El Camino Real Bell

This El Camino Real Bell stands in the front yard of the Native Daughters of the Golden West Adobe at 203 Fourth Street in San Juan Bautista. Cast from a mold of an original El Camino Real bell, it was dedicated in 2010, the year that "The Gold Dust Girls" of Parlor No. 179 celebrated its 100th anniversary.

El Camino Real was the foot path that the Spanish padres took between the California Missions, from San Diego to Sonoma. In the early 1900s, bells were erected every one to two miles to mark this historical route as well as to promote tourism in the state. By 1914, over 400 markers were placed.

To learn more about El Camino Real and its bells, check out these sites:

• How El Camino Real, California's "Royal Road" was Invented, by Nathan Masters
• El Camino Real, Wikipedia
• California Highways: El Camino Real
• California Bell Company

Efficient and Convenient

It's only recently that I noticed that most, if not all, gas stations in town have some kind of shop where you can purchase snacks. That's good to know when you're in a hurry and hungry.

What Does It Resemble to You?

Does anyone else see the resemblance of the lamp section of the lamp posts downtown to Marvin the Martian?

And, no, I wasn't drunk when I looked at the lamp post in front of the Veterans' Memorial Building on Sunday afternoon. But, I was under the influence of all that great music I had just heard, which was performed by the Watsonville Community Band.

What's Happening?

Isn't it such a bummer when you find out too late about an event? Or, you didn't even know the event happened until much later? For instance, did you know the San Benito Olive Festival was last October or that the Hollister Airshow will be on June 14 and 15, 2014? 

Without a daily local newspaper to tell us about upcoming events, we're on our own to find out. Difficult? Not really, once we have an idea where to look.

Did you know that our weekly newspaper—the Hollister Free Lance—has an online calendar? You can check it out anytime.  No subscription is needed. Here's the link.

An even better online source for local happenings, as well as breaking news, is BenitoLink. It reminds me of what the Free Lance used to be when it was a daily paper once upon a time. Here's the BenitoLink site.

Facebook is another good source to learn about events. For example, at the Take 25 to Hollister Facebook page, I post links to upcoming events as I happen to come across them. Here's that link.
A few other Facebook pages where people and organizations share their events are:

• What's Going On in Hollister CA
• Hollister Happenings
• Hollister 411
• Fundraising Events in San Benito 
• Events Happenings in San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties

And, of course, don't forget to check the bulletin boards at the libraries, supermarkets, and shops. 

What sources do you use to find out about upcoming events in our area?

A Week of Fun at the San Benito County Free Library

This  week, April 14 to 18, our local library—the San Benito County Free Library—is celebrating two events. One is our library's 97th Anniversary. Whooo-hooo! The other is the 2014 National Library Week. Many fun, free activities are scheduled over the next few days.

Today, April 14: Customer and Volunteer Appreciation Day!
11 AM to 3 PM: Anniversary Cake will be served to library patrons.
2 to 2:45 PM: Youth Financial Literacy Workshop. Door prizes and swag bags will be given out to teen participants. 

Tuesday, April 15
2 pm and 5 pm: Movie and Popcorn. The movie Frozen will be shown. Seating is limited.

Wednesday, April 16
2 to 5:30 pm: Techie Toybox. Patrons are invited to play with ipads, iphones, and Kindle Fire work.

Thursday, April 17
3:30 to 5:30 PM: Kid's Fun Day! Children's games and crafts will be featured, along with a chance to win a free book. 

Friday, April 18
5 to 7 pm: Author Talks will feature local authors, Renette Torres (Widow's Peak) and John E. Chadwell (Werewolves of New Idria). Light refreshments will be served.

Again, all activities are free. The library is located at 470 Fifth Street, near the corner of West Street. For more details, visit the San Benito County Free Library website or the Friends of the Library Facebook Page, or call 831-636-4107.