Endorsed by: U.S. Representative Mike Thompson, CA 5th District Solano County District 2 Supervisor Monica Brown Solano County Democratic Central Committee United Democrats of Southern Solano County Progressive Democrats of Benicia Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community

Graphic Design Margaret Bowles

Benicia Web Specialist Yarrow Sweningsen

Contributors magazine Tomoka Red St. Johns Beth Steinmann Sarah Rohrs Rebecca Gulik Courtney Tait

Be

Photographers Lisa Duncan Jerry Bowles

Advertising sales Jeanne Steinmann 707.853.5226 Adsales@beniciamagazine.com Advertising deadlines New ads: the 5th of the month prior to the issue month Ad changes: 6 weeks prior to the issue month

Contact Us 707.853.8159, Beniciamagazine.com Editor@beniciamagazine.com Administration Office Manager Risë Goebel Copy Editor/proofreader Beth Steinmann Benicia Magazine is published monthly by Polygon Publishing, LLC. Copyright © 2018, all rights reserved. Contents of Benicia Magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in Benicia Magazine editorial or advertisements are those of the authors and advertisers, and may not reflect the opinion of Benicia Magazine’s management or publisher.

Subscriptions $18.00 per year. Benicia Magazine, 372 First Street, Benicia, CA 94510. 707.853.8159, Beniciamagazine.com.

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October 2018

Contents Features Oktoberfest events and seasonal brewpub offerings

Paintings by JoAnn McMahon at Plein Air Gallery 20

Benicia’s funny, scary and pop culture scarecrows return 27

Scene Shop

Creative new approaches in textile art

BMS climbing wall built by two retired teachers

13

Benicia Ghost Walks for a spooky Halloween

13

The ancient art of tattooing

14

Food & Drink

Sprucing up your garden for fall 12

Art

Locals turn out to sample Farm & Flour’s specialty toasts and coffee

In Every Issue From the Editor

Culture

10

Garden

Benicia library exhibit Approaching Literature Through Art opens this month

11

16

8

Calendar

24

Music

26

People Q & A with Jack Bethards, custom pipe organ maker

28

Cover Photo: The new Farm & Flour restaurant on First and G Streets, Lisa Duncan Photography

707 11

Mare Island’s job largess spills over into Vallejo and Benicia 18

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SEND CHRISTINA BACK TO CITY COUNCIL

Christina’s Top 10 “To Do” 1. Freeze increased water and sewer rates Establish a water hotline for customer information on rates, metering and use.

2. Reestablish Water Conservation efforts Lower water use by finding help in water saving grants and programs.

3. Measure C sales tax revenues Keep funding roads and infrastructure improvements.

4. Build on the small town charm of First Street As a champion of Benicia Main Street, State Parks, Benicia Old Town Theatre Group and the Tourism effort.

5. Bring high speed internet to the Industrial Park (No, it still has not been accomplished.)

6. Attract new entrepreneurs in the Industrial Park Less red tape and more collaboration, encouraging new uses of industrial facilities that generate sales tax.

7. Pledge to retain successful companies Support those companies who have an invested interest in keeping their businesses in town.

8. Listen to our citizens You are the customer.

9. Promote the award winning reputation of Benicia Schools Our first rate education and dedicated teachers.

10. Make safety the number one priority For our neighborhoods, businesses, schools and where we work and play.

Vote for a better future Vote for Christina Strawbridge on Nov 6 Find out more at www.christinaforbeniciacouncil.com FPPC# 1339457 | Paid for bt Christina Strawbridge for City Council 2018

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FROM THE EDITOR

October 2018 On My Mind This issue concludes our lucky 13th year of monthly publishing.

It’s been a year of changes—in location, writers and editorial as we push forward to keep our content interesting for a cross-section of readers.

After our downtown lease ended in February, our team reassembled at my home office—an apartment over our garage that we’ve used as a secondary location for years—where Risë, Kris and I divvy up the workload. Coming full circle, it feels nice to be back where we started in a larger gathering space where we can share ideas and feed off each other’s creative energy.

Speaking of gathering spaces, I recently had an interesting conversation with my friend Leah Shelhorn, retired owner of Studio 41. She said that while closing her store and selling the building, she wanted it to remain a gathering place, and that is exactly what came about. At Farm & Flour, tables are large and shared, so people can reconnect or make new friends. In August, I met a young firefighter there, who described his experience on the Mendocino Fire.

F & F Owner Brett Benzer must have had this friendly atmosphere in mind as he transformed the building into a welcoming and authentic farmhouse eatery. Read more on p. 20.

Benicia puts on a fun and lively October, with oodles of activities. Ghost walks take on new meaning! Get tickets now at beniciamainstreet.org. Scarecrows are popping up around town, vote for your favorites. There are costume contests for kids and dogs, a haunted house, and Main Street’s Brew Crawl, which will entice Zombies downtown to sample craft beer. See the Calendar for more.

In answer to requests for more art coverage, stay tuned, we plan to include more galleries and exhibits. I particularly loved last month’s exhibit at the library, The Physicality of Books, by Benicia artist Carol Dalton. Poet Laureate Johanna Ely’s poem about the exhibit really got to me. It was a futuristic perspective, waxing nostalgic on how real books had felt and smelled, evoking memories of the tactile experience we once enjoyed. I was so taken by the poem and the art that inspired it that I purchased two of Carol’s works: book spines on wood panel.

In my opinion, purchasing art is more important than ever. Art has the power to heal, to evoke memories and emotion, and for me, to prompt a smile when I enter my home. Fortunately, quality art in Benicia can be quite affordable. Mike and I are shifting our spending habits to add to our growing collection of local art. Next time you’re downtown check out the galleries, staffed by friendly artists who are happy just to let you look.

Lisa Duncan Photography

Tweet, post or send your suggestions & ideas to: Editor@beniciamagazine.com Beniciamagazine.com

Facebook.com/ beniciamagazine @Jeannesteinmann beniciamagazine

—Jeanne

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Scarecrow Contest

Oct. 1 - Oct. 31 on display, Sun. Oct. 21 voting ends. Scarecrows decorated by downtown businesses and beyond. Vote online at www.BeniciaMainStreet.org

Haunted Depot

Fri. Oct. 19 & 26, 6-9pm Sat. Oct. 20 & 27, 6-9pm Wed. Oct 31, 6-9pm Ticket price: $3; Children 5 and under, $2.

Ghost Walk

Fri. Oct. 19 & 26, 8pm Sat. Oct. 20 & 27, 8pm Discover where Benicia ghosts hang out!

For reservations, call 707-745-9791.

Halloween Costume Contest & First Street Stroll

Sat. Oct. 27, 10am Kids of all ages; Halloween Costume Contest & Trick or Treat, City Park. Local merchants get into the spirit by putting out candy, snacks and goodies! Canine & Critter Costume Contest at noon, First Street Green.

Farmers Market Finale

Thurs., Oct. 25, 4-7pm Fresh fall produce, live music & more!

Come bid farewell to the Market till next season.

