Benicia Magazine September 2021 Issue

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Volume 16 Issue 11 September 2021

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Benicia Contributors

Bitsy Hall Genevieve Hand Linda Hastingsmagazine Darrell Mcelvane Jeannine Mendoza, Ed.D Aly Mickelson Cooper Mickelson Gethsemane Moss, Ed.D Kevin Nelson Gene Pedrotti Carolyn Plath Jean Purnell Linda Chandler Maura Sullivan Solofo Evans

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September 2021

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14 Matthew Turner

Features 16 Late Summer Getaways September in the Sierras

John Swett

6 • Benicia Magazine

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18 Benicia’s Hispanic Heritage Spanish Roots

Departments Columns 8 F rom the editor 15 Spotify September Getaway playlist

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Wills • Trusts • Estate Planning & Administration • Family Law Real Estate • Probate • DUI • Consumer Law • Business Law

11 Judie Donaldson Senior of the Year

14 Hidden Benicia

Matthew Turner Lives!

20 N uts and Bolts John Swett

22 R esiliency Guy

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ART SCENE 12 Mannequin Auction Proceeds to Charity

13 Mark Eanes

Fifty Years and Still Creating

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Column Editor's letter

I don’t know why …

beniciamagazine @beniciamagazine

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Tweet, post or send your suggestions & ideas to: Editor@beniciamagazine.com Beniciamagazine.com

But when I begin my monthly letter I usually have some piece of music in my head. Usually something relating to the month that the letter is being written for. I know this is a strange process, but it’s just what happens. I love all kinds of music, from Metallica to Mozart, Coltrane to BB King, R & B to Americana. You get the picture. This month, the song that entered my mind is “Try to Remember,” a classic from the musical The Fantasticks circa the early 1960s. It is nostalgic and, in our time, rather bittersweet. September has always been my favorite month for traveling, whether day trips or more extensive vacations. I almost always go to the Tahoe region or Yosemite. Hence, our feature article about late summer getaways. I now regard September with a bit of trepidation because of the increase in wildfires. Hence, the bittersweet quality of the old lyrics.

As of this writing, we have had to change the cover photo and make other adjustments due to the current wildfires in the Sierras.

Our article about Apple Hill in Placer County may not be relevant for this year. The Caulder fire has mandated evacuations of Apple Hill and neighboring towns. I don’t know what the situation will be by the time you receive the September issue but I hope the area survives. The same holds true for the ability to enjoy the kokanee salmon run in the South Lake Tahoe area.

There’s a bit of history in this issue with Kevin Nelson’s story about Matthew Turner, Gene Pedrotti’s article about John Swett and Jeannine Mendoza’s article about our Spanish roots. We live in a town that is rich in history and its past is populated by a plethora of famous and infamous characters.

We’re also highlighting important and influential people in our area, today. Judie Donaldson, one of the founders of Carquinez Village, has been awarded the Senior of the Year award for her contributions to the betterment of our senior population. Dr. Martinez, known as the “Resiliency Guy” has promoted personal empowerment and has influenced many students and young people in Vallejo. Read about his inspirational story on page 22.

There are interesting art shows, a wine walk, and you can find really great music and food at many of our restaurants. So perhaps your end of summer adventures will happen right here in Benicia.

Mary Try to remember the kind of September, When life was slow and oh so mellow.

Try to remember the kind of September, When grass was green and grain was yellow.

8 • Benicia Magazine

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Around Town Community

“...Benicia Dog Festival event goers will celebrate, honor, and help dogs in all of Northern California.“

Benicia Dog Festival

A Doggone Good Time n

Bitsy Hall

If you’ve been in Benicia for long enough, you know by now that we love festivals and fairs. Sections of our Main Street have been blocked off for the Peddler’s Fair, car shows, the Christmas tree lighting, and more events than we can remember. While the boxes have been checked off for several categories, there is one that Benicia has never ticked off the list: a dog festival. Lucky for us and our furry friends, Benicia will be having its first ever dog festival on October 17th.

But what exactly does a “dog festival” entail? At the First Annual Benicia Dog Festival, event goers will celebrate, honor, and help dogs in all of Northern California. Offering fun for both humans and pups, this free one-day event will include pop-up food stands hosted by local eateries, pet related vendors and booths, live music and performances, dog & me competitions, artist pet

10 • Benicia Magazine

paintings, and dog adoptions. Included in the entertainment and ceremony section will be a demonstration by Benicia Police Department’s K-9 unit and a pet blessing ceremony. At the pet blessing ceremony, ladybugs will be released at the closing of the event to honor pets that are no longer with us. Participants who would like to commemorate their lost pets will be able to purchase ladybugs at the event.

Most importantly, the Benicia Dog Festival will generate proceeds for Northern Californian non-profit animal rescue organizations. These non-profit organizations rescue and care for animals that have been affected by natural disasters and declared emergencies.

With wildfire seasons becoming worse each year, these organizations’ work is becoming more important than ever before.

If you would like to get involved, you can participate as a volunteer, vendor, sponsor, or donor. As a volunteer, you can

help with setting up/taking down, visitor/ guest services, “poop patrol,” or crowd control. If you would like to participate as a vendor, you can have a 10 x 10 ft space at the event for a tax-deductible fee. For sponsorship, companies can associate their business with the Benicia Dog Festival and connect with the community through major or minor name placement at the event. To become a donor, donations can be given through the Benicia Dog Festival’s website. As a thank you for your donation, a picture of your dog can be uploaded to the site’s main page.

The Benicia Dog Festival will take place at the Benicia Green from 11am to 4pm on October 17th.

