Benicia Magazine March 2012

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE with our

SOLANO COUNTY QUIZ WHERE LOCAL INTERIOR DESIGNERS

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 5

Benicia Magazine MARCH VOLUME 7 ISSUE 5

14

20

16

Features 14 Ratcheting Up

Solano Pride: Fun & Interesting County Facts

16 Five Essential Kitchen Culinary Herbs

20 Local Interior Designers Share Favorite Books

Departments 10 From the Editor 12 Currents

Historical Museum archivists Tips for green cleaning

Farm-to-table dining

18 Food

22 Wellness

Finding our internal compass through meditation

6 • Benicia Magazine

26 Just for Kids

What's on the Web

28 Interview

with Benicia Community Garden’s Larry Lamareaux

30 Looking Back

Part 4: Benicia legislative acts of 1853, gold miner’s tax

32 Listening

Featured musician Clif Foster

32 Live music calendar 33 March Events 34 Fashionista

Fashion faux pas and wardrobe malfunctions

At Valero, we value…

Community.

Community.

The Valero Volunteer Council supports dozens of projects each year in Benicia, Solano County, and throughout the Bay Area where employees live. Volunteers recently assembled 2,500 bags of assorted toiletries to distribute to area shelters.

Involvement in our community is an integral part of Valero’s culture.

3400 East Second Street • Benicia, CA 94510 Community Relations (707) 745-7534 BeniciaCommunityRelations@Valero.com

BeniciaMagazine.com • 7

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Benicia

magazine

Celebrating our 8th Year

Benicia Editor Jeanne Steinmann Graphic Design Margaret Bowles

magazine

Web Specialist Yarrow Sweningsen Special Projects/Advertising Coordinator Joey Baker

Benicia

Contributing Writers Bob Ecker, Jerome Page, Rhonda Lucile Hicks, Beth Steinmann Christina Strawbridge, Sue Sumner-Moore

magazine

Contributing Photographers Jerry Bowles, Lisa Duncan Photography

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Editorial deadlines The 1st of the month prior to the issue month

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Beauty from the Inside Out 8 • Benicia Magazine

Advertising sales

707.853.5226 general@beniciamagazine.com Advertising deadlines The 5th of the month prior to the issue month Contact Us 707.853.5226, Beniciamagazine.com editor@beniciamagazine.com Administration Office Manager Rise Goebel Copy Editor/proofreader Beth Steinmann Benicia Magazine is published monthly by Polygon Publishing, LLC Copyright © 2012, 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, P.O. Box 296, Benicia, CA 94510. 707.853.5226, beniciamagazine.com.

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 9

From the Editor

March is a month of transitions. Still winter when it begins, the vernal equinox on March 20 ushers in spring. The garden beckons and we come out of hibernation with the lengthening days (although, with only a third of February behind us, the weather is remarkably spring-like already!) We yearn to open the windows and let in the fresh air, sweep out the mental dust and begin to think about home improvement, whether it’s a complete remodel or just freshening things up a bit. Like many women I know, and even some men, my favorite television channel is HGTV. I find inspiration in its design programs, and continuously look to improve the aesthetics, functionality and comfort of our home.

This issue is full of home and garden features to inspire readers.

Benicia is overflowing with creativity, and we can all tap into and get inspired by the many talented artists, craftspeople, writers, interior designers and gardeners pursuing their passion in their respective fields. Planning a year’s worth of magazine stories and building each issue requires a heavy dose of creativity, but many aspects are technical. It can be a challenge to keep the right and left sides of the brain in balance, so accessing that creative flow is essential.

When I’m struggling to come up with even one good idea, I look to a highly personal area in a large closet off the office hallway. It is chock full of crayons, vintage buttons, colored pencils, fabrics, old maps, paints, odd bits and scraps of recycled items, yarn, crossstitch thread—all manner of craft supplies. It also holds cards I’ve saved, trinkets I love, a new sewing machine and the promise of one day sitting down and actually using some of those items to create something wonderful. For now, I mostly just look at it and smile—just seeing it there makes me happy. I’ll open the doors, turn on the small lamp and peruse books that I know will spark an idea. One book in particular helps me think creatively about work: Where Women Create, by Jo Packham. It features the amazing work spaces of creative women, famous and unknown, local and far-flung.

Thanks to TV design programs and the plethora of home magazines (my favorites are House Beautiful and Veranda), over the years the number of men interested in interior design has skyrocketed, and the “man cave” has taken on new importance. Whatever your age or gender, I encourage you to carve out an area in your home or office to create a space, however small, where you can think or be inspired. Then take a picture and send it to us to share with readers. If for no other reason, mine provides the ultimate validation that comes from the slipping of a small hand into mine by a certain Loma Jane, who, when she visits, beguilingly requests a trip to “Jeanne’s creativity closet,” which inspires her to sit right down and practice writing her letters, even at the tender age of four.

Jeanne Steinmann Send your comments, suggestions and ideas to: editor@beniciamagazine.com www.beniciamagazine.com CORRECTION: In the January issue, there was an error on Allied Waste’s ad regarding the Devlin Road Transfer Station’s acceptance of household hazardous waste. As of 1/1/12, the Devlin Road facility no longer accepts HHW from Benicia residents. We regret the error.

10 • Benicia Magazine

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 11

Benicians Give

Museum Volunteers Archive

You don’t have to be a history buff to appreciate the behind-the-scenes work that goes into valuing, editing, recording, maintaining, preserving and displaying items in the Benicia Historical Museum’s collection.

The Museum is a repository for civic and community records and documents; one that adds to Benicia’s pride and sense of place.

Most of the collection items have been donated or lent by Benicia’s citizens who trust the museum’s volunteers to take proper care of them. It’s no small job. Thanks to volunteers like Bev Phelan, who in her more than twenty years at the Museum, has logged in a whopping 36,400 hours. Much of her time is spent researching photos and documents for authors, publishers, historians, students and film companies.

