The following events, organizations and people deserve either a
Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
The following events, organizations and people deserve either a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
THUMBS UP: The Hollister School District Trustees turned in a budget that has the district operating in the black. Last year the district received a “qualified letter,” that let it know if cuts and changes were not made, it could run at a $2.9 million deficit by 2008. Although some board members expressed doubts about the balanced budget, and perhaps rightfully so, the district is commended for putting in the hard work that appears to have turned things around.
THUMBS UP: To the Japanese Temple Garden taking shape on Riverside Road. Retired Doctor Don Belt has created a sanctuary not only for Buddhists or those curious what it has to offer, but for local residents who would like to visit a uniquely serene and quiet spot. The diversity of San Benito County often goes unnoticed, but the Temple Garden is a welcome addition.
THUMBS DOWN: To anyone who fired off illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July. And this was a lot of people. A visitor to the Free Lance commented that she didn’t have to go anywhere to see fireworks on the Fourth, all she had to do was stand near her home near the downtown and look up at the sky and watch the show. But she also commented that a lot of the stuff going up into the sky was low, and at times seemed to almost skim rooftops. Thankfully, no large fires broke out.
THUMBS DOWN: Today’s weekly installment of our Thumbs Down to County District Attorney John Sarsfield is for his latest suit against the county, this time for a recently adopted travel policy. The Board of Supervisors approved the travel guidelines last week, and the district attorney wasted no time filing suit and claiming the policy “illegal.” It looks like the final six months of Sarsfield’s tenure will be filled with this type of legal activity. Oh boy.
THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN: Take your pick: the unofficial biker rally was a calm, peaceful small gathering monitored with great efficiency by local law enforcement, or a clampdown that snared not only out-of-town visitors but also local residents in a deluge of ticketing for minor infractions of any type. This much we know: downtown merchants lost out on a lot of business. We hope the city can undertake the kind of tough-minded soul-searching that produces an effective future for official or unofficial rallies.
