Our first caller of the week, concerned with the aesthetic
beauty of historic downtown Hollister, asked the Crimson Crusader
to figure out who was responsible for the upkeep of city sidewalks
and get them to clean up the decorative paving stones that were
”
once so beautiful.
”
Our first caller of the week, concerned with the aesthetic beauty of historic downtown Hollister, asked the Crimson Crusader to figure out who was responsible for the upkeep of city sidewalks and get them to clean up the decorative paving stones that were “once so beautiful.”
Our caller said she was particularly concerned about the paving stones in front of San Benito Bank and Johnny’s Bar and Grill on San Benito Street. The Crimson Crusader talked to a beautiful bartender at Johnny’s and found out that the pub is hoping the city will clean the sidewalk, specifically the dried horse excrement left by mounted law enforcement officers during the July 4 unofficial biker rally. She said she couldn’t remember the last time city workers cleaned the sidewalk or the alley adjacent to the bar that connects San Benito Street to Monterey Street.
The Crimson Crusader next made a call to Julian Gaytan, a part-time supervisor at the city’s Public Works Department, to find out when the city might be able to get out and spray down the sidewalk and decorative paving stones. Gaytan said the city is in the process of developing a policy that will clearly define who is responsible for the sidewalks, be it the city, the property owner or the county. In the meantime, Gaytan said staffing shortages prevent the department from being able to spray down the sidewalks as often as they would like.
“We do clean up the sidewalks every once in a while,” Gaytan said. “Usually about twice a year and before the Fourth of July. But most times it’s up to the business owner or property owner to clean up the sidewalks.”
Gaytan said it may be several months before the city can spare a few workers to hose down the area.
We Miss Him, Too
Another Red Phone caller asked the Crimson Crusader why staff writer Luke Roney’s byline no longer graces the pages of the Hollister Free Lance. Well, dear caller, Mr. Roney resigned from his post at the Free Lance three weeks ago to take a job with Freedom Communications, the company that owns the Orange County Register. Roney, who wrote more than 450 news articles for the Free Lance covering local government and politics, will be sorely missed by the Crimson Crusader and the fine men and women of the Hollister Free Lance’s news staff.
SBC History Lesson
Our final Red Phone caller of the week, who sounded suspiciously like a high school student trying to get the Crimson Crusader to do his homework, asked about San Benito County’s first court case. The Crimson Crusader is rarely asked to gather historical information on the county’s court system. Helping local residents find out where to dispose of their dirty needles or getting the city to fix a noisy pothole is more in line with the Crimson Crusader’s expertise. Despite this, the Crimson Crusader, always up for a challenge, took the case.
When it comes to history in Hollister, the library, the San Benito County Historical Society and old issues of the Hollister Free Lance and Hollister Advance are the best sources of information. But when it comes to the history of the courts in San Benito County, the best source of information is a book by retired San Benito County Judge Mark Thomas titled “Wielding the Gavel,” which traces the rich history of the court, its cases and its people from 1874 through the mid-1990s.
And, without further ado, the answer, straight from Thomas’ book: “The first criminal case arose from an indictment filed on May 5, 1873, against Tiburcio Vasquez for killings in Tres Pinos, now Paicines. After Vasquez was captured in southern California, trial was scheduled to be held in Hollister, but because of local public feeling against the defendant and the lack of a secure local jail, venue was changed to Santa Clara County. A jury later convicted Vasquez, and he was hanged on March 18, 1875, in San Jose.”
“Wielding the Gavel” is available for purchase at the San Benito County Historical Museum located next to the library at 498 Fifth Street in Hollister.