To date, Bev and other Museum volunteers have accessioned about half of the Museum’s current collection. These include 9,358 photos, 2,838 objects, 1,427 archival documents and 76 books. The four buildings that comprise the Museum complex are rented from

the City for $1 per year. To fund ongoing operations, in addition to the permanent exhibits, the museum hosts six concerts per year in the Spenger Garden, three temporary exhibits, lectures, Kid’s Day and other events. Bev Phelan, Jim and Robert Garrett, Bob Kasnikas, Fred Paine, the board of directors, the many docents and other volunteers are all critical components to the Museum’s success. Benicia’s namesake, Doña Benicia, would be proud.

To become a member or learn more about the Museum, visit beniciahistoricalmuseum.org. B

Go Green

for Spring Cleaning Do you associate a clean home with the lingering fragrances from commercial household cleaning products? According to Deirdre Imus, best-selling author and founder of the Greening the Cleaning program, household cleaning fragrances could be harmful to your health. The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology researches possible links between various cancers and environmental hazards.

In her book, Greening Your Cleaning, published in April, 2007, Imus advocates the use of alternative cleaning products. The book includes an easy-to-follow table of “what to avoid and why” ingredients found in common cleaning products, including all purpose cleaners, laundry detergents, glass and window cleaners, hand dish detergents, air fresheners and deodorizers, carpet cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners.

For example, according to the table, artificial fragrances available to manufacturers for cleaning and deodorizing products “could be made up of 50 to 100 or more toxic chemical ingredients. Artificial fragrances cause indoor air pollution and may trigger environmental illnesses such as headache, sinusitis, asthma, allergy, chronic fatigue syndrome, 12 • Benicia Magazine Currents

chemical sensitivity, etc.” Phenols, dyes, chlorine bleach, trisodium phosphate and a host of others bear similar warnings as suspected or known carcinogens, skin, eye and respiratory ailments.

The good news is that there are many alternatives available.

Thedailygreen.com has a slideshow that explains how to make your own green cleaning supplies, and many companies are offering green products. Imus’ list of ingredients to avoid can be downloaded as a pdf file from dienviro.org and printed so you can check labels carefully before you buy. Good Housekeeping’s website, thedailygreen.com, reviews and recommends true green products for home use. They feature six top picks for general purpose cleaning product lines, which are chosen as nominees for their 2011 Heart of Green Awards.

The products are: Seventh Generation, Ecover (Belgian Company), Method (Target brand), Mrs. Meyers (S.C. Johnson), Green Works (Clorox) and Nature's Source (S.C. Johnson). Mrs. Meyers and Seventh Generation are available at Raley’s, and Green Works products are available at Safeway. B

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A Solano County Primer:

art, agriculture and a whole lot more There’s so much happening in Solano County that we're only able to scratch the surface. Starting with geography, we are perfectly positioned. Solano County residents enjoy easy access to all of Northern California’s best playgrounds, and we have more than a few of our own. With San Francisco only a ferry ride away, little more than an hour to the ocean and, sorry Contra Costans—the fastest getaway to Tahoe on the Bay, does it get any better? Indeed it does. Although we haven’t completely shaken our “humble cousin” reputation to some of the Bay’s status counties, we have our own “wine country” that is more laid-back than our neighbors to the north, abundant art and culture, parks and open space, great boutique and outlet shopping, golf courses, history, lots of birds and inland waterways set around bucolic rolling hills. To ratchet up our Solano County pride, we offer a few other fascinating tidbits worth knowing, but if you are a know-it-all, feel free to jump right to the quiz at the end to test your Solano County IQ.

The Great Pacific Flyway

Fast Facts Land & water:

909.4 square miles total, with 84.2 square miles of water area and 675.4 square miles of rural land area*

Population: 414,509 (January 2011)* Cities & towns: Solano County has 7 cities and 69 unincorporated places* CITIES

INCORPORATED

POPULATION (Jan. 2011)

Benicia

1850; 1851

27,118

Vallejo

1868

116,508

Suisun City

1868

28,212

Dixon

1878

18,435

Vacaville

1892

93,011

Rio Vista

1893

7,433

Fairfield

1903

104,815

Higher education:

*co.solano.ca.us

From the Bering Strait to South America, millions of birds (over 350 species) migrate up and down California. Over 200 bird species fly through Solano County, many of which can be seen from Rush Ranch by the Suisun Marsh or Lake Solano Park near Winters. The southward migration begins as early as August, and northward as early as March. Check out the common birds of Solano County checklist at napasolanoaudubon.com.

For resources and links, visit solono.co.ca.us and rushranch.net.

Six colleges & universities, some with multiple campuses: Solano Community College, 4 campuses: Suisun City, Vallejo, Vacaville, Travis California Maritime Academy, Vallejo Chapman University, 2 campuses: Fairfield, Travis St. Mary’s College Extended Education Fairfield, Touro University, Mare Island, Vallejo University of Phoenix, Suisun City

Counties we border:

Yolo, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Contra Costa, Marin, Sonoma & Napa

Major bodies of water:

San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, the Carquinez Strait, Suisun Bay and the Sacramento River

14 • Benicia Magazine

Faces of Fairfield, 42' X 60', lead artist Lee Wilder Snider

National Register Of Historic Places The county boasts 21 NRHS designations

Benicia: The Benicia Arsenal, Benicia Capitol State Historic Park, Carr House, Crooks Mansion, Joseph Fischer House, Old Masonic Hall and Stamboul (Whaling Bark) Bird’s Landing: The Bird and Dinkelspiel Store Collinsville: The Hastings Adobe Dixon: The Jackson Fay Brown House and the Dixon Carnegie Library Suisun City: The Samuel Martin House and the Suisun Masonic Lodge No. 55 Vacaville: The Peña Adobe, Pleasants Ranch, Will H. Buck House and Vacaville Town Hall Vallejo: The Saint Vincent’s Hill Historic District, Vallejo City Hall & County Building Branch, the Old City Historic District and the Mare Island Naval Shipyard

American Viticultural Area

Solano County has three AVA designations: Suisun Valley, Green Valley, and we share part of the world renowned North Coast AVA that includes Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake and Marin counties. Established in the mid-1800’s, Suisun Valley boasts California’s second oldest AVA (Napa was the first). The three AVAs encompass over 21,000 acres of vineyards. For a laid-back tasting experience, check out the wineries at svwinecoop.com.