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Scene Shop

Beyond Yarn and Thread

By Jeanne Steinmann could only be put together with the expertise of curators from Textile art is having its moment. The last few years have seen nine different departments throughout the museum, something a huge resurgence in macramé, quilting, knitting, crocheting, that has never been done before in the history of the Met.” weaving, cross stitch, needlepoint and more, made by women In June and July, Arts Benicia featured Thread Count, New and men alike. Color, style, size and texture all play a role in Directions in Fiber Art, showcasing contemporary fiber artists' today’s unique creations. works. We covered the exhibit in the June 2018 issue, as well Types of fiber (natural and synthetic) and the variety of ways as Threads of Change, Material Matters at the Benicia Library to use them are seemingly endless, and for the beginner, in our November 2015 issue. The Dharma Door, a Benicia many choices await. Classes can be found across Northern company owned by William Berg and Katie Zilavy, offers fair California, with numerous offerings trade textiles and home goods that in the Bay Area, or one can learn include baskets, bags, rugs and wall basics, brush up on rusty skills or hangings, meticulously made by Fiber Frolics (Benicia) find new techniques on YouTube hand by skilled artisans in remote and textile art sites. villages in Bangladesh. Wonderful Yarnsonfirst.com (Napa) The current trend in wall art using examples of textile mandalas and various sizes of jute, rope, yarn and other large-scale wall hangings Verbforkeepingwarm.com (Oakland) thread are popping up in trendy can be viewed on their website, chain stores such as Anthropologie thedharmadoorusa.com. Another Dharmatrading.com (San Rafael) and Pottery Barn. While these fun website to check out is about can provide inspiration, it’s nice the farmers who produce the Knitterly.net (Petaluma) to consider the history of textile fibers in NorCal: Fibershed.com/ art, which has roots going back producer-directory.

Yarnitudes.com (Sebastopol) to prehistoric times. Aesthetic A quick Internet search shows that creations followed utilitarian even with the recent resurgence Busystix.com (Lafayette) function as societies evolved. of interest in textile arts, brick and It is not hard to grasp just how mortar shops have been closing Quiltusa.com (the Cotton Patch, Lafayette) important the craft has been around the Bay. But those who throughout history. Here are wish to learn, or re-supply, don’t Westonsquiltingandfiberarts.com some interesting facts: the Louvre despair. Left are some options that, (Sacramento) museum has 30,000 textile while may require a bit of driving, works, and the Boston Museum have their own tactile magic that Babettasyarnandgifts.com (Sacramento) of Fine Art has 27,000, including make it worth the trip.

American needlepoint, European Atelier, an independent retail store Ateliertruckee.com/brick-mortar (Truckee) tapestries, Middle Eastern in Truckee offers an extensive rugs and African kente cloths. selection of textile art supplies, Bespoketruckee.com (Truckee) According to its website, the MFA divided from the space’s other art has been collecting textile art supplies by an enormous, roomsince its inception in the 1870s, with ancient and contemporary size macramé wall divider made by Heather River. Atelier examples. And that’s just two out of the many museums that is beautifully organized and displayed, with something for showcase textile art throughout the world. everyone. Heather owns the store with husband Brian Hess, as In 2014, the Metropolitan Museum of Art said this of its 2014 well as Bespoke Truckee, equally impressive, two doors down, textile exhibit: “Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, with some textile art pieces for sale. Full disclosure: I have a 1500-1800, is on such a grand scale and includes pieces from familial connection to Heather and Brian. Nonetheless, both so many different cultures across the globe that the exhibition stores are a must-see on your next jaunt up to Tahoe.

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Scene Art

Approaching Literature Through Art at Library Gallery

Bella Vista, Courtesy of the Artist

Staff Writer Benicia is fortunate to have many galleries in which to view art, most of which have a unique focus. One of those is the Benicia Public Library. In a town this size, it’s unusual for a public library to have the kind of space and staff dedicated to an art gallery, and the quality of art it offers viewers with through its exhibitions.

Library art gallery artists are chosen by a subcommittee of library trustees to exhibit in the Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Gallery. Six to nine shows run each year, mostly the works of area artists. The October/November featured artist is Ruth Stanton, whose acrylics on canvas paintings express the vitality and beauty that life experiences have brought her.

Stanton’s paintings cover many subjects and styles including still life, figurative, and landscapes. For the library show, Stanton is using quotes from children’s books to guide the viewer through the exhibit. “Painting the past 10 years, I’ve gathered an eclectic set of

paintings—people, places and landscapes.

I was inspired by the quotes—I did quite a bit of research finding quotes that match the paintings. For example, on Bella Vista, I’m using the quote, “You are off to great to places, today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!” from Dr. Seuss.

Stanton is hopeful that in viewing her paintings, people will experience her art as joyful and uplifting.

Approaching Literature Through Art Paintings by Ruth Stanton 10/23/18 – 11/29/18 Benicia Public Library Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Art Gallery 150 East L Street, Benicia 707.746.4343 Benicialibrary.org/gallery Library hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm; Friday-Sunday Noon to 6pm Artist Reception: Nov. 4, 3-5pm

A Vista of Color and Form

Grizzly Peak by JoAnn McMahon

By Rebecca Gulick October in the Bay Area presents uniquely beautiful outdoor scenes that inspire us, but there are those for whom the outdoors sustains their creativity year round.

For JoAnn McMahon, the outdoors is full of color and form. "I see the world in exciting, uncompromising lines, colors, and shapes,” JoAnn explains in her artist statement. This local artist communicates that vision to the viewer in her vibrant oil paintings of natural scenes abounding in intense color and bold shape that elicit a visceral response in the viewer. In her words, “Plein air painting is a grand adventure for all the senses."

For JoAnn, just being outdoors is inspiring. "When I get to a scene, something hits me in some way, and that’s what starts the process,” she explains. “It’s like a kind of meditation, painting outside, hearing the sounds of air, birds, and water. It is incredibly relaxing and absorbing. I can just be in the moment." In recent years, JoAnn has relished the reconnection to her creative background. She majored in art (and math) in college, before her focus turned to raising

her children and a career teaching and running a business.

A member of DaGroup, a band of Bay Area artists, JoAnn works primarily in the en plein air tradition of outdoor painting that captures natural light. (The en plein air art movement originated in France in the 19th century.)

JoAnn is this month's featured artist at Benicia Plein Air Gallery, a co-op gallery showcasing the artwork of several local artists and their paintings of outdoor Bay Area scenes, often centering on Benicia and the Carquinez Strait. During the month of October, the gallery’s featured artist wall will exhibit 11 of JoAnn’s oil paintings, six large and five small pieces, many of which will be in her trademark square format. A reception for JoAnn’s show will be held October 13, 3-6pm, during the Benicia Art Walk.

Benicia Plein Air Gallery is located at 307 First Street, and the website is beniciapleinair.com.

More information about JoAnn’s work can be found online at joannmcmahon. com, and information about DaGroup is at pleinairlinks.com.

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Scene Garden

Gardening in Autumn

By Tomoka Red St. Johns Many people think of springtime as the season for gardening. But Benicia area experts say autumn is an important growing season, too. Since September, the time has been right to put in certain vegetables, said Nicole Newell, the sustainable landscape program manager for Sustainable Solano.

Broccoli and cauliflower are perfect for fall gardens, and people can plant peas in anticipation of a spring harvest, she said. “It’s also a good time to plant hardy perennials and herbs, such as salvias that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Echinacea and lavender can be planted now as well—it’s a better time than spring,” she said. “Besides letting the plants get a start extending roots, this time of year capitalizes on the beginning of winter showers.

Fall is also a good time to get new trees established, and Benicia residents can gather leaves from mature trees and use them to improve their gardens. Newell said Sustainable Solano encourages gardeners to compost those leaves or shred them and use them as mulch, rather than discard them as yard waste.

