Hollister and Bikers

Have you ever seen the movie The Wild One? A young Marlon Brando plays an "outlaw" biker named Johnny. He scoffs at trophy-winning bikers, yet goes through much of the movie clasping a stolen biker trophy in the same way that Linus clings to his blanket. Of course, Johnny could've been doing so facetiously because his character was portrayed as a misunderstood guy after all. That's how I interpreted it.

The Wild One was kinda based or somewhat inspired on an incident that took place in Hollister in 1947 over the July 4th weekend. It was a motorcycle rally that got out of hand. I would think it was a no brainer that some fights were bound to take place when 4,000 bikers rolled into town. They were there to enjoy some motorcycle races and to relax and party. Remember: It was a three-day Fourth of July weekend. The police force was few in number, but they had it under control. After all, about .02% of the attendants were arrested and charged with misdemeanors. Hullo. Nothing outlaw-ish about that.

Still, if you're a journalist, you can spin a pretty gol darn story. And, the newspaper reporters did just that. What probably made that Fourth of July incident famous was the infamous spread of staged photos in Life magazine. I'm not gonna go into the five W's of the event. You can click on these links for the history:

• Hollister Riot
• The 1947 Gypsy Tour in Hollister (You'll find links to interviews with locals who were there as well as to SF Chronicle articles.)
  

In 1997, Hollister merchants, the city council, or maybe both together, decided to hold a Fourth of July Independence Motorcycle Rally to honor the event's 50th anniversary. Since then, the rally has become an annual event. Next year's event is not sanctioned by the City because it lost taxpayers' money big time. But, you never know.

I have no idea what the annual event celebrates. Is it the romantic image of an outlaw biker played by Marlon Brando, the misdemeanor arrests of a bunch of bikers, or what? Could be why Hollister rarely makes any money off the hundreds of thousands of people who come into town each year for three days. Bad karma. But, suppose we were to celebrate the idea of WWII Vets letting off steam after a hard week of work, because that was what many of those 4,000 bikers were. It's a thought. Anyway, enjoy the trailer for The Wild One.

Christmas Bazaars, Boutiques, and Etc.

It's the season for Christmas Bazaars, Boutiques, Crafts Fairs, Open Houses, and Etc. You can definitely count on finding a bunch of local ones in Hollister and abouts. Some are fundraisers, while others are not. Here's a list of some that are happening this week.

• 12/3: Winter Magic Bazaar and Luncheon, Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary, Veteran’s Memorial Building
  
• 12/3: Ceramics Sale, Gavilan College, Gilroy
  
• 12/6: Cerra Vista School Holiday Boutique
  
• 12/6: Southside School Holiday Bazaar
  
• 12/6: Holiday Craft Fair, Ladies Auxiliary VFW 9242, 10 am to 4 pm, Veterans Memorial Building
  
• 12/6: Bertuccio’s Open House
  
• 12/6: Holiday Open Studios Tour, Aromas
  

The Christmas Parade

My only complaint about last night's parade: I wished the evening air was cooler and crisper so it felt more like winter (and Santa) was a coming. ☺

We missed the first few floats, but we were fortunate to be there to see a mutt of a terrier steal the show away from the Sheriff’s float. The little dog stubbornly sat in the middle of the street or pranced precariously close to and around the sheriff’s car as it slooooooowly drove along, with the Grinch hanging out of its back window.


He was a dog that would not be caught, at least right away. At one point, he was surrounded by several people. The dog knew how to stop and go. He had them all in his hands. He had all of us who were hanging around on that that block in his hands as well. When we heard clapping and hurrahing at the end of the block, we knew the chap was caught.


The theme for the parade was “All I Want for Christmas....” I wouldn’t mind having that parade-stopping dog.

Annual Lights On Celebration and Parade

Is it just me, or are Christmas decorations going up even sooner?

I noticed the green garlands stretched above San Benito Street on Sunday morning. As we sped by the lawn in front of the parking garage, I saw that Santa’s Village was up as well. The Hollister Downtown Association is getting ready!

By this Saturday evening, November 29, downtown Hollister will be transformed for the annual “Lights on Celebration.” The trees will be lit along the main street, between South and Forth Streets, and the street will be lined with people as well to watch the parade of floats and cars and people waving and smiling from them. And, of course, bringing up the rear of the parade will be Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

The theme for this year’s parade is “All I Want for Christmas.” It will start at 5:30. There’ll be live entertainment happening before and after the parade, too. Stores will be also be open for the browsing and buying.

For me, the best part about the night is hanging out after the parade. After the last float goes by, people pile out from the sidewalks into the center of the street. Folks walk up and down the closed street, checking out the music, greeting acquaintances, and yakking and laughing it up with friends and family. That's worth the Christmas decorations being put up seemingly earlier each year.

Some links to check out about the event:

• 2008 Lights On Celebration
• 2007 Lights-On Parade and Concert with Rancho-Maze Band
• Trees of Life
• Hollister Downtown Association

Canning Fans!

So, how many of you identified the thing or place in Monday’s photo? Forgot what it looked like. Scroll down or click here, and then come back.

See. They are industrial fans at the cannery on the corner of East and Hawkins streets.


Once upon a time, there used to be two canneries—Fairview and Hollister—one on each side of South Street. I don’t recall which was where. For the longest time, these canneries made up the biggest non-farming industry in Hollister—for all of San Benito County for that matter. The majority of the jobs, like the farming ones, were seasonal.

Each cannery went through several owners, going from the original locals to different corporate canning companies. The Hollister cannery eventually became San Benito Foods, while Fairview became Tri-Valley Growers. In the 1990s, Tri-Valley Growers closed and San Benito Foods took over its buildings and machinery.

San Benito Foods cans different tomato products. In my ancient days, the two canneries also processed spinach, peaches, and apricots. Maybe other stuff, I don’t know.

I often wondered where the canned products were sold. I’ve never tasted them. I read at the San Benito Foods Web site that their canned tomatoes are famously delicious. I wonder where. Maybe if I’m ever there, I can buy a can and find out for myself just how awesome they taste, if they do.

Some links to check out:

• San Benito Foods
• Hollister Free Lance articles: here and here