Benicia Magazine February 2024 Issue

Food and Festivities Interview with Local Author The Flag Man Remembering Fannie Lou Hamer

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS

FEATURE

12

Food February Fill Up This February

8

22

23

From the Editor

Booktails

Dinner & a Movie

Full February!

Martyr!

by Kaveh Akbar

Benicia Poke & Love and Basketball

6 • Benicia Magazine

AROUND TOWN 9 Business Lucca Beer Garden is Growing

10 Local Author Turning the Page with Hazel Jacks

16 Art & Philanthropy

JOIN OUR OUR JOIN AWARD-WINNING AWARD-WINNING SCHOOLS SCHOOLS BUSD New Student Enrollment

Sculptor Patty Taylor: The Splendor of Mystery

Enrollment for incoming Universal Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and new Elementary & Secondary school students to BUSD opens in February.

18

For Kindergarten: Your child must turn five years old by September 1, to enroll in Kindergarten

Hidden Benicia The Flag Man of First Street

19 Real Estate Outlook Strategies for Current Interest Rates

20

Black History Month Remembering Activist Fannie Lou Hamer

24 Events Calendar * Picket Fences continues on beniciamagazine.com

FEBRUARY 2024

For Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK): BUSD is also offering Universal Transitional Kindergarten for all Benicia students who NOW turn five years old between September 2 and June 2. These dates are firm and exceptions are not considered.

All enrollment including for Universal Transitional Kindergarten is completed at each of our Elementary Schools starting the month of February and information can be found at https://beniciaunified.org/families/newstudent-enrollment/ Open Enrollment for all Elementary students desiring to attend a school outside of their school of residence is held the month of March. The form will be opened on March 1 and can be found at https://beniciaunified.org/families/intradistrictopen-enrollment-overflow/ on the BUSD website.

Please call the School directly for additional information and to schedule an appointment to complete the enrollment.

Benicia Unified School District 350 East K Street, Benicia, CA 707.747.8300 www.beniciaunified.org BeniciaMagazine.com • 7

Columns | Letters

Full February! n From the Editor

A comparatively short, cold month, February nonetheless has plenty to offer.

Sure, it’s famed for Valentine’s Day and the chocolates and restaurant specials that go with it, but what about the soul food that goes with Mardi Gras, or the seemingly endless crab feeds that occur this time of year? Yes, we would argue that food is February’s true theme.

Of course, February is also Black History Month – chosen for its proximity to the birthdays of two instrumental figures in the shaping of Black History, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. It being an election year, it’s only fitting that we revisit the story of voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in the context of Jim Crow South.

As it’s still nearly the start of the year, it’s a good time to review our real estate outlook with Eric Hoglund’s annual article on the subject. And as President’s Day rolls around and you perhaps notice a few more American flags displayed, we’ve got the story on “The Flag Man of First Street.”

We hope you manage to make it to one of our community’s crab feeds for a cause dear to you, if it is within your means. I certainly am looking forward to getting my fill. I also look forward to enjoying the last of the doldrums of winter – savoring a slow evening getting cozy with a good book and a hot cup of tea, bundling in my warmest gear, and enjoying the stillness of a winter hike – before March arrives, heralding the start of spring.

On the other hand, I will be attempting to ward off the prolific colds, flus, and other viruses going around this time of year. One such virus has kept our publisher from writing her letter this time, but you can look forward to hearing from her in our Spring Issue, dropping in March. B

— GENEVIEVE

Facebook.com/beniciamagazine

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Post or send your suggestions & ideas to: Editor@beniciamagazine.com | Beniciamagazine.com 8 • Benicia Magazine

around town | Community n Jeannine Mendoza, Ed.D Opening in 2016, Lucca Beer Garden was the brainchild of Jan Lucca, Sonya Battersby, and a few outside music lovers. It was a hit right from the start.

Beginning slowly, the Beer Garden attracted talented local musicians and a few big names. Now going into its 9th year, the venue has grown. Always attracting great crowds through the summer months, Jan decided to add tents with heating to protect the guests and artists through the winter months. He decided to go big.

Lucca is picking up from where big cities previously held the monopoly, presenting five shows a week, across multiple genres, where all ages are welcome, and for no cover charge.

The foundation of each monthly schedule is three locally-based resident artists; the highly acclaimed bassist Don Bassey, longtime Joe Satriani drummer, Jeff Campitelli, and Tower of Power & Jefferson Starship guitarist Jeff Tamelier. Other acts are programmed to keep a wide range of musical styles, and to keep a balance between local favorites and some brand-new groups as well. Special events are also featured, such as St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and holiday shows. Some of last year’s one-off concerts included iconic jazz singer Jonathan Poretz’s highly acclaimed Frank Sinatra tribute with big band, Salsa Night with Mio Flores and Juan Escovedo, and the inaugural Lucca Beer Garden Guitar Festival.

“Now going into its 9th year, the venue has grown.”

The music lineup has broadened as well and includes Blues Music Award winners, Grammy Award winners and band members who belong to the Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame. Lucca promises that its Guitar Festival will be back and bigger in 2024. And most importantly, Lucca strives to feature a variety of music, Rock, Blues, Country, Americana, Funk, Jazz, and more.

