Benicia Magazine February 2018

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WILLIAM BERG, KING OF THE VINTAGE FRENCH CLUB CHAIR

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2 • Benicia Magazine

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Benicia

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Celebrating our 13th Year

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Benicia Editor Jeanne Steinmann

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Benicia

Contributors magazine Eric Hoglund Adriene Rockwell Beth Steinmann Christina Strawbridge Sue Sumner-Moore Courtney Tait

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Photographers Lisa Duncan Jerry Bowles

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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.

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FEBRUARY

VOLUME 13 ISSUE 4

16

Feature 16 The Empress Theatre’s 19th annual Animation Show of Shows

10 From the Editor/Feedback

Interview

Currents

24 William Berg, importer of vintage

12 A heartfelt wedding on First Street 13 Put on your author’s cap for Trivia Bee 2018 15 BOTTG’s Spring season kicks off with Coming Apart

French antiques

Bio 26 Julie Chiodo serves up style at Bayside Vintage Living

18 Meet your local officials at League of Women Voters event

Trends

19 A crystal ball into Benicia real estate?

27 The heart—a symbol of love and health

Art

Calendar of events

14 Annual Art of a Community showcases Arts Benicia member artists

28 The best events in Benicia and around the Bay

14 Nancy Roberts exhibit at the Milinda Perry Gallery

The Dish 20 Date night ideas for the month of love

Live Music 29 Guide to local music in and around Benicia Cover photo: William Berg enjoys the stylish comfort of a vintage French club chair, photograph

by Stephen Austin Welch.

This page: Animation Show of Shows: Dear Basketball, by Glen Keane

8 • Benicia Magazine

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FROM THE EDITOR

February 2018 A Lot to Love Perfectly timed to set the theme for the month of love, a recent whirlwind romance culminated with a lovely wedding on the plaza at Java Point Café, which afforded the bride and groom, friends, family and onlookers the space to gather. Not expecting such a crowd for the impromptu event (think Flash Mob), the groom was teary as the bride approached him for the ceremony, while we captured the moment on camera.

In The Dish, we feature three ideas for a fun date night. In addition to The Loft’s new Speakeasy and Michael Waring’s artful food at the Hiddenbrooke restaurant that bears his name, we profile chef Tirzah Love, not for the obvious connection of her surname, but for her healthy food cooking classes and catering.

Many of us are familiar with Benicia's William Berg, king of the vintage French club chairs. He’s on this month’s cover and in our Interview. Speaking of French vintage, our Bio with Julie Chiodo, who has collaborated with Berg in the past, shows a true passion for vintage French decor at her downtown Benicia shop and Petaluma collective.

And what’s not to love about this month’s art and cultural offerings?

Check out Arts Benicia’s annual Art of the Community exhibit, which opens Jan. 27, while over at Vallejo’s Empress Theatre, the 19th annual film show commences Feb. 8. First Street galleries have rotating shows all year, and at the annual library trivia bee, join the fun in costume as your favorite author and help raise money for Benicia Public Library improvements.

Lisa Duncan Photography

Happy Valentine’s Day, —Jeanne

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No Dry Eyes at Impromptu Benicia Wedding

By Jeanne Steinmann Lisa Duncan Photography On a cold, cloudy Saturday in mid-January, Jerry Johnson married Debbie Moore, both of Benicia, at an unusual venue—on the plaza outside the Treasury Commons building on First Street. Amid a crowd of friends, family and onlookers, and the amazing Alberto family, who owns Java Point Café, plus folks who work in the building, Jerry and Debbie said, “I do.”

The couple has a rather unusual story. Jerry, 76, is retired, and a long-time member of a group that calls themselves the “Coffee Klutch,” consisting of 7-10 local men who sit outside at Java Point Café each morning and discuss local, U.S. and world issues over coffee.

The group has been meeting there for over ten years.

Jerry and Debbie’s story is one of a whirlwind courtship. Jerry was sitting outside at Lucca Bar and Grill, and noticed Debbie, 62, an avid walker who worked at Lindsay Art Glass, walk by. He hailed her and invited her to join him. That quickly led to Debbie joining the coffee group, which led, just six weeks later, to getting married at the place where they had fallen in love.

“She was interested in my ‘young at heart’ outlook, Jerry said. “It just morphed into a wedding here at Java Point—the courtship was short, sweet and fast, I wanted to enjoy my remaining years.”

Debbie’s daughter Jessica Perkins said, “I think it’s great! They are both really happy, and what’s not wonderful about being happy?”

Shortly before the impromptu outdoor ceremony, friends and family scurried about to make the quiet wedding special. Jerry’s daughter, who lives in Colorado, found out on a Thursday that her dad was getting married on Saturday. She quickly arranged for herself and her son to fly to California to be present at the ceremony. The plaza’s entrance was adorned with flowers and when Debbie walked down the “aisle,” the walkway next to Java Point, someone played Pachelbel’s “Cannon in D” on their cell phone. The bride was beautiful, arriving with a small bouquet of flowers wearing a sleeveless off-white dress, while the stately Jerry, adorned in a long sleeve shirt and tie, waited with tears in his eyes.