That’s in keeping with Sustainable Solano’s philosophy of keeping things on site.

One plant Newell likes for this is comfrey. “My comfrey is so gorgeous, healthy and strong, with little purple flowers. I saw hummingbirds at them. Meanwhile, comfrey leaves can be gathered and mixed with water to make a fertilizer tea to pour on plants.”

Newell said she patronizes different garden supply stores for different reasons. For instance, Morning Sun Herb Farm in Vacaville is ideal for those involved in permaculture. “It’s a gorgeous place with gorgeous gardens and a nursery,” she said. Newell often consults with staff members when she’s designing a garden.

“I’ll ask about plants to attract pollinators,” she said.

As Newell has gathered knowledge from area experts, she has learned that gardening consistently is an “it depends” activity.

Sometimes it depends on the weather.

Sometimes it depends on what gets into the garden. For instance, she was anticipating a quality growth of sorrel and chard until her chickens escaped and attacked them. “My chickens like to get out,” she admitted. They ignored her Egyptian walking onions and artichokes on the way to the sorrel and chard.

“My experience this year is they annihilated my garden!” she said.

Newell said that gardening in fall is an opportunity to add nutrition back to the soil.

“One thing we recommend is always use a cover crop if you haven’t planted beds with winter vegetables by October,” she said.

Fava beans, clover and vetch work well, and those can be obtained at Mid City Nursery in American Canyon. Newell establishes ground covers the way some people broadcast wildflower seeds. “I scatter cover crops all over the yard, even into wood chips,” she said.

For cool-season vegetables to plant, Joy Alberts of Joyous Spaces, joyousspaces.com, recommends cabbage, carrots, lettuce, peas and radishes. She said now is also the time to plant bulbs so they’ll be blooming by spring.

She suggested Allium, daffodils, freesia, grape hyacinths and tulips.

For those looking for fall color, Alberts recommended Achillea, Alstroemeria, Coreopsis, Heucheras, Pennisetum and the “Autumn Joy” version of sedum.

Formerly of Michigan, Alberts learned from her mother how to weed and remove flowering heads along long beds of perennials. She has a degree in interior design from Michigan State University, later moving to Benicia where she opened Joyous Spaces floral and garden design studio.

While Newell and Alberts advise people how to develop home gardens, Sustainable Solano executive director Elena Karoulina guides those who grow vegetables or flowers in community gardens. “People are currently clearing out their beds, adding manure and compost and getting ready for the cold season growing,” Karoulina said.

Karoulina is also an advocate for permaculture, a gardening plan that combines a variety of carefully chosen plants and trees that mutually benefit each other. The approach encourages irrigating with rainwater and gray water, such as the water from a home’s washing machine. That way, gardens can thrive even in times of drought, she said.

Gardens can be found at Benicia schools, too. Liberty High’s garden not only grows plants, it nourishes minds, said Gene Ekenstam, one of several master gardeners who are teaching students about gardening. Helping with the project are Monique Moench, Barbe Johnston, Sally Thompson, and Sheila Clyatt, who also works Fridays with pupils at Mary Farmer Elementary School. On Wednesdays, Liberty students usually work in the gardens at least an hour, according to Ekenstam.

“The focus is a broad education in gardening,” he said.

All students are eligible to participate, although participation varies, Ekenstam said, adding that about 10 percent of the student body worked in the gardens last year.

Sometimes students give their harvest to teachers. “Some eat it on site,” he said, adding that it gives students a chance to taste what they’ve worked hard to produce.

Benicia Liberty High Students,

by Monique Moench

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Scene Culture

Longtime Middle School PE Teacher and Coach Retires when the project went way over budget—this is when the miracles

By Beth Steinmann As Benicia Middle School students get into the swing of the started. From boxes of the expensive diamond drill bits needed to new school year, something significant is missing. Ron Garcia, drill hundreds of holes in the concrete anonymously appearing on PE teacher of 32 years, has retired. Ron also coached wrestling his doorstep (to this day he still doesn’t know from whom), to friends for all ages for 25 years, high school football for four years, and in the construction business lending special tools, to people who middle school track and field for ten years. Ron’s genuine care for knew his family way back donating services, something always his students and the community made a difference in many family’s worked out.

Ron recalls it with amazement that still seems fresh: “Every lives for over three decades.

At the end of the 2017/18 school year, Carol, Ron’s wife, single time we ran into a project-stopping situation and we had coordinated a party for him at the middle school gym, where he no money, somebody just came through and it was donated or and former BHS Industrial Arts teacher, just showed up. It was a truly amazing testament to the community and the Jamie Calderwood, conceived and built the gym’s rock climbing wall in 2002-3. power of people coming together to accomplish something.”

Former students, colleagues and friends were there to see him off, along with the He and Jamie planned to build the wall dedication of a new plaque above the over Christmas break in 2002, but ended up working every weekend and through climbing wall for Garcia and Calderwood. summer vacation, often with hosts of When Garcia recalls the story of how the friends, family and student volunteers. climbing wall came about, it’s clear that the wonderment of how the community came The wall was finally completed for the start of the 2003 school year. together around its creation still hasn’t When asked what moments in his worn off after all these years. Ron’s love career he looks back on most fondly, of rock climbing went back to the 1990s, Lisa Duncan Photography Ron says, “It’s my relationships with the a love that he shared with Calderwood. students. That’s what I remember the Ron says, “Jamie loves to build things. The gym was pretty new at that time and we were talking about rock most by far.”

And to young folks who may be considering careers in teaching climbing, and he suggested we build a climbing wall. I couldn’t even imagine what that would entail, but the more we talked, the or coaching, he says, “Go into it because you love people, because you love kids. If you truly want to have a job that brings meaning more we convinced ourselves it could be done.”

It took three years of research to come up with a basic plan for to kids’ lives, I can’t think of a better profession than teaching. The funding and construction. Ron says that they originally proposed connections you make with people are priceless. If someone in a budget of $4,000 to the site counselor, which was approved, your life tells you that you made their life better, I can’t think of a “through a leap of faith.” But as Ron tells it, the story gets interesting better use of your time and efforts.”

Benicia Ghost Walks for a Spooky Halloween

By Tomoka Red St. Johns For some time, Benicia residents and visitors have been celebrating the Halloween season by trying to meet local phantoms through the Benicia Ghost Walks led by paranormal investigators Deborah Hogarty and James Fitzpatrick.

The two-hour tours are offered regularly during the year through Benicia Main Street, but more events are scheduled in October.

The walks give participants a peek into Benicia’s spooky past. The entertaining, interactive stroll has been described as fun, even for skeptics, because the guides weave elements of the paranormal into Benicia’s rich history.

Benicia has its share of incorporeal residents who may have met dire ends, from crying infants to adults who drowned after leaping from multi-story buildings into the Carquinez Strait that laps along the city’s shoreline.

Other stories describe Benicia’s spicier times, when bordellos were in open operation toward the foot of First Street. Lore for the building that houses Sailor Jack’s includes a spirit named Carl, who loved fine cigars and finer ladies. The Union Hotel is another spot

where ghosts are said to reside, as is a nearby coastline home that was moved here from Napa by Phil Joy. Some say the shades of an old man and his dog are still angry the house was moved from wine country.

