Opinion

I am writing to share a special story about my father, Augie Guardino, who brings joy and holiday spirit to our community through his incredible Christmas decorations.  My father loves the movie “Christmas Vacation” and aspires to be the Clark Griswold of Hollister. But our...

Small Business Saturday may have come and gone, but the importance of supporting our neighborhood shops, makers and service providers hasn’t faded with the weekend sales. If anything, this is the moment when shopping locally matters most. After the rush of Thanksgiving weekend, many small...

In a season often defined by shopping carts full of toys, packed grocery aisles and the annual scramble for the perfect pie, it can be easy to forget what Thanksgiving is truly about.  At its heart, the holiday isn’t measured by the size of the...

A strange disease has infected us. Upon initial infection the infected person actually feels good. Efforts to stop the spread of this disease are difficult but a vaccine is available.  This disease afflicts us because it is out of balance with something we all love...

For years, San Benito County has prided itself on caring for its most vulnerable residents, especially our seniors. But today, that commitment is at risk—not because of a lack of need, not because of a lack of capable nonprofits ready to serve, but because...

In the coming days, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) faces elimination for the month of November, or it may be partially funded—moves that threaten to deepen food insecurity for millions of Americans, including many right here in Hollister. SNAP, formerly known as food...

If you can read this letter, maybe you should thank a teacher. The week of Nov. 2-8 is California Retired Teachers Week, and we all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those teachers who not only taught us but helped shape us in...

Halloween, where yards become planted in gravestones and ghosts and offices appear cobwebbed and spidery to make scary fun… Children love to transform into monsters with big mouths and sharply pointed teeth to scare everyone.   Scary Halloween is enjoyable because it is all in fun....

Thanks for these tricks and treats in the Free Lance.   The recall effort tries for the trick. Recalling a supervisor shortly after an election seems like a tricky situation. A recall seems as though voters changed their minds rather soon after voting. Since no one volunteered...

A coordinated effort has been underway to make false claims about specific public officials. It’s clear their motivation is to discredit elected officials who support slow housing growth—a movement favored by a vast majority of local residents.  It’s no coincidence those behind this effort are...