Benicia Magazine September 2010

Annual Fashion Issue First Street Fashion Wisdom Salons and Spas: A Bounty of Beauty Channeling Project Runway Interview with Dr. Russell Hands Bike Enthusiast, Drummer, Chief Surgeon

Arts Benicia 17th Annual Art Auction & Gala

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From the Editor Finally, Main Street’s annual Taste of First Street is scheduled for September 21. A gentle transition into fall, you can enjoy some wine and sample the season’s cuisine from First Street restaurants while you shop or stroll.

Speaking of annual events, this is our fourth annual Fashion Issue, and we extend a warm welcome to our neighbors in Pleasant Hill who are receiving this issue in their mailboxes. Since our first Fashion Issue in 2007, many more stylish boutiques have opened, solidifying Benicia’s reputation as a shopping destination. Benicia Main Street acknowledges this phenomenon with their annual Fashion Weekend event, culminating in a fashion runway show. This year's event happens October 8 & 9 with many downtown merchants participating.

Most of our downtown shops are owned by women who are dedicated entrepreneurs bringing something special to Benicia in the face of a crushing economy. Why? Because they are passionate about what they do. Read more about them in this issue. Their efforts are raising the bar and increasing our exposure on the Bay Area stage.

As I write this letter, City Council members are in the midst of a public hearing, considering what to cut to balance the City’s budget, and tourism funding is on the chopping block. While I understand and respect the difficult choices they must make and the dire need to trim expenses, it seems counterproductive to cut funding to a program that is currently one of the few alternatives for generating new sales tax revenue. The tourism program is an investment that is already reaping dividends that will increase over time: witness the tourism dollars flowing into Healdsburg, Calistoga and Santa Rosa, three communities Benicia’s tourism consultant helped to define as day trip and weekend destinations. I believe that a PR campaign that’s just beginning to bear fruit and will pay for itself in the long run should continue to receive adequate funding.

To voice your opinion on this and other articles and blogs, visit beniciamagazine.com.

It’s an information-packed, interactive site. You can enter drawings to win merchandise, event tickets and more, submit a photo to be featured on the site or sign up for our first free e-newsletter: our spin on the most interesting weekend picks for Benicia and the Bay Area.

Check it out!

—Jeanne Steinmann editor@beniciamagazine.com

CA license #719381

With the three-day Labor Day weekend closing out summer, school in full swing, fall sports beginning in earnest and four major community events on the calendar, could September BE any busier? And though it’s a hard month to squeeze in anything extra, these are events you won’t want to miss: in addition to great entertainment, they provide funding for organizations that are critical to Benicia’s vitality.

First up is Expanding Experiences September 15, an evening of wine, finger food from area restaurants and art viewing in artist studios: a fundraiser for at-risk youth. There are two events in store September 18–the Chamber of Commerce’s 37th Annual Fine Arts and Craft Fair, one of the largest of its type in Northern California, and Arts Benicia’s 17th annual Art Auction and Gala.

The art gala is the hottest party in town and a chance to glam up and bid on amazing art at reasonable prices while socializing with artists, friends, elected officials and local luminaries.

It sold out within weeks last year so get your tickets early–there’s a link at beniciamagazine.com/arts.

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Features 24

18

15

5

Happening in September

6

Coastal Cleanup - Kids get into the Spirit

6

Looking Back

9

Fashion Blooms in Benicia

10

Finding Beauty

13

Fashionista: Project Runway's Benicia Connection

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Local Merchants Speak Out on Style

15

Ashley Houston—Fashion Savvy Local Student

18

Interview with Russell Hands, MD

22

What's New at beniciamagazine.com

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A Dazzling Affair: Benicia's Party of the Year

Contributors

22 Photographer G Graphic Design Editor

6 All opinions expressed in this magazine, including articles and paid advertisements, are those of the authors alone. Ad positions near articles or other ads are not intended as endorsements for any product, service, opinion, or political affiliation.

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Benicia Magazine

Cover Model: Benicia’s Ashley Houston at the waterfront. Photo by Joe Messina

Publisher

Samuel J. Adams Sue Frost Alfeld Mary Marino Adriene Rockwell Christina Strawbridge Sue Sumner-Moore Jerry Bowles Margaret Bowles Jeanne Steinmann Polygon Publishing, LLC

Ad Sales: 707.853.5226 editor@beniciamagazine.com Printed with soy ink PO Box 296, Benicia, CA 94510 T 707.853.5226 • F 707.745.6757 Ad changes/editorial deadlines: the 1st of the month New ads: the 8th of the month editor@beniciamagazine.com

Happening in

9/2-9/30

September

Capitol & Fischer-Hanlon H House G Guided id d TTours 1 1–4pm 4

9/16

Capitol tour 1-4pm, Fischer-Hanlon tour, 2pm Thursdays and Fridays in July 115 West G Street 707.745.3375

9/18 9/2-9/30

9/4

9/7

Kids’ Book Club 3:30–4:30 “Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money� by Christopher Paul Curtis Dona Benicia Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

9/11

Friends of the Library Book Sale 10am–4pm Benicia Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.745.4770

9/11

Moonlight Film Festival 5pm Winners of Moonlight Film Contest for Youth, ages 12 to 22 Dona Benicia Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.745.4770

9/11

9/18

Historical Museum’s Spenger Concert Series 8pm

9/20

Expanding Experiences–Open Studios Wine Tasting 6–8pm

9/21

Evening Book Club for Adults 7–8pm Dona Benicia Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

