Guest View: Former nurse speaks out on hospital situation
Inspirational nurses providing quality healthcare transforms a building into a hospital. This metamorphosis portrays the exact vision of our founding father, T. S. Hawkins. His astounding gift compensated his broken heart by providing unimagined compassion to our small community. The untimely death of his darling granddaughter who had no hospital care moved him to unknown generosity. She was his Shirley Temple. She loved helping the sick and the poor. This observation can be confirmed by looking at her sweet photo hanging next to Madelyn’s Gifts as the aroma of food reaches from the “Little Sunshine café”. Her grandfather nick named this precious sparkle of a child, “Little Sunshine”.
Letter: Clean up encampments without further delays
I’ve been fighting an uphill battle to clean up dangerous homeless encampments in places like the San Benito River bed since joining the San Benito County Board of Supervisors in 2021.
After a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling made it clear local governments can ban...
Guest View: Farr says Measure J is just right for San Benito’s future
The small population of San Benito County is at a crossroads of two futures. Measure J gives the people a choice. One future has been offered to you by local citizens who collected thousands of signatures to put Measure J on the ballot. I know the supporters of Measure J and have discussed with them their vision for a brighter future for their county which builds on their rich agricultural heritage, natural beauty and cultural history. In contrast, the oil industry is spending millions to persuade residents to embrace another, darker future.
Letter: Kudos to council on 400 block
Kudos to the Hollister City Council and the SBC Community Foundation for supporting and voting to sell the 400 block of San Benito Street for multiuse development. This is the kind of vision that we need in Hollister, to grow our community. But we can’t stop there! Kollin Kosmicki’s last week’s column on “Create new pedestrian square on San Benito” is right on as well!
Letter: Hospital’s problems date back decades
The perspective I am about to share is purely my own, yet it is rooted in decades of personal and professional investment in Hollister.
As a lifelong resident, this town has been the backdrop to my family’s milestones—from the joyous birth of my children to...
Letter: Emerson is well prepared to be mayor
I'm a grant writer and project manager in affordable housing, generally in Monterey County, East Bay, or out-of-state. This February I went to Sacramento for an all-day workshop sponsored by the State Department of Housing and Community Development to explain their radically revised grant application regulations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. It was the first in a series held around the state. At 9 a.m., I looked at the table to the left of me, and there was Doug Emerson! On his own time, he had volunteered to attend the workshop so that Hollister/San Benito/local non-profit staff could get a jump on finding out how to fill out the applications, instead of waiting three weeks later for the workshop in Salinas. I consider this a typical example of his practical approach, unselfishness, and understanding of how to get things done. He straightened out the mess with the state over the CDBG grant that prevented the City of Hollister for applying for funds for something like eight years. He's sensible, well prepared in his Council deliberations and has a proven track record in collaboration and partnership building. I think he's exactly what we need for the brightest possible future for our community.












