Probation department updates payment options
HOLLISTER
– The San Benito County Probation Department has announced that
clients can now pay Probation Department fees and fines online or
by calling an Interactive Voice Response System. Payments can be
made for probation fees and fines, electronic monitoring, juvenile
traffic and juvenile hall maintenanc
e using either of the options. Accepted payment methods included
American Express, Discover, Mastercard or Visa credit card or debit
cards. The county has contracted with Point
&
amp; Pay, a third party vendor, to process the payments.
Probation department updates payment options
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Probation Department has announced that clients can now pay Probation Department fees and fines online or by calling an Interactive Voice Response System. Payments can be made for probation fees and fines, electronic monitoring, juvenile traffic and juvenile hall maintenance using either of the options. Accepted payment methods included American Express, Discover, Mastercard or Visa credit card or debit cards. The county has contracted with Point & Pay, a third party vendor, to process the payments.
“Point & Pay is helping us improve service through the innovative use of technology,” said Brent Cardall, the chief probation officer. “We are excited to be able to provide 24/7 payment convenience to our clients.”
Clients can make an online payment by going to the San Benito County Web site at www.san-benito.ca.us/departments/probation and clicking on the online payment link. Phone payments can be made by calling 1-866-923-2198. The information requested will include the client’s probation ID number, credit or debit card account information and the amount that is to be paid. A nominal fee is calculated and charged for the service.
Red Cross seeks volunteers
HOLLISTER – The American Red Cross, Monterey Bay Area Chapter is looking for volunteers to staff the Hollister chapter office. The chapter office is located at 357 Fifth St., and the hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Shifts are four hours, once a week, but any hours will be considered. The volunteer work offers an opportunity to give back to the community in a rewarding way.
For more information or to find out about volunteering, call the Red Cross office at 636-2100 or volunteer Howard at 297-3696.
Speed Campaigning event
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Chamber of Commerce announced a new “Speed Campaigning” event for April 21 that is scheduled to involve local candidates for the open supervisorial and sheriff seats. Residents are invited to attend the event at San Juan Oaks Golf Club. The candidates will move from table to table – based on the “speed dating” premise – and share their views for the upcoming election. Residents, meanwhile, will get to stay at their tables while awaiting a new candidate with each changeover. The “Speed Campaigning” event is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at San Juan Oaks Golf Club. The price is $15, which includes lunch, French said. Anyone from the public is invited to attend. Residents are asked to RSVP the chamber at (831) 637-5315. The chamber will contact the candidates, but they can call the office for information as well.
Census assistance
The campaign ya es hora Hagase Contar will be working with R.O. Hardin School, the San Benito County Community Services and Workforce Development office, the Hollister Youth Alliance, the City of Hollister and the Binational Center for the Development of Oaxacan Indigenous Communities to offer a Community Assistance Forum March 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will be on hand to help residents complete their Census forms. Help will be available in English, Spanish and Triqui.
For more information, call 207-0865.
Volunteer training for crisis line
SANTA CRUZ – Suicide Prevention of the Central Coast, which services Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, is hosting a training for volunteers interested in helping with the 24-hour suicide crisis line. Training begins April 13 and space is limited.
The suicide crisis line is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week and takes calls in 150 languages. Each volunteer devotes four hours a week to answering calls, and a staff of 70-80 volunteers is needed.
Anyone in need of help can call 1-877-ONE-LIFE (1-877-663-5433).
For those interested in finding out more about the training, call 459-9373.
Vehicle detection systems up on Hwy. 156
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA – Caltrans started installing microwave vehicle detection and closed circuit television systems on Hwy. 156 from the Hwy. 101 interchange to Fairview Road, near San Juan Bautista March 16.
There will be shoulder closures during the daytime working hours from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. There will be a possible closure of northbound 101 to eastbound 156 connector from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays. Message signs will be posted when these closures occur. The public can expect minimal delays during the project.
The monitoring systems will gather real-time traffic data so emergency personnel can quickly respond to incidents. The system will also result in timely activation of electronic message boards, highway advisory radio and updated information online.