Middle School Book Club 4–5pm “House of Stairs� by William Sleator Edna Clyne Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

9/21

Taste of First Street 6–9pm Cuisine from Benicia restaurants & a glass of wine First Street, tickets available at Main Street Store Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

9/23

Mystery Book Club 7–8pm Dona Benicia Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

9/25

Coastal Cleanup Day 9–noon Annual State-wide event Volunteers head for Benicia’s waterways Sue Frost Alfeld, CCD Coordinator coastal.ca.gov 707.980.1895

9/26

Benicia/Vallejo Membership Tea 2–4pm AAUW wine & hors d’oeuvres 162 Waterview Drive, Vallejo Paula McConnell 707.342.1045

Benefiting Liberty High School Sponsored by Rotary Club of Benicia & Arts Benicia Tyler and Jackson Streets 707.745.6650

9/15

Teen Book Club 6–7pm “The Lovely Bones� by Alice Sebold Dona Benicia Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

The Elliot Randall Band—alternative country Benicia Historical Museum, 2060 Camel Road Beniciahistoricalmuseum.org 707.745.5435

9/15

Arts Benicia Annual Auction & Gala 5pm 991 Tyler Street, #114 Artsbenicia.org 707.747.0131

Jazz Cup Sailboat Races 11am Pre-and post-race activities, food and music Benicia Yacht Club 400 East 2nd Street 707.746.0739

37th Annual Fine Arts and Craft Fair 10–4pm Antiques, collectibles, crafts, food, and much more First Street, downtown Benicia Benicia Chamber of Commerce 707.745.2120

Benicia Farmer’s Market 4–8pm Fresh produce, baked goods, food booths, arts & crafts Thursdays through October Benicia Main Street, First and D Streets Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Community C it Bl Bloodd D Drive i 1-7pm Must be 17 years+, good health, weigh110 lbs.+ First Baptist Church, 1055 Southampton Road 707.745.0899

9/28

Junior Kids’ Book Club 3:30–4:30pm “The Absent Author� by Ron Roy Dona Benicia Room, Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

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Benicia Magazine

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Benicia’s Kids Show Passion for Coastal Cleanup

By Sue Frost Alfeld There was a time when Benicia was the only city in the country to have Coastal Cleanup volunteers from every school in town. The event began in Benicia when coastal steward and marine biologist Carol Keiper started an annual beach cleanup at the foot of First Street. In the early days, 30–50 people would turn out. Keiper ran the event for five years, driving to Coastal Commission offices in San Francisco to pick up supplies, and securing free pizza from Pizza Pirate for the volunteers.

When Keiper moved out of the area, local teacher Brita Bautin took over. Bautin felt that it was essential for Benicia’s children to take part in the cleanup. “Volunteerism is important in schools,� says Bautin. Under her direction, the cleanup took to the classroom. Volunteer attendance swelled to nearly 450 people, mostly school-aged children. One year, the Historical Museum director identified objects picked up at the cleanup. “There were wooden pegs once used to make ships, found at the old Turner Shipyard site, and melted glass from the old tannery,� says Bautin.

Bautin turned over the reins to Sue Wickham, who ran the cleanup for six years.

Wickham secured funding from the City to help run the cleanup. The City supports the cleanup effort with funding, facilitating, and hosting the post-event volunteer BBQ. Several years ago, Sue handed the reins over to me.

Volunteers now number over 900. As our beaches have become less littered with debris, the cleanup effort has begun to move inland to include creeks and streams. This year’s coastal cleanup will be held on Saturday, September 25, from 9am–noon at several locations around town including inland waterways. Bring your own recycled bag and some gloves to help reduce plastic pollution. B

Looking Back

Interactive Fire Display

By Mary Marino Soon there will be a lot of fire activity at the Benicia Historical Museum. A new interactive display featuring landmarks in Benicia will challenge the skills of our visitors. Kids of all ages will need to exhibit eye-hand coordination to put the fire out and save the building. It sounds easy, but as with real fires, action and timing is critical.

Bordering this game will be an expanded display of firemanic artifacts.

In 1847, eight men formed the “Benicia Bucket Brigade�, which led to the establishment of The Benicia Volunteer Fire Department. It is the oldest continuous serving fire department in California. Today, their primary mission is to provide educational opportunities to members of the community about the past, present and future of firefighting through the Benicia Fire Museum. In addition, the Volunteer Department, now incorporated, supplements and supports the Benicia Fire Department with additional staffing of volunteer firefighters.

The Benicia Fire Department functions within three divisions; Fire and Life Safety/ Administration, Fire and EMS Operations, and Fire Training and Emergency Preparedness.

The members of the Benicia Fire Department are dedicated to excellence and customer service. As residents of Benicia, we are thankful for and proud of these dedicated volunteer and professional firefighters.

Don’t forget to save the date for the Costume Ball at the Historical Museum, Saturday, October 30. Maybe you’ll want to come as a fireman! B

California Coastal CleanUp Day Saturday, Sept. 25th, 2010 9am—Noon No age restrictions for the following sites:

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All the Community Info You Need at beniciamagazine.com 6

Benicia Magazine

Need additional copies? Contact the Community Relations office: Valero Benicia Refinery, 3400 East Second Street, Benicia, CA 94510

707-745-7534 September 2010

CommunityNEWS Valero Engineer Internship Program Each summer the Benicia refinery welcomes young minds from some of the top universities in the nation to serve as interns alongside seasoned Valero engineers.

