Benicia Magazine August 2016

August 2016

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Benicia Magazine

Benicia

magazine

Celebrating our 11th Year

Benicia

Editor magazine Jeanne Steinmann Graphic Design Margaret Bowles

Benicia

Web Specialist Yarrow Sweningsen magazine

Contributors Elizabeth d’Huart Adriene Rockwell Sarah Rohrs Beth Steinmann Sue Sumner-Moore

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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 © 2016, 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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Last date to enroll is Sept. 16, 2016 707. 751. 1515

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AUGUST

FEATURES

17

Gourmet food rolls into Vallejo with Food Truck Mania

18

Benicians are on the go! From China to Italy; Juneau to Death Valley

20

Telling Benicia’s story through its iconic buildings

VOLUME 11 ISSUE 10

DEPARTMENTS 10 From the Editor 12 12

Bio Ric Small mentors Benicia kids and builds wells in Uganda Currents Three big events for for foodies, antiques lovers & film buffs Order + Chaos exhibit opens this month at Arts Benicia Gallery Artists from around the Bay participate in Plein Air Paint-off event The end of an era as Smyers Glass Studio closes Swimming for exercise and recreation

22 Interview Jerry Potter’s 40+ year career as a climate scientist 24 Backwards Glance Historic photo shows Benicia baseball alive and well in 1906 28 Calendar of Events The best events in Benicia and around the bay Trends returns in December as Christina takes a break Cover photo: Benicia Guard House on Adams Street, owned and meticulously restored by Jimmy Dunlop. This page: Watercolor painting of Benicia Guard House, by Rolando Barrero

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FROM THE EDITOR AUGUST 2016

Photo by Michael Van Auken

With school starting this month, the next few weeks are the last hurrah of summer for many Benicia families. Are you one of Benicia’s many Tahoe-bound weekend warriors? Do you head into San Francisco, or visit our abundant Bay Area wineries? What’s your favorite escape? For me these days, it doesn’t get much better than reading a book in the backyard—I’m loving July’s slower pace and cooler weather. But I’m not resting on my travel laurels. We put a call out on Facebook to see where Benicians are traveling and send us their photos, and on page 18, we feature some of the responses. Benicians are a well-traveled bunch—locally, nationally and internationally. The delicious photos we received inspire me to get back to Europe and investigate new territory—particularly Scotland and Ireland, thanks to Toni Foster and Larnie & Bodil Fox. And my hat is definitely off to the intrepid Candi Estey Swanson, who took several of her grandchildren to China for 11 days.

For those of you who are staying local, August provides interesting cultural offerings here in town. The presence of art in our community in its many forms is on the rise, which is really saying something given our long-standing arts reputation. Branching beyond the big annual events we have come to expect, pockets of creative options saturate downtown. Check out this month’s Currents for just a few. As to the big annual events, get tickets early for Benicia Main Street’s Taste of First and the Benicia Film Festival; and be sure to put the Peddler’s Fair, which is now in its 53rd year of the antiques and collectibles extravaganza, in your calendar.

I’m delighted by this creative shift. One example is that Java Point Café, next to our office, is featuring “The Great Wall of Lips.” I recently added my own pink pout to the wall, a fun promotion leading to a musical written by Benicia’s Catherine McSharry, and performed in San Francisco August 13 & 14, leftyandlielagetitright.wordpress.com.

Whatever form your summer escape takes, I hope you find some creative inspiration in this month’s stories. Or you could do what Candi does—evidenced by her Facebook photos—take Benicia Magazine as your must-read to all of your travel destinations.

—Jeanne Steinmann

Subscribe! Call 707.853.5226 or go to beniciamagazine.com Tweet, post or send your suggestions & ideas to: editor@beniciamagazine.com www.beniciamagazine.com Facebook.com/ beniciamagazine @Jeannesteinmann beniciamagazine

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BENICIA UNIFIED SCHOOLS Walk-in Registration for Continuing Students On-line Registration for BUSD students Opens June 13 (your student must be enrolled to attend these dates*)

Benicia Middle August 15 and 16 Benicia High August 16 Liberty High August 15 and 16 All Elementary Sites August 16

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Enrollment for New Students

All sites are currently doing Enrollment for the 2016-17 school year.

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beniciaunified.org BeniciaMagazine.com • 11

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Three Big Downtown Events Grace Street and Stage

By Sarah Rohrs Three First Street events should appeal to just about anybody looking for enjoyment and treasures in Benicia’s historic downtown. All three incorporate the street and waterfront, serving as a background for fun, tasty delights, the possibility of finding cool collectibles or antique treasures, and cultural offerings through film. In one event you can sample food from the street’s many restaurants, nibbling your way from block by block to culinary satisfaction. Another is rooted in Benicia’s antiques tradition—and features browsing through hundreds of booths of antiques and collectibles of all kinds—hunting for that special find. The third promises a great lineup of 38 short films.

The Benicia Peddlers Fair takes place 8am-5pm Saturday, Aug. 13.

First Street, from J Street to the waterfront, is blocked off to vehicle traffic to accommodate antiques dealers, artists, crafters, food vendors and treasure-seekers, with crowds expected to number between 20,000 and 25,000. Dating back to 1963, the annual event began with First Street merchants, antiques dealers, plus members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Over the years, the fair has grown by leaps and bounds but is still held to its original purpose of raising money to maintain St. Paul’s historic church buildings. Ten percent of the fair’s proceeds also go to community groups. Several years ago, the church brought in local antiques newspaper columnist Steve Yvaska to offer individuals appraisals of treasures from home, or those bought at the fair, said church member and event organizer Julie MacKenzie. The event is free to the public.