For more information and to get involved, visit www.beniciadogfestival.com.

See you there!

Around Town Community

Judie Donaldson Senior of the Year n

“Senior of the Year” by the Solano Senior Coalition for her important work with the organization. ” Retiring to Benicia in 2011, Judie Donaldson has never slowed, engaging continuously in community initiatives.

She had been grappling with the personal and societal changes that occur for the retiring/aging population and asked herself, "So what's next?"

Judie and her compatriot, Lois Request, discovered that a village movement had begun to support aging adults who choose to remain in their homes, and this meant finding solutions for safety, transport, social and educational opportunities, modifying systems and creating new ones. Up went Judie's hand; her life had new purpose.

Structure was required. Bringing concept to reality required her excellent networking skills, persuasion, and passion. Up went her hand; the other one began passing the hat. Initiatives take resources, connected people and funds. Never shy, Judie applied herself.

The resulting scaffold needed members; legitimacy; policies and procedures.

Genevieve Hand

Carquinez Village is an organization that was designed to assist aging adults by helping to provide services, activities, and educational, social, and cultural programs to their daily lives. Per their vision statement, “Carquinez Village envisions all older adults living in a diverse and inclusive community with dignity, purpose and well being.”

Judie Donaldson is a founding member of Carquinez Village and was recently awarded the title “Senior of the Year” by the Solano Senior Coalition for her important work with the organization. In light of her achievements, Valero awarded a $10,000 check to Carquinez Village. For more about Judie Donaldson and her work with Carquinez Village, read on below: Deliverables and volunteers. With personal investment, and strong networks, Judie headed up letter-writing campaigns, speaking engagements, events, and home teas. The idea gained momentum, triggering a response in the eyes and hearts of community members.

As co-chair of this fledgling organization. Judy organized and guided.

Volunteers were trained; publications created; website and newsletter developed. Membership grew; funding through donations, grant applications and dues provided monetary resources.

As President, Judie received daily recognition from grateful members and fulfilled volunteers. She has served as chair and an active member on several committees including committees of one: Judie. Easy to spot, her hand is always up, ready to move the agenda.

Her tireless leadership has created a thriving IOC-member nonprofit. Over 40 committed volunteers transport, encourage, check on, and support

members and each other. Judie routinely contacts members, meets city officials and serves on committees. She collaborates on grant applications, writes bimonthly newspaper columns, and encourages members, volunteers and board members through her reflective input. She does all of this with one hand; the other is always raised yet again to volunteer in support of the community.

Judie is an influencer. She brings structure and inclusion to community dialogue. Her background includes strong research skills which she uses to enrich dialogue and seed best practice concepts that serve to strengthen and grow the localized efforts at every stage of development. Her "can do" attitude and positive perspective serve as a model for those who joyfully join her in the passionate work of building community.

-Bio written and provided by Linda Chandler, Outreach Chair, Carquinez Village BeniciaMagazine.com • 11

Around Town Art Scene

Artist Decorated

Mannequin Auction

to Benefit Diverse Charities n

Jean Purnell

The public is invited to view and bid on twelve artist-created mannequins at a Mannequin Auction on Tuesday, September 14, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, at the elegant and historic Jefferson Mansion at 1063 Jefferson St. Three galleries along First Street in Benicia – Arata Fine Art Gallery, Estey Real Estate, and HQ Gallery – will also display the mannequins for pre-event silent bidding from September 3 to 13.

The former sporting goods store mannequins have been turned into innovative and beautiful works of art by local artists, each of whom have chosen a charity to benefit upon the sale of the work. Participating artists are Peg Jackson, Celeste Joy, Scott Kambic, Liisa Kankkunen, Mike Kendall, Dorrie Langley, Katarina Mandal, Claudia O., and Erika Von Zoog.

Purchases will benefit these charities: Arts Benicia, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Coral Reef Alliance, Homeless Action Coalition, I Can Do That Theatre Company, Immigrant Family Defense Fund, Native Renewables, Operation USA, Passion to the Streets, St. Jude Research Hospital, Solano Pride Center, and Vallejo Capitol Stairs Mosaic Project.

The exhibition and auction of the mannequins is the brainchild of Benicia resident Michael Lester, who saw dozens of mannequins being loaded into a dumpster in Walnut Creek. Lester intervened, bringing twenty-five of the figures home. Years went by before he came up with the idea of having artists decorate them and selling them via auction for worthy causes. “It’s time I found a home for these mannequins – I’ve had to move them twice in the last ten years,” he laughs.

Wedgewood Weddings is providing the space for the event; classical guitarist Dave Shipley will perform, and refreshments will be served. Admission is free. Please visit mannequinauction. com for addresses of the participating galleries, to view all of the mannequins and for more information about each individual artist and their chosen charities.

12 • Benicia Magazine

Participating Artists Peg Jackson Celeste Joy Scott Kambic Liisa Kankkunen Mike Kendall Dorrie Langley Katarina Mandal Claudia O. Erika Von Zoog

Around Town Art Scene

Benicia Artist Mark Eanes Fifty Years and Still Creating n

Jean Purnell

An exhibition comprising a nearly fiftyyear survey of the artwork of Mark Eanes will open on Saturday, September 25, at the Arts Benicia gallery at 991 Tyler Street, Suite 114, in the historic Benicia Arsenal.

Titled Shifting Sands: A Survey of Work, the exhibition will include paintings, prints, collage and photographs selected

by Eanes and long-time colleague and co-curator Kathryn Weller-Renfrow, spanning from his Mills College days to the present.

Eanes loved to draw from an early age.