Photo by Jerr

y Bowles

Quiz: Test Your Solano County IQ One point per question

8. What’s Solano’s top crop?

9. How many museums are there in the county?

10. H ow many lakes, streams, creeks, sloughs and reservoirs? a. 0-25 b. 26-50 c. 51-99 d. Over 100 10 points: Solano Genius 7-9 points: Solano Total Nerd 5-7 points: Solano Smarty 3-6 points: Average Solanoan 1-2 points: Shame of Solano

Solano County has a public art committee to oversee public art at the County Administration Center and other county facilities. Several Solano County cities also have public art programs, including Vacaville, Vallejo, Fairfield and Benicia. Fairfield is big on murals, and the murals are huge. Through collaborations between the Rotary Club of Fairfield, the City of Fairfield, the Fairfield Visual Art Association and the Fairfield Downtown Association, these amazing works of art can be seen on the sides of downtown buildings. The lead artist for Faces of Fairfield, a whopping 42’ X 80’ on the southeast corner of Texas and Jackson Streets, was Benicia artist Lee Wilder Snider. Some Solano cities, including Benicia and Vacaville, are compiling lists of art in public places. Vallejo has a very interesting collection of rare and unique books, printing equipment and binding tools, called “The McCune Collection,” at the JFK Public Library, mccunecollection.org. B

Answers:

Public Art

1) Native American Chief Sem Yeto, baptized Chief Solano. 2) 1850. 3) Round graphic showing Chief Solano, agriculture, water & mountains, bordered

by Benicia State Capitol pillars. 4) Yes. 5) Fairfield.

6) d. 92 bridges. 7) Vallejo.

8) Tomatoes. 9) Nine.

10) d. 133 total.

1. How did Solano County get its name?

2. What year did Solano become a county?

3. What’s on the county seal?

4. Is agriculture one of Solano’s top industries?

5. Which Solano city is the county seat?

6. H ow many bridges are owned by Solano County? a. 0-10 b. 11-25 c. 26-50 d. Over 50 7. Besides Benicia, which other Solano city served as state capitol?

BeniciaMagazine.com • 15

FIVE INDISPENSABLE KITCHEN HERBS

to grow and enjoy

“

These tasty allies are not only flavor agents, but also important nutritional sources.

”

By Beth Steinmann Narrowing any list of herbs down to five is next to impossible for a plant lover, but these five: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and cilantro, should cover your basic culinary needs and then some. They can be grown in containers close to your kitchen window or placed strategically throughout your yard. I add at least one of these to most meals, year round. These tasty allies are not only flavor agents, but also important nutritional sources.

Parsley is native to the Mediterranean and enjoys the California climate. It’s a slow germinator so I buy a start in the spring. It can be a biannual, growing back the second year, but won’t grow back once it’s gone to seed. It likes rich, well-drained soil and about 6 hours of sun per day. It’s rich in vitamins K, C, A, folate and iron. I add parsley to soups, salads, garlic mashedpotatoes and use as a garnish. A favorite summer salad is equal parts parsley, shredded carrot and thinly sliced apple, with sea salt, lemon and olive oil. I prefer the flat-leaf varietals.

Sage is a timeless classic. There are over 200 salvia species, and an ornamental sage garden is well loved by bees and hummingbirds. For culinary purposes, use Salvia officinalis, or garden sage. A hearty perennial, it’s easy to grow and useful most of the year. I cut it back in winter to encourage new growth. It likes full sun and doesn’t require much water. It’s a staple in stuffing and I often tuck a few leaves under the skin of a chicken breast before it’s seared and baked. Fried sage leaves are popular in the South and compliment sliced, baked sweet potatoes.

Rosemary is a hearty, woody evergreen that also attracts beneficial insects year-round with its delicate purple-blue flowers. Buy a start and plant in well-sunned, well-drained soil, as it won’t tolerate waterlogging. It will grow happily for years if left alone. I stuff my chicken with rosemary and add it to potato dishes. Its flowers are sweet and subtle and make a wonderful

16 • Benicia Magazine

addition to a garden salad. It’s also highly regarded for its antiinflammatory and memoryenhancing properties.

Thyme is a perennial that also enjoys full sun and well-drained soil. Like rosemary and sage, it has a rich medicinal history due to its strong antimicrobial properties. I add it to soups and sauces year round, especially if someone in the family has a cough or cold.

Its tantalizing citrus varietals are also among my favorites.

Lemon thyme goes well in homemade vinaigrettes. It dries well and is nice to have on hand in the kitchen in winter.

Cilantro has a short growing season and bolts easily. To maximize growing time, sow seeds close together in a large container with fast-draining soil and thin to 3-4 inches apart when they reach 2 inches tall. Position the container to receive only morning or late afternoon sun. Harvest fresh leaves regularly. When the plants do bolt, let them go to seed as the coriander can be harvested and dried.

Cilantro is high in antioxidants and also provokes excretion of heavy metals built up in the body. This makes it an excellent companion for fish with questionable mercury content, such as Ahi tuna. Try baking fresh sea bass in a tinfoil packet with papaya-cilantro salsa for a mouthwatering treat.

Visit beniciamagazine.com for an expanded herb list and a recipe for homemade herb ranch dressing.

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 17

Photos top & bottom left: The Tavern at lark Creek, courtesy of the Tavern Photo above: The Union Hotel

Seasonal,

Farm-Fresh, American Fare

By Bob Ecker The concept of Farm-to-Table dining, or bringing garden-fresh ingredients as quickly and freshly as possible from a local farm to your plate seems like a no brainer, and is, in fact, an ancient concept.

Yet for a long time, the mass produced American corporate culinary machine supplanted that idea in lieu of giving the American restaurant diner consistent, safe and affordable cuisine, even if the quality of the food suffered. A culinary revolutionary was needed and that’s exactly what Alice Waters provided in 1971 when she created Chez Panisse in Berkeley. “In college, I lived for a time in France, and there I experienced for the first time the pleasures of the French table and market-fresh cooking. It wasn't that the food that I ate there was fancy, but rather that it was so alive,” said Waters. “There was beauty in eating and enjoying that kind of seasonal, local, simple food. That French country 18 • Benicia Magazine

feeling is how I cook in my own kitchen and what I had in mind when I opened Chez Panisse.”

