Cheers for the Rally riders
The following events, organizations and people deserve either a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week.
THUMBS UP: For the Hollister Independence Rally, which got off to a roaring start Friday as a horde of bikers descended on Hollister once again. They traveled the trail blazed by Marlon Brando who became a biker icon and a part of Hollister’s mythology for his portrayal of “Johnny” in the classic movie the “Wild One.” The Rally got off to a peaceful start Friday and it appeared everyone was having a great time reveling in the roar of the bikes and the glare of the chrome. There is no doubt that the Hollister Independence Rally is a one-of-a-kind event that puts our fair city on the map.
THUMBS DOWN: For the dire financial straits that the Hollister School District finds itself in. The Board of Trustees passed a $42 million budget this week, but had to take $2 million from its reserves to do so. Chief Business Officer Michael Slater said it was the most “exact budget I’ve ever done and also the saddest.” The worst thing about budget trouble at the school district – attributed to a decline in student enrollment and other factors – is how it affects the children. Hollister Elementary School Teachers Association President Jan Grist said it best: ” We’re all on the same boat and our passengers are the school’s children. And our ship has sprung a leak.”
THUMBS UP: For the downtown business owners who stayed open during this year’s Rally. Raven’s Pet Safari found a creative way to bring in the green by charging for photos with a prize python and the store’s other animals. Multiple others sold food, water and T-shirts. Some downtown business owners grumble about the Rally and shut their doors. But many entrepreneurial spirits embraced the event and, we’re sure, turned more than a buck.
THUMBS UP: For the Hollister Police Department’s Detective Bureau, which has cut it’s case load in half during the last year. The overworked bureau was buried under a daunting load of about 1,200 open cases. But Det. Sgt. James Weathers, Det. Tony Lamonica and Det. Rudy Rodriguez have plowed through the pile, cutting it down to about 650 cases. A lot of the load was lightened when they found out that many of the cases had, in fact, been completed but not updated on the books. Still, others were closed because the statute of limitations ran out. It was frightening to think that there were 1,200 unsolved crimes out there, but it is reassuring to see such a dedicated team making real progress.
