Hollister
– Eight local men and women have been nominated to the Baler
Hall of Fame, a program established by the Baler Education
Foundation to honor the accomplishments of San Benito High School
alumni and faculty, while supporting an endowment which subsidizes
SBHS academic projects.
Hollister – Eight local men and women have been nominated to the Baler Hall of Fame, a program established by the Baler Education Foundation to honor the accomplishments of San Benito High School alumni and faculty, while supporting an endowment which subsidizes SBHS academic projects.
“We wanted to make this our signature event, and use it as a way to bring people together with a common interest in the high school,” said Kathleen Wright, a volunteer with the foundation. “The school is 100 plus years old, and we think that about 50 percent of the people who graduate wind up living here locally, so there’s a long tradition we want to honor.”
Foundation members select inductees to the Baler Hall of Fame, which is in its second year, by examining their contributions to SBHS and the community at large, and recognizing one person for each decade from the 1920s to the 90s.
Bill Cagney, who graduated from SBHS in 1929, was selected as the honoree for the 20s, in recognition of his service as an SBHS teacher for seven years and as the San Benito County Superintendent of Schools for 25 years from 1947 to 1972. He is 94 years old.
“The most important and happiest years were those when I taught at the high school,” he said in press release. “I always thought of it as a wonderful school with opportunities for everyone.”
Cagney’s good friend Fulton “Bumpy” Picetti, of the class of 1934, is the honoree for the 30s. Picetti, 90, served in WWII and returned to Hollister where he has been extensively involved in the community ever since. He has led the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show board of directors for 55 years, oversaw fundraising for the Veteran’s Memorial Hall for 37 years, and has been an advocate for cancer research in San Benito and Monterey counties. Of his myriad accomplishments, however, he says living to the ripe old age of 90 is his greatest achievement.
“My entire education before I went to university was public, here in San Benito County,” he said. “I do have many pleasant memories of the high school and its fine teachers.”
Mickie Luna, President of the San Benito County chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens and 1963 ‘Baler alumni, will be receiving the Hall of Fame honor for the 60s, in recognition of her extensive community service and advocacy.
“I did a lot of activities in high school, I was always looking for a way to participate and get involved,” she said. “I guess that’s why I spend so much time doing it now…the high school is very close to my heart. I believe very strongly in everyone’s right to an equal education.”
The foundation also chose to honor one of SBHS’ most beloved characters, Gary Goularte, who passed away two weeks ago at the age of 53. Goularte graduated from SBHS in 1970, worked as a Hollister Police Officer in the 80s while volunteering for the ‘Baler football boosters club, and took on the position of Transportation Supervisor in 1995, where he took a special interest in securing grant moneys for the high school and the special education department in particular.
“We had decided long ago that we wanted to honor Gary, but it was a matter of deciding which decade to put him in,” said Wright. “He was so involved with the school for so many years, but we decided to give him the award for the 90s, because that’s when he worked with the most kids every day and accomplished so much with the special ed kids… He was never one to beat his own drum, but we hope we can honor him this way.”
Goularte’s wife, Annie, and his two sons Stephen and Philip will be accepting the award on his behalf.
“We’re so pleased and honored that they’re recognizing his contributions to the community,” said Annie Goularte. “We’re amazed by the love and generosity we’ve received from so many people.”
Other honorees include Ruth Cunningham for the 40s, Helen Matulich for the 50s, Bob Mattson in the 70s and Tim Shellito for the 80s, could not be located for comment. The awards will be presented at an afternoon food and wine tasting “FameFest” event from 2-5pm April 29, at the Jack Tyler ranch. Proceeds from ticket sales go to the foundation, which has already distributed $1,000 mini-grants for a collection of Spanish literature for the library and new equipment for SBHS’ biology lab. The foundation’s goal is to establish a $1 million endowment and award $50,000 in grants each year.
For more information, call Jack Tyler at 637-8323.
