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Kids of Summer SPECIAL EDITION

MAY 4, 2018

Kids of Summer & Recreation Guide

& Recreation Guide

UT & ABO R OF NDA CALE TS EVEN

OUT

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THIS WEEK: Pets get the luxury treatment at Canine Concepts

HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY

A New SV Media publication

Friday, May 4, 2018

sanbenito.com • Vol. 145, No. 18 • $1

Pro and con preparing cannabis campaigns

THIS WEEK: Jim Ostdick invites folks on guided moonlight walk

PROSPECTS OF TAX BONANZA DRIVE VOTE, AS LIFESTYLES ARE AT ODDS Bryce Stoepfel Reporter

Robert Eliason

Of the three county-wide ordinances on the June 5 ballot, Measure C—a proposed tax on commercial cannabis operations in unincorporated San Benito County—has generated the most attention. Campaign signs—signs of what could be a contentious month of campaigning— will be popping up soon. Two opposing political groups have emerged— “Yes on C,” led by former Hollister Mayor Victor Gomez; and “No on Measure C,” driven by a small, politically inexperienced group of San Benito County citizens. “We feel that this is a deceptive measure that’s being used as a poll of support for a commercial marijuana ordinance,” Committee to Protect San Benito County Treasurer and local realtor Jack Kirk said. “We don’t want to see San Benito County become like what’s happening in Calaveras County.”

SERVICE OF GOOD A Gavilan College group, Student Vets of America participates in community benefit to wipe our violence

and empower victims of domestic violence.

City walks a mile in her shoes

STUDENT VETS FROM GAVILAN LEAD EFFORT TO BUILD EMPATHY FOR VICTIMS

➝ Pot Campaign, 11

Debra Eskinazi

said Jim Brumfield, whose 14-acre horse ranch on San Juan Highway is a short walk from the site of the planned bridge. The riverbed crossing will be funded completely with federal money from the Federal Highway Administration's Toll Credit Highway Bridge Program, with construction slated for the spring of 2017. “The key to a better transportation

TURN TO BRIDGE • A8

LOOK FOR IT ON THE WEB

An advocacy organization that repr college instructors across Californi symbolically walk out of the classro what they call a significant pay disp

LEARN WITH REAL PROJECTS FROM TOP FIRMS. BOSTON | CHARLOTTE | SEATTLE | SILICON VALLEY | TORONTO | ONLINE

The hospital told the Dispatch in an interview last week, and announced officially on April 30 that it has “begun negotiation with Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System for possible affiliation.” The San Benito County Health Care District Board of Directors on April 26 approved an “exclusivity agreement” with the Salinas healthcare system, promising

to hold off on any discussions with any other health care systems for 90 days, to give Salinas time to develop a detailed “affiliation” proposal. Ken Underwood, chief executive officer for Hazel Hawkins, said the agreement is a good-faith gesture, “for us to demonstrate that there is a sincere interest in partnering with them —a

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

After more than a century of going it alone, Hazel Hawkins is looking for a suitor. And it may have

ago it would need some kind of relationship with a bigger health care entity to ensure its long-term survival. The requests positioned the hospital as being open to a wide range of options, from outright sale to a variety of lease, affiliation or partnership arrangements. After several months of conversations with possible partners or purchases, the search may have paid off.

TURN TO PIZZA • A8

San Juan resident: ‘Like our own

****ECRWSS**** Residential Customer

PAID

HOLLISTER CA. PERMIT #48

So, succumbing to the discomfort of heels is one thing, but why dress in drag? “To encourage everyone to raise money and participate we designed ‘level-up’ opportunities to the $3,000 mark,” Lopez said. “There’s so much ugliness in the world today if we can do one little bit just to help out something good—I think it’s more therapeutic for us. We have fun with it, but we know the seriousness behind it.”

Cake, anyone?

“The second is an opportunity for the community to get involved and stand together to show that sexual violence is not OK.” Emmaus House executive director Patrice Kushner said they were particularly proud at the level of youth involvement this year. “Twenty-one members of the Hollister Haybalers football team walked this year in a show of support to stop the violence and abuse,” said Kushner.

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

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

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found one right next door. Early this year, Hollister’s public, non-profit community hospital sent requests for proposals to 10 major health care systems in the Bay Area and Central Coast, including Kaiser, Stanford, Dignity Healtha and UCSF. Faced with rising costs, declining reimbursements and declining inpatient numbers, Hazel Hawkins leadership had decided a year

Project planned for Y Road

KATIE HELLAND •REPORTER khelland@freelancenews.com

HOLLISTER

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,”

SAN BENITO HEALTHCARE DISTRICT TALKING TO SALINAS VALLEY MEMORIAL Managing Editor

58015 02002

violence and human trafficking and works with Emmaus House who operates shelter for women and children. Elliot said too few people realize how widespread the issue remains. “One in three women will be impacted by domestic violence in their lifetime and in California there are more than 2 million survivors of rape,” she said. Adding, the first aim of the event is to raise awareness around the issue of sexual violence.

Hazel Hawkins eyes Salinas partnership

By Barry Holtzclaw

6

Soph surge

Gavilan College Student Vets of America hit the streets in drag in downtown Hollister on Saturday, April 28 to benefit Emmaus House and Community Solutions Programs

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

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

Magazine and Features Editor

supporting victims of domestic violence. The students were among 175 volunteers and walkers to “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.” Ray Lopez, one of the founders of the veterans’ group said they began participating in the benefit three years ago. Saturday’s walkers raised more than $10,000 for the charities. Community Solutions program manager Erica Elliot said her agency serves survivors of sexual assault, domestic

➝ Hazel Hawkins, 8

ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER THROUGH THE

TAKE THE

NEXT STEP northeastern.edu/pan/experience


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