Where were the bikes?
I hope this letter makes it to the committee who decided on the
new layout for the rally this year. I am a resident of Hollister
and once again, the city has shown poor management. To say the
least, the motorcycle rally was a disappointment this year. While
it was nice having the vendors in one general area, it took away
from the reason for the Rally
– which was the BIKES!! Who decided the bikes shouldn’t be
allowed to park on San Benito Street anymore? The main reason for a
motorcycle rally is the MOTORCYCLES! Instead of having the bikes in
one main area, they were scattered throughout entire neighborhoods.
I can’t imagine the residents near
the rally site were pleased with the new plan either. I went to
the rally with the intention of seeing thousands of bikes lined up
on San Benito Street. What I found was a three-day flea market.
Here’s an idea for next year: Many streets are already blocked
off for the rally anyway. Why can’t San Benito be blocked off for
the motorcycles and East Street be blocked off for the vendors?
That way, people coming to the rally can shop AND see the
motorcycles. Just a suggestion
…
Vera Frick
Hollister
Where were the bikes?
I hope this letter makes it to the committee who decided on the new layout for the rally this year. I am a resident of Hollister and once again, the city has shown poor management. To say the least, the motorcycle rally was a disappointment this year. While it was nice having the vendors in one general area, it took away from the reason for the Rally – which was the BIKES!! Who decided the bikes shouldn’t be allowed to park on San Benito Street anymore? The main reason for a motorcycle rally is the MOTORCYCLES! Instead of having the bikes in one main area, they were scattered throughout entire neighborhoods. I can’t imagine the residents near the rally site were pleased with the new plan either. I went to the rally with the intention of seeing thousands of bikes lined up on San Benito Street. What I found was a three-day flea market.
Here’s an idea for next year: Many streets are already blocked off for the rally anyway. Why can’t San Benito be blocked off for the motorcycles and East Street be blocked off for the vendors? That way, people coming to the rally can shop AND see the motorcycles. Just a suggestion…
Vera Frick
Hollister
Invasion ‘survivor’ lives to tell of it
Nothing could have prepared me for this.
I’ve been in this far away foreign land now for almost a week and it is so different from the peaceful surroundings of home I wonder if I’ll ever be comfortable here.
During my first two nights I could hear explosions all over the city until well after midnight. I don’t know how people can relax let alone sleep in this environment. This tiny community I’m living in has been under constant invasion from neighboring villages. Where ever you go there are planes and helicopters hovering above and each night the skies light up with explosions. The local authorities stationed throughout the city seem to have little if any success in stopping these invasions. Many of the locals are being held as hostages in their own homes living in fear throughout this chaos.
I’m counting the days until I can leave this savage city of Hollister and return home.
Buddy King
Hollister
Animal control program benefits all
It was obvious to anyone that read the Pinnacle (June 29) editorial and letter to the editor by Mark Paxton and Kate Woods that they consulted together on the wildlife services program approved by the Board of Supervisors. Their articles were long on words, but short on facts.
The following statements I did disagree with: first, “funding for two wildlife services personnel,” this is incorrect. Only one wildlife specialist will be contracted with through USDA Wildlife Services. Second, “82,471 would be funded by property taxes.” This is partly true. The first year the county will pay the total amount of the contract, with contributions from the Taylor Grazing Act Committee and the local Fish and Game Commission with approximately $16,000. Next year the county will get back around 60 percent of the contract with unrefunded gas taxes (taxes from off-road vehicles, tractors, harvesters, etc.). These funds are returned to the counties through the agricultural commissioner’s office to help subvent the net county cost incurred by the county for agriculture related expenses. This will occur each year that the program remains in effect. Third, “ranchers and farmers are subsidized on their squirrel poison.” Farmers and ranchers are not subsidized by the county for rodent baits. The Board of Supervisors for the last several years has budgeted $20,000 for half-pricing rodent baits for all county residents for the control of squirrels, rats, mice and gophers. This program is available to any county resident as long as the half-price sale is in effect. This, in my opinion, is poor journalism in not getting the facts. The best way is to contact the agricultural commissioner who helped put this program together.
