Letters

I can’t figure out how this Mayor Velazquez got re-elected. He ran on a platform of moving forward. It appears we are moving backward. It seems he’s good at inaction. The downtown area streets are all cracked and in disrepair. Our only reservoir is still closed after three years. The feds might be in charge of this project but Velazquez and his council don’t appear to be interested in pushing them. There are multiple housing projects currently being built plus a giant housing project off of Fairview Road, which by the way should have been put to a citizen vote. We are still paying exorbitant sewer rates from the last time the city of Hollister went on a building craze. There was also talk about a Walmart being built here, which never got mentioned in the paper. None of these projects benefits me as a resident of Hollister. Keep us informed as our local newspaper. This is your job.

Read this letter, in poetry form, in response to the tragedy in France.

Picture this. Your child is autistic and non-verbal. School has been a real challenge through the years but your child just finished the seventh grade, and had a very good year. This seventh grade class was tailored to the student’s needs. They used technology every day to improve their learning and to help them communicate. They had a school-wide recycling program to help raise money and teach the students life skills. They were in the kitchen learning about cooking and more life skills almost every day. In fact, the district remodeled the kitchen basically for this class. The class had frequent field trips. The teacher was consulting with the high school, where many of these life skills would continue, to prepare for a smooth transition after their eighth grade. Possibly the most important part is the class had an exceptional teacher that understood these students’ needs and the classroom instructional aides were some of the district’s most experienced and compassionate people. You were truly looking forward to having a great final year of middle school for your child. There was no reason to think otherwise. No one knew what was about to happen. This class was going to be dismantled. However, the district found no wrongdoing!

During this holiday season, families reflect on what is important in our lives.

The South Valley Symphony warmly presents to the Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and San Benito County communities a gift of traditions new and old for music lovers—and especially for families—at its annual winter concert this Sunday afternoon.

Happy that President Obama has nominated Loretta Lynn for attorney general. Now he will realize how important it is to dig for fuel here in the United States from a bona fide coal miners’ daughter.

Farewell city council meetings, I am taking some time off for all of what I went through with this election. They will never let people be involved; I was lied to, to my face. For example, I had an endorsement packet from the firefighters association for an endorsement letter. I never received anything. Then I come to find out they were never giving one out. So why would they give me a packet and make me go through the process and then say they are not doing that this year? I also did one for the county chambers. Another mislead there. It was all a joke to them. Another thing is when I was getting my nominations to run, I turned it in and was qualified on Aug. 4, 2014. Then I was told I had to go back out there and get more because the signatures were not valid, signatures from the thrift shop owner and coffee shop owner and other businesses. When I looked at Ignacio’s signatures and they were so unreadable and scribbled. But yet they all passed. It was ridiculous. That is how I feel they do not treat people equally. Another example; I found out on Nov. 4, the day of the election that the person in charge there told me that Ignacio got the endorsement letter because he employs people. Where is the job creation? There is none. They have top salaries and make enough money off overtime. They can do whatever they want. And avoid work.