Benicia Magazine January 2018

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WATER, THE SOURCE OF LIFE

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Benicia

BENICIA LIONS CLUB Annual Lions Crab Feed 2018 POSTPONED until 2019 Support your local community through the Benicia Lions Club!

Recent declines in membership, common to most service clubs, means less community support for these and other vital programs:

• Crab feeds • Sports team sponsorships • July 4 events

• College scholarships • Christmas events • Coastal Cleanup

Join our dynamic group at Round Table Pizza in the Southampton Center, first Thursdays at 6pm.

For more info: John Sloss, Benicia Lions Treasurer 7707.623.7772 or john.sloss@coldwellbanker.com all 2 off sm s $ ; m p m 6 3enu ite plate m r Dining

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Benicia

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Celebrating our 13th Year

Benicia

Be

Benicia Editor Jeanne Steinmann

magazine

Graphic Design Margaret Bowles

Benicia Web Specialist Yarrow Sweningsen

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

Be

Photographers Lisa Duncan Jerry Bowles

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

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

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

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JANUARY

12

18

FEATURES 16

Our complex relationship with water

18

Explore the best of the bay, leaving the car at home

VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3

24

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 From the Editor 12 Currents

Baby boomers pass the torch to keep their companies going (12) Three unique businesses tailored to customer needs (14)

13 Art this Month

Susan Street paintings featured at Plein Air Gallery

20 The Dish

Best winter meals at local restaurants

24 Interview

Laurie Key, local bartender and body builder

Top left: Allan Lemone, Lisa Duncan Photography; Center: Travelling on Amtrak; Right: Laurie Key, Lisa Duncan Photography

26 Trends

A romantic trip to Cabo San Lucas

28 Calendar

The best events in Benicia and around the Bay

29 Live Music

Live music in and around Benicia

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Trees beautify our city.

They also create shade, produce oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.

City of Benicia

Tree Regulations Incorrect pruning includes tipping the branch or topping the tree, causing: — Unsafe sprouts — Dangerously tall branching — Branch weakening & decay Pruning and removal of trees may require a permit.

Call 707.746.4285 or visit www.ci.benicia.ca.us Parks & Community Services.

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FROM THE EDITOR

January 2018 There’s Magic In All of Us

Lisa Duncan Photography

Benicia’s a town that gets under your skin. Considering our small size, there’s a lot of magic here—it exists in all of us. Aside from being one of the friendliest towns on the Bay, our residents are a compassionate, giving, community-minded bunch. A big shout-out goes to Benicia residents, who turned out in droves last month to shop locally, frequenting our retail businesses, bars and eateries. We are so fortunate to retain such a high level of support for our delightful assortment of downtown shops.

January’s sense of renewal is more than welcome this year. In 2017, Benicia grappled with some contentious issues, including the much-debated cannabis question, which, as of this writing, was still unresolved except for the city council’s decision not to allow dispensaries on First Street. Another issue was water rates. After fires up and down the state, water is certainly on our radar. 2017 rate increases remind us just how precious water is, and that we need to respect and preserve it, if for no other reason, to save money.

In our feature on water, page 16, Beth Steinmann brings up another angle that has to do with our relationship with water, and makes the case that, “… because we are made up of water, how we treat our water is how we treat ourselves.” With the added uncertainly of how much rain will fall this year, water will continue to be one of the challenges we face as a community and as a state.

Something we can enjoy without challenge is our ability to get around the Bay without driving. Our transit story in this issue offers details and links to additional information on how to use bus, rail or boat to get where you need to go, from Sacramento to San Francisco.

I’m repeating myself, but Benicia is the little town that could. I feel certain that 2018 will see an expansion of the elements that make Benicia what it is today: a vibrant, 21st-century city, perfectly positioned on the Bay, with an eye towards beauty, history, sustainability, schools, culture, and residents who truly care about our town.

—Jeanne

Facebook.com/ beniciamagazine

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

@Jeannesteinmann beniciamagazine

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Continuing the Legacy Staff writer Allan was drafted into the army on Christmas Eve 1969, spending One significant byproduct of the huge wave of retiring baby a year in Vietnam near Saigon, where he spent his 21st birthday. boomers is that millions of businesses across the U.S. are selling In 1976, Allan and his wife Donnie, who was a Robert Semple or closing. teacher for many years, moved to Benicia to raise their family.

According to an article by Forbes Agency Council, Sept. 29 Allan initially ran the business from his home, and then rented 2017, some business owners are selling to entrepreneurial window space in a few locations before purchasing the building millennials. “Experts estimate that millions at the current location at 4853 East Second of baby boomer entrepreneurs will close or Street. Allan, an avid cyclist and member of sell their business in the next decade,” says the Benicia Bicycle Club since 1988, served on “Experts estimate that author Jason Duff. In Benicia, recently sold the Benicia Parks and Recreation Commission millions of baby boomer for 10 years—one year as chairman—focusing businesses span myriad sectors: insurance, real estate, home improvement, beauty, retail, park development and planning. He entrepreneurs will close on restaurants and others. Some are sold to also coached Little League and Babe Ruth employees or passed down to adult children; baseball for 10 years. or sell their business in others are purchased by buyers looking to Planning how to fill the time retirement the next decade.” own their own company. Others simply close. provides an additional conundrum for Each of our local business owners has a boomers, many of whom end up going back story—many owners have been active in the to work. Allan has that covered, with trips community, serving on boards and commissions, sponsoring planned to New York, Nashville and Hawaii. When asked about sports teams, taking leadership roles in the Benicia Chamber advice to new retirees, he says, “I’ve had good examples—my of Commerce or getting involved in local nonprofits. Just last best friend retired years ago. He keeps busy doing things around month, Allan Lemone, who turns 70 this month and is a newly the house, he stays in shape. Make sure you are ready. Friends minted grandfather, started Affordable Quality Cabinets and have told me, ‘You’ll know when you are ready.’ So I’m comfortable Countertops July 1, 1990. He announced in December that he with it. Having a new grandchild is a game changer.” sold the business he has run for 27 years to Trevor Cotarelo, who Above: Allan Lemone with Trevor Cotarelo worked with John Laverty Construction for 15 years.