If that doesn’t say “romance,” I don’t know what does. Everything just unfolded naturally and fell into place. There wasn’t a dry-eye around, including mine, and I had just met the couple. It was the exact opposite of a traditional wedding extravaganza—unscripted. After the ceremony, Debbie said she was “excited,” and Jerry stated that he felt wonderful. “I wasn’t expecting all this,” he said. “But Debbie was not going to be the one that got away.”

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CURRENTS

1/23/18 7:43 AM

CURRENTS

Channel Your Inner Shakespeare at Annual

Trivia Bee

Staff Writer The Benicia Library Foundation will host the XXVI annual Trivia Bee on February 24, 2018. This year’s theme is, “Author!

Author!” A major fundraiser for the Benicia Library, the money raised will go toward capital improvements. The Bee is different this year, as everyone who attends the event will be able to compete for the title and the award of a special plaque that will remain on display for the entire year.

Teams will consist of eight players who vie for the coveted award. Dinner, an auction, raffle and no host bar are part of the evening’s lineup. Rotary International of Benicia will volunteer their services tending bar.

Teams of eight can purchase a table for $400, which also includes dinner. Single ticket holders will be seated at a table of eight and compete with their table mates. “We changed

the format this year, so everyone will be able to compete and test their trivia knowledge,” said Helaine Bowles, Benicia Library Foundation Chair. Those with a competitive nature can wear theme-based costumes to win the coveted “best costume” prize. Suggestions include dressing up like William Shakespeare, Jane Austin or other favorite authors.

In the first three rounds, easier questions will be asked, from these categories: history (some Benicia history), geography, science, literature, sports and entertainment. First, second and third place winners will be announced, and in the event of a tie, there will be tiebreaker questions.

If you would like to reserve a table for your team, contact Helaine Bowles at 707.746.4358 or hbowles@ci.benicia.ca.us.

Individual tickets cost $30. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Only 250 tickets are available.

Photos of previous auctions, courtesy Benicia Public Library BeniciaMagazine.com • 13

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ART THIS MONTH

A Blending of Art and Poetry at Annual Exhibition Arts Benicia begins its 31st year of outstanding art shows with its annual exhibition, Art of a Community, showcasing the multifaceted talents of the organization’s artist members. The exhibit, which will include works in a variety of media, runs through February 25.

Located in the Historic Arsenal since 1993, Arts Benicia is at the core of Benicia’s cultural landscape, with a large community of talented artists in the Bay Area and beyond. The group’s mission is “To stimulate, educate, and nurture cultural life in Benicia primarily through the visual arts.”

In conjunction with the Art of a Community exhibit, an Ekphrastic (vivid description of a work of art) Poetry Reading will be held Saturday, February 24, from 2-4pm, in collaboration with Benicia’s First Tuesday Poets. The newly composed Ekphrastic poetry will be inspired by the art in the exhibition, which has become the largest annual exhibition in the gallery, with over 200 artists’ works shown last year. For more information, contact info@artsbenicia.org, 707.747.0131 or artsbenicia.org.

Photos, below and page 15 top left, by Peg Jackson

Nancy Roberts at Milinda Perry Gallery Painting with “a quirky eye,” Bay Area artist Nancy Roberts loves capturing the beauty of the Bay with her brush. Roberts’ work will be on display through February 28 at the Milinda Perry Gallery in downtown Benicia.

A retired architect and current art instructor, Roberts has garnered many awards for her work; and she “loves teaching drawing and painting classes” for kids and adults, and also painting “en plein air” (outdoors). Her work is displayed in public and private collections across the country. Follow Roberts on Instagram: @nancyrobertsartist.

Photos, right: “Banner Day Locke,” by Nancy Roberts; page 15 bottom left: “Benicia Spirit,” by Nancy Roberts 14 • Benicia Magazine

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CURRENTS

Arts Benicia 991 Tyler Street #114, Benicia Gallery Hours During Exhibitions: Wednesday-Sunday, 12-5pm Ekphrastic Poetry Reading with Benicia First Tuesday Poets, Saturday, February 25, 2-4pm All events are free and open to the public. Arts Benicia is wheelchair accessible from Jackson Street.

Benicia Old Town Theatre Group Sails into 54th Season What a testament to have 53 years of wind behind the sails of community theater in our waterfront town. BOTTG produces two plays each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Now entering its 54th year, the Solano County ARTY-award winning Benicia Old Town Theatre Group is introducing a new director for the spring 2018 season—Bay Area director Angelina LaBarre—who is taking the helm of the romantic comedy Coming Apart, by Fred Carmichael. LaBarre is also a professor of drama at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Ca. Her recent directing credits with CCC include How We Got On, Exit, Pursued By A Bear, The Laramie Project, and The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare. Her local directing pursuits include the Fetterly Playhouse, Missouri Street Theatre, Darkroom Productions and Harbor Theater. She holds a BA from Sacramento State University and a MFA from Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia.

The show runs April 20 through May 12. Online performance tickets will be available March 1. For more information, visit beniciaoldtowntheatregroup.com, 707.746.1269.