He grew up in the semi-rural environment of Terre Haute, Indiana, moving to Virginia Beach by the time of high school. With no plans after graduation, his mother arranged for the directionless teen to move to Hillsborough, California to live with his uncle, who agreed to help him find a career path. With his uncle’s support, Mark chose a college and a course of study – fine art, the one motivating interest he’d always had.

He began at Cañada College in Redwood City, then later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was influenced by artists/teachers Howard Warshaw and Irma Cavat. “My training was very European, very traditional, not hip like the times,” says Eanes. “I copied the old masters’ paintings and developed my technical skills.” After graduation in

1974, he moved to San Francisco and supported himself as a clerk at a Best Western hotel, living frugally enough to save $3000 for a trip abroad. “I took my sketchbooks and backpack with me on a four-month trip to Europe,” he recalls. Using a Eurail pass, he traveled to museums in Paris, Amsterdam, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The new knowledge and experiences he brought back to San Francisco were life-changing, and his art became a need, not a want.

“I’ve always been interested in the history of art, and my travels have involved seeing the art of that place.” His travels have also provided visual source material for his artwork, including elements from nature, printed materials, buildings, walls, portals, and surface textures and layers.

By the mid 1980s he gained admission to the Fine Arts program at Mills College, where he studied with Jay de Feo and completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1987. He considers his time at Mills to be a period of synthesis, influenced by the modernist sculptural shapes and gestures of the works of Brancusi. “I was always drawing, transcribing, and emulating the artwork that I saw and admired.” He subsequently set up a studio in Oakland where his artwork began to reveal an abundance of nature’s forms: organic, biomorphic shapes, seeds, and pods. He was also influenced by artist Terry Winters’ use of biomorphic forms in abstract works.

By the 1990s, Eanes had set up his studio in the Benicia Arsenal and begun to incorporate a strong interest in geometry, spatial relationships, and grids. His work became increasingly abstract, as he developed his interest in color exploration, collage, architectural elements, and text and fonts. The lines, color combinations, and geometric shapes of the works of Piet Mondrian and Paul Klee were influential. A subdued color palette gradually gave way to more intense uses of color in his present work.

Eanes’ works have been shown in many exhibitions throughout the Western United States. He considers a solo show at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara in 2019 as a milestone achievement. He has also taught at the college level for many years. “Over half of my creative work has been done here in my Benicia Arsenal studio. The changes in my art reflect my ongoing study of art history and my interest in the work of other artists. Each decade of my life, some artist or concept has been a significant influence. But I don’t see this exhibition as a retrospective … that sounds too grandiose, and besides, I have a lot of work yet to create.”

The exhibition will open on Saturday, September 25, with a reception in the gallery from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. To learn more about the exhibition and about Eanes’ works, please visit artsbenicia. org/mark-eanes/ or markeanes.com.

BeniciaMagazine.com • 13

Around Town Community

Matthew Turner Lives! n Kevin Nelson Photos by John Skoriak In the first years of the last century a major effort took shape to find answers to one of the world’s greatest scientific mysteries. This mystery had bedeviled sailors since before Columbus, and the leading physicists of the day described it as “the most puzzling of natural forces,” second only to gravity.

To delve deeper into this puzzle, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, D.C. formed a body with the unwieldy title of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Its ambitious mission was nothing less than to map the earth’s entire magnetic field, and to do this it would need a ship that could make the perilous voyages far across the oceans, from the North Pole to the South and everything in between.

For this unprecedented scientific quest, the Carnegie called upon a ship made by the best and most prolific shipbuilder in America, the bearded genius who revolutionized commercial sailing ship design, the Elon Musk of his time.

His name was Matthew Turner.

Jump forward many decades later, to the 1980s, when a Sausalito sea captain and shipbuilder named Alan Olson embarked on a mission of his own. His “life’s dream,” as he called it, was to “build a new tall ship for the Bay Area,” a tall ship not unlike the majestic many-masted sailing ships of old, powered only by the wind. The most famous tall ship captained and built by Olson was the Stone Witch, a 74-footer that for many years was the flagship for the environmental group Greenpeace. But for this new venture he had a different constituency in mind: young people. To put them aboard a sailing ship, where many had never been; to teach them about the oceans and bay,

14 • Benicia Magazine

the fastest sailing ships of his time is The Matthew Turner Shipyard Park, a favorite launch point for windsurfers at the foot of Twelfth, off West K Street. But a better place to picture the size and dynamism sea life, science, maritime history; and of those 1880s and 1890s shipyards is at to show them the values of teamwork the Ninth Street park and boat launch. by getting them out on the water and Stand on Commodore Jones Point with taking an active part in sailing a vessel its American flag always fluttering in the themselves. breeze and look north where you can As Olson began to figure out how to see the “bight of Turner’s shipyard,” as turn this dream into reality, his research Jack London called it. Bight is an oldled him to the same place where the fashioned word for a bend or curve, and D.C. geomagnetism folks ended up. “It while the shipyards are gone, the curve became evident, pretty quickly, that of the shoreline remains much the same Matthew Turner was the guy,” he recalled, as it was when London engaged in his “that his ships were the ones to look at.” oyster-thieving runs. Those rotting halfsubmerged columns in the water once That guy’s name will of course ring supported the piers from which the newly-constructed Galilee pushed out into the strait for its maiden voyage.

But here is the good news: Matthew Turner lives! His creative, entrepreneurial, visionary spirit is on full display at a pier in Sausalito, in a sleekly beautiful, 132foot, $6 million wooden tall ship that came into being, in large part, through the leadership of Olson, who showed that dreams can come true after all.