The expansion of both venue and music is due to owner Jan Lucca for investing in his community the way he always has. He continues to advocate for a vibrant and thriving downtown area, and loves seeing people get out and enjoy what Benicia has to offer. Longtime General Manager Sonya Battersby expertly handles everything required behind the scenes with staff scheduling, ordering, and managing the huge task that has become Lucca Bar & Grill. Recently, Deb Gibbs and Chris Robinson of World Projects have taken on the task of music and band acquisition. Both are dedicated to this community.

Lucca Beer Garden is a magical space that exists right here in our own backyard. Great music, great food, drinks and comradery, and no cover charge. This is a space that thrives on the energy of its guests, so join us at Lucca, oh, and bring your dancing shoes! B

“Lucca promises that its Guitar Festival will be back and bigger in 2024.”

s i n e d r a G r e e B a c Luc BeniciaMagazine.com • 9

around town | Community

Turning the Page n Caitlin Emmett With writers like Jack London connected to our small town, there were bound to be more wordsmiths to follow.

I recently got the chance to chat with longtime Benicia resident and recently published author Hazel Jacks about her Fire Island books to learn what the romance series entails, how she decided to self-publish, and what’s up next.

CE: Give me a rundown! What’s the series roughly about?

HJ: So, the series is set in Fire Island, which is this little island off the coast of Long Island, New York. I’ve only written half of the books I have planned; in total there will be six books. The whole series is about a group of friends, and each book focuses on a different one. The first two books are considered a duet; the first book hangs on a cliffhanger with a happily ever after in the second. The third is a standalone book. There’s a lot of time-jumping in the books and it’s kind of fun to go into pop culture things from the times. I LOVE music and I especially have this passion for early 2000s pop-punk music—I still listen to it.

The first two books include a lot of musical references. All the books have a playlist for the time period and set the mood of the book or what’s happening.

CE: Tell me a little bit about the main characters in the first two books.

HJ: The main male character is a Fire Island local, in his early 20s, kind of like— how can I say this—an outgoing playertype, who works on the ferry. The main female character is from a ritzy family in NYC who comes to Fire Island every

10 • Benicia Magazine

summer; she goes with her best friend the last summer before they go off to college.

The main male and female fall in love, and there’s a bit of an age gap with about six years between them. That first book chronicles their first summer together. It’s about first love, feelings of falling in love for the first time, and navigating those feelings. It ends on a cliffhanger—you’ll have to read the second book if you want to get some closure.

CE: These books take place by the water in a small community—did Benicia have anything to do with sparking this idea?

HJ: Fire Island is a very, very small island where cars are not allowed; the only way you can get there is by ferry. You have to walk, ride a bike, or water taxi to get from town to town. In that sense it’s very different. I do love the small town feel and I guess a little nod to Benicia would be that there’s a bar and restaurant in the book called the Sundowner. I was never old enough and never made it into the Sundowner in Benicia, but I did try to find little inspirations to connect me to Benicia. In the second book, the female character works at a record label. I called it Skateside Records—to me and the people in my friend group, we called the end of the marina skateside. I have little nods to Benicia and things that mean a lot to me personally sort of slipped into the books.

CE: Have you always known you’ve wanted to be a writer?

HJ: No. I hated writing when I was younger! But I’ve always loved reading. In 2008, the idea for this book came to me and it was, ‘oh my gosh, I want to write this. I want to tell this story.’ I was

writing off and on for years, and by writing I mean that I had 20 or so pages written. I’d come back to it every so often, but during Covid, I started reading a TON. Somebody had given me their old Kindle. I’ve always been so against it—I want to turn the page!

I realized it’s quick, affordable, and I didn’t have to have a nightlight on my bed while my husband was sleeping—super easy. I was gobbling up books. I started to realize a lot of the romance authors I was reading, most of them were all self-published. It got me thinking; these people are doing it!

Late 2021 was when I was like, ‘I’m going to pull out my book and research how to self-publish, how to get an editor, cover designer, how to format a book, how to write a book’ (laughs). Something flipped in my brain and I was super committed to getting this done.

CE: Can we have any hints about what the fourth book will entail?

HJ: It’s going to be set in 2006 and it’ll be a summer book, which is different from the third book that’s set in the dead of winter; it’s snowy, cold, not very much a beachy book. I haven’t announced yet who the book is about, but I have started writing it. Stay tuned!

The Fire Island series (currently Saltaire, Return to Saltaire, and Surf Road) can be found on Amazon.com or at The Filling Station Goods & Gifts on First Street. You can also learn more at Hazeljacks.com. B

BMS

­ ­

www.benicia.com Brenda Turner-Adams

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 11

Feature

February Food "Why do I write about food? Because like other

humans, I am hungry.... but more than that, our

three basic needs, for food, security and love are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others."

— M.F.K. Fisher, iconic food writer, author of 27 books including Consider the Oyster and How to Cook a Wolf

So, aren't we lucky that February comes with tons of fabulous food!

It's time for CRAB n Linda Hastings

Dungeness crab season is here, and hundreds of crab feeds are in full swing along coastal California. Charity groups, service organizations, high school athletic clubs, and many others have found crab feeds to be a dependable source for annual fundraising while serving good food and fostering community service. Silent and live auctions often add to the festivities.