Hogarty has more than 10 years of investigating paranormal phenomenon to her credit. Among the places she’s studied are the Wolfe Manor, a historic mansion in Clovis, the Delta community of Historic Locke built by Chinese immigrants early in the 20th century and the Ryde Hotel of Walnut Grove, which she examined for CBS’s Eye on the Bay. Fitzpatrick said he’s a believer in unseen things beyond the realm of normal perception. He was reared in what he’s described as a paranormal-rich environment and an active household that reinforced his belief. It wasn’t always fun, he said, but he credits the experiences for developing his sensitivities for the paranormal.

The October Benicia Ghost Walks will take place 8pm-10pm, Friday, Oct. 19, Saturday, Oct. 20 and again Oct. 26 and 27. Tours are $25 per person, and prepaid reservations BeniciaMagazine.com • 13

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Scene Culture

The Ancient Art Of Tattooing

By Beth Steinmann Maybe you don’t like them, maybe you want one, maybe you have many. However you feel about tattoos, they have been part of human history since time immemorial, though their significance changes depending on cultural context and time-period. According to Wikipedia.org, evidence of tattooing goes back at least to Neolithic times, in tools from the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe, and exists in the records and remains of cultures around the world.

Though they may be seen as controversial or rebellious in modern Western culture, tattooing has been practiced for many reasons. Cultures have used tattoos to denote special skills or royalty, to mark prisoners or criminals, for religious rights, to signify belonging to a particular group or family, for healing, and as art and creative expression.

Today, many people tattoo themselves to connect to their cultural heritage or find a sense of belonging within a larger group. Also for many, it’s a form of selfexpression, and for some, it’s a way to commemorate relationships, past experiences, or lost loved ones. It is said that millennials especially have embraced the art.

These permanent markings become woven into the fabric of the individual’s life, interactions, and stories.

A tattoo is applied by introducing ink to the subdermal layer. The top layer of skin peels away in the healing process, while new tissues form in the under layer that trap the ink. According to Wikipedia.org, some cultures traditionally created tattoos (and some still do) by cutting markings into the skin and then rubbing ash or other agents into the wounds. In other places, the ink is handtapped into the skin using a sharp tool. The method with the most widespread popularity today is tattoo machines, or guns, which rapidly drive a set of needles in and out of the skin and apply the ink directly. However, in some sub-cultures, “stick and poke” tattoos are making a comeback.

All application types involve one common factor— pain! Many people say the endorphin rush is enjoyable, even addictive, and for some it’s an initiation process (formal or informal). Some pieces can be completed in one sitting, while more complicated pieces may require multiple visits to a tattoo artist.

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Tattoo artists typically take great pride in their work, and have studied and practiced extensively. Some even train within specific lineages, and most will have particular specialties. If you’re considering a first piece, decide if you want a specific design, or just something cool. Most shops will have books of “stock” designs that you can browse through. If you have a clear vision of what you want, do some research on style and find an artist with a portfolio that matches the look and feel of what you want. You can also work directly with the artist to get clarity on specifics. Make sure you do your due diligence, as a tattoo is not the kind of decision you can go back on later!

Benicia Downtown Portside Village Condo, $525,000.

Immaculate tri-level condo, affordable HOA, 2 master suites, 2 car garage, gas fireplace, central A/C, steps to marina, close to First Street! Great accessibility to SF, East Bay, Napa Valley!

Christie Finn, Realtor

Below is a partial list of local tattoo studios for inspiration.

Bombshell Hair and Ink 120 E G Street, Benicia, CA 94510 707.748.7950 Facebook.com Bulletproof Ink 674 Parker Rd Fairfield, CA 94533 707. 229.1573 Bulletproofink.com

Allied Ink Tattoos and Piercings 1415 Georgia St Vallejo, CA 94590 707.652.2191 Facebook, Instagram Shipyard Tattoo Company 2700 Sonoma Blvd Vallejo, CA 94590 707.676.0101 Facebook

Zebra Tattoo and Body Piercing 1419 N Broadway Walnut Creek, CA 94596 925.946.1087 Mrzebra.com

Pop’s Old Town Tattoo 800 Tennessee St Vallejo, CA 94590 707.647.7677 Facebook, Instagram

Extreme Tattoos 3760 Sonoma Blvd Vallejo, CA 94590 707.980.6221

Creative Illustrations 1509 Marin St Vallejo, CA 94590 707.731.2413 Creationsillustrations.com Instagram

Hot Ink Tattoos and Body Piercing 818 Marin St Vallejo, CA 94590 707.648.2070 Hotinktattoos.com

Only Skin Deep Tattooing 622 Tuolumne St Vallejo, CA 94590 707.642.1961 onlyskindeeptattoovallejo.com

Invictus Tattoo Studio 1614 Sonoma Blvd Vallejo, CA 94590 415.240.1186 Facebook.com/1614Invictus/ Instagram Ghosttown Body Art 402 Virginia St Vallejo, CA 94590 707.553.8282 Facebook

Sugar City Tattoo 1410 Pomona St. Crockett, CA 94525 510.787.7702 Sugarcitytattoo.com Instagram Monica Painter Tattoo Tattoo & Piercing 1410 Pomona St. Crockett, CA CA 94525 510.685.3800 Monicapainter.com

CA DRE 01876823

Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific 900 First Street, Benicia

(707) 853-9787 Each office is independently owned and operated.

Dine In Carry Out Delivery Online Ordering

ILY SPECIAL! M A F

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878 Southampton Road, Benicia

707.746.7000 • roundtablepizza.com

Alonzo

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Insurance Agency

We are independent agents and brokers taking care of families and businesses since 1981 We work with five A+ rated companies to meet your insurance needs including your home, auto, rentals, watercraft, your business & more

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707.746.0590 • alonzosmall.com BeniciaMagazine.com • 15

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Scene Scene707 Food & Drink

Breaking Bread at Farm & Flour

By Courtney Tait Photos courtesy Farm & Flour There’s a black and white letter board above the cutlery station at Farm & Flour that reads: “They broke bread together in their homes with glad and sincere hearts.” (ACTS 2:46) This simple verse brings to mind the notion of gathering with others, and invites one to consider the cafe—a light, airy space opened in August in

the former Studio 41 location on First Street—a place to feel at home.

“My heart has always been in creating an experience and a place for people to connect,” says Farm & Flour’s owner Brett Benzer, who bakes the signature sourdough used for its toast-focused menu. “It’s so humbling to see that the community is aligned with what we’re doing.” Benzer, who grew up in Portland, Oregon

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and moved to the Bay Area during high school, drew inspiration for the cafe from States Coffee & Mercantile, the popular Martinez coffee shop he helped open in 2015 with owner Keith Gehrke. (The two are close friends and Benzer worked at States for three years.)

With a concept that pays homage to the past—the cafes are each housed in revamped brick buildings— while embracing modern craft culture, both States and Farm & Flour reflect a broader trend of celebrating timehonored traditions in new ways.

Sitting at one of Farm & Flour’s oak tables (custom made with locally-milled wood), waiting for my Brie Toast (with fig jam, walnuts, and arugula), I had the sense that every carefully-rendered detail, from the macramé wall hanging to the low key, just loud-enough music to the dried flower art prints, was an effort to merge simplicity with sophistication. It’s almost too hip to feel homey, but the experience is entirely pleasant, even soothing, especially when you take your first sip of perfectly poured, utterly smooth States coffee, sold only at these two places on the planet.

“We select coffees to be approachable and comforting,” says Benzer. States works with a Healdsburg importer, Olam, to procure the beans (recent offerings came from Ethiopia and Guatemala), then roasts them onsite. A take home blend is available at Farm & Flour by the half pound.

