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Letter from the editor
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FROM THE EDITOR
September 2020
It’s a bit difficult to find the silver lining in the multiple challenges that we are facing. The pressures of the pandemic, the economic downturn, the unrelenting heat and now the fires. But as relentless as all of the pressures are, the people of this town will always step up.
As of this writing, Benicia firefighters are engaged in fighting the many blazes that are taking place all across Northern California. Benicia Police Department is also involved. Animal rescue groups are bringing livestock to the Solano County Fairground while many Benicia residents open their homes to evacuees. When disaster strikes, we step up to the frontline. We roll up our sleeves, put on our masks and get to work.
There are indeed more of us that are in need, and various Benicia community groups and small businesses have stepped up to help by making food and support more available. And in the midst of all this, school has started. Children are back in virtual school and parents are learning how to help their children while working at their jobs from home. None of this is easy, but with optimism and grit, Benicia citizens are making the best of it.
Remember to support small businesses and our restaurants who are making heroic efforts to remain viable. Every purchase helps.
And so perhaps it is in this essence of coming together that we find the silver lining. As challenge after challenge berates us, we draw together in support of each other. Our tenacious positivity and sense of community leads us in the charge forward; and through this darkness, our light shines. .
Stay safe, Mary Hand Editor
Benicia Real Estate Local agents answer your real estate questions Is it wise to buy or sell a house during the pandemic?
No time like the present to sell your house! Even during a pandemic, interest rates are at an all-time low. Low rates have kept many buyers in the market for a new home. The extreme lack of inventory is producing a highly competitive seller’s market with many homes receiving multiple off ers. Buyers are submitting higher off ers with creative incentives for sellers, such as shorter escrows and as-is purchases. As far as health safety for sellers in a pandemic, the utmost care is being given to the homeowner, buyers, and agents. Masks, sanitizer, gloves and limited access to property: only people who are on the loan are allowed to view the property – no children allowed. Prior screening of potential buyers is being taken, allowing for only serious buyers to view the property.
Renee Marie Jordan Realtor® Jordan Real Estate Group DRE#: 01064502 • M: 707.746.4864
Some of us may need to hear a little good news these days. With all the concern over the pandemic and the fallout in the economy, one bright spot is the housing market. Coming out of a three-month lockdown starting in March of this year, we are seeing the positive eff ects of that pent-up demand. We continue to have low inventory, so it is not uncommon for Sellers to receive multiple off ers on homes in the area. At the same time, we are seeing fair pricing and low interest rates, and this is good news for Buyers. One new trend we are seeing is the “move up’ home. With folks working from home now, and for the foreseeable future, and children having to do Distance Learning from home for school, people are looking to add square-footage or an extra bedroom or two, in order to accommodate home school and home offi ce needs. This transition and mobility is providing inventory to the fi rst time Buyer that might not have been there under a pre-COVID 19 set of circumstances. One family moves to a larger home and thus frees up a smaller home for a new Buyer. Take advantage of the opportunities listed above and you will not regret the investment you made during a very uncertain time. Our grandparents survived pandemics, and recessions, and all sorts of other hardships, and their homes became the largest generators of wealth they had. Today, we have the same type of opportunities they had, and your home can help you write the next chapter in the story you will tell the next generation.