Later in the month, food is the treasure during the annual Taste of First Street, an evening of food and wine, that takes place 6-9pm, Tuesday, Aug. 23. Sponsored by Benicia Main Street, the event began in 2008 and has grown in popularity, said event coordinator Deborah Houseman. “People just love it,” she said. “It’s a chance to celebrate restaurants and First Street,” she added. “Tasters” buy tickets beforehand, and then stroll up and down First Street, having a bite at participating restaurants as they go. Tickets can be purchased at Benicia Main Street, 90 First St., or online at benciamainstreet.org.

Ticket prices go up a bit the day of the event, so order in advance.

Besides tastings at the restaurants, event-goers also receive two glasses of wine and a souvenir wine glass. For more info, call 707.745.9791.

Following a huge success its first two years, the Benicia Film Festival will run again this year September 2-4. Sponsored by the Benicia Arts and Culture Commission, all films are shorts, ranging in length between five and 20 minutes. 38 films in all will be shown over the three-day period. Hundreds of people throughout the Bay Area came to participate in 2015, when several award-winning films were screened.

This year, the festival will be located entirely downtown instead of partly at Benicia High School. Filmmakers will be speaking throughout the event. Friday, September 2, a gala with films, music, appetizers and a no host bar will be held at the Benicia Veterans’ Hall, 6-8:30pm. For a list of films or more information, visit beniciafilmfestival.com. For tickets, visit the website, the library or Benicia Main Street.

Ric Small

BIO

CUR R ENTS

Benicia film festival 2015 courtesy photo

By Adriene Rockwell, photo by Malcolm Slight On his first mission to Uganda four years ago, Ric Small says he cried every night. “It wasn’t so much about how the people lived, it was that they didn’t have clean water. The water they drank was brown,” he says. Villagers often walked more than 5 miles, risking their lives, to retrieve it. His church, Northgate Christian Fellowship, is actively involved in raising funds to build wells in small villages in Uganda through Hope 4 Kids International, and he and his wife Kema have built two wells that each serve nearly 1,000 people with clean drinking water.

Back home in Benicia, Ric (nicknamed Rico Cruz by some friends) owns Alonzo and Small Insurance Agency, a business he and Kema bought in 1981 in Richmond. Raised in 12 • Benicia Magazine

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Order + Chaos

Exhibit Opens at Arts Benicia Gallery This month, Arts Benicia will host an eclectic exhibition in which twenty artists will participate. Entitled Order + Chaos, the work to be exhibited was juried by San Francisco gallerist Catharine Clark.

Michele Rowe Shields, who is a member of Arts Benicia's Exhibition Committee, was instrumental in facilitating the connection with Clark. The Catherine Clark Gallery on Utah Street in San Francisco focuses on contemporary art, and has garnered praise from numerous media outlets, including the New York Times.

Clark taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, and in 2006, authored an essay for and edited the monograph Ascending Chaos: The Art of Masami Teraoka 1966-2006, published by Chronicle Books. She has lived abroad and is a member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association and other boards, programs and associations. For the Order + Chaos exhibit, a national call for entries garnered 417 submissions from131 artists. Of those, Clark whittled it down to just 50 works from 20 artists.

Arts Benicia’s Mary Shaw says of the exhibit, “Chaos is the unformed void. Order is its antithesis. Chaos has no meaning without order. The ebb and flow between order and chaos defines the eternal struggle. The exhibition investigates the inherent paradox between order and chaos and the creativity

that is part of, and issues from, that struggle.” The exhibit will run August 6-September 11.

A member preview is available Thursday, August 4, 6-7pm at the Arts Benicia Gallery, 991 Tyler Street, Suite 114. The opening reception will be held Saturday, August 6, 6-8 pm, and is free and open to the public.

Participating Artists are David Baddley, Angelique Benicio, Elizabeth Bennett, Nancy Brown, Julie Cavaz, Francis Chung, Dance Doyle, David Fitzgerald, Deborah Friedman, Karen Gallagher-Iverson, Anne Garvey, Pearl Jones-Tranter, Joseph Mele, Nila Oakes, Ari Salomon, Thomas Eric Stanton, Lauren Szabo, Ileana Tejada, Toby Tover and Emilee Yawn.

Next up for Arts Benicia is the 24th annual auction and gala, the organization’s biggest fundraiser. This year’s theme promises to put the “fun” into fundraiser: Wild, Wild West: Silver Screen to Steampunk, Saturday, September 24. For more information about Order + Chaos, gallery hours or the auction & gala visit artsbenicia.org, email info@artsbenicia.org or call 707-747-0131.

Photos: Accrual, by Deborah Friedman; The Tower, by Pearl Jones Tranter; The Path Gate, by David Fitzgerald. Page 28, top, Last Rains, by Angelique Benicio

El Sobrante, the couple moved to Benicia in 1982, and moved their business here in 1985. Kema became an elementary school teacher for 20 years, and for the past decade, their son Garrett has helped with the insurance business.

For Ric, a big part of running a local business is giving back. “It’s better that people know who you are because of your involvement in the community, rather than inundating them with flyers.”

But it goes much deeper than that.

As an ordained clergyman, Ric serves as a police chaplain in Benicia, which means he’s one of the first to visit the home after a fatal accident, suicide or other crisis that requires emotional or spiritual comfort for the family. He’s also been a mentor at Liberty High School for 13 years, and is part of a movement to build a strong mentor program at the middle school and high school. “As

mentors, we are not tutors, we are adults they can trust and talk to,” says Ric. “I believe in what this generation has to say. I’m just afraid that many from my generation aren’t listening—so I’m there just to listen.”

