Letters: Reader agrees with Richman on Hwy. 156

Much of what Mr. Richman has to say makes sense to me. The exit
from 156 at the Alameda in San Juan Bautista, if feasible, is worth
taking a closer look, as definitely are the underpasses from North
to South for ag producers.
Don’t forget about our resources during Parks and Recreation Month

Dear Editor,

Did you ever wonder how your local parks keep looking so green? Did you ever wonder what it takes to keep the softball games going? Did you ever say, “This is sure a nice place to picnic?”

There are a lot of dedicated people working extra hard to ensure that everyone in the San Benito County community have parks and programs available year round for your enjoyment and benefit. Parks and Recreation facilitates community, promotes health and wellness, stimulates tourism, and protects the natural and cultural resources of San Benito County. 

The county has many local, state, and federal parks available for the community to experience and enjoy: San Benito County Historical and Recreational Park, Veteran’s Memorial Park, Bolado Park, the Juan Bautista De Anza National Trail, Fremont Peak State Park, Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, San Juan Bautista State Historic Park, Pinnacles National Monument. Clear Creek and San Justo Reservoir are currently closed. 

At a time when health insurance costs are wreaking havoc on most household budgets, think of the benefit “Parks” and “Recreation” can provide by fostering human development, helping young people grow into healthy, adults, and helping adults continue to live longer, active lives.

The summer weather is here, the facilities and programs are in full swing, so everyone get out and enjoy this officially proclaimed month of July as “Parks and Recreation Month.”

The Parks and Recreation Commission of San Benito County urges all to get out and enjoy the social, physical, mental, economic, environmental, and community benefits of all our facilities and services.

San Benito County Parks and Recreation Commission

San Juan Bautista reader agrees with Richman on highway project

Dear Editor,

Much of what Mr. Richman has to say makes sense to me. The exit from 156 at the Alameda in San Juan Bautista, if feasible, is worth taking a closer look, as definitely are the underpasses from North to South for ag producers. Both would preclude the need for four more lanes of non-stop expressway. Instead adding a center divide and widening the existing two lanes would preserve the existing farmland. 

The central issue remains, nonetheless: Where do we put trucks? I say save both San Juan Bautista and the San Juan Valley by moving trucking to the north. This would fix the truck route, and commuter traffic on Highways 25 and 156. That answer seems unthinkable East of Union Road, because many of our local politicians say it would take decades. Why? It’s not thinking that makes it so. It’s the same lack of local leadership that Mr. Richman gently reminds us of, when he seeks to explain how we got where we are with Caltrans’ “156 Improvement.” But scapegoating Caltrans is not policy. They are like us in being subject to the governor, Legislature and, ultimately, California taxpayers. 

This county has a far better case on fixing its roads than Caltrans does before those audiences. We should go public with the foolish spending behind this Caltrans “Improvement” and make our case for a northern route that fixes both 25 and 156, as well as the cross-County route between 101 and 152-Interstate 5.

Rich Morris, San Juan Bautista