And the name of this dream tall ship? The Matthew The Matthew Turner Turner, of course. For it was the ancient Galilee, built in bells all across Benicia, especially 1891, that served as the inspiration and among the teachers and students of model for the new ship, which launched Matthew Turner Elementary School. in 2017, but has only been sailing with The Benicia Historical Museum has an passengers since last year. exhibit devoted to Turner, and there is “The Matthew Turner is based very a podcast on its site about him, hosted heavily on the Galilee,” explained by the charming Dean Putong, Benicia Olson, who worked from drawings of High and Yale University grad. Behind the old ship in designing the new. “His one of the museum’s buildings is the ships were the fastest around, and splintery bow of the Galilee, the most we used his unique concepts.” Those famous ship ever built by Turner and concepts, revolutionary for their time for the one the Department of Terrestrial commercial vessels, included narrowing Magnetism ultimately called upon first the bow to give it a sleeker look and in its pioneering voyages to chart the less drag in the water. “He changed the magnetic forces of the oceans, and shape of the bow; it was very sharp. His perhaps even crack the riddle as to why boats were wider in the stern, so they the earth is essentially a “great magnet.” weren’t so deep in the water. They sailed (Spoiler alert: We still don’t know.) to windward better. They could be sailed Another honorific of the man who built without ballast, unlike others of that time.”

Around Town Community

Weekend Getaway

September playlist for your

Galilee

The Matthew Turner is a brigantine, a type of sailing ship with square sails. It has 11 sails in all, giving its young crew plenty of chances to do a job, get involved. Fittingly it is a model of sharpthinking innovation, built with a mix of 19th century shipbuilding methods and the best craftsmanship of today. Constructed of Douglas fir and Oregon white oak, it sports biofuel generators, banks of Lithium batteries, and a hybrid energy system that harnesses the wind when the ship is under sail to recharge its two electric motors.

Call of the Sea, an educational nonprofit, operates The Matthew Turner along with its sister ship, the schooner Seaward.

In the last decade, more than 50,000 students have sailed on the Seaward. Olson, Call of the Sea’s co-founder and project director, envisions a similar “floating classroom” role for the Turner, although, like the rest of the world, its activities of late have been curtailed due to Covid.

The ship is docked at the Bay Model Visitor Center pier in

“His creative, entrepreneurial, visionary spirit is on full display at a pier in Sausalito, in a sleekly beautiful, 132-foot, $6 million wooden tall ship” Sausalito, but no tours are currently being conducted on it.

Groups of students have gone sailing on it, on outings organized by their parents. School field trips are in the offing. Although no one locally has done so yet, it seems only a matter of time before Benicia teachers and parents organize outings for students to jump aboard this extraordinary example of living history.

Ever the man of vision, Alan Olson has a much bigger dream involving Benicia, though. “We’d love to come up there,” he said.

“We’d love to come up and stay for a few days. Take the kids out and the adults too.” Even as he said this he urged this writer to please soft-sell the idea because so many uncertainties exist around it. “We’d have to see how deep the channel is there.

We’d have to take soundings,” cautioning that the thing may not be doable.

But what if it was? What if it happened? What if The Matthew Turner, helmed by Olson with some young Benicia sailors as crew, sailed up the river into Matthew Turner’s old shipbuilding town? One can imagine a school band playing, sailboats welcoming it from the water, crowds lining the pier and shoreline to watch, a gala, maritime-inspired civic celebration for young and old, up and down First Street.

That would be pretty grand, wouldn’t it?

n Aly Mickelson With summer coming to an end, the long weeks we are able to take off for vacation unfortunately are too. But fear not; not all hope is lost! Weekend getaways are a great way to get that vacay fix in without taking the time off school or work. Being from California, we are lucky enough to live in such a diverse state with so many different things to see all within one place. A quick road trip up north to the trees or a hopper flight down south to the beach are just a couple of options for when those weekdays become too much, and you need some time to decompress.

With the perfect playlist to get through the hours on the road or in the air, you'll be feeling that summer vacation vibe all year long. Plus, we can't forget those three-day weekends! Labor Day is already right around the corner.

Talk About — Seaforth Fast Car — Tracy Chapman Dancing in the kitchen — LANY Mary Jane's Last Dance — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers I Don't Wanna Lie — Yola drivers license — Oliva Rodrigo Crimson and Clover — Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Ride Wit Me — Nelly, City Spud Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) — Train She Looks So Perfect — 5 Second of Summer Lost In Yesterday — Tame Impala Latch — Disclosure, Sam Smith PMA (feat. Pale Waves) — All Time Low, Pale Waves All For You — Janet Jackson Runaway — AURORA September — Earth, Wind & Fire

PICKET FENCES n Darrell Mcelvane

September issue available online at beniciamagazine.com

BeniciaMagazine.com • 15

Feature

r e b m e t p e S

L ATE SU M M E R G ETAWAYS

in the

n

Sie rras

Genevieve Hand

Summer is coming to an end and autumn is around the corner. While fun in the sun may be on its way out, there are still plenty of seasonal activities to enjoy, even for those not quite ready to start thinking about pumpkin patches and hayrides.

16 • Benicia Magazine

Fall Fish Fest

This shoulder season is ideal for a trip to Tahoe. Not only can you do many of the same activities you might enjoy in the summertime, without quite the large crowds, but there is also a special event that only occurs as fall approaches: the annual salmon run. This is an occurrence that begins in September every year as the Kokanee salmon migrate back to Taylor Creek to spawn. The salmon transform this time of year, turning a bright red color with the males developing a hook jaw. The sight of brightly colored fish streaming up the creek is a stunning and dramatic must-see.