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CURRENTS

12/11/17 2:26 PM

ART THIS MONTH

Cochiti Lake Viewing Bench

Paintings by Susan Street at Benicia Plein Air Gallery

An artist reception is planned for Susan Street, the Benicia Plein Air Gallery’s featured artist for the month of January.

Susan will present her new show to family, friends and members of the public, January 13, 3-5pm.

Titled Glorious New Mexico, Susan has installed a show of her impressionistic and emotional treatise of Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, visited in late in 2017. “I have visited good friends in Cochiti Lake Pueblo many times. Until this last visit, I found the desert uninteresting, almost hostile. The rains had provided clear, unlimited vistas of purples, reds and yellows, and the effect

was breathtaking. I appreciated every vista, walked for miles and took hundreds of photographs. The show reflects that joy of discovery, the feeling of being slightly out of my comfort zone, and how this California girl has come full circle in appreciating the desert.”

It was the first time Susan felt really connected to that part of the U.S. The light, the storms, the rocks and the desert all shine in her treatment of a land that many of us never see.

All are welcome to come meet Susan and enjoy good food, conversation and a fresh take on Cochiti Lake, New Mexico.

Show runs January 2-31

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Three Unique Busin

Heritage Pantry and Spice Dominick LaLicata, owner of Downtown Benicia’s Heritage Pantry and Spice, says of his business, “The store was built on a love of friends coming together around a table of good food.” With wife Suzanne Joncoaltz, the couple spent countless evenings bonding over the “epic cheese and meat trays” that Dominick provided at get-togethers during his time as a manager at a local Italian specialty food store.

With Dominick’s previous experience in deli management and their combined passion for food, opening their own store was a natural next step.

Heritage Pantry and Spice started in The Tannery in 2015, offering dried goods and pantry items. “We loved our Tannery community, but we knew we wanted to sell cheeses and meats,” said Suzanne. “To do that, we had to find a new space.”

Heritage moved to its location in Treasury Commons in 2016, and The Little Deli expansion was just completed, offering a wider variety of artisanal cheeses and charcuterie, sandwiches and catering.

“We are also collaborating with The Chill Wine Bar, to provide deli trays for their customers. Now you can order small plates, cheese and meat boards, and rustic sandwiches from Heritage at The Chill. We’re so happy to be in Benicia, and working with The Chill,” Suzanne said. “This is a special place.”

Spark to Shine Many of us are familiar with the Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi quote, “What you are seeking is seeking you.”

This seems like an apt way to introduce Robin Stebbins, Registered Nurse, who also owns Spark to Shine, a life & health coaching business.

It’s Robin’s task to help her clients understand what old patterns may be keeping them stuck in a rut, or not enjoying life to the fullest. Through a host of coaching tools, she helps them recognize unhealthy patterns, and strategize letting them go. “What are those? Why do people hang on to them? Everyone has their true north—their authentic life. I help people find their way—I’m a wayfinder,” she says. “Martha Beck was the first life coach. We all need a life coach for various stages and situations in life.”

Rumi also said, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Robin watches for clues or triggers that the clients might not recognize themselves. “The more limiting beliefs you rid yourself of, the healthier your relationships are. We get to the heart, or root, of what’s holding you back so you can invite abundance in love, in work and in life. It’s living the best version of yourself.”

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usinesses Elementary Enrollment Beginning February 1st BUSD where all students achieve at their highest potential in an engaging, inspiring and challenging learning environment.

Enrollment for incoming Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and new elementary students to BUSD begins February 1st

Dapper Digz Julie Rae’s experience in high-end bar and restaurant management gave her a variety of tools used to start her own business, Dapper Digz. The business is unique in that Julie, who lives here in town, combines home services tailored to the client’s needs—from housekeeping and dog walking, to organization, meal prep and errands—a ‘girl Friday,’ but much more. “I work with clients on their specific requirements. For housekeeping, my standards are very high and I treat people's belongings with care and respect,” Julie says.

Some projects lead to others as customers get to know her and love the flexibility her company offers. For example, Julie enjoys doing customized organization projects, which fills a need that many struggle to complete on their own.

Julie’s restaurant background allowed her to hone her skills with cooking/food prep, as well as party planning. This aspect of the business includes personal shopping for clients, preparing nutritious snacks, helping execute food and drink menus for parties and making dinner ahead for families short on time. Julie is passionate about family pet care as well—and has experience with cats and most dog breeds. “I treat them like my own,” she says.

Lisa Duncan Photography

Your child must turn five years old on or before September 1, 2018 to enroll in Kindergarten.