All you can eat crab extravaganzas likely arrived here when Northeast settlers migrated west and attempted to replicate mid-Atlantic crab boils with the fat, sweet Dungeness crab they found in the Pacific. The term "crab feed" made its debut in the Baltimore Sun in 1902.

12 • Benicia Magazine

Crab feeds evolved into fundraisers in the 1960s and early 1970s—crab was relatively cheap, and could be cooked, cracked and cleaned ahead of time. Now, most crab feeds include garlic bread, pasta and salad. It's usually BYOB (bring your own butter!) with a no-host bar nearby. Some people bring butter warmers and crab crackers but the casual, fun ambience requires nothing but your appetite.

Contribute to the cause of your choice while enjoying the season's most delectable crustacean treats. Check out this month's calendar of events and choose a crab feed near you!

feature

Mardis Gras Who doesn't love the good times and good food that come with MARDI GRAS? The Mardi Gras Carnival season begins on the twelfth night, January 6, also known as Three Kings Day, marking the day when many believe the Three Wise Men visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Carnival season ends on Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) on February 13, 2024, the day before Ash Wednesday. This is the final day of feasting and celebration before the beginning of Lent in the Christian faith. Although celebrated worldwide, there is a particular over-the-top revelry in Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with lavish masked balls and float processions throughout the season.

"King Cake” is traditionally served on Three Kings Day and up until the eve of Mardi Gras to celebrate the coming of the three kings.

This year, our own One House Bakery is offering beautiful King Cakes in two sizes. You can pre-order online for pick up on February 10 and 11. They may also be available from the bakery case.

The Workshop in Benicia offers outstanding Cajun and New Orleans specialties, galore. You can't lose with Fried Catfish, Red Beans & Rice, or that super special Oyster Po Boy. If you're in the mood to spend some time in your cozy kitchen, here's a special Gumbo recipe adapted from Mr. B's Bistro, part of the famous Brennan family of restaurants in New Orleans.

Gumbo Ya-Ya (Serves 4 hungry Cajuns.)

½ cup vegetable oil 3 Tablespoons flour 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced or chopped 1 medium white onion, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup cooked white chicken, diced 1 Tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons gumbo file seasoning 2 cups good chicken stock or chicken bone broth ROUX: Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven, preferably cast iron. Add flour and cook on medium heat stirring constantly until as dark as possible without burning. This can take 15 - 20 minutes or more. Remove from heat immediately. The darker the roux, the better the flavor.

In another saucepan, sauté andouille, onions, green pepper in butter for about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, simmer for another 10 minutes.

Turn up heat and bring to a gentle boil.

Add roux, mixing thoroughly, and let simmer for 10 minutes more. Add the chicken and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over Uncle Ben's converted rice.

Add hot sauce or pepper flakes to taste.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or scallions if desired.

BeniciaMagazine.com • 13

Feature

Treat Yourself and Your Valentine Valentine's Day, also called the Feast of St. Valentine, has become a

celebration of romance and love in most of the world. The day became

associated with love in the 14th and 15th centuries when "notions of courtly love" flourished like "lovebirds" in early spring. Love is in the air!

Here's an impressive prelude with which to pamper your sweetheart as you start your Valentine's Day celebration:

One House Bakery

Not Your Father's Champagne Cocktail

Benicia Main Street

1/2 ounce each of Brandy, Cointreau, orange juice 1 Dash of Chambord Champagne Shake all but champagne in shaker with ice. Strain into a flute or coupe glass. Top with champagne and add an orange twist if desired.

Lovely! Happy Valentine's Day! Special Menus

One House Bakery offers a delightfully delicious Valentine's 5-course meal by pre-order. Vegetarian available. And, specialty hand-made chocolates, of course.

Benicia Main Street conveniently carries See's Candy in seasonal heart shaped Valentines Day boxes. It doesn't get any better than See's.

The Chill Wine Bar

The Chill Wine Bar is offering a chocolate and wine pairing on February 14th at 5:30 pm—the perfect combination!

Fox and Fawn

Fox and Fawn Bakehouse is all about sweet desserts— order a special cake topped with fresh flowers or share their famous cupcakes.

Drift Benicia

Drift Benicia is featuring a gorgeous Rose Vanilla Latte sprinkled with romantic rosebuds!

The Cafe at the Inn at Benicia Bay announces a special Valentine’s Day menu along with other local restaurants including Bella Siena, Aung MayLika, Venticellos Ristorante, Baxters Restaurant & Bar, Lucca Bar & Grill and others.

Choose your favorite eatery. Reservations are a must! B

14 • Benicia Magazine

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Raffle | Silent Auction | Wine Pull | Whiskey Tasting Saturday, February 3, 2024 6:30-10 pm The Clock Tower, 1189 Washington St. Benicia | Tickets: Eventbrite.com or Benicia Main Street $85.00 per ticket BeniciaMagazine.com • 15

around town | Art & Philanthropy

Sculptor Patty Taylor The Splendor of Mystery

n Jean Purnell When gallerist Jennifer Perlmutter asked sculptor Patty Taylor where she could see her art, Patty had little to offer. She had no website, nor a significant body of work at home. But Perlmutter insisted. “People keep telling me I should see your work.”

Taylor admitted that she had given her work away or donated it to silent auctions. “How generous of you,” said the gallerist.

“Maybe you could think about selling some.”

