HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
A New SV Media publication
Friday, August 11, 2017
sanbenito.com • Vol. 145, No. 32 • $1
Hollister Recreation celebrates 40 years
Foundation leadership launches campaign
VOLUNTEERS RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE
SUPPORTS PLAN FOR OFFICES, CONDOS AND SHOP FRONTS Nicholas Preciado Reporter
Nicholas Preciado Reporter
VINTAGE DOLLS Sherry Dolfin and Claudia Arnold of Sherry’s Adoptable Dolls & Antiques in Hollister prepare for their big day at the San Juan Bautista Antique & Collectibles Fair on Sunday. The duo will be one of more then 75 antique dealers expected at the 53rd annual event in the heart of historic San Juan Bautista.
Antiques extravaganza THOUSANDS EXPECTED AT 53RD ANNUAL EVENT ON SUNDAY By Roseann Hernandez Cattani Editor
➝ Parks and Rec, 4
Nick Preciado
AWARD WINNER
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
AUGUST 11, 2017
T OUT & ABOU OF CALE NDAR EVEN TS
A section of the Hollister Free Lance
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HOLLISTER CA. PERMIT #48 7
➝ Panoche Valley, 4
➝ 400 Block, 8
TURN TO PIZZA • A8
San Juan resident:
Project planned for Y Road
KATIE HELLAND •REPORTER khelland@freelancenews.com
HOLLISTER
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors is preparing for a fight over the Panoche Valley Solar Farm. On Tuesday, supervisors approved a contract not to exceed $60,000 for legal representation in the county’s pursuit to fix breaches in the development agreement with ConEdison Development, which is behind the 26,000-acre solar project. This latest move comes after the county issued a notice of default to the energy behemoth last month. The county believes ConEdison
a 247-megawatt plant would produce $25.6 million in tax revenue for the county, compared to $8.9 million at its current projected size of 127 megawatts. “That’s $4.6 million in sales tax and $4.3 million in lieu of property tax,” explained Gonzalez, adding that he got his estimates from public information sources. “We don’t have any sort of direct reporting from ConEd regarding these revenue sources,” he said. ConEdison Development Director of Project Development Eric Cherniss addressed the supervisors. “First, let me just say that we recognize the communication with the county regarding some of these complex issues has not been ideal,”
of wood-fired oven used to make his pizzas. In starting the business, he is also bringing a taste of his family’s home country to his family’s hometown in Hollister. The Felice family is from the Calabria part of Italy and has deep roots in San Benito County as well. With the opening of Forno, meanwhile, Hollister will once again
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is in breach of the development agreement because the company failed to establish a business location in the unincorporated area of the county, resulting in a loss of sales tax revenue for the jurisdiction. County policymakers also directed staff to consider dialogue and mediation, and they approved a standing item at future meetings to ensure they remain updated on progress. Last month, supervisors learned the solar project would be reduced from 247 megawatts to around 130 megawatts because of a settlement agreement between ConEdison and environmental groups who wanted to protect the valley for wildlife conservation. County Clerk-Auditor Recorder Joe Paul Gonzalez said
Cake, anyone?
➝ Antiques, 4
The San Benito County chapter of the national nonprofit organization Birthday Cakes 4 Free started last spring and group members have been bringing cakes, cupcakes and muffins to low-income seniors and children ever since then. Since the group started in June, its members have delivered about five cakes a month to the Emmaus House, Chamberlain's Children Center and the assisted living facility Whispering Pines Inn. Now they're looking to expand to individual homes in the county. A2
Solar revisions
Nicholas Preciado
A $16 million bridge stretching 900 feet across the San Benito River is planned to connect Y Road and San Juan Bautista. But in this rural area, the number of people it will serve is small. “It's like our own bridge to nowhere,”
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the evening, starting at 4 p.m., they help vendors pack up.” Since the club, which consists of members throughout San Benito County, took over the event, a number of changes have been implemented. “We decided to give Rotary gift bags to vendors with items including granola bars, water, and candy,” said Muñoz. “We also started asking vendors to save the date for the following year, which has been very successful.” The club also installed more public restrooms and way finding signs, and brought in an antiques appraiser. “People bring items when they are not sure of their value,” said Muñoz. The line is always very long. It’s amazing how popular it is.” What started 53 years ago as a local flea market has grown into one of the largest antique fairs in California. “Everything is pre-1975,” said event volunteer, Jill Ortiz. “This is strictly antiques – no crafts, new items or flea market stuff.” “Over the years we’ve had
County leaders prepare for fight
LITIGATION LOOMS OVER PANOCHE VALLEY SOLAR FARM