BUSD is also offering Transitional Kindergarten again this year for all Benicia students who turn five years old between September 2nd and December 2nd, 2018. Enrollment for this program is completed at each of our Elementary Schools starting the month of February.

Open Enrollment for all Elementary students desiring to attend a school outside of their school of residence will be held the month of March.

Forms can be picked up at any elementary site and information is on the BUSD website.

Please call any of our Elementary Schools for additional information and to schedule an appointment.

Benicia Unified School District 350 East K Street, Benicia, CA 707.747.8300 • www.beniciaunified.org

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Bodies of

By Beth Steinmann Growing up and living in Benicia until the age of 18 instilled a deep love of water in me.

I adore the Carquinez Strait. I used to walk to the water in my tumultuous teen years and sit at the water’s edge. The sight, feel and smell of the lapping water always calmed my active mind and nerves. When you grow up with something, perhaps it’s easy to take it for granted, but I have never lived far from the water since. I attended UC Santa Barbara and lived three blocks from the ocean, then UC Berkeley, where I visited the marina and the coast as often as possible. And now I live in Sonoma County on the Russian River, about 20 minutes from the coast. The bigness of the ocean never fails to put things in perspective for me.

As you read these words, trillions of cells in your body see to their tasks of forming and repairing tissues, metabolizing nutrients, removing waste, helping your organs (made up of cells) function together, and more. Each

individual cell is composed of about twothirds water. Take a deep breath in. As the oxygen pours into your body, it’s entering a water-rich environment, an oasis of life.

Babies spend their time in utero immersed in amniotic fluid, which is about 98% water.

A developing fetus’ lungs are filled with this fluid until the first breath is taken after birth.

Human life begins in water, as did life on Earth.

Within this framework, it’s easy to understand why the rallying call of the Standing Rock Movement in South Dakota became “mni wiconi,” which means, “water is life” in the Lakota language. If we remember that water isn’t just something we drink, bathe in, and avoid when it falls from the sky, but that we are actually walking pools of water, our relationship with water may change.

Californians know all too well what it’s like when water is scarce; when our reservoirs sit far below capacity, when our lawns dry

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up, when our plants die because the rain doesn’t come. So what IS our relationship with water? How does water make us feel?

What do we think about it? What do we know about our drinking water? How many ways do we interact with water every day? What rituals and memories do we have that center around water?

In 1994, the late Dr. Masuro Emoto began experimenting with frozen water under a microscope, with the goal of observing water crystals. He and his team noticed that the water crystals changed depending on where the water was from. Water from pristine, untouched sources showed beautiful, unique crystalline patterns, while tap water and water near cities did not. This precipitated (no pun intended) many years of experimentation observing crystals from distilled water after showing pictures, letters and phrases to the water, as well as playing music and praying to it. His results, which show photo-documentation of differences

between positive and negative messages, are published in several books, including The Hidden Messages in Water. While not everyone agrees with his results, Dr. Emoto’s findings shed light on the possibility that our thoughts and actions can affect the molecular structure of the water in our internal and external environments.

Indigenous traditions around the world hold water as sacred, and engage with water not only as the source of all life, but as a precious resource that must be protected, and a living entity that we have a relationship with. It may be said that because we are made up of water, how we treat our water is how we treat ourselves. In a time where counting our blessings is important, let us be thankful for our water, and show our gratitude by doing what we can to keep our shorelines clean, preserving water, and taking good care of our “bodies of water” however we choose to define that.

Photo by Jerrry Bowles BeniciaMagazine.com • 17

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By Sarah Rohrs Don’t have an automobile, want to avoid gridlock or would just like to leave the driving to someone else? Public transit options have come a long way for Benicians. With planning, determination and some extra time, it is, indeed, possible to start at point A in Benicia and get to locations throughout the Bay Area, by boat, train, bus or private driver.

Planning a public transit trip, for pleasure or necessity, is just a mouse click, smart device app or phone call away.

Transit systems have entered the digital age with online bus routes, and parking and ticketing information. SolTrans and the Vallejo Ferry both take the Clipper Card (clippercard. com), the all-in-one transit card that is accepted in a variety of Bay Area ferry, bus and train systems.

It’s pretty straightforward to get to major destinations such as San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento, or closer ones like Diablo Valley or Solano Colleges, or the Fairfield or Sunvalley Malls. The commuter or casual weekend traveler can leave the car at home, as well as the associated traffic and parking hassles. A boon for commuters, the Curtola Park and Ride bus hub offers express service to points along the I-80 corridor in Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda and San Francisco Counties. For those who can not or choose not to drive, Soltrans Route 20 runs from points in Benicia to Vallejo’s Kaiser and Sutter hospitals.

How do you get to where you want to go without spending hours looking up transit schedules and figuring

out connections? For Solano County travel, public transit riders can use the SolTrans (soltransride.com) MyRide program, the trip planner tool at solanomobility.org, or speak directly with a trip planner by calling the Solano Mobility Center at 800.535.6883. To get further afield in the nine Bay Area Counties, check out the 511 SF Bay (511. org) online trip planner to check routes in real time, and to get point-to-point transit options and timing, provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (mtc.ca.gov).

The website also offers transit news and alerts, emergency information, bike trails, voice calls and more.

