Compliments seldom come to the Crusader, so when they do, we
take them. Even if they aren’t exactly directed to us.
Compliments seldom come to the Crusader, so when they do, we take them. Even if they aren’t exactly directed to us.
This week Red Phone had the pleasure of acting as broker in a praise exchange between a caller and Caltrans. Our commission: the satisfaction that comes with passing along kind words.
The caller lauded the state transportation department for its recent effort to make the ride on Highway 156 between Hollister and San Juan Bautista a lot smoother.
“Kudos for the Caltrans crews who came out and did the work,” he said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude. “It’s nice and smooth and they did a good job this time.”
And that’s high praise coming from this particular caller who had contacted the Crusader earlier this year and, “gave a bunch of crap about the road.”
Earlier this month, Caltrans began a concrete overlay of the highway between Union Road in Hollister and The Alameda in San Juan. The work, which has been going on overnight, will be finished by July, but likely earlier, said Caltrans spokeswoman Susana Cruz.
What does Caltrans think about the compliment?
“It’s awesome. We love that. We don’t always get kudos, as you may guess, so when we do we get really happy,” Cruz said. “Our goal is to get in and do the work with the least impact to the public, safely and as quickly as possible.”
Highway 156 is known for potholes, both deep and wide, that make for a bone-rattling ride. And if you hit the a pothole at the right speed expensive damage to tires, suspension and alignment can result, according to Mike Torres, owner of Downtown Automotive in Hollister.
“If you destroy enough stuff,” he said, “you could be looking at $600 or $700.”
Too Many Weeds,
Too Few Bodies
Now let’s move from compliments to complaints – a field that the Crusader is much more familiar with. A caller grumbled recently about all the weeds that are seeming to take over Hollister’s parks.
Why isn’t the city cutting down the weeds, our frustrated caller asked.
Like so much in Hollister – pot holes, for instance – the problem of unchecked weeds is a symptom of the municipal disease known commonly as “budget deficit.” The city is suffering from an ongoing $3 million deficit that has forced city officials to pare down staff levels over the last few years in an effort to stave off bankruptcy.
The Parks and Recreation Department has just seven soldiers in the fight against weeds, according to Director Clay Lee. That handful of brave souls is charged with battling weeds at nine city parks and along seven miles of sound walls. It’s a matter of too may weeds and not enough bodies, he said.
The long rainy season hampered efforts, according to Lee, providing the nourishment that weeds need to thrive and pushing back abatement efforts.
Are We in Yellowstone?
A Red Phone caller was traveling the roads in the area last weekend and came upon a rare sight: a veritable geyser sprouting from a water main that had been hit by a truck.
“We were driving into Hollister, or was it out of?,” he said. “And thought we were in Yellowstone or something.”
Our alert reader snapped a photo of the water spectacular, and so what the heck, we’re running it.