Eric Hoglund Realtor® EsteyReal Estate Sales & Professional Property Management CaBRE: 00674738 • M: 707.745.0924
Genevieve Hand Fitness industry professionals are a notoriously optimistic crowd. They exude positivity and are vessels of seemingly endless energy. But today, fi tness professionals carry a tinge of anxiety in their voice. Theirs is one of the many industries hit especially hard by COVID-19 closures. Many fi tness centers shifted to a virtual presence early on – off ering group classes via Zoom or other streaming services, hoping to get back to normal sooner rather than later. Well, now it’s later, and those who have survived thus far have endured the expense of a brief re-opening and a rapid re-shuttering. But fi tness professionals here in Benicia haven’t taken all this lying down. They’ve harnessed their optimism, energy, and yes, probably a little of that anxiety, into ingenuity. In order to adapt to this strange new reality, they’ve returned physical activity to its origins: the outdoors. Benicia Jazzercise has transformed their front patio into an outdoor studio. While, at the time that this article is being written, only a few classes are currently being off ered per day, franchise owner Leslie Rowley explains that they will soon be opening a second outdoor space in their back parking lot, allowing her to expand class off erings during usable hours. Benicia Jazzercize has always been concerned with keeping their noise down for residential neighbors, and that concern has deepened with the move to the outdoors. “We want to continue to be a good neighbor,” says Leslie. Therefore, she has reserved late morning and early evening hours for in-person, outdoor classes, and is holding late evening classes only online. Benicia Jazzercize off ers cardio and strength-building classes for all ages and movers. They off er a 10:30am class that is specifi cally geared toward those with mobility challenges and are also a Silver&Fit provider. All classes observe social “disdance-ing.” This shift to outdoor spaces has been easier for some fi tness outfi ts than others. Training Loft 714 doesn’t have usable outdoor space on their property. Luckily, owner Denise Brazeal received permission from the City to hold her classes at Benicia City Park. “They’re nothing like our studio classes,” says Denise, “but those who are coming really love them!” She is averaging 20-25 people per class, all while maintaining more than 6 feet between participants. “Actually, people are usually staying 10 or more feet apart,” says Denise. While all participants must reserve a space in class ahead of time, Denise has welcomed curious onlookers to sign up for a $10 drop-in class. Due to city noise ordinances, Training Loft 714 has had to limit their class off erings to 9am M/W/F and 5pm T/Th. At the time that this article is being written, Denise hopes the city will begin allowing weekend classes as well. In comparison, Benicia Crossfi t’s COVID retrofi t came a bit more naturally. The facility already had an outdoor courtyard used for training. “We’re really lucky that we were already in a position to off er a
complete workout with equipment when this thing hit,” says owner Craig Moore. Benicia Crossfi t already had an online infrastructure which allowed them to continue providing their personal coaching services through the initial closure. Since receiving the “OK” to open outdoor activities, they’ve been able to resume their regular classes, albeit with some restrictions. Their class sizes are currently limited to 6 participants who can register through an app. Temperatures are taken at the entry gate and participants are required to stay within their spray-paint denoted area. 15 minutes are reserved between classes for clean-up and transition. “I would never put my members at risk,” says Craig. Griffi n Fitness, with their focus on personal training and one-on-one sessions, has also been able to resume close to normal operations since moving some of their equipment out to the space behind their building. “We’ve been observing all the proper social distancing guidelines and been very careful about sanitizing equipment,” says owner Lisa McVeigh, “no one is allowed to share equipment.” At the moment, they are operating on a one-on-one training session model only, except for a small bootcamp class on Mondays and Wednesdays. All sessions and classes are by appointment only and, like other fi tness centers, they also have an online presence. Lisa notes that they are experiencing a gradual build in membership – possibly due to their new enrollment discount of 10%, ongoing at the time that this article is written. Benicia Fitness on First Street is one of the few that has been able to maintain anything that resembles an “open gym” format. The facility already had an outdoor patio with equipment, which has turned out to be a saving grace. Owner Joy Rund explains that she has turned the patio into a hybrid space, holding the various classes she off ers in the mornings and evenings (spin, Zumba, kickboxing, yoga, and Restorative Yoga), and becoming a haven for weightlifters in the in-between hours. While these in-between hours resemble an open gym, each individual there has gone through an appointment system to reserve the hour that they are allotted, their temperature is taken, and