SolTrans Route 78 is the main bus line for riders to transfer to routes that will take them throughout the Bay Area. The route goes into Vallejo and the busy Curtola Park & Ride lot as well as the Vallejo Transit Center, where riders can board Route 80 buses that take them to the El Cerrito BART Station. SolTrans Executive Director Beth Kranda said that efforts are in the works to improve the express routes that take riders to transit hubs in Pleasant Hill and Concord, as well as Vallejo. Benicia City Councilman Tom Campbell, Benicia’s representative on the SolTrans board, said the aim is to make the bus service more flexible and eliminate some redundancies.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (bart.gov) trains go to San Francisco and the San Francisco International Airport, as well as Oakland and the Oakland International Airport, plus many other Bay Area destinations. BART “powers” hundreds of third party mobile apps, and has a destinations guide on their website at bart.gov/guide/destinations.

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Route 78 buses also take riders to the Vallejo Transit Center, where they can cross the street to the Vallejo Ferry Building, and board a San Francisco Bay Ferry (sanfranciscobayferry.com/) that stops at the San Francisco Ferry Building and at Pier 41. The Vallejo Ferry Building is just across Mare Island Way from the Vallejo Transit Center, where riders can catch Vallejo buses, the Vine Transit (ridethevine.com/vine), and SolTrans Route 85, which takes riders to Solano Community College and the Fairfield Transit Center. Once there, riders can board Fairfield and Suisun Transit (fasttransit.org) buses to Vacaville, Sacramento and the Suisun Amtrak Station, where the Capitol Corridor (capitolcorridor.org/) trains stop to pick up passengers. Amtrak (Amtrak.com) also runs dedicated bus services to get people to train stations. To get to the Martinez train station from Benicia, taxi services or Uber cars are available.

An affordable senior transportation service, Go Go Grandparent (gogograndparent.com), offers pickups within 15 minutes to the grocery store, doctor or other destinations, and automated rides for fixed medical appointments. Family members of senior riders can receive by-the-minute text updates, and senior riders can text a gogograndchild at any time.

Although the personal auto is still king, riders also have Yellow Cab of Benicia at their disposal. Uber employs independent contractors to provide transportation services in a private car or ride-share, simply by downloading the app, which provides real-time tracking

of the Uber car’s location while you wait. The service is prepaid by credit card and the entire transaction is handled through the app. Here’s a list of available services to get you started on your next transit adventure.

Photo, left, Amtrak passing through Emeryville, above, Vallejo ferry docking at the San Francisco Ferry Building

Yellow Cab of Benicia: 707.745.1743.

Uber: Download the app on your smart device SolTrans: soltrans.org, soltransride.com Solano Mobility Center: solanomobility.org, 800.535.6883 Clipper Card: clippercard.com The Vine Transit: ridethevine.com/vine Bay Area Rapid Transit: bart.gov, bart.gov/guide/destinations Vallejo Ferry: sanfranciscobayferry.com Amtrak Capitol Corridor Train: amtrak.com, capitolcorridor.org Go Go Grandparent: gogograndparent.com

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The Dish

Two Soups and a Shank: Local Chefs Share their Best Winter Dish

By Courtney Tait Lisa Duncan Photography

H

ot, flavorful and soothing to the soul: all key ingredients of the perfect cold-weather dish. But what elevates a winter meal from satisfying to superb? Kicking off our new food column, we asked local chefs to share their best dish for the season—one that will lure you out of your slippers and into the restaurant to indulge.

Sai Aung Min Qiu and Than Naing CHEFS, Aung Maylika In Burmese, Aung Maylika means “Great River.”

In Benicia, it means authentic Burmese cuisine is available in our own backyard.

This family-run business in the Southampton Shopping Center features chefs Sai Aung Min Qiu and Than Naing, both born and raised in Myanmar (Burma). Between them, they share more than 20 years of experience cooking Burmese cuisine—a fusion of Thai, Chinese and Indian. Aung Maylika co-owner, Nora Chan, says the restaurant’s focus is to introduce creative, traditional Burmese food with a touch of Asian-influenced cuisine.

Best Winter Dish: Coconut Chicken Soup “When cool air comes out, coconut chicken soup is your best friend,” says Nora. “The broth is based with coconut milk and comes with egg noodles, chicken, fresh onions, cilantro and fried wonton skin. Adding chili powder and lemon makes this rich, creamy noodle soup perfect for winter.” Companion dish: Tea Leaf Salad.

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Brandie Wendt CHEF, Camellia Tea Room As far back as she can remember, Brandie Wendt loved helping her grandmothers in the kitchen.

This passion led her to the California Culinary Academy, where she trained to become a chef.

At Benicia’s Camellia Tea Room, a staple menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts— along with more than forty loose leaf teas—is one that loyal customers rely on. Brandie adds flair with seasonal ingredients and specials.

Best winter dishes: Tomato Bisque Soup or Stuffed Potato “Our Tomato Bisque is a creamy tomato soup that will warm you from the inside out,” says Brandie. “Our Stuffed Potato is made up of cream cheese, chives, sour cream and butter mixed with mashed potatoes, stuffed back into the skin and baked until golden brown on top. It will fill you up and keep you warm for hours on a cold day.”

home, gift, garden with a dash of whimsy candles journals greeting cards decorative items notebooks notepads

Omero Cordoso CHEF, Bella Siena Benicia’s newest eatery, Bella Siena, serves up classic Italian fare with a view of the Carquinez Strait. Owners and veteran restaurateurs Elizabeth and Yilmaz Kurt spent the better part of a year renovating its Tannery Building location, where diners enjoy world-class service.

and

more!

