Honorees are inducted into Baler Education Foundation Hall of Fame
The 2012 Baler Education Foundation Hall of Fame will grow by eight inductees March 10, at the annual event held at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The graduates of San Benito High School – most who attended when it was known as Hollister High – will be honored at the FameFest buffet luncheon. The committee members try to select one honoree from each decade since the 1920s. This year in addition to graduates, they are also honoring a teacher who began her career at the school in the 1970s. Michal Query, one of the organizers, said that almost all the inductees from last year will return this year to help honor the new batch of honorees.
1920s: Fred Ronhert, owner of Ronhert Seed Co., is a 1929 graduate of Hollister High. He served as president of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, belonged to the Farm Bureau, the Elk’s Club and various seed associations. He chaired the committee to organize the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation in the late 1970s.
1930s: Sig Sanchez, the founder of Gilroy Foods, Inc., graduated from Hollister High in 1939. He was a public servant for 55 years, serving on the Gilroy city council, as Gilroy mayor, and as a Santa Clara County supervisor.
1940s: Charles Tiffany graduated from Hollister High in 1942. He served on the board of education for 20 years, spearheaded many local school bonds and was a hospital board member for 24 years.
1950s: Ruben Lopez attended Hollister High during the 1950s. He initiated the beginning of the YMCA in San Benito County, served on the planning commission for San Juan Bautista, as a board of director for the San Juan Rotary and is a senior active member of the Hollister Rotary Club.
1970s: Maureen “Mo” Mattson, graduated from Hollister High in 1979. She is the daughter of Bob Mattson, a past Hall of Fame inductee. She taught physical education and coached various sports since she began her career at San Benito High School in 1984. In 1996, she was named as the North Coast section Women’s Basketball Honor Coach.
Mary Encinias taught at Hollister High School for many years beginning in 1975. She served as division chair for the Industrial Technology Department for 29 years, started the softball team in 1979, and served as advisor for many clubs and classes. She is serving her second term on the San Benito High School board of education.
1980s: Alfredo Lopez, M.D., is a 1982 graduate of San Benito High School. He has worked on the Flying Doctors and Rotary Club Earthquake Project (from 1985 to 1986.) He participated in the earthquake rescue team in Mexico City and helped raise $1.5 million for medical equipment. He is the medical director of the Maternal Child Health Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, in New York.
1990s: Pete Swanson is a 1992 graduate of San Benito High School and one of the most decorated athletes to graduate from the school. After career at Stanford University, he played several seasons in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams.
Tickets for the event are available at She’s Fashions, Righetti Liquors and San Benito High School. Details: Elaine Kovanda at 801-0656 or Michal Query at 801-0455. Nomination forms can be found online at the San Benito High School website http://www.sbhsd.k12.ca.us/ for next year’s event.
