Welcome to Hollister

Have you seen the new welcome sign at the corner of Highway 25 (Bolsa Road) and San Felipe yet?

There are two sides to the sign. Drivers see this as

they drive south on  San Felipe Street.

Six other states have a place called Hollister. Which states can you name without looking them up?

Okay, now you can read the list at Wikipedia.

Haybaler Alumni Social

To read the flyer,
please click here.

Hey Balers, One and All! 

That is: To all you Haybaler alumni who are 21 years and older!

On Friday, February 11, 2011, the Haybaler Alumni Social will take place at the Vault Restaurant, from 6 p.m. to midnight, in Hollister. A reunion event for all former Haybalers, it is advertised as "a fun filled night of dining, drinking, dancing, and lots of memories!"

The social event is being sponsored by the Baler class of 2012 as a fundraiser for its class prom. But, remember, Haybalers, to be admitted to this event, you must be 21 years or older.

So how much are the tickets?
If you buy your ticket beforehand, the price will be that of your graduation year. For instance, all you 1948 Balers would pay $19.48, 1971 Balers, $19.71, 1989 Balers, $19.89, and so on and forth. You can also buy tickets at the door, but they will cost you $30.  To get your tickets now, rather than later, you can:

• purchase them at Drapoel and Teezers at 731 San Benito Street.
• buy them at the Student Payment Center in the main building at San Benito High School (1220 Monterey Street). 
• call the Student Payment Center, (831) 637-5831, and pay with a credit card. The tickets will be put on hold at the door.

Go Balers!

A Shaking Fremont Peak

Fremont Peak from Hollister (near the Hollister Airport)

Show of hands. Who was rocking and rolling with the earthquakes early this morning?

I thought it was pretty good ride. It made the books bounce on the shelves and a couple of things fall off it. How did it go with you?

There were at least six movements, the biggest (the first one) measured 4.5. According to the coordinates given by the U.S. Geological Study (USGS), the epicenter of the 4.5 quake was about half-mile north from the tippy-top of Fremont Peak in San Juan Bautista.  You can check it out yourself at Google Earth. The coordinates are: 36.770°N, 121.499°W

For more about the earthquake, visit this page produced by the USGS.

Birds on Fifth Street

Birds (pigeons, maybe) were hanging out on top of the old Pendergrass Hotel this afternoon. Flutter, flutter, flutter.

I watched them circle above the intersection of Fifth and San Benito Streets, then come back down to roost. So much for that plastic owl to scare them away. Boo!

Toot! Toot!

Waiting at Hilcrest and McCray.

I love that trains still stop traffic in Hollister. Almost every day. I have no idea what the freight trains are shipping in and out of town. Anybody?