The refinery seeks interns with a focus on mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering. However, Valero’s corporate internship program includes additional disciplines such as accounting, information systems, and business.

The program places interns at Valero refineries, the company’s headquarters in San Antonio, and at Valero’s ten ethanol plants scattered throughout the Midwest.

“The overall intent of the intern program is to provide a beneficial experience for both the student and Valero,” according to Process Engineering Manager Joe Muehlbauer, a Benicia resident. “The students get hands-on experience and useful mentoring that will help them succeed on the job and in the job market.”

Muehlbauer stresses that a formal oneon-one mentor program is an important part of the intern’s experience.

The University of Arizona, University of California/Berkeley, and Brigham Young University are the three primary schools refinery representatives visit to recruit potential engineering interns and employees.

This year, the Valero Benicia Refinery hired three graduates from the internship and recruitment process, one of whom interned at Benicia last summer.

Jonath Jonathan than W Wong, ong X Xander andder W Wroblewski, robl blewski ki Maci Wang, Adam Rice, and Scott Gibson served as summer interns in 2010.

9th Annual Refinery Food Run

Vote For the Benicia Refinery with Your Online Donation!

In these tough economic times, there is a greater need to keep the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano fully stocked with nutritious food for families, children and individuals.

Each year Valero employees and contractors participate in the Refinery Food Run, an event benefiting the Food Bank that doubles as a poker run, and includes a motorcycle and custom/ classic car show.

Refinery participants pay a registration fee in addition to collecting food and cash donations This 1957 Harley-Davidson Panhead, owned by Valero Benicia Refinery employee Perry Blake, in the weeks leading up to the took “Best of Show” for motorcycles during the Refinery Food Run two years ago.

Refinery Food Run on Saturday, Sept. 18. The 2009 event netted $35,303, along with 2,150 and makes food available for other nonprofit organizations serving the ill, needy and infants. Last year alone, the pounds of food, from four Bay Area refineries.

“The Benicia refinery competes with several other Bay Area 35-year-old agency provided food to more than 130,000 refineries to see which refinery can raise the most money people every month directly at community sites and through and collect the most food to win a much-coveted perpetual a network of 175 charitable agencies, distributing 12.6 trophy,” said John Lazorik, Valero staff environmental million pounds of food. engineer and Benicia resident.

Lazorik, who has participated in the event four times, once with his classic 1966 Chevelle convertible, hopes that Benicia can bring home the trophy this year.

“The refinery’s Community Relations Department donated $3,500 in seed money,” said Lazorik, “but it will take a village of support to top the other refineries.”

You can help those in need and support the Valero Benicia Refinery from the convenience of your own computer by donating online through the Refinery Virtual Food/Fund Drive at www.foodbankccs.org.

According to Reneé Baptiste, special events manager for the Food Bank, “There are 10 food items you m can c select from when you make your online donation.

It’s It very easy and we will do the shopping for you!”

Once you complete the online information fields, be b sure to select Valero Refining Company – California from the “Company” drop-down menu. This will ensure fr that th your donation is counted toward the Benicia refi re nery’s total contributions of food and money.

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano distributes perishable and nonperishable food items, both purchased and donated, to low-income people at community sites,

Fast Facts: Safety First:

You Can Help!

Donate money/buy food online Go to: www.foodbankccs.org/events Click on: Upcoming Events Click on: Now – September 15 9th Annual Refinery Food/Fund Drive Complete all required fields.

Use the drop down menu to select Valero Refining Company – California!

Donate Food Call 745-7534 for drop off information or give your food donation to a refinery employee or contractor.

About one-fifth (98) of Valero Benicia Refinery employees call the city of Benicia home.

Slips, trips, and falls are a leading cause of injuries at home and at work. Most are preventable if you keep your eyes on your path! Other tips: stay fit; secure electrical cords and rugs; remove indoor/outdoor tripping hazards; keep walkways clear; watch for slippery surfaces.

Benicia Magazine

7

Fashion Weekend in Benicia

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October 8 & 9, 2010 Two days of celebrating fashion with shopping, stylish surprises, production runway show and fashion auction.

Project Runway meets First Street Fashion with a selection of Jay Nicholas Sario's collection from Season 7 New York Fashion Week's debut.

In the store: Friday Night 6-9: Shopping Extravaganza Fall 2010 Friday & Saturday 10-6 –Samuel Dong Trunk Show Saturday Night 6-9 Fashion Reception, Auction and Runway Show

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Benicia Magazine

Fashion Blooms in Benicia

By Samuel J Adams Under the sunlight coming in through her display window, Christina Strawbridge, owner of Christina S, and her assistant Sandy stand holding the legs of her mannequin, Barbie. This is the day Barbie gets her wardrobe changed, and she is toppled, inverted, and nude. In keeping with her wooden nature and aloof expression, Barbie stridently resists her keeper's attempt to slide a pair of yellow and black harlequin- print leggings onto her slim stone-colored legs. But the ladies are clearly enjoying themselves far too much to be outdone by the inanimate. “This is my favorite part of the job,” quips Strawbridge, “dressing the mannequin. Today, we’re going to do homage to the 60’s and we’re going to make her look like Twiggy.”

