HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
A New SV Media publication
Friday, December 28, 2018
sanbenito.com • Vol. 145, No. 52 • $1
Happy New Year ! DA won’t prosecute Mitchell Dabo DA REBUFFS POLICE CHIEF REQUEST TO PROSECUTE FOR MISSING TRUST FUNDS Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
RIBBON CUTTING OPENED 2018 SEASON: The San Benito High field hockey team cuts the ribbon before playing the first game on the new turf field in September.
Schools build a future 2018 FEATURED NEW FACES, NEW SCHOOL FACILITIES, NEW PROGRAMS Scott Forstner Reporter
From the curious case of former San Benito County School Board president Mitchell Dabo to the abrupt resignation of Hollister School District Superintendent Lisa Andrew to the physical transformation of the San Benito High School campus, 2018 was a memorable one for many reasons.
Lisa Andrew resigns
Lisa Andrew, who in 2016 described the Hollister
School District as “a good fit for me,” found it was not, as she unexpectedly announced her resignation as superintendent in June 2018. Andrew’s announcement put the district in a precarious situation, and a permanent replacement wasn’t found for the remainder of 2018. Instead, the board went with a short-term fix, hiring retired administrator William Barr on an interim basis so they could take their time with a superintendent search. The board has closed in on Andrew’s replacement, conducting interviews of six finalists in December 2018. However, that decision could be impacted with the public voting in
San Benito High School District photo
➝ Prosecute, 4
San Benito High School District photo
More than a year after a Superior Court judge ruled that former county school board president Mitchell Dabo had illegally transferred more than $644,000 from a charitable trust to his personal bank accounts, District Attorney Candice Hooper says she will bring no charges. In a Dec. 20 email to the Free Lance, Hooper faulted the Hollister Police Department for providing insufficient evidence, and failing to provide evidence of criminal intent. “We concluded that with no further information forthcoming, we could not proceed with a criminal case,” Hooper wrote in the email sent on her behalf by Assistant District Attorney Ellen Campos. When informed of the district attorney’s statement, Police Chief David Westrick said in email: “We believed there was sufficient evidence to merit at least some charges [against Mitchell Dabo] but ultimately it is the DA's office decision to move forward or not.” “Not all cases have confessions or overwhelming evidence,” Westrick wrote.
BALER SOFTBALL Dec. 7 drone shot of San Benito High School’s new softball field. three new trustees at the November 2018 election. Challengers Carla TorresDeluna, Stephen Kain and Jan Grist finished one-twothree in the six-candidate
race for three at-large seats, while former board president Patricia Moore—the lone incumbent to seek another term—was out after finishing fourth.
The Mitchell Dabo case
Evidence submitted in a 2017civil lawsuit by Dabo himself—bank statements, ➝ School, 15
San Juan names Flores mayor APPOINTMENT IS MADE TWO WEEKS AFTER DEATH OF MAYOR JIM WEST Jaqueline McCool Reporter
Newly elected City Councilmember Cesar Flores has been appointed the new mayor of San Juan Bautista. The three new council members—Flores, Leslie Jordan and Mary Vazquez Edge—all voted for
Flores’ appointment on Dec.18. Councilmembers John Freeman and Dan DeVries voted against Flores’ appointment. A vote for mayor is routinely scheduled for the first December meeting of the year. This year the meeting followed the Dec. 6 announcement of the death of Mayor Jim West. The San Benito County Sheriff 's office released a statement regarding West’s cause of death on Dec. 19. Capt. Eric Taylor said in the release, “Our investigation
has determined Mr. West's cause of death was suicide.” “Our deputies were called to Mayor West’s workplace, Graniterock on 2391 San Juan Highway, on the morning of Dec. 6, 2018,” said Taylor. “An employee called our office after hearing a gunshot and finding Mr. West’s body.’ “Out of respect for Mr. West's loved ones, we will not be releasing further information.” The city’s Dec. 6 statement had read, "The City of San Juan Bautista was very saddened today to
learn of the passing of their mayor and beloved resident, the Honorable Jim West. 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, never-ending spirit of community involvement to helping the citizens of the Mission City and the local community. ... Jim leaves behind many great friends, colleagues and associates in our community, and his ➝ Mayor, 11