Farm Day volunteers needed
HOLLISTER
– Volunteers and presenters are needed for the annual Farm Day
hosted at Bolado Park on March 24. The goal of the event is to
increase awareness of nutrition and the contributions of
agriculture in the community. More than 900 third-graders from
throughout the county will be on site. For more info
rmation, or to volunteer or contribute to the event, call Mindy
Sotelo at the Farm Bureau Office at 637-7643.
Vista Park Hill community workshop
HOLLISTER – The City of Hollister’s Community Services Department seeks public input on the development of a master plan for Vista Park Hill. The park offers panoramic views of Hollister and San Benito County on 15 acres.
The public is invited to have its say on Tuesday, March 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth St. SSA Landscape Architects will make a presentation about the present and future of Vista Park Hill.
Call 636-4370 for more information.
Farm Day volunteers needed
HOLLISTER – Volunteers and presenters are needed for the annual Farm Day hosted at Bolado Park on March 24. The goal of the event is to increase awareness of nutrition and the contributions of agriculture in the community. More than 900 third-graders from throughout the county will be on site. For more information, or to volunteer or contribute to the event, call Mindy Sotelo at the Farm Bureau Office at 637-7643.
Lunch with Leaders
HOLLISTER – San Benito County Chamber’s Lunch with Leaders will be held Wednesday, March 25 at San Juan Oaks from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The speaker is SBC Board of Supervisors Chairman Anthony Botelho, and the sponsor is DeVries Law Group. The cost is $15 in advance or $18 at the door. Please call the chamber at 637-5315 for a reservation or more information.
Car seat checkup
HOLLISTER – A free child safety seat checkup is set for 2-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at the K Mart parking lot, 491 Tres Pinos Road in Hollister.
Car seats are only effective when installed and used properly. Representatives from the San Benito County First Five, Child Injury Prevention and Highway Patrol will be on hand.
Low-cost car seats are available for qualified families to purchase. People should bring proof of income in the form of a WIC card, Medi-Cal card or pay stubs. People stopping in for the safety checkup should allot at least 45 minutes and arrive with a safety seat and the car it is to be most frequently used in.
Tax help for residents
HOLLISTER – The American Association of Retired Persons Tax-Aide Program offers free personal tax counseling and preparation assistance to all taxpayers with middle and low income, with a special emphasis on helping those 60 and older. The program will run through April 14 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center, 300 West St., in Hollister. Help will also be available Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. at the County Library on Fifth Street.
Call ahead for an appointment at 637-1980.
Those who need help with preparing their taxes are requested to bring the tax package they received in the mail, last year’s return, and all relevant information on income and expenses. Volunteer counselors are not trained to assist in preparing tax returns that report business, rental or partnership income.
GOP to meet
HOLLISTER – The March meeting of the San Benito County Republican Party will be Tuesday, March 3. Note the change in the meeting day.
The location will be the San Benito County Library, 470 Fifth St., Hollister.
For information, call 638-0938 or go to www.sanbenitogop.org. The public is welcome.
Deadline for new city residential development
HOLLISTER – The deadline to apply for residential growth management allocations, outside of the Measure Y exemption area, for 2009-2012 is March 31. Applications are available at City Hall, 375 Fifth St., at Development Services, 420 Hill St., Bldg. A, or online at www.hollister.ca.gov. The fee is $52 per lot. Along with the application, please submit architectural drawings that illustrate the project’s intentions, such as building elevations, floor plans and design guidelines.
The process is in accordance with the growth management program ordinance, which limits new residential construction allocations to 244 units per year. After the application deadline, city staff will begin an evaluation process for the proposed developments, and there will be a three-year development window. City staff will prepare a report on each proposal that will be reviewed by the city planning commission and will hold a public hearing before making a recommendation to the city council.
Property owners are encouraged to make an appointment with staff at Development Services to discuss the design concept and program for their proposed project prior to the completion of the application.
Properties in and around downtown Hollister may qualify for the Measure Y exemption from the 244-unit allocations, which is roughly Monterey to McCray streets and Third to Hawkins streets.
For more information, call 636-4360.
Study in Spain
HOLLISTER – Anyone 18 years or older is invited to study in Spain through Gavilan College. The program offers a chance to earn up to 5 college credits will visiting Spain and studying Spanish.
Students will stay in Seville, Spain, and study Spanish for up to five hours a day, and live with host families who have been carefully selected.
Every night students will have the option to do a wide variety of activities such as view flamenco dancers, listen to jazz concerts or visit museums. There are optional weekend excursions available as well. The program is June 1 through June 26.
A free orientation meeting will be held Sat., Feb. 28, in the portable 5 on the main Gavilan campus, 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd. The cost of the trip is approximately $1,500, plus airfare.
For more information, contact Albert Marques at 848-4794 or
am******@ga*****.edu
.
Children’s art contest
HOLLISTER – The Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Benito County is accepting entries for the April 2009 art contest. To enter children in grades third through sixth should create a picture and a slogan related to the theme of preventing child abuse. The pictures can be on 8 ½-by-11 paper up to poster size, and can be done in any medium such as charcoal, markers, paint, etc. Entries can be completed by an individual child, or a group of child, though only one prize will be awarded. All submissions should have a consent form completed by a parent or legal guardian attached.
The first prize is a $50 gift card; second place is a $25 gift card and third place is a $15 gift card. The winners will be announced at the YMCA Healthy Families Day April 25, and the winning entries may be used in agency newsletters Web sites, or on County Express buses.
For more information, contact Ana Cabrera at San Benito County Health and Human Services Agency at 634-0686 or by e-mail at
ac******@sa***********.org
.
Paint a chair to benefit HDA
HOLLISTER – The Hollister Downtown Association is seeking artists interested in painting a chair for the second annual Charming Chairs event scheduled for April 4-18.
Chairs painted by artists will be submitted for a silent auction that takes place in front of participating businesses downtown. A few chairs will be available, or artists may use their own chair. Last year’s event raised $3,000, all of which went to the Downtown Endowment Fund to help revitalize downtown as the social and economic hub of the community.
For more information, call the HDA office at 636-8406.
Southside registration
HOLLISTER – Registration for Southside kindergarten will be held March 23 through April 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Southside School District, 4991 Southside Road. Children must be 5 years or older before Dec. 12, 2009. For more information, call 637-4439 or visit www.southsideschool.net.
Hospital scholarships available
HOLLISTER – Applications for the 2009 Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Awards are now available. Each year the Auxiliary awards scholarships to students who are pursuing a medical or medically oriented career. The total amount awarded to each recipient will be at the discretion of the scholarship committee.
Auxiliary members put in thousands of hours throughout the year running a thrift shop, the hospital gift shop, and organizing their annual craft and antique faire in order to fund scholarships and purchase equipment for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital.
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship you must:
– Be a high school graduate (or equivalent)
– Be a resident of San Benito County for a minimum of one continuous year
– Be enrolled in a health-related course of study at an accredited institution.
– Apply by April 17.
A complete list of eligibility rules and application packet are available at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital Lobby, San Benito High School, Gavilan College, on the hospital Web site at www.hazelhawkins.com or contact Frankie Arballo in the hospital’s public relations office at 636-2644 for additional information.
Si Se Puede! Book Fair
HOLLISTER – The Si Se Puede! Learning Center is sponsoring its inaugural Book Fair through March 22 at the Villa Luna Apartments, 850 Hillcrest Road.
Books will be sold on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, call 637-9097.