The bait that is used for rodent control is treated with a chemical (blood thinner) commonly used in the control of rats and mice. It has been extremely effective for the control of squirrels. The beauty of this material is that 99 percent of the rodents die in their holes, thus not causing any secondary poisoning problems with other wildlife or domestic animals. Fourth, “coyotes are needed to control the over-population of ground squirrels.” Coyotes do not control the overpopulation of ground squirrels. The fact is coyotes are a nocturnal animal that does most hunting and feeding at night. Squirrels stay in their burrows at night and emerge at daylight to begin their feeding.
This past calving season my brother and I personally killed 43 coyotes in our calving pastures. I checked the stomach contents of about half of these coyotes. I found calf parts in a few, but not one squirrel in any of the coyotes. Fifth, “the rancher won’t give you a straight answer about coyotes killing their cows.” I personally showed Kate Woods a cow in our corral that had been partially paralyzed from calving and being attacked and eaten on by coyotes. Fortunately I was in the area and got to her in time to save her, but not her calf. We doctored her and saved her after many hours of treatment. Kate must have a very short memory about this matter.
I recently spoke with the county agricultural commissioner about his main reason for wanting to re-establish the wildlife services program. His answer was health and public safety. Besides the coyote program, the county has other health and safety issues. The E. coli outbreak that most experts figure was caused by wild hogs entering local farming fields, causing erosion and damage to local businesses, reports of mountain lions in areas close to homes, people and especially children, city residents seeing coyotes in the city limits, city animal control receiving 300 to 400 calls per year for wildlife problems, skunks, raccoons and opossums. These animals alone carry rabies and diseases and would attack a small child and cause great harm if cornered.
Animal control or the game warden are not trained or experienced in the removal of these wild animals. A USDA wildlife specialist is trained for these situations and will provide services to all county residents, urban and rural. To get assistance from this program you must provide the specialist with proof of damage or loss, especially the rural resident. Urban calls usually require one or two calls to correct the situation. Rural calls could require larger amounts of time and resources, thus requiring the proof of damage or loss. This program will benefit all county residents and lessen the potential of a health or public safety issue.
It appears to me that when environmental journalism has an agenda, facts are not that important.
Charles McCullough
Paicines
The cost of freedom: responsibility
Health care is not a right. It is not a right for access to someone else’s pursuit of happiness (property). With government mandates for some forms of insurance, such as home insurance, costs are only escalated. For example, homeowners feel no pressure to restrain the size of houses if they don’t have to pay for a higher proportion of replacement costs.
Ditto with health care. We are in crisis mode for actually taking care of ourselves.
With insurance and no personal responsibility motivators, we are ignoring our health, knowing full well that the trend is for the taxpayer to foot the bill for our imposed burden. When socialists are expected to foot the bill for something, of course they scream that we need more taxes.
Our resident health care socialist has no concept for market forces other than redistribution of wealth. In her view, no penalty should be ascribed to anyone other than those with resources on human behavior. Our schools are actively reinforcing this mindset, setting the stage for outright socialism in the not-too-distant future. When this happens, only an improvised incentive system (called bribes in most countries) will encourage allocating assets, such as time, otherwise protecting assets since the socialists are busy redistributing them towards health care improvements.
With freedom comes responsibility. Without freedom, there is no responsibility. Just look at the fridge at your place of work. Without the penalty of Friday purge, there is only decay. It doesn’t take a village, it takes market forces, removal of unintended consequence regulation and…. FREEDOM!
Mark Dickson
Hollister
Thanks to health care workers
On the afternoon of June 12, because of excessive bleeding, we called 911. The emergency personnel arrived very shortly and rushed Carl to Hazel Hawkins Hospital emergency room.
We would like to thank those firemen, ambulance personnel and emergency room doctor and nurses for their excellent care.
A special thank you to Dr. Martinez for her medical knowledge and superior skills.
Carl and Jean Hindman
Hollister