Cast of BOTTG’s fall 2017 play, Intimate Apparel,

by Joe Messina

PERFORMANCES Angelina LaBarre

April 20 - May 12, 2018 Fridays & Saturdays, 8pm Sunday matinees, 2pm Beniciaoldtowntheatregroup.com Historic BDES Hall 140 W J St., Benicia 707.746.1269

BeniciaMagazine.com • 15

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Animated Short Films Resonate with Global Issues

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T

he Empress Theatre Film Club will be presenting the 19th annual Animation Show of Shows on Thursday evening, February 8. The film encompasses 16 animated shorts from around the world.

This year, says founder and curator Ron Diamond, the shorts have a particular resonance with a range of pressing global challenges: “I believe that this year’s program really offers contemporary animation that expresses deeply felt issues in our own country and around the world,” Diamond says in the press release.

Animators of the 16 shorts span three generations, ranging in age from mid-twenties to mid-seventies, and hail from eight countries. One of the shorts itself is several generations old—the film Hangman was originally created 50 years ago, and was restored with grants from ASIFA-Hollywood and The National Film Preservation Foundation. The film, based on a poem by Maurice Ogden, explores culturally relevant themes of personal responsibility and injustice in its story of townspeople who are afraid to speak up as they are methodically executed by the main character.

The Empress Theatre screened the Show of Shows for the first time in 2016. Steven Dunn, who programs film for the Empress Theatre Film Club, says, “I like showing it in February before the Academy Awards.

Last year, two of the animations in the Show of Shows were nominated for Oscars, including Piper, the winner.”

Dunn also speaks to unique accessibility challenges of animated shorts: “I don't know of another way to see this creative work. It's simply not available in the way that most mass entertainment is these days. The producers do an amazing job of selecting the best short animations from around the world. They are interspersed with interviews and other background information about the animators,” he said.

This year’s group of animators is as diverse as their subject matter and animation styles. Gokurosama was created by six French animators, all under the age of 27. Of the short, which details a series of unfortunate events in a Japanese shopping mall, animator Clémentine Frère says, “The whole plot was Yukiko's idea, but we all contributed … We had a lot of brainstorming sessions to weave all the different

actions together coherently. In the end, the story includes a little bit of every member of the team, which is my favorite thing about Gokurosama and why I'm so attached to it.”

The film Can You Do It, which mixes “incongruous elements from the highbrow world of horse racing and the ‘mean’ urban landscape,” is a collaboration between animator Quentin Bailleiux and L.A.-based musician Charles X. The film is set to Charles X’s music, which blends hip-hop, soul and jazz. Bailleiux says, “The concept of this film was born from a peaceful revolution that doesn’t spring from violence, but gains momentum through mutual love. ... I began by mixing two opposing universes—the street and the elite—with the goal of bringing them together. ... I then decided that horse racing would be a striking and singular elitist universe that would provide a strongly cinematographic contrast.”

Animator Steven Woloshen’s short, Casino, was created in his signature style of drawing directly onto the film. Stockholm-based animator, Niki Lindroth von Bar, made all the models and puppets for her short, The Burden, by hand. The music was composed especially for the film and recorded live with a 16-person orchestra. LA-based Irish animator David OReilly’s film, Everything, created over three years, “explores the interconnectedness of the universe and the multiplicity of perspectives that underlie reality.”

This is, perhaps, a fitting metaphor for the show at large, which is sure to leave cinefiles and non-cinefiles alike with inspired, if not perplexing, food for thought.

In addition to screening the Show of Shows, the Empress Theatre Film Club presents a variety of fiction and nonfiction films throughout the year, often followed by discussions with filmmakers. Dunn says, “Our goal is to provide a film-going experience that that is not otherwise available in our area. I really urge people to come out to the Show of Shows and enjoy this collective film experience. You’ll be entertained, learn something about cinema, and support the historic Empress Theatre.”

The show begins at 7:30pm on February 8, doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or at the box office.

Page 16 & 17 top to bottom: Can You Do It, Quentin Baillieux; The Alan Dimension, Jac Clinch; Beautiful Like Elsewhere, Elise Simard; Hangman, Paul Julian & Les Goldman; The Battle of San Romano, Georges Schwitzgebel.

Page 28 left: Next door, Pete Docter; right: Island, Robert Löbel & Max Mörtl

BeniciaMagazine.com • 17

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Meet Your Local Officials at Annual Event For the past 12 years, the League of Women Voters has hosted a “meet and greet” evening for community members to get to know their local officials. The 13th annual event provides an opportunity for the public to mingle with city, county and state officials in a relaxed environment. Wine, beer, coffee, and catered hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

This year’s event will be held at Benicia’s Commanding Officer’s Quarters, 1 Commandant Lane, February 23, 5-7:30pm. The League encourages everyone to come with questions, find out what a particular official’s job includes, ask about the officials’ opinions and positions on topics of interest, and share opinions with government officials. Included in the invitations are Monica Brown, member, Solano County Board of Supervisors, mayor Elizabeth Paterson and Benicia City Council members, city manager, city clerk and treasurer, city attorney, department heads and staff (including the police and fire chiefs and the library director), commissioners, board members, the Benicia Unified School District school board members and superintendent, and state and county officials.

The league hopes to see many friends and neighbors at the event. Any questions may be directed to Judy Potter at 707.746.1478 or judy.potter@gmail.com.