The contractor for the $212,000 project is Lee Wilson Electric Co, of Arroyo Granda, CA. The project is expected to be completed in June.
Adopt-a-highway program
HOLLISTER – The Adopt-A-Highway program is in full swing. Adoption opportunities include litter removal, graffiti removal, vegetation control, tree planting and wildflower planting. There are more than 2,500 active groups statewide, and more than 7,700 should-miles of highway adopted.
The program was started in 1989, and from July to Dec. 2009, saved $1 million in clean up projects for the state.
For more information on the program, visit http://adopt-a-highway.dot.ca.gov or call Jeanette Green, at 372-1132 or e-mail
Je************@do*.gov
, to find out about volunteer opportunities in Monterey, San Benito or Santa Cruz counties.
Free theater workshops
HOLLISTER – The San Benito Stage Company, with support from the San Benito Arts Council and the Community Foundation for San Benito County will be hosting a series of free theater workshops for those interested in learning more about theater.
The workshops are 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Granada Theater, 336 Fifth St., in Hollister.
The first workshop will be March 19, “How to Audition,” and will discuss how to make an impression, prepare a bio, prepare for a vocal audition and how to do a cold reading or monologue. The workshop on March 26 will be on “Stage Movement,” and participants are asked to wear comfortable clothing and no flip flops. The April 2 workshop will introduce participants to “Beginning Stage Sound” and the April 9 wil be on “Beginning Stage Lighting.”
For more information or to RSVP, call 636-0122 or visit www.sanbenitostage.org.
Town Hall meeting on social-host ordinance
HOLLISTER – The San Benito County Behavioral Health Department will be hosting a town hall meeting March 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting will include a panel discussion of underage binge drinking, a presentation by Debbie Allen and an overview of the new social host ordinance.
For more information, call 636-4020.
Red Cross blood drive
HOLLISTER – An American Red Cross blood drive will be held April 15, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
In April, all presenting donors can enter a drawing to win their choice of either a one-month pass on public transportation or a $100 gift certificate to greenhome.com, in honor of Earth Day. There will be four weekly drawings.
Individuals who are at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission), meet height and weight requirements (at least 110 pounds based on height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment.
Hollister High School class of 1960
HOLLISTER – The Hollister High School class of 1960 will be hosting a 50th reunion this year, but the reunion committee is trying to find contact information for the following classmates:
Alfred Altamirano, Jenny Madrid Cabrera, Ted Castro, Rose Ann Gonzalez Cordero, Louisa Amador Correa, Pasty Moses Cubbage, Ken DeMello, Dorothy Baltazar Estrada, Pat Paulson Fernandez, Roy Flores, Mike Forgy, Ann Rogers Garroutte, Clarence Hendrick, Margaret Garcia Hoffman, Ken Katashima, Daniel Kinoshita, Gary Larson, Al Montoya, Heladia Martinez Nardi, Josephine Flores O’Campo, Shirley Oliver Ellington, Tom Oteri, Louise Rezendes, Dennis Sayers, Carl Schreiber, Helen Clark Temblay, Jose Varela, Wayne Vessey and Maxine West.
Anyone with information can contact Armando Salcedo at 637-4029, David Baumgartner at 637-1148 or Vivian Medina at 637-1567.
Clean air art contest
MONTEREY – The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District is inviting students in first through eighth grade in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties to participate in its 12th annual Clean Air Month Calendar Art Contest.
The theme this year is “Let’s Clear the Air.” Students can show how their families can improve air quality through biking, walking, carpooling, riding the bus, telecommuting or other ideas. The deadline to submit posters is March 19.
The contest will commemorate Clean Air Month at an awards ceremony May 19, at the Air District’s board meeting, where 13 award recipients will be announced. In addition, the artwork will be featured in a 2010 calendar.
Please submit artwork to the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, 24580 Silver Cloud Court, Monterey, CA 93940.