Kokanee salmon were introduced to Lake Tahoe in the 1940s and stocked at Taylor Creek for sport fishing purposes. Taylor Creek was imprinted upon the juvenile fish so that they recognized it as a place to return to when spawning. It is thought that salmon use scent-memory and the earth’s magnetic field to guide them back to their home streams.

The salmon run is marked each year by the Fall Fish Festival which typically takes place on the first weekend of October at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, along Highway 89 in South Lake Tahoe. The festival is free and family friendly with fun activities for kids, education about local fish and habitat, wildlife viewing, and the hallmark of the event, a giant inflatable fish.

You can also catch the show by simply choosing a creekside walking path, or viewing the fish through below-water windows at the visitor center. You can camp near Taylor Creek at Fallen Leaf Campground, or head into town for lodgings with more creature comforts. September weather in Tahoe is usually still warm and sunny, but the evenings can get chilly, so if making a weekend of it, be sure to pack layers.

A pple Hill

Another great trip for a day or weekend getaway is Apple Hill, a group of 55 apple ranches located in El Dorado County, among the foothills of the Sierras. This is the time of year when the ranches open to visitors, offering family friendly fun for all. There are plenty of delicious baked goods to sample and purchase, ciders to try, wines to taste, and, of course, apple varieties to pick. From face painting to pony rides to scavenger hunts, there are endless adventures for the kids, with each ranch offering a little something different.

In addition to the kid-friendly ranches, there are a handful of wineries, a brewery and a spa, all within the parameters of Apple Hill. September is a great time to go, as it will get you ahead of the seasonal rush in October. Weekends are typically the most crowded, as it’s usually when the kids’ activities are scheduled.

You’ll want to plan your trip ahead of time by consulting the Apple Hill website, applehill.com, to determine which ranches, wineries, etc. you want to visit. See their calendar of events at applehill.com/events and a list of ranches with kid-friendly activities at applehill.com/fun-4-kids.

If you go, be sure to bring a cooler for any treats or bottles you buy and want to take home. If making a weekend of it, lodging can be found nearby in the forms of hotel, bed and breakfast, or campground.

BeniciaMagazine.com • 17

Feature

Spanish Roots BENICIA’S

“Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.”

— Cesar Chavez

18 • Benicia Magazine

General Mariano Vallejo

n Jeannine Mendoza, Ed.D National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, and recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. Local place names like Benicia, Vallejo, the Carquinez Strait, San Pablo and El Cerrito all were named by the Spanish. The art and architecture, the plazas, wineries, and even the patios were influenced by the Spanish who ruled Alta California from 1769 until 1821, and then Mexico reigned until 1848 when California

became the 31st state of the United States after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed.

When we attempt to understand the history of a place, we end up looking at events that occurred during

Francisca Benicia

a continuum of time: one single event does not define a place. We know that the explorer Cabrillo claimed California for Spain in San Diego in 1542, and that the first Spanish explorers made their way to Northern California by the late 1500s. At that time, the area that we know as Solano County was inhabited by the Karkin Ohlone, Suisun, and Bay Miwok Native American tribes. Over the next 160 years or so, the Spanish steadily began to settle the southern and then the northern sections of California. Junipero Serra and other religious leaders established missions and outposts in their attempt to convert the natives to Christianity, to give up their way of life, and to work on behalf of the missions.

But many of the native t r i b e s resisted the attempt to be colonized, running a w a y to the mountains and high deserts.

Thousands more died of diseases like smallpox, measles, influenza and syphilis, brought by the Spanish.

Native Americans were driven away from their homes and many were forced to work on the huge ranchos that had emerged.

In the 1780s, Spain began giving land grants as rewards to individuals for military service, or as incentives to settle in remote areas. Mexican General Mariano Vallejo was one of these individuals and once owned a vast quantity of land between Vallejo and Petaluma. Although Vallejo was a Mexican general, he proved to be a savvy politician by siding with the Americans after the U.S. won the Mexican-American War. Vallejo convinced his fellow Californios not to resist the U.S. takeover of California. Further bloodshed and fighting was probably averted, thanks to Vallejo’s actions.

“Benicia, the jewel of Solano County, was named in 1847 after Mexican General Mariano Vallejo sold the land from his vast land grant to Robert Semple and Thomas Larkin. General Vallejo asked that they name the city after his wife Francisca Benicia. It is said that first word of gold found at Sutter’s Mill was leaked at a Benicia tavern, thus starting the Gold Rush.” (Benicia Historical Society) Accordingly, Benicia became a way station on the way to the Sierras, a place to prepare for the rigors of prospecting for gold, a place where the contagion of gold fever motivated seekers of wealth from all corners of the world.

When we are enjoying our idyllic town with its natural beauty and astounding vistas, it is easy to forget the historical events and blending of cultures that ultimately led to the founding of our town, the greater Solano county, and beyond.

Our environment is peppered with reminders, the names of our streets, cities, and counties influenced by both Spanish and indigenous languages. Spanish style architecture can be found throughout the Bay Area, as can exquisite Mexican influenced cuisine. Let us remember the injustice and suffering that brought us to this relatively peaceful time in history. But let us also celebrate the blended traditions and cultures that make up our Hispanic heritage.

BeniciaMagazine.com • 19

Around Town Community

BENICIA NEWS AND VIEWS

John Swett n Gene Pedrotti With the post-pandemic return to in-person classrooms, there will be a lot of attention on education. And so, it would be an appropriate time to look into our California schooling system, which took root in the mid 1850s. It was influenced by a progressive reformer who settled in Martinez… a man named John Swett.

