Fern Boots of Vacaville recently celebrated her milestone 100th birthday with more than 100 family and friends at Magnolia Court assisted living facility, where she currently resides.
Fern, a resident of Vacaville for more than 65 years and Solano County for 75 years, recently participated in an oral history interview with the Solano County Board of Supervisors for its Centenarian Recognition program.
Fern Boots of Vacaville. (Courtesy photo)
Fern has a large family, including four children, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. In total, 27 family members traveled from Washington, Idaho, Oklahoma, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., to attend her party.
Fern is deeply loved and respected, always believing that being a decent human being is what matters most. Throughout her life, she has loved spending time with family, laughing, and traveling across the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. She also served as a Girl Scout leader and a seamstress, though she found drawing house plans to be her most satisfying pursuit. She worked for Lee’s Acupuncture Clinic in Vacaville, Fairfield, and Sacramento for 30 years as their receptionist and bookkeeper.
Fern and her late husband, Fred Boots, who passed away in 2018, built their home on Alamo Road in Vacaville in the late 1950s and moved in on Sept. 1, 1961. At the time, the area was very different, and the highway overpass (then Highway 40, now Interstate-80) did not yet exist. Fern lived in that family home until moving into assisted living in late fall of last year. She has always loved gardening and flowers, while Fred focused on vegetables — he used to joke, “If you eat it, I grew it; if you smell it, Fern grew it.”
Fern was born in Chicago in 1926 and lived in Duluth, Minn., for nearly 10 years. In 1936, her parents moved the family to Sacramento, where she was very happy to enjoy the warmer winters and less humid summers.
Winners Crowned in Benicia
The best burgers in Benicia have names, and the town heard them on Aug. 5. After a blind tasting that put nine local burgers in front of nine judges, the Benicia Burger Cup ’26 announced its winners live at the Chamber of Commerce’s “Best of Benicia” celebration, with medals, category honors, and a one-of-a-kind trophy.
The competition was the idea of Martin Reyes, a Benicia resident and Master of Wine, one of only 422 people worldwide to hold what is widely considered the most respected title in the wine industry. The blind format, the calibrated scoring scale, and the discipline of leaving a little of each taste to revisit are all standard practice in a professional wine tasting, applied here to cheeseburgers. The scoring system also drew on judging methods from the World Food Championships, Wisconsin’s Best Burger Contest, and the American Culinary Federation’s Atlanta Burger Bash.
Benicia’s First Burger Cup was awarded at the Best of Benicia Celebration on Aug. 5. (Photo courtesy 3 Eye Media)
Nine Benicia restaurants put their burgers on the line: Baxters Restaurant & Bar, Benicia Grill, Bottom of the Fifth, Char’s Hotdogs, Lucca Bar & Grill, Mare Island’s First Street Taphouse, Sailor Jack’s, Sprankle’s Village Deli, and The Cafe at The Inn, kitchens scattered from First Street to Military East to the edge of the city. The format was simple and strict. Every burger was served blind (by number only) and within minutes of being cooked. Judges tasted and scored each one independently across five weighted categories and could not compare notes until every card was in: more than 400 scores in all. The scale was built to resist online-review inflation, where 4 has become average, and anything less reads as a complaint. Here, a 5 was so rare that fewer than one in eight scores earned one. The burgers that rose to the top earned it against a genuinely tough room.
“I managed a wine shop for years in Napa Valley, where the food is as serious as wine, and blind tasting is still the most honest way I know to judge anything. I figured it would be fun to bring that idea here. My hunch was only partially right. It was fun, but what came back was better and more varied than a lot of people expect,” said Reyes, who co-founded the Burger Cup with Wendi Phillips, vice president of the Benicia Main Street board.
The judging panel reflected a cross-section of Benicia itself: a member of the City Council, members of the Rotary Club and Benicia Main Street, the publisher of Benicia Magazine, a local pastor, and several small business owners. Even the runners had civic credentials. One of them, Terence Bennett, recently joined the city’s Planning Commission and spent the afternoon ferrying burgers from kitchen to table.