Many well known chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, authors, media and other nascent “foodies” were deeply influenced by the ideas that Chez Panisse espoused and the effect can be found throughout Bay Area kitchens. Judy Rodgers, chef-owner at San Francisco's renowned Zuni Café cooked with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse, taking the farmto-table concept to heart. Prior to her role at Zuni Café in 1987, Rodgers opened the Union Hotel Restaurant in Benicia.

Michael Dellar and Chef Bradley Ogden, co-owners of The Lark Creek Inn, were important early proponents of the Bay Area’s Farm-to-Table movement when in 1989 they opened their groundbreaking restaurant in Marin’s Larkspur Landing. Today the restaurant is known as The Tavern at Lark Creek and is part of the

Lark Creek Restaurant Group. “Farm-to-Table is not new but something that became important in the late 60’s. Alice Waters was a major leader in the movement and today it’s mainstream,” said coowner Dellar. He prefers the term “Seasonal-Farm-Fresh-AmericanFare” but the idea is the same: providing customers with high quality, fresh as can be, seasonal, locally grown (when possible), sustainable products. “Things went from technique driven to ingredient driven,” said Dellar. Places such as the excellent Marin Farmers Market in San Rafael became an important conduit for discovering superb local produce. “It’s about finding your farmers and having them grow high quality ingredients for you.” Locally grown produce can also be found at the Benicia Farmer’s Market April through October.

Another high end proponent of the Farm-to-Table idea can be found at La Toque, a wonderful restaurant in Napa. Ken Frank, executive chef and owner of La Toque said, “Farm-to-Table means that we have a direct connection with the farm. The Bay Area is long known for an extensive network of small artisan producers of top quality foods, and local chefs of course have taken advantage of this." La Toque’s menu provides ample evidence. “We have things on the menu every single night that are directly sourced from a farm, whether it’s Wolfe Farm Quail or Liberty Duck, Long Meadow Ranch Beef, Produce and Eggs,” said Chef Frank. In fact, La Toque grows a significant amount of local produce in the old Copia gardens in Napa, right up the street. “It’s partly our climate that allows for this abundance but it’s also due in part to the strong local food culture that demands this kind of excellence.”

Alice Waters’ farm-to-table legacy can be found in Bay Area establishments far and wide and customers can reap the delicious benefits. Michel Dellar summed up the concept by stating, “This is not a fad or a trend, but a way of life.” B

Often considered the "Mother of American food," Alice Waters, originally from New Jersey, graduated from University of California at Berkeley in 1967 with a degree in French Cultural Studies. During her college years, she studied abroad in France and was deeply impressed by the fresh, local cuisine and hospitality. While at Berkeley, Waters was also involved with the Free Speech movement, working with many others attempting to change the status quo. She eventually opened Chez Panisse in 1971 and provoked a radical altering of the American dining landscape.

In addition to her culinary achievements, in 1996 Alice Waters helped to create The Edible Schoolyard at a Berkeley area middle school. This featured a one-acre garden, kitchen facilities and a novel “eco-gastronomic curriculum.” Ideas of local sourcing, sustainability, healthy eating and food economies are helping a new generation of Americans to understand; and hopefully, appreciate what food is, and can be. The success of The Edible Schoolyard led to Waters working with First Lady Michelle Obama in establishing the Organic Garden Project at The White House.

Chez Panisse continues to delight diners to this day, with the elegant dining room downstairs and the more casual Chez Panisse Café above. B

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 19

Books that Inspire Local Interior Designers

Designing Trio at Le Réve

Three women came together in 2010 to form the partnership that became Le Réve Interior Design. The design partners, Becky Schultz, Gina Rasler, and Hannah Cramer had previously worked at a combination of Santa Cruz, Carmel, Napa and Bay Area interior design and architectural firms on commercial projects, hospitality, healthcare, and corporate projects as well as residential custom builds and remodels. Schultz and Cramer have degrees in Interior Design from California State Colleges and have been affiliated with ASID. Their full-service showroom is in the Benicia Arsenal.

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Pam Hughes

Pam Hughes studied Dramatic Art and Dance at U.C. Berkeley. After receiving the Eisner Award in Dance, she continued performing and choreographing for Bay Area companies. Hughes married her husband, Tom, and settled down in Benicia to raise a family. Eventually, she went back to school to study design at the U.C. Berkeley Extension in San Francisco. Hughes specializes in creating uniquely beautiful gardens as well as interiors. She feels that good design should tell a story about the inhabitants.

For inspiration, Hughes looks to nature for that perfect balance and harmony that mother nature creates.

Pam Hughes Design Pam@pamhughesdesign.com Benicia, 707.590.0937

Michael Trahan Interior Design Meditations on Design and Designing with Succulents: Pam Hughes Modern Glamour, Feng Shui and Harmonious Living and Color, Natural Palettes for Painted Rooms: Michael Trahan Dream Homes, The Antiques Directory and Pure California: Le Réve

Michael Trahan’s passion for design became evident before high school, working in his family design and construction business. After studying interior design and graduating from the University of Louisiana, Michael specialized in custom homes and gained extensive experience in commercial, hospitality, staging and model home merchandising. Michael is a Certified Interior Designer and member of the Color Marketing Group— an international organization whose members forecast color direction, as well as the National Home Builders Association and the Benicia Chamber of Commerce. His firm has been awarded numerous local, state and national awards for design and merchandising.

Michael Trahan, LLC Commercial & Residential Interior Design Benicia 707.748.1080 Benicia, michaeltrahan.com B

20 • Benicia Magazine

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 21

MEDITATION THE

Practice OF GOING

Within

By Beth Steinmann

Choices are everywhere. Every day we make

thousands of them. Which socks to wear, what to eat for breakfast, which lane to drive in on the freeway, whether to check our email or Facebook first.

Sometimes we have so many choices (choices made under pressure, choices with deadlines, choices for our children) that we begin to live choice to choice, minute to minute, hour to hour, swinging like a monkey from one thing to the next until at long last our head hits the pillow. We can’t sleep because our mind races on—lest we forget an important detail—and then we get up and do it all again.