Along with Brie Toast—tasty, fresh and beautifully arranged on a thick slice of bread, the apple vinaigrettedressed arugula piled high—the Farm & Flour menu features several other open-faced offerings. For meat lovers, there’s Prosciutto with heirloom tomatoes and Pesto Chicken (the meat comes from Petaluma farms).

Other options include Avocado, Summer Squash with hummus, Cashew Butter (with honey from a Benicia hive), Cream Cheese and Cinnamon Sugar. The fruit for their Seasonal Jam Toast is sourced from farmers markets or local farms, and their banana bread features olive oil from Monterey. (Pastries include a fudge brownie and brown butter chocolate chip cookie.)

If you want a sourdough loaf to take home, arrive early: around seven loaves are available daily, and they sell out fast. Farm & Flour is open daily 7am-4 pm. “Bread is such a craft and art—it’s the foundation of what we’re doing” says Benzer. “The fact that there’s a line out the door makes it so fulfilling.”

Farm & Flour 700 First St., Benicia

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Scene

707

BOOMING MARE ISLAND ECONOMY

Benefits Vallejo and Benicia

By Sarah Rohrs Photo courtesy Mare Island Dry Dock Mare Island Dry Dock is just one example of the kind of job growth that is putting the former Naval base on target as a vibrant jobs center. Opening in 2013 with just 20 employees, there are now 150 fulltime employees and just as many subcontractors, plus 500 or so customers and vessel managers who remain on site while ships are repaired, said Christina Snyder, executive vice president.

Elsewhere, other businesses, such as Mare Island Brewery and Factory O_S, are opening and expanding in renovated historic warehouses, coal sheds and other structures. It all adds to a strong mix of jobs and work opportunities. “The nice thing is the diversity of jobs and also how they are occurring. It reflects the strength and vibrancy of what’s happening,” said Ron Gerber, city economic development director. As more ventures open, Vallejo, Benicia and other areas benefit with new jobs and economic opportunities.

Mare Island’s transformation from historic Naval base to jobs center has been steady since the late 90s, with one noticeable dip in the 2008 recession. The 1996 base closure hit Vallejo hard but signs are pointing to an upward swing. More recently, Mare Island added 85 new permanent jobs in the first half of 2018, a figure that represents more than 2 ½ years of sustained growth.

Though the current jobs numbers are nowhere near the base’s World War II peak of 40,000, they are the highest they’ve been since 1997, according to Lennar Mare Island.

The area sports an estimated 2,600 jobs, and 105 businesses using 3.8million square feet of space. At least 1,200 more jobs could be created on the city-owned north end parcel where millions are being spent to remove blighted buildings and pave the way for 1.2 million square feet of commercial and industrial uses. Gerber said the mix could include wineries, restaurants, retail and a film studio.

What makes Mare Island desirable for businesses? Snyder cited a combination of factors with location and a wealth of historic buildings and infrastructure. Though no shipbuilding is taking place, Mare Island Dry Dock is able to utilize the historic dry docks in much the same way the Navy used them, she said.

“Ultimately, the Navy abandoned very unique assets here on the island. It is not only the graving docks that will not be built again, but the many buildings with their extraordinary roof heights and vast square footage that can support large manufacturing is something you just won’t see built again.”

“We are fortunate to be able to bring back this capability that is scarce in the U.S.,” she said. In turn, the company can offer blue-collar jobs and help service shipping vessels that transit the San Francisco Bay. Jobs also include many skilled workers, such as engineers, welders, pipe and structural fitters, electricians and rigging and crane operations, accountants, inspectors and EMT’S. More than half of the employees live in Vallejo.

Then, Snyder said, there is Mare Island’s “cool factor, with the island’s naval history, the charm of its architecture, its balance of landmarks and what is new is really something to behold,” Snyder said.

Other entrepreneurs are also attracted to that coolness, including Napa County wine mogul Dave Phinney, who is behind the new Savage & Cooke distillery found in the base’s oldest buildings in the historic core. The distillery was covered in Benicia Magazine in the September issue. Phinney has also leased five other buildings, drawn to the island’s rich history and legacy. Vallejo’s other assets, including a protective harbor, the ferry service, immediate access to freeways and proximity to larger cities puts it in a good position for growth, development and mixed-use opportunities, she said.

Mare Island may never again see the kinds of jobs and activity the base had in prior decades, but it is well on its way to branding a new identity, one that mixes the old and the new, bringing economic opportunities to Vallejo and Benicia.

18 • Benicia Magazine Feature

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...IT’S A FACT!

Residential & Commercial

CARPET • UPHOLSTERY • TILE & GROUT CLEANING

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up to 350 sq ft

Excludes stairs, not valid with any other offers or coupons

Locally owned & operated

spotlesscarpetcleaning.net 800 First Street, Ste. A, Benicia • 707-746-8656

• Serving the Benicia/Vallejo area for over 70 years • Only on-site crematory in the area • Funerals, memorials, VA Burials Quality Home & Leisure Products

John “Sherm” Passalacqua

Passalacqua Funeral Chapel 901 West Second St., Benicia 707-745-3130 www.passalacquafuneralchapel.com

VISIT OUR LARGE SHOWROOM featuring many fireplaces, stoves & inserts 707.745.5933 4689 East 2nd St., Benicia www.calcomfort.com

Greg Silva

Twin Chapels Mortuary 1100 Tennessee St., Vallejo 707-552-6696 www.twinchapelsmortuary.com

Voted Best Funeral Home In Solano County 7 Years In A Row

Save Up To 50% On Select Floor Displays

BOHO CHIC WITH A COWGIRL EDGE Benicia Tannery Building , 129 First Street, Suite A

Family Owned & Operated Since 1972 The 2018 Honda Accord

Come by and say hello!

707-297-6405

The Most Impressive Honda Ever!

800 Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo, CA 94591 Exit Redwood Parkway 888-619-0063 • www.AveryGreeneHonda.com

Greyhorseboutique.com BeniciaMagazine.com • 19

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and Local Brew Pubs

By Jeanne Steinmann If beer is on your mind, you are in good company.

October is celebrated across the San Francisco Bay Area with Oktoberfest events. Many of our local breweries continue the theme with specialty seasonal offerings.

According to Oktoberfest.net, Oktoberfest began in Munich Germany on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of King Ludwig I and Princess Teresa of Sassonia-Hildburghausen, in a public ceremony. With the exception of 24 times, the Munich Oktoberfest has run every year.

Oktoberfest, however, is not just about drinking beer. Most events include parades, Bavarian-style foods, live music, and singing and dancing, but can also include fair rides, horse races and

other entertainments. Most are family-friendly.

The Concord Oktoberfest is the closest to Benicia, October 12-13, and features “…a fun, family-friendly, free community event with food, drink and activities available for purchase.” In addition to beer, each event offers a unique twist: The Cotati Oktoberfest has a Wiener Dog contest and yodeling contest.

If you want to sample some great craft brew without the hubbub of the festival, have a taste of autumn at one of the many breweries around the Bay Area. Oktoberfest events that require tickets sell out fast, so check websites for where to purchase.

Some events are free. Here’s a smattering of area Oktoberfest and brewpub offerings.

