Editorials

Recent court testimony from developer Richard Ferreira included

There's something both positive and negative to take from Tuesday's Free Lance story on Emmaus House reaching full capacity, and it indicates we as a community must look ahead and plan for expanding our offering of such transitional housing.

THUMBS UP: For ex-councilmembers Tony Bruscia, Tony LoBue and Brian Conroy who attended their final council meeting earlier this week. Being a council member is a time consuming and difficult task, but it doesn't have to be a thankless one. Thank you for your service to the community, gentlemen. It's been an interesting and challenging four years with sewer problems and shrinking budgets, but the city seems to be turning the corner in no small part because of the work you have done. And whatever the city's flaws, they pale in comparison to the chaos that is going on at the county level.

The following deserve either a thumbs up or thumbs down for the week:

Even if it's still too soon to start drawing up plans for a new

Last Sunday and Monday night we did inventory at the department

In prosperous times, it makes sense to reward dedicated employees. With a national recession, a continually tumultuous local economy and a deficit-ridden general fund budget, the Hollister City Council's decision to approve 4 percent raises – at an additional cost this fiscal year of $516,000 – was fiscally irresponsible and deflates the potential service boost from the Measure T sales tax.

THUMBS UP: Expect a much more old-fashioned, laid-back

Coming soon to downtown Hollister: Upgraded sidewalks, more