“This was never just about who had the better burger,” said Randy Young, director of the Benicia Chamber of Commerce. “Some folks are just finding out that Sprankle’s and Benicia Grill had burgers, places they’d driven past for years without realizing what they were missing. Nine kitchens volunteered to be judged blind by their neighbors, which takes some nerve. Best of Benicia is about bringing our community together and shining a spotlight on the businesses that keep it thriving by pouring themselves into this town every day.”
Attendees enjoy the Best of Benicia Celebration on Aug. 5. (Photo Courtesy 3 Eye Media)
“I was born and raised here, and I hear it from my neighbors all the time: we love Benicia, but we go elsewhere for a really good meal,” said Rachel Mau-Holme, one of the judges and the voice behind the popular foodie account What the Fork. “I’ve never accepted that. I judged nine burgers blind, and several of them genuinely surprised me. The good stuff isn’t somewhere else. It’s already here, ten minutes from my house. Come taste for yourself.”
From burgers to judges to the trophy created by ceramic artist Amy Stellato, studio co-owner of Happy Life Pottery, the entire competition stayed in Benicia. It was made here, judged here, and awarded here.
Winners across all categories, including the top medals, best patty, best bun, and the most creative entry, were announced at the event.
The winners of Benicia’s First Burger Cup went to:
- Double Gold — The Inn at the Cafe (chef Kyle Young), receiving the Double Gold award and burger trophy created by Amy Stellato (owner of Happy Life Pottery in Benicia)
- Also: Top Score, Presentation & Craft · Top Score, X-Factor · Trophy
- Gold — Char’s Hotdogs (Kimberly Casarino)
- Silver — Lucca Bar & Grill
- Silver — Mare Island’s First Street Taphouse (Jason Gray) Also: The Perfect Bite (highest Harmony score)
- Best Patty — Sailor Jack’s (tie)
- Best Patty — Baxters Restaurant & Bar (Babirye Kaddu) (tie)
- The Benchmark — Sprankle’s Village Deli (Chantel Sprankle · Jason Greenlee)
BEST OF BENICIA WINNERS 2026
- Best Accounting Services
- 1st Place: Balancing Benicia Bookkeeping Services — Courtney Cronon
- 2nd Place: Green CPA Firm
- info@artsbenicia.org
- Best Arts and Culture Organization
- 1st Place: Arts Benicia
- 2nd Place: Benicia Theatre Group
- Best Asian Restaurant
- 1st Place: Aung MayLika
- 2nd Place: Pearl Thai Cuisine
- Best at Sustainability
- 1st Place: The Filling Station Goods and Gifts
- 2nd Place: Food Is Free Bay Area
- Best Bakery/Sweets
- 1st Place: One House Bakery
- 2nd Place: Fox and Fawn
- Best Bank/Credit Union
- 1st Place: 1st Northern California Credit Union
- 2nd Place: Travis Credit Union
- Best Bar/Brewery
- 1st Place: Mare Island Brewing Co. – First Street Taphouse
- 2nd Place: The Rellik Tavern
- Best Bookstore
- 1st Place: Bookshop Benicia
- 2nd Place: Zeppelin Comics
- Best Casual Dining
- 1st Place Tie: Gotplate Lunch and Lucca Bar and Grill
- 2nd Place: The Cafe at the Inn
- Best Civic or Service Clubs
- 1st Place: The Kyle Hyland Foundation
- 2nd Place: Benicia Community Foundation
- Best Cleaning/Maintenance Company
- 1st Place: Bsanti Cleaning and Vacation Rental Management
- 2nd Place: Benicia Cleaners
- Best Clothing Store
- 1st Place: Pink Arrows Boutique
- 2nd Place: Collektive Boutique
- Best Coffee Shop
- 1st Place: Rrags Caffe
- 2nd Place: Majestic Cafe
- Best Community Foundation/Fundraising
- 1st Place: Tim and Jeannie Hamann Foundation
- 2nd Place: The Ripple Effect of Life, INC.
- Best Construction Company
- 1st Place: J. Segle construction
- 2nd Place: The Classic Builder
- Best Contracting Company
- 1st Place: Tosch Construction
- 2nd Place: Tero Build
- Best Dental Office
- 1st Place: Benicia Family Dentistry
- 2nd Place: Carquinez Dental
- Best Educational Organization
- 1st Place: Happy Hearts Preschool
- 2nd Place: Northgate Childcare Center
- Best Electrical Services
- 1st Place: K Butler Electric
- 2nd Place: Pierce Electric, Inc.
