56.4 F
Hollister
December 20, 2025

Water Cooler: Should US Olympic uniforms be made in America?

Julie Morris: “Buying U.S.-made uniforms would send a positive message that we support local economies that, in turn, support thriving communities. If the Committee wants to show that financial gain is not the only thing we should be managing for – that social and environmental gains also have value – then we’ll turn to our own manufacturers. That said, I would not make it a requirement but hope the Committee has the wisdom to see the bigger picture.”

Guest View: Show me the money!

On August 9th, 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned. (After a bipartisan vote of the House Judiciary Committee to impeach “Tricky Dick”.) Then the newly-elected Miss Oklahoma visited Washington. Asked if she’d seen the Senate Office Building ("the S.O.B.”) yet, “Miss O” innocently replied, “Oh – is Nixon still in town?”

Letter: City residents deserve better reporting

Did you know Hollister had to borrow about $920,000 recently from an enterprise fund to pay a bill it owed the county? The loan was necessary to take advantage of future savings from moving emergency dispatch to Santa Cruz 911, but the fact that we had to borrow the money shows just how little financial wiggle room we have left. Unfortunately, the loan becomes just another piece of the puzzle usually shown to public only a little bit at a time. City budgets and finances are complex issues under the best of circumstances, when there is no central thread to hold the information together it becomes impossible to see the big picture.

Editorial: Supervisors take the right turn on car allowance reductions

San Benito County supervisors are on the right track in curtailing excessive vehicle allowances for department heads, but they should remain steadfast in requiring all of the top officials to follow their new policy and continue seeking other ways to cut such transportation costs.  

Water Cooler: Do you support reviving a sanctioned biker rally?

Richard Place: “I would like to see another motorcycle rally happen here. The biggest problem, of course, is being able to handle the law enforcement for the event. I don’t believe we need the over enforcement that we had during the last few events but with both our departments short handed from budget cuts, it would certainly be a problem just to plan and run the event. If we can go back to the old plan of putting all the bikes on San Benito Street and the vendors on the side street it would be more appealing to the public and better for crowd control. Maybe we can sell the old tee shirts to pay for the extra officers.”

Editorial: Duke Energy brings fiscal clout to solar project

The recent joint venture agreement bringing the nation's largest public utility into the mix on the Panoche Valley solar project is a welcome sign and should answer any concerns about the plan's financial validity.

Guest View: Hollister without a motorcycle rally – 4 years and counting

It took me a while to sit down at my desk and write about how I felt about our fourth year without a rally. How does one stay upbeat and positive while they watch the number of visitors to Hollister shrink exponentially every year without our famed motorcycle rally? I'll confess for me it is a huge struggle. I admit that Johnny's is very well the hardest hit by the loss but I know that our community as a whole suffers because of it.

Editorial: Concerns from foundation raise questions about group

Concerns expressed by San Benito Health Foundation officials – over a similar outside agency staking territory here by partnering on a neighborhood improvement grant application – have ended up raising serious questions about the local organization itself.

Letter: Fourth celebration group offers thanks

The 4th of July Celebration Committee would like to sincerely thank the following for helping to make this year's 4th of July a special “original Hollister” event with the annual Kiddie Parade and Community Fireworks Show:

Letter: New Declaration of Independence required?

What about "Patriots & Rebels" as a keystone upon which to build the celebration of patriotic rebels in Hollister, declaring Hollister a sanctuary from public-sector transit fiascoes, declaring that Hollister local government won't support more gouging of motorists, motorcyclists & truckers by subsidy-dependent bigger government transit of all modes, from rickshaws to bullet trains, and feature the self-reliant pay for their own expenses, no handouts, for those liberty-loving motorists, motorcyclists and private-sector transport enthusiasts. We could extend it to rail by initiating as part of the long-range transport planning re-instating TOFC/COFC service for the Central California Coast Region, and companies like West Marine that desperately need better, more environmentally friendly logistics. We could shame COG's Directors in public. Shame the board of supervisors, for backing higher taxes on motorists, motorcyclists and truckers. We could shame COG & BOS for sacrificing motorists' lives with their "Emperor Transit First" policy. Adding the "rebel" and "patriot" factors would show just how fed-up the taxpayers are at having to subsidize the pork that COG & BOS give-away to their public-sector union special interests. We could show how "green" citizens are, and how "anti-red" we are, and pro-American at heart, right here on the fringes of leftist central Bay Area. Hell, who knows, we may even deter a few small business owners from fleeing to taxpayer-friendly States, and keep a few jobs right here in SBC, currently one of the worst Counties in the USA thanks to COG's Smart Growth lunacy.

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