Perlmutter’s representation of Taylor began in 2016, when she exhibited as a featured artist at the Perlmutter Gallery in Lafayette, and lasted until 2022, when Perlmutter moved her gallery to Carmel.

“My work fit well with Jennifer’s paintings. At first, I was the only sculptor she represented. She sold all five of the pieces I had there as a featured artist. It was unbelievable to me. She believed in me and became a good friend.”

Born and raised in Dallas, Taylor was a free-spirited, imaginative, and creative child. “I had a kid-safe pair of scissors, and I cut out paper shapes and figures that I glued on to everything,” she laughs. Shy as an artist, she was encouraged by an art teacher in high school to enter one of her collages in a contest at the University of Dallas. Only 14 at the time, she won first place, and was rewarded by the opportunity to enroll in a semester-length course in painting at the college.

She enrolled at University of Texas in 1964 and completed the MFA and a teaching credential. “It was a free-spirited place, with really great artists that set the stage for many art movements in the world.” But teaching wasn’t what she hoped it would be. She only taught for a short time.

Changing direction, she worked as an assistant buyer at Neiman Marcus for a few years, before becoming an executive management recruiter in the banking technology industries. She moved to San Francisco in 1980 when her employer asked her to open a branch there. In 1987, she started her own business and had grown her company to four offices before a personal catastrophe struck. In 1989, the home she shared with her daughter in Clayton burned down. She was 41.

Overwhelmed by the enormity of losing everything, she stepped back from hands-on management of her company.

A therapist suggested that she go back to her roots and take an art class as a form of healing. “I signed up for a ceramic sculpture class in 1990 at the Civic Arts program in Walnut Creek. “I didn’t choose sculpture. It was the only class I could get into at the time.” The class afforded her the opportunity to meet Skip Escondido, who influenced her to raku fire her works. She studied with Escondido, followed by Roger Yee. “You paint your sculptures as though they were a painting,” Yee told her. She was developing her voice in sculpture.

“The closed eyes allow the viewer to create their own joy, their own drama, their own tragedy, their own idea of what the work is about,” 16 • Benicia Magazine

around town | Art & Philanthropy She sold her business in stages during 2003 and 2004, fully retiring in 2007. She began studying with Michele Gregor beginning in 2014, whose work she first saw in Davis at the John Natsoulas Gallery. Although Gregor did not use raku, her juxtaposition of matte and glossy lustrous finishes resonated with Taylor’s style.

“My work is always figurative,” Taylor explains. “I’m drawn to the curvy, smooth female figure and face.

Music, fashion, and anthropology are interests of mine, and I incorporate them into my art.” Her females often feature a meditative expression, closed eyes, and full lips. “The closed eyes allow the viewer to create their own joy, their own drama, their own tragedy, their own idea of what the work is about,” she notes.

One of her signature busts, Maeve with Bird, is currently on display at Arts Benicia as part of Art of a Community, a members-only exhibition.

In addition to her busts and torsos, she creates clothed figures wearing kimonos and robes. The Asian influence stems from a trip to Japan in 2019 where she learned the process of indigo dye-ing. The dye-master called her dyed work a “splendor of mystery,” which she likens to the mystery of Raku firing. “You can never quite know how it will come out. Some things are undetermined.”

Taylor moved to Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, in 2014, where she is the Raku and Pit-Fire Master for the Ceramic Workshop. The annual pit-fire is a highlight of her year. “We live on land originally inhabited by the Saklan Indians. I have learned to honor that with the process of firing that we conduct every year.”

Benicia magazine patrons Thank you to our patrons:

Penny Stell Susan Gandy Melissa Mickelson Leslie Hall David Lindsay Bruehol Benicia Brewing Dennis Dellarocca Randal Mendoza and Debbie Weiss JoAnn Boccolini Terry Baldwin Lesley and David Fong Juliet Farnsworth

For more information about Taylor’s work: visit her website, https://www. pattytaylorflamedsculpture.com/ and https:// www.instagram.com/pattytaylor_sculptor/, and https://artsbenicia.org/ Art of a Community runs through February 25, with gallery hours 1-5 pm, Thursday through Sunday, at Arts Benicia, 1 Commandant’s Lane, Benicia. B

Want to see your name here?

Join us on Patreon.com/Benicia_Magazine and select the “Talk of the Town” tier. You’ll get access to additional patron-only content and quarterly merchandise from Benicia Magazine, too!

BeniciaMagazine.com • 17

around town | Hidden Benicia n Kevin Nelson You may not know Jim Phelan but you have likely seen him when you’ve driven down First Street to go to the Farmer’s Market during summer or on virtually any Thursday between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. That is when you’ll see him, standing on the sidewalk in front of the Veterans Hall, waving the American flag and giving the thumbs-up signal to the scores of cars and trucks that pass by in both directions on Benicia’s busy little central thoroughfare.

On a Thursday recently past, I dropped in on the Flag Man of First Street to see what the experience was like—he’s been waving that flag, by himself, every Thursday for the past 17 years—and to ask him why he does what he does. “I was never in the service,” he told me, “but I’ve always been a big supporter of our country and our men and women in uniform.”

Jim, who’s 83 and still going strong, never flags from his duties as we talk. He rests the bottom of the flagpole against his stomach above his belt, holding it with either his left or right hand. When the flow of traffic is moving from Military down First, the pole rests in his left hand and he shoots out the thumbs up with his right. If the cars are coming up First towards Military, his hands switch so his right holds the pole and his left does the thumb work.