But turning Barbie into Twiggy requires grunt work and, for poor Barbie, temporary amputation: Sandy twists her legs off from a screw at her thighs. But eventually, and elegantly, the leggings crawl their way onto Barbie, leaving the two real ladies ready to begin their display magic.

This ritual before the window display is a part of the job both women clearly love. It gives them a chance to see their own personalities and tastes become the face and fiber of their business, and every detail provides a chance for self expression. For example, when Twiggy/Barbie finally gets suited up, she’ll stand beside a tie-dyed poster for a Beatles concert in Indianapolis that Strawbridge herself attended.

“I love doing the theater of the windows,” she says. “That’s really exciting to me, merchandizing the store, and making things we’ve maybe had a while look fresh.”

Lucky for our town, the last five years have seen the arrival of a strong number of other independently-owned boutiques, each one with a staff eager to see their creativity and classiness framed behind a street-side panel of glass. Together, the stores have been able to withstand the recession and to positively alter the face of downtown, the lifestyle of Benicia, and the reputation of our community as tourist destination.

Jack Wolf, owner of Wolf Communications, agrees. His firm, which has worked to help promote the cities of Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, and Calistoga, has been contracted by the city of Benicia to head their tourism and marketing effort, and they are focusing on fashion as an integral component of Benicia’s appeal.

“The things that we always talk about in our marketing effort are our beautiful waterfront, the shopping options, the art and the history,” says Wolf.

“If more people find out how great the shopping options are here it will become even more of a draw for visitors,” says Wolf. “Studies have shown that shopping is one of the more popular activities for people traveling, whether they’re traveling on just a daytrip or overnight.”

Part of our strength is our location. It may be out of the way for a couple from Fairfax, but it is conveniently reachable for, say, a woman from Napa meeting a friend from Walnut Creek.

Strawbridge agrees that the locale is a part of the draw. “Women are using Benicia as a meeting point /girlfriend destination. It’s centrally located, safe, beautiful, and it’s easy to navigate First Street,” she says.

This sounds like a recipe for competition, but Strawbridge sees it differently: she feels a sense of solidarity with her style-minded neighbors, almost as if they belonged to their own fabulously attired little guild.

“We’re all totally different, we’ll have overlap in our customers…so somebody who shops here might shop at Miguelena (owned by Yvonne Armas) or one of the other stores, which is great, and we all refer each other…we work together as a partnership.

It’s only going to benefit me to keep customers here, because we can’t be everything to everybody and it’s great to have that networking and cross promotion.”

This strategy has paid off among locals and visitors as well. Strawbridge believes about 40% of her business to be from out of town, and she believes the number is growing steadily. Claudia Mahrt, at Be Chic, also notes a strong out-of-town presence: she’s been at her current location for three years, and in that time she’s been able to magnetize repeat customers from all over the Bay Area: San Francisco and Oakland, Tiburon and Sausalito, even San Jose and Sacramento. She previously worked as a buyer for duty-free shops, and she’s used her distinct knowledge of top European brands to build her business here (it’s worth noting that she currently commands the downtown monopoly of high quality, non-costume menswear).

Laurie Key is another bright star in the constellation of Benicia fashion. She’s found a fine balance between supplying local needs and building up out-of-town enthusiasm for her store. But Key feels that it’s more than just the diverse array of shops that keep the scene so lively, and acknowledges that Benicia also benefits from what we lack: a chain department store.

“I think that even though we’re a small community people are fashion conscious here,” says Key. It’s nice because we’re not close to any of the chain stores, because we don’t have to compete with them. Whereas a lot of the boutiques in Walnut Creek have gone out of business because they are right next to Nordstrom’s and Macy’s, we are able to bring the same sense of urban style to a small town.”

And if there’s any fear here, it’s that one. The more these boutiques build up Benicia’s reputation as a fashion hotspot, the closer they come to a, consolidated department store.

But I wouldn’t count on it, and neither would Studio 41’s Leah Perry-Shelhorn. PerryShelhorn and her store have been downtown standards for almost two decades. She sells handcrafted items made in America—everything from fine jewelry to the most morbidly hilarious assortment of greeting cards I’ve ever encountered. She thinks our independent streak is what makes the town successful.

“All us independents are still down here,” says Perry-Shelhorn. People from Lafayette come here to shop and they want something that their friend isn’t going to have. It’s all about looking like an individual. That’s what I’m all about—I don’t buy anything at a big store.” Regardless of where Benicia fashion goes from here, we’ve already arrived at something special. B

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Benicia Magazine

9

Finding Beauty

By Christina Strawbridge Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Mirror, mirror on the wall. Pretty is as pretty does.

Beauty is only skin deep.

Beauty can be allusive, fleeting and subjective. Media of all types interpret who and what is beautiful and where to go to achieve it. With all of the ads and infomercials selling beauty it's easy to get lost in trying to look like Cindy Crawford or Angelina Jolie. But what is the true meaning of being beautiful?

An alternative hallmark of today’s beauty can be characterized as projecting confidence and feeling good. Regardless of your definition, finding beauty in Benicia is as easy as walking downtown or discovering the many salons throughout the City. It seems as if there are businesses on almost every block on First Street related to improving one's look, health or feeling of vitality. There are over forty salons and day spas in town that run the gamut from

hair stylists to skin care physicians. Some are holistic in nature, some focus on relaxation, and some cater to the wedding industry. In tranquil settings, you can be peeled, wrapped, acupunctured, air-brushed, pierced, botoxed, exercised, massaged, waxed, styled, manicured, tattooed, highlighted and tanned.

