A Wider Highway Hardly Means the Demise of SJB
A Wider Highway Hardly Means the Demise of SJB
Editor,
I have some questions for Supervisor Bohtelo (Anthony) and the rest of the residents of San Juan Bautista who oppose the widening of highway 156; What price do you put on a human life? Is 99 acres (the projected amount of ag land to be lost) too much to pay to save someone from a head-on collision? Do you think that building a wider highway is going to cause countless undesirables to overrun your town? I wonder if anyone who opposes this project, stating the loss of our ag land and our country lifestyle, realizes that this area wasn’t always as fertile as it is now.
Does everyone fighting for the preservation of this agricultural lifestyle know that the No. 1 pollutant to the wells and creeks of the area is the pesticide and fertilizer runoff from the fields?
Agriculture is a necessity, and the land here is well suited for this purpose, but I think the loss of 99 acres won’t be the end of the farming business in San Benito County. For those of you who do, I’m sorry you have to live through the pitfalls of progress. This is already a bedroom community, and it will continue to grow. The $1 billion to construct the “super highway” that you’d prefer isn’t available and we have an offer from Cal Trans to help solve one of our road hazards now.
Oppose it and you might find yourself in the same situation you were in with the water grant; No money for construction because the residents couldn’t agree upon a solution. Make your choices wisely, the next person to be hurt or killed on highway 156 may be someone you care about!
Thomas Clark
Hollister, via-email
P.S. San Jose was once one of the largest agricultural areas in Central California. Things sometimes change with or without your blessings.
Why Not Widen Hwy 156 All the Way to Hwy 152?
Editor,
What good is widening 156 only from San Juan Bautista to Union Road? It’s just going to move the choke point there. If Caltrans wants to do it right, they should widen it from San Juan all the way to 152, and remove all signal lights along the way. To do anything less would be to simply trade one problem for another. Oh, and they should widen highway 25, too, while they’re at it!
John Rinck
via-email
Not Supporting Rally will Cost Hollister More than Money
Editor,
I have been reading, with interest, the articles outlining Hollister’s plans (or lack of plans/recognition) regarding the annual July 4th motorcycle rally. I have tried to put myself in the shoes of Hollister residents in an effort to understand their point of view.
I can understand their reluctance to support this event in view of the tremendous influx of “bikers” who descend on the city; however, there are always two sides to the story. Many merchants, as you well know, acquire a disproportionate amount of their annual profits during this event. This profit fuels the city’s tax base.
I, for one, spent over 700 dollars in your fair city last year. In addition vendors, for this event, contribute a considerable amount of money to the city coffers. I have attended the Sturgis, South Dakota rally and am very aware of the Daytona, Florida rally. These annual rallies don’t seem to share the deficit problems that plague the City of Hollister and, according to the City Council, is the main reason for the cancellation.
Could it be mismanagement/poor management of the monies involved? That is just one of the many thoughts that come to mind as I have read the series of articles relating to this event.
What does the city plan to do about the vendors still planning to attend this July 4th, 2006 event? How will the ‘bikers’, some of whom ride many miles to attend, be treated ? Over the years this rally has put Hollister “on the map” so to speak. Can ‘downtown’ Hollister afford to lose the revenue and/or businesses that count on this revenue for their very existence?
Basil H. Smith
via e-mail
Watch Out for Vicious Dog
Editor,
On the evening of June 13, 2006, our beloved 13-year old cat “Benny” was mauled by a leased pit bull mix while his owner was riding his bike. We have a witness who saw this take place. Please be on the lookout for this vicious animal and his criminal owner. Also, should this happen to some unlucky pet bring the animal to the Hollister Animal control for pictures.
Lisa Sutton
via e-mail
