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: For the Hollister Youth Alliance and the San Benito County Prevention Coalition, which teamed-up to present the community’s first Teen Rally today. Parents will like the event because it’s designed to promote healthy lifestyles and youth leadership. For teens, it just promises to be a lot of fun with a battle of the bands, a basketball tournament and a freestyle dance contest. Here is the antidote for those who complain there is nothing to do in Hollister. The Teen Rally will be in Dunne Park on Sixth Street from 11am to 3pm.
THUMBS UP: For the 2005 Renaissance Faire. The bawdy, vivacious and delicious faire will be held at Casa de Fruta off Highway 152 north of Hollister every weekend until Oct. 15, when participants will celebrate Oktoberfest.
THUMBS DOWN: For the ongoing spat in the local Republican Central Committee. Chairwoman Jennifer Zapata and former Chairman Marvin Jones have traded barbs, accusations of malfeasance and lawsuits for months now. None of it has gone anywhere. The cases were dismissed or withdrawn and the larger Republican Party doesn’t want to get involved in our local dispute. It’s time to move on – there is a special election coming up and we’re sure local Republicans would rather focus their energy on that. This kind of petty behavior and infighting is exactly what gives politics a bad name and turns people away from the political process. Drop it already.
THUMBS UP: For the increased awareness that Hurricane Katrina, and now Hurricane Rita, have created. A new Web site – www.72hours.org – includes lists of everything residents would need to survive for three days in the event of a severe earthquake or other natural disaster. Check it out.
THUMBS DOWN: For the delay in a meeting between the San Benito County Water District and the City of San Juan Bautista due to schedule conflicts. How hard can it be to find a few hours to get together to try to settle the dispute that is on the verge of jeopardizing a $3.8 million federal grant to fix the Mission City’s dilapidated water system? We’re glad the two sides finally decided – two weeks ago – to sit down and try to hash out an agreement to move this process forward, but now the two entities won’t meet until mid-October. Moving at the speed of government should not be acceptable when dealing with a matter that is crucial to the residents of San Juan. That’s especially true considering the comments made by Water Board President John Tobias who said he hopes the federal Economic Development Agency does not decide to use the grant elsewhere as the need for money grows following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
