Lunch with Leaders
HOLLISTER
– Lunch with Leaders will feature guest speaker Assemblywoman
Anna Caballero, Sept. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at San Juan
Oaks Golf Club. Call the San Benito Chamber of Commerce at 637-5315
to RSVP. The lunch is $15 in advance or $18 at the door.
Family friendly Independence celebration
SAN JUAN – The English Language Advisory Committee will be hosting a family friendly independence celebration at San Juan Elementary School, 100 Nyland Drive, in San Juan, today from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The celebration will include authentic Mexican food and drinks, arts and crafts for children of all ages, and music. Proceeds will benefit the student science club and school cultural events.
For more information, call Tina Jimenez at 623-4253 or Eddie Guaracha at 623-9987.
Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest approaches
HOLLISTER – Hollister VFW Post 9242 will be hosting the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest, which is open to students in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Rules and entry forms can be picked up at the County Office of Education, on Fifth Street, or online at www.vfw.org. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 1. This year’s essay topic is “When is the right time to honor our military heroes?”
The winner of the essay contest will be awarded a $200 check.
For questions, contact Bob Burnham at 638-1703.
Applications for free and reduced meals available
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Office of Education has distributed applications for the free and reduced-price meal programs. Each school or central office will have a copy of the policy for those who would like to review it. Children who receive food stamps, CalWORKS, Kinship guardianship assistance payments, or food distribution program on an Indian Reservation are automatically eligible for the free lunch program.
Applications can be submitted at any time during the school year. For those enrolled families that receive food stamps, CalWORKS, Kin-GAP or FDPIR benefits, they need to include the enrolled child(ren)’s names, their case number with the program they are enrolled in, and a signature of an adult household member.
For those families not enrolled in any of the programs, they should fill in the names of all household members, the amount and source of income received, and the signature and corresponding social security number for each adult.
The income eligibility for free and reduced meals is below:
Free meals:
Annual income per household size
1 – $14,079
2 – $18,941
3 – $23,803
4 – $28,665
5 – $33,527
6 – $38,389
7 – $43,251
8 – $48,113
Reduced-price meals:
Annual income per household size
1 – $20,036
2 – $26,955
3 – $33,874
4 – $40,793
5 – $47,712
6 – $54,631
7 – $61,550
8 – $68,469
Retired teachers meeting
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County chapter of California Retired Teachers will hold its next business meeting Oct. 7 at Paine’s Restaurant at 10:30 a.m. Following the meeting, a luncheon will be served. Members have a choice between chicken marsala or filet of soul.
The scheduled speaker is Leah Douty, the director of the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation. She will discuss the construction happening at the hospital and new services that will be available.
Lunch with Leaders
HOLLISTER – Lunch with Leaders will feature guest speaker Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, Sept. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at San Juan Oaks Golf Club. Call the San Benito Chamber of Commerce at 637-5315 to RSVP. The lunch is $15 in advance or $18 at the door.
Blak Sage Gallery artist reception
HOLLISTER – The Blak Sage Gallery will be showing the charcoal drawings of Missael Diaz, as well as the work of Evelyn Pogrowski, Richard Pereira, Bobby McGee, Bernardine Belaski-McGee, Chase Wood and Julie Ruiz in September. The Blak Sage Gallery is located at 727 San Benito St., and is open Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information on the gallery, call 636-9100.
Halloween pet portraits available
HOLLISTER – The Nan Pipestem Rehabilitation Wildlife Center will be hosting its second annual Halloween Pet Portraits fundraiser Sept. 27 at the Family Pet Care Center, 38 East St., in Hollister. The professional sitting will be done by Peggy Dean Creative Photography, and seatings are limited, so call ahead to register.
For more information, call 637-7387.
AARP tax-aide program seeks volunteers
HOLLISTER – The American Association of Retired Persons is looking for volunteers to help with its free tax counseling and preparation services offered from Feb. 1. to April 15. Volunteers will learn tax law and will help prepare personal income tax returns for middle-to-low-income residents. Each year, AARP volunteers prepare tax returns at more than 10,000 sites nationwide.
