A rose to the Hollister City Council for voting against lending
$1 million to an area preservationist to renovate the historic
Pendergrass Building.
A rose to the Hollister City Council for voting against lending $1 million to an area preservationist to renovate the historic Pendergrass Building.
The city, which does not own the building, made a wise decision here because a sound plan was not presented for the use of the downtown building once completed. The preservationist had other avenues to seek a loan beyond city dollars, and at least at this point in time, no institution that provides loans was willing.
A rose to Kathy Wake for keeping her golf skills and her sense of community in San Benito County. Wake, who was raised in Hollister, was the head professional at Ridgemark Golf and County Club since 1991 and recently began a new stint as the head pro at San Juan Oaks.
Wake knows her golf. She apprenticed as an assistant pro at Spyglass Hill GC at Pebble Beach and has been honored as the National LPGA Professional of the Year. She is also currently serving as vice president of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals of the Western Section.
A weed to insurance costs that have forced the cancellation of the monthly “Friday Night Live” dances, an effort to keep kids off the streets and drug free.
The San Benito Prevention Coalition, which holds these events, had to postpone the dances until an affordable insurance package is found.
A rose to the San Benito County Superior Court for its ruling to keep the toxic mold lawsuit between 24 Child Support Services employees and the Lawrence Family LLC, the owners of the building, in the county.
The lawsuit is an important issue to not only the families who rely on the services that the employees provide, but it is also important to all property owners who rent to businesses and other groups. Both groups can keep better track of the proceedings if it is held locally than if it is hundreds of miles away.
Keeping the case local also gives residents a voice in the outcome as members of the jury. Residents are smart enough and fair enough to render a just decision.
A weed to the San Juan Bautista City Council for voting 3-2 not to give $500 to the Suicide Prevention Services agency, as it has done in the past.
The prevention agency is a 24-hour multilingual crisis line. According to the assistant chief of the volunteer fire department, emergency personnel have responded to two reported suicide attempts this year in the city of only 1,600 people. A donation of $500 seems small enough for the city to offer for such a good service. But one Council member said this $500 would be better spent on roads, infrastructure and sewer and water programs. We don’t think $500 would go very far in helping those issues, but for a small suicide prevention program, that $500 may save someone’s life.
