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2018
pRIDE PrOGRESS
SAN BENITO COUNTY
FAIRVIEW HOUSING BOOM P2 | ROBBERY SUSPECTS SOUGHT
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SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE
| CHICKENS, CHICKENS! P15
HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
A New SV Media publication
Friday, September 28, 2018
sanbenito.com • Vol. 145, No. 39 • $1
Bad news, good news for local hospital HAZEL HAWKINS MAY GET NEW MEDICARE FUNDS, AS SALINAS ENDS DISCUSSIONS By Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
Bryce Stoepfel
The Sept. 20 letter from Salinas Valley Hospital hit Hazel Hawkins with a thud. The larger hospital was pulling out of talks about shared services that held out a prospect of new financial stability for the Hollister hospital. That same day, however, Hazel Hawkins learned that a year-long Hail Mary effort to convince federal officials to revise its Medicare reimbursement classification appears to have paid off. In the space of a few hours, the hospital’s fortunes improved dramatically. “For nearly a year our CFO Mark Robinson has been applying for a status change for the hospital,” said Hazel Hawkins CEO Ken Underwood in an interview this week. He said that at the Sept. 27 hospital board meeting, he would be informing them
CUSTOM CUT Worker at American Casting creates one of many customized products at Hollister foundry.
Local firms grow
➝ Hazel Hawkins, 4
Barry Holtzclaw
FAIRVIEW ROAD New Legacy homes east of Hollister.
Growth is the word on everyone’s mind in San Benito County these days—not whether to grow, but in a decades-long debate, how much and how fast. Businesses meanwhile, in manufacturing, construction and agriculture, are doing more walking than talking, expanding, investing and discovering the benefits of being close to their employees in a small-city environment. In our annual Pride & Progress section, the Free Lance takes a look at some of these issues, in Section B.
Ridgemark refines new business plan NEW LODGING UPGRADES, RESTAURANT CHANGES, NEW WATERING ARE PLANNED By Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
For Sierra Golf, managers of Ridgemark Golf Club
and Resort, working the short game to improve the golf course, restaurant and lodge is the best approach rather than going for the big tee shot. It's been two years since Sierra Golf Management took over, and general manager Chad Jackson said he plans to renovate the lodging and the restaurant and keep
golfers teeing up on the course. “We make small improvements every day; you won’t see the grand overnight improvements,” Jackson said. “We’ve made improvements to the rooms to make them feel more modern along with walk-in shows. The greens have started to grow, and the grass
is greener thanks to our watering program.” Sierra Golf Management, based in Chowchilla, took over the management of Ridgemark Golf Club and Resort following John Wynn’s purchase of the course for $11.5 million from former owners JMK Golf LLC. In May 2016, Sierra Golf Management signed a
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five-year deal for $1 million a year to manage the club. Sierra Golf Management concerns itself only with managing the golf course at Ridgemark and has no role in decisions about the Ridgemark residential community. In 2014, partially because of ➝ Ridgemark, 11