THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
MARCH 22, 2019
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Seabrisa’s Eatery doing booming business
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PLANE DELICIOUS Seabrisa’s Eatery owners earn their wings at new airport location P2
FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY 25 P2 | SCHOOL NEWS P8 | FARMERS MARKET P11
HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
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Friday, March 22, 2019
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Medicare gives two stars to Hawkins hospital NEW ‘QUALITY OF CARE’ RATINGS ALSO PUT GILROY HOSPITAL ABOVE SISTER CENTERS Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
Robert Eliason
New federal quality ratings for U.S. hospitals place Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital tn the secondlowest category—with a two-star rating—which means that approximately 72 percent of U.S. hospitals had higher quality ratings than the Hollister hospital in the national report. A spokesperson for the Hollister hospital cautioned against drawing too many conclusions from the one rating. “There are dozens of survey models in the United States and this Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rating is just one of them,” said spokesperson Frankie Gallagher, in response to the new ratings.
SIGN FOR SCHOOL San Juan Bautista painter Aaron Saucedo donates his time to re-paint sign for San Juan Elementary School.
Paint for the Padres SAN JUAN ELEMENTARY FRESHENED UP FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY Scott Forstner
➝ Medicare, 4
Reporter
Former Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Trustee Jose Flores had driven by San Juan Elementary School countless times, always noticing the faded school logo on the side of the gymnasium. “It’s faded. It’s like this sore thumb,” said Flores,
a probation officer and father of two boys who attend the school. Knowing that San Juan Elementary School was celebrating its 50th anniversary, Flores decided to do something about it. “I knew it would help beautify our campus and instill some more pride in our school,” Flores said. “Just something good in our community. We want the kids to have pride in their school and the district.” So he worked with the district and school to gain approval of the project and then contacted an old friend and San Juan
Bautista neighbor Aaron Saucedo, a professional painter who runs Saucedo Painting Inc. Saucedo, who moved to San Juan four years ago, agreed to volunteer his time and repaint that faded “Home of the San Juan Padres” logo, which was completed March 16. “It did need a fresh coat of paint. The colors had faded over time,” said Saucedo, who volunteered his services and spent most of Saturday repainting the school logo. “Hopefully, it will give the kids some school spirit with the updated logo.” The K-8 school, which
enrolls about 375 students, paid for all the materials and paint. Saucedo did the rest. “For schools like that and projects like that, I don’t mind going out and donating the day,” Saucedo said. San Juan School’s 50th anniversary celebration will be held from 5-11pm May 18 at the San Juan Bautista Community Center and Casa Maria. Tickets are $40 per person ($50 after March 31) and can be purchased at sanjuanschool.myevent.com or by calling (831) 6234538, ext. 216. The event
will include dinner, dancing and raffle prizes. Staff encourages “anyone who has or had a connection with San Juan School to attend.” The Aromas-San Juan Unified School District covers approximately 100 square miles in western San Benito County, northern Monterey County and eastern Santa Cruz County. The district includes the city of San Juan Bautista in San Benito County, the unincorporated community of Aromas in Monterey County and other unincorporated areas in its three-county territory.
Gav enrollment continues to drop ‘COUNTERCYCLICAL’ TREND CONTINUES TO IMPACT NUMBERS Scott Forstner Reporter
Gavilan College enrollments are continuing to decline, and the college blames a low unemployment rate and strong economy in south Santa Clara County for the drop.
The latest available numbers show that Gilroy-based Gavilan’s student count dropped from 11,744 in the 2016-17 year to 10,394 in the 2017-18 year. Gavilan officials—who are planning the community college’s Centennial Celebration later this year—are not panicking due to what they call a “countercyclical” trend between its enrollment and the economy.
“When the economy is down— and there are fewer employment opportunities—enrollment goes up. People who have been laid off or can’t find work go back to school for more training,” explained Gavilan communications director Jan BernsteinChargin. “When the economy is strong and there are a lot of jobs, enrollment declines.” According to Gavilan’s
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Educational Master Plan, which includes enrollment data prior to 2016, its enrollment increased 5.9 percent annually (53 percent overall) from 2000-2009. The annual unemployment rate in San Benito and Santa Clara counties climbed during that period and peaked in 2010 at 6.29 percent. ➝Gavilan, 4