Photos of previous meet & greet event by Judy Potter

League of Women Voters 13th Annual Meet Your Local Officials Event February 23, 5-7:30pm Commanding Officer’s Quarters 1 Commandant Lane, Benicia

18 • Benicia Magazine

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Crystal Ball Or Just An Economic Fog?

By Eric Hoglund As a realtor, I am often asked to look deep into my crystal ball, through the mist and fog, to give my perception of the future I see therein. This is usually just cocktail party conversation about the housing market and nothing more. Recently, however, I have felt the need to express my forecast for the future more concretely. The truth is, I do not use a crystal ball, rather I take my gut reactions to the market and compare them to actual trends and data from the past. Mind you, I am not a financial advisor, nor do I have a Ph. D. in micro or macroeconomics, but I do have a fair understanding of key economic indicators and a general feeling for economic progress.

The outlook for 2018 is bright, based on data gathered from the National Association of Realtors, and articles in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and simple Google searches on raw statistics. I will break things down using key economic health indicators.

The heartbeat of a country’s economy is Gross Domestic Product. Credible sources place GDP for 2018 between 2% and 3%, with most thinking it will be at about 2.5%. Historically, this is a very healthy number in an ideal range for healthy growth. Unemployment is projected to continue at the natural rate, which is a healthy combination of frictional, structural and surplus unemployment and should stay below 4%, a continued downward trend from 4.7 in 2016 and 4.1 in 2017.

I will caution that many who lost jobs will never have the job they once had (structural unemployment), and will have to face a new and, quite possibly, lower paying career. Not a good sign, but there are indicators that job growth will continue. The largest projected job growth industries will be in healthcare, construction, social assistance and computer systems & design (especially mobile tech). Additionally, those with expertise in logistics, human resources and environmental and workplace safety are also projected to be increasingly in need.

Economies with rampant inflation or deflation are, by nature, unhealthy. Experts believe that inflation will stay below 2%. This seems to be in keeping with inflation rates for the past few years and rather benign. While some think a housing market crash is in the works, there are many reasons the current market is very different than it was during the crash 10 years ago.

• Lending standards are much more stringent.

• Very few sub-prime loans and less bundling and selling of bad debt on the stock market.

• House flippers are averaging 55% loan to value vs. 80% LTV ratios a decade ago.

• Inventory is still low, only about four month's supply nationally.

• Homeowners seemed to have learned their lessons and are not taking as much equity out of their homes.

• Some say that housing prices exceeded the peak in 2006, but adjusted for over a decade of inflation, they are still below 2004 numbers. This leads me to believe that there is room for growth.

• Rental vacancy is still low, so as rents rise to meet demand, the desire for investors to continue to purchase real estate, rather than another type of investment, grows as well.

• New construction permits are still far below the needs of new housing. This, coupled with devastating fires, floods and hurricanes we had this past year, the country is falling further behind in many areas already in need of additional housing, just to keep up with population demand.

• The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says that first time homebuyers are still only at 32% as compared to 40% historically. This, with the bulk of a millennial generation (larger than the boomers), coming into their peak in the job market.

• NAR stats show that most buyers are purchasing homes to live in, not to flip or use as income property.

• Fixed rate loans are the most common instrument being utilized.

• The stock market is very strong, and those with money are diversifying their investments between stocks, bonds, real estate and commodities.

The real wild card here is the new federal tax bill, and how it will affect the economy. It is my guess that the changes will benefit business the most, with little effect to the average middle-class worker. If my prediction is true, however, the benefit to business could lead to continued job growth and that is good for both Wall Street and Main Street.

I was able to chat with community members at a Chamber of Commerce mixer or a holiday party. Now I have put my predictions in writing, a time capsule of sorts, that we can all open December of 2018, and see if I was right or wrong. What do you see in the future? I am looking forward to a very good year. .

Eric Hoglund is a licensed real estate broker with Estey Real Estate in Benicia

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The Dish Three Ways to Date Night

By Courtney Tait

A

confession: In more than a decade of dating and now four years married, I’ve never gone out for dinner on Valentine’s Day. My skepticism of the ritual likely harkens back to my time serving tables at a popular Italian place in Victoria, B.C. On February 14, year after year, all the couples who don’t typically dine out would suddenly emerge, crowding into the candlelit room and ordering the lowest-priced items on the menu.

Some were there for love, sure, but others (let’s be honest) made the booking out of obligation. To which I ask, why let Cupid dictate when you date night?

That said, there’s no question that food and flirting go together. So let this trio of local suggestions serve as year-round inspiration to share a special experience with your valentine.

Photos: This page, a salmon dish by Tirzah Love; page 21, clockwise, Tirzah Love, The Loft's Speakeasy entrance, Michael Warring

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Take an in-home cooking class with Chef Tirzah Love

Snag the sofa and share a wine flight (or two) at The Loft

Picture it: Music is streaming, the wine is flowing and you and your partner are together in your kitchen, preparing an elegant three-course meal.

Guiding you through each step? A professional chef who has studied the art of cooking in places like Jamaica, Rome and Spain.