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OKTOBERFEST EVENTS Munich Oktoberfest 2018 • 9/22-10/7

The world’s largest event, has its own app Brewery carriages, Cathedral tents, fair rides & much more Theresienwiese, near Munich City Centre Oktoberfest.de/en/

Clayton Oktoberfest • 10/6 & 7

Carnival, parade & street performers Downtown Clayton Claytonoktoberfest.com

Oakland Nature Friends Oktoberfest • 10/7

BREWPUBS Rocksteady Brewing

613 Escobar St, Martinez, 925.228.8787 Rocksteadybrewing.com

Creek Monkey Tap House

611 Escobar St, Martinez, 925.228.8787 creekmonkey.com

Traditional Spätzle, Bratwurst, Kartoffelsalat & Schweinebraten 3115 Butters Drive, Oakland Thenaturefriendscorporation.org/festivals

Five Sons Brewing

Sacramento Oktoberfest • 10/12

Cue & Brew

Sacramento Turn Verein 3349 J Street Eat, drink, & dance like a tried-and-true German Sacramentoturnverein.com/event/Oktoberfest

Concord Oktoberfest 2018 • 10/12 & 10/13 Todos Santos Plaza German-style lagers from 20 breweries Facebook, Concord Oktoberfest

Sonoma County Oktoberfest • 10/13

Contests, Polka & Weiner Dog Race Free Admission La Plaza Park Old Redwood Highway & West Sierra Ave., Cotati Cotati.org

Corte Madera Oktoberfest • 10/13

Domestic Microbrews, Craft Brews, and Local Wines Old Corte Madera Square Oktoberfestcortemadera.org/Oktoberfest_2017 (not a typo)

Campbell Oktoberfest • 10/20-21

Downtown Campbell Over 100 Arts & crafts vendors and a kids' zone Free admission E. Campbell Ave and N. 1st St

701 Escobar St C, Martinez, 925.957.6706 fivesunsbrewing.com

1029 Arnold Drive, Martinez, 925.370.1282

Bruehol Brewing

4828 E 2nd St, Benicia, 707.327.6768 brueholbrewing.com

Heretic Brewing Company 1052 Horizon Dr Ste B Fairfield, 707.389.4573 hereticbrewing.com

True Symmetry Brewing Co

315 Marina Ctr, Suisun City, 707.202.6000 truesymmetry.beer

Mare Island Brewing Co. 289 Mare Island Way Ste G Vallejo, 707.556.3000 mareislandbrewingco.com

Napa Smith Brewery

101 Yolano Drive, Vallejo 707.252.4392 or 850 Bordeaux Way, Napa 707.666.2592 napasmithbrewery.com

BeniciaMagazine.com • 21

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DIRECT

Business &

Professional Carol Kemper

Judy Foster

Certified Personal Trainer NASM CPT, CES, PES PWR!Moves® for Parkinson’s Disease

Senior Sales Counselor

707.480.5970

900 First Street, Benicia jfoster@coldwellbanker.com CalBRE #0117856

Benicia Health and Fitness Club 1150 West 7th St. Benicia

Personal Training Studio griffinfitness.com

707.747.6677 Lisa McVeigh, Owner

facebook.com/carolkemperfitness cekemper@sbcglobal.net 707. 297. 5769

2038 Columbus Pkwy, Benicia, CA 94510

SOLANO PACIFIC

Coverage for all the things you care for.

Benicia Chamber of Commerce 2017 Business of the Year

Like this page?

Julia R. Allen 2044 COLUMBUS PKWY BENICIA, CA 94510 JALLEN6@FARMERSAGENT.COM CA License # 0D93739

Showcase your business

in Benicia Magazine's Business & Professional Directory

Call 707.853.5226 today to reserve your spot

Call 707.745.3355 today for Auto, Home, Life and Business.

Dinner Sun-Thurs until 9pm Fri/Sat 10pm

439 First Street Benicia 707.745.0943 luccabar.com

Half Price Bottles of Wine with Food Purchase $15

Mexican Food 640 First Street 707.746.7830

License #748221

Open Mon-Sat 11:30am Sun 10am

Furniture, Collectibles & Household Items Interior/Exterior Residential & Commercial Painting and more!

707.747.0427 • hobsonpainting@gmail.com

hobsonpainting.com

Lunch, afternoon tea, housemade desserts, fine teas & tea accessories

Camellia Tea Room

828 First Street • Downtown Benicia 707.746.5293 camelliatearoom.com

431 First Street Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat Noon-9pm 707.999.0039

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22 • Benicia Magazine

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CTORY COLL

Professional &

Business TIVE

Joseph L. Wilder Financial Advisor 707.745.3122 555 First St, suite 104 Benicia, CA 94510

BOUTIQUE

20% off 2nd complete pair Dr. Richard Joyce Dr. Geoffrey Sampson

Thurs. 4-7 Sat. 11-4 Sun. 11-2

OPTOMETRISTS 874 Southampton Rd., Benicia, CA 94510

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117 E. D Street, Benicia CaliCollektive.com

707.745.6266 Now on Mare Island!

Morrison Lighting Design

Suzuki Piano Lessons

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Efficient 21st Century Lighting

JOAN MISHRA, M.Ed 707.721.2839 joanmishra@yahoo.com Suzukiassociation.org

Chiropractic Center Benicia Dr. Kerry Lilley, D.C.

701 Southampton Road, Benicia Chiropracticbenicia.com

Michael Trahan • Interior Design www.michaeltrahan.com 707.748.1080

www.morrisonlightingdesign.com contact@morrisonlightingdesign.com 707-246-9045

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edwardjones.com/joseph-wilder CA Insurance License OC24309

NEW OWNER 422 First Street, Benicia • 707.748.7433

pupsnpurrz.com

LIKE THIS PAGE?

Solar I HVAC I Roofing Insulation I Windows 1060 Grant St., 2A, Benicia CA 877-765-2780 • GEHILLC.org

SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS in Benicia Magazine's Business & Professional Directory

Call

707.853.5226 today to reserve your spot Unique business card format Four month minimum

BeniciaMagazine.com • 23

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Calendar

OCTOBER EVENTS Arts Benicia Presents After Dark

10/1-10/21, hours vary Arts Benicia 991 Tyler Street, Suite 114, Benicia After Dark explores our darker sides and alter egos. As the curator, Jen Tough, says, it’s about “allowing the voice of our own tiny devils to come out and play.” This show includes an Opening Reception with refreshments, 9/15, 6-8pm.

Artsbenicia.org 707.747.0131

Benicia Certified Farmer’s Market

10/4, 11, 18 &25 First Street from B to D Streets Benicia Benicia Certified Farmers Market offers fresh fruit & vegetables, baked goods, gourmet food, delicious hot foods, arts & crafts, live entertainment, and face painting. Market is on First St. between B & D Streets. Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Vallejo Waterfront Weekend

10/6 & 7, 9am-9pm Waterfront Park 301 Mare Island Way, Vallejo This two-day festival celebrates Vallejo, Historic Mare Island and Solano County, and showcases why people choose to live, work, and play in this vibrant community. Events include a Lucky Ducky Derby, Chili Cookoff, Whaleboat Regatta, Car Show, 5K Vallejo Glow Run & Mare Island Half Marathon, kids zone, plein air paint out and much more.

Vallejowaterfrontweekend.com

Fall Native Plant Sale

10/6, 9am-2pm Heritage Presbyterian Church 1400 East Second Street, Benicia The Willis Linn Jepson Chapter

of the California Native Plant Society is holding its semiannual plant sale featuring groundcovers, perennials, shrubs & trees grown at their native plant nursery in Vallejo. California native plants are beautiful, resilient, and well suited to our climate, soils and wildlife.

