OK, three members of the Board of Trustees of Gavilan College
(who, just coincidently, happen to be up for re-election in
November) and Steve Kinsella, the highly paid president of Gavilan
College have held public forums for us last week to discuss the
status of Gavilan in Hollister.
By Paul Levy
OK, three members of the Board of Trustees of Gavilan College (who, just coincidently, happen to be up for re-election in November) and Steve Kinsella, the highly paid president of Gavilan College have held public forums for us last week to discuss the status of Gavilan in Hollister. It is very clear to anyone attending AND listening at these meetings, that the overwhelming public consensus is for Gavilan to stay downtown and not move five miles east. For some San Benito students, especially from the San Juan Bautista area, the Gilroy campus would remain the closer alternative than the proposed new San Benito campus at Fairview. We have also heard from other public commentators that the bond measure we passed in 2004 with an expectation of seeing a San Benito campus sometime in our lifetime will not happen despite being monitored by a “Public Oversight” committee. It seems we have had the wool pulled over our eyes. Since the bond language is so vague no one can be held accountable for a San Benito campus anytime in the life of the bonds.
 We need an expanded Gavilan College campus now, to bring lots of students (minimum 500 full-time equivalent) running around downtown Hollister to spur a little bit of economic revitalization to our ghost town. (Our current Board of Trustees and president assert this will have no economic impact). And what about potential partnerships for a downtown performing arts center or a library? Or a collaboration with our YMCA? Where are our elected city and county representatives on all this? Don’t accept “it’s not in our nexus”.  It’s easy to pass nice resolutions to support Gavilan expansion but where is our true leadership? How engaged are they in solving this vital community issue?  If they (or someone) do not act soon, then once again we will get exactly what we deserve. Another decision made by the Gavilan Board of Trustees in a vacuum.
Paul Levy is a San Benito County resident.
