THUMBS UP: For the Hollister Police cracking down on helmet law violations. In April, reporter Kollin Kosmicki wrote a story showing that police had only issued 12 tickets in the prior 16 months. Since then, police have handed out 62 tickets to people not wearing a helmet while skating on city streets or in skate parks. Chief Jeff Miller deserves credit for asking his officers to step up enforcement. While wearing a helmet might cramp some people’s style, and getting a ticket is a drag, they serve a good purpose – keeping people safe. Danny Yetter of Hollister died in 2001 after a skate boarding accident. His death may have been prevented if he was wearing a helmet. Avoiding another tragic death is a must, and the police are doing their part.
THUMBS DOWN: For the District Attorney John Sarsfield and his volunteer William “Andy” Simpson who police say has shown up at traffic stops flashing a badge though he is not a sworn officer. Sarsfield says he never issued a badge to the volunteer or authorized him to act as an investigator. But the incidents caused enough concern among top law enforcement officials that Sheriff Curtis Hill and others asked Sarsfield to clarify what was going on. Hill, with good reason, was concerned the county could be held liable for the volunteer’s actions. Sarsfield told Hill he reviewed the volunteer’s status with county attorneys and that it was a moot point anyway because the volunteer is leaving for personal reasons. The last thing San Benito County needs is someone running around representing himself as a sworn officer and opening the government up to liability problems.
THUMBS UP: For the San Benito High School’s Link Crew, a group of older students who are making time today to show incoming freshmen the ropes. Starting high school is a daunting endeavor, but these students will make the transition easier by showing their new Bailer classmates how to navigate the social scene and the campus at SBHS. With a little help and encouragement from their Link Crew friends, new students should find high school rewarding experience.
THUMBS UP: For the 31 new members of Leadership San Benito who will spend the next 11 months in an intensive program designed to provide greater community awareness, strong skills and increased personal relationships with other leaders who serve the community. It’s a huge time commitment for the members, but also a great boon for our community to have residents who examine our problems with the mindset of fixing of them.
THUMBS DOWN: For the STAR results that showed more than half of San Benito County students are consistently performing below grade level in numerous categories. Either students are not taking the exam seriously because it doesn’t affect their academic careers or there is a serious problem with education in our county. Whatever the case, local schools need to encourage students to try their best on the test and find out how to increase these scores.
THUMBS UP: For the cannery and their quiet, yet important contributions to the San Benito County economy. Each year when the steam is bellowing into the sky, hundreds of residents have jobs that not only benefit their personal lives, but jump starts the local economy as well. Sure the cannery can be loud, somewhat smelly and very secretive, but during the canning season it’s an engine on our economic train.
THUMBS UP: For cheaper gas. Prices are down 14 cents from just a month ago, and the average price for a gallon of gas was $1.99 in Hollister Thursday. If you hunt, you can find some spots selling gas for $1.95 per gallon. It’s odd to think that that is a bargain price,but perspective is everything, After a summer of soaring gas prices, the recent drop is welcome. But fill up quick, the experts say that high crude oil prices will drive the price at the pump back into the stratosphere soon enough.
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