An avid downhill skier, and once a serious tennis player, Ric has had both kneecaps and a hip replaced. But that doesn’t keep him from riding like the wind on his motorcycle. Married to Kema for 42 years, they do everything together—including playing in a band for 20 years (Ric played bass, and Kema sang). Lately though, they spend their time doting over their three granddaughters: Presley (8), Dakota (5) and Capri (4).

When asked what inspires him, he says, “Kema inspires me— she is always there to direct me, and she gives me unconditional love—totally.”

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CUR R ENTS

New Benicia Art Event Hosted by Plein Air Painters

By Sarah Rohrs Little wonder Benicia is a popular place for plein air painting.

Painting “en plein air,” or painting outdoors, is meant to capture nature’s beauty—the play of light on a hill, water, a bend in the road, or an even an old truck. The Carquinez Strait, the rolling hills across the water, plus stately trees and interesting buildings combine to make Benicia an appealing setting for artists drawn to this form of painting.

Plein air painting is not new to Benicia, but a new event at the end of August will serve as a celebration of it, drawing nearly 40 painters for a one-day event. The Benicia Plein Air Paint Out 2016 takes place 8am3pm Saturday, Aug. 27 with a public reception 4-7pm at the Plein Air Gallery, 307 First St., for people to view and perhaps purchase paintings created that day. Mayor Elizabeth Patterson will award cash prizes to winning entries.

The gallery, which opened two years ago on lower First Street, is sponsoring the event. Benicia artist and organizer Susan Street said it’s a perfect blend for Benicia. “It’s good to have many different offerings to add to the existing arts scene here in Benicia. This is something different, something we’ve never done before. Hopefully it will add to downtown business’ pocketbooks, too. We think it’s going to be a great adventure for the people who come out to paint, and for us as a city and the host gallery. What’s great about having a plein air event is that there are so many sites in Benicia to paint,” she said.

Indeed, during the Plein Air Paint Out, painters will be spotted along the waterfront, on First Street and other places around the city with canvas and palettes, busily capturing a scene. Meanwhile, others will be walking around downtown shopping, eating and enjoying Benicia. Later in the day, John Finger, past president of the California Watercolor Association, will choose prize-winning paintings.

A total of $800 cash prizes will be offered. Benicians who enjoy their town will be able to take part, too. “All of the paintings will be of local Benicia scenes, so anyone who lives in Benicia who wants a painting of their town is encouraged to come down to the reception, and anyone else, too. One of the big attractions of the event is for people to come to the reception and see all the paintings,” said Benicia painter and gallery member Samantha McNally, another event organizer.

To be judged and eligible for awards, paintings must be created during the Paint Out, and be framed, wired and ready to hang. The gallery will provide racks to display the framed paintings in the courtyard during the reception. Artists may create multiple paintings during the day but can submit only one for judging. The Plein Air Paint Out was a natural progression for the gallery that formed out of Benicia’s Plein Air Group. About 12 artists are members of the gallery, but will not participate in the Paint Out. For the event, painters are coming from Walnut Creek, Berkeley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Manteca, Oakland, Vallejo and other parts of the Bay Area. First Street and other businesses in Benicia are asked to join in the excitement of the day. They can participate by offering discounts to artists wearing name tags, Street said. If an artist paints a business’s building, the owner of the business may want to buy the painting, too.

“There’s probably going to be a lot of iconic Benicia scenes,” Street said. Of the event, she noted, “It’s synergistic.” For more details, go to beniciapleinair.com.

Courtesy photos: Clockwise from top left Benicia Plein Air Gallery by Samantha McNally, Train Depot by Rolando Barrero, Iris Sabre and Catherine Fasciato at the Benicia Marina, Susan Johnson near the Benicia boatyard

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Smyers to Close After 45 Years Of Glass Blowing

PURSUING OTHER CREATIVE ENDEAVORS

By Sarah Rohrs As Judy Smyers sifts through papers and other items at Smyers Glass Studio, she’s finding lots of memories and history of her and her husband’s many years blowing and selling glass at their Benicia studio. Some of their first paperweights are in one box, and a file cabinet contains receipts from Nordstrom, where their pieces were once sold. After 45 years, Smyers is closing its doors, ending an era for East H Street glass blowing in Benicia. For the last four decades, both Smyers and Nourot Glass Studios have not only been next door neighbors, they put Benicia on the map as a center for glass blowing and fine art. Smyers was the first glass blowing studio to open in Benicia.

GLASS BLOWING ON EAST H STREET COMES TO AN END

With Smyers closing in mid-August or early September, and Nourot moving to another location, the two studios, both at 675 East H St., will no longer be a familiar destination during spring and winter open studios, and the Christmas open house. No longer will people wander to the east side of town to watch Stephen Smyers and the late Michael Nourot blow glass and shape the hot molten substance into colorful objects of beauty right before their eyes. Benicia will not be completely bereft of a glass blowing studio, however. Lindsay Art Glass Studio and Gallery can still be found in downtown Benicia, at 109 East F Street.

David Lindsay has been blowing glass for over 36 years.

Nourot will stay open until its move. Michael Nourot’s son Nicholas has taken over the family business and Nourot’s widow Ann Corcoran is retiring. The Smyers and the Nourots own the East H Street building together, and moving out and selling had to be a common decision, Judy Smyers said.

Aug BenMag Vol11 v10.indd 15

The closure for Smyers comes with Stephen Smyers’ decision to retire from the physically demanding art form of glass blowing. Both she and Stephen want to do other things and the business has become more expensive to run. “It’s changed. Of course, it’s changed with the Internet, people’s buying patterns and other things. The people who collected our glass are retiring and everyone’s getting older and our customers who have shops are retiring. Everything’s gotten so much more expensive in terms of shipping costs and raw materials. It’s just not the same as it used to be. The business is still strong. We just decided we needed to do something else,” she said. Stephen will pursue his woodcarving, and Judy said she would continue making jewelry.