Our professional and family lives often demand so much of us that the best we can do to relax is take in a TV show and glass of wine before bed. When external demands run so high, how do we pause long enough to find our internal compass?

I like to look at it like this: my body, mind and heart are my instruments. I am the key to my success in this lifetime, however I choose to measure it. I am the center of my universe, so to speak. I don’t believe this is selfish. When my body, mind and heart are well taken care of, I have more energy to devote to my work, friends and loved ones.

And it’s sustainable energy. When I put work into my physical and mental health, the payback is tenfold. An invaluable tool in this process (in addition to the doc’s advice: eat well, sleep well, exercise) is meditation.

I define meditation simply as the practice 22 • Benicia Magazine Wellness

Meditation can be intimidating. Here are some tips to keep in mind: — There are thousands of types of meditation. Some use sound, visualization, breath-work, and even movement. Do your research. Talk to friends. Find a type that’s fun, engaging, and works for you. It will probably be challenging, but shouldn’t feel like a chore.

of going within. The definition IS simple, but — Take a beginning class or join a meditation circle.

I say “practice” because A group setting can be very helpful, especially until it ain’t always easy! you have the tools you need to continue practice on There’s often a part of your own. If you’re an experienced meditator, branch us that would prefer to out and try something new—it may bring new life and avoid all the stuff inside dynamic energy to your practice. that may be messy and uncomfortable, which — Find time and space to practice regularly, away is easy to do when from the demands of your everyday life. This may distractions abound. (My mean creating a meditation corner somewhere in your inner dialogue when I sit house, working around family schedules, or at a time down to meditate usually of day that’s conducive to your natural energy levels. begins like this: “Wait, my feet are cold, I’d better go — Use the tools when you need them most: in tough put some socks on. Oh, negotiations at work or when your kids keep you up and I’d better get a glass at night. You’ll be surprised at your ability to handle of water in case I get difficult situations with poise. Many companies thirsty. And my phone are now hiring professional meditation services to in case someone really empower their employees. needs to call me.” But this is precisely WHY we meditate—to practice quieting the mental chatterbox long enough everything in my life gets easier. to find some quiet and stillness—which can Be creative in how you define lead to feeling centered and balanced, and meditation. A relaxing bubble bath or walk in turn to sustained inner peace. I often in nature can be quite meditative. And be forget to meditate when I need it the most open to the possibilities—what do you have “(I’m too tired, I’m too busy),” but when to lose? B I set aside the time to practice regularly,

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 23

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A. Judith Judson B. A. Wise Tax Service 1. Tosch Dental 118 West K Street 2. ATS Tax & Financial Solutions 3. Jordan Real Estate 4. A Lago Salon 5. Estey Real Estate 6. Adobe 2nd Chance Thrift Store 7. Benicia Floral & Gifts 8. Camellia Tea Room 9. Wellness Wisdom 10. Benicia Home Improvement 11. Artcentric 12. The Rellik Tavern 13. Studio 41 14. Sandovals Restaurant 15. Bela’s Market 16. Little Bird 17. First Impressions Salon 18. Lindsay Art Glass 19. Benicia Chamber of Commerce 20. Hamann Real Estate 20. Joan Shepard 21. Christina S Fashion Destination 22. Light Touch Medical Spa 23. Be Chic Boutique 24. Yan Spa & Massage 25. Sailor Jacks Restaurant 26. Benicia Main Street

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24 • Benicia Magazine

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 27

AN INTERVIEW WITH

Larry Lamoreux

By Sue Sumner-Moore For Larry Lamoreux, growing vegetables is like going back to his roots.

His parents were raised on family farms. They raised Larry and his sister on 1.5 acres that are now part of Fremont. His mother always had a garden, and Larry raised Berkshire hogs as a member of Future Farmers of America while in high school.

Now, after a career in medical prosthetic engineering, Larry devotes much of his time to gardening. He grows herbs and vegetables in his back yard plus has a plot at the community garden at Military and East Second Street.

“I’ve always enjoyed working in the dirt. I’ve always had a garden of some type,” says Larry, 75. “It’s a good way to spend time.”

What do you remember about gardening when you were a child?

When I was about 5 years old, we had a Victory Garden that had broccoli. One day I spontaneously ate the head off one bunch, and I knew I shouldn’t have done that. So I went in and told my mother, and she just said, “I grew it for you to eat and if you want to eat it that way, that’s OK.” That’s always stuck with me. I asked her about it years later, and she didn’t even remember it. But I’ve remembered all my life how relaxed she was about it.

What’s your favorite crop?

Tomatoes are very important to us in our family, and we very much value having tomato puree all through the winter. This year we added some roasted red pepper to it, and we like to have some onions and garlic in it as well. We like to fill the freezer with tomato puree.

What do you plant at home?

Things that are nice to have near your kitchen. We had some nice lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, wonderful carrots, beets, parsnips— my wife doesn’t make any soup without parsnips— parsley, green onions, various herbs.

What will you be planting this spring?

We most certainly will be putting in our tomatoes. We enjoyed our cucumbers, so we’ll put those in, and some beets, parsley. …

We were tickled with the parsnips, so we’ll probably plant parsnips again. Chard. We use a lot of Swiss Chard and we’re just

28 • Benicia Magazine Interview

Photo by Marilyn Bardet

Larry became active with the community garden after he and his wife, May Russell Lamoreux, moved from Lafayette to Benicia eight years ago. He now is treasurer of Benicia Community Gardens Inc. He also serves on Benicia’s Community Sustainability Commission, volunteers with the garden at Mary Farmar School, is a member of the local Native Plant Society and annually leads a workshop on drip irrigation systems.

A sunny Saturday in late January found Larry working with others to install redwood planter boxes at the First Street garden.

“I’ve found that spending time with people who are attracted to community gardens happens to be one of the joys of my life,” he says with a big smile.

now discovering kale, so we’ll get some more kale started. It’s too late for broccoli. Peas—sugar snap peas—if you have enough sun, you can start them.

What are the first steps for a beginning gardener?

