Our phone lines were ringing again this week and Red Phone was waiting. Your Crimson Crusader on the case heard of road problems in Hollister, big-box retailers coming to town and even constructive criticism on how to improve local news coverage in the Free Lance. Got a gripe, call the Red Phone. Always on, always listening.
Don’t Drive Out Local Business
An empty lot downtown that will someday see new businesses and a new building was a hot item for one caller. She wants Hollisterites to stay local with their shopping dollars and leave the department stores in other towns – where they belong.
“To the person who is trying to bring in Gottschalks or other department stores like Mervyn’s to Hollister, you can just see businesses downtown closing up like She’s, Drapoel, Dick Bruhns and Boutique de Lingerie. If any type of department stores come in, they’re done,” she exclaimed. “This town cannot support the retail businesses we have right now. Look down Main Street and see how many have already closed.”
Get Your Box Straight
Another concerned citizen phoned in concerning an April 30 Free Lance article entitled “School district considers cuts.” He said reporting school salary expenditures mean little unless put into perspective.
“There was an information box but it was incomplete. What you need for the public to get a true picture, is three information boxes. One for the teachers like you showed. Another one for the administration, that includes the superintendent, assistant superintendent, the principal and other district staff. Then another one which shows classified, which include secretaries, maintenance personnel and other clerical staff. That way the public can get a true and accurate picture of where expenditures are going. I think it would be fair to all the employees.”
Red Phone asked the Free Lance editorial staff and a request was made to the Hollister School District, however, the expenditures we’re unavailable by press time. Future stories will make the distinction.
Slowdown on Sunnyslope
Apparently people are driving faster than the temperature has been rising lately and it has made one caller more than a little hot under the collar.
“I’ve lived on Highland Drive between Sunnyslope and Sunset since 1990 and in all that time, I’ve never seen one of those speed monitors they put out or a cop up their catching speeders. Cars fly down that road and there’s several apartment buildings and lots of kids playing in the area. Something needs to happen before we have a tragedy on our hands.”
Fourth Street Floods
Water, water everywhere when Hollister gets rain had one caller drenched with fury.
“For years, any time it rains, the corner of Fourth and Powell streets floods,” she said. “There’s a sewer drain there but either it doesn’t work or it’s plugged because every time it rains there is a big pool that forms. It could be a hazard because cars turning from Powell to Fourth need to speed up quickly, and they can’t because of the water. This has been a problem for years.”