Smyers is holding a sale on remaining objects which are marked down 10 to 60 percent. All the fixtures and office equipment are also for sale. “There are a lot of memories here. Our son is now the age of my husband when we first started blowing glass. We just found a newspaper article in here, printed in Chico, before he moved to Benicia,” she said. Over the years, Smyers has sold glass art all over the world, and the studio has been “one of the true innovators of the contemporary glass movement,” according to the studio’s website.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT PHASE

Smyers and assistants mouth-blow glass with the aid of a blowpipe, and finish each piece by hand. The studio’s glass is in the permanent collection of the Corning Museum of Glass and many private collections. Legions of art lovers and visitors have also stopped into the studio and gift shop to choose pieces. After opening the shop daily and running the business end, Judy Smyers said she’s looking forward to the next phase. “I’m going to do all the things I’ve wanted to do but was unable to do like, forever.” Until Smyers closes, the studio will be open seven days a week. Hours are 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4pm Sunday.

Photos: Smyers and Nourot glass studios, 675 East H Street, by Jerry Bowles. Inset left: Nourot hand-blown glass vase; right, Smyers hand-blown glass vase.

7/19/16 6:36 AM

Swimming for Strength, Stamina and Recreation

By Beth Steinmann Benicia Stingray swimmer Matt Simonson, May 2012, photo by Malcolm Slight Swimming is a beloved sport, exercise and recreational pastime for many people and a plethora of reasons, but few experiences can beat the sensation of gliding buoyantly through the water.

For cardio-obsessed athletes, swimming improves strength and stamina while simultaneously increasing lung capacity. For elders or those in physical rehabilitation, swimming or standing exercises done in water offer a way to strengthen sustainably with no forceful impact on bones, joints and muscles. For children, learning how to swim allows for higher safety around water, higher confidence in life and more opportunities for fun. Swimming as a competitive sport can build speed, grace, agility, stamina, strength, balance, team spirit, and more, all in a low-impact environment. Each of the four classic swim strokes works muscles throughout the body that are often under-utilized in daily life.

HEALTH BENEFITS

According to a 2014 study in the American Journal of Physiology, submersion in water up to heart-level increased blood flow to the brain by 14%. The study findings suggest that water has a different effect than land on heart and brain function. An article in USA Swimming sites several more studies that point to actual chest expansion in avid swimmers and subsequent addition of alveoli

Check out other public pools near Benicia

in the lungs, leading to an ability to process more oxygen. These benefits are completely unique to swimming, and as more oxygen is released into the blood, endorphin levels rise. As an avid swimmer, I can attest to the feel-good chemicals released during swimming, and that the unique sounds of breath releasing and limbs moving rhythmically underwater is quite pleasant.

SWIMMING FOR EVERY LEVEL

As with the other edifying exercises detailed in this three-part series, biking and hiking, the key to keeping the commitment strong is in finding your own dynamic edge between challenge and comfort. Swimming can also be engaged at any level, from recreational swim, to aqua-aerobics, diving, lap swim, recreational or competitive swim teams for youth and masters swim teams for adults.

LOCAL RECREATIONAL TEAMS

Benicia’s recreational swim team, Benicia Stingrays, closes out its season for swimmers ages 4-18 this month with the League Meet on August 6. The California Maritime Academy in Vallejo has a masters swim team that anyone ages 18 and over can join. The James Lemos Pool is open all summer for recreation and lap swim.

30 swim passes can be purchased in advance and daily passes can be used for any type of swim.

Cunningham Pool in Vallejo Rankin Aquatic Center in Martinez Concord Community Park and Pool

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FOOD TRUCK MANIA

Descends on Vallejo’s Waterfront

By Sarah Rohrs Photo courtesy SactoMoFo A new food event recently became part of Vallejo’s waterfront scene. Beginning in June, Food Truck Mania, sponsored by SactoMoFo (which stands for Sacramento Mobile Food) offers about a dozen food trucks producing various kinds of fare each month, Wednesdays 4-8pm.

The food trucks will line up at the waterfront on the fourth Wednesday of each month through October, said organizer Askari Sowonde. “We’re going to combine that with the Wednesday night live music event,” she said. “SactoMoFo goes to 47 cities—they bring in a lot of people and it is going to be great for the waterfront.”

A FAMILY-FUN EVENT

The idea is to create a picnic-like environment “where people can come with their families,” Sowonde said. “We’ve been saying as a community that we need more events at the waterfront and more things to do for families, and this fills both bills.” Paul Somerhausen of Sacramento, a former economic development consultant, said he started SactoMoFo by accident about five years ago. He said it started as a way to call attention to what he considered unfair policies against taco trucks in downtown Sacramento. “We gathered a dozen trucks in Sacramento five years ago and were hoping for a few hundred people and got 10,000,” he said. “It was a sea of people. It was pretty fun. Eventually, I quit my job and went into this full time.”

GOURMET RESTAURANTS ON WHEELS

It has taken a while for some people to overcome the “roach coach” mentality once associated with food trucks, said Somerhausen.

“These are gourmet restaurants on wheels. They offer everything from lobster and tri-tip to nachos and tacos and burgers and anything else.

The public likes the international food court idea where everyone can

get what they want. There’s always a vegetarian choice. It’s practically impossible to come to an event like this and not find something you like to eat. Most meals will set you back between $8 and $12.”

FOOD TRUCK PHILANTHROPY

SactoMoFo rotates some 50 trucks between its various events. It typically only visits a city once per month, to keep the excitement and anticipation level up, Somerhausen said. “We coordinate the event, supply the music and fun for the kids, but the trucks do the magic.