This is the experience that Tirzah Love, a Benicia chef and caterer who specializes in health-based foods, creates for couples looking to expand their culinary horizons. Love—who also teaches group classes at Soul Food Farm in Vacaville—brings elements of various cultures into her recipes, from Caribbean to Mexican to the southern-style dishes passed down from her grandmother.

Her in-home classes are personalized to your taste and level of cooking experience, so the menu—with appetizer, dinner and dessert—is one you can recreate on your own. “It brings couples together and creates a new bond,” says Love. Classes are $50/person plus ingredients, and include kitchen clean-up while you enjoy your meal.

Tell us what you like,” says Jason Diavatis, owner of The Loft Wine Bar and Restaurant, “and we’ll pick out wines that will fit.”

This laid-back approach to wine tasting makes The Loft an easy choice for a fun and casual date.

Opened in 2012, the 30-seat space started out serving wine, beer and cold plates. Since then, the menu has expanded to feature prohibitionstyle cocktails (the cucumber gimlet is a top seller) and such dishes as Beef Wellington and a Greek flaming cheese called Saganaki. Yet the wine remains a clear focus, with a rotating list that emphasizes local family wineries and boasts around 40 options by the glass.

For twenty bucks, you can try five wines. The flight is a hybrid style, based on your palette preferences and whatever is open at the moment, so you can count on a tailor-made tasting for your and your amour.

Splurge on a six-course prix fixe menu at Michael Warring Ask Michael Warring to describe the kind of dishes he creates at his 18-seat restaurant in Vallejo’s Hiddenbrooke neighborhood, and you’ll learn that his culinary style is not easily defined.

“We try not to label it,” says the chef, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America. “We buy the best ingredients we can find, and I use those however I’m feeling at the time, so it’s personal.”

What you can expect at Michael Warring is a dining experience unlike anything else in the area. Warring and his wife, Ali, serve a six-course prix fixe menu, starting with a produce-based first course (a recent dish featured a satsuma mandarin tart with citrus curd sabayon, aged balsamic and dill pollen), typically followed by fish, pasta, meat, cheese and dessert. When available, truffles are always featured. The seafood is sourced from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market, and the presentation of each dish is itself a work of art.

If you want to impress your date and immerse yourself into another world for a night, this is the place.

Tirzah Catering & Cooking Classes tirzahcatering.com 707.704.8323 Healthy, organic & GMO-free cuisine

Michael Warring

michaelWarring.com 707.655.4808 8300 Bennington Dr., Vallejo Wednesday-Sunday, Reservations

required

The Loft

wine707.com 707.745.4200 280 First Street, Benicia Open every day

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Master Cabinet Builder

Over 40 years experience

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22 • Benicia Magazine

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Interview with

WILLIAM BERG

By Sue Sumner-Moore William Berg with son Quinn, photograph by Stephen Austin Welch

A

mid colorful seltzer bottles and vintage champagne buckets, across an alley from a warehouse filled with club chairs from France and jute baskets from Bangladesh, William Berg hunkers over his computer. His 2018 goals include updating his William’s Antiks website and improving his marketing outreach.

William’s Antiks is one of two import businesses owned by William and his wife, Katie Zilavy. He focuses primarily on the club chairs and unique antiques from France that comprise William’s Antiks, while Katie devotes most of her time to the handmade items from Bangladesh sold through The Dharma Door business.

Each fall, William heads to France to buy club chairs along with smaller antiques. He has fine-tuned the trip over his 20 years in the business, spending three weeks visiting townwide garage sales and dealer fairs. He sells his finds on his web site, at select retailers along the West Coast, and once a month at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire. “The diversity of ways that we sell is how we survive,” he says.

He visits Bangladesh less frequently but plans a trip later this year to work on supply issues and new designs. “It’s also to show them that we appreciate their work.”

The path that brought William to the import business included a serving as a cook in the Navy, working as executive chef and general manager of the Union Hotel restaurant downtown, and moving to France with his then-wife, a French native. There, he drove a truck for a store selling antiques and other second-hand items. The store owner worked with a man from Los Angeles who imported club chairs, and William picked up the chairs and helped load the containers bound for the United States.

“So I learned French, I learned the French mentality, I learned how to load a truck and how to pack a container,” he recalls.

“I’m quite fluent—I get a lot of compliments on my French. It’s my only superpower (chuckling). It helps when you can tease the dealers and work on pricing.”

William, 53, moved to Benicia in 1992. He and Katie live with their three school-age sons in the artist area in the arsenal.

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INTERVIEW

How did you get started in the import business?

When we were living in France, we started to buy smalls—that’s what we call them in the antique world—small items like tea towels, enamelware, and the (Los Angeles club chair buyer) would let us ship a few boxes of smalls in his container.

We did very well with the smalls; that was the impetus to do our own container. We’d fill it up and come back to Benicia in the summer. We’d stay with Marty Duvall. We literally had antiques sitting in the driveway with blankets over them.

We made a good profit. We moved back to Benicia and divorced in 2000. … I was on my own for a year and a half, then I met Miss Katie.

When did you move into the club chair market?