For a town of under 30,000, one might wonder how so many shops distinguish themselves.

It seems most have found a niche, and the personalities of the owners are reflected in the uniqueness and creativity of their spaces. One salon has a car theme with auto classics lining the walls, another has a betty-boop styled forties motif. Some offer gallery spaces to local artists. One example of the uniqueness of the offerings is Cheryl Nielson’s Bliss Salon & Spa. Nielson has fourteen years of experience in wedding hairstyling and offers a full range of services including nails, skin, hair and massage therapy. The spa is located in an 1870 converted Victorian house, where Tai Chi/Qigong classes are conducted in the lovely setting of the backyard garden.

Another is Wellness Wisdom, a holistic spa and wellness center owned by Laura Kohl.

Aside from massage therapy and body wraps, Wellness Wisdom has a unique approach that incorporates a wide range of mind-body treatments and products. Kohl is a holistic health practitioner who, among other services, offers weight loss coaching using a customized blend of nutritional analysis, massage therapy and hypnosis. The spa also offers ear candling, hot stone therapy, ionic foot detox and acupuncture.

A complete list of salons and spas can be found at beniciamagazine.com under the Health & Wellness section of the resource guide. With so many options available, you can find or enhance your own unique beauty while indulging in some serious pampering. B

Bliss Salon and Spa 117 East F Street Benicia, CA 94510 707-746-8983 Blissbenicia.com

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Benicia Magazine

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Benicia Magazine

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Benicia Main Street Presents OCTOBER 8 & 9, 2010

Friday 6-9pm Fashion Night Out First Street Saturday 6-9pm Fashion Auction/Reception 6-8pm Runway Show 8pm The Inn & Spa at Benicia Bay 145 East D Street

BENICIA FASHION WEEKEND TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 707. 745. 9791

beniciamainstreet.org 12

Benicia Magazine

Fashionista

Project Runway comes to First Street

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German-born model utters the dreaded words "you're out" and sends the tearful challenger home with a smooch and an “auf Wiedersehen.� Having viewed thirteen episodes from season seven and the beginning of season eight, I've noticed that Klum rules the runway—it’s important to stay on Heidi's side no matter what.

Jay Nicolas Sario was raised in the Philippines and made Barbie Doll clothes from socks at a young age. From Barbie to Honolulu Community College to study fashion design, Sario's future was sealed. He moved to San Francisco and is currently one of the lead visual merchandisers and stylists for Gap, Inc. As a finalist in Project Runway seven, Sario was able to present his first collection at Bryant Park during New York Fashion Week. Sario was influenced by the 2009 Lords of the Samurai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, creating clothes that were unique and showed his love for structure and movement. I loved his jackets and shoulder treatments, they were powerful on the runway and received positive reviews.

During the final episodes of Project Runway I “friended� Sario on Facebook. I invited him to Benicia Fashion Weekend as a guest designer and to possibly identify one of our boutiques to sell his designs. While I waited for his reply I noticed the range of his passionate, international fan base. A few weeks ago Sario notified his "friends" that his Bryant Park collection would be available for sale, along with items from some of the other designers on the show. Not letting an opportunity pass by, I purchased part of Sario's collection, including a spectacular aubergine chiffon dress and jacket, and see-through pant that during the Tim Gunn home visit, was referred to as Cuckoo Chanel.

The designs will be presented during Benicia Fashion Weekend’s Saturday night runway show. This year, six boutiques are participating in the show: Be Chic Boutique, Christina S Fashion Destination, Miguelena, Piccolo, Posh and Studio 41. The clothing and accessories are from designers seen in any major fashion district in the world. The October 9 event will also include a fashion auction and wine reception. Tickets are $30 per person and are available at the above-mentioned stores and at Benicia Main Street.

Fashion Night Out, an evening of shopping, trunk shows, guest designers and an assortment of stylish events hosted in stores and restaurants throughout the Downtown, debuts Friday night, October 8.

Benicia continues to be a destination for women who love to find the extraordinary as a bit of Project Runway comes to First Street to celebrate fashion this October. Fellow fashionistas: see you there! B

Fall Collection 2010

By Christina Strawbridge It took me until the seventh season to become acquainted with Project Runway, the reality TV show about fashion competition where a top designer is chosen from sixteen aspiring up-andcomers. Last season proved to be a very timely start since two of the contestants were from the Bay Area.

It is impressive to see how "talented or not" these men and women are at creating a design from a challenge that will keep them returning week after week. You know that some of the contestants are doomed, either because they don't understand the task or they can't translate it into something someone would wear.

The two Bay Area designers, Jay Nicolas Sario and Amy Sarabi were my favorites even before I knew they were local. I really appreciated their design abilities and in Sario's case, his attention to detail. Turning a potato sack into a black cocktail dress in twenty-four hours was a real standout. He won that week and continued to the final four. Sarabi won some of the challenges but was voted off mid-way through the season.

The show’s judges are Heidi Klum, supermodel and producer of the show, Michael Kors, award winning sportswear designer and Nina Garcia, fashion editor for Marie Claire Magazine.

