Beneath the Trees

Mmmm, I enjoy the shade of the lovely trees on Monterey Street, near Fifth Street.

Fremont Memorial Tunnel

A long time ago, a tunnel was built beneath Fourth Street so that schoolchildren could safely cross the busy street to go to and from Fremont School, which used to be where the present-day courthouse stands.



Recently, a mural honoring the memory of Fremont School and the schoolchildren was painted on the Fourth Street underpass. It's an amazing mural, full of life and brilliant colors.

The designer, Arturo Rosette, the Fine Arts Chair at Gavilan College, based the mural on photos he found in the San Benito County Historical Society's archives. The silhouettes are of children who went to Fremont School, including the mural's painter, Roy Darr II.

For more about the mural, check out this story by John Chadwell at BenitoLink.com. And, to check out another Downtown Hollister mural designed by Arturo Rosette, click here.

Today is the Monday Mural meme, hosted by Oakland Daily Photo. Click here to check out other murals from around the world.

Friday Morning in Downtown Hollister

Another Hollister moment to love. Need I say more.

The 4th of July Kiddie Parade

The annual 4th of July Parade is the cutest and sweetest of all the parades that we have in Hollister. The main participants are the children of Hollister. It's also the shortest, and the only parade that does not go along the main street of Dowtown Hollister.

The Independence Day Kiddie Parade starts at 10 a.m. It marches down Memorial Drive, between Hillcrest Road and Meridian Street, to Marguerite Maze School.

All children and their adults are welcome to join the parade. Kids can walk, pedal their bicycles, push their scooters, ride their wagons or strollers, and so forth. If you want to be in the parade from the start, meet at the corner of Hillcrest Road and Memorial Drive before 10 a.m.

If you're a sentimental old fool like me who plans to watch the parade, be sure to bring tissues or a hankie in case you start crying because you're watching such a cute and sweet parade.

The SBC Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo Parade!

It was a perfect summer evening for the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo Parade. Geri Johnson, retiring Hollister City Clerk, was the Grand Marshal of the parade that kicks off the 82nd annual event at Bolado Park this weekend.

The parade had horses and rodeo royalty, community figures and groups, school kids and youth groups, singers and bands, and more. Here's just a sampling of the participants.

I'm sharing this post at Friday My Town Shoot Out, a new meme for me. Every week participants post photo around a theme, which this week is the color red. And, there was a lot of red in yesterday evening's parade.  Click here to check out posts from bloggers around the world.

A Sunday Flashback: The Man-in-the-Moon Swing

Once upon a time, the playground on top of Park Hill featured a very cool swing that I knew as the Man in the Moon. As teenagers, my friends and I would go up there and take a turn on the swing. Of course, when no children were around. Round and round I went as I swung back and forth. . . .

The photo was taken in the late summer of 1973. It was the last hoopla around Hollister for my best friend and me before we left for college, after two years at Gavilan. She to San Diego and I to San Francisco.

What fond memories of once-upon-a-time come to your mind right now?

More than Just a Banner

A banner announcing a big-time coming event above San Benito Street is one of the things that reminds me, again, how Hollister is a friendly, sweet, and inviting community.

Moments to Love about Hollister

Nova Alinca, the last participants in the annual Portuguese Festival parade, came to a halt in front of the Old Courthouse on Fifth Street. The other parade participants had stopped before them. The band members turned to face the American flag and prepared their instruments to play.

"Oh say can you see. . . ." 

The doors of the Methodist Church opened. A few members came out. Upon hearing the national anthem, they stood respectfully at attention. When the song was finished, they went back in and closed the doors. The parade continued onward to Sacred Heart Church.

It's moments like these that remind me why I like living in Hollister.