I would never do club chairs at the beginning so I wouldn’t compete (with the Los Angeles chair buyer who helped William get into the import business.) He died of cancer about a year later, and I saw an opening. I brought back five pairs of chairs and sold them within three months. …

We’ve sold over 700 pairs of chairs in 17 years, shipped them across the country.

We currently have 62 pairs in stock (as of mid-December). The chairs are from the 1930s through the 1950s, with the bulk from the 1940s. …

We sell about 40 pairs a year now. At the height, before the recession in 2008, we sold about 70 pairs a year. The market has changed since then. Chairs are harder to find, there’s more competition for them.

I also go to a dealer-to-dealer sale. It’s got about a thousand booths and it’s open just 8 to 12:30. It’s insane, very stressful.

You’ll see two to three pairs of chairs that are sold that you’d love to have.

What do you look for when selecting chairs?

The lines on the chairs are important, the quality of construction, the suppleness of the leather—and no infestations.

How did The Dharma Door get started?

We needed another source of income, and we needed to find something we believed in. …

We’d met a couple, Shannon and Mick, when we were on a bus in Vietnam in 2003. We became friends and knew they were doing good things with their business, The Dharma Door. They sell in Australia and New Zealand. …

We started The Dharma Door USA as a separate entity in 2014. They do 95 percent of the design. All the items come from Bangladesh. We work with non-profit NGOs (non-government organizations) that make fair-trade items. All are made from jute, hemp and cotton, all sustainably sourced and dyed with natural dyes.

We directly or indirectly support 10,000 kids and 2,500 women in the poorest country in the world. There are 163 million people living in an area the size of Illinois, the average wage is 80 cents a day. Our women are making $4 a day—five times the average, to put it into perspective.

What’s your role with The Dharma Door?

Katie does most of the work. She does marketing, small orders and packing, and she manages the inventory.

My responsibility is sales and warehouse management. I go to a trade show once a year in New York.

What do you do to find balance in your life?

About 11 years ago, I started working with this amazing couple. My business was taking off but I was still looking for the right upholsterer. They do really amazing work of the highest quality.

When I go over, they are like family. They put me up, they feed me, they do my laundry. When I land, they have 20 to 25 pairs of chairs for me to look over. My goal is to have the best chairs in the best possible condition.

I try to give each of my kids a little individual time each night, even if it’s just 20 minutes of reading or playing a game.

I haven’t been a chef for 20 years, but I still find I have better energy in the afternoon and evening.

We’re self-employed so in a good year we take five weeks of vacation.

We also take separate vacations. I go visit my parents, go to Burning Man. She goes to Alaska where she grew up, to Mexico with girlfriends.

About six times a year, she’ll take off for a night, go out with a girlfriend and spend the night. I invite myself to the homes of people I enjoy. I’ll spend the night and come back in the morning. So we connect with others and that gives us what we need.

Where do you shop in France?

What do you do when you have time off?

Where do you find club chairs in France?

I shop everywhere—Champagne, Normandy, Chartres, Le Mans, Paris, Bordeaux. I cover 4,000 miles in three weeks.

I go to flea markets, town-side garage sales called videgrenier. I’ll go to six in one day and drive half an hour between each one.

My hobby is restoring British cars. I had a ’54 Austin Healey that I restored from the ground up. It took 10 years. I sold it when we started Dharma Door.

I still have a ’61, outside under a tarp. I’ve been too busy to work on it.

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Julie Chiodo

By Adriene Rockwell

F

ebruary marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of Julie Chiodo’s boutique, Bayside Vintage Living, in downtown Benicia. Every inch of the 650 square foot shop is filled with carefully selected European and vintage merchandise, with a coastal farmhouse vibe. Amidst the fresh smell of French triple milled soaps, many of Julie’s handpicked items are rustic, well crafted, and bear a timeworn patina that tells a pleasing story.

“I carry things that have a history, that tell a story, and that often have multiple uses. There is a past life to the early 1900s that draws me in, and has always been interesting to me,” she says. “I love the simplicity of those items, and of the times.”

Dealers of vintage and antique treasures tend to create an extended family, each finding their niche and looking out for each other. William Berg, of William’s Antiks in Benicia, specializes in French club chairs, and has worked with Julie over the years. “Julie is known for having a good eye. She’s honest, easy going and has great enthusiasm,” says Berg. “Her store is wonderfully curated with charming vignettes that not only draw you in, but help you imagine what it would look like in your own home.”

Since childhood, Julie has had an eye for design. She dreamed of going to design school, but couldn’t afford it so she followed her passion at home and for friends. When her children were very young, Julie became so good at finding treasures she was asked to be a buyer for a local dealer. That

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lead to eventually getting her own spot in an antiques shop downtown, and later she was invited to sell her treasures at the popular Summer Cottage Antiques in Petaluma. Now she’s a part-time manager there, coordinating 26 to 30 dealers.

But for Julie, family always comes first. She and her husband Chris moved to Benicia 30 years ago, when he was studying at the Maritime Academy on Mare Island. They have three children in their late teens: Taylor, Cole and Jake. “I tell my kids that I am proudest of them when they are kind,” she says. “And I’m fine with whatever they are doing, as long as they have purpose in every day.”