Graffiti abatement day
HOLLISTER – The Hollister Police Department is sponsoring a graffiti abatement day March 27. Volunteers ages 15 years and older can sign up to help out by March 26 at 5 p.m. Registration forms may be obtained at the Hollister Police Department, 395 Apollo Way; Hollister City Hall, 375 Fifth Street; or the Hollister Utility Department, 1291 South St. They can also be downloaded at the Police Department’s Web site at www.police.hollister.ca.us. Volunteers under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by a supervising adult.
Volunteers will meet at 9:15 a.m. at the City of Hollister Corporation Yard, 1321 South St. The event will last two and a half to three hours, and will encompass several locations in the city.
For more information, call Sgt. David Westrick at 636-4330.
Oakwood open house
MORGAN HILL – Oakwood School is hosting an open house March 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The school is a nonprofit, nonsectarian school in Morgan Hill and has students from neighboring communities such as Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan. Faulty and parents will be on hand to answer questions. Visitors can take student-guided tours of the campus. Scholarships, sibling discounts, tuition assistance and transfer assistance is available. Registration is open for Pre-K through high school.
For more information, call 408-782-7177 or visit www.oakwoodweb.org.
BLM invites public comment on OHV applications
HOLLISTER – The public is invited to comment on the 2010 applications the Bureau of Land Management has submitted to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division (OHMVR). The public review and comment period will run through April 1.
The OHV grant applications are an annual process that is a key part of the partnership between BLM and the state of California, which issues grants to a variety of entities to improve or mitigate off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation. Under this process, BLM applies for grants from the state each year to help fund and coordinate its OHV program. This year, more than $27 million is available for allocation to federal, state and county agencies.
View the applications online at OHMVR’s Web site at http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/. Information is also available on BLM’s Web site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/ohv.html.
The draft 2010 BLM applications encompass more than 50 projects, ranging from law enforcement, facility developments, trails projects, restoration work and other OHV related projects proposed throughout BLM’s 16 field offices in the state.
For further details on BLM’s grant applications, contact Jim Keeler at 916-978-4654 or e-mail
ja**********@ca.gov
.
Art classes for artists of all ages
HOLLISTER – San Benito St. Studio Art Academy is pleased to present the work of Abigail Huber, Vivian Hall, Colin Overfelt, and Jackson and Simon Wilson, which will be on display at Miyako Japenese Restaurant through March. The next class will be offered April 5-9 and includes MT. FUJI flames & fans and Evelyn’s Butterfly class for young artists. Each class will have five students, so reserve a spot ahead of time. For more information, call 760-6404.
Learn Spanish in Playa del Carmen
GILROY – Students and community members who want to improve their knowledge of Spanish can earn up to five transferable college credits by participating in a Spanish language immersion experience at the Solexico Language and Cultural Center, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
The program is offered at different levels from beginners to advanced. The program includes classroom instruction plus local immersion in the Spanish language. Students will visit cultural centers, live with a host family and be exposed to many facets of Mexico life.
The session runs from June 7 to July 2. For more information, call David Perez at 408-848-4842 or e-mail
dp****@ga*****.edu
.
Argentinean and Chilean wine tasting
HOLLISTER – DeRose Winery will host an Angentinean and Chilean wine tasting from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 9970 Cienega Road, in Hollister, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wines from Argentina and Chile will be available for tasting, particularly the Monte Cinco Malbec, Parrone Malbec Grand Reserve, Sur De Los Andes Malbec and a sparkling Malbec/Tannat blend. Argentinean and Chilean delicacies will be served and music will be provided by a Chilean musician.
The event is $20 a person. RSVP to 636-9143 or e-mail
in**@de********.com
.
Hospital scholarship applications available
HOLLISTER – Applications for the 2010 Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Awards are now available. Each year the Auxiliary awards scholarships to students who are pursuing a medical or medically oriented career. The total amount awarded to each recipient will be at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee.
Auxiliary members put in thousands of hours throughout the year running a thrift shop, the hospital gift shop and organizing their annual craft and antique faire in order to fund scholarships and purchase equipment for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital.
To be eligible to apply for a scholarship you must:
Be a high school graduate (or equivalent)
Be a resident of San Benito County for a minimum of one continuous year
Be enrolled in a health-related course of study at an accredited institution.
The deadline to apply is April 16.