They prepare the food and get everybody excited.” According to the website, food truck owners working with SactoMoFo generously give back to their local communities—in recent years raising thousands of dollars for organizations such as the Toys for Tots Foundation, California Firefighters Foundation, the Whole Foods Foundation and the Getty Owl Foundation, among others.

A chance encounter by someone from Mayor Osby Davis’ office at a Food Truck Mania event in Vacaville was the impetus for the Vallejo event, said Somerhausen. “Someone told me about it; we went out to see them in Suisun, and it’s just what I was looking for,” said Sowonde, who said she’d already been searching for some kind of food truck event for the waterfront at Davis’ suggestion. “I’m really excited about it.”

FOOD LINEUP

The preliminary food lineup for the Vallejo event includes Bacon Mania, Dogtown, Gaga’s Rolling Diner, Gameday Grill, Hefty Gyros, La Mex Taqueria, Wandering Boba, Cowtown Cremery, Kona Ice, and a burger truck called Cecil’s Taste, Somerhausen said. A live band, face painting and a balloon artist are also planned. The event is located at 339 Mare Island Way near the ferry building.

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NEW ZEALAND

TRAVELING ALASKA

ITALY

IRELAND

CHINA I HAWAI

The benefits include many important is tha cultural sensiti new skills and breaking new e friends. Best memories upo We asked re travels. From here’s a smatt travel or living minimum, put

Photos shown

MARIA AND We toured Amsterdam t In Tuscany, "La Rampa" Limossano).

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SCOTLAND ITALY

E B O L G E H T D N U O R A D N ING THE U.S. A WASHINGTON

IRELAND

HS n, but can SUSAN AND BOB SAC The benefits of travel are well know th-long trip to Australia and mon ul derf aps the most We had a won perh lts; resu tive posi y man de inclu winter. We started in Queensland y of increased New Zealand this important is that it offers the possibilit t Barrier Reef and the Daintree help you learn and toured the Grea cultural sensitivity. Travel can also e we went to Sydney for a ther From st. provide routine- Rainfore e, denc confi build and skills new getting on a cruise that took us to you meet new few days before breaking new experiences and help to New Zealand. a lifetime of Melbourne and then friends. Best of all, travel provides memories upon which to reflect. of their recent JENNY DAVIS We asked readers to send photos derful time vacationing in beautiful closer to home, We had a won to ung far-fl ls loca From ls. trave ded Rome, Venice, Pompeii, Lake r all, armchair Italy. Our trip inclu here’s a smattering of the replies. Afte st, Ravello and Bellagio. others can, at a Como, Amalfi Coa travel or living vicariously through . minimum, put a big smile on your face BODIL AND LARNIE FOX Scotland: at the One of our random adventures in left. top from e kwis cloc n Photos show Quiraing Walk on the Isle of Skye.

MARIA AND RICK STREIFER cruise from We toured Italy following a river Arno River. the is This Amsterdam to Budapest. piazza on r uppe the g alon ed walk In Tuscany, I t'Angelo (San e "La Rampa" in my native villag Limossano).

LISA REILLY hington; a little We vacation in Port Townsend, Was r, literally as if wate the on right historic Victorian town hington's Was to it ed mov and icia Ben up ed you pick went to we n whe n take Olympic Peninsula. This was Park, onal Nati pic Olym the in cent kayak Lake Cres 2015.

TONI FOSTER of Ireland again, After going through all my photos ! back go to I'm ready TOMMIE JEAN VALMASSY Our family visited Alaska in 2015.

CANDI ESTEY SWANSON many adventures We took an 11 day trip trip and had spring, including this s dkid in China with the gran Shanghai. The and City n idde Forb the Beijing, l!

Wal t Grea Grands got to experience the JANICE AND PETE ADAMS the US National Our retirement goal is to visit all including Death , year this n seve ed Parks. We visit o, we are in phot Valley in spring of 2016. In this Ireland.

ASHLEY CHAIREZ visited Hawaii This is a photo of my family when we in 2015.

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Benicia’s Historic Buildings

By Sarah Rohrs Benicia. What would it be without its history? Although we’ll never know, its nice that our rich historical assets tie the present to a past that reaches back into California’s earlier days. Civic leaders and private property owners have found ways to preserve old buildings and meld the old with the new. The charm of Benicia’s tree-lined streets, First Street’s many historic storefronts and the historic treasures downtown and in the Arsenal collectively help shape Benicia’s character. The town’s past continues to inform the present and cast a defining light on what many find so appealing here. Many buildings that testify to the town’s prominence in state and local history still stand today. Here are just a few that help tell Benicia’s story.

HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE

News that sparked the 1848 Gold Rush first leaked at a modest brick and wooden building where people shopped, talked and lodged. Solano County’s first general store, the city-owned Von Pfister Adobe off First Street, is now enclosed to protect it from further damage as it awaits restoration.

The Benicia Capitol State Historic Park—which includes the Fischer-Hanlon House and garden—served California legislators for 11 months in 1853-54, during which many laws were enacted.

Now open as a museum, the building is the focal point of First Street. The Hanlon House offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of an upper middle class family. The house’s artifacts, and some areas of the garden, date back to the 1840s.

EARLY COMMERCE

The Tannery Building is now full of shops, cafes and offices.

The brick building harks back to the late 1800s when tanneries, a creamery, a fish-packing house, busy wharves, ferries and a rail line thrived on lower First Street.

Next door to the Tannery is the present-day Sailor Jack’s restaurant, originally built in the 1860s as the Alamo Rooms.

JACK LONDON DRANK HERE

The Old Jurgenson’s Saloon, a favorite haunt of famed American writer Jack London, was once located next to the former Southern Pacific Train Depot. The top half of the old saloon was moved to the 500 block of First Street. Restored, it has housed a bookstore and a gift shop.

