Politics

While they have fought against a federal agency for years, advocates pushing for Clear Creek Management Area’s reopening might get a chance to sidestep their foe at the Bureau of Land Management through newly introduced legislation. And while the door is now cracked open for long-dormant motorized vehicle use – supporters hope sometime in 2013 – the bill also appears to target an expansion to Clear Creek’s current boundaries comprising 63,000 acres.

The Hollister City Council on Monday is set to consider an idea to move the Hollister Airshow from Memorial Day weekend to the weekend of July 4.

Over the years, County Supervisor Jerry Muenzer’s Tres Pinos property has drawn intermittent interest from people in the oil industry. From time to time, he’s been paid for the right to survey his land in search of deposits.

The Santa Clara County Planning Commission approved plans to build the Cordoba Center in San Martin – a mosque, cemetery and meeting place for the South Valley Islamic Community – at its meeting late Thursday afternoon, according to Hamdy Abbass, spokesman for SVIC who attended the meeting in San Jose.

Nearly 200 residents attended a Santa Clara County committee meeting Tuesday night to voice an impassioned mix of concerns, opposition, support and questions regarding the proposed Cordoba Center mosque project – which would serve San Benito residents and is set for consideration by a planning commission later this week.

San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved $1.7 million in final cuts to balance the budget on the last day of budget hearings Friday.

Planning Director Gary Armstrong talked with county supervisors about the general plan update at last week’s meeting at the request of Supervisor Anthony Botelho and told the board it has entered its final stages of development.