The following events, organizations and people deserve either a
Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
The following events, organizations and people deserve either a Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
THUMBS UP: To the Free Wheelers for winning the National Power Soccer Association championship. This group of local athletes traveled to Birmingham, Ala., and claimed a fourth national championship. The 14 athletes on the team range in age from 10 to 42 and have stuck together to become a squad all others hope to knock off. So far that hasn’t happened. This Hollister outfit can rightfully be called a national powerhouse. And congratulations to Omar Solorio, who was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
THUMBS UP: To this year’s group of High School graduates. Ceremonies at San Benito High School, Anzar High, San Andreas Continuation, and San Benito Adult School all went smoothly and with class. Our new graduates provided the county with a diverse pool of who will now step out and take on the world. Indicative of the community nature of this year’s events was Sober Grad Night at San Benito High. Organizers pulled off the biggest event to date, with some 350 seniors participating. Thanks to all the volunteers who made this all-night affair unforgettable.
THUMBS DOWN: The high level of graffiti around Hollister. The defacement of public property has become so prolific that a team of volunteers will go around town today to cover the offending mess. We owe a debt of gratitude for anyone who takes part in today’s activities. Graffiti may have its place as “art” in rare circumstances, but to the rest of us, it is a blight on the landscape. Particularly the gang taggers.
THUMBS DOWN: To this week’s Bizarre Crime of the Week. A man apparently broke into a downtown lingerie store and stole several hundred dollars’ worth of adult novelties. The weirdness of the crime is annoying enough, but the fact that a local business suffered makes it even worse. We hope the perpetrator is caught and suffers the consequences.
THUMBS UP: To the deal that preserves the 11,000-acre Gabilan Ranch near Fremont Peak from development. This extraordinary piece of real estate features virtually all that is splendor in San Benito County – a bounty of wildlife, oaks, grassland, and general beauty. The $4 million deal between the Nature Conservancy and the Reeves-Baldocchi-Boyle family will prevent a small jewel in the crown of our county from being exploited.
THUMBS DOWN: To anyone who dumps a vehicle. The cost of dealing with an abandoned vehicle reaches far beyond getting it towed somewhere it can be processed and ultimately rendered usable scrap. Most of these vehicles are stripped, and the cost includes taking our law enforcement personnel away from stopping crime and further into the world of paperwork.