BENICIA’S HEYDAY

First Street’s Washington House dates back to 1850 and is considered one of the oldest buildings in town. It has held a hotel, a speakeasy during Prohibition and a brothel. More recently it’s housed a deli and offices.

RELIGION AND EDUCATION

Found at the top end of First Street is St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, first established in the 1850s. Further, the present-day City Park held the town’s first public school, built in 1849.

The present-day City Hall served as the Benicia High School for decades, closing in the 1960s.

HISTORIC ARSENAL

The historic Benicia Arsenal is a sprawling area now part of the Benicia Business Park. The Arsenal operated 1851-1964. Today, Arsenal buildings in and around 991 Tyler Street house art galleries and a thriving community of artists in live/work studios. The Benicia Historical Museum occupies the Civil War-era Camel Barns and the city-owned Clock Tower Fortress can be rented out for parties and other functions.

The Commanding Officer’s Quarters Mansion, built in 1860, served as the residence for the Arsenal Commander and as a premiere social gathering spot for military and town leaders.

This city-owned 20-room mansion is fully restored and houses a consortium of private businesses.

Jefferson Street Mansion, built in 1861, served as the Arsenal’s Captain’s Quarters. This beautifully restored and award-winning mansion, wreathed with formal gardens, is used for weddings and social events.

The Guard and Engine House, built in 1872, is now in private ownership. One legend is that Ulysses S. Grant served a 30-day prison sentence there after getting drunk on duty and firing canons in Martinez. Historians debunk this story and insist no such account is on the Civil War general and former President’s record.

The Arsenal’s U.S. Army headquarters building can be found at the “split” at the end of East Military Street. The lovely Spanishstyle building now houses artist studios and the new HQ Art Gallery.

Sources used for this article: “Images in America: Benicia,” compiled by the Benicia Historical Society, City of Benicia, Benicia Chamber of Commerce, Vallejo TimesHerald, and Benicia Herald.

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Black and white photos courtesy Benicia Historical Museum. Color photos

by Jerry Bowles. Clockwise from top: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, Chamber of Commerce/Sandoval's Restaurant, Majestic Theatre, Commanding Officer's Quarters, Washington House.

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“The models all agree that the Earth will continue to warm because of the effect of greenhouse gases.”

INTERVIEW WITH

Jerry POTTER

By Sue Sumner Moore Photo by Malcolm Slight Jerry Potter spends a lot of time looking back so fellow climate scientists can see the future more clearly.

Jerry is part of a group at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that is studying weather and climate from past decades. The Climate Model Data Services Group collects weather data from the past to see if climate models generated from that information line up with the documented climate over the same time period.

“It’s really good for predicting things like the large-scale features of the atmosphere, like big high- and low-pressure systems,” says Jerry, a senior project scientist with the group. “It’s not as good for predicting rainfall.”

Jerry began studying climate more than 40 years ago, long before the phrase “climate change” was a household term. He studied climatology at UCLA, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees. A paper he co-authored in 1989 on clouds is considered a seminal work in the field. He was deputy director of the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison at Lawrence Livermore National Lab when he retired in 2005.

Jerry was also a contributing scientist to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change work that earned a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

“Everybody I know worked on it,” he says with characteristic humility. “It’s not that big a deal.

When we got it, they got us pizza.”

Retirement launched a new phase in his career. Jerry now works five days a week as a contractor with NASA and UC Davis.

“It seemed like nobody cared what I thought when I was working,” he says with a laugh.

“Now I’m the old man with years of experience in climate studies and everyone wants to know what I think.”

Jerry, 71, moved to Benicia in 1982 with his wife, Judy. They raised their two daughters here.

What have scientists learned about climate in the past decade?

It’s an evolutionary thing. There are very few major discoveries; we understand things very gradually. What’s happening now is we’ve gotten bigger computers and can run models at a higher resolution. We get better predictions with higher resolution.

There are still some things that haven’t changed. There are still things we don’t understand. I gave a paper at an American Meteorological Society meeting in January about a wave in the upper atmosphere that we’re not sure what it is. When there were heat waves in 2003 in Europe and in 2010 in Russia, the atmosphere had a high-pressure system and you could see a wave in the upper atmosphere.

It occurs every five years or so and we don’t know if it’s real or not. It looks like this wave has been going around the Earth for the past 20 years, and it seems to cause heat waves but we don’t know what it is.

We know that there is this wave in the upper atmosphere when there are heat waves in Northern Europe and Russia and across Asia. You can see it over North America in the summer, but it’s not as far south as Texas so it isn’t associated with the 2011 heat wave there. But we don’t know if this wave is random or not.

It started about 1998 to 2000, which is also when we started having increasing occurrences of heat waves. Is the wave (in the upper atmosphere) related to climate change? We don’t know.

What do the models tell us now about climate change?

The models all agree that the Earth will continue to warm because of the effect of greenhouse gases. It’s just our bad luck that the carbon dioxide molecule absorbs heat.

We can measure the increase in carbon dioxide and have been able to do so for decades. A chemist by the name of Arrhenius—he’s Swedish—predicted this about 120 years ago.

I don’t think anyone denies that the earth is warming. Glaciers are melting; everyone can see what’s happening. It’s the cause that some question. But scientists have looked at this and there is no other explanation other than human behavior. We’ve eliminated all other possible causes.

Do you follow political discussions about climate change?

Not a huge amount. I’d rather read the science part than the politics part.

What are some of the expected effects of climate change in the coming years?

There will be variability, but in general over the next 30 years, the Earth has to adjust for extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But how that increased carbon dioxide affects rain and clouds—that’s what we’re trying to figure out.