- Best Engineering Company
- 1st Place: Cullen-Sherry and Associates
- 2nd Place: F3
- Best Environmental Initiative
- 1st Place: Kaz and Associates Stormwater
- 2nd Place: Ponder Environmental Services
- Best Fast Food/Quick Service
- 1st Place: Sprankles Deli
- 2nd Place: Chars
- Best Financial Advisor
- 1st Place: Ariel Castillo, Edward Jones
- 2nd Place: Invesdid
- Best Fitness Center
- 1st Place: Copas Crew Fitness
- 2nd Place: The Elevate Company
- Best Fitness/Training Classes
- 1st Place: The Elevate Company
- 2nd Place: Copas Crew Fitness
- Best Flooring Company
- 1st Place: Benicia Floor Company
- 2nd Place: Floors on First
- Best Gift Shop
- 1st Place: The Filling Station Goods and Gifts
- 2nd Place: Sips the Bottle Emporium
- Best Government or Civic Service
- 1st Place: Benicia Main Street
- 2nd Place: Benicia Public Library
- Best Grocery Store
- 1st Place: Raley’s Benicia
- 2nd Place: Safeway
- Best Hawaiian Restaurant
- 1st Place: Gotplate Lunch
- 2nd Place: Benicia Poke Co
- Best Home Improvement Company
- 1st Place: Ace Hardware
- 2nd Place: Canman 707 LLC
- Best Home Security Provider
- 1st Place: Old Capitol Lock Shop
- 2nd Place: Bay Alarm Company
- Best Housing/Community Developer
- 1st Place: Signature Development Group
- 2nd Place: Club Pacifica Apartment Homes
- Best Indian Food
- 1st Place: Kohinoor Indian Cuisine
- 2nd Place: Aroma Indian Cuisine
- Best Insurance Company
- 1st Place: Stephanie Scanlan State Farm Insurance
- 2nd Place: Alonzo and Small Insurance
- Best IT Support
- 1st Place: Computer 1
- 2nd Place: Bridged Up
- Best Junk Removal Service
- 1st Place: I’m Hauling for You! A Junk Removal Service
- 2nd Place: Murph Hauls it All
- Best Landscaping/Gardening
- 1st Place: Canman 707 LLC
- 2nd Place: Patino Construction
- Best Law Firm
- 1st Place tie: Birnbaum Family Law and Jason S. Buckingham, Attorney and Counselor at Law
- 2nd Place: Law Office of Geri N. Kahn
- Best Liquor Retail
- 1st Place: Sips the Bottle Emporium
- Best Live Performances
- 1st Place: Lucca Beer Garden
- 2nd Place: Benicia Theatre Group
- Best Local Auto Repair Shop
- 1st Place: Benicia Automotive Center
2nd Place: The Shop Benicia - Best Local Exhibits/Art Shop
- 1st Place: Artcentric Pottery Painting and Glass Studio
- 2nd Place: Arts Benicia
- Best Local Individual Realtor
- 1st Place: Krystle Karimian with Krystle Legacy Group
- 2nd Place: Luis Sanchez Realtor, Compass
- Best Local Inn or Stay
- 1st Place: The Inn at Benicia Bay
- 2nd Place: Shorelight Inn
- Best Local Italian Restaurant
- 1st Place: Bella Siena
- 2nd Place: Venticellos
- Best Local Mexican Restaurant
- 1st Place: Sandovals
- 2nd Place: Chicos Taqueria LLC
- Best Local News
- 1st Place: Benicia Herald
- 2nd Place: Benicia Magazine
- Best Local Pizza Place
- 1st Place: Pizza Pirate
- 2nd Place: Pacifica Pizza
- Best Local Property Manager
- 1st Place: Estey Real Estate and Property Management
- 2nd Place: Delgado Property Management
- Best Local Realtor Company
- 1st Place: Twin Oaks Real Estate
- 2nd Place: Coldwell Banker Solano Pacific
- Best Local Realtor Team
- 1st Place: Twin Oaks Real Estate
- 2nd Place: Hadaway Realtors
- Best Local School or University
- 1st Place: BUSD
- 2nd Place: St. Dominic catholic school
- Best Local Storage or Moving Company
- 1st Place: Benicia Mini Storage
- 2nd Place: Fleetview Self Storage
- Best Manufacturing and Equipment Supplier
- 1st Place: Dunlop Manufacturing
- 2nd Place: Revel and Co.