Purchase and plant natives before the winter rains. All proceeds help fund local native plant conservation activities.

Jepson.cnps.org

Bay Area Stage!

Presents Young Frankenstein

10/12-14, 19-21 Bay Area Stage Theater, 515 Broadway Street, Vallejo 10/26-28, Empress Theater, 330 Virginia Street, Vallejo Comedy genius Mel Brooks adapted his legendarily funny film into a brilliant stage creation.

Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein inherits his family’s Transylvania estate. With the help of hunchbacked sidekick Igor and his amply qualified lab assistant Inga, Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. Directed by Jeff Lowe.

Bayareastage.org

Benicia Fire Dept Open House

10/13, 11am-3pm Fire Station #11, 150 Military West Blvd, Benicia Join Benicia Fire Department for an exciting afternoon and rare opportunity to see inside the station. Includes station tours, free food, goodie bags, bounce house, face painting, fire extinguisher demo, engine show & tell, 9-1-1 dispatchers & CPR demos.

Facebook, Benicia Fire Department

Autumn Lights Festival

Zombie Brew Crawl

10/13, 1-5pm First Street, downtown Benicia Zombies descend upon downtown to sample craft beers and tasty bites inside participating businesses–dare to join them? Rain or shine, ages 21 and older. Advance tickets available online or in person at Benicia Main Street for $25; the event is expected to sell out.

Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Benicia Art Walk

10/13, 2-7pm First Street, Benicia October is the final month to celebrate Benicia Art Walk 2018 second Saturdays in downtown Benicia. Come for lunch or stay for dinner. Tour eight galleries that host the fun with art, live entertainment, small sips and other activities. Look for the blue banners or follow the 2018 Benicia Art Walk Map. Visitbenicia.org/arts/visual-artscrafts/

Vallejo Symphony Performance

10/14, 3-5pm Empress Theater 330 Virginia Street, Vallejo Vallejo Symphony will perform Beethoven, Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2. Marc Taddei is conducting; also featuring pianist David Fund.

Vallejosymphony.org 707.643.4441

10/18-20, 6-11pm The Gardens at Lake Merritt 666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland Autumn Lights Festival features fabulous illuminated art by local artists, fire dancers, larger-thanlife art installations, live music, interactive arts, and a food court in the beautiful gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Tickets $20 advance/$25 event day for adults; $7 advance/$10 event day for youth (ages 6-17). Children ages 5 and younger are free.

Rain or shine.

Eventbrite.com, 7th annual autumn lights festival tickets

BOTTG Presents Social Security

10/19-11/10, Fri & Sat 8pm Sun 2pm Historic BDES Hall 140 West J Street, Benicia Award winning Benicia Old Town Theatre Group's fall production is Social Security, a comedy by Andrew Bergman. The story surrounds two art dealers in New York, the wife's nerdy sister and uptight CPA husband and their archetypal Jewish mother. Tickets $22/general admission, $20/seniors 62+ & students with ID, $30/opening night champagne gala, $45/ show & dinner deal at Venticellos Ristorante Italiano.

Beniciaoldtowntheatregroup.org 707.746.1269

Haunted Depot

10/19 & 20, 26 & 27, 31; 11am-4pm Benicia Main Street 90 First Street, Benicia The normally mild-mannered Southern Pacific Railroad Depot has been mysteriously transformed into a frightful depository of ghosts, goblins and spirits luring you inside for a scare.

Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

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24th Annual Days of the Dead Community Celebration 10/21, 12-4:30pm 1000 Oak Street, Oakland Join Oakland Museum for the 24th annual community celebration honoring Days of the Dead traditions. Craft activities, tasty food, dance and music groups, colorful ofrendas, and ceremonia bring the community together for this healing tradition. Demos of traditional Mesoamerican arts/cooking; merchandise by local artisans and a range of music and dance performances.

Museumca.org/2018/24th-annual-daysdead-community-celebration

Jack-o-lantern Contest & Scary Stories

10/24, 7pm Benicia Public Library 150 East L Street, Benicia Families can bring a carved pumpkin to enter the contest, or just vote for favorites.

Judges choose winners while kids listen to scary stories (very scary ones told in the dark to brave children 8 & up); less scary ones for younger kids. Contest open to everyone, including teens & adults. No flashing lights in Jack-o-Lanterns.

Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

Indoor & Outdoor Dining

-6pm Friday 3 cocktails, y a d n ll ms Mo 2 off we select food ite $ , e in $3 off w er and $2 off e ints of b $1 off p

FOOTBALL SUNDAYS!

Breakfast menu with bottomless Mimosas with purchase of meal until 2pm.

SUN 9AM - MIDNIGHT MON - THURS: 11AM - MIDNIGHT FRI & SAT: 11AM - 1AM 33 TV’s showing all local & major sporting events MLB, NBA, NFL, UFC & more 32 beers on tap from breweries all over the U.S. • Specialty cocktails and wine

321 First Street, downtown Benicia 707.746.7665 rookiesbenicia.com

Halloween Costume Contest & Sidewalk Stroll

10/27, 10am First Street & Marina Green, Benicia Benicia Main Street offers a great time for kids of all ages during the popular Halloween costume contest and sidewalk stroll. First Street merchants get into the spirit for all to shop and enjoy. Canine & Critter Costume Contest on First Street Green at noon, with awards & treats.

Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Bewitching Tea

10/28, seatings at 11am, 1pm & 3pm Camellia Tea Room 628 First Street, Benicia Annual Bewitching Tea returns to Camellia Tea Room with the Haunted Hat contest, fashion show by Christina S and traditional tea service. This fundraiser benefits Safequest of Solano County, serving victims of domestic violence. Sponsored

by Camellia Tea & Soroptimist International of Benicia. $45 per person, includes tax & gratuity. Advance reservations & payment required, online or in person.

Camelliatearoom.org 707.746.5293 BeniciaMagazine.com • 25

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Live Music

OCTOBER LIVE MUSIC Empress Theatre 707.552.2400, 330 Virginia St, Vallejo EmpressTheatre.org Oct. 26, 8pm Oct. 27, 8pm Oct. 28, 3pm

Young Frankenstein the Musical $25 General Admission, $23 Senior/online, phone & box office Young Frankenstein the Musical $25 General Admission, $23 Senior/online, phone & box office Young Frankenstein the Musical $25 General Admission, $23 Senior/online, phone & box office

Tuneriders

Lucca Beer Garden 707.745.3749, 439 1st Street, Benicia

Luccabar.com No Cover Charge

Oct. 4, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 5, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 6, 1pm - 3:30pm 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 7, 2pm - 5pm Oct. 11, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 12, 5:30pm – 8pm

Uptown Theatre Napa 707.259.0123, 1350 Third Street, Napa Uptowntheatrenapa.com Oct. 6, 8pm Oct. 12, 8pm Oct. 19, 8pm

The Simon & Garfunkel Story $40 - $60, Ticketmaster or Box Office Get The Lead Out 2018 $35 - $55, Ticketmaster or Box Office Ronnie Spector & The Ronettes $40 - $60, Ticketmaster or Box Office

Oct. 13, 1pm - 3:30pm 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 14, 2pm – 5pm Oct. 18, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 19, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 20, 1pm - 3:30pm Oct. 21, 2pm - 5pm Oct. 25, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 26, 5:30pm - 8pm Oct. 27, 1pm - 3:30pm Oct. 28, 2pm - 5pm

The FOXCATCHERS are Jeff Tamelier & Christopher Cole Tuneriders Eric Eckstein 5 O’Clock Somewhere Irish Music w/Vince Wolfe, Lewis Santer & Friends Chris James & The Showdowns James Nash w/Jeff Campitelli & Angeline Sari Jazz w/Damien Masterson Group The Killbillies Unplugged Acoustic w/Jill & Kevin Marina Crouse w/TBA Bodhi Shrugs Aussie Britt Duo 5:30pm - 8pm The Dawdlers Unplugged Acoustic w/Andy Brunt Static & Surrender Don Bassey & Friends Aussie Brit Duo 5:30pm - 8pm Joe Kaline & The Beat Meters Unplugged Acoustic w/Stadler Gibbons Band

26 • Benicia Magazine

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Benicia’s Funny, Scary and Pop Culture

Scarecrows Return

By Tomoka Red St. Johns Since 2008, October visitors to Benicia’s First Street shopping district have seen creatively dressed scarecrows on display in celebration of the Halloween season. Some have been funny, some have been scary, and some have replicated scenes from classic movies with a Halloween twist.

