What is going on in Hollister?
For years my family and I visited Hollister for the dirt bike
parks, the rodeo and the motorcycle rallies.
 We loved the beauty of the area and the small town
atmosphere. After a 20-year struggle to save money, on April 1,
2002 we finally were able to buy our first home here.  Sadly, we
have begun to wonder if we bought into a huge April Fool’s
joke.
What is going on in Hollister?
For years my family and I visited Hollister for the dirt bike parks, the rodeo and the motorcycle rallies. We loved the beauty of the area and the small town atmosphere. After a 20-year struggle to save money, on April 1, 2002 we finally were able to buy our first home here. Sadly, we have begun to wonder if we bought into a huge April Fool’s joke.
We can’t understand the how’s and why’s of a sewage spill resulting in the building moratorium. The never-ending, costly political in-fighting is ridiculous. The rising incidents of street-gang violence is truly frightening.
As so-called “Biker/Cowboys” we will never understand why the annual, traditional motorcycle rally was all but buried alive. Bikers seem to be perceived as God-less, drunken, drugged out heathens roaring around with bare-chested women in tow.
We love our new home and neighbors. We plan to continue voting, paying property taxes, shopping local and attending council meetings; as well as riding our motorcycles and attending rodeos. We pray that we won’t get ran down by one of the biker-bashing hate mongers who believe we are part of some trashy low life style.
We pray that city leaders will come to embrace the bikers who flock here every summer, happy to spend their money in our town. We can only pray that the “joke” is not on us. Live free, ride long – iron-horse or otherwise.
Dan and Christy Howe
Hollister
Wiretap flap is party politics
Where was the San Benito County Democratic Central Committee when President Bill Clinton issued orders to wiretap? According to sources, he went farther than Bush in that calls made entirely within the United States were to be wiretapped. Did they call for Clinton’s impeachment on those grounds? Did they call for Clinton’s impeachment when he cited the same actions by Saddam Hussein as Bush did when Clinton bombed Iraq? There was torture of prisoners in Iraq all right – done by Saddam Hussein to his own people.
As to Hurricane Katrina, there was an evactuation plan for New Orleans completely written up – but the Democrat mayor of New Orleans and the Democrat governor of Louisiana failed to implement it. In addition to the many buses they did not use, Amtrak informed them that they were moving all their trains out of the cty and offered to fill them with evacuees. But the mayor and the governor said “no!” Why?
The outrage over Bush wiretapping calls involving Al Qaeda terrorists or suspects, one end of which is outside the United States, is one of the most asinine things I have ever witnessed. I would be much more outraged if he did not wiretap people who are trying to kill us all!
Bill Hawkins
Hollister
MH ponds bloom anew
Thanks to our community, the tree planting event at the San Pedro Percolation Ponds last Saturday morning was a huge success.
We at the San Pedro Ponds Trail Volunteers wish to thank the more than 100 people who helped in planting California-native trees. These include local high school students, Boy Scout troops, master gardeners, city officials, and local nature lovers.
Our group would particularly like to highlight the time and energy the Santa Clara Valley Water District put into preparing the way for the tree planting. The success of the event shows how well district officials and community residents can work together to enhance our neighborhoods with nature.
Stu Nuttall
president, San Pedro Ponds Trail Volunteers
Morgan Hill
A thanks to ‘Bach’ supporters
Many thanks to Pinnacle Newspapers for once again supporting the Bach to Blues concert at Gavilan College. Martin Jiminez’ beautiful photo essay captured the energy and excitement of the event. We’d also like to thank Tim and Janice Felice and family for their donation of a concert grand piano, and the Don Christopher family for their contributions to music education at Gavilan College.
Bach to Blues 2006 is additionally indebted to the musicians who donated their time, ticket outlets Booksmart, Porcella’s Music, and the many businesses and individuals, too numerous to list here, who donated food for the performers, volunteered at the event, and purchased ads in the program. Bach to Blues 2006 was a magical evening made possible by the support of the community and we are already looking forward to next year’s event.
Jan Bernstein Chargin
Gavilan College
Gilroy
