The week’s paper was out, and there was time for a talk
about
– what else – newspapering. We were talking about how often,
when covering a story, something unexpected crops up. It does not
merit a story of its own, but the little curve balls life throws
are what get carried back to the newspaper office.
A few of those have been accumulating over the past week or so,
and it’s time to clean out the notebook.
The week’s paper was out, and there was time for a talk about – what else – newspapering. We were talking about how often, when covering a story, something unexpected crops up. It does not merit a story of its own, but the little curve balls life throws are what get carried back to the newspaper office.
A few of those have been accumulating over the past week or so, and it’s time to clean out the notebook.
The February meeting of the San Benito County Gang Taskforce Advisory Committee included the usual suspects, and they read like a Who’s Who of local law enforcement. Undersheriff Pat Turturici held down one end of the table, while the No. 2 man at Hollister Police Department, Richard Vasquez, staked his spot across the room. There were local elected officials, probation department brass, all the people you might expect to be present at such a gathering.
Typically, there were no members of the public present as the meeting in the Veterans Memorial Building got going.
A few minutes into the session, while a parole officer serving the Hollister area was delivering a report (see The Pinnacle, Feb. 26), two young women walked in and took seats. They listened intently for nearly 10 minutes, but when the parole officer paused for breath, one of them jumped in.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said. “This is really fascinating and everything, but I have to get back to work, and there’s just been a hit-and-run accident outside. Does anyone drive a nice, newer red pickup? Somebody in an older truck just ran right into it and drove off.”
Vasquez took that as his cue to exit the room for a few minutes and check things out.
Fast forward a day to the next meeting on the schedule. This one was a meeting of Gavilan College trustees and administrative staff at the San Benito County Office of Education.
Nearly 50 people gathered, and the theme of the evening soon emerged. “We’re happy that the college district is returning to Hollister, with a campus near the spot where the college was born, but what were you people thinking with that airport location?”
That message was repeated in various incarnations for a couple of hours before trustees agreed that they needed to return to the whole board to discuss the whole matter, and, perhaps, involve the community in the development of a community college.
But the sentiments expressed in the slugfest were not entirely unanimous. One person commended the district for finding a site and proceeding. That person? County Superintendent Tim Foley, who probably knows something himself about what it’s like to sit in the hot seat when it comes to educational issues.
It’s election season; have you noticed? People you may not have seen for, say, four years seem to be cropping up everywhere to make nice and – by the way – ask for your vote.
Art Cantu, who is challenging John Sarsfield for district attorney in a three way race also involving Candace Hooper, has gone out on a limb: he’s backing legislation carried by state Sen. Jeff Denham that increases penalties against people who sexually molest children under the age of 12.
Well, stop the presses.
On to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of supervisorial districts – District 4. What was once the “South County” district now has two distinct personalities. Most of the sweeping district’s area is still taken up by cattle ranches. People in that part of the district are so scattered that the district gets its share of constituents by creeping northward – and thus the district’s second personality. The gated enclaves of Ridgemark and Stonegate also fall within the district boundaries, and it’s there you’ll find most of the district’s voters.
That split personality may be part of the reason for the lively mix of candidates, would-be candidates and I-was-a-candidate-but-now-I’m-not candidates. One-term incumbent Reb Monaco is officially in the race. Former Pinnacle publisher and rancher Tracie Cone has filed. Now John Hodges, who just announced his retirement as county clerk-auditor-recorder, is tossing his cowboy hat in the ring.
Hodges cuts a distinctive figure around the county, sporting a world class handlebar moustache. But it’s controversy, not couture, that has marked his administration. Hodges is going to have some explaining to do regarding election irregularities, forgotten tax bills and a host of other little bumps on the trail.
Former Supervisor and longtime Sacramento lobbyist Mike Graves recently moved back into the district, and made a few overtures about the position since he is currently between jobs. Graves may have found gainful employment that does not require that he go begging to the voters every four years, so he’s unlikely. Tres Pinos orchardist Paul Hain reportedly pulled papers as well, but changed his mind in a replay of a past District 4 race.
Finally, there’s Pete Frusetta, a native of the district and former Assemblyman. Frusetta was a dogged fiscal conservative when he was in Sacramento, and that’s a good thing. But he’ll probably be remembered for campaign commercials depicting him sitting on a horse, his habit of wearing a pearl gray Stetson on the Assembly floor and his campaign gambit of challenging his opponent to submit to drug testing.
Frusetta has not declared, but if he does, an already-interesting race is sure to get even livelier.
