44.2 F
Hollister
January 29, 2026

Water Cooler: Should Discovery Channel have shown wire walk live?

Ruth Erickson: “Yes, in this day and age of instant media coverage, if the TV hadn't covered it, cell phones would have shown it all over the world anyway.”

Editorial: Trustees were wise to rescind snap judgment

It was a relief to see the relatively new Hollister School District Board of Trustees reverse course on a prior snap judgment to cancel contracts with the city's recreation program for use of gyms and fields at Rancho and Maze Middle School.

Water Cooler: Do you agree with a 13-year path to citizenship?

Panelists answered the following: Do you support the 13-year path to citizenship - for the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants - included in the Senate immigration bill?

Guest View: Aromas Cares responds about oil rules

Aromas Cares for the Environment (ACE) can agree with Robert Frusetta on one thing he wrote in his Op Ed piece that ran in a recent edition of the Free Lance - we can safely develop our domestic energy in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. But we don't share his view that Kentucky-style environmental standards would be acceptable to the residents of San Benito County.

Editorial: River parkway planners were star gazing

As the saying goes, you can't have everything in life.  That apparently never crossed the mind of a hired consultant and county staff members who presented the exceedingly ambitious river parkway and regional park master plan to the county Board of Supervisors earlier this month. 

Marty: Park plan tempered by its high cost

San Benito County’s new 20-mile long River Parkway Master Plan has just about everything. The central focus area and Regional Park adjacent to Hollister has a community center, outdoor amphitheater, swimming pool, softball fields, basketball courts, a playground, educational gardens, an orchard, shade trees and a picnic area – among other things such as walking, biking and equestrian trails. Its biggest problem is that is has a price tag to match.

Water Cooler: Are you OK with the NSA’s use of phone records?

Panelists answered the following: Are you OK with the National Security Agency collecting records from U.S. cell phone customers for counterterrorism efforts?

Editorial: Interim CAO jumped the gun on talks

Interim County Administrative Officer Ray Espinosa was wrong to pronounce that supervisors should consider ending furlough pay cuts and a step-increase freeze - not only because his reasoning for such financial optimism was flawed and based on one-time injections, but also because he just threw the unions a bone for negotiations and for no justifiable reason.

Water Cooler: Are Calif. bridges safe enough?

Panelists answered the following question: Are you concerned about the seismic safety of bridges in California?

Letter: Former candidate shares views

The city makes things more complex than what they are. They seem like they are doing their job and acting like they are, but they really are not. They are out of touch with reality. When the election was over, I knew from what someone had told me and what I read in the newspaper, that they wanted to build a water treatment plant. I knew before the election, but they would not answer me. As of today, I still have not received any documents that I requested on this from the county water district. So why, knowing that people cannot afford to pay their bills as it is. That will only raise the water bill each month probably double. It's up to their discretion. City council made that vote. They implemented it to create a huge debt for the city and the tax payers, which are us. They do not want to take no responsibility at all. And you the people vote for them. Everyone, who is there on the council,.

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