- Best Martial Arts School
- 1st Place: Rooted Jiu Jitsu
- 2nd Place: New Creation Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu LLC
- Best Massage
- 1st Place: Active Comfort
- 2nd Place: Shanel Aujla
- Best Media Production Company
- 1st Place: 3 Eye Eedia
- 2nd Place: Gordon Gray Design
- Best Medical Practice
- 1st Place: Kaiser Permanente
- 2nd Place: Dr. Richard Joyce Optometrist
- Best Mortgage Company
- 1st Place: Cross Country Mortgage
- 2nd Place: Monica Jones, Cross Country Mortgage
- Best Nearby Hotel
- 1st Place: The Inn at Benicia Bay
- 2nd Place: Shorelight Inn
- Best of Consulting Services
- 1st Place: DSA HR Solutions
- 2nd Place: Mark Punzal Coaching
- Best of Land or Labor
- 1st Place: Ironworkers Union 378
- 2nd Place: Solano Land Trust
- Best of Marketing
- 1st Place: The Savvy Social Studio
- 2nd Place: Dalia Web Design LLC
- Best Online Business
- 1st Place: Toasttab
- 2nd Place: Ironhorse Home
- Best Overall Restaurant
- 1st Place: Bella Siena
- 2nd Place: Baxters
- Best Personal Development/Education
- 1st Place: Presidio Group Education Planning
- 2nd Place: Mathnasium
- Best Pet Grooming
- 1st Place: Featherer Pet Grooming
- 2nd Place: Creative Clips Pets Grooming
- Best Photography
- 1st Place: Grace Cervantes Photography
- 2nd Place: Justin Laugen Photography
- Best Place of Worship
- 1st Place: St. Dominic’s Church
- 2nd Place: North Gate
- Best Plumbing Company
- 1st Place: Up 2 Code Plumbing and Boilers
- 2nd Place: Benicia Plumbing
- Best Printing/Signage/Promo Company
- 1st Place: BPX Printing and Graphics
- 2nd Place: Milkman Creations
- Best Professional Services
- 1st Place: DSA HR Solutions
- 2nd Place: Daughter of Luna
- Best Recreation/Social Organization
- 1st Place: City of Benicia Parks and Community Services
- 2nd Place: Lo’s Playtown
- Best Roofing Company
- 1st Place: Elemental Roofing
- 2nd Place: California Premier Roofing
- Best Salon/Spa
- 1st Place: Pure Hair Studios
- 2nd Place: Color Theory Salon
- Best Sandwich Shop
- 1st Place: Sprankles Deli
- 2nd Place: Rrags Caffe
- Best Senior Care Services
- 1st Place: Carquinez Village
- 2nd Place: Cogir of Vallejo Hills
- Best Social Support Organization
- 1st Place: Carquinez Village
- 2nd Place: lo’s playtown
- Best Tattoo Parlor
- 1st Place: Ingle Ink
- 2nd Place: Ink by Ness
- Best Therapy and Counseling Services
- 1st Place: The Connective
- 2nd Place: Connecting Pathways Trauma and Marriage Therapy Inc
- Best Transport/Trucking Company
- 1st Place: Mario’s Transportation
- 2nd Place: Alogistico
- Best Travel Services
- 1st Place: Looking Forward Travel
- 2nd Place: Zoe’s Cruises and Tours
- Best Web Design/Development Company
- 1st Place: Dalia Web Design LLC
- 2nd Place: Deluxe Signage and Graphics
- Best Wellness Center
- 1st Place: The Elevate Company
- 2nd Place: Benicia Jazzercise
- Best Window/Glass Company
- 1st Place: Capitol Glass Company
- 2nd Place: California Glass of Vallejo
- Best Winery or Wine Bar
- 1st Place: the Chill
- 2nd Place: Drift Benicia