Town of the future looks like town of the past
I do not always read
”
Hollywood to Hollister
”
because Bob Valenzuela’s insinuations and interpretations seem
quite different from my own. I do enjoy his acknowledgement of his
mother as a Rita Hayworth look-alike and his sister, Mary Lou, whom
he forgives for marrying a Kennedy. I do enjoy his reminiscences of
Hollister in his growing up years when downtown was sprinkled with
bakeries, retail stores, soda fountains and the post office. I also
share those memories.
As I arrived in 1953 as a very young pharmacist, I practiced at
Whalen’s Drug Store, Penny Wise, Hollister Pharmacy and Wapple’s.
In those days downtown was fun. Whalen’s had a soda fountain where
most downtown retail and government employees lunched on a ham
salad sandwich and milk shake while digesting the latest news,
movie at the State and, oh yes, gossip! After work they returned to
pick up their prescriptions along with toothpaste, shampoo, a roll
of film and Old Crow or Seagram’s.
Friends knew neighbors, clerks knew customers, students knew
classmates and parents knew each other. Maybe we need to ask why
can’t we have that again? How can we bring back our downtown? How
can we bring people back to living, working, shopping, walking,
bicycling, eating and being entertained downtown? Why not ask Bob
why he left? Could it be that Bob left when the big box,
Blockbuster Video, moved in?
Please, citizens of Hollister, put on your thinking caps! The
town of the future will be pulled in from the suburbs and grown
vertically, reducing reliance on cars and fossil fuels, reducing
the impact on the environment, and improving our community
relationships. That would be a win-win for all!
Mary Zanger
Hollister
Town of the future looks like town of the past
I do not always read “Hollywood to Hollister” because Bob Valenzuela’s insinuations and interpretations seem quite different from my own. I do enjoy his acknowledgement of his mother as a Rita Hayworth look-alike and his sister, Mary Lou, whom he forgives for marrying a Kennedy. I do enjoy his reminiscences of Hollister in his growing up years when downtown was sprinkled with bakeries, retail stores, soda fountains and the post office. I also share those memories.
As I arrived in 1953 as a very young pharmacist, I practiced at Whalen’s Drug Store, Penny Wise, Hollister Pharmacy and Wapple’s. In those days downtown was fun. Whalen’s had a soda fountain where most downtown retail and government employees lunched on a ham salad sandwich and milk shake while digesting the latest news, movie at the State and, oh yes, gossip! After work they returned to pick up their prescriptions along with toothpaste, shampoo, a roll of film and Old Crow or Seagram’s.
Friends knew neighbors, clerks knew customers, students knew classmates and parents knew each other. Maybe we need to ask why can’t we have that again? How can we bring back our downtown? How can we bring people back to living, working, shopping, walking, bicycling, eating and being entertained downtown? Why not ask Bob why he left? Could it be that Bob left when the big box, Blockbuster Video, moved in?
Please, citizens of Hollister, put on your thinking caps! The town of the future will be pulled in from the suburbs and grown vertically, reducing reliance on cars and fossil fuels, reducing the impact on the environment, and improving our community relationships. That would be a win-win for all!
Mary Zanger
Hollister
We all need to help America
Now the election is over with good results. We were Clinton supporters but the way things we turned to Obama. Now he is our president. We started to like his decisions.
He cut down on the employees in the White House that were earning over $100,000 a year. He started cutting down in many places that were overdue. He meant when he said things need to be changed, asking every person to do what they can will be the only way to get the country out of his mess.
I can see that San Benito County is not interested; the city already gives raises to its employees. The county started to think about doing the same thing. Shame! Shame! There is an old saying that when you point your finger you let yourself point three fingers back at you. That scares me to death. I have to know I am right. Lies are something that I hate.
In the 50 years that we have lived here we learned a lot. Financially, we never had any problems. Great country! It is just a shame that we let it get so hurt. I agreed with the president; we all got one obligation, which is to help get our country out of this mess. Starting with raises and having people with salaries over $100,000 seems to be boing in the wrong direction. We are not conservatives, we are not liberals, we are moderate. If we hire someone to work we try to pay them a fair price. We all have to live, but when you are taking about $100,000 you got to be sure that that person earns it.
I finish this letter looking at my pointed finger and the three pointing back at me in this case I am not guilty. Gracias. This is only my opinion.
Amadeu Lima
Hollister
Wake up, California
Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii are western states that adopt an adequate budget on time each year by a simple majority vote.
California remains shackled to the two-thirds vote requirement, which guarantees an inadequate budget adopted late each year. Our governor and Legislature deserve more criticism than they have received because they allow this to continue. A simple majority of California voters can overturn the two-thirds requirement and bring us to parity with seven other western states. Our governor and Legislature have to have enough sense to ask California to wake up!
Frank Crosby
Morgan Hill
