The following individuals, events and organizations deserve
either a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week.
The following individuals, events and organizations deserve either a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week.
THUMBS UP: To all the people who were honored during the fourth annual Philanthropy Day event at San Juan Oaks Golf Club last week. Dozens of locals, like Geri Johnson of the Hollister Downtown Association and Joyce Young of the San Benito County Free Library, were honored for the selfless volunteer work they performed for non-profit organizations. Anyone in the room could see the residents of San Benito County have big hearts.
THUMBS UP: For the San Juan Bautista City Council, which passed a ban on big box stores in the quaint little town. San Juan’s success come from its history, quirky charm and it’s unique look. A big box store plopped down on the Alameda would ruin the feel of the place and the charm that drives its economy. Circuit City and the Mission don’t mix.
THUMBS UP: For the San Benito Association of Realtors, a group of real estate agents that sold cookbooks to raise money to paint the homes of those who can’t afford to do it themselves. The association sold about 700 cookbooks at $10 a pop, raising money for their Paint the Town Red campaign. As a result, Rafael and Juana Trujillo’s home on Fourth Street will get a fresh coat of paint for the first time in 15 years. The do-gooders also plan to paint two more homes over the next six months.
THUMBS UP: For the residents who put pressure on the city and got themselves a city park as a result. On Monday, the City Council voted to send the Southeast Park project out to bid years before it had planned to. The park in the Valley View subdivision has been on the books for years, but it wasn’t slated to be built until sometime between 2007 and 2012. But the feisty residents weren’t satisfied with the lengthy wait and convinced the city to bump up the schedule. Fortuitously, a state grant came through to ease the financial burden on the city.
THUMBS DOWN: To the city’s lack of foresight in not sending notices in Spanish about a road construction project going through the neighborhood near Park Hill. The City Council delayed the vote on extending North Street to Buena Vista Road after a resident raised a concern that her Spanish-speaking neighbors might not realize the road was coming or have any idea that it would effect them. It can’t take much effort to print such notices in both English and Spanish. And Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia is right when she said “I think what’s important is we give people a chance to communicate in this community that’s 50 percent Latino.”
THUMBS UP: For the House of Representatives, which passed an act that would allocate $10 million to restoring California’s aging missions, including Mission San Juan Bautista. U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, authored the bill and Sen. Barbara Boxer shepherded it through the senate. Now, the final step to bringing the bucks home to help restore a unique piece of California history is for President Bush to sign it.
To respond to this editorial please send or bring letters to Editor, The Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or e-mail to [email protected].