Volunteers will receive free tax training from the Internal Revenue Service, and are asked for a commitment of 40 hours over the 10-week season. Local training is scheduled in late Jan. 2010. Volunteers do not need to be AARP members.
For more information, contact Dolly De Vasier, the San Benito County coordinator, at 637-1980.
Auditions for ‘Nutcracker’
HOLLISTER – The San Benito Dance Academy will be holding auditions for its 2009 production of “The Nutcracker,” on Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, at the dance studio at 190 Maple St., in Hollister (upstairs from Hollister Health and Fitness.)
Call 801-8200 to reserve a space for the audition. The boys’ audition will be Friday, with the girls’ audition on Saturday as follows:
3-4 years old – 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
5-7 years old – 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
8-12 years old – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
13 and up – 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Those auditioning should arrive 15 minutes early with a head shot and dressed in standard ballet attire. Boys should wear a white T-shirt, black pants, ballet shoes or white socks. Girls should wear a black leotard, pink tights, ballet shoes or white socks, and have their hair in a bun.
The performance will be Dec. 19 and 20 at the Gavilan College Theatre in Gilroy.
Free major medical for children
HOLLISTER – The Shriners of San Benito County are conducting a free clinic at Hazel Hawkins Hospital, 911 Sunset Drive, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to identify eligible children for free medical treatment. The Shriners Hospital provides free medical treatment for children who suffer from burns, scoliosis, club foot, hand and back problems, bowed legs, spina bifida, missing arm or leg, cleft palette, hair-lip, or other serious physical problems. All care is provided free of charge at the Shriner Hospital for those children selected.
For more information, call Warren Blakley at 408-779-2471.
Clean up downtown
HOLLISTER – The Hollister Downtown Association will be hosting its annual fall clean-up Sept. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., in downtown Hollister. Anyone is invited to participate including, church groups, Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H clubs, students needing community service hours or community-minded adults. The groups are asked to meet at the grassy lot at Fourth and San Benito streets, next to the Vault Restaurant.
To participate, or for more information, call 636-8406.
San Benito County Republican summer social
TRES PINOS – The San Benito County Republican Party is hosting its summer social Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m., with a buffet dinner to follow at 6 p.m. Former Congressman Tom Campbell will speak to the group.
For more information, or to RSVP, call 638-0938..
Latino Student Leadership Conference
HOLLISTER – The 13th annual Latino Student Leadership Conference will be Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at San Benito High School, 1220 Monterey St. The event is open to anyone, and is sponsored by the San Benito County LULAC Council #2890. The event includes workshops on such topics as education, health, law, media, business development, law enforcement and firefighters, with role models as presenters. It also features a special session for parents, as well as a career fair for students. Breakfast, snack and lunch will be provided.
The event is co-sponsored by San Benito High School, the Hollister School District, California Teachers Association, State Farm Insurance, South County Housing, and the Community Foundation of San Benito County.
For more information or to RSVP, call 673-2009 or visit www.sbclulac.org.
Holiday boutique needs vendors
HOLLISTER – The Cerra Vista Elementary School Holiday Boutique needs vendors for its Dec. 5 event. The boutique will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the space fee is $45. For more information, call Julie Englehardt at 635-9674.
Free beginning English classes
HOLLISTER – Free beginning English classes are available for adults at R.O. Hardin Elementary School, 881 Line St., on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in Rm. 13. Classes run until Dec. 16. Classes are open enrollment, so participants can come to register at any class. Babysitting is provided.
For more information, call 636-4440, ext. 107.
Club Ed offers tutoring as school starts
HOLLISTER – Club Ed offers tutoring on a private basis at $14 in all subjects, all grades. They even have tutors for college mathematics. Contact Rachel Flores-Zepeda at 637.5831, ext.370.
Youth basketball league sign-ups
HOLLISTER – Boys and girls from third- through eighth-grade are invited to register for the 2009-2010 season of Hollister National Junior Basketball (NJB) on Sept. 28. This will be Hollister NJB’s ninth season of competition.
Hollister teams play a majority of their games at San Benito High School and occasionally travel to south San Jose for Sunday games during the regular season. Mandatory play rules are enforced, so all players play at least half of every game. The $250 registration fee includes a uniform, picture package, a minimum of 10 games and two hours of practice per week.