Old-timers in Benicia know the name. Or, rather, the school – John Swett High School. Back in the ‘70s, when Benicia was still farmland and in the league of tiny communities, students of Benicia and John Swett were arch rivals and John Swett and John Muir homecoming games were as much about post game brawls as they were about sports.

While Benicia has grown and is now part of a larger sports league, John Swett HS is still small.

In fact, it graduates about 125 students a year… the same it has been for decades.

John Swett was instrumental in the creation of our schooling system. Born in 1830 and educated in New England, he became a teacher at age 17, This story continues! earning $10/month. At 22 years old, Swett sailed out of Boston Harbor, embarking on a 153 day For more visit online at: voyage to San Francisco and on to the Feather Beniciamagazine.com River. Why? Gold! After five months of modest success, he returned to San Francisco to work on a farm in Hayes Valley… (where sixty years later a school would be named in his honor!)

Soon after, he secured a teaching position at Rincon Grammar School in San Francisco, where his students excelled in examinations and he became recognized as a leading educator in the city. Progressive – he promoted daily calisthenics and gymnastics – Swett was also controversial; he believed in secular public schools and opposed the support of parochial schools with public funds.

20 • Benicia Magazine

While serving at Rincon, he met Miss Mary Tracy, daughter of a local judge, and they married in 1862. That same year, Swett was persuaded to run for the Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction. He won. From this post, he made his mark by drafting and lobbying the legislature to pass a law providing for the levying and collection of school taxes. He also created a program for testing and certification of teachers, established uniform textbooks and later lobbied for the creation of school libraries and established the State Board of Education.

These were remarkable developments, laying the groundwork for the education system we have today.

What is also noteworthy is his long friendship with environmentalist John Muir. Swett first met Muir in 1874 and they became fast friends. In fact, Muir was known as “Uncle John'' to the Swett family and he lived with them for two years in the Swett home! One summer, with pack-horses and camping equipment, Swett, Muir, William Keith (great painter of American landscapes), and Oakland High School principal J.B. McChesney embarked on a four-week trip to the Sierras, which was later reported by Muir in articles in the San Francisco Bulletin.

Swett retired briefly in 1889 to his Martinez farm but returned to San Francisco in 1891 when he was elected City Superintendent of Schools. And it was in 1891, when visiting Muir at his Martinez home, that Swett noted the scenery of the Alhambra Valley which led him to purchase land not far from Muir’s home. During this time, Swett served on the Board of the Crockett Union High School, (later re-named John Swett High School.)

On June 20, 1913, he presented diplomas to the high school graduates and made a brief address.

This was the last time Swett spoke in public. He died on August 22, 1913 at the age of 83. We all, even past student rivals of John Swett High and Benicia High, owe our education to John Swett, the father of the California School System!

For an exciting story between artist William Keith and John Swett and a remarkable personal revelation, continue online at https://www. beniciamagazine.com/nuts-bolts-john-swett/

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Around Town Community

Sparkle, Shine, and Wine with the

Resiliency Guy Resiliency Guy Resiliency Guy Resiliency Guy n Dr. Gethsemane Moss, Ed.D. One of the many impactful actions leaders do is cultivate a vibrant organization. Great leaders do this by encouraging others to be their absolute best and focusing on individual talent strengths. Great leaders lead the way by example and by demonstrating what is possible. Employees show up in workspaces and bring the many facets of their lives, including family values, belief systems, individual goals, and aspirations.

A leader can make or break the environment and holds positional influence over employees. While leaders are responsible for productivity, they also drive the human spirit. As a member of an organization, stepping through the door into their work environment can be refreshing or traumatic. Everyone has a story and has gained experiences in the midst of navigating life, and while some make it through different challenges, the process takes resilience and determination.

Dr. Robert Martinez, Ed.D. is known as Resiliency Guy. He is an educator of over 30 years, serving in many positions,

22 • Benicia Magazine

including School Psychologist, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and is a current Superintendent. He experienced the traumatic loss of his mother, which significantly impacted his secure family unit during a vulnerable time in his life. Dr. Martinez stated, “When I was thirteen, my mother was taken by the dreaded cancer beast. This loss sent ripples of crisis through my family and impacted my father greatly.” A year and a half after his mother’s passing, Dr. Martinez recalled an additional change to the family structure as his father remarried. This loss and change in his family dynamics resulted in Dr. Martinez leaving home at an early age.

Dr. Martinez stated, “I never really felt included in his new family. I left home at the age of sixteen, during my junior year of high school.” Dr. Martinez went to live with his brother, who provided him with comfort and relief. Dr. Martinez persevered and learned to navigate his way through whatever challenges he faced by maintaining a positive outlook and setting goals, stating, “Through the years the challenges that presented themselves to me were never seen as

impossible, and I continued to move forward. I know that this internal resilience was built from family, love, lessons, and, yes, personal growth.” Dr. Martinez went on to share, “the name, “Resiliency Guy” just stuck. I have since focused my education, professional growth, and support of others through the theme of resilience, and I truly believe that we can all create environments for children where their resilience can flourish.” When asked what advice he would have given to his 15-year-old self, he stated, “Look ahead, keep moving forward, serve others, and good things will come to you.” Dr. Martinez went on to share, “At 15, I was a mess. I had practically dropped out of school, was depressed, didn’t see a future that might unfold in front of me, and was working at surviving in a difficult home situation.”

