THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
JUNE 8, 2018
Wendy Starke’s piano program
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Ivory Keys for Kids
Hollister’s musical rainbow
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
GUYS AND DOLLS P6 | WINE AUCTION P12 | NATURE CHILD P13
HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
A New SV Media publication
Friday, June 8, 2018
sanbenito.com • Vol. 145, No. 23 • $1
San Benito grads toss caps today HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVERS HONORED AT A.M. CEREMONY Staff report HOLLISTER
➝ Commencement, 4
Bryce Stoepfel
After the June 8 commencement ceremony at San Benito High School, members of the Class of 2018 will go their separate ways to pursue college, career and service goals. This year, 657 SBHS graduates earned acceptance to nearly 150 colleges and trade schools throughout the U.S., as well as one in England, while others joined various military branches. In total, the Class of 2018 grads received 1,032 acceptances spread over 10 University of California campuses, 21 California State University schools, 14 private colleges throughout the state, 75 out-of-state colleges and universities, 21 California community colleges and seven trade schools, according to a report by the SBHS College and Career Center and the school’s counselors. The impressive numbers are a testament to San Benito High School’s mission statement, which calls for students to have “the greatest range of personal options upon graduation,” Vice Principal Claire Grissom said. “We have nine threeyear course CTE (Career Technical Education) pathways that lead to high-demand, high-wage jobs, as well as 21 different Advanced Placement courses offered at SBHS,” Grissom said. “There is something for every single student at every level of learning that challenges them beyond their comfort zone.”
ON TO NOVEMBER Robert Rivas speaks on stage in Hollister with his wife Christen Rivas and their daughter Melina after learning he had a solid lead in a five-person race Tuesday night in the race for the 30th Assembly District.
Rivas, Kitchens to face off SAN BENITO’S DEMOCRAT TO BATTLE GOP ROOKIE IN NOVEMBER By Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
Early returns from the four counties in the sprawling 30th Assembly district left no doubt about the front-runner, San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas. He will likely face first-time Republican candidate Neil Kitchens in a November runoff, as fellow Democrat and Gilroy City
Councilman Peter Leroe-Muñoz trailed late Tuesday. With 54 percent of partial returns from mostly rural precincts at 11:15pm, the California Secretary of State reported Rivas leading balloting with 44 percent, with Kitchens at 32 percent and Leroe-Muñoz at just 11 percent. “I’m elated, and I’m grateful to the voters of Assembly District 30,” Rivas said election night. “I’m ready to continue in November, to talk about the issues important to the voters in this district and California.” The Rivas campaign, accompanied by mariachi music, food, drinks and a generally festive
mood, exuded confidence in the early results. With the Democratic vote split, Kitchens, a national delegate for the Republican National Committee, emerged as the likely foe for Rivas on the runoff ballot. Kitchens has listed his jobs as a professional forester, rancher, lawyer, criminologist, real estate investor and residential property manager. District 30 includes San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, including the cities of Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister, with about a half million residents. The district is currently represented by Anna Caballero, who
is running for state senate in the 12th District. Leroe-Muñoz, is a former San Benito County deputy district attorney who works in San Jose for the tech industry’s Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and ran on a public safety and economic development platform. Two-term Supervisor Rivas was a leader in the successful antifracking measure in San Benito County who ran a primary campaign emphasizing diversity and his rural roots, which has been heavy on endorsements, including Caballero, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, and the political arms of the state teachers, nurses and public employee unions.
Voters OK pot and hotel taxes SHERIFF WINS REELECTION EASILY AS SUPERVISORS HEAD TO RUNOFF By Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
San Benito voters approved Measure C on Tuesday,with 58 percent in favor of setting up a tax structure for future expansion of the county’s budding cannabis business into unincorporated San Benito County.
With citizens of Hollister and San Juan Bautista excluded from the vote, the county voters passed not only a tax plan but also gave their tacit approval for the approval of recreational cannabis manufacturing and growth. The San Benito County Board of Supervisors, who had the legislative power to approve the measure, instead put it to the voters, making the vote on taxes a referendum on whether the county’s unincorporated citizens desired the expand the cannabis industry.
Measure B passed with 52 percent, raising the transient occupancy tax, a tax on hotel rooms, from 8 percent to 12 percent within the county's unincorporated area. The increased revenue is expected to go towards law enforcement, fire services, economic development, roads, and other government functions. The race for County Supervisor Fourth District will be between Jim Gillio and Jerry Muenzer, who pulled 44 percent and 22 percent of the vote respectively. Rob Bernosky
polled 15 percent, Sandy Swint got 11 percent, and Elia Salinas earned 6 percent of the vote. In the race for the County Supervisor seat in the Third District, Patricia Loe and Peter Hernandez will face off in November. Loe came in first with 46 percent, while Hernandez pulled 31 percent. Richard Perez Sr came in third, with 22 percent. The county incumbent Sheriff/Coroner, Darren Thompson cruised to victory, defeating his challenger, Bill Hutchinson, with 70 percent of votes.
In the race for Treasurer/Tax Collector Public Administrator, Melinda Casillas soundly defeated Jaime De La Cruz, with 71 percent of the vote, compared to Cruz's 29 percent. The race for Superior Court Judge was a nailbiter. Gregory Michael Laforge came in first with 28 percent, but the race for second, between Jose "Omar" Rodriguez, came down to a few dozen votes, with Rodriguez capturing 1597 votes to Henderson's 1559, with 100 percent of the vote in.