The San Benito County Arts Council is now accepting applications from artists in all media for the annual Open Studios Art Tour, April 26-27.
Applications for Open Studios
The San Benito County Arts Council is now accepting applications from artists in all media for the annual Open Studios Art Tour, April 26-27th, 2014. Artists based in San Benito County are encouraged to submit their application online at www.sanbenitoarts.org. You may also download the application at www.sanbenitoarts.org or call 636.2787 for more information. All applications are due by January 31st, 2014. Past and prospective artists are encouraged to attend an informational meeting on this year’s Open Studios Art Tour at 6:30 pm, Friday, January 17th at the Blak Sage Gallery, 727 San Benito St. in downtown Hollister. This meeting will address important dates, deadlines and new information regarding this year’s tour and exhibition. Please come with your ideas, questions and suggestions. For questions or more information please feel free to contact the Arts Council at
in**@sa***********.org
or call at 636-2787. Open Studios is a weekend art tour, where artists throughout San Benito County open their studios to the public.
Tickets available for ‘Harvey’
San Benito Stage Company presents Harvey; the story of Elwood P. Dowd, who makes friends with a spirit in the form of a human-sized rabbit named Harvey that only he sees (and a few privileged others on occasion!) The show opening Valentine’s Day weekend and running through March 1 features local actors Christian Barrera, Michaela Connor, Andrea McDonald, Al Gonzalez, Duane Holt, Nathan Raff, John Sanchez, Tania Shanrock, Sarah Smith, James Swan and Tiana Vlaovich. It is directed by Patricia Whalen, with production by Anne Hall and Becky Miser. The play will take place at Paine’s Restaurant & Bar in Hollister, with dinner served before the show and dessert at intermission. Dinner will be a set menu, with a vegetarian option available upon request. Details: sanbenitostage.org
Friends of the Library meeting
The next regular meeting of the Friends of the Library for the San Benito County Free Library is set for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the library on Fifth Street.
HSD kindergarten registration
The Hollister School District is holding kindergarten registration Feb. 10-14. Residents are asked to bring a certified copy of a birth certificate (must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1); written proof of immunizations, which include hepatitis B and a second measles vaccine; and proof of address (current utility bill). Register at your neighborhood school. If you are unable to attend at the listed times, call the school for an appointment. If you have questions, call the neighborhood school. The following are times for registration: Calaveras School from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Accelerated Achievement Academy (call to inquire); Cerra Voista School from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Gabilan Hills from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Hollister Dual Language Academy (K-6) – register at your neighborhood school; Ladd Lane School from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; R.O. Hardin School from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunnyslope School from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
MLK prayer breakfast
Bethany Church of God in Christ is hosting a Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast at 9 a.m. Jan. 20 at San Juan Oaks Golf Club. It is the first breakfast of its kind in San Benito County to honor the late civil rights leader.
The event includes keynote speaker Luis Valdez from El Teatro Campesino; Roland Pierre Dixon, a retired assistant district attorney from Santa Clara County, Assemblyman Luis Alejo and Pastor Gerald E. Harris. Additionally, there will be a silent auction and a program with youth performances. It is $35 per person. Details: Call Elvira Zaragoza Robinson at (831) 801-5530
BLM hosting meetings on oil, gas
The Bureau of Land Management is conducting meetings as part of a scoping process in examining use of oil and gas resources on federal land, and whether to involve areas beyond the Hollister Field Office, according to an announcement from the agency.
One of those open house meetings is set for Jan. 29 at San Juan Oaks Golf Club just outside of Hollister at 3285 Union Road.
The following is the full statement:
The Bureau of Land Management is conducting a scoping process to solicit public comments on how oil and gas resources on federal mineral estate should be managed in the BLM’s Hollister Field Office and whether the BLM should include areas of California beyond the Hollister Field Office in this process.
The public scoping process is the first step in preparing an Environmental Impact Statement.
Public open houses will be:
Jan. 29: San Juan Oaks Golf Course, 3285 Union Road, Hollister.
Feb. 4: Doubletree Hotel, 2001 Point W Way, Sacramento.
Feb. 11: Cesar Chavez Library, 615 Williams Road, Salinas.
Feb. 12: Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant, 24505 W. Dorris Ave, Coalinga.
The purpose of this planning process is to analyze the effects of alternative oil and gas management approaches on lands with federal mineral estate within the BLM’s Hollister Field Office. The need for the plan amendment is to incorporate new information about well stimulation technologies, natural resource conditions, and socioeconomic trends to update the reasonably foreseeable development scenario and the Hollister Field Office Resource Management Plan. The decision to be made is to establish additional lease stipulations, conditions of approval, or best management practices to guide safe and responsible oil and gas development.
Depending on the results of this scoping process, the BLM may also use this process to consider amending RMPs for other field offices in California with oil and gas leasing and development (Bakersfield, Palm Springs-South Coast, Mother Lode, and Ukiah Field Offices).
Early public involvement is crucial to identify various issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The scoping period provides the public with an opportunity to learn about the EIS, to help identify issues and concerns to be addressed in the EIS, and to provide input used in developing alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS.
Submit written comments to the Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Oil and Gas Leasing and Development Comments, Attn: Sara Acridge, Project Manager, Sacramento, CA 95825, or via email at
BL**********@bl*.gov
.
For more information contact Sara Acridge at (916) 978-4557. Information also is available on the BLM website at www.blm.gov/ca/eis-og.
Library forum focuses on commuters’ needs
The Library Action Committee is set to host a third forum on the future of the San Benito County Libraries, with this one focused on weekday commuters. The event is set for 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 25 at the San Benito County Free Library, 470 Fifth St. The moderator is Dave Wright. Invited panelists include Supervisor Margie Barrios; Councilman Victor Gomez; Free Lance Editorial Board Member Marty Richman; Salinas Library Director Elizabeth Martinez; and local mother Cathly Alameda. The group will discuss visions for the future of the libraries in Hollister and San Juan Bautista. For more information, call Lois Locci at (408) 506-0801 or email
li*********************@ya***.com
.
Chamber dinner dance
The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau’s 93rd annual awards dinner will be held at San Juan Oaks Country club at 6 p.m. Jan. 25. The chamber will be honoring the man, woman and businesses of the year at the event. There will be a silent auction and raffle. Tickets are $60 per person. Contact the chamber office to purchase your tickets by phone using a credit card. Details: (831) 637-53515
Sacred Heart fundraiser
Dust off your boots and get ready to kick up your heels. The Ranch Dance & Auction, Sacred Heart Parish School’s annual February fundraiser, is set for Feb. 1. The fun starts at 5 p.m. with a no-host bar featuring local wines and beer. The famous tri-tip barbecue dinner is served from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will be live and silent auctions. The band Soul Kiss will be providing live music to dance the night away. All proceeds from this event benefit Sacred Heart Parish School. The price is $75. Details: 831-637-4157 or www.sacredheartschool.org.
‘Fixing the Future’ at Aromas Grange
The San Benito Time Exchange (SBTE) and Aromas Grange are co-hosting a community potluck and movie, “Fixing the Future” at the Aromas Grange, 400 Rose Street, Aromas on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. SBTE is a free service exchange network in which members provide skills and services to one another using time as a complementary currency. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded a team of researchers at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), and the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) to conduct scientific research into time banking. Their goal is to understand time banking practices and the role that technology plays in enabling them and to develop new innovative technologies to make it much easier to do and more popular. For further information regarding this service please contact SBTE at (831) 229-2319,
sb************@gm***.com
.