In response, the people streaming by in their vehicles honk their horns, wave, gun their engines, and return his smile and thumbs up with smiles and upraised thumbs of their own. “There are a lot of people who love seeing the flag,” he says in satisfaction.

To be precise, Jim has been holding forth on First Street doing his flag thing for a full 20 years; in fact February 2024 marks his 20th anniversary on the job. It all started in 2004, when a group of people unhappy with America’s involvement in the Iraq War staged protests across the street from the Veterans building and placed a row of small American flags along the grass in the park in front of the gazebo.

They placed the flags upside down which struck Phelan as being

18 • Benicia Magazine

“very disrespectful.” He was not alone. He and two dozen other residents formed a counter-protest, assembling in front of the hall and waving American flags—right side up—on Thursdays, at the same time and day the upside down flag people were demonstrating across the street. These peaceful dueling examples of American democracy in action continued for years until the bloodshed in Iraq ended and the political climate changed. The upside-downers steadily lost interest as did the right side-uppers, leaving but one solitary figure still holding the Stars and Stripes high.

“I'd like to get more people out here to fly the flag, One or two more people to keep the tradition going and pick up the torch.”

“Unless we go on vacation or something like that, I’m out here every Thursday,” he says. But what happens if it rains, I ask him. “I have an umbrella,” he replies, not missing a beat. Though he does admit it’s “tough” in the rain to hold an umbrella and the flagpole at the same time while presenting that optimistic thumbs up.

His son-in-law recently gave him grips for the pole, which helps him hold onto it better. “When it’s cold, the pole gets cold too. By that time I’m wearing my gloves.” Nor does darkness stay him from completing his shift. His usual position is under a lamp pole on the sidewalk, but unfortunately, its light has gone out recently. So, in the winter when the sun goes down before 5:30, he’s standing in the darkness until he finally calls it a night and goes to have a burger at Nation’s.

As we stood together in the declining light, he explained that one of his goals is “to get people used to acknowledging the flag. Usually, it takes a few seconds for people to react to it, especially if it’s the first time they’ve seen me here.” Small packs of high schoolers and middle schoolers on foot passed by us on the sidewalk. Jim said hi to every one of them. Over the years people have asked to take their picture with him. Kids on bicycles sometimes call out “Honk, honk!” or “America, yeah!” as they pedal past.

Jim has found, to his delight, that young people, particularly 18-to-24 year-olds, are the most supportive of him. He also says that people in all age groups respond much more positively than they did in the past. Even so, although he plans to remain on flag duty for as long as he’s able, he concedes that it’d be nice to have some company now and then.

“I’d like to get more people out here to fly the flag,” he says.

“One or two more people to keep the tradition going and pick up the torch.” If that sounds of interest to you, go talk to Jim about it. You know where to find him. B

around town | Business

Downward Interest Rates

Bring a Wave of New Buyers It may be worth a look at purchasing now, and weathering that higher interest rate for a year or so, in order to capitalize on the current inventory at current prices. You can then refinance that mortgage next year when the rates have dropped significantly, while still enjoying the equity built into the property as the market will return to a more “normal” state.

History has proved a few things for Benicia Real Estate.

n Eric Hoglund We all need a place to live. We all need to live within our means and budget, too. If you are reading this article, you have likely chosen to live in Benicia, or you want to live here someday. Listening to national news, however, might lead you to think your hopes of ever owning in Benicia are doomed, or at a minimum, indefinitely delayed. This article may give you an alternative perspective.

2023, without a doubt, was one of the strangest years we have ever had in the Real Estate Market.

I cannot think of another time when we had such a high demand to buy, and yet so few transactions.

Inflation, market overreaction, and fear all have a part to play in this dilemma. In an effort to stem the tide of inflation, the FED raised interest rates dramatically, but there may be relief in sight.

Economists are predicting that the FED will lower rates 3 or 4 times this year. We will see those interest rates of nearly 8% toward the end of last year drop to nearly 6% by the end of 2024. We also have the largest group of eligible buyers this country has ever seen, all waiting in the wings to either buy their first home, or upgrade, or relocate.

New home construction is still woefully lagging Buyer Demand. Cities like Benicia in particular, that are nearly built out, will continue to have limited opportunities for Buyers to purchase.

We have very little potential growth possible in Benicia, so prices will continue to rise, and your investment will be sound.

We have more buyers than we have units available; so the lower the interest rates go, the more competitive the market will be for the few units out there.

Rents, while stabilized a bit, are still remarkably high due to lack of available inventory. Investing in your own home and building equity may be a better use of your housing expense budget.

Historic data shows that a 6% mortgage rate is the tipping point, and a flood of buyers will hit the market once we reach this level.

Reality is we are not going to see sub 3% interest rates again for a long time if ever; but the days of 7% or 8% are going to be a thing of the past soon, too. Take advantage of the downward trend and purchase a home that fits your needs and budget now. If it is a bit of a stretch, know that you will likely be able to refinance that loan in a year or so anyway, while still taking advantage of today’s sales prices. B

BeniciaMagazine.com • 19

around town | Community

Black History Month

Remembering Activist Fannie Lou Hamer n Dr. Gethsemane Moss, Ed.D Fannie Lou Hamer was born in 1917 in Mississippi.