Just come join us and that way you’re not on your own. Kimball Goodman came here (to the community garden) last year and he’d never gardened before. He had a great outcome. When you’re here, you can get ideas of what to plant and how to take care of it.

Are the plots for each gardener’s personal use?

Our tradition since the community garden started 13 years ago is to assign each bed to a person or family and let them do what they want.

Some community gardens have no private beds and raise it all for the community. When the garden is community-oriented, it makes it easier for someone who feels unskilled to come in and learn more about gardening. At our big gardeners meeting in the fall, we talked about growing something for the community, possibly for CAC or the dinners at St. Paul’s church. So that’s why we built the big bed.

There are advantages to both types and we’re trying to combine both models.

How is your gardening linked to your work on the Community Sustainability Commission?

I’m concerned about soil and have been reading a lot about it. I don’t think most people realize everything we eat comes from the soil. Even when we eat meat, the animals eat plants that come from the soil.

Benicia Community Gardens Inc. oversees two locations: — Swenson Garden, established in 1999, is located at East Second and Military East on property owned by Heritage Presbyterian Church — Avant Garden, located at First and D streets, was dedicated on Oct. 10, 2010. The property is leased on a month-to-month basis.

More than 30 plots are available at the two locations, and about 10 people were on a waiting list as of late January.

“A couple of years ago, we started asking for a donation of $50 a year for water,” says Larry Lamoreux, the organization’s treasurer. “If anyone is short of money, they can contribute time to the benefit of the garden.”

The organization began operating in 1999 under the leadership of the late Dr. Edward Swenson and horticulturist Meg Grumio. She remains under contract with Benicia Community Gardens to assist gardeners.

For information about the availability of plots or to contact the organization, visit the group’s website, beniciacommunitygardens.org

But the available soil on earth is decreasing as the number of people is increasing, so we have to produce more and more on less acreage. Chemical fertilizers are seriously damaging the soil.

Pesticides work for a while, but then the bugs adapt. …

It’s getting harder and harder, and more and more expensive.

This is clearly unsustainable in the long term.

Any books to recommend?

There’s a book, Last Child in the Woods, that I think is excellent. I was raised outdoors. I roamed the hills in Niles Canyon. Once my mom took me for a walk along the creek and we saw 40 different kinds of birds in that one afternoon walking along the creek. I realized when I started working at the school that kids today don’t do that.

What do you do to relax?

Ever since I was a little boy, I longed to be out on the water.

I have a canoe and kayak and I can wheel my canoe from my house to the boat ramp and go out paddling.

What have you learned from your time at the community gardens?

You can’t expect to come down here and work steadily. If you come down in the morning for a couple of hours, you have to expect a couple dozen conversations.

The work can always be done, but the conversations over the fence are precious. B

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 29

Legislation At Benicia State Capitol In 1853 Fourth In A Series

Concerning Gold Mining License Taxes

By Jerome Page The gold rush set up a flood of immigrants to the state of California, along with great numbers of citizens from other states.

Among these, the first foreigners to make it to California in 1848 were Mexicans and Chilenos. These, because of their proximity and mining expertise, clearly had an edge in the cutthroat competition of mining. Their success resulted in the passage by the California legislature of a foreign miners’ license tax in 1850.

This was directly aimed at Latin Americans. Latin American miners refused to pay the impossibly high tax ($20 per month), which gave white Americans an excuse to drive them out of rich mining areas. In one dramatic confrontation in the mining town of Sonora, Mexicans, Chileans, and Peruvians joined with French and German miners to protest the tax. They were subdued by a ragtag militia of white Americans. However, the licensing law and tax were subsequently repealed.

Along with a general acceptance of non-English speaking Europeans and that lesser tolerance for Latin American miners, there was little, if any, love lost for the Chinese. Before the law was repealed, many Chinese left the mining camps, moving to San Francisco, where they soon established themselves in the city's business community and created America's first "Chinatown."

But many more came to the "Mountain of Gold," as the Sierra was called. The height of Gold Rush immigration came in 1852: of the 67,000 people who came to California that year, 20,000 were from China. A corollary of the prejudice was that Chinese miners who continued their search for gold found increasingly harsh treatment at the hands of their fellow miners.

While in Benicia, on April 12, 1853, the legislature adopted a new foreign miners' tax of $4 per month under the provisions of Chapter XLIV, a law engagingly called “An Act to provide for the protection of foreigners and to define their liabilities and 30 • Benicia Magazine Looking Back

privileges.”(!) This act (again) provided that no person, not being a citizen of the United States, would be allowed to take gold from the mines of the state unless he possessed a license, which was non-transferable.

An interesting twist on the administration of this law was that “all foreigners residing in the mining districts of this State (underlying mine) shall be considered miners under the provisions of this Act, unless they are directly engaged in some other lawful business avocation.” This was a sort of blanket provision providing that you had better very clearly have another job or be prepared to apply for the license and pay the toll.

The way of living among the Chinese was quite dissimilar from the patterns displayed among the masses of rowdy American gold-seekers surrounding them. Approximately one third of the men attracted by California gold were southern whites, some accompanied by their slaves. Along with desires of wealth, many of those southerners brought along hostile racial attitudes. In the years that followed, those virulent temperaments were felt through laws and attitudes, and African Americans as well as Chinese suffered throughout the mid-century. Miners in the area often used violence to drive the Chinese out of various mines.

While impatient gold-seekers would abandon prospective rivers, the Chinese would remain, painstakingly panning through the dust to find bits of gold, displaying the same fortitude that led them to take jobs nobody else wanted.

Another fascinating bit reflecting the realities of communicating expectancies to the latter was contained in Chapter LX, an “Act providing for the translation and lithographing into the Chinese language of the Act to provide for the protection of foreigners and to define their liabilities and privileges.” (There’s that word “protection” again.) This essentially consisted of clarifying the requirement to pony up that $4.00 monthly tab! B

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• No waiting to drop off • All work done on premises • Best shirt laundering in town • No Perchloroethylene

STAINS: If we can’t get them out, they won’t come out!