Originally from Mexico, Omero Cordoso moved to the US in 1998 and found his calling to cook in the kitchens of A Tavola (San Carlos) and Allegria (Napa). As chef at Bella Siena, he creates Italian favourites influenced by the seasons.

Best winter dish: Braised Lamb Shank with Rosemary Polenta A recurring special, the lamb shank is slow cooked and braised for five hours with wild mushrooms, celery, carrots, and a rich merlot sauce. “The aromas fill you up and give you that warm feeling,“ says Elizabeth. “It’s a nice hearty dish—a labor of love.”

— Editor’s note: We were unable to get photos of Bella Siena’s lamb shank as they were not yet open

372 First Street, Downtown Benicia

707.853.8159

Facebook.com/Urbannotions

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Business &

Professional

DIRECT

Cabinets… Built in Benicia

Joseph L. Wilder Financial Advisor

Master Cabinet Builder

Over 40 years experience

707.745.3122 555 First St, suite 104 Benicia, CA 94510

joseph.wilder@edwardjones.com edwardjones.com/joseph-wilder CA Insurance License OC24309 Custom Cabinets & Furniture • Closets • Garage hatzidesigns.com

707.208.0388

Dr. Clifford Hoffman DO, MPH FAMILY PRACTICE

707-750-5944 831 E. 2nd street #103, Benicia www.CliffordHoffmanDO.com CliffordHoffmanDO@gmail.com Board Certified Family Physician Osteopathic Manual Medicine

Michael Trahan • Interior Design www.michaeltrahan.com 707.748.1080

Lanita Nelson

707.745.0609

847 First Street, Benicia Inside Well Kept Salon Lanitanelson.com OSHA Compliant

Beautiful teeth.

Beautiful smile.

Beautiful life!

Family Dentistry

Jacqueline Lim, DDS 707.745.1994 164 East H Street, Benicia, CA

SERVING THE BAY AREA

Dr. Richard Joyce Dr. Geoffrey Sampson OPTOMETRISTS 874 Southampton Rd., Benicia, CA 94510

707.745.6266

brightbirdtutoring.com

Home Auto

Business

560 First St., Ste C103, Benicia

www.stevemcclure.net 707.745.0848

Like this page? in Benicia Magazine's Business & Professional Directory

707-980-2143

640 First Street 707.746.7830

Steve McClure

Showcase your business

K-12 Math, English, languages, GED, SAT, ACT

Mexican Food

Call 707.853.5226 today to reserve your spot

Furniture, Collectibles & Household Items

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

22 • Benicia Magazine

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CTORY

Professional &

Business STAR MOTORS

License #748221

Mercedes-Benz Service & Repair Since 1985

COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR Interior/Exterior Residential & Commercial Painting and more!

707.747.0427 • hobsonpainting@gmail.com

hobsonpainting.com

707.745.9649

4251 Park Road, Benicia, CA Mon-Thu 8am-5pm • Fri 8am-3pm

986 Adams Street, Benicia 707.745.5606 starmotors-benicia.com

Winterize Your Auto

10% off labor with this ad

Lucca Bar and Grill

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

Camellia Tea Room

828 First Street • Downtown Benicia 707.746.5293 camelliatearoom.com

Benicia Customized Household Services

Dapper Digz Cleaning/Organization Errands Pet & Plant Care Meal Prep/Cooking

510.301.7243 Chiropractic Center Benicia Dr. Kerry Lilley, D.C.

Thurs-Fri 5-10pm • Sat-Sun 1-10pm 439 First Street, Benicia 707.745.0943 • luccabar.com

HOME GIFT GARDEN

372 First Street, Downtown Benicia

707.853.8159

Pups ’n’ Purrz

Specializing in All of Your Pet’s Needs!

GRIFFIN FITNESS Personal Training Studio griffinfitness.com 707.748.0880

701 Southampton Road, Benicia Chiropracticbenicia.com

422 First Street, Benicia • 707.748.7433

pupsnpurrz.com

707.747.6677

Lisa McVeigh, Owner

2038 Columbus Pkwy, Benicia, CA 94510

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Interview Lisa Duncan Photography

with

Laurie Key

By Sue Sumner-Moore Laurie Key is in hummingbird mode these days as she works on reinventing herself.

“Some people have a clear path, like I did when I was a dancer,” says the Benicia bartender. “Others go from thing to thing to thing and they find passion along the way. That’s how I’ve been since I quit dancing.”

Laurie danced professionally from ages 8 to 32. Since then, she has found her passion in designing jewelry, introducing customers at her former shop to new clothing lines, sharing and selling lipstick and skin care products she loves, and competing in bodybuilding contests.

Laurie, 56, talks candidly about the ups and downs of her life: the tough transition when she stopped dancing professionally, the joys of owning a First Street retail shop, the desire to help women as their lives evolve, her dream of getting back into retail, and how her bodybuilding regimen and teammates helped her when her marriage was falling apart.

“Everything in my life has a story behind it,” she says wryly as she launches into a tale about choosing a name for her former women’s wear store. Her Italian heritage and a family trip to see The Nutcracker resulted in picking Piccolo—Italian for “little”—when the store focused on jewelry and accessories.

She added clothing and shoes later. The store closed in 2013 after eight years in business.