Teams are grouped by gender and grade level (third/fourth grade; fifth/sixth grade; and seventh/eighth grade) and everyone who signs up will be placed on a team.
Registration will be held Monday, Sept. 14 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Fire Station #2 at the corner of Union Road and Airline Highway and Monday, Sept. 28 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Bertha Briggs House, 1221 Memorial Drive near the Vet’s Park skateboard facility.
More information, including applications and evaluation schedules, is available online at www.hollisternjb.com. Player evaluations will be held on Oct. 4 and 11; team drafts will be Oct. 18; and practice begins Nov. 1. The season begins Dec. 6.
Blood drive
HOLLISTER – The American Red Cross will host a blood drive at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1670 Cienega Road, in Hollister, Sept. 17, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The Red Cross will hold a weekly drawingfor a $60 gift certifcate to Applebee’s or La Pinata Restaurant, excluding high school or college blood drives.
For more information or to make an appointment, call 800-GIVE LIFE (800-448-3543) or visit www.HelpSaveALife.org and type in HOLLISTER.
‘Murder in the Old Wild West’ at Ridgemark
Hollister – Ridgemark Golf and Country Club will be host to a murder mystery dinner Sept. 19. Who-der-dunit? That’s the big question that will be answered at the premiere performance of ‘Murder in the Wild Old West.’
An old reclusive rancher has died without a will and the relatives are most displeased. After a second murder; “Marshall Matt Dilling” and “Doc” will track down the guilty party with the help of the audience. This side-splitting spoof of western popular culture will include well known characters along with a few memorable new ones. To get into the spirit of the evening, revelers are encouraged to dress as their favorite old west character. The participatory mystery event begins at 6:30 p.m. with hors dourves and no host bar.
Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. and includes a butter leaf salad with dried cranberries, be followed by New York steak, mashed potatoes, seasoned vegetables, warm dinner rolls, with delectable assorted desserts. Prizes will be awarded for best costume and to those that solve the caper.
Admission is $75 per person. Tickets are limited and will be sold in advance at the office of the Lodge at Ridgemark, 3800 Airline Hwy.
Pat’s Place in need of volunteers
HOLLISTER – Pat’s Place, a thrift shop at 101 Fifth St., in Hollister, is in need of volunteers. The thrift shop benefits Community Food Bank, which has seen a 25 percent increase in demand in the last few months.
The store sells slightly used kitchen items, furniture, clothing, books and more at low prices. According to a press release from Mary Anne Hughes, it offers “a revenue source badly needed for the Community Food Bank. The ever-increasing demand on the Community Food Bank’s services requires money to purchase food and supplies.”
She said while monetary donations tend to be seasonal, the hope is that Pat’s will offer a year-round source of income. Donations are accepted for the store, and volunteers are needed to sort the items, price them, stock and sell the items.
To find out about volunteer opportunities, call Mary Anne Hughes at 637-0340 or stop by Pat’s Place, or call 637-5500. Donations are accepted Monday through Saturday. The store Is open to the public Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Red Ribbon Poetry Contest submissions accepted
HOLLISTER – High school writers in San Benito County have one month to craft the perfect poem for Red Ribbon Week. County of San Benito Behavioral Health staff will be collecting submissions for its first every Red Ribbon Festival Poetry Contest between Sept. 1 and Oct. 1.
The contest is open to students in grades ninth through 12th grade who reside in San Benito County and the top prize is $50. Second and third place winners will receive a prize of $25 each.
To submit a poem:
Participants can submit one poem that is a maximum of 30 lines, single spaced in 12-point font. Originals will not be returned, so keep a copy.
In the upper right hand corner, include your name, a parent or guardian’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address, the name of your high school, Principal’s name and grade level. At the end of each submission, include an originality statement: “This will certify that the above work is completely original,” followed by your full name.
Poems must be e-mailed or postmarked by Oct. 1. They can be submitted in the body of an e-mail to
jo*****@sb***.org
or mail to: Julissa Orozco, 1131 San Felipe Road, Hollister, CA 95023.
Winners and runner-ups will be notified during the Red Ribbon Run/Festival on Oct. 24.