There is always a weekly fashion guest—Lauren Hutton, Lindsay Lohan and Betsy Johnson to name a few. They review the designs on the runway and look for creativity, construction, accessories and how the designer adapted to the challenge. This year, besides potato sacks and other challenges there was also an opportunity to design for Klum and be featured on the cover of Marie Claire. Tim Gunn acts as a mentor during the design process, letting everyone know what time it is, how much time is left and to be sure to use the accessory wall. Tim often helps get a wayward design/designer back on track.

"In fashion, one day you're in and the next day you're out," says Klum. And then the

Watch for us at the Runway Show Benicia Fashion Weekend October 8&9

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Fashion Wisdom from Five Local Experts Benicia’s got fashion! From wearable art to fashionable furnishings, Downtown and the Arsenal offer offer shoppers many choices. We asked three style questions of five downtown store owners, all of whom have an abundance of expertise, each with a very different, distinctive style. Clearly passionate, their answers provide insight into their success. All five women will be featuring their collections at the Fashion Weekend runway show.

Leah Perry-Shelhorn, Studio 41 To me it’s all about comfort. It’s all about feeling good and being positive in your clothing.

Yvonne Armas, Miguelena It means truly expressing your own personal style and feeling fabulous about what you are wearing. It should reflect your personality as well as being comfortable.

After-all, a confident woman is always in fashion!

Laurie Key, Piccolo Using contemporary pieces in your wardrobe to reflect your personality. Using your wardrobe as an expression of who you are.

What Does Fashion/Style mean to you? Describe your go-to fashion piece Christina Strawbridge, Christina S Fashion Destination: Fashion is about self-expression, independence, and creating themes—and it’s been my livelihood since I was seventeen.

Claudia Mahrt, Be Chic Boutique It means life, it means adventure. I love what I’m doing right now—I love the seasons, particularly the new styles coming out in the fall. When you are into fashion, it reflects in your face, and when you have something that fits you well and suits your personality, you feel good about yourself.

Christina Strawbridge, Christina S Fashion Destination That’s a really good question—actually, I have it on. It’s a Cynthia Ashby black mesh dress and I can take it on my trips to Europe or wherever I’m traveling. It’s really easy to accessorize and I can make it look casual, I can make it look dressy, and I can wear it to black tie affairs. And it doesn’t wrinkle when you pack it.

Claudia Mahrt, Be Chic Boutique I’m a very classic person, I carry classy items. Nothing trendy or extravagant. I love black, especially black pants, which I combine with other colors. Black is always the base. In the fall, which is my favorite season, I love the way things can be put together and layered.

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Leah Perry-Shelhorn, Studio 41 Colors, textures and great quality. I wear things made by one person, or two people, or a cottage industry, nothing above a cottage industry. And that makes me feel special when I wear the piece – that I know the artist who made it.

Yvonne Armas, Miguelena It is so hard to choose, there are so many key pieces in a woman's wardrobe. I would have to say the "little jacket."

You can wear it with jeans, leggings, skirts and over a dress to take you from casual to dressy.

Laurie Key, Piccolo A really good pair of MEK (pronounced “Meck”) Denim.

Really good pair of jeans, really good pair of clogs.

In nine words or less, what’s your store’s signature style?

Christina Strawbridge, Christina S Fashion Destination A destination for the personal style of every woman Claudia Mahrt, Be Chic Boutique Classic styles, classy items, European brands Leah Perry-Shelhorn, Studio 41 One-of-a-kind handcrafted in the USA Yvonne Armas, Miguelena Modern, contemporary, on trend, sophisticated, inviting, experienced, exceptional Laurie Key, Piccolo Contemporary style that you can dress up or down B

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Benicia Magazine

Local Student Sets Style-minded Goals she’ll begin her studies at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing in San Francisco where she hopes to learn the skills and build the professional connections needed to someday open her own styling business.

“I want to do the styling aspect—I don’t want to make the pieces per se, I want to put them together because I see something—I take a dress—and then I’ll see all these different accessories and I’ll be playing with them in my mind. I think about them all the time, my mind’s always going, I have dreams about clothes. It’s insane. I don’t know why my mind works this way, it just does.”

Like most successful people in the fashion industry, Houston’s become adept at “wearing many hats.” In high school she authored essays about Coco Chanel, she just finished her first modeling gig (for this magazine), and she’s learning the ins and outs of salesmanship at the local boutique, where she plans to continue working through college. She feels that learning the ropes in Benicia, a small city unusually rich in high-quality clothing options will leave her ably prepared for further professional adventures.

“My dad says that if you can get someone to buy something from Christina S in Benicia, you can definitely get them to buy something in San Francisco. If you conquer a small town, you can conquer a big city.”

We at the magazine wish her the best of luck in all future conquering endeavors. B

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By Samuel J. Adams From the big artic-blue eyes to the radiant blonde hair, the flower-shaped handbag to the tawny boots, Ashley Houston seems a young lady charmingly free of the reserve and shyness that cloaked my friends and me through our shadowy passage through Benicia High School.

Too bright and articulate to call bubbly, but too pretty and fun to send my brain scrambling for scholastic adjectives, Ms. Houston is a class-act: approachable, nice, and teeming with enthusiasm for all things fashion.

Enthusiasm might be putting it lightly— monomaniacal devotion comes closer. When asked how she acquired her passion, she promptly replied, “it’s always been fashion—it’s never been something else. I know it sounds crazy.”