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The pair will also have a selection of vintage dolls. “Unlike Barbies, these are works of art,” said Dolfin. “So many people come into the shop and are sent down memory lane.” Dolfin started collecting dolls when her sister passed away. “I fell in love with dolls all over again,” she said. Dolfin first sold at the antique fair in 2008, but her ties to San Juan Bautista run deep; her daughter, Wendy Varga, used to own the Mariposa House Restaurant. “You get dealers from all over the state and elsewhere,” said Dolfin. “Usually the crowds are 5,000 and more.” Since 2010, the Rotary Club of San Juan Bautista has been organizing the city’s premier summer event. “We are small, but mighty,” said Jackie Muñoz, one of the club’s 31 members and a fair volunteer. The group starts organizing for the fair in January. “To do a really good job on the day we have 40 volunteers,” Muñoz explained. “They get vendors to their spaces on Third Street, help them unpack and make sure all boxes are off the sidewalks because of fire safety laws. Then in
The company vying to build a 247-megawatt solar farm in Panoche submitted a draft supplemental environmental impact report addressing plans to examine impacts under a revised, reduced proposal. PV2 Energy filed the supplemental draft EIR on Dec. 23. The prior company overseeing the project, Solargen Energy, had an initial EIR approved by the county board in late 2010. A5
SPORTS
Soph surge
Collecting is more than a passion for Hollister antiques dealer, Sherry Dolfin. “It’s an affliction,” said the proprietor of Sherry’s Adoptable Dolls & Antiques at 890 San Benito Street, between smothered bursts of laughter. Dolfin, and business partner, Claudia Arnold, are preparing for the San Juan Bautista Antique & Collectibles Fair on Sunday. They will be one of at least 75 dealers in the historic town center showcasing their wares. “We’re taking a lot of jewelry, small furniture, cooking utensils – things that won’t break,” said Dolfin. “We’ll have loads of vintage jewelry from the 1940s to 1960s – some will be even older. We’ll have broaches, earrings, and bracelets. I love the glitz and glamour of that era. When you put a piece of jewelry on, it makes the dress. You can even wear it with jeans.”
A year ago, Brad Sparrer was the No. 5 player in the lineup on San Benito High’s golf team. But entering the 2015 season—practice starts on Feb. 1—the 5-foot-8, 140pound sophomore will likely be the Haybalers’ No. 1 player. Sparrer’s meteoric rise came the good old-fashioned way: hard work. B1
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Martial arts instructor Marietta De La Cruz receives a distinguished service award at the anniversary gala.
The Community Foundation of San Benito County and its allies have launched an online petition to support its plans to build the nonprofit new offices on the 400 block of San Benito Street. Started last Friday, the online petition is open to anyone with an Internet connection, even if they live outside city limits. It’s different than the petition spearheaded by Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez, which needed to be signed by 10 percent of the city’s registered voters, to bring the 400 block sale decision before Hollister voters. That petition, submitted with approximately 2,465 signatures, is under review by the city’s election official. Marketing Communications Coordinator for the Community Foundation Sharlene Van Rooy said that while the petition has no legal force like the one Velazquez submitted to the city last month, it’s there to show support for the nonprofit’s new headquarters. Yet, when asked about the origins of the online petition, Van Rooy was quick to deny the Community Foundation had a hand in drafting it. “We sent out an email letting our donors and that sort of people in our mailing list know about the petition, but we didn’t write the petition,” Van Rooy said by phone Monday. “We had nothing to do with putting it out there, but we’re in support of it of course.” The point is a fine distinction. Executive board members from the Community Foundation, as well as the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce, Hollister Downtown Association and the San Benito County Business Council, comprise the Restore the 400 Block coalition behind the online petition. “The leadership of the organizations met over the last several weeks and developed their own campaign, including the petition, social media and other ways to demonstrate
Robert Eliason
The City of Hollister marked a milestone with cake and entertainment Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Building. “The 40th anniversary of the recreation department is an amazing accomplishment,” Hollister City Councilman Jim Gillio told a crowd of locals and parks department staff – past and present – at the celebratory gala. Recreation supervisor Tina Garza explained the extent of the department’s involvement in the city as she stood before a display of more than 2,000 photos of activities taken over the last four decades. “We provide a lot of services, adult and youth sports, and special events like Breakfast with Santa. We do a lot of summertime events like the Junior Giants program, which is free,” she said. As Gillio cut the anniversary cake, a white frosted confection topped with a giant ornament in
Snow Valley Peak Challenge
Tahoe Mountain High Inside this issue: San Benito magazine
CAR SHOW & CONCERT P10 | MARTIN RANCH P20 | LUXURY RETREAT P21
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