We’re not sure droughts and heat waves are related to climate change. You can’t blame the current drought on climate change. We’ve had droughts in the past that lasted for years. But scientific papers say manmade climate change may have exacerbated the drought.

22 • Benicia Magazine Interview

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Editor’s note: Jerry Potter was first interviewed by Benicia Magazine in the June 2007 issue about his work as a climate scientist. The 1989 article mentioned above was published in Science and is listed by the National Science Digital Library as one of 20 key articles published on climate change between 1824 and 1995, nsdl.library.cornell.edu/ websites/wiki/index.php/PALE_ClassicArticles/GlobalWarming. html. Jerry is the only person to be featured in Benicia Magazine’s Q&A for a second time.

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It’s very useful because you test your climate models and see how well we’re doing. It’s called reanalysis. It’s not my job to write papers any more, but I am working on a paper to announce this project. It’s called the Collaborative Reanalysis Technical Environment—CREATE.

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BA C KW A RD S GLANCE

Take Me Out to the Ballgame…

By Elizabeth d’Huart, Executive Director, BHM Photo courtesy Benicia Historical Museum This action-packed shot is one of a series of thirteen photos taken at a Benicia baseball game that took place on Fitzgerald Field in August, 1906. Fitzgerald Field is still a ball field, and the Hafford house at the end of East J Street (the last house on the left), still stands.

Connecting several research dots reveals that the teams involved were the “Allen Dry Goods Company” team from San Francisco and the Benicia “Glendons” team; players include Jack Stenson, Jack Kenny, Max McGregor, Fred Jensen, Joe Diaz, an F. McGregor and Messrs. Sterns, Larkin, Houseleandes, and Waehling. J.E. Glendon was the proprietor of a dry goods store selling men’s clothing and accessories—we have an archival image of an advertisement from the store promoting Kingsbury hats. It appears that the game was a bit of a cliffhanger, the victory falling to the Benicia team by a sore of 4 to 3. “Jensen made a three base hit and succeeded in getting home through an error” says the relevant newspaper article, which concludes: “Next Sunday, the boys will entertain the team from Antioch, when another exciting contest is promised.”

As you can see, the game had a number of onlookers, some of whom are comfortably ensconced on their front porches, others scattered around the field. The horses in the background attest to the pastoral quality of the neighborhood at the time. For the full series (2004.001.0923 – 0935) visit the museum website and go to our online archives. Taken in quick succession, the pictures provide a wonderful “flip book” of consecutive movement stills that convey the timeless appeal of our national sport. I note with interest that this great American game was enthusiastically endorsed by J.E. Glendon and recorded by Frank J. Stumm, both the sons of European immigrants. Communities are built in a variety of ways, sports fandom certainly being one of the more popular avenues to achieving cultural and social identity. Beniciahistoricalmuseum.org.

24 • Benicia Magazine Trends

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AUGUST 2016 Events

Last Rains by Angelique Benicio

Benicia Peddler’s Fair

Benicia Plein Air Gallery Presents There’s Something About the Depot

8/1-8/31 Opening Reception with poetry reading 8/12, 4-6pm Benicia Plein Air Gallery 307 First Street, Benicia This group show at Benicia’s Plein Air Gallery features 12 artists’ perspectives on Benicia’s historic Train Depot Building at the foot of First Street. At the reception, Benicia poets will read pieces inspired by the same subject. Food and drinks will be provided.

Beniciapleinair.com 707.319.1136

Bay Area Stage Presents Annie Get Your Gun

8/5&6, 12&13, 8pm 8/7&14, 3pm Bay Area Stage Theater, 515 Broadway, Vallejo Annie Get Your Gun scored a bulls eye when it returned to Broadway in 1999, starring Bernadette Peters and sporting a revised libretto by Tony, Oscar and Emmy winner Peter Stone. Bay Area Stage performs Stone’s re-making of the 1946 book to create a Wild West show-within-a-show.

Bayareastage.org 707.649.1053

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Arts Benicia Presents Order + Chaos

Movie Night Under the Stars

Mad Science Summer Show: Spin, Pop, Boom!

Bark for Life

Benicia Peddler’s Fair

Benicia Plein Air Paint Out

Benicia Art Walk

Taste of First Street

8/6-9/11 Opening Reception 8/6, 6-8pm Arts Benicia Gallery 991 Tyler Street, Suite 114, Benicia In Order + Chaos, twenty artists will display work chosen by San Francisco gallerist Catharine Clark in an eclectic exhibition that investigates the inherent paradox between order and chaos and the creativity that is part of, and issues from, that struggle.

Artsbenicia.org 707.747.0131

8/9, 11:30am City Gym, 190 East L Street Enter the Mad Science lab and experience the elements of chemistry while seeing amazing experiments in action. Only $2 per child. Please arrive 15 minutes early as a courtesy to the entertainer.

Ci.benicia.ca.us/parksandcommunityservices

8/13, 8am-5pm First & J Streets, Benicia This outdoor event began in 1963 with a few collectible and antique stores displaying their items on tables outside St Paul’s Church. It has grown into 300 select antique and collectible dealers from across the country. The show offers connoisseurs and new collectors an opportunity to examine and purchase items including period furniture, decorative antiques, vintage textiles and fashion, pottery, porcelain, pink and blue depression glass, paintings, prints, jewelry, clocks, watches and much more.

Beniciapeddlersfair.org 707.745.8680

8/13, 3-6pm First Street, Benicia Enjoy strolling First Street and visiting six different galleries with the Benicia Art Walk Banner. The Art Walk takes place June-October. Sponsored by visitbenicia.org and downtownbeniciaalliance.com.