Laurie was born and raised in Chicago. Love brought her to Vallejo and then Benicia, where she and her family settled in 1993. The move marked the end of her dancing career and the beginning of her hummingbird stage of life. Along the way, she married and divorced twice and raised her daughter.

“My big, crazy life,” she says with a ready smile.

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INTERVIEW

What led to you ending your dance career?

I had a hip injury and was in pain a lot at the end of my career. I thought when I moved out here, it was time for me to move on.

It was a hard adjustment. I danced from age 3 to 32—I was Laurie the Dancer.

I didn’t go to the theater a lot after I stopped dancing because I would cry. It used to be I would just walk in and smell the theater and remember being backstage and I’d start crying. It got to where I could sit and the overture would start before I start crying. Even talking about it now gives me goosebumps.

How did your home-based jewelry business grow into a women’s wear shop on First Street?

While I was still dancing, I started making earrings and I was really bad at it. But I got better and people started asking if I’d make earrings for them. I started doing parties. One morning a customer called, needing a gift for a co-worker.

I’m in PJs, my daughter is in diapers … When she left, I said, “That’s it. I have to rent a space.”

I opened Hidden Angel Designs first in the Arsenal then on East H where the key shop is.

I added accessories and got a space on First Street. I changed the business name to Piccolo when I moved to First Street.

Then a friend said, “You should do clothing.”

I didn’t want to, but I ended up ordering athletic wear and I sold what I ordered in three weeks and I was in the clothing business. Then I over-ordered.

I made every mistake you could make. I’d never worked in retail before I opened my shop.

Why did you close Piccolo?

I shared a space with Shirroco (a home goods store). When they decided to close, it was the end of a rough economic time and when it was clear the landlord couldn’t find a suitable retailer to take Shirroco’s space, I decided to close. I had Piccolo from 2005 to 2013.

I miss my store; I miss my customers. I felt it was like a family.

I knew people’s kids, what was going on in their lives. One of my favorite things is finding things and sharing them with my customers.

How did you end up getting into competitive bodybuilding?

When my husband and I separated, I started going to Training Loft 714. It looked hard but I was a dancer and I was used to hard work. That was almost three years ago. …

I felt so out of shape. I had no intention of competing. I thought, “Why would you get a spray tan? Why would you put on a bikini and walk across the stage?”

Then I met the women there, these incredible women. They are very supportive and helpful. …

The Training Loft gave me a landing place during a hard time in my life. The last two and a-half years are the first time I’ve not had a man in my life since I was 15. Now I am doing something for myself.

How often do you compete?

I’ve competed three times, in April and October of last year and April of this year.

I was concerned that I was not going to have enough muscle, that I would be too scrawny and too skinny. What I like is you can see progress. Very few things push me out of my comfort zone; fitness is one of those. …

I don’t take physical risks like skydiving, but in other parts of life, apparently I will prance across the stage with seven coats of spray tan in a bikini (laughing).

How do you prepare for a competition?

You go on a 12- to 16-week prep where you adjust your diet and lift weights five to six times a week and do cardio five to six days a week. I lean out faster than I build muscle, so I don’t do as much cardio as others.

There’s no dairy, no sugar, no alcohol. I’m part of a team of about 25 women so when I’m struggling, I can text or go to our chat group on Facebook.

Do you take any supplements?

I drink protein shakes twice a day and put BCAA (an amino acid additive) in water. That’s it. I eat like five to six times a day, but small meals.

What’s your training routine now?

Now I’m lifting four times a week. I want to compete again, but I’m not in a space mentally right now. Maybe in October next year.

Any advice for someone who might be interested in bodybuilding?

The first thing you have to do is show up. You have to take it day by day and not be afraid to start something new. You find the level that makes you happy, where you fit.

But the most important thing is to make the decision to show up.

How do you navigate major changes in your life?

A lot of times a door will open as something else ends. Some people are afraid of what’s on the other side of the door. To me, (eyes widening with excitement) it’s like, “Ooooh—what’s on the other side of the door?”

When I didn’t get a dance job I wanted, I’d give myself 24 hours to stay in bed, to cry—then I’d get up and try again. It’s a very tricky thing for me not to wallow. For me right now, I have the Training Loft, I have bartending. But I’m a little bit lost about how to get back to my store. I was loved by customers, I loved being at my store.

What’s next for you?

I’m trying to figure it out. I want to help other women find themselves. …

I started a blog but I haven’t written in it for about a year.

It’s called The Hummingbird and The Phoenix, and it’s about exploring the art of reinvention. It’s geared to women 50 and older, whose children are leaving and maybe they’ve been home and want to have a career. I’d like to make The Hummingbird and the Phoenix a thing.

So I don’t know what’s next for me exactly. Maybe sharing the process of how I figure it out will help other women. You don’t have to conquer all your fears to help people learn how to conquer their fears, to encourage them, to help them.

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Romance, Relaxation and Great Food in Cabo San Lucas

By Christina Strawbridge What a surprise! Three days in Cabo San Lucas at the JW Marriott resort unrelated to business—a romantic getaway for just the two of us (sans poodle) in late November. Is it romance, or just escaping to a warmer climate? After 46 years of marriage, I will take it either way.

Cabo is a short, affordable plane ride less than three hours from San Francisco. The Baja California Peninsula is quite different than I expected. My window seat’s 30,000 ft. vantage point offered a baron landscape bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. There were no signs of life, or even roads, until the plane started its descent into Los Cabo's international airport, surrounded by mountains and gorgeous beaches.