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Full-line pet store Professional dog & cat grooming Do it yourself pet wash Anesthesia-free teeth cleaning clinic – first Sunday of each month

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Desire Aspire

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Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory The Achievement Program

Marian Fiore Smock Pianist • Instructor • 707.745.1850

2nd Chance Thrift Store Furniture, Collectibles & Household items 11am-6pm, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 929 First Street, Benicia, 707.745.6276 Adobe is a clean and sober men’s residential program solely supported by Thrift Shop sales and Labor Services.

Thrift store purchases help men rebuild their lives.

Come visit our Com ddesigner showrooms 2310 ““D” Bates Ave. Concor Concord (near HWY 4) also in Santa Clara Mon - Fri 7 - 5 and Sat 9 - 2 & Milbrae 925-798-7525 925 themouldingcompany.com themouldi

BeniciaMagazine.com • 31

Story and photo by Rhonda Lucile Hicks Featured Musician

Clif Foster

Violinist, Concert Master, Teacher Born: 5/17/52 Resides in: Benicia How long have you lived in Benicia? Nine years Relationship Status/Children: married/no children

The Santa Margherita Quartet Left to right: Elbert Tsai, Caroline Lee, Michael Graham, Clif Foster

When did you hear the violin for the first time? Age six or

music (so everyone’s bow is going the same direction) and is sort of the manager of the string section.

What did you listen to as a teenager? Mostly Classical. I also

How did you get your current job playing with the San Francisco Ballet? I was a regular substitute player for several years.

seven, recordings of Jascha Heifetz. liked the Beatles.

What's the first music you remember hearing? Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.” Still a favorite!

Who influenced your music? My mother introduced me to

music so I’d say she was a big influence. My teachers, conductors I’ve played under; but mostly the people I play chamber music with.

Is there music you listen to that might surprise us?

New Age, Cubanisimo.

When did you know you wanted to be a musician? When I

first heard Heifetz play. My taste has changed radically since I was six, but that’s what started things.

Where did you go to school? The American Conservatory in

Chicago. I’m not sure it exists any more. My education has been more on-the-job training (lots of it).

You were concertmaster for the Yanni World Tour. What does a concertmaster do? Usually a concertmaster bows the

ONGOING LIVE MUSIC Scan for more listings The Rellik Tavern Live music every Friday & Saturday night therelliktavern.com 707.746.1137 Upstairs at the Café Live music every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night Jazz Sunday afternoon firststreetcafe.com 707.745.1400

32 • Benicia Magazine

The Empress Theatre Vallejo, Live music and movie every Friday night empresstheatre.org 707.552.2400 Sticky Rice Chinese Bistro & Bar, Fairfield Live Music every Saturday night stickyricebistro.com 707.863.7500 Favela’s Fusion, Fairfield Live Mariachi music the first Friday of the month favelasfusion.com 707.421.8484

There was an audition, I took it, and then I was appointed.

You also teach? What are the ages of your youngest student and your oldest student? Currently my youngest

student is six. My oldest students are adult females. Being well trained, I don’t ask their age.

Congratulations. The Santa Margherita String Quartet recently debuted here in Benicia to a standing ovation and rave review. We were very happy about that. It’s great to have a

receptive audience and we hope to do a series of concerts for them.

Can you tell us about your work with the Berkeley Youth Orchestra? I coach every Saturday morning. It’s very satisfying to

help the kids develop their skills and love of music.

Where can we see you perform? The Santa Margherita String

Quartet will perform March 18 at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Benicia.

Also, we will be at the Bay Terrace Theatre in Vallejo April 22. Both B concerts are at 2 pm.

SPECIAL EVENTS House of Floyd: The Music of Pink Floyd Yoshis, San Francisco Friday, March 2, 8pm and 10pm yoshis.com Ladysmith Black Mambazo with VOENA UptownTheatre, Napa Friday, March 2, 8pm uptowntheatrenapa.com

Chamber Music Sundaes St. John’s Presbyterian Church Berkeley Sunday, March 4, 3pm chambermusicsundaes.org Salvador Santana Silo’s, Napa Sunday, March 4, 7pm silosnapa.com Garrick Ohlsson Jackson Hall, Davis Friday, March 9, 8pm mondaviarts.org

Scan for more listings

3/1

Sustainable Benicia: Climate Action Plan 6pm Energy Renewables in Benicia: Wind, Solar, Tidal Public education & outreach with focus on energy Benicia Council Chambers, 250 East L Street Constance Beutel, EdD cmbeutel@sbcglobal.net

3/2&3/16 Ghost Walk with Donna Raymond

3/3 Civil War Living History 10am-4pm

& Devin Sisk, Fridays, Main Street Depot 8pm Spooky tales of the paranormal history of Benicia Approx. 2 hours, no children under 10 Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Over 40 re-enactors present & dressed in Union attire Sponsored by Benicia State Parks Association American Civil War Association First & West G Streets Call Richard Gray 707.704.8043

3/3 Gallery 621 Opening Reception 5-8pm

Featuring Jack Ruszel & Hedi Desuyo Exhibit runs from March 1-April 1 621 First Street, Benicia, Thurs-Sun 12-5pm Gallery621.com 707.746.6211

3/3-3/31 Capitol & Fischer-Hanlon House

Capitol Tours Weekends only 10am-5pm Fischer-Hanlon tours 1st & 3rd Sundays: 2nd Saturday at 1, 2 and 3pm 115 West G Street, Benicia, 707.745.3385

3/6 First Tuesdays Investment Club

Long-standing investment club Meets in Benicia first Tuesday each month For more info contact 707.373.1200

3/7-3/28 Toastmaster’s Group

Wednesday evenings 7:30-9pm Learn to speak with confidence in a friendly environment 601 First Street, Suite 100, Benicia Larry Miller 707.745.5694

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley Saturday, March 10, 8pm 510.642.9988 Oleta Adams The Rrazz Room, San Francisco Thursday, March 15 Saturday, March 17 therrazzroom.com The Santa Margharita String Quartet St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Benicia, Sunday, March 18, 2pm Tickets available at the door

Richard Marx Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, Vacaville Friday, March 23, 8pm vpat.net Ray Obiedo & Mistura Fina Armando’s, Martinez Saturday, March 24, 8pm armandosmartinez.com The Sun Kings El Campanil Theatre, Antioch Saturday, March 24, 8pm elcampaniltheatre.com