Change is inevitable. We can either grow and evolve or remain the same as we were while everything around us changes. Dr. Martinez sees value in personal growth and the potential in others. Dr. Martinez stated, “In my opinion, a person has the inherent ability to transform many times, and it is

important to allow yourself, as an individual, to change, learn, grow, and see every step forward as a success.” Dr. Martinez went on to state, “We naturally grow, our roles change, and I believe that through personal empowerment, each person does have the internal ability to impact their self-talk, their behaviors and actions, their awareness and perspective, their daily habits, and their impact on the world.” Dr. Martinez also shared the importance of acknowledging smaller goals of personal achievement. Dr. Martinez has mastered the ability to build confidence in others and captured a dream that he developed into the book titled, The Story of Sparkle and Shine, Never Forget. Dr. Martinez stated, “One night in December of 2018, I had one of the most vivid dreams that I ever remembered, and when I woke up the day afterward, I had to get to my laptop and type out the story. At the time, there was so much negativity in our collective lives, on the news, in our politics, and society. and there continued to be what seemed to be a stream of hostility that was permeating our consciousness.” Dr. Martinez went on to share, “Sparkle stands for Spread Positive Actions Regarding Kind Loving Encounters and Shine stands for Significantly Help Increase Niceness Everywhere.

Reminders of kindness can be helpful because it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of life. While Dr. Martinez continued to spread positivity and help others

“Let the lives we help others live be our measure of success.”

— Dr. Robert Martinez understand what is possible through setting goals and being resilient, he was pleasantly surprised with a unique gift from his wife, a vineyard. Dr. Martinez stated, “My wife Nancy and I always thought it would be amazing to own a vineyard, take care of our vines, and make our wine.” Their vineyard, Resilience Vineyards, located in the Carneros Valley in Napa, produced bottles of Resilience Pinot Noir, 2017. Dr. Martinez is no longer personally cultivating and harvesting grapes; however, he continues to build capacity in others through his leadership. Dr. Martinez went on to state, “we never could get our homemade wine to be as good as the wine made from grapes in the larger vineyard that shares our label.”

Dr. Martinez is a proud husband and father and shared, “I am so proud of my family. My amazing wife is now retired from teaching and has become a personal fitness trainer helping people change and improve their lives. Also, my four sons are now each on their paths of discovery, learning, career, and life.”

Dr. Martinez went on to share, “For me, it is now looking ahead to serving the students of Vallejo as the new Superintendent of the Griffin Technology Academies. I can bring my experiences, education, and way of working with people to this organization to serve students. The students of our schools deserve the best educational opportunities we can provide.”

Dr. Martinez’s new book Lead With Resilience is scheduled to be published in early 2022 under Dave Burgess Publishing. It will include Dr. Martinez’s insights on resilience and creating the best environment for children to grow and thrive. You can follow Dr. Rob Martinez on Facebook, IG, and Twitter @ResiliencyGuy and through books purchased on Amazon.com.

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Around Town Food and Drink

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I’m Hot, You’re Hot, Pass the Watermelon, Please! n Maura Sullivan Since half the country has smoke in the air and is hotter than a certain biblical residence, I need a solution, and a solution fast!

This climate and the juiciest watermelon I’ve ever tasted have given me some inspiration. I'm going to warn you, I'm a fan of mezcal. If it’s not your cup of cocktail, I’ll forgive you if you replace it with a nice blanco Tequila and smoked chilli powder.

Introducing, the Smoky Melon Pisco Sour! A refreshing, yet sinfully smoky beverage. Juicy from the watermelon with a refreshing citrus kick and lingering smoke for the finish.

Smoky Melon Pisco Sour Recipe by: Jamie Evans, The herb Somm

INGREDIENTS Watermelon Juice (1/4 small seedless watermelon) 1 1/4 oz. pisco 1/2 oz. mezcal 1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice 3/4 oz. watermelon juice 3/4 oz. simple syrup 1 egg white few drop of bitters

CHIPOTLE SALT RIM 1 lime wedge 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

DIRECTIONS 1 C ut the watermelon into quarters.

2 Add a quarter of the watermelon flesh into the bottom of a blender or food processor. Purée for 1 minute or until the watermelon chunks turn into juice. Using a fine-mesh strainer, separate the pulp from the juice over an 8-ounce Mason jar (save the extra juice for a second round!). Discard the pulp and then set the Mason jar aside.

3 Rim a sour glass with a lime wedge and then dip the top of the glass into the chipotle chili salt mix to create a salted rim. Place the salted glass in the freezer to chill as you create the cocktail.

4 Mix the pisco, mezcal, lime juice, watermelon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Dry shake (no ice) for 10 to 15 seconds. Add ice, then shake vigorously until very cold, creating as much froth as possible. Carefully strain into the chilled sour glass using a Hawthorne Strainer and then dot the foam with Angostura bitters. Garnish the drink with a cocktail pick holding a chilled watermelon ball and seasonal flower, then serve immediately.

24 • Benicia Magazine

Fall 2021

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26 • Benicia Magazine

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Column Dinner and a Movie

The fourteenth in a series of at home food and movie pairings.

Java Point Café

n

Cinema Cat & Gourmet Gracie

Today we’re talking about breakfast, brunch and lunch — all lovely words to live by! The tastiness here is too good to miss.

How about a late lunch and a movie on a Sunday afternoon? All is consistently delicious and lovingly prepared at Java Point, a friendly, family owned café, a staple of downtown Benicia.

You’ll find smooth and creamy lattes that are also beautiful to look at. Get yours in a very civilized ceramic cup and relax 28 • Benicia Magazine

Waitress

at one of the tables on the patio while your food is individually prepared. What’s your pleasure? The outstanding eggs Benedict (or crab, veggie, lox, or corned beef) on a croissant?

Or the banana walnut waffle, or the delicious tapsilog? Aaaah, tapsilog, marinated tri-tip with fried eggs, English cucumber, grape tomatoes, pickled green papaya and garlic rice.

