The Red Phone is back again tackling issues in San Benito County
for our residents. One caller wants to know why San Benito High
School closes down the school’s field each evening and another
caller wonders what makes water in Hollister so bad.
The Red Phone is back again tackling issues in San Benito County for our residents. One caller wants to know why San Benito High School closes down the school’s field each evening and another caller wonders what makes water in Hollister so bad.
Locked out, for good reasons
A Red Phone caller is curious why San Benito High School locks the athletic fields in the evening and will not allow local residents to use the facilities after-hours.
“I want to know why San Benito High School locks off its fields in the evening and why no one who lives in town can have access to them. I think when tax-payer money funds the school, the fields should be open so you can walk your dog out there.”
Director of Finance and Operations for the School, Steve Delay said general use was allowed on the fields at one time, but the school decided to limit it primarily because of liability issues. However, he also said dogs on the field were another big reason for cutting off general access. During the period of general use, Delay said dog waste could be found all over the field and other people were damaging the fields as well. After the school spent approximately $150,000 to renovate the fields, officials decided to limit access allowing only groups that pay a small charge for a permit. Delay said the school is looking at teaming up with the city to create a general use area on some newly acquired land.
“Whiskey for
drinking and water for fighting over”
So said famed American satirist Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, and apparently the sentiment rings true in the city of Hollister. One caller complained of the bad taste left in his mouth after drinking local tap water, and an official with the city water department grew heated over his remarks.
“Without a doubt, the city of Hollister has the worst tasting water I’ve ever drank in my entire life. What comes out of the tap is so disgusting I can’t even drink it and even after I filter it through my water pitcher, it’s still terrible. How can the city produce such horrible water? Is it even safe to drink or is it so full of chemicals we’re all going to die of some strange illness some day?”
When the Red Phone called Hollister Utilities Supervisor Mark Clifford, he took some offense at the characterization of Hollister’s water quality.
“First, I have to dispute the bad taste because that can be based on where they come from,” Clifford replied. “Different people taste different things and that depends on what the water was like where they came from.”
He did acknowledge, however, that the office receives “a couple of complaints” each year about bad-tasting water in Hollister. He contends the water tastes just fine and no one will develop a “strange illness some day.” Should residents become concerned something is amiss with their water supply, however, Clifford said his office can help. Simply call them and they will send a field operator to your home to take a sample and run tests through a certified laboratory. His phone number is 636-4377.