For more information, call 636-4020 and ask for Renee or Julissa.
Pinnacles accepts applications for artist in residence program
PINNACLES – Pinnacles National Monument staff are now accepting applications for the fall Artist in Residence program. The residency program runs from Sept. 28 to Oct. 11, with lodging provided on the east side of the park. The program is open to all 2-D and 3-D visual artists and photographers. The artists will be able to produce a few pieces of original artwork, depending on the medium. Artists interact with the public, often leading talks about their art and experience in the park.
Local art councils, guilds and galleries help in the process of selecting the artists, and provide locations for display of work beyond the park.
The Artist in Residence program was launched in Fall 2008, and this fall will mark the third residency.
For more information or to apply, visit www.nps.gov/pinn or contact Michael Rupp at 389-4486, ext. 243 or
Mi**********@np*.gov
.
Auditions for ‘A Christmas Carol’
HOLLISTER – Limelight Productions will be hosting open auditions for “A Christmas Carol.” Auditions are Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. or Oct. 10 at 11 a.m. for children ages 8 to 18, at 618 San Benito St., in Hollister. Those auditioning are asked to prepare a song and bring a small photo.
For more information, call 635-0553.
Free art classes
HOLLISTER – Bob Wilkinson will be offering free art classes at Mars Hill Coffee House on Tuesdays from 4 p.m.to 5 p.m. or 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Space is limited. For more information, call 635-9218.
Math Talk program starts
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Office of Education will be hosting a Math Talk on the first Tuesday of every month, starting this month (no meeting January 2010.) The program will help teachers improve their math skills, and will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 460 Fifth St., in Hollister.
For more information or to RSVP, call 459-5703.
Women’s support group starts
HOLLISTER – Community Solutions is offering a women’s support group. The group is a free six-week program and is confidential. Topics include healthy relationships, domestic violence, safety planning, resources and much more.
For more information or to register, call Debbie Ruiz at 637-1094.
T’ai chi at the Grange
AROMAS – T’ai chi classes are available at the Aromas Grange, at the corner of Rode and Bardue, Mondays and Wednesday from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
For more information, call 726-7151.
Art classes available
HOLLISTER – Dale Yarmuth, a member of the San Benito Arts Council and the Hollister Art League, will offer daily two-hour art sessions for artists of all ages. The classes will focus on pen and ink with watercolor. Classes are Monday through Friday, and are available during daytime or evening hours. The cost is $20 per hour, with materials and tools costing extra. Artists will also learn how to mat and frame their work.
For more information, call 634-0821 or e-mail
mm****@sb*******.net
.
YMCA gears up for fall events
HOLLISTER – The YMCA is now accepting registration for their summer YMCA afterschool program. The program is offered at Cerra Vista, Gabilan Hills, Ladd Lane, San Juan, Spring Grove and Sunnyslope elementary schools. The program includes homework help, asset development, value lessons, organized sports, arts and crafts, nutritious snacks, special events and learning centers. Some financial assistance is available, and fees, days and times vary by site.
The Homework club is also available for $110 a month for one hour everyday after school.
Other upcoming activities include the YMCA Sharks and Parks youth hockey league that starts in September. The program is $80, or $75 before Sept. 5. Three divisions are available, including first and second grade, third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade. In addition sign ups are available for co-ed soccer for kindergarten to fifth graders. The fee is $80, or $75 before Sept. 5. For more information, contact Kristie Agan at
ka***@ym**************.org
.
An annual membership is required to participate in YMCA programs, $30 per individual or $55 per family.
For general information, call 637-8600.
San Benito Stage Company seeks members
HOLLISTER – The San Benito Stage Company is planning its 2010 season of productions, including children’s, teen, family and dinner theater programs. The stage company is seeking support in the form of members, sponsors and volunteers. Members enjoy benefits such as ticket discounts, advertising, and free show passes depending on level of sponsorship. For more information, call 636-0122 or visit www.sanbenitostage.org.
Friends of the Library book sale
HOLLISTER – Books for all ages and interests are available for purchase at $2 per bag at the shed behind the San Benito County Free Library on Fifth Street every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 636-4107.