This year, many of those scarecrows will depict virtuous superheroes or evil villains, said Nancy Martinez, executive director of Benicia Main Street. “This is the first year we are giving it a theme,” she said.

The scarecrows started cropping up 11 seasons ago as a fun way for First Street merchants to promote their businesses and to attract shoppers to Benicia’s downtown, she said. Benicia Main Street officials decided that to make the display event interactive, the public would be allowed to vote for their favorite scarecrows.

In 2014, Benicia Main Street added mystery judges who selected first, second and third place winners as well as the public’s People’s Choice award. “After three years, the vote switched back solely to the public,” she said. “2014 also marked the year scarecrows advanced beyond First Street.” People could find the structures in businesses citywide and city departments, she added, and that all were eligible for the contest votes.

The normally businesslike Benicia City Hall had scarecrows in front of the offices of the city attorney, city manager and the finance department. The Benicia Community Center’s scarecrow was represented the Parks and Community Services Department, and the Benicia Library also joined in the fun with its own scarecrow statue.

Benicia’s scarecrows are part of Benicia’s Halloween celebrations that include the Haunted Depot that fills the old Southern Pacific building, 90 First St., with ghosts and goblins.

The Haunted Depot is open from 6-9pm Oct. 19, 20, 26, 27 and Halloween, Oct. 31.

The Zombie Brew Crawl, from 1-5pm on Oct. 13, lets beer lovers in zombie makeup and clothing sample a variety of craft beers in participating downtown shops, although costumes are not required. Tickets are available at Benicia Main Street, 90 First St., or online at beniciamainstreet.org, and are $25 in advance and $35 the day of the event.

The Halloween Costume Contest and Sidewalk Stroll are at 10am Oct. 27 at City Park on First Street and Military. The Canine & Critter Costume Contest is at noon the same day on the First Street Green at First and East B streets.

How many scarecrows sprout up in Benicia varies from year to year, Martinez said, although in the past, Main Street set a goal of 100 of the statues erected during the season. Occasionally, some businesses promised to set up a scarecrow, but the statue never made an appearance. A new rule has been adopted to reduce the chances of that happening, Martinez said. “This year, businesses won’t be put on the online voting form until their scarecrow is out and displayed with a picture sent to us, as in the past we’ve had people sign up and never put anything out—very disappointing for people who come down to vote,” she said.

People can go online to beniciamainstreet.org through Sunday, Oct. 21, to vote for their favorite scarecrows. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded, said Martinez, and that those who participate can really get into the spirit of things.

Although most of the scarecrows start off as crossed sticks in a weighted bucket, how a business decorates the base can range from classic, simple clothes and an old hat, to pirate garb to zombies and witches. “Every year, Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific does it up pretty big, usually with a background scene to go with their scarecrow,” Martinez said. “Camellia Tea Room has consistently been in the contest and always does something very creative each year.”

Photos courtesy Benicia Main Street; Left: Training Loft, Center: Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific, Right:Camellia Tea Room BeniciaMagazine.com • 27

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People

Q

W ITH

A

Jack Bethards

What does a tonal director do?

A tonal director determines the technical details of the pipes.

Pipes have to be given their tone because they don’t make a sound at the start.

Before we begin building an organ, we take a set of test pipes to the site and listen to Lisa Duncan Photography how they sound in the room. If a room doesn’t

By Sue Sumner-Moore carry bass sounds well, In a factory amid metal fabricators, bridge for example, we make adjustments engineers and polymer producers in the Benicia for that.

Industrial Park, workers at Schoenstein & Co. create an extraordinary type of machine: pipe Work on tonal finishing involves organs. listening to each pipe after it’s The 18 employees meticulously craft raw installed and is based on how the lumber, leather, wooden and metal pipes into pipes are working in the room. It pipe organs designed specifically for their takes several weeks to make those final destination. Using vintage equipment and final adjustments, and I’m back and contemporary electronics, craftsmen rely on traditional techniques to create these one-of-aforth to the installation site during kind instruments. that time.

Heading the operation is company owner Jack Bethards, whose interest in organs began when he was 8 years old. That year a Schoenstein crew came to his Santa Rosa church to refurbish the organ.

“I was thrilled with the idea of working at an organ factory, even as a boy.”

His dream came true in 1977, when he purchased Schoenstein & Co. from the family that started the business in San Francisco a hundred years earlier.

The company moved to Benicia in 2004.

The company usually completes three organs per year, unless employees are working on a particularly large instrument. Jack is the firm’s president and tonal director, meaning he personally oversees each organ’s final sound.

Average production time is nine months once size and specifications are determined, and current orders will keep the company busy through 2021.

About 80 percent of the work is new construction with the remainder being maintenance and repairs. The firm’s largest and best-known organ is seen behind the Mormon Tabernacle Choir when it performs at the Mormon Church Conference Center in Salt Lake City.

An organ is a machine. The trick is to make it seem to the audience that it’s not a machine but to create the same feeling as an orchestral performance, to make it as expressive as an orchestra, to do things that transmit emotional feelings to the audience.

What’s your favorite aspect of creating an organ?

I like it all, but I think my favorite part is having an idea of what I think it should sound like and designing it so it comes out that way. To have it come out as envisioned, that’s the fun.

What’s the key to having an organ sound like you envisioned?

I think the biggest secret is watching the details. It’s all about accuracy. Workmanship is key.

There’s a lot of reasonable perfectionism in this business.

Do you play the organ?

No, I play trumpet, double bass and percussion.

It’s better that I’m not an organ player. When you play the organ, your teachers tell you that a certain kind of organ is the best. Our style is developed from a general knowledge of music, not tied to some specific type of organ. We make symphonic organs.

What brought the company to Benicia?

We had to relocate. We had a beautiful, very quaint building in San Francisco. But we had only 6,500 square feet there. We have 30,000 square feet here.

I looked in the Bay Area for a business-friendly town. I narrowed it down to San Leandro and Benicia.

It was a pretty easy choice. It was strictly on that one point: Being friendly to businesses.

What distinguishes a symphonic organ from other types?

Orchestras have a tremendous variation of tone value, a tremendous variation of dynamics in terms of volume. Our organs are designed to have all the tones and dynamics of an orchestra.

What motivates you to keep doing this?

I get a kick out of it. Not every single thing I do is fun, but most of it is. There are still so many things to learn.

28 • Benicia Magazine

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