3/10 Friends of the Library Book Sale 10am-4pm

3/10 Benicia Plein Air Gallery Reception 4-6pm

Benicia Library basement, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

Featured artist is watercolorist Rolando Barrero 307 First Street, Benicia, Beniciapleinair.com

3/11 The Next Generation, Opening Reception 3-5pm

Featuring art from all Benicia schools, grades K-12 Exhibit runs from 3/8 thru 4/1, Thurs-Sun. 12-5pm Arts Benicia Gallery, 991 Tyler Street, #114 Artsbenicia.org 707.747.0131

3/17 Community Blood Drive 1-7pm

3/18 Family Art Day 1-3pm

3/21 Evening Book Club for Adults 7-8pm Library Doña Benicia Room Benicia Library, 150 East L Street Benicialibrary.org 707.746.4343

3/25

Vallejo Symphony Spring Concert Sunday 3pm

Donors must be in good health, 17+ yrs, over 110 lbs First Baptist Church, 1055 Southampton Road, Benicia

Free art activities for the entire family Arts Benicia, 991 Tyler Street, #114 Artsbenicia.org 707.747.0131

"Love, Death, and Dance," Know the Score talk 2pm Lander Hall, Touro University, Mare Island Vallejosymphony.org 707.643.4441

3/31-4/1 Benicia in Bloom Sat. 11am-5pm, Sun. 12-4pm

The latest spring trends from merchants & restaurants Downtown merchants and restaurants Beniciamainstreet.org 707.745.9791

Vallejo Symphony Lander Hall, Vallejo Sunday, March 25, 2pm vallejosymphony.org

Junius Courtney Big Band Freight & Salvage, Berkeley Friday, March 30, 8pm thefreight.org

Ani Difranco Uptown Theatre, Napa Thursday, March 29, 8pm uptowntheatrenapa.com

Ute Lemper and Vogler Quartet Herbst Theatre, San Francisco Saturday, March 31, 8pm sfperformances.org

Branford Marsalis Napa Valley Opera House, Napa Thursday, March 29, 8pm nvoh.org

BeniciaMagazine.com • 33

Six Decades Of Fashion

Faux Pas And

Wardrobe Malfunctions

By Christina Strawbridge This month I celebrate sixty years of life and my love affair with fashion. Since I was a child, I was enthralled with clothes and dressing up. My wardrobe choices were often over-the-top and not always suitable for a girl who played with Barbie, but also rode bikes and climbed trees. In the fourth grade, I was invited to a girl's birthday party and the invitation clearly said casual wear.

That didn't stop me from wearing a new coral cotton organza dress with tiny flowers appliquĂŠd around the tiered skirt. When I arrived, my friends offered me clothes to change into for outdoor play, but I stubbornly stayed in the dress. This trend continued as I hit puberty and had my first girl-boy party. I wore a madras bodice mini dress with a denim hip hugger skirt. As I welcomed my classmates (including my future husband,) the most popular girl in the class had on the same dress. My mother insisted that I change into a back-up selection to make the girl more comfortable. Nothing doing, I stayed in the dress and kept my distance from Judy Pratt, who looked completely different in our matching outfit.

Through the decades, I have experimented with the latest trends in fashion. The "looks" included the mini, the maxi and the midi, all in the same season. In college, it was the body suit and body paint, which gave a reptile effect on Midwestern dry skin. During the same era, I wore both knickers and hot pants, which I paired with denim lace-up boots. The memories are both humorous and enduring.

Some of my fashion choices have been disastrous, like the pouf skirt that caught in my underwear at a reception. A waiter tried to warn me but I responded that it was supposed to look like that. With a horrified look he said "I don't think so!" Recently, at a Chamber of Commerce dinner I was introduced and as I stood up and waved, a cluster of tickets was exposed under my arm. I 34 • Benicia Magazine Fashionista

believe my husband was more embarrassed than I was as I quickly snapped them free.

Probably the most memorable wardrobe malfunction and biggest fashion night of my life occurred 10 years ago in London, England. My son Andrew is a James Bond fan. He found out about the royal premier of the 007 movie Die Another Day. It was the 20th Bond movie and the 40th anniversary of the movie franchise.

My husband Scott, who can be very persistent, procured 3 tickets.

The event was held at the Royal Albert Hall with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in attendance, as well as Madonna, James Bond actors and Bond women.

For this gala event, I wore a Sue Wong strapless evening gown that had a very full tulle skirt. The bodice was a tight fit, but the night of the premier I was able to zip it up and off we went to our first red carpet event.

As we made our way to the balcony of the historic venue, my dress was being stepped on because of its length and layers of fabric. When I sat down the fullness of the skirt engulfed both me and the seat, making for a challenging two hours. The evening was exhilarating: watching the celebrity crowd, the movie, and the Queen, and looking for Princes William and Harry. As the credits rolled, the three of us had to pinch ourselves, realizing that it was indeed the moment of a lifetime.

Departing down the stairs, someone stepped on my dress, and my whole back side was exposed as the zipper came apart. The only thing holding the dress together was a tiny clasp. I tried to cover my back with my velvet wrap, but it wasn't wide enough.

We found a side exit and I backed my way into the chill of the November air only to find myself in the middle of the celebrity pick-up area and media grandstands. As panic ensued, my gallant son whipped off his tuxedo jacket and put it over my shoulders in a purely James Bond moment. B

T H E B E N I C I A L I B R A RY F O U N DAT I O N

Enjoy dinner at a participating Benicia restaurant and donate to the Benicia Library Foundation Participating Restaurants First Street Café Lucca Bar and Grill Sailor Jack’s Union Hotel Venticello’s March 27 and/or March 28 Reservations $50 per person For Reservations and Information call 707.746.4358 The Benicia Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization 20-2884171

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bleach when scheduled for a routine exam & cleaning Make an appointment today & meet Dr. Tosch; proudly serving Benicia families for over 25 years.

Ronald J. Tosch, DDS l 118 West K St., Benicia, CA 94510 707.745.2130 l www.toschdental.com BeniciaMagazine.com • 35

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