The airport is modern, but maneuvering through customs took nearly an hour, with several flights arriving at the same time, and then finding a taxi, which became a bidding war of pesos. Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabos are the anchor cities for tourism, culture and civilization, at the tip of the Peninsula. The Marriott is located in a remote area near the city of San Jose. Gardens and infinity pools that visually meet the blue waters of the Gulf surround its stark, Zen-like architecture. Since our stay was only a few days, we decided to forgo shopping and sightseeing, settling into the pool scene: lounge chairs, sunscreen and umbrella drinks. Relax!

Our Benicia friends who are regulars to the area made a list of "must eat" restaurants. Trends

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in Cabo dining are much more than fish tacos. The one night we ventured out of the hotel was to have dinner at Acre, a farm-to-table dining experience. The 20-minute cab ride along a dark, winding dirt road brought us to a lit walkway that guided us to the outdoor restaurant and bar. A live band playing the best of the Beatles greeted us. Perfect!

Acre is a 25-acre piece of farmland that houses a restaurant, cocktail bar, event space and tree house hotel accommodations. Authenticity is the goal, from the walls of compressed earth to the shade structures made with branches from local pau d'arco trees. Furniture, dishes, lighting and accessories are made in Baja or from the Mexican mainland. The food comes from the Acre farm and local growers.

Acre was able to persuade two talented chefs to leave large-city markets and relocate to this tourist destination, by giving them the opportunity to set up and run their very own farm. They are obsessed with mixing an urban experience with local Baja ingredients. With guidance from the server, we ordered the house specialty—fried tomatoes laced with sherry and honey syrup—then we were presented with chicken liver mousse made of strawberry compote, chicken chicharron and pickled

• Serving the Benicia/Vallejo area for over 70 years • Only on-site crematory in the area • Funerals, memorials, VA Burials John “Sherm” Passalacqua

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

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

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

...IT’S A FACT!

Residential & Commercial CARPET • UPHOLSTERY TILE & GROUT CLEANING

CELEBRATING 27 YEARS! 800 First Street, Ste. A, Benicia • 707-746-8656

spotlesscarpetcleaning.net

A Wonderful Place For Gifts

turnip (compliments of the chef), and for an entree we selected the whole roasted hen served on a table-sized wood platter, surrounded by roasted vegetables and Za'atar flatbread. We also tried the catch of the day: blackened sea bass, complimented by broccoli, peanuts and soy glaze, paired with a Napa Valley Cabernet, to the dismay of the servers). It was a memorable dinner of delicious food, a cool atmosphere and an air of romance.

As Scott and I listened to the band play Nowhere Man, it was decided that three days in Cabo is not quite enough time for romance, escaping the cold and discovering the Peninsula. It may very well become our go-to place to rejuvenate, and celebrate our amazing lives together.

700 First Street Benicia, CA 94510

707-745-0254

www.studio41.com

OPEN EVERY DAY Beautiful Greeting Cards BeniciaMagazine.com • 27

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January 2017 Events Paintings by Susan Street at Benicia Plein Air Gallery

1/2-31 Opening Reception 1/13, 3-5pm Benicia Plein Air Gallery 307 First Street, Benicia Artist Susan Street, member of the Benicia Plein Air Gallery, has installed a new show of her impressionistic treatise of Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, which she visited in late in 2017, titled Glorious New Mexico. The artist will be present for the reception, with food and drink, on January 13.

Beniciapleinair.com

Nature Hike at King-Swett Ranch

1/6, 9am-1pm King-Swett Ranch McGeary Road and Hiddenbrooke, Vallejo Explore the hills between Fairfield, Benicia, and Vallejo. Solano Land Trust docents will guide hikers through this area, known as the King-Swett Ranches. They’ll share insights about the birds and other wildlife that call this area home, and give a great workout!

Take advantage of this special opportunity if you can because the King-Swett Ranches are otherwise closed. Hikes are monthly and free, but space is limited and preregistration is recommended.

Solanolandtrust.org/KingSwett. aspx

T-Rex Planet Dinosaur Show

1/6, 10am-9pm; 10/7, 10am-6pm Exposition & McCormick Halls Solano County Fairgrounds 400 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo Come enjoy have a massive display of most realistic, unique giant dinosaurs. See T-Rex, Spinosaurus and 50 more. Kids will have chance to interact with dinosaur babies.

Trainers let kids pet these cute little guys while educating them.

Also check out virtual reality and walking dinosaurs.

Trexplanet.com

Black Comix Art Festival

1/13-15 Yerba Buena Gardens 750 Howard Street, San Francisco The Black Comix Arts Festival (BCAF) celebrates African Americans’ creativity in the comic arts and popular visual culture and is dedicated to the notion that all audiences deserve to be subject in the culture in which we participate.

This expanded three-day event includes a grand expo, kids activities, film screenings, panels and conversations, cosplay events and much more. A partnership with the San Francisco Public Library, BCAF is a festival of the Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation and is part of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations in San Francisco. In 2015, BCAF was voted one of the ten best festivals in the US by USA Today's editors and readers. Join in the fun at Yerba Buena Gardens, festival is free and open to the public.

