The seventh annual Baler Education Hall of Fame this weekend
will honor eight people who have contributed to San Benito High
School since the 1930s, when it was known as Hollister High
School.
The Saturday luncheon at San Juan Oaks will honor alumni and
teachers from various backgrounds who were nominated for the
honor.
The seventh annual Baler Education Hall of Fame this weekend will honor eight people who have contributed to San Benito High School since the 1930s, when it was known as Hollister High School.
The Saturday luncheon at San Juan Oaks will honor alumni and teachers from various backgrounds who were nominated for the honor.
Irma Bertuccio, 1930s: The 95-year-old lifelong Hollister resident graduated from Hollister High School in 1933 and attended San Benito Junior College in the following two years. She worked in her father, Paul’s, grocery store on San Benito Street every day after school, standing on a box and packing groceries. She later worked on her father’s ranch, where apricots and prunes were grown. She began her own career working for the Mode O’Day franchise before starting her own store, Irma’s Fashions, which is still in business after 70 years.
George “Andy” Anderson, 1940s: The 1946 graduate earned varsity letters in football and baseball, was president of the Associated Student Body and a member of the California Scholastic Federation while a Baler. He graduated from Stanford University and co-founded Holex, Inc. in Hollister. He was a member of the school’s Board of Trustees for 20 years and was the public address announcer for football games for 18 years. He was an early advocate of girls’ interscholastic sports and served on numerous boards, including the county board of education and the board of directors of the Community Pantry, which he helped found.
George “Bud” Presley Jr., 1950s: The 1956 varsity football team he coached went undefeated, outscoring opponents 146-12 while beating two state-ranked teams and two junior college teams. He was a teacher as well as a football, basketball and track coach during his three years on campus. The Stanford graduate later had coaching stops at Gonzaga University, Santa Ana College and Menlo College, where his teams won 250 basketball games, including a state junior college championship. He was a consultant for the 1972 Australian Olympic team and a defensive consultant for the Golden State Warriors from 1974-1981.
Robert “Bob” Mazzuca, 1960s: The 1965 San Benito High School graduate earned varsity letters in football and baseball and graduated from Cal-Poly with a degree in history. He has had a long and distinguished career with the Boy Scouts, including serving as a district and regional director before becoming chief scout executive in 2007. He directs the administration of the organization, which serves more than 4.5 million youth across the national. He has won multiple awards for his service and recalls his time in high school as “truly a formational experience” for him. “While never an exceptional student, I learned a lot about myself and gained a self confidence that has served me well all my life,” he said.
Bruce Anderson, 1970s: The son of fellow honoree Andy Anderson, Bruce was the valedictorian of the Class of 1975. During his time on campus, he was study body vice president and was a student representative to the Board of Trustees. He played on the 1975 team that won the league championship and finished fourth in the Central Coast Section. The National Merit Scholarship finalist graduated from Stanford in 1979 and later edited Stanford magazine. He now is editor of VIA magazine, the publication of the California Automobile Association (AAA). He also was nominated for a sports Emmy for a documentary he co-wrote on baseball legend Ted Williams.
Joe Postigo, 1980s: The owner of JMP Construction in Hollister was the independent co-producer and color commentator for the cable access television productions of Friday night Baler football from 1992-2003. He also built the visitors’ box at Andy Hardin Field. Joe has served as president of the San Benito County Contractors’ Association and has served on the board of directors of the county Chamber of Commerce as well as other organizations. He is in his second year as vice president of the local Spanish Lodge and is a member of the Elk’s Lodge and the Vache Society, which he co-founded.
Manny Chavez, 1990s: He and his wife, fellow Baler alumna Christine Rodriguez, have raised five children – all of whom graduated from San Benito High School and three of which have returned there to teach and coach. During his high school days, Manny was named most valuable back of the freshman and junior varsity football teams before graduating in 1966 and enlisting in the military. He later had a 30-year career with the California Highway Patrol. Wanting to give back to his alma mater, he coached baseball from 1992-96, football from 1992-2000 and softball from 1998-2000. He worked as a substitute teacher for a year and was a bus driver from 2001-2008. He has been the videographer for the Baler football program for a decade. He has won many community awards, including Veteran of the Year from the VFW and LULAC as well as the Man of the Year award from the Mexican American Committee on Education. He calls San Benito High School his “introduction to society. The years spent there prepared me for the path I was about to embark on and I attribute all that has happened in my life to SBHS.”
Chuck Gansen, 2000s: The 1989 teacher of the year at SBHS also won the Outstanding Role Model Award in 1996 from the Student Advisory Committee and was grand marshal for the graduation of the Class of 2000. He taught the metals program at the school from 1971-2004, with coaching stints in football, baseball and wrestling during that time. He was the successor to athletic director Bob Mattson and wrote the curriculum for the art metals program. He was division chairman for the Industrial Technology Department for 22 years and was a mentor teacher for four years. Off campus, he was involved in Boy Scouts for the decade of his sons’ membership, coached Little League and Babe Ruth baseball and was a member of the Hollister Lions Club for a quarter-century. Chuck said he gets a “great deal of satisfaction” when former students thank him for teaching them the skills that helped them make a living. “Being at SBHS for 33 years has made me a Baler forever.”
Tax-deductible tickets for the Baler Hall of Fame Fest are available at the SBHS Student Payment Center (637-5831, ext. 140) and at She’s and Righetti Liquors. They are $55 for adults, which includes 20 raffle tickets) and $30 for students or children. For more information, contact Ken or Elaine Kovanda at 801-0092 or 801-0656.