Hamer was one of 20 children born to Lou Ella and James Lee Townsend. When Hamer was six years old, she picked cotton alongside her family. During this time in history, many Black families in the South earned a living by working as sharecroppers. In most cases, this was not a viable way to survive as many of the sharecroppers lived on rented plantation land in hopes of a fair exchange for shelter and income for crops gathered, which mostly consisted of cotton, tobacco, and rice. The local laws favored white landowners and included a common practice called crop liens. Crop liens were a way for sharecroppers to get credit before the planting season by borrowing against the anticipated projected crops. After the Civil War, survival was difficult with very little access to cash.

This practice led many merchants to over-tax Black sharecroppers and keep faulty books without an accurate or fair account of the monies owed.

After slavery, about 56% of formerly enslaved individuals were still forced to work as servants or on plantations to survive. They encountered arbitrary and unfair pay policies, and were victimized by literacy barriers. Eventually, some of the sharecroppers began to organize, demanding better rights for their survival. In September of 1919, in Arkansas, Black sharecroppers gathered to discuss the unfair practices. During a meeting in a church where the sharecroppers were gathered, white men shot into the church, which ignited three days of fighting. As a result, five white men were killed, and over 200 Black men, women, and children were murdered.

This event was one of many horrific terrors inflicted on Black people, known as the Red Summer.

The Red Summer incident sparked the ordering of the U.S. Army troops to descend on Elaine, Arkansas, and Blacks were placed in enclosures and tortured. When this case went to trial, 122 black men were charged for this incident that they did

20 • Benicia Magazine

not start. After the trial, some pleaded guilty, and 12 went to death row. The NAACP and other civil rights activists assisted with an appeal for those sentenced to death, known as the "Elaine 12."

The appeal won, after a Supreme Court decision.

The Supreme Court ruled that the trial had been prejudiced by a white mob threatening to lynch all of the Black men if they weren't sentenced to death. While this particular gathering and horrific incident took place in Arkansas, in other former slave states, freed slaves were dealing with Jim Crow Laws established circa 1865 that kept Blacks from accessing personal and financial freedom, in every aspect, and from creating any form of generational wealth and prosperity.

From age six, Hamer worked in the fields.

During the off seasons of sharecropping, she attended school with other children who were also sharecroppers' children. Her love of reading and poetry positioned her to be selected by the plantation owner as a record keeper.

Hamer eventually married and looked forward to starting a family, but that right was taken away. A white doctor decided to give Hamer a hysterectomy without her consent,

around town | Community leaving her unable to have children of her own. This practice of sterilizing Black women was a common practice in Mississippi, known as the "Mississippi Appendectomy." Hamer was able to adopt children, but one of her daughters died of internal hemorrhaging later in her life after being refused medical care.

Hamer learned in 1962 that Black people could vote; she was 45 then. During this time, passing a literacy test to be allowed to vote was part of the state's constitution, and they were frequently unfairly complicated for Black registrants. Further, if a person registered to vote in the state of Mississippi, their name and address was published in the paper for two weeks. As a result, the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups would terrorize Black would-be voters. Hamer was determined to register to vote. She and 17 others took a bus to Indianola to register and on their journey back, their bus was stopped by the police for supposedly being the wrong color and the group got a fine of $100. After Hamer finally made it home, the owner of the plantation on which she worked told her to withdraw her name to vote or leave the plantation.

She left because she believed in her right to vote.

Before her death, Hamer helped others register to vote. In 1963, she was arrested along with other volunteers who were trying to help register voters, and while detained, two officers took turns beating her.

As a result, she suffered permanent kidney damage, a blood clot behind her eye, and a permanent limp.

Hamer died on March 14, 1977 at the age of 59.

It is important to remember and recognize the sacrifice dedicated Civil Rights activists such as Fannie Lou Hamer made to ensure that all Americans possess equal rights. Throughout the year and not just during Black History Month, these tireless leaders deserve our attention and admiration for their efforts to support fairness and respect for all citizens. *Editor’s note: Benicia Magazine’s choice to capitalize Black and not white takes into consideration the erasure of traceable ethnic lineage records of Black people as a whole by the institution of slavery. B

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It is important to remember and recognize the sacrifice dedicated Civil Rights activists such as Fannie Lou Hamer made to ensure that all Americans possess equal rights. Throughout the year and not just during Black History Month, these tireless leaders deserve our attention and admiration for their efforts to support fairness and respect for all citizens.

MITCHELL LAW GROUP 1001 Madison Street, 1st Floor Benicia, California 94510 SolanoLawGroup.com info@SolanoLawGroup.com 707-748-0900 Wills • Trusts • Estate Planning & Administration • Family Law Real Estate • Probate • DUI • Consumer Law • Business Law BeniciaMagazine.com • 21

column | Booktails

Book and Cocktail Club n Cooper Mickelson Having high expectations for a new book release can often lead to disappointment.

It’s almost a disservice to the book itself to expect so much before you’ve held it in your hands. With this in mind, I cracked open Martyr! and began my reading journey while trying my hardest to pretend I hadn’t squealed with excitement when I received an early copy in the mail.

