THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
DECEMBER 14, 2018
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Casa de Fruta offers fun holiday outing
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Gourmet Gifts Casa de Fruta delights for more than 70 years
TEXTILE ARTS P8 | SWEET PEA ANTIQUES P12 | HOLIDAY WINES P15
CAR HITS HOUSE P2 | FEDS LOOK AT LOCAL LETTUCE P4 | CATHOLIC SCHOOL PLAN NIXED P12
HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
A New SV Media publication
Friday, December 14, 2018
sanbenito.com • Vol. 145, No. 50 • $1
San Juan Bautista Mayor Jim West eulogized GRANITEROCK EMPLOYEE’S BODY FOUND IN HIS CAR DEC. 6 Staff Report
➝ Mayor, 2
Bryce Stoepfel
San Juan Bautista Mayor Jim West, who was found dead in his vehicle at his Graniterock workplace on San Juan Highway Thursday, Dec. 6, was praised in eulogies by city and county officials. The body of the oneterm mayor was found by a fellow employee at approximately 11:30am at at Graniterock facility, according to city and county authorities. West, 75, was nearing the end of his first term as mayor. He had not sought re-election. “The City of San Juan Bautista was very saddened today to learn of the passing of its mayor and beloved resident, the Honorable Jim West,” San Juan Bautista Councilmember John Freeman said in a Dec. 6 press release. “Mayor West was a longtime resident of San Benito County and recently made San Juan Bautista his home, where he turned his attention and tireless, neverending spirit of community involvement to helping the citizens of the Mission City and the local community. “Jim was also the passionate representative of Graniterock, a company he emphatically believed in, loved and epitomized wherever he went. “Jim leaves behind many great friends, colleagues and
CANNABIS TESTING High Sierra Analytics founder Thomas Gromis checks equipment at his Hollister laboratory.
Lab prepares for weed HIGH SIERRA ANALYTICS READIES CANNABIS TESTING LAB Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
This isn't your grandad's cannabis business—unless your grandfather happens to be Captain Kirk. High Sierra Analytics in Hollister expects to open its cannabis testing laboratory within a month, in an industry that has lots of demand, but little supply. As testing requirements become tighter over the next couple of months, a vital component of the booming
cannabis industry will go through Hollister. "Everyone kept asking when we're going to open," High Sierra Analytics CEO and founder Thomas Gromis said. "I kept telling them, 'When we get it right.'" Gromis, 34, a Fresno native, worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as a freshwater ecologist before embarking on a career in the cannabis industry. After Gromis could not find municipalities near Fresno that offered cannabis permits, he looked to the nearest city that would: Hollister. "I didn't want to get into growing; that seemed like a race to the bottom. I don't want to chase
margins and cut corners just to get by," Gromis said. "I looked at the regulations and the people who were getting into testing, and nobody wanted to touch the lab stuff because the regulations were pretty daunting." After Californians voted in the 2016 general election to legalize cannabis consumption, new cannabis testing rules were mandated to go along with legalization. Cannabis products must be tested for pesticides as well as potency before they can hit the market. Since High Sierra Analytics will be one of about 40 testing laboratories in the state, demand will be high. There were many hurdles to overcome since the
company signed the lease for the Airway Drive space last year. Gromis needed to provide window shading, magnetically sealed doors and biometric key cards to get a permit. The building at 1851 Airway Drive already had cameras, a gate and security personnel, which helped to simplify the permitting process. In addition to these security methods, the Hollister Police Department may access High Sierra Analytics at any time, said Gromis. High Sierra’s fee structure is based on entering contracts with growers rather than on a pay-bytest model. Contracts will be based on how many tests the customer wants
per month, with regularly scheduled pickup times that will hopefully reduce waiting time for tests to return. Time is money, and since cannabis can't hit the market until testing is complete, a quick turnaround is essential to retailers. "The more you do, the cheaper it's going to be, but right now we're looking at around $700 for a single test," said Gromis, adding that they would offer cheaper rates for bulk testing. High Sierra will focus on a 50-mile radius after it opens, moving out as far as 150 miles as operations ramp up. Most of their business will stay ➝Pot lab, 11
Six contend for superintendent post NEW FACES ON BOARD COULD DELAY HIRING DECISION Scott Forstner Reporter
The current five-member Hollister School District Board of Education convened in closed session Dec. 8 to interview six finalists for the superintendent job. The governing body was to conduct more inperson interviews with the finalists again Dec. 13 with a goal of identifying one finalist from
that group, according to Trustee Robert Bernosky. “Hopefully, from that we will have our next superintendent,” said Bernosky, adding that contract negotiations will follow shortly thereafter. However, the decision comes with a caveat, since three of the five current board members will no longer be on the board by the Dec. 18 school board meeting, at which time the new trustees will be sworn in. Bernosky recognized that the incoming trustees’ opinions as to who the next superintendent may
differ from those of the existing board. “The three brand-new board members coming in, if they don’t like our candidate, then we will have to start the process all over again,” Bernosky said. All of the school board candidates in the Nov. 6 election, as well as stakeholders in the community, were invited to take part in open session discussions and online surveys regarding the hiring process. However, the in-person interviews are in closed session and reserved for current trustees.
“I look forward to working with (the new trustees) and moving the Hollister School District forward,” Bernosky said. “The superintendent is key to any school district. If the new board members don’t exactly like what the five previous have decided, we’ll start the process over again. We all have to be in agreement and working together.” Incoming board members are Carla Deluna-Torres, Stephen Kain and Jan Grist. They are replacing departing trustees Patricia
Moore, Peter Hernandez and Elsa Rodriguez. The two remaining are Bernosky and Elizabeth Martinez, whose seats expire in 2020. Retired administrator William Barr has been filling in as interim superintendent after former superintendent Lisa Andrew unexpectedly resigned from the post two years into her tenure. At a July 6 meeting, the board agreed to hire Barr from a pool of retired administrators; Barr’s contract was for 46 days at $935 per day.