The Eastern Star Masonic Temple Building

Here's a different view of a familiar local site on San Benito Street.  This archway leads into the hall of the San Benito Lodge #12 of the Free and Accepted Masons (F. & A.M.).

Shop Locally: Cinderella Dresses

Beautiful dress, don't you think?

Whether I'm driving, walking, or pedaling my bicycle, I like to peek in the windows of Novias La Princesa whenever I go by it. I'm bound to see new formal dresses which look like ones that Cinderella might wear to the Prince's Ball.

You can't miss this dress shop It's the store beneath the tower clock, at the corner of Fourth and San Benito Streets.

Shop Locally: Hollister Downtown Club

Do you like a discount on merchandise, service, or a meal?

Thought so.

Would you like exclusive discounts to Hollister shops, restaurants, and other businesses?

Well, then, apply for a  Downtown Club card, sponsored by the Hollister Downtown Association. Using the card allows you to get discounts from businesses that are members of the association. There are new discounts every month. For example, during the month of December you could get a 15 percent discount on your paint purchase at the Hollister Paint Store, 10 percent off your meal at Knife and Fork, and take a free trial dance or music class at the West Coast Music and Dance FX.

The Downtown Club card is free, and it is good for a year.  But, there is a catch. Only 1,000 cards are available.  It's first come, first served. So, don't be a procrastinator.

For further details, go to this page at the Hollister Downtown Association Web site.

New Deal Art in Town

This wooden mural hangs in the Hollister Post Office near the counters. It is called the "History of San Juan Bautista Mission" and was created by Vladimir Nemkoff, along with his assistants Joseph Stone and Avis Zeigler, in 1936. The mural was commissioned for the old post office building on Fifth and East Streets.

I always thought the mural was done by artists working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Nope. The piece was part of the U.S. Post Office New Deal artwork, which was funded through the Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Department of Treasury. It's nice to learn something new.

For more about U.S. Post Office New Deal artwork, check out "Off the Wall: New Deal Post Office Murals" by Patricia Raynor.

A closer look at a segment of the mural. See the mission in the background.

Eat Locally: Cheap Seats Pub and Grub

 

This photo was taken from inside Cheap Seats Pub and Grub on San Benito Street back in November. A happy, friendly place to drink a beer and eat some jalapeño poppers. Check out the reviews of the establish at Yelp.