Farr supports Measure T
HOLLISTER
– Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, this week formally endorsed Hollister
Measure T, according to Rick Rivas, a spokesman for the
campaign.
Measure T will appear before Hollister voters on the Nov. 6
ballot. If passed, it would authorize an additional 1 percent sales
tax within Hollister, maintaining or providing a variety of
services within the fiscally challenged city.
The effort,
”
The Campaign for Hollister,
”
comes on the heels of a similar measure that was narrowly
defeated nearly a year ago.
In addition to his endorsement, Farr made a contribution of
$1,000 to the effort. Already, the campaign has amassed more than
twice the entire amount spent on last year’s campaign.
Farr supports Measure T
HOLLISTER – Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, this week formally endorsed Hollister Measure T, according to Rick Rivas, a spokesman for the campaign.
Measure T will appear before Hollister voters on the Nov. 6 ballot. If passed, it would authorize an additional 1 percent sales tax within Hollister, maintaining or providing a variety of services within the fiscally challenged city.
The effort, “The Campaign for Hollister,” comes on the heels of a similar measure that was narrowly defeated nearly a year ago.
In addition to his endorsement, Farr made a contribution of $1,000 to the effort. Already, the campaign has amassed more than twice the entire amount spent on last year’s campaign.
Back-to-School Night
HOLLISTER – San Benito High School will host its annual Back-to-School night on Wednesday, Sept. 19 beginning at 6:15 p.m. with student support team meetings, where parents can meet the assistant principal, counselors, guidance technicians and support managers assigned to assist their student throughout their high school years. Students are assigned to teams alphabetically by their last name:
A-Ga meet with Jennifer Logue in the Mattson gym
Ge-O meet with Antonio Vela in the cafeteria
P-Z meet with Sharon Brown in the auditorium
Classroom presentations will be held from 6:45-8:15 p.m. to review course expectations, grading and attendance policies. These short presentations are scheduled at 6:45 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Student schedules will not be handed out this year, so parents are advised to ask their student for a copy of their class schedule. There will be a special session for Spanish-speaking parents in room 223 starting at 6:15 p.m.
BLM National Public Lands Day
MONTEREY – The Bureau of Land Management is asking volunteers to take a few hours on Sept. 29, National Public Lands Day, and give back to the public lands surrounding our communities.
The staff is celebrating the fifth National Public Lands Day at BLM’s Fort Ord public lands and this year the event is co-sponsored by the Department of Defense -Fort Ord Field Office.
Interested volunteers are asked to follow the BLM special event signs from Reservation Road to Imjin Road, or from Highway 1 to Light Fighter Road.  Work begins promptly at 9 a.m. and the BLM staff will provide tools and equipment. Refreshments and entertainment begins at noon following the work projects. Volunteer field projects scheduled on Sept. 29 include habitat restoration, trail repair, seed collection and invasive weed abatement.
To volunteer or for more information, contact Eric Morgan or Tammy Jakl at 394-8314, or
em*****@ca.gov
or
tj***@ca.gov
.
Wildlife Services Program opens
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Wildlife Services Program is now in operation. Any county residents having problems with wildlife (skunks, raccoons, possums, etc.) or who have damage to their property as a result of wildlife are encouraged to call the Wildlife Services specialist at the Agricultural Commissioner’s office, 637-5344, ext. 19 and leave a short message detailing the type of problem or damage, along with a name and phone number. The specialist will contact residents to set up an appointment.
Bypass update
HOLLISTER – Work continues to progress on the Highway 25 bypass project through Hollister. Here is this week’s update from the local Council of Governments:
– Traffic Controls and Lane Closures: Anticipate lane closures on Sunnyslope Road, Airline Highway, Meridian Street, Santa Ana Road, and McCloskey Road throughout the week.
– Safety in the construction zone: Continue to anticipate slower traffic conditions and allow for additional time when traveling in these areas. Watch for increased pedestrian traffic in school zones on Meridian Street and Santa Ana Road.
– Sidewalks: Some sidewalks at the intersection of Sunnyslope Road and Airline Highway and along Hillcrest Road remain closed. Always use designated sidewalks and walkways to ensure your safety.
– Sound Walls: The Contractor is continuing work on construction of sound walls throughout the project area, including the construction of masonry blocks on the walls between Sunnyslope Road and Hillcrest Road.
To find out more about this project, visit www.highway25bypass.com.
Parade applications available
HOLLISTER – Applications are now available for the sixth annual Hollister Veterans Day Parade, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 11 at noon in downtown Hollister. For more information, contact Richard Herrera at 801-7424 or via e-mail at
ve**************@ya***.com
.
Volunteers needed
HOLLISTER – Small Steps, a local nonprofit organization which provides jackets and shoes to children, is looking for volunteers to help with its annual shopping trip on Saturday, Nov. 3. The group’s goal is to take 375 local children pre-selected by their teachers to Target and Payless Shoe Source. Small Steps is looking for approximately 400 volunteers to be an adult shopper, register participants, work in the Kiddie Korral, help set up or clean up or serve refreshments.
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and must pre-register so names, addresses and driver’s license numbers can be run through Megan’s Law. Thumbprints of volunteers are taken on the day of the event. To receive a volunteer form, call 638-2111. Send tax-deductible donations to: Small Steps, P.O. Box 2137, Hollister, CA, 95024.
Landowner workshop on biofuels
SAN FRANCISCO – San Benito county landowners are invited to a work shop Wednesday, Sept. 26 to learn about opportunities for using their land to raise biofuel crops. The workshop is sponsored by Farmers National Company, an employee-run farm management company.
The workshop is 9 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glen Dr., in Concord. Advanced registration is $15 and registration is $20 at the door. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. For more information, call 1-800-346-2650 or visit www.farmersnational.com/Landowner_Workshops.
Hospice training set
SALINAS – VNA and Hospice will hold free training sessions Sept. 28, 29 and 30 for volunteers, 18 and older, who will assist the nonprofit VNA hospice team in providing services during the final stage of a person’s life. Volunteers are needed to help in all areas served by the nonprofit VNA Hospice, from King City to Morgan Hill and throughout the valley and peninsula areas.
Training will be held at the VNA Salinas office conference room, 6 Quail Run Circle near Davis and Rossi. Persons interested in volunteering are asked to call Joseph Lumello at 758-8243 no later than Monday, Sept. 17, to sign up for the training classes.
Volunteer opportunities with the VNA Hospice range from general office assistance to working with patients in the home, performing bereavement follow-up support as well as helping to facilitate support groups
“There are many fine volunteer opportunities here on the Central Coast. I believe anyone who is looking for truly rewarding volunteer experience owes it to themselves to check out the VNA Hospice.” Lumello said, “Folks come with preconceived notions about the work but soon realize they are truly enhancing an individual’s quality of life by doing simple things that we take for granted. Words cannot describe the sense of accomplishment volunteers experience when they know they have made a difference at such a difficult time in a family’s life.”