Julie’s parents were teen sweethearts, and are still married after 48 years. They worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, and she and her younger brother were latchkey kids. “I got my drive from my mom,” says Julie. “She is not a sit down kind of person. She taught me that you don’t always have to follow the rules, and that it’s better to work 80 hours for yourself that 40 hours for someone else.”

Building community is a driving force for Julie, and if her merchandise isn’t vintage, it’s handmade by local artists.

She plans to offer classes in traditional crafts like calligraphy, flower arranging and wreath making. For Valentine’s Day she’s working with a local artist to create reclaimed wood hearts exclusively for her shop. “I want people to come into my house or my shop and feel good, safe, and comfortable. It’s not just about the material items, it’s about the feeling you create.”

BIO

1/23/18 7:43 AM

My ! e in t n e l a V tina Str

By Chris

T

he heart has represented love for many centuries. Why did this particular organ get all the love, leaving the lungs, spleen and liver out to dry?

During the 14th century, people thought of their hearts as books of memory, believing that the feelings for a beloved were somehow written on the heart. There were stories imagining female saints whose hearts were cut open after their death, and inside their hearts were inscriptions indicating their love for God. The more familiar modern heart shape appears to have come from an epic Italian poem, Documenti d’amore that went viral in the 14th century. One of its illustrations depicts a naked cupid standing on the back of a galloping horse throwing arrows, roses and hearts at bystanders.

Shortly after its publication, the scalloped red heart began appearing in other works of visual art and in tapestries.

Hearts can be broken, purple, left in San Francisco, found in poker games and used religiously, as in Sacré Coeur and Immaculate Heart. They ache, flutter, race and sing. There is the heartland, being young at heart, big hearts and heartless.

Cyber vocabulary treats the heart as love in messaging and tweets with heart Emojis that appear with a touch of a finger, expressing amour.

During the month of February, we celebrate the heart and love on Valentine's Day. This special day for lovers was named after Saint

Valentine, who was imprisoned in Rome for performing weddings for soldiers and ministering to Christians who were being persecuted by the empire. Legend has it that while imprisoned, Valentine healed the daughter of his jailer, and before he was executed, wrote the girl a letter of farewell signed, "Your Valentine."

My heart has always been a source of strength, performing without much attention through the years. Of course it has been broken a few times, but has always recovered, as good as new for the next experience of love or disappointment.

Recently, I noticed that my "ticker" wasn't beating with its usual rhythm and at times raced like I was running a marathon. Was it due to being out of shape, heredity, my weight, stress (who me?) or was my heart telling me something?

Normal EKGs did not provide any clues, and as a precaution, medicine was recommended for cholesterol and blood pressure, along with a baby aspirin for thinning the blood. I was also provided a heart monitor for a month. That didn't seem to be a big deal until the sensor was glued to my chest and I couldn't be 10 feet away from an iPhone data collector. I have taken to wearing the collector in my fashionable hipster belt in order to keep track of it and not set off any alarms or warning phone calls. Waiting for the results from my cardiologist has given me new respect for my heart. It sort of runs the show! This February, my Valentine message is to my own heart. I my !

TRENDS

February BenMag Vol13 v4.indd 27

e awbridg

BeniciaMagazine.com • 27

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February 2018 Events Arts Benicia Presents The Art of a Community

1/27-2/25, Wed-Sun 12-5pm Arts Benicia Gallery 991 Tyler Street, Ste. 114, Benicia Arts Benicia begins its 31st year with one of its most important exhibitions, showcasing the talent of Arts Benicia members. Activities in conjunction with the exhibit include a Community Open House, February 3, 10am-12pm, and Ekphrastic Poetry Readings, describing the artwork, with Benicia First Tuesday Poets, February 24, 2-4pm.

Artsbenicia.org

Wine and Chocolate Walk

2/3, 1-5pm First Street, Downtown Benicia The Wine & Chocolate Walk offers attendees tastings of fine wines with chocolate pairings in Downtown Benicia. 22 different wines will be poured inside participating downtown shops, for an enjoyable sweethearts' day to “sip, walk, and shop” and nibble chocolate delights. Tickets: $30 advance for a single ticket, $55 advance for a pair; $35 the day of the event. Includes up to 15 tastes and one complimentary Benicia Main Street wine glass per person. Must be 21 or over. Check-in starts at 12:30pm at Benicia Main Street, 90 First Street. Wine glass, map of tasting locations and wristband will be provided per ticket holder.

Beniciamainstreet.org

Empress Theatre Club Presents 19th Annual Animation Show of Shows

2/8, 7:30pm Empress Theatre 330 Virginia Street, Vallejo The Animation Show of Shows returns to the Empress and theaters across North America this fall, presenting 16 exceptional and inspiring animated shorts from around the world. At a time of increasing social instability and global anxiety about a range of issues, the works in this year’s show have a special resonance, presenting compelling ideas about our place in society and how we fit into the world.

Empresstheatre.com

Sustainable Solano Presents “What’s for Dinner? Chocolate Workshop”

2/10, 2-3:30pm John F Kennedy Library 505 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo Sustainable Solano, formerly Benicia Community Gardens, hosts a bi-monthly series called “What’s for Dinner?” Chef Lisa Núñez-Hancock hosts the event, teaching participants how to make chocolate truffles and other sweets just in time for Valentine’s Day. February 28’s event features warming winter soups.

