”
It’s a good day for flying kites,
”
said Sonny Flores, standing at the top of Vista Park Hill and
surveying the town’s Water District 5. And it’s true. But it’s not
the kind of comment you’d expect from a newly-elected member of the
water board.
Then again, you wouldn’t expect that member to be 26 years old,
either.
Hollister – “It’s a good day for flying kites,” said Sonny Flores, standing at the top of Vista Park Hill and surveying the town’s Water District 5. And it’s true. But it’s not the kind of comment you’d expect from a newly-elected member of the water board.
Then again, you wouldn’t expect that member to be 26 years old, either.
Last week, Flores was elected to represent Water District 5 with 53 percent of the vote, beating the older, more experienced water utility supervisor Mike Smith, and all the odds.
“A lot of people are surprised I made it,” Flores said. “Probably because I’m young, and because my opponent had so much experience.”
People would probably be even more surprised he’s come so far after finding out that the Hollister native has been through a shaky upbringing and, more recently, surgery to remove a brain tumor from behind his left eye.
After being raised by his grandparents for his entire childhood, during which “no one was really ever around,” Flores said, doctors discovered a brain tumor when he was 19. He still goes in every year for follow-ups to make sure the tumor hasn’t returned.
“I don’t like to use any of that as an excuse for not doing things,” said Flores, who is completely blind in his left eye and partially in his right from the surgery.
It does seem as if there really aren’t many things this hardware store manager doesn’t do. He works, manages several residential properties and volunteers with the local Exchange Club, of which he is the treasurer, raising money for local charities.
“They really work him to death,” said Robert Scattini, a city councilman who has been a friend of Flores’ for about ten years. “They have him doing everything, but he’s really dedicated and really focused.”
Flores will have to remain focused now that he will be adding the water board to his plate. He has never been on the board before, and doesn’t have the same kind of experience his former challenger Smith had as a water utility supervisor. Add to that the water problems Hollister has become notorious for recently, and Flores is in for quite a ride come December, when he says he will take his seat.
“I’ve got a lot to learn there, and I really want to be effective,” Flores said. “I’ve got a lot to learn from the other members who are already there.”
Smith refused to comment on his opponent.
Regardless of his freshman status on the board and the fact that his experience is far less than Smith’s was, Flores says he is determined to make a difference.
“I’ve lived here all my life, and I’d like to see it be a better place,” Flores said of San Benito County. Particularly, he would like to improve water conditions for agriculture, he said.
“If you drive down the road, you see there’s all this empty land. It’s because they don’t have the water to farm the land. I want to improve the reliability of water for residents. They’re paying the fees for everything, but they’re not getting the services,” he said.
During his four years as a representative for Dist. 5, Flores said he will continue to manage Hollister’s True Value Hardware store, work with the Exchange Club, and will even try to earn a business degree at Gavilan College where he has taken several classes in the past.
He doesn’t think all this will distract him from his duties on the water board, though, and Scattini agrees.
“He’s a good boy; for a young kid he’s really mature for his age. I’m really impressed with him, I think he’s going to go a long way. He puts his heart into everything he does, even the minor stuff,” Scattini said.
Jessica Quandt is a staff writer for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
