BREAKING: Fire burns acreage in north Benicia; ‘no longer spreading’
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
A grass fire near the 4500 block of California Court had burned about 50 acres by 5:25 p.m. Tuesday, Daniel Berlanc, a spokesperson for CAL FIRE, said.
By that time, 60 percent of the fire had been contained and its forward spread had stopped, Berlanc said.
“It’s no longer spreading,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
Benicia Biz Beat: Dailey Method gets new owners
THE DAILEY METHOD STUDIO, 991 Lincoln St., celebrated its new owners, Lee Sutherland and Jasmine Powers, with a ribbon cutting June 12.
Powers and Sutherland are both former students of the Dailey Method, and have taken classes directly with its creator. They have a team of instructors to teach the exercise program as well to help participants maintain proper body alignment outside of the studio. Read the rest of this entry »
City may seek funds for Industrial Park hub

CURRENTLY the only bus service to the Industrial Park is run by Fairfield-Suisun Transit, but that may soon change.
FAST
❒ Report: Bus project would be improvement over current facilities of FAST Route 40
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
Benicia City Council will review a proposal Tuesday that could lead to a bus hub project at the intersection of Park Road and Industrial Way in Benicia Industrial Park.
Public Works Director Melissa Morton wrote City Manager Brad Kilger on June 4 that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission has Regional Measure 2 (bridge toll) money that would underwrite the project.
The MTC has earmarked $1.25 million in Regional Measure 2 money for the bus hub. Read the rest of this entry »
EDB to elevate member to vice chair, hear presentation on Valero crude-by-rail project
By Keri Luiz
Assistant Editor
After the resignation of its chair and elevation of its vice chair last month, the Economic Development Board will need a new vice chair, and one will be appointed Wednesday at the panel’s regular meeting.
The positions of chair and vice chair are one-year terms from January to December. Read the rest of this entry »
Jeff Burkhart’s ‘Rhyme and Reason’: Slavery
PATRIOTIC HEROES WROTE
Our nation’s Constitution
With lofty words and goals they hoped
To find a new solution
But some engaged in what you’d call
Pure human-rights abuses
Freedom lost demeans us all
And there are no excuses
A dark time in our history
That stains us to this day
Willing vendors selling souls
To willing men who paid
The Founding Fathers’ documents
That all the world was seeing
How could they then turn around
And purchase Human Beings
Thoughts? jeffburkhart@primetimerhymes.com
Variety of issues on ‘consent’ calendar
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
From chemical contracts to landscaping and a horse grazing lease, Benicia City Council has a variety of topics it may decide by a single vote Tuesday. Read the rest of this entry »
Duplex, vehicle damaged by fire

BENICIA firefighters work to douse a structure fire Sunday that spread to a palm tree. No one was injured.
Courtesy photo
By Donna Beth Weilenman
Staff Reporter
Neighbors helped residents escape a Benicia fire Sunday, but the duplex in which they lived lost part of its decking, and a vehicle was damaged as well, Acting Division Chief K.C. Smith said.
Benicia Fire Department was called to the duplex in the 1100 block of West Ninth Street about 1:58 a.m. Sunday, and dispatched Engine 11, Rescue 11, Engine 12 and Battalion 11. Vallejo Fire Department’s Mutual Aid Engine 24 also arrived, and provided coverage to the rest of Benicia.
Firefighters arrived at 2:02 a.m. and found a palm tree, the deck and the vehicle on fire next to the duplex, Smith said.
Smith said the fire was extinguished quickly, and didn’t spread to homes.
“There were no injuries reported, and the occupants of the duplex were not displaced,” he said. However, the department is still trying to determine the cause of the fire, he said.