Unbelievable! Rumor has it, foodies come from across the bridge to get their fix.

The avocado melt is Gracie’s favorite — grilled mushrooms, jack cheese, avocado, tomato, lettuce on sourdough bread with pesto pasta or fruit. So, so flavorful and served hot. The smoked salmon with cucumber, red onions, capers, fresh dill, cream cheese on an everything bagel is the best anywhere! Good for sharing with a friend…or not.

Did someone say pastries? Huge slices of banana walnut bread, raspberry scones, blueberry muffins and amazing coffee cake are all available. Get there early because they always sell out. In addition to espresso drinks, there are teas, sparklers, Italian sodas and juices.

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We learn two things in the opening scene of Waitress, the last film by indie director Adrienne Shelly. First, Jenna, a talented pie-maker at a local diner, played by Keri Russell, is pregnant. Second, she is not happy about it. The situation has her feeling increasingly trapped in her marriage to Earl, her immature, controlling and abusive husband, played by Jeremy Sisto. Still, she decides she will keep the baby and plot her escape, squirrelling away money for the cause.

As Jenna hits setback after setback, we continue to pull for her, even as she enters an affair with her married gynecologist.

In the end, money gone and baby born, the cantankerous owner of the diner, Old Joe (Andy Griffith), leaves her with a generous gift that helps save the day. All is pretty well. Hallelujah.

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Column Book—Tails

The Ones We’re Meant to Find

by Joan He

Book and Cocktail Club n

None of us live without consequence.

Our personal preferences are not truly personal. One person’s needs will deny another’s.

Our privileges can harm ourselves and others.

— Joan He

30 • Benicia Magazine

Cooper Mickelson

One of the most electrifying, surprising, engaging page-turner YA reads of the year, I just had to make this our September Booktails pick! Imagine Studio Ghibli wrote an episode of Black Mirror...that’s what Joan He’s novel, The Ones We’re Meant to Find, has brought to the literary world.

After waking up to find herself stranded on an abandoned island with nothing but the memory of a sister waiting for her to return, Cee’s entire world becomes about finding her way home. Unfortunately, after three years of trying to escape the island only to be lured back time and time again, Cee’s island home has become her captor, her prison, and her only source of comfort and support.

Back home in her floating city, Kasey navigates mourning a sister whose body was never found, assumed lost to the sea forever. Kasey attempts to shift her focus to the tumultuous future of the

eco-city, humankind’s last sanctuary.

Her unique gifts and cientific knowledge could ensure a future for Earth, but the remaining citizens might not be willing to make the sacrifices needed for Kasey’s plan to work.

As Cee inches closer to desperation, an unlikely body washes up on the shore of her island. Meanwhile, Kasey works to argue her case to the world. Two sisters, set adrift by odd circumstances, must find their destiny.

This novel immediately ensnared me in its grasp through superior worldbuilding and its vision of a future that’s not so far off from our own. Taking place on an Earth that’s practically unlivable due to climate change, The Ones We’re Meant to Find created intense feelings of anxiety and impending doom that only added to the perplexity of the plot.

A combination of thriller and science fiction, He wrote a story whose air of

mystery had me creating a new wild theory every few chapters, none of which were anywhere near correct.

Gut-wrenching and unpredictable, this novel quickly found its way to my favorites shelf. An unusual glimpse into the future of climate change, the persevering nature of sisterhood, and the tenacity of the human spirit, I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and genre preferences.

“This novel immediately ensnared me in its grasp through superior world-building and its vision of a future that’s not so far off from our own.”

Due to the subject matter, I wanted to insert a few content warnings for those of you interested. This book contains some violence, death, gore (minimal), terminal illness, suicide, and the general topic of natural disasters and casualties.

Next month is our spooky pick! Get your copy of The Project

by Courtney Summers from Bookshop Benicia or follow us @beniciabooktails on Instagram for your chance to find a hidden copy during our monthly treasure hunt!

Creating a Trusted Space for Financial Growth

Financial Planning & Investment Management that Puts You First wheelsupwealthinc.com Frances Harkins, CFP®, AIF® Bridget Harkins, CFP®

Kasey’s Eco-City Mocktail INGREDIENTS (serves 10) 7 cups of Berry Blue Hawaiian Punch 4 ½ cups of Pineapple Juice 4 ½ cups of Lemon Lime Soda (Sprite) INGREDIENTS 1. P our all ingredients into a large punch bowl or beverage dispenser.

2. C hill in the fridge or serve over ice.

www.benicia.com Brenda Turner-Adams

Your Partner in Real Estate

602 West K Street | Benicia, CA 94510 info@wheelsupwealthinc.com 707.400.0992

707.738.9671

Experience Excellence

brenda@benicia.com 1015 First Streeet Benicia, CA 94510 BRE01039726

School’s Open Drive Carefully BeniciaMagazine.com • 31

Benicia's KI TC H E N A N D B ATH EX PE RTS

“ My husband and I had a wonderful experience working made the process fun and really quite easy! He designed our kitchen layout with a 3D drawing and we were extremely happy with the way everything came together.

He is very talented with design and visual spacing. AQC were also super accommodating helping us choose a custom color for our island. We give AQC five stars and highly recommend working with them for custom cabinets for less!”

-Kim and Mike Rogers

AFFORDABLE QUALITY Cabinets and Countertops

707-745-2100 aqchome.com • Open Mon. - Fri. 9-5 weekends & evenings by appointment • 4852 East 2nd Street, Benicia

Owners Trevor Cotarelo and Taylor Kennedy