Actually, her goals, and her plans for executing them, seem thoroughly sane. She’s been interning for Christina S—a position she secured with stalker-like persistence—and next fall

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An Interview with Russell Hands, MD

By Sue Sumner-Moore You don’t outgrow everything as you grow up. Your jeans may get handed down and your toys may end up in the back of the closet, but the important things, the ones you really love, stay with you.

Just ask Russ Hands.

Russ, 55, is still playing drums and riding bikes, just like he did when he was growing up in Los Angeles. He characterizes both activities as hobbies—interests he pursues when he’s not fulfilling his responsibilities as chief of surgery for Kaiser in Vallejo and Vacaville.

But he takes a more serious approach than most casual hobbyists. In the 1990s, he rode in the Death Ride (about 15,000 feet of climbing over 130 miles through five mountain posses in one day) three years in a row and also took three bike tours of Europe.

“I remember seeing the Tour de France while on the highest pass in Europe,” he recalls.

His dedication to riding continues. Currently, he’s one of five Benicians who are members of the Taleo Racing Team and competes about once a month during the nine-month race season. This fall, he may race in a cyclo-cross—a mix of road racing and mountain biking. Russ also rides as often as he can with the Benicia Bicycle Club.

“It makes you feel like a little kid again to ride a bike. It makes you smile,” he says, his own grin emphasizing his point.

Music also makes him smile—and he’s just as driven when it comes to the drums. He still takes lessons and practices regularly so he’s ready when his group, Jazz Explosion, plays each Thursday evening at the Union Hotel Restaurant. He also plays with a band of Kaiser employees and family members.

Russ came to Benicia in 1988 when he started working at Kaiser Vallejo. His wife, Elle, is also an active rider with the Benicia Bicycle Club. “Elle rides with them more often than I do. It’s really nice having a wife who likes to ride,” he says. They have two children, Luke and Gabby, who are now in college.

When did you start cycling?

Like any kid, I learned to ride a bike. But I became dependent on it when I was a student at UC Davis. It’s a perfect bike town —I could ride right up to my classrooms.

When I came to Vallejo, some orthopedic surgeons were avid bike riders. But I was playing basketball then. When I hurt my ankle for the umpety-umpth time, I was given the options of bike riding or swimming, so I got a bike. I rode in a Multiple Sclerosis benefit the next weekend—75 miles each day.

You rode 150 miles the weekend after you started riding again?

Well, I was tired by the end of that weekend (laughing).

What type of bike do you ride?

I have a rule that you need a new bike every five years because the technology improves by leaps and bounds. I started with a stainless steel bike and since then, I’ve had a bike made of all titanium and now one that’s all carbon fiber. Each bike has more gears, is lighter weight. I have a Trek now—they’re a sponsor of Taleo. It weighs just 15 pounds and it’s the biggest bike they make. Dollar for dollar, you get more technology in a bike than you do in a car or boat.

When did you start racing?

I just started racing two years ago. I race in the 55+ category, but they’re just as fast as those in the 45+ age group. Prior to that, I rode with the Benicia Bicycle Club.

Did you ever win a race?

I won the Dunnigan Hills race in the 45+ age group two years ago. But I’m not of a level of ability that that’s going to be happening again soon.

Why did you move from recreational riding to racing?

If you want to be more challenged, you race. … If you want to have a stronger challenge, you join a race team to compete with the best riders in your age category.

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Benicia Magazine

How often do you ride?

I like to commute to work. It’s really a nice 40-minute commute to Benicia, so that’s actually how I get a lot of riding in. But you gotta get in one or two long days a week.

Do you have a favorite route?

My current favorite is what I call Bridge to Bridge.

We’re just so fortunate they built bike lanes on the Zampa Bridge and the new Benicia Bridge. … You can ride out your door, go out to the Carquinez Bridge, go to Martinez, then ride across the Benicia Bridge.

It’s about 30 miles. … By having these bike lanes on these bridges, it opened up so much.

You have a pretty demanding job. How do you make time for riding?

It can take over your life. This year I made the choice to race less and play music more because it became difficult to have two hobbies. My New Year’s resolution was to de-emphasize bike riding. …

I’ve never had a bad crash, but I’m well aware of the inherent risks. That’s also part of why I made the decision to cut back.

When did you start playing drums?

In elementary school, in fourth grade, I wanted to play trumpet and the band teacher told me there were too many trumpet players and I should play drums. I started with a snare and was a featured musician and soloist by fifth grade, played in the marching band in junior high, then the jazz band and a rockfunk band in high school. I even played in clubs. But I’d played enough by the time I was 17 that I recognized that it would be a difficult career, so I didn’t pursue it. …

What’s surprised me is that I still do it. It’s been challenging sometimes to keep music in my life, but I’ve played pretty much since fourth grade.

When did Jazz Explosion start?

Jazz Explosion started in the early 90s, and I’m the only surviving member from then. This year it’s undergone the most changes, and we’ve been playing every Thursday at the Union Hotel Restaurant since July 2009. This is our longest continuous run at a single venue.

The lineup of musicians changes every week. I’m the band leader so they get me every week, plus an assortment of great musicians, professional musicians.

How often do you rehearse?

We often don’t get to practice—that’s the good thing about professional musicians. They play regularly and so they’re ready to perform.

But you practice on your own?

I have to practice more, like a student does, to make sure I’m fresh for Thursday night. I’ve got a little music studio/man cave in our house. I have an electronic drum set so I can use headphones and play to an iPod …

I also study music. I have a young drum teacher and I’ve taken lessons from some master drummers. I’m always trying to seek out the best drummers.

