The Baler Education Foundation will hold the Baler Fame Fest
March 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Juan Oaks. This year,
eight San Benito High School graduates will be honored, one for
each decade since the 1930s.
1930s: A graduate of Hollister High School, Norma Martinetti
went on to nursing school because of her experience at Hazel
Hawkins Hospital. She served as a nurse during WWII. After that,
she worked for the County Health Office and the Martinez County
Hospital. In 1956, she received her B.S. in Public Health and a
B.S. in Nursing Education. She moved back to Hollister, where she
is very active in the community.
The Baler Education Foundation will hold the Baler Fame Fest March 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Juan Oaks. This year, eight San Benito High School graduates will be honored, one for each decade since the 1930s.
1930s: A graduate of Hollister High School, Norma Martinetti went on to nursing school because of her experience at Hazel Hawkins Hospital. She served as a nurse during WWII. After that, she worked for the County Health Office and the Martinez County Hospital. In 1956, she received her B.S. in Public Health and a B.S. in Nursing Education. She moved back to Hollister, where she is very active in the community.
1940s: After graduating from the high school, Louis Picetti received a B.A. in education from Santa Clara University and an M.A. in Education from Stanford. An avid baseball player, he came to Hollister to teach. He worked his way up to Assistant Superintendent. He also served on the County Board of Education for 13 years. He spent a total of 50 years in education.
1950s: Ed Stephenson graduated in 1953, earning many awards at the high school. He went on to Stanford for his degree. He came back to Hollister and served as the president of San Benito Bank until his retirement. He has volunteered for many organizations through the years, serving as chairman or president for many of them. These include Community Foundation, United Way, Hollister Rotary Club, the 33rd District Agricultural Association, Monterey Bay Area Council Boy Scouts, Elks Lodge, Hazel Hawkins Hospital and Community Food Bank.
1960s: Gordon Byers moved to Hollister in 1961 to be chairman of the English Deparment. He was advisor to the yearbook and taught drivers’ training for many years. He retired in 1980 and has been active in the community, donating many hours, especially for the Hazel Hawkins Thrift Store and the Community Food Bank.
1970s: Mauro Ferrari was an exchange student from Italy, who graduated in 1977 and went on to receive degrees in mathematics as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He went to medical school at Ohio State University. Through the years, Dr. Ferrari has written many publications and received many honors. He is presently Professor and Chair of the department of nanomedicine and biomedical engineering along with five other professional appointments at the University of Texas Health and Science Center in Houston.
1980s: Irma Albright graduated in 1983 and went on to receive a B.S. in management economics and a minor in Spanish from the University of California, Davis. She went on to receive her teaching credential and master’s in education from San Jose State University. She is the recipient of many awards and has been involved in the community for many years. She is active in Relay for Life, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, the Community Advisory Committee at the Office of Education, Sacred Heart Parish School, a Puente Program mentor and the Baler Education Foundation.
1990s: Jason Sakamoto graduated in 1993 as class valedictorian. He was the recipient of many awards while in high school. Jason played on the M.B.L. championship tennis team as well as on the basketball team. He earned a B.S. in material science engineering in 1997 and worked in the industry until he went to Ohio State Univsity, where he earned a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering in 2005. He is the engineering scientist for the Alliance for NanoHealth in Houson and an engineering scientist at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
2000s: Krystal Lomanto graduated in 1983 from San Benito High School and came back to teach after graduating in 1990. She was involved in softball, volleyball, rodeo, 4-H and was homecoming queen as a student. As a teacher she coached softball, volleyball, and served as a class advisor and rally club advisor. She is now the principal.
Baler Education Foundation Fame Fest
The 6th annual Fame Fest will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 13, at San Juan Oaks. Eight individuals will be honored at the luncheon. Tickets are available at She’s, Las Palmas, Righetti’s Liquors and the SBHS Student Center. Tickets are $50 for adults and $30 for children. For more information, call Elaine Kovanda at 801-0656.
