Bea Arthur: A Fierce Heart Behind the Wit

Bea Arthur, best known for her sharp wit and commanding presence in The Golden Girls, carried a far softer, fiercely compassionate side away from the cameras. In the early 2000s, she learned from a friend about the growing number of LGBTQ+ teens being kicked out of their homes. The thought of young people with nowhere to turn stirred something deep within her, and she decided to help without fanfare, without headlines, and certainly without credit. She became one of the main financial backers of a New York shelter dedicated to giving these youths a safe and dignified place to rebuild their lives.

Bea didn’t just write checks. She showed up. Sometimes unannounced, she’d bring groceries, warm scarves she had knitted herself, or simply her company. Staff members recall her sitting for hours with the kids, swapping jokes, telling stories, or quietly listening when someone just needed to be heard. One Christmas Eve, she stayed past midnight wrapping gifts for the shelter residents, determined to make the night feel special. To many of those kids, she was not a celebrity but the grandmother they had always wished for.

When Bea passed away in 2009, the depth of her generosity came fully to light. In her will, she had left $300,000 to the shelter—enough to secure its future and inspire its renaming to The Bea Arthur Residence for Homeless LGBTQ+ Youth. For a woman celebrated for delivering biting punchlines on screen, perhaps her most powerful one came in silence: ensuring that even after her death, those with nowhere to go would always have a place to feel safe, loved, and worthy.

Rumores Grazalema: Devolviendo a la comunidad

¡Ahoy! ¡Hola! Cada bar y cada restaurante de Grazalema tiene su encanto. Y como estamos aquí una buena temporada, nuestra idea es ir contándoles un poquito de todos.

Uno de nuestros favoritos, sin duda, es Rumores. Parar a media mañana o a mediodía para un vermut y una caña aquí ya se ha convertido en uno de nuestros rituales (casi siempre con su riquísimo salmorejo o ensaladilla al lado). Rodrigo, Mario, Rosi y todo el equipo siempre nos hacen sentir en casa.

Y hoy, mientras Alfredo y yo nos acomodábamos en nuestra esquina habitual de la barra, vimos algo que nos hizo querer aún más el sitio: un agradecimiento en la pared de la Asociación El Curtido Plena Inclusión — que forma parte de una red nacional dedicada a defender los derechos y la inclusión total de las personas con discapacidad intelectual y del desarrollo, y de sus familias.

— David Eugene Perry

Rumores Grazalema: Giving Back to the Community 

Ahoy! Hola! Every one of Grazalema’s bars and restaurants is unique and special in its own way. During our time here, we’ll do our best to highlight them all.

One of our faves is clearly Rumores. A mid-day vermut and beer here is one of our rituals (often with a side of their delicious salmorejo and ensaladilla). Rodrigo, Mario, Rosi and everyone always make us feel so welcomed. Today as Alfredo and I bellied up at our preferred corner section of the bar, we noticed something that made us love the place even more: a thank you hanging on the wall from la asociación el curtido el plena inclusion — part of a nationwide network in Spain dedicated to advancing the rights, opportunities, and full social inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
—- David Eugene Perry

August 27 Porchfest Nights in Benicia with Pardon the Interruption

The third and final Porchfest Nights concert is Wednesday, August 27 featuring Pardon the Interruption, a duo preview of the full band slated to play at Porchfest Benicia.

Porchfest Nights takes place at The Escape (4588 East Second Street, Suite E) in Benicia’s Industrial Park. Doors open at 6:00pm; music runs 6:30pm–8:30pm. Tickets are $18 and include a casual artist meet-and-greet. Beer and wine and snacks are available for purchase.

Porchfest Benicia 2025 returns on Saturday, September 13 with more than 40 performances across First Street and historic neighborhoods, from 1:00–5:00pm. Advance and VIP tickets are on sale now at www.porchfest-benicia.com

Proceeds from Porchfest Nights support the production of Porchfest Benicia 2025. Last year’s inaugural event drew thousands of attendees, transforming Benicia into a regional music hot spot. The Rotary Club of Benicia is acting as Porchfest Benicia and Porchfest Nights’ 501(c)(3) partner, so donations accepted are eligible for a tax deduction. 

“This festival has truly captured the heart of Benicia,” said Benicia Mayor Steve Young. “It’s more than just a music event – it’s a community experience.”