THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
JULY 12, 2019
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Calendar of Events P8 Credo Studio P12 Real Estate P19
SILLY INVENTIONS
Nostalgic musical arrives in Hollister
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Classic musical is part of stage company’s 20th anniversary P6
APRICOT HARVEST P2 | BIKERS IN HOLLISTER P4 | SCHOOL BUDGET P8
HOLLISTER • SAN BENITO COUNTY
A New SV Media publication
Friday, July 12, 2019
sanbenito.com • Vol. 147, No. 28 • $1
Rancho Santana is school name DEVELOPMENT’S NAME WAS CHOICE IN SCHOOL SURVEY FOR NEW SCHOOL Scott Forstner Reporter
➝ School name, 8
Robert Eliason
Adding a little Spanish flair to the naming of the new $51 million elementary school, Hollister School District’s Board of Trustees decided on Rancho Santana Elementary School at its June 25 meeting. “While it’s not exactly one of the three names that were submitted by the (Citizens Advisory Committee), technically it is a form of the first choice. It’s just the Spanish pronunciation,” board president Stephen Kain said. “There is a bit of controversy in it, but I feel that we picked the name that was their first choice.” Among the 110 participants in an online survey for the school name and mascot, Santana Ranch came in first place. The K-5 school just east of the Hollister city limits is expected to be completed in January 2021. It will sit on a 12-acre parcel of land, purchased by
HOLLISTER VICTORY Pitcher Jordan Quezada (22) jumps for joy, as catcher Kaden Rodriguez (2) runs to celebrate after the last out in the 9-11-year-old All-Star team’s District 9 win.
4-time champs! Robert Eliason
July 6, 2019 may be remembered as the finest day in Hollister Little League history: In District 9 championship games in Salinas, all four Hollister Little League teams won their respective championships in dominating fashion. The four teams combined to outscore their four opponents by a margin of 44-3—and no, that's not a typo. Three of the four teams advance to the Sectional Tournament (the district tourney is the final stop for the 9-and-under level). Hollister's four teams went a combined 17-0 and outscored their opponents by a margin of 198-17 in District 9 play, capping one of the greatest runs in the history of the tournament. The complete story is in Sports, P 11.
MEDALS Hollister All-Star Little League champs savor their victory.
Farm cheers 90 years of apricots B&R FARMS INVITES THE PUBLIC TO U-PICK EVENT Erik Chalhoub Business Editor
Blenheim apricots, when compared to a typical variety, have a tangy-sweet taste that stands above all others. But the sweet, delicate fruit is disappearing, and has made it to Slow Food USA’s Endangered
Foods list. The Blenheim has a very thin skin and bruises easily, making it impossible to ship without being dried. Chances are high that apricot lovers have tried the variety in dried form. However, chances are very slim those same fans have actually picked their own Blenheim apricot fresh off the tree. That will change soon. To celebrate its 90th
anniversary, Hollister-based B&R Farms, California’s largest grower of Blenheim apricots, will hold a U-Pick event on July 13 from 9am to 3pm. The 150-acre family-owned orchard is now run by the third generation, Jim Rossi and his wife Mari, along with their son Brian. Two other sons, Phillip and Scott, also pitch in at the farm. The operation was started on
July 4, 1929 by Jim's grandparents, Frank and Mary Bozzo, who purchased a plot of land on what is now 5280 Fairview Road just outside of Hollister city limits. The farm originally grew prunes and walnuts, with a small plot of apricots. However, the Blenheim apricots soon took over more than 40 acres under ➝Apricots, 2