Sustainablesolano.org/events

February 14 Valentine’s Day Comedy Show with Tom Papa

2/16, 8pm The Empress Theatre 330 Virginia Street, Vallejo Twenty plus years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the country’s top comedic voices, finding success in film, TV, radio and podcasts as well as on stage. Tom just signed on as head writer and regular performer for the legendary radio show, A Prairie Home Companion. Tom is host of the hit podcast Come to Papa, a weekly show with Tom exploring the funny side of life, occasionally with guests like Mel Brooks and Jerry Seinfeld. Table & reserved seating available, tickets $25-50, purchase online. Doors open 7pm.

Empresstheatre.com

Annual Love Poetry Contest Awards

2/18, 2-4pm Benicia Historical Museum 2060 Camel Road, Benicia The Love Poetry Contest honors the early love affair between California’s Concepion Arguello and Russia's Nikolai Rezanov. The awards ceremony announces this year’s first, second, third place and honorable mention, and gives cash prizes. Winning poems may be published in local media & Love Poetry anthologies. The winner’s name is inscribed on the Loving Cup at the Museum.

Beniciahistoricalmuseum.org

Noise Pop Festival

2/19-25 All around SF and East Bay Noise Pop Music & Arts Festival is a week of independent music, film and art that takes the best venues in the Bay and collectively turns them into a festival ground for 90+ events in six days. Throughout the week are films, art shows, happy hours and concerts all over SF and the East Bay. There are two ways to attend the fest: buy a badge for everything or pick & choose by purchasing tickets to individual events.

Noisepopfest.com

26th Annual Trivia Bee

2/24, 6-10pm Benicia Clock Tower 1189 Washington Street, Benicia Sponsored by Benicia Library Foundation, attendees will have a chance to answer trivia questions and win a prize. Proceeds go towards Library capital improvements. Tickets: $30 each or $400 for a team, includes a light dinner, silent auction, raffle & no host bar. Tickets can be purchased at the library.

Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

Black Irish Band in Concert

2/24, 8-10pm Benicia Historical Museum 2060 Camel Road, Benicia The Black Irish Band will perform a mix of Celtic, Spanish and Italian music. The band's musical style captures the spirit of the immigrants of this land.

Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $25, includes no-host bar. Learn more at Blackirish.com.

Beniciahistoricalmuseum.org

Chinese New Year’s Festival and Parade

2/24 & 25, all day Market & Second Street to Kearny & Jackson Streets San Francisco One of the top ten Parades in the world, the Chinese New Year parade is one of the few remaining nightilluminated parades in North America and the biggest lunar new year outside of Asia. A San Francisco tradition since just after the Gold Rush, the parade continues to delight and entertain hundreds of thousands of people.

Saturday, 6-8pm. Free Street Fair all weekend with 120 vendors, folk dancing, drumming, opera & more. See website for a full list of the month’s events.

Chineseparade.com

28 • Benicia Magazine Calendar

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February Live Music Upstairs @ the Café First Street Café 707.745.1400 440 First Street, Benicia Firststreetcafe.com No Cover Charge

Feb. 2, 8-11:15pm Feb. 10, 8-11:15pm Feb. 16, 7:30-10:45pm Feb. 24, 8-11:15pm

Doug Howser Rock & Roll, Oldies TuneRiders Rock & Roll, Oldies Chris Ahlman Folk, Acoustic One Mile Rock & Roll, Oldies

Empress Theatre 707.552.2400 330 Virginia St, Vallejo EmpressTheatre.org Feb. 17, 8pm

House of Floyd $25 Online, $30 Box Office & Phone

Uptown Theatre Napa 707.259.0123 1350 Third Street, Napa UptownTheatreNapa.com Feb. 3, 8pm Feb. 17, 8pm Clockwise from top: One Mile, Dave Davies of The Kinks, House of Floyd, Chris Ahlman

3 Redneck Tenors $30 – $50, Ticketmaster or Box Office Dave Davies of The Kinks $40 – $65, Ticketmaster or Box Office

BeniciaMagazine.com • 29

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Deli Sandwiches, Salads and Soups Family Owned and Operated

Catering & Deli Trays Available The finest meats and cheeses by the pound Open Mon-Fri 10-5 Sat 10-4 707.297.6119

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707-745-0924 216 First Street, Benicia • www.esteyrealestate.com 30 • Benicia Magazine

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 31

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AFFORDABLE QUALITY Cabinets and Countertops

Receive a $150 gi certificate

to Romancing the Home with the purchase of a complete kitchen.

Open Mon. - Fri. 9-5

Contractor's License # 678979

Introducing the new owners Trevor Cotarelo and Taylor Kennedy

“What a great experience working with Trevor, Allan, Mary Ann and Julie at Affordable Quality Cabinets. From the design to finishing with hardware, their expertise and eye for detail was so helpful. They made us feel very comfortable and were so easy to work with, despite our last minute changes. We can't say enough good about AQC. Thank you!”

—Kim

weekends & evenings by appointment 4852 East 2nd Street, Benicia

707-745-2100 l aqchome.com

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1/23/18 7:43 AM