🌱 Patch AM: How Benicia’s new coach turned a 0-3 start into a title

Greetings Benicia! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How Benicia’s new coach turned a 0-3 start into a title
• How much more will Benicia-Martinez Bridge commuters pay this week?

Also on today's calendar: Speaker Series: The Vallejo Family Letters - A Historic Presentation.

Today's riddle: Playing golf is bad for your brain. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Periods of rain, with a high of 60 and low of 50 degrees.
• Friday: Cloudy, a little rain; windy, temps: high: 62, low: 52.
• Saturday: Breezy with periods of rain, with a high of 62 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Year in Review: Sabathia was the ace of Vallejo sports in 2025 (fresnobee.com) — Benicia readers will notice their high school football team highlighted for a big turnaround season under new head coach C.J. Anderson, winning the Diablo-Valley League and reaching the NCS Division IV playoffs. The broader piece also celebrates Vallejo’s top 2025 sports stories, from CC Sabathia’s Hall of Fame induction to St. Pat’s basketball titles and Solano College coaching milestones.
   

• 2 Fee Increases Will Impact Bay Area Commuters Starting Thursday (patch.com) — If you cross the Benicia-Martinez Bridge, expect tolls to rise by 50 cents starting January 1, 2026, with more phased increases through 2030. BART fares and parking fees are also going up, as the agency tries to close a major budget gap and maintain service across the Bay Area.
   

📸 Around Benicia

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Benicia

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Sunday January 11

• Speaker Series: The Vallejo Family Letters - A Historic Presentation
  St Peter's Chapel , 1181 Walnut Ave , Vallejo
  3:00 pm

📣 Benicia Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday January 1

• Storytime Junction
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
  10:30 am

Friday January 2

• Puzzle Swap
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
• Bundle-up Seek and Find
  El Sobrante Library , 4191 Appian Way , El Sobrante
• Picture Book Month: Book Bundles & Seek and Find Game
  Hercules Library , 109 Civic Dr , Hercules

Saturday January 3

• Family Storytime (10-10:30 & 10:30-11)
  Hercules Library , 109 Civic Dr , Hercules
  10:00 am
• Friends of the El Sobrante Library Book Sale
  El Sobrante Library , 4191 Appian Way , El Sobrante
  10:00 am
• Martinez Library Storytime
  Martinez Library , 740 Court Street , Martinez
  10:00 am
• Empower Thyself - Initiation into the lineage of King Salomon
  Modern Mystery School Northern California , 1630 Contra Costa Blvd #212 , Pleasant Hill
  11:00 am
• Lego Builders Club
  Contra Costa County Public Library , 1750 Oak Park Boulevard , Pleasant Hill
  2:00 pm

Monday January 5

• Guessing Jar Game
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
• EHSD Our Families Navigators
  Concord Library , 2900 Salvio Street , Concord
  10:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Benicia PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• CALLING ALL YOUTH PERFORMERS!
  VIBE Together Bay Area proudly invites local kids and youth groups to perform in our upcoming Charity Youth Showcase! Do you know a talented child… (Nextdoor Old Southampton)
• I recently hired a contractor and wanted to share with my neighbors what an amazing experience I had.
  I reached out to Rodas Diaz construction Inc. 415-272-7684, and scheduled a time for them to come by. One of the reasons I did reach out to Rony was… (Nextdoor Southampton)

• Taco Bell posted a job opening for Shift Lead in Benicia. Apply here.
• Dollar Tree posted a job opening for Assistant Manager I in Benicia. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Benicia here.

🗞 Nearby News

Vallejo

• Sensor cars are mapping Vallejo's air quality block-by-block (vallejosun.com)
• Update: Earthquake shakes region close to Vallejo, CA on Dec. 30 - 2.1 magnitude recorded (sacbee.com)
• Vallejo vet hospital, advocates react to new law banning cat declawing (timesheraldonline.com)

Martinez

• Former SRVUSD teacher sentenced to 3 years, 8 months in child sex abuse case (pleasantonweekly.com)

Concord

Ok Benicia! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just heard a golfer say he had four strokes on the first hole!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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