column Editor's letter
Spring is here, it’s time to refresh and renew FROM THE PUBLISHER After almost 17 years, we have made a change to our masthead. We wanted something different but not radically so. The masthead is the result of the combined talents of our art director, Margaret Bowles and contributor/ designer Cooper Mickelson. We believe that it combines a nod to the past and a nudge to the future and we hope you like it as much as we do. Cooper is now working as graphic designer under Margaret, as well as a contributor to the magazine. The second new item is our new photographer, Luke George. Luke brings a plethora of talent to the magazine. He has said that “wanderlust and a social curiosity led me to study photojournalism in the American West where I fell in love with people and places.” His first assignment for us included two challenging subjects: Solano Land Trust’s new trail, the All People’s Trail located
FROM THE EDITOR Just a few months into 2022 and we are finally seeing the light at the end of the Covid tunnel. It’s wonderful to see our local businesses rebounding and people able to more freely navigate their lives. And yet, we now find ourselves living through yet another moment that will undoubtedly show up in the history books of tomorrow. The atrocities that have played out during the war in Ukraine are nothing short of
near Rockville Hills Regional Park, and Benicia XPark Skatepark. Luke shot the All Peoples Trail and surrounding area in very early morning via drone photography, followed by a hike up the trail. Luke put the extreme in the XPark Skatepark. He laid down in one of the bowls and shot up as the riders jumped social media pages @beniciamagazine and follow for more ways to engage with over him. Gnarly. What else is new? After many years, the magazine. There’s a lot of new energy that the Benicia Fire Museum was going to have to close, but the Benicia Historical comes with spring, particularly with the Museum stepped in and offered to make receding of Covid. Look for the opening the Fire Museum part of the Historical of Farmers Market, more live music, new Museum. Certainly a win-win for both shops and new and returning events in organizations. Look for more information our near future. in the coming weeks and months. We want to thank Benicia’s poets for their submis-sions. So many wonderful “Don’t wait for someone to bring you flowers. poems, we wish that Plant your own garden and decorate your we could print them all. Look for more on own soul.” Benicia Magazine’s
—Mary
— Luther Burbank
heartbreaking and infuriating. We are at yet another point in which humanity needs people to stick up for it. We’ve seen some great activism from some of our local businesses raising funds for Ukrainian refugees and we applaud those who give what they can during this humanitarian crisis. Of course, this is not the only humanitarian crisis unfolding in our world today, and there are many other causes worth giving to. Increasingly, we are seeing drought and other natural disasters as driving factors in such crises. As we celebrate Earth Day this month, it is our chance to look at how we can make a difference for the environment,
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even if only in our own backyard. In this issue, you can learn how to be a greener gardener with Harmony Organics, about the importance of our native plants, and about how Solano Land Trust is expanding access to the outdoors through the All People’s Trail. For when you need a break from making a difference but still want to celebrate Earth, this issue also contains nature-inspired art, poetry (it is also National Poetry Month, after all), and even a cocktail. Enjoy!
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—Genevieve