A complete list of eligibility rules and application packets are available at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital Lobby, San Benito High School, Gavilan College, on the hospital Web site at www.hazelhawkins.com or by contacting Frankie Arballo in the HHH public relations office at 636-2644 for additional information.
Al-anon meetings
HOLLISTER – Al-anon meets Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Mars Hill Coffehouse, 610 San Benito St.
Student art contest 2010
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA – The Native Daughters of the Golden West (NDGW), Parlor #179 of San Juan Bautista, is sponsoring a Student Art Competition to encourage the interest of students and the general public in the historical and natural treasures of California, around the theme “Connect, Communicate, Change.” The contest is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 in any school in San Benito County. Enrollment in an art or photography class is not required.
Basic guidelines state that all art work must be original student work of a California landmark or historical location that played a part in the history of California. Also allowed are original illustrations of an event or people, portraying an historical event or period in California. Student photography guidelines state that students may enter photographs of any historic site, park, natural, formation or fauna that contributes to the natural beauty of California. All artwork and photographs must be accompanied by an entry form that includes a brief description of the subject and the reason the subject is important and relevant to the State of California. Entries may be prepared in class, with suggestions and input from others, but the artwork and photographs must be those of the students.
There will be an outside guest juror to select the artworks best suited for awards at both the local and state levels. The first place winners of the local level, will also be entered in a contest at the state level of the NDGW. All original artworks and photographs are due by May 1. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form, available from all high school fine arts departments in San Benito County. The pick-up date for all artwork is June 5, except for first place winners, whose works will be delivered to the state level NDGW student contest. First place winners will be contacted to pick up their works after June 15. Darlene Boyd is available to answer inquiries at 623-2750.
Chiropractic seminar
MONTEREY – The California Chiropractic Association, Monterey Bay District, is hosting two half-day seminars for Doctors of Chiropractic and their staffs. A seminar will be held Thursday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will be presented by Lisa Bilodeau, a prominent chiropractic billing and management specialist. The March seminar will be on “Essential Coding.” CCA member doctors can attend for $75 and nonmembers for $100. The seminars will be held at the Best Western Beach Resort, 2600 Sand Dunes Dr., in Monterey.
The California Chiropractic Association, Monterey Bay District hosts its district meeting March 9 at Tarpey’s Roadhouse on the Salinas-Monterey highway in Monterey. Member and non-member Doctors of Chiropractic are invited. A $35 or $50 fee respectively includes dinner and a presentation by Dr. Jeffrey Tucker on the topic of low-tech rehabilitaion techniques. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. with a meet-and-greet and no-host bar and the presentation starts at 7 p.m.
For more information or to RSVP for either event, call Dr. Brunke at 372-5602.
Day in the Sky
WATSONVILLE – The Shared Adventures and Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 119 will host its “Day in the Sky” in Watsonville, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free booths are available for vendors and exhibitors who are interested in participating. Visit www.dayinthesky.org/vendor.htm for more information.
The event will offer a chance for young people with disabilities to take 20-minute flights along the central coast. Passenger registration will be open shortly.
Tax help continues
HOLLISTER – The American Association of Retired Persons Tax-Aide program offers free personal tax counseling and preparation assistance to all taxpayers with middle and low income, with special attention to those 60 and older. On Mondays and Fridays through April 13, volunteers will be at the Hollister Community Center, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., to offer help. Appointments are required and residents are asked to bring their tax package they receive in the mail, last year’s return, and all relevant information on income and expense. Volunteer counselors are not trained to assist in preparing tax returns that report business, rental or partnership income.
For more information, or to make an appointment, call Irma at 630-0642.
Additional tax help is available to low-income individuals, seniors and other eligible taxpayers on Tuesday evenings from 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the San Benito County Free Library through April 13 through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. Limited appointments are available. Contact Betty at 636-4107, ext. 18 during library hours to set up an appointment, or e-mail
bm****@li*.us
. Participants should be bring this year’s tax booklet, a photo ID, social security card, W-2 form, 1099 form, verification of other income, deductions and credits, and a copy of last year’s tax return.
