It's Ours Now!

Yesterday, San Benito Street in downtown Hollister was closed for the first time without jumping through hoops with Caltrans. All because the street now belongs to the City of Hollister. Whoo-hooo!

A very big Thank You to Steve Rosati and Gordon Machado for their dedication and persistence to jump through many, many hoops over the last 30 years to get our main street to be truly ours.

And, yes, after the speeches and ribbon cutting, there was dancing in the street. It also rained while we were dancing.  Double whooo-hooo!

Main Street, Not a Highway

Many years from now, the future old fogeys of Hollister will tell the young'uns how Highway 25 ran through downtown Hollister. "It used to be," they would say, "You merged from Bolsa Road onto San Felipe Road near Tiffany Motors. San Felipe Road turned into San Benito Street at Santa Ana Road, and you drove it all the way through town. You turned left by the high school and when you reached Safeway, you turned right to connect with Airline Highway."

Yup.

Until a few weeks ago, Highway 25 officially ran through downtown Hollister. The bypass was constructed with the intent that the ownership of the downtown section of the highway would be transferred to the City of Hollister when the bypass was completed.  It took a while for it to happen, but finally on March 7, 2014, the deed was done. Now, instead of a sign saying Highway 25 leading drivers through downtown Hollister, we'll be seeing signs (if they aren't up already), directing drivers to the highway.

So, what does this all mean? Hopefully wonderful things for us, citizens and businesses, of Hollister and San Benito County. Several years ago, the Hollister Downtown Strategy Plan was created to envision the possibilities for downtown Hollister. Be truly cool, if some, if not all, could become a reality. You can read the plan at this page at the Hollister Downtown Association web site.

By the way, this afternoon, the Hollister Downtown Association will be hosting a Downtown Street Transfer Party, from 2 to 5 PM, in the Veterans' Memorial Building Plaza. There will be dancing in the street. Rain or shine!

Ann Street

Does anyone know why Ann Street interrupts the flow of Briggs Alley?

Ann Street runs parallel to Fourth Street. It starts at West Street and ends at Winn Alley. It's less than half-a-block long. On the other side of Winn Alley is a parking lot. Directly across from Ann Street (at West Street) is Briggs Alley. This alley continues on the east side of Monterey Street.

I can't remember if someone told me or if I read that Ann Street was named for William Welles Hollister's wife. Anyone know for sure? And, for those who've forgotten or didn't know, Hollister was for whom our city was named, and the Hollisters lived where the court house stands today.

From Steeple to Peak

Find the church steeple on the right. See it peeking over the trees?

That's Sacred Heart Church.

See the tower high up on the Gabilan Range to the left?

Yup. That's up on Fremont Peak.

This is the view from Vista Park Hill. Gorgeous!

Do you think Fremont Peak looks too close? An illusion, you say. Perhaps. Here's the original photo from which I cropped the above one.

Name the Highway

Have you seen the new road signs on Highway 25 yet?

The Husband and I saw one yesterday afternoon, as we waited for the light on Hillcrest Road. Were we surprised. We knew there was talk last year about naming Highway 25 to the Pinnacles National Park Highway, but many residents in the southern part of San Benito County were against it.

So, I looked it up. (Ah, sweet Internet, what did I ever do without you?) Turns out our State Senator Anthony Cannella sponsored a bill last year to designate specific sections of Highway 25 as the Pinnacles National Park Highway. According to the bill, which was adopted, the renamed highway runs from "San Benito/Monterey countyline to Sunnyslope Road in the City of Hollister and that portion of Route 25 from San Felipe Road in the City of Hollister to the San Benito/Santa Clara countyline. . . ."

I read that as meaning all of Highway 25. Doesn't the highway cross into Monterey County in the southern part of San Benito County? Something else to look up. I did notice the sign still says "Highway 25" at the intersection of Sunnyslope Road/Tres Pinos Road/25 (or as us old fogeys still call it --Airline Highway).