Facebook.com/BeniciaArtWalk

Vallejo Inter-Tribal Council Presents: 20th Annual PowWow 8/12-8/14 Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 11am-6pm Vallejo Waterfront Park, 295 Mare Island Way The Vallejo Inter-Tribal Council’s 20th annual year celebrating the beauty of the people is centered around honoring the next generation, the youth, and their health, welfare and spiritual growth; and includes inter-tribal dancing, a drumming circle, youth events and vendor booths.

Facebook.com/VallejoIntertribalCouncil

Relay for Life Benicia

8/19, 6pm Benicia Middle School 1100 Southampton Road, Benicia The annual Relay for Life benefitting the American Cancer Society returns at a new location at Benicia Middle School. This event also features the new Bark For Life canine celebration.

Main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY16CA?pg=entry&fr_ id=73735 707.334.0077

8/19, 8pm City Park Gazebo, First Street at Military West, Benicia Movies begin at dusk and are rated PG. Bring pillows, blankets, low chairs and sit back and enjoy the entertainment. Food and beverages are welcomed; so don't forget your picnic dinner. (Please clean up after the movie.) Admission is free and free popcorn is available. These are family events so please, no smoking, and no pets. Pets are not allowed in the park. Please note the playground closes at dusk.

Ci.benicia.ca.us/parksandcommunityservices 707.746.4285

8/20, 8am-12pm Benicia Middle School 1100 Southampton Road, Benicia Families and their furry friends will celebrate the lifelong contributions of canine caregivers to cancer patients at the American Cancer Society Bark For Life event. Celebration includes doggie games, dress-up contest, music, food, and doggie laps. This event is in partnership with Relay For Life of Benicia.

Relayforlife.org/barkbeniciaca 707.720.0104

8/27, 8am-7pm The public is invited to watch 40 plein air painters in action and stroll downtown at a new event sponsored by Benicia’s plein air painters.

Painters from San Francisco, Oakland and other Bay Area cities are coming to Benicia to paint Benicia’s scenic beauty. Prize-winning paintings will be awarded cash prizes handed out by Mayor Elizabeth Patterson. Painting begins at 8am and finishes at 3pm. Paintings will be framed, hung and judged for the 4:30pm awards ceremony. The reception goes from 4:45-7pm, where paintings will be for sale and food, drink and music will be provided.

Beniciapleinair.com 707.319.1136

8/23, 6-9pm Downtown First Street, Benicia Downtown brings a sampling of the cuisine you can find from Benicia's favorite restaurants on First Street, with two glasses of wine and souvenir glass. For tickets and info, contact Benicia Main Street.

Beniciamainstreet.org 707.747.9791

Vallejo Food Truck Mania

8/24, 4-8pm Vallejo Waterfront, 289 Mare Island Way The City of Vallejo, Askari Sowonde Productions and SactoMoFo present Food Truck Mania, including a delicious assortment of gourmet food trucks from all over Northern California. Also includes live music, family friendly entertainment, and tons of fun.

Sactomofo.com

Chefs in the Garden: Magical Mushrooms 8/25, 6pm Avant Garden, First & D Streets, Benicia Jack Kolk, and avid mushroom forger and cultivator, and chef Veronica Bearce, owner of Veronica’s Veggies Catering, will demonstrate how to grow and cook mushrooms. This event is free to the public.

Beniciacommunitygardens.org

Third Annual Benicia Film Festival

9/2-9/4, all day Downtown Benicia, various locations Benicia Arts and Culture Commission is sponsoring this event, featuring three days of world-class films, food and wine. Films varying in genre will be screened at the Benicia Veteran's Hall and the Majestic Theatre. Visit the website for schedule and tickets.

Beniciafilmfestival.com 707.746.4358 BeniciaMagazine.com • 29

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ON DECK THIS SEASON FOR ALL YOUR BUILDING NEEDS.

Relay for Life of Benicia

August 19, 6pm - August 20, noon Benicia Middle School Opening ceremony • Survivor lap Luminary ceremony • Live entertainment Got Plate Lunch food truck New this year! Bark For Life August 20, 8am-noon

In VALLEJO 707-557-3000

WWW.FOSTERLUMBER.COM

In FAIRFIELD 707-425-3400

Remembering dogs who have passed or are battling cancer Benicia PD Canine demonstration, dog frisbee tournament and more For additional information, contact Leeann Cawley,

leeann.cawley@gmail.com or 707.334.0077

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Dreams Do Come True PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL practically practically at at your your doorstep doorstep

Wilson Wilson Park Park 199 199 Stewart Stewart Street, Street, Vallejo Vallejo

The 2016 Season is on!

VallejoAdmirals.com VallejoAdmirals.com

Thank you to our sponsors, like SolTrans, home town transportation for Vallejo and Benicia.

Welcome to Tosch Dental

Feel at home—even in the dental chair!

Full-service dentistry | In-house lab, ensures perfect fit | Orthodontics | 50% off bleach with exam & cleaning | Relaxed and comfortable environment Proudly serving Benicia families for over 25 years.

Ronald J. Tosch, DDS l 118 West K St. 707.745.2130 l www.toschdental.com

BeniciaMagazine.com • 31

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Contractor's License # 687979 AFFORDABLE QUALITY

Cabinets and Countertops

Receive a $150 gift certificate to Romancing the Home, or a Nourot Vase, with the purchase of a complete kitchen.

Open Mon. - Fri. 9-5 weekends & evenings by appointment 4852 East 2nd Street, Benicia

“It was a pleasure working with the Affordable Quality Cabinets Team on our kitchen remodel project.

Throughout each phase of the project, we appreciated the excellent customer service, attention to detail, adherence to timelines, and the overall quality of the cabinets. Our kitchen has exceeded our expectations in appearance and functionality.”

—Don and Vicky K.

707-745-2100 • aqc@aqchome.com

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