Editor's Letter

June is the month of dads and grads, and with the partial reopening of events, restaurants and family gatherings, we can celebrate in more traditional ways than we did in 2020. The high school seniors of 2021 have had an experience like no other in a century — a year upended by a pandemic and by lockdowns that kept them from enjoying many of the activities that previous seniors have taken for granted. The graduation ceremony will be in-person this year with two graduation ceremonies on June 5th. Please contact Benicia High School for more information.

Many years ago, when I was 14 years old and a freshman in high school, my father passed suddenly on Mother’s Day. It was shocking and terrible. My sister and I were at a loss, our lives completely upended. We went through the motions at our school, Notre Dame Academy, in West Los Angeles, and participated in school functions as best we could. One of the functions we wouldn’t be able to participate in was the annual Father/ Daughter dance. But, someone decided that yes, we should be able to attend. Mr. Ruben Mendoza, father of my best friend Jeannine and four other children, extended the invitation to go to the dance with him and his two daughters. Mr. Mendoza was a tall, quiet, taciturn man who was a somewhat unlikely “date” for four teenage girls. He picked us up in his El Camino — I still don’t know how we all fit — and off we went to the dance. He dutifully danced with us all and, after, took us to Will Wright's ice cream parlor in Westwood, where we had blueberry ice cream. I remember my dad every Father’s Day, but I also remember Mr. Mendoza, who made sure that my sister and I weren’t left out of that long ago event.

I will never forget my wonderful father and I will never forget Mr. Mendoza and his kindness.

Have a wonderful Father’s Day!

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