column Editor's letter
FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE PUBLISHER
June is a month for celebration and recognition. Father’s Day, graduations, Pride, and Juneteenth all fall in this month – not to mention the official start of summer. Summer has always been my favorite time of year due to the warm weather (yes, I’m one of the few people who actually enjoys the heat!), longer days, the numerous outdoor events that take place in Benicia and the surrounding Bay Area, and the generally care-free feeling that comes with the season – undoubtedly ingrained in us in childhood by the hallowed summer break from school. As Father’s Day is upon us, I’d like to take a moment to highlight my own dad, Jon Hand. Ever steady, yet goofy, my dad is what some would consider a “classic” dad – coming complete with corny yet beloved “dad jokes.” He has always been the mellow counterpart to my mom’s spitfire demeanor. He taught my brother and me the value of patience, of balancing one’s checkbook, and of basic vehicle maintenance, among other key life lessons. When I was beginning pointe work in ballet, he sewed my ribbons and elastics for me until I was able to do it myself. It wasn’t until I was in high school that my dad found his ultimate career path in IT. And it wasn’t until a few years ago that he picked up drumming again, reconnecting with his love of music (he was in drum corps in high school and, in his twenties, played for a rock band that had a music video debut on MTV). In the past year, much to his initial chagrin, he joined my mom for ballroom dancing lessons, which he eventually admitted were “kind of fun.” All this is to say, my dad has been a great father and role model. And to our recent high school and college grads, take note from my dad’s life that if you don’t have it all figured out just yet, there is plenty of time to discover what you are good at and what feeds your soul. Sometimes it takes stepping outside your comfort zone to discover the things that light up your life. Congrats, Grads!
You might wonder why there’s an article about Renel BrooksMoon in Benicia Magazine. Here’s the story. I was invited to a baby shower by London Breed and John Konstin. John is a close friend and the owner of John’s Grill in San Francisco on Ellis Street. He is also active in trying to correct politics in SF. I don’t often get an invite from Mayor London Breed, so I decided to attend with Genevieve. Since the baby shower was for John’s first grandchild, he pulled out all the stops. Over 250 friends, politicians, media, and a few beat cops. It was over the top. We were fortunate to sit with Renel and her charming husband Tommy. I’ve known Renel personally since 2008 and have been a fan for much longer. So, I asked if she would do an interview for Benicia Magazine, and she said yes. Genevieve and I were thrilled. Renel is hilarious and charming and we knew the interview would be fun. And she was indeed charming and funny and full of baseball stories, but there was another very somber part of the article. We interviewed her during the same week as the Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings. She started off the interview saying that she was not doing well and that the hearings were very triggering for her. She told us of the many difficulties that she encountered in her career as an African-American woman, both as a radio and broadcast personality and as the Voice of the Giants. This was a very different Renel than the one that I knew. The interview lasted over an hour and 45 minutes, and it covered much of her life. We were not able to include everything in the magazine but will have a more complete article on our website at a later date. Father’s Day is always a bit melancholy for me. I lost my dad when I was 14 and I still think about all that he missed. He was a happy, generous and thoughtful man and a great father. He was adventurous; he faked his I.D. when he was 15 years old and joined the Merchant Marines, sailing the Great Lakes. He then enlisted in the Marine Corps and fought in the Korean War, where he received a Purple Heart. He taught my sister and I how to play baseball, volleyball and had us running around the track. He was a health enthusiast before it was popular and would treat us to various healthy concoctions which we didn’t really appreciate. He died on Mother’s Day in 1968 of an asthma attack. I miss him, still.
—Genevieve
—Mary
@beniciamagazine
To all the Dads out there, happy Father’s Day!
Facebook.com/beniciamagazine
beniciamagazine
Tweet, post or send your suggestions & ideas to: Editor@beniciamagazine.com
Beniciamagazine.com 8 • Benicia Magazine
