Times are tough, but locals are tougher
A lot of towns in this country need improvement, particularly as
this country slogs through the recession. San Benito County is a
microcosm of our country’s woes, with crazy-high unemployment,
foreclosures left and right, a crumbling infrastructure and a
disaffected and disappointed populace.
Bottom line, we have a lot to be down about, if we choose to
think that way. So let’s not; if only for a few minutes.
Times are tough, but locals are tougher
A lot of towns in this country need improvement, particularly as this country slogs through the recession. San Benito County is a microcosm of our country’s woes, with crazy-high unemployment, foreclosures left and right, a crumbling infrastructure and a disaffected and disappointed populace.
Bottom line, we have a lot to be down about, if we choose to think that way. So let’s not; if only for a few minutes.
Reading how Reader’s Digest is sponsoring a campaign called “We Hear You America,” got me thinking. The venerable magazine is offering $5 million in “promotion and financial support” to 100 towns, cities and people through an online contest at rd.com, so now’s as good a time as any to think about what’s right with the place we call home.
It’s not that we have to look through rose-colored glasses all the time and ignore what’s wrong around us, because there is plenty. Sometimes taking off the glasses helps us see more clearly, even if we have to squint a bit.
Downtown Hollister is a stark reminder of our area’s economic condition. Vacancies abound; the sidewalks aren’t bustling; I can no longer get a grilled cheese with tomatoes and a side of tomato bisque at The Elegant Touch, because that business is gone.
Entrepreneurs remain, however, which is inspiring and reassuring. Sheila Stevens is going to open her third downtown business at the site of the former Elegant Touch, furthering her investment in the historic center of Hollister.
On the north side of town, Tiffany Ford remains in business, a century after it began. In the center of town, Muenzer’s Cyclery is still rolling after 100 years and so is McKinnon Lumber. Winn Insurance was recently bought by another company, but it, too has been in business since the early part of the 20th century.
The list of failed businesses is long, but the list of people willing to keep giving the area a try is longer, so there is hope. The Jessie’s Gas sign recently went away, which I guess is good for him, since that sounded painful. Now the place is called Cheap Beer and Cigarettes. Not the slogan you’d put on the Chamber of Commerce brochure touting downtown, yet the place is still in business providing a service and filling a niche, so good for them.
Beyond the financial landscape, there isn’t a place that many of us would rather call home.
As autumn moves toward winter and a chill descends on San Benito County, the beauty of changing and falling leaves and the impending greening of the hills paints a natural canvas that would make residents of other locales jealous.
They might stay away or just pass through on the way to the Pinnacles or Hollister Hills, so they don’t know what they’re missing.
Misty mornings give way to brilliant sunny days and fog rolls over the Gabilan Range like a slow motion wave on some evenings, creating a site that must be seen to be believed.
Over in San Juan, the story is similar, though on a different scale.
Vacancies are everywhere. The Cutting Horse, a favorite dinner destination, closed, but Orient Express and the San Juan Bakery and Jardine’s and Dona Esther’s are still there. The Mission and state park are still there. While retail prospects might have faded a bit, history remains.
We have plenty of room to grow and to improve in San Benito County. We need more jobs and more opportunities and diversity of business. We need a lot. We also have a lot. That’s a good place to start in a great place to be.
Adam Breen writes a blog at http://thebreenblog.blogspot.com. He teaches newspaper and yearbook classes at San Benito High School and is a reporter for The Pinnacle. He is former editor of the Free Lance.
