The day after the atmospheric river overflowed its banks and unleashed a torrent on our town, the air sparkles, cotton puffs float over the velvet hills, and a dusting of white powder blankets the peaks of Diablo. The neighbor’s front patio looks like a lap pool. A portion of East 2nd Street is blocked off due to flooding.
Sports cars with their tops down motor up and down First Street like it’s the middle of summer. Pear trees are already blooming with nosegays of delicate white petals, that will soon carpet the streets. And it’s December. It seems like the holidays should be over by now. The parade, tree lighting, holiday market, and boat parade are now memories, and Santa is still home on a teetering ice shelf near the North Pole.
Dashed outside to take some photos of the boat parade during the downpour. Die hard sailing aficionados were huddled under the eaves of the Harbor Master’s front porch, cheers periodically erupting when a boat dressed in lights took its turn down the catwalk. There were only a handful of entries. Kudos to the courageous few who braved the storm to bring us holiday cheer.
Rushed up to Bookshop Benicia a few days ago to buy the just released book “We Are the Land,” co-authored by two professors who grew up in California — Damon B. Akins and William J. Bauer Jr. The evening before, I attended a Benicia Literary Arts gathering via Zoom to hear them discuss the book and answer questions. Their premise is that you can’t understand the history of California without studying the Native cultures who had been living here for 5000 years before the first contact with Europeans. California had/has the most native peoples and more tribes than any other state. Benicia is located on Carquin-Ohlone lands whose territory contains a multitude of shell mounds, or burial grounds, most destroyed by development. The California mission era and the Gold Rush, both unique to our state, accelerated the land grab, enslavement, and extermination. The very first place inhabited by Native Americans in California is now what is the parking lot of Spenger’s Fish grotto in Berkeley! The first page of the book relates the 2011 story of the Ohlone’s successful protection of a burial ground in Glen Cove. California native peoples lead the nation in the movement to reclaim their lands and have shown considerable success.
Taking a page out of Judie Donaldson’s last column in the Herald for Carquinez Village regarding the emotional health values of nostalgia, have been reminiscing about a few things that I miss. Cafe Voltaire at one time was the hot spot for the cognoscenti to gather on First. Jan Golevich created a cozy setting in the Tannery combining great coffee drinks and pastries, a space for artists to display their work, and music from a laptop computer – very cutting edge at the time. Spanish language students gathered to work with teachers from Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico. The Camellia Tea Room was the go-to place for all celebratory lunches. The English tea room vibe, antique wall paper, linen table cloths, cream of tomato soup, and high tea service made for a few hours of pure decadence. Of course, First Street Cafe, was a mainstay over the years, the counter a favorite place for a hearty breakfast or their special crab sandwich on sourdough.
Ran into Karen Schlump and her partner David Rosenbaum at Gallery 621 and asked them about their favorite First Street venues. David was very enthusiastic about Zeppelin Comics near West “K” Street. He pulled out his phone where a cartoonist was demonstrating his drawing techniques while being live-streamed from the store across the street. Hadn’t read a comic book in decades so wondered if I’d recognize any titles. The very helpful and knowledgeable fellow at the desk, Jerome Sadhu, gave me a tour. Was amazed at the variety of mostly contemporary titles. Did recognize Archie, Veronica and Betty still looking young after 80 years. In addition to single issues, there are hard-covered books filled with hundreds of comics. Titles based on real people — Leonard Cohen, Mark Rothko, Harriet Tubman, and Stephen Hawking are also available. Published cartoonists are regularly invited to speak and autograph their work. Back in the day, my favorite was Brenda Starr, the glamorous red-headed reporter who was in love with her mystery man, the dashing Basil St. John whose calling card was a black orchid. Then there was Katie Keene, the model, actress and singer with the paper doll insert, Rex Morgan, MD, and Judge Parker. Made the mistake of looking up Brenda on Wikipedia. She eventually married her mystery man but they later divorced. How depressing!! As I walked out, I heard a teenager say to his girlfriend — “Dude, this place is sick!”
Monarch butterflies are supposed to be disappearing but not around East “B” Street where they fly in pairs after their long journey from Mexico — free from any hassles at the border. Twenty geese are lined up in formation facing due north, perfectly spaced in the wetlands just off of First. “I’d say that I have spring fever, but it isn’t even spring.”
Sarah Beserra is an artist, collector, Dharma practitioner, and former lobbyist.
Letters From Benicia 