What’s next for the group?

Now that we’ve been at the Union Hotel for a year, we’re getting ready to record an album. … I’ve done demo recordings before, but this is my first recording for an album.

Our hope is to get over to Europe next summer with the band. We’ll have an opportunity in the fall to book dates for summer 2011.

When you were a teenager, did you ever imagine you’d be spending your life this way?

It’s rich. I just feel really lucky to have a great family, my health, an incredibly fulfilling job, and then to be able to play music and play the music I want to play—all within blocks of where I live. I pinch myself. …

It was tough when I was growing up. We didn’t have a lot of money. I was the oldest of five with a single mother and we were on welfare when I was in high school. I started working when I was 15. There was so much uncertainty. …

To me, I always thought if I could pursue education for as long as I could pursue it, things would work out.

But I never really would have pictured all this. B

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This Month at Beniciamagazine.com

Web Exclusives!

Above and above right: The lowdown on Port Costa’s Warehouse Café

In the Know Detailed calendar of what’s happening in Benicia every day:

Right: Plein air painter Craig Britton revealing the beauty of the every day

— Events — Youth & adult sports — Civic meetings — School happenings — Community Classes

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— Four tickets to Expanding Experiences an evening of art, wine tasting and finger food at this popular annual event

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This Off-Broadway Comedy is Coming To Benicia/Vallejo!

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Arts Benicia’s “Dazzling” Affair at Annual Benefit Art Auction & Gala

By Adriene Rockwell Hollywood has the Oscars, San Francisco has the Black & White Ball, and Benicia has the Annual Benefit Art Auction & Gala.

Now in its 18th year, Arts Benicia’s annual Gala has matured into a dazzling affair. This year’s signature fundraising event will take place on Friday, September 24 at the spacious and urban-style IronHorse Home Furnishings Showroom at 990 Grant Street (near Arts Benicia’s gallery). Purchase your tickets now, because seats are limited and last year’s gala sold out early.

“This event promises to be bigger, better, fancier and more fun than ever. The space is gorgeous, the artwork will be stunning and food will be delicious,” says Larnie Fox, Executive Director. “This will be a wonderful chance for the community to come together to support and celebrate Arts Benicia."

The Gala is a celebration of Benicia’s most precious assets: its art and artists. It is also the organization’s primary fundraiser with a goal to gross $50,000 to support Arts Benicia’s ongoing exhibitions and related public programs. There will be a special appeal this year to raise support for Arts Benicia’s hands-on, interactive gallery programs for K–12 children and youth designed to engage, inspire and improve lives through the visual arts.

In 2009, Arts Benicia made a commitment to increasing the event’s revenue and effectiveness over a three to five year period. This was greatly due to the basic survival needs of the organization in a crushing economy, but it also created an opportunity for Art Benicia to boost public awareness about its important role in the cultural fabric of our community, and its mission to “stimulate, nurture, and educate the cultural life in Benicia and beyond.”

As part of this effort, Arts Benicia hired Ed Gold from the premier fundraising auctioneer company Reynolds & Buckley. Ed offers planning and logistical support to the auction committee for months leading up to the event and then brings boundless enthusiasm and stagecraft to the event.

“Ed is a powerful talent on and off stage,” said Mike Kendall, an Auction Committee member and a longtime artist who lives and works in the arsenal. “His ability to entertain and inspire the audience about the cause without demeaning the art or artists is such a big plus.”

This year’s auction committee is chaired by Board Member Cherry Moore, and the team has no shortage of imagination. Among many creative touches, guests will enjoy an elegant family style sit-down dinner with fine wines and beverages, and the added luxury of complementary valet parking at the magnificent 18th Annual Benefit Art Auction & Gala new event location.

“The IronHorse space has an Friday, September 24, 2010, 6pm edginess to it with thick concrete IronHorse Home Furnishings Showroom, walls and ceilings that go up forever,” says Cherry Moore. “I 990 Grant Street, Benicia love that we'll be having the party Tickets are $55 per person, $100 per couple in one great big room, and having and $500 for a table of 10. the silent and live auction artwork on separate walls this year will help us all track the status of our favorite Preview Exhibition: pieces.”

September 2 — September 19 There will be approximately 60 artworks from a range of media at AB Gallery Thurs. - Sun. 12-5pm in the live and silent auctions donated by a mix of established Major sponsors include and emerging local and regional artists. In addition, guests can bid IronHorse Home Furnishings, on a number of Adventure Packages Benicia Magazine, and the Rellik Tavern that offer unforgettable, once-in-awho also donated $500 in gift cards for lifetime experiences. Overall, there will be fewer lots than in past years Auction volunteers. Additional sponsors to encourage the highest value for are Westamerica Bank, Allied Container each auction item. Still, there will Systems and BAIC Multimedia be rare opportunities for new and veteran collectors alike to bring & IT Solutions who is offering in-kind home original art at an affordable technical support. price—and for a very good cause.

“There will be surprises. It’s pretty much a choreographed experience that's designed to stimulate the audience and leave a lasting impression,” said Mike Kendall. “Hey, that's art.”

So put on something sparkly and hold on to your seats (but first you have to get one). This is going to be a sensational and sold-out event again this year. For more information, or to get your tickets now, visit www.artsbenicia.org or phone 707.747.0131. B

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