The first Farmer’s Market of the year reappeared last Thursday with a flourish. Lots of new attractions in addition to old favorites like Chay’s strawberries, and the produce folks. Stopped by the Benicia Main Street booth and got an earful from volunteer Jeff Dennis of Coldwell Banker who was talking up the Frequent Shopper Cards from his soapbox. You probably already know that if you get eight punches on your card you get a free gift. What you may not have known is that if you don’t like the gift — say it’s a bunch of okra — you can turn it in for the following week’s gift of, say, fresh raspberries. Furthermore, you can surrender your completed card and qualify for a drawing for yet another — free gift!
“Here’s the topper,” said Jeff. “If you have some grungy old cards from past years, you can consolidate those into one brand new card,” he smiled, pleased as punch. I was stoked. “For Heaven’s sake, this is big news,” I said. “Above the fold kind of news.” He chuckled.
Former Mayor Jerry Hayes was tending the History Corner booth with two volunteers from the Benicia Historical Museum. Their table was awash with historic photos of the old ferry, First Street, the Arsenal, books, upcoming events, and vintage ephemera. “Ask me anything about the history of Benicia,” he said. “Okay, how did the Farmer’s Market come to pass?” I asked.
Hadn’t realized that Jerry was the spark that begat our market. His daughter was attending Cal State San Luis Obispo and while visiting there he wandered over to the SLO Farmer’s Market which had opened in the 1980s. He was impressed and thought that something like that might work here. On his return, he talked it up with local movers and shakers and they convinced the City into gifting Benicia Main Street $25,000 to start one here. It opened in 1993. “At first it was difficult to get farmers to come to Benicia, but over the years it took root and Benicia Main Street has run it successfully ever since,” he said.
At another booth, I was intrigued with an elaborate display of beautifully rendered architectural drawings of the proposed senior housing that is now under development in downtown Benicia. An enthusiastic and articulate young architect student, Gabriella Vaz de Freitas, explained the public input process to me. A native of Brazil who works for the architectural firm FORA, a 100% women-owned firm whose architects are multi-national, she walked me through the process where the public has been voting on their favorite design elements. You post colored stickers on your favorites drawings. There were choices for different styles of outside architecture, landscaping schemes, window types, staircases, and other components. I put green stickers on Craftsman style architecture versus modern, as most others had before me. Those elements that get the most votes from the public will be the basis for the design of the new senior units.
Where will they be built?” I asked. “There are two different locations, near the library and the other on a vacant lot across from the Community Center, connecting the housing with downtown through landscaped walking paths and a plaza. There will be two more opportunities for Benicians to vote on their favorite looks.” she said. Go to: beniciaseniorhousing.com to weigh in.
Tami Strauss, introduced herself. She is leading the project for Eden Housing, the developers who won the City’s RFP. “There will be 100 apartments for seniors who fall below the 50% of area medium income threshold. Once the entitlement process is complete, we will start raising money,” she said. “Construction should take 18 months to two years.”
Leaving the Market I encountered two women on the corner of E. B and E. Second St. who were peering closely into some bushes and up to their ankles in overgrown ivy. “Wonder if they’ve discovered a rare bird or a nest?” I thought.
“Hi, what going on?” “This granite monument has been covered by grass and weeds for years and we’re just discovering it,” Vicki Tibbetts told me. “My parents had something to do with this and their names may be on it,” she said.
“I’ve never seen it either, and I’ve lived around here for ten years,” I said. She read from the inscription. “The steamship Chrysopoulos carried 1000 passengers from Sacramento to San Francisco between 1860-61 and was the last leg of the Pony Express. The wharf at E. 2nd St. was one of two stops. It took a little over an hour from San Francisco to reach Benicia. It stopped operating when the transcontinental telegraph put an end to the Pony Express.” These days, if you’re a senior with a Clipper Card you can take the Vallejo Ferry to the City for under $5 in about the same amount of time. But 165 years later it takes the mail days longer. Go figure.
Gerry Forcier, current treasurer of the Carquinez Village and former treasurer of just about every nonprofit in town looked tan and buff as he nursed a beer and chips after his daily five-mile walk. “I only do this once-a-week to treat myself,” he said, guiltily pointing to his snack. Had reported earlier in this column about the beautiful hydrogen car he bought for a song, but soon learned that he couldn’t find fuel for it.
“I finally had it,” he said, and “I went right over to Hyundai and told them I wanted an all electric car, and two hours later left in a SUV Ionic. My son was so thrilled that he had a charger put in my garage. I charge every ten days and am happy as a clam.” Gerry is oblivious to the $6 dollar plus gas prices and hasn’t been to a filling station since. “It’s funny,” he said, “but my car automatically wants to pull into a station, but I hold on tightly to the wheel and ease it back into its lane. It’s so quiet. I love my car.”
Letters From Benicia 