The following events, organizations and people deserve either a
Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
THUMBS DOWN: San Benito County and its suspended chief probation officer, Deborah Botts, officially parted ways on Tuesday. But three months after she was placed on administrative leave, county and court officials still won’t say why Botts and former Juvenile Hall Superintendent Tim Pierleoni were suspended or why she was finally let go this week. (Pierleoni resigned a month after being placed on leave.) Pierleoni’s attorney, Steve Cohen, told the Free Lance that his client was suspended over allegations of accessing pornography on office computers and having extramarital affairs with employees. But Cohen leveled blame squarely at Botts, who he claimed had sent sexually explicit e-mails to Pierleoni and had set low conduct standards within the Probation Department. Botts, whose salary was $87,000 a year, was paid while on suspension. If a public employee in a position of significant trust, such as Botts, has abused her position or engaged in such egregious professional conduct that she has to be suspended and then terminated, the people have a right to know what occurred.
THUMBS UP: Ten Girl Scouts from Hollister’s Troop 3483 gathered for haircuts on Thursday at Attitudes and Images. But this wasn’t any ordinary visit to the hair salon. The Girl Scouts, all fourth-graders at Sacred Heart Parish School, were having their hair cut so it could be donated to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs to people undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The girls, who said they wanted to show support for schoolmate Kyle Rose, who has been diagnosed with cancer, together donated 100 inches of hair – about enough to create three wigs for Locks of Love clients.
THUMBS UP: Horse Power Promotions, hired to put on this year’s Hollister Motorcycle Rally, not only hit its deadline this week for making the first payment of $100,000 to the city, but also bettered that by presenting the City Council with a check on Tuesday for $125,000. Another check for $125,000 is due on March 1, and the balance of up-front money to cover the city’s public safety costs, estimated to total $382,000, is due March 31. If the promoter misses any of those deadlines, the city will cancel the annual Independence Day biker rally. Not to worry, said Seth Doulton of Horse Power Promotions. “We’re going to make the deadlines with no problem,” said Doulton, who has been selling sponsorships and vendor rights for the rally.
THUMBS DOWN: Mother Nature delivered a big chill to San Benito County last weekend, when record low temperatures were recorded in Hollister. Landscaping plants died, pipes froze and lots of people shivered – in part because of the chilly weather and no doubt also partly for fear of what that next home heating bill will hold. PG&E had earlier predicted that a drop in natural gas prices would result in lower January heating bills for San Benito County residents. “But with the exceptionally cold weather, I’m not sure those predictions will hold,” said utility spokesman Jeff Smith.