Seeing as I already have a Martyr!-inspired tattoo…I think it’s safe to say I enjoyed reading this electrifying fiction debut from Kaveh Akbar, an Iranian-American poet.

In Martyr! we follow Cyrus Shams, an orphan of Iranian immigrants. Cyrus is a newly sober poet whose fascination with martyrs takes him on a profound, existential journey to examine his past.

Grappling with the grief of losing both of his parents, his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran in a senseless accident when he was only a baby, and his father passed away shortly after Cyrus started college, he finds himself obsessed with the idea of making his death, or his having-lived, possess meaning. This preoccupation with martyrs becomes all-consuming when he meets an artist living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum, and their conversations open up even more questions about his family's past.

Martyr! has a nonlinear, multiperspective narrative interspersed with dream sequences and excerpts from Cyrus's book. This narrative style doesn’t work for every story but in Martyr! it only adds to the genuine intimacy and familiarity Akbar cultivates between these nuanced characters and the reader.

One of the most interesting perspectives in Martyr! is that of Cyrus’s uncle, Arash.

Arash rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death, inspiring 22 • Benicia Magazine

“Which would weigh more on the cosmic scales: a tear of gratitude at the great beauty of a flower lifting through ash, or a tear of delirious rage?” and comforting the dying. His chapters are few and far between, but they are impactful and left me wanting an entire novel dedicated to this tormented “living martyr.” There are also sections from the perspectives of Cyrus’s father, his mother, his best friend, the dying artist, and even Lisa Simpson and an unnamed (yet obvious) president.

Brilliant sentences and impactful imagery make up for a slightly predictable plot, and a final twist that can be seen from miles away is more comforting than disappointing after such an emotion-packed, tender tribute to a life dedicated to seeking meaning.

I personally enjoyed the exploration of sobriety and addiction in Martyr! It was refreshing to see such pure and profound insight into the more convoluted aspects of early sobriety in a fiction novel.

Akbar himself has been sober for a decade, and his experience bleeds into the sections of Martyr! that address this part of Cyrus’s journey, making the story that much more authentic.

Self-aware and unconventional, Martyr! is a story about art, mythology, capitalism, language, culture, identity, recovery, and existential inquiry. Akbar’s skill as a poet, along with his love of music and The Simpsons, shines throughout his debut fiction novel. I strongly feel we’ll be seeing Martyr! on a few lists in 2024, and I’ll be first in line to buy whatever he puts out next. B

Booktail's Mocktail of the Month Icarus Drowns Ingredients 1 Mandarin orange 1 Knob of ginger, sliced 2 Sprigs of thyme 0.5 oz Lemon Juice Hot honey syrup (1 tbsp hot honey, 2 tbsp hot water) Chili powder and salt rim Preparation 1. To prepare the glass, you should add hot honey and chili salt to the rim and chill the glass in the freezer.

2. To a blender, mandarin, ginger, thyme, and 1-3 tbsp of water. Blend until a puree forms.

3. Into a shaker, add your hot honey syrup and strain the puree. Then add lemon juice.

4. Add Ice and shake until cold.

5. Remove your glass from the freezer and pour it up to about ¾ full.

6. If you want to make it a little spritzy (my personal preference), finish off the last ¼ with sparkling water.

column | Dinner & a Movie

Gourmet Gracie and Movie Magic

February Favorites n Movie Magic This romantic sports movie will steal your heart and provide some basketball action as well. Over the years, this film has become a cult classic with standout performances

by Omar Epps (Quincy) and Sanaa Lathan (Monica) who play the two lead characters. Their chemistry is unmistakable, and some scenes will take your breath away.

The film is written and directed

by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Spike Lee. Dennis Haybert, Alfre Woodard, Tyra Banks, Gabrielle Union and Regina Hall star in supporting roles.

The story begins with two affluent black kids who challenge each other in sports. As next-door neighbors, they become friends. They grow up

Benicia Poke Co.

191 Military East Suite C Benicia, CA 94510 beniciapokeco.com 707.361.5332

together, falling in and out of love on and off the court. It's a uniquely thoughtful and touching story that rings true with a quiet maturity.

Quincy and Monica both become basketball stars but the journey along the way gives a perspective from mostly a woman's point of view—a feminist, funny and tender love story. There's pressure in being a star athlete—it's a whole life, not just the game highlights.

Everybody's family gets involved while life plays out with joy and defeat, triumph and pain.

So, for Valentine's Day, grab some Benicia Poke and settle in with your sweetheart for a satisfying love story from your couch. All's fair in love and basketball!

Movie Magic gives Love & Basketball 4 Moons out of 5. B

n Gourmet Gracie Premium Grab & Go Poke! What is poke (Poh-kay) you say? Well, technically, poke means "cut into pieces" and refers to slices or cubes of delicious, fresh, premium grade raw fish. Served in a bowl with multiple options of rice, salad, vegetables, sauces and seasonings—poke is something special with inspiration from cuisine of Hawaii.

Two sisters from Benicia decided to leave careers in finance and homemaking to follow their passion.

After falling in love with poke on their many visits to the islands to visit family, they had a longing to make their favorite cuisine available right here at home. The result is their small, women-owned, familyrun business dedicated to premium, fresh ingredients while adding variety to the Benicia dining scene.

