The word Floribunda comes to mind as I walk up lower First Street. Shimmering nosegays of white blooms dance in the pear trees. I know that a floribunda is a rose, but it also sounds like an abundance of flowers, muchas flores, beaucoup de fleurs, a bunch o posies.
It was a Friday morning and was sleeping in late when I heard an overly loud buzzsaw outside my bedroom window two blocks from First Street. “That’s, odd,” I thought. “This isn’t the day for the HOA gardeners.” I pulled open the drapes and low and behold my old apple tree was gone. All that was left was an 18 inch in diameter stump. I was aghast! Once the home of birds’ nests and ornamental fruit, the tree was a protector of many potted succulents and the unrelenting southern sun. The fellow that cut it down said that it was on a list for extermination and showed me a picture of it on his phone. Nobody told me. I quickly glanced at the other end of the patio to see if the bountiful lime tree was still there — whew! Was prepared to do a Julia Butterfly Hill and wrap myself around the trunk if the buzz saw came close. The apple tree didn’t know that it was growing just inches into hostile territory and now nesting birds are looking for a new home. Apple blossom time is canceled this year.
Avant Garden has one more year before its lease expires at its location on the corner of First and D. Then the property will be developed Let’s hope it’s to scale, isn’t over two stories, and has some green space. Maggie Kolk and her team are actively looking for a new location for the garden which has been a blessing to the community for years providing food for the needy, joy to Benicia families, and a gathering spot for workshops and pop-up stores. The project began in 1999 on land at the First Presbyterian Church and was later named the Benicia Community Garden (BCG). The group has worked relentlessly to bring local, nutritious food to Benicia along with a variety of programs, all in the service of stewardship of planet earth. In May 2016, BCG became “Sustainable Solano” – a name that reflects their broadening vision.
Debbie Weiss, local author, yogi, blogger, gardener, and former attorney is finalizing her first book which will be released in the Fall. She began her popular blog — the hungoverwidow.com — after the death of her husband of 32 years. She writes in a frank and open way about grief, loneliness, and her subsequent addiction to on-line dating. See her on the You Tube show, “Celebrating Act 2,” where she is a regular contributor.
The Chamber of Commerce Building has been painted a cool gray with bright white trim. Loved the earlier rose color, like on the library, but it had faded a bit. Where’s the turquoise accent color? … Alex, daughter of Aline and Steve Karpoyan owners of Art Centric Ceramic Painting Studio is selling her own homemade beaded jewelry and carvings from a table in front of the Studio. “I’d like to get more into stone carvings,” she shared … A woman walked by with a pancho-like double backpack made of heavy netting. Inside the back pouch was a large parrot or cockatoo. Missed seeing what was in front. Hope it wasn’t a cat … Stepped out for a late lunch and tried Dianna’s, One House, Sandoval’s, Java Point, and finally Char’s hot dogs. All were closed. Weak with hunger, landed at Sailor Jack’s the first day of their Friday outside service. Turns out that the former chef at First Street Cafe works at Jack’s now, and that’s why the crab and artichoke sandwich I had earlier tastes the same; it is … The former Arata Gallery near G Street is undergoing remodeling and will become another real estate office … On the water path behind the Tannery, I spied homeowner Alan Cuthbertson toiling in the sun, shoring up the seawall with wire mesh and broken boulders until he can get the City to take on the project. “It would cost around $3000/ day in labor,” he guesstimated. In the meantime, the huge nails and other junk from the river continue to wear away the embankment by the walkway … Benicia painters Nikki Basch Davis and Jerrold Turner will have an opening reception for their show “Still Friends” March 26, at Gallery 621. The two were instrumental in reinvigorating the plein air painting movement in the region, through paintouts, classes, exhibits, love of color, following the legacy of the Society of Six. Just about any view of Benicia and the region has been captured by their bold brushwork — upstairs above Olsen Realty.
Sarah Beserra is an artist, collector, Dharma practitioner, and retired lobbyist.
Letters From Benicia 