column Editor's letter
FROM THE EDITOR
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Growing up in Benicia, I always thought our Independence Day celebrations were the best. From a young age, I remember dancing in the parade every year on the 3rd and in front of the gazebo at Picnic in the Park on the 4th – after which I would get my face painted by one of the artists there. The mood was festive, and it seemed not even a sunburn could ruin the fun. My family would also always host a big 4th of July BBQ party for our family, friends, and neighbors. Shish kebab, burgers, hotdogs, BBQ veggies, fruit salad, corn on the cob and potato salad were almost always on the menu. All followed by pie or ice cream sandwiches. We never went down to the waterfront to watch the fireworks at dusk because we thought our house had the best view. From my parents’ backyard you could see, not only Benicia’s patriotic display, but Martinez’s, Concord’s, Pleasant Hill’s, Crockett’s, Six Flags’, and occasionally, over the hills you could see the faint glow of fireworks from more westward cities. All us kids would spread a big blanket out on the lawn and wait for the show to start. They would go off in a canon – first Pleasant Hill’s would begin, then Crockett would join in, followed by Benicia, Concord… you get the idea. It made for an extra-long firework show that felt like it was just for us. In appreciation, we would utter the customary “ooh… ahhh…” with each shimmering explosion. Benicia’s Independence Day festivities are back in full swing after a pandemic hiatus. I know we’re all looking forward to getting back to celebrating, especially since this year there is even more to celebrate. For the past few months Benicia Magazine has been working with Gene Pedrotti to get the word out about Pedrotti Ace’s Centennial celebration, happening July 3rd after the Torchlight Parade. We can’t wait to see this event, including live music and a stellar drone show, come to fruition. Looking forward to seeing you out there!
July is the month where summer lives. Each July we would pack up the kids, the kids' friends, our friends and relatives and we would go to the old Oakland Ski Lodge located just outside of Sugar Bowl. The lodge was built in the early 1940s and was designed by the same architect who designed Sugar Bowl’s lodge. Over the years the lodge was added onto in ways that didn’t quite fit the original architecture. With additions like the “polar room,” which was also the poker room (no heat except a small wood burning stove), built into the hill under the main part of the lodge (cold!), the rec room, mostly for the kids, with pool tables, paddle tennis, huge old big screen TV with lots of old videos. The living room was large and had a floor-to-ceiling window where you could gaze out at the falling snow or the lovely meadows. Big deck outside, giant kitchen. It was not fancy. We would take all kinds of hikes, find our way to small lakes high in the surrounding Sierras, swim in nearby Lake Mary. In short, we had a blast! One memorable hike was to Long Lake, an isolated lake that took about an hour of hiking over steep terrain. There were about 5 teenage boys, 3 or 4 girls, myself and my husband Jon. One of the boys, Chris Owens, told us that he wasn’t supposed to do anything too active because he was recovering from a dislocated shoulder. But there was a rope swing over the lake, and really, what could he do? He said he would use his good arm but that didn’t quite work out. He landed awkwardly and yes, dislocated his shoulder. There was no one around anywhere and it was at least a mile back to the car. Jon yelled out over the lake “Is there a doctor anywhere?” After a few minutes we heard, very faintly, “I’m a pediatrician.” A tiny woman made her way to us, and she called urgent care and they told her, step by step, what to do. After a short painful moment, Chris was okay and he was quite sure it was a miracle. Have a safe, fun July and enjoy the 3 & 4th festivities as well as Pedrotti’s Ace Hardware Centennial … just wait until you see the drone show!
—Genevieve
—Mary
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"If summer had one defining scent, it'd definitely be the smell of barbecue." Unknown
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