Sfmlkday.org/bcafcon

MLK Park Day

1/15, all day Around the Bay Area Free Entrance Days in the National Parks include Muir Woods National Monument and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-freeparks.htm

Downtown Benicia Restaurant Week

1/20-1/27 Downtown Benicia Downtown Benicia celebrates California Restaurant Month with Restaurant Week in January.

A dining passport offers a 15% discount at participating eateries (conditions may apply).

Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Community Share Plot Workday

1/27, 9am-12pm Benicia Community Garden’s Avant Garden 432 First Street, Benicia BCG maintains a Benicia Community Share Plot that grows food for donation to the community members in need. It’s cared for by volunteers, and the community is welcome to join in at the workdays, lead by Chris and Rick, volunteer farmers. Participants will learn a lot about planting while helping to seed, weed and harvest fresh produce; and be surrounded by wonderful people who care about our community.

Beniciacommunitygardens.org

Vallejo Symphony Presents: Revolution

1/28, 3pm The Empress Theater 330 Virginia Street, Vallejo Vallejo’s second performance in a three-performance season is called Revolution, and it’s filled with the drama of opposing forces. Maestro Taddei showcases Mozart’s grandest symphony, Symphony No. 40. Cecile Licad plays Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 1, composed in the wake of censure from the hostile Soviet government. And finally, the most famous love story ever written, Romeo & Juliet, is heartbreakingly spun through Tchaikovsky’s masterful lyricism.

Vallejosymphony.org 707.643.5746

Jazz N Crab Feed

1/28 Historic Clock Tower 1189 Washington Street, Benicia As an annual fundraiser for the Benicia Panthers Band, Benicia's Middle & High School's jazz bands combine for one special night to entertain feasters while enjoying a crab dinner complete with sides, salad and dessert. For questions, email boosterpresident@ pantherbandboosters.com.

Pantherbandboosters.com/jazzn-crab

Wine & Chocolate Walk

2/3, 1-5pm Downtown Benicia Stroll First Street with your sweetheart tasting fine wine and chocolate pairings inside downtown shops.

Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

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Who’s Bad The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute

Y R A U JAN C I S U M LIVE

Empress Theatre 707.552.2400 330 Virginia St, Vallejo EmpressTheatre.org Jan. 12, 8pm

L.A. Guns Reunion Tour with opener Kory Gibbs $25 Online, $30 Box Office & Phone

Uptown Theatre Napa 707.259.0123 1350 Third Street, Napa UptownTheatreNapa.com Jan. 12, 8pm

Jan. 27, 8pm

Who’s Bad The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute $20 – $35, Ticketmaster or Box Office Five For Fighting with String Quartet $35 – $55, Ticketmaster or Box Office

Kory Gibbs

TuneRiders

Upstairs @ the Café First Street Café 707.745.1400 440 First Street, Benicia Firststreetcafe.com No Cover Charge Jan. 5, 8-11:15pm Jan. 13, 7:30-10:30pm Jan. 20, 8-11:15pm Jan. 27, 8-11:15pm

Doug Howser Rock & Roll, Oldies Americanna Songbook Various Artists doing Classic Rock & Originals TuneRiders Rock & Roll, Oldies The Thundering Heard Bluegrass, Country

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Deli Sandwiches, Salads and Soups Family Owned and Operated

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

82 Solano Square, Benicia CA

Alonzo

AND

Small

Insurance Agency

Home • Auto Motorcycle • Boat Business Policies 1440 Military W. #202, Benicia

707.746.0590 • alonzosmall.com

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist No. 97517

1350 Hayes Street, Suite A33 Benicia, CA 94510

(707) 980-3331

ESTEY

After over 50 years in the same location, we have moved our offices to the waterfront. The former location at First & J Streets was red-tagged by the City as unsafe.

Real Estate Sales & Professional Property Management

CaBRE # 00674738

Come see us in our fabulous new space at 216 First Street!

Since 1946

Celebrating our 71 st year of Business

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

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LINDA LEWIS

Plumbing and Boilers

REALTOR® Personal Service, Quality Results

Residential & Commercial Service, Repair & Replacement

ALAIN PINEL REALTORS 1646 N. California Blvd., Suite 101, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

llewis@apr.com Licence #00908045

O 925.627.3096 C 707.567.5016

Slab leaks, repipes Water heaters, faucets Toilets, garbage disposals Remodels, gas lines & more

10%

discount with this ad

Free Estimates Mike Pitta, Owner/Operator

707.751.1714

Lic. #969499 Insured & bonded

• up2codeplumbing.com

Eagle Construction Roofing Since 1974 Lic.#703740

Roofing • Landscaping Room Additions • Fencing • Decks Patio Covers • Painting Driveways • Windows

Full-line pet store Professional dog & cat grooming Do it yourself pet wash

100% Financing • Free Estimates PACE Program • Licensed, Bonded, Insured

1202 East 5th Street, Benicia 707.745.5016 • www.FeathererPet.com

707.558.8246

623 Tuolumne St. Vallejo • eagleconstructionroofing.com

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

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Contractor's License # 678979

Celebrating 27 Years

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

“I LOVE my new kitchen! Allan and Mary Ann are wonderful to work with, not only for providing beautiful, quality cabinets and great design, but they also made ordering hardware, cabinet glass and countertop material/installation a breeze. I highly recommend AQCC!” —Christie

AFFORDABLE QUALITY Cabinets and Countertops

Open Mon. - Fri. 9-5

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

707-745-2100 l aqchome.com

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