they are required to maintain social distancing guidelines. “They’re required to sanitize their equipment after use and encouraged to also sanitize it before use,” says Joy, “that way they can have peace of mind.” In early August, Joy received permission from the City to hold some of her classes, including the ever-popular Zumba class, at Benicia City Park, enabling her to serve more members at once. Jasmine Powers, owner of j.POWERStudio, was quick to transform the parking lots of her main studio into an outdoor exercise oasis. “As soon as the second closure notice came through, I went right out to Lowe’s and bought all the Astro Turf they had,” she says. She’s used this Astro Turf to turn her asphalt into a grassy park. She is currently off ering all the classes she off ered pre-COVID, aside from pole-dancing, and has been able to keep her teaching staff working at pre-COVID capacity – a feat for any business. Participants typically stay roughly 10 feet apart in all classes, which include Barre, Pilates, yoga, chair dancing, spin, and more. Jasmine had considered moving a spin class outdoors before COVID hit, “…but I hadn’t really taken it seriously until the second closure.” The verdict? People seem to love it. “It’s going to be really hard for me to get people back in the studio!” While this pandemic has brought hard times, these feats of ingenuity and creativity are direct byproducts of those hard times. New opportunities have presented themselves out of necessity. Early on in the closures, for instance, Training Loft 714 gained an online-only clientele which consists of individuals in other cities and even other states. Despite the successes these businesses have seen, they’re not out of the woods yet. Each of these outfi ts has reported a loss in membership of anywhere from 20% to 50%; and they’re worried about those members they’ve lost. “It’s really important to stay healthy and de-stress right now,” says Craig Moore; and fi tness plays a big role in that. For those uncomfortable rejoining group classes, even in an outdoor setting, each of these facilities report plans to continue providing virtual classes and services.
Wheels in Motion: Keeps Benicia Moving
Bitsy Hall The effects of Covid-19 have led to economic stress for many businesses and families on a global scale. As residents of Benicia can tell you, this economic hit has not left our town unscathed: we have seen several local and beloved businesses close their doors. While watching so much of our reality dissolve and change, we look for remnants of familiarity and hope where we can. Though the pandemic has transformed once cherished storefronts into empty windows, there are pillars in Benicia that have remained. Wheels in Motion, Benicia’s one and only bike and skate shop, has endured the trying times of Covid-19. Greg Andrada opened Wheels in Motion in 1991 as a roller skating shop. Because Benicia had no other business like it, Greg and his wife Joy saw this as a business opportunity. During this time, roller skates were “the rage.” Though roller skates were trending in the early 1990s (and some may argue are making a comeback today), there was another group looking for a shop to fulfill their hobby’s needs: skateboarders. With activity growing from the Benicia Skate Park on West K, Greg received requests to supply Benicia skaters with skateboards and needed accessories. With this, he began to expand his selection. Over the years, Wheels in Motion has grown to include a lengthy list of different bikes, boards, and accessories. Currently, Wheels in Motion is really busy. Their customer base has expanded from skateboarding and cycling enthusiasts to a much broader collection of locals. The unique circumstances brought on by sheltering in place and social distancing have led many to explore alternative options for exercise, commuting, and recreation. With gyms remaining closed, many people have been forced to switch up their fitness routines from exercise bikes to road bikes. They are coming into the shop in droves, some to get their old bikes that had been collecting dust tuned up and ready for the road, and others to purchase new bikes and accessories for the entire family. For many in our community that are working from home, getting the whole family outdoors, whether that is on a skateboard or a bike, is more crucial than ever for mental health and basic sanity. Wheels in Motion has these folks covered with bikes and skateboards of all sizes. Even those who are commuting to work have had to change things up, especially those that relied on taking the bus. In order to stay distant and safe, many who were accustomed to taking public transportation across the Benicia bridge have opted for biking. With the pedestrian path on the Benicia Bridge, bikers have a safe and reliable option for an alternative to public transportation or carpooling. While more business is certainly a good thing, it does come with complications. Demand is high as ever for the products Greg is bringing into his shop, but supply remains low with disruptions from Covid-19. Greg’s goal is to keep finding ways to serve the needs of his customers and, most importantly, to get through the chaos of 2020. Surviving the effects of an unpredictable pandemic has shown just how anchored Wheels in Motion is in our community.