They opened late last year after renovating their space around the corner from Nation's Giant

Love & Basketball

2000 • PG13 • 120 minutes Streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Hulu

Hamburgers at the intersection of 2nd and Military East. Grade A fresh tuna is delivered and cut daily. Build your own poke bowl from myriad selections or choose a signature bowl with perfectly blended flavors.

The House Bowl comes with tuna, salmon, seaweed salad, crab salad, cucumber, green onion, sweet onion and house sauce with your choice of white/brown rice or salad. The Hawaiian bowl switches it up with limu poke, vegetables and fried onions under a wasabi drizzle. Everything is super fresh and super healthy! And the food is beautiful as well, with lots of flavor. Did you promise to eat more vegetables this year? They taste so much better in a poke bowl!

Aloha drinks, ItoEn green tea, Ramune marble drinks and Moshi Sparkling drinks are also available. Take out and delivery.

Check for hours. B

Ono-licious! Aloha!

BeniciaMagazine.com • 23

around town | Events

February Events Month of january Love Local Send some love to your favorite Downtown Benicia business this month for a chance to win $100 Downtown Dollars.

February 2 First Friday at the Museum— Ariel Martin MoHB 6:30-9:30 February 3 Wine & Chocolate Walk Benicia Main Street 1 pm February 3 Winter & Winer Sip with Soroptomist Benicia Historic Clocktower 6:30 pm February 10 Benicia Lions Club 50th Annual Crab Feed Benicia Historic Clocktower 6 pm Tuesdays Trivia with King Trivia Mare Island Brewing Co. First Street Taphouse 6:30pm

Classes & Workshops February 5 Great Decisions: Mideast Realignment Benicia Public Library 7-8:30 pm Discussion Group February 10 Children's Art Workshop Empress Theater 11 am Guided by the incredibly talented artist, Tyson Snow.

February 12 Great Decisions: Climate Technology and Competition Benicia Public Library 7-8:30 pm Discussion Group 24 • Benicia Magazine

February 16 Adult Sculpture Art Class with Tyson Snow Empress Theater 9 am A 3-day sculpting experience with artist Tyson Snow.

February 26 Great Decisions: Science Across Borders Benicia Public Library 7-8:30 pm Discussion Group

Music & Entertainment The Rellik Tavern Last Friday of the Month Goth Night 9pm-1:30am Tuesdays Open Mic for Musicians 7-10pm Wednesdays Karaoke 7-10pm Thursdays DJ 9pm-1am Fridays and Saturdays Live Music Sundays Poker Night 6-10pm Empress Theater February 3 Gone Too Soon 8 pm February 7 WMPH 6:30 pm February 10 Mardi Gras with Greg Rahn and the Fat Tuesday Horns 8 pm February 11 Breakfast at Tiffany's 11 am February 14 The Lucky Losers 6:30 pm February 17 Out of Africa 6:30pm February 28 Marina Crouse 6:30 pm

Lucca Beer Garden February 1 The Elmwoods 6:30-9 pm February 2 Papa Joe & The New Deal 6:30-9 pm February 3 Lance Richards Band 1-3:30 pm Camp Jeff 6:30-9 pm February 4 Evan Thomas Blues Band 2:30-5:30 pm February 8 Sweet Marie & The Suspects 6:30-9 pm February 9 Jewels Hanson & Company 6:30-9 pm February 10 The Breedloves & Friends 1-4 pm The Inflatables 6:30-9 pm February 13 FAT TUESDAY/MARDI GRAS PARTY Feat. The Bonafides 6:30-9 pm February 15 Jeff Tamelier, Eddie M, Tony Stead & Bryant Mills 6:30-9 pm February 16 Wreckless Strangers 6:30-9 pm February 17 Richard March 1-4 pm Kehoe International 6:30-9 pm February 18 Steve Freund Blues Trio 2:30-5:30 pm February22 The Machine 6:30-9 pm February 23 Don Bassey & Friends 6:30-9 pm February 24 Jinx Jones 1-4 pm Beaufunk 6:30-9 pm February 25 Garageland Rodeo 2:30-5:30 pm February 29 The Real Thang 6:30-9 pm February 24 Passion for Performance Benicia Historic Clocktower 5:30 pm (VIP: 4:30-5:30) B

Community Event

COCKTAILS, APPETIZERS, WHISKEY AND TEQUILA TASTING, DINNER, AND DANCING The Benicia Community Foundation, Inc. invites you to an evening of fun at our 2nd Annual

It starts with theHeart

WE APPROACH BENICIA THROUGH THE LENS OF LOVE

March 9th from 5pm-10pm Historic Benicia Clock Tower - 1189 Washington Street, Benicia

$120 per ticket - (includes drink ticket, appetizers, dinner, dessert, and dancing) This major community event is a fun-filled dinner and dancing event. The proceeds from this event will be exclusively used for programs that support Benicia. We are seeking event sponsors and donations from our community allies for this important community event.

For more information please contact Kelly Baldwin at (707) 319-6392

EVENT SPONSORED BY:

Brooke Bovo Terrie Patterson

Team Jones Mario Giuliani & Katie Kowinski

Helen Kennedy-LazarTax Advice, LLC

BeniciaMagazine.com • 25

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Open Mon. - Fri. 9-5 weekends & evenings by appointment Contractor's License # 687979