Hollister Pride & Progress 2018 by Weeklys

2018

pRIDE PrOGRESS A SPECIAL SECTION OF THE HOLLISTER FREE LANCE

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sanbenito.com

What is Hollister’s future?

Robert Eliason

CITY CENTER Intersection of Fourth and San Benito streets looks east, where new houses sprawl across Hollisterís rural landscape.

CITY LEADERS WRESTLE WITH INEVITABLE GROWTH Michael Moore Reporter

bring higher-paying jobs to the area is the development of a new Technology, Education and Library, or TEL Center, Velazquez said. The new educational campus would be focused on high-tech education, equipping students for better jobs. Velazquez also hopes the city’s economy will be based more on tourism by 2030, and Highway 25 will be a four-lane highway. The mayor’s wish list for 2030 continues: “We would have the new sports park built. We’d have our regional park built, which would include fishing facilities… We’d have a budget in place that ensures there’s funding to fix our roads on a yearly basis. And a budget that makes sure all of our needs accounted for first, to ensure we do not have the ups and downs as experienced in the past. We’d have a downtown that has a central community gathering place outside, to hold events and have our residents come out and enjoy their town. We’d have a beautiful city ➝ Progress 2030, 2

Submitted

Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velazquez was excited to answer the question, “What will Hollister look like in 2030?” “Everybody wants the instant gratification, and it’s why we’re always in trouble,” Velazquez said. Not unlike many public officials and planners in the region, the mayor’s number one priority over the next 12-plus years is to keep growth “in check.” “We would have important smart growth measures, making sure all developments are completely paying for themselves at the time of their development, and into the future,” Velazquez said. That’s an implicit acknowledgment that growth is going to continue in Hollister and San Benito County, even if some want to make it stop. Hollister’s population grew from 34,741 in 2010 to 38,404 in 2017, as estimated by the U.S. Census

Bureau. During the same period, the county’s overall population went up from 55,532 to 60,310. The San Benito County General Plan Housing Element cites the need for 2,194 more homes throughout the county, from 2014 to 2023. In Hollister, 1,316 new homes will be needed for the growing population through 2023. There were almost 17,000 households in San Benito County as of the 2010 Census. Much of this new housing will have to cater to lower-income residents and farmworkers, promising that the region’s agricultural heritage will continue to thrive over the next several years. But the mayor and other local officials would like to see future jobs pay more for both new and future residents. One way Velazquez hopes to achieve that by 2030 is to establish commuter rail transportation in Hollister—not only to ease the locals’ commute, but also to bring commuters into town for the higher-paying local jobs that the mayor hopes to attract. Part of the strategy to

COUNTY VIEW San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas and other county leaders have seen surge in county growth.

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

HOLLISTER BY THE NUMBERS THE ECONOMY (Taxable sales) Retail & Restaurants $310.5 million $263.1 million $160.6 million

2016 2006 1997

Own Home Median mortgage Median rent #Households Median HH income per capita

Total taxable sales 2016 $364.2 million + 10% 2006 $331.7 million + 25% $201.4 million

59% $2,144 $1,315

Persons in poverty 11.9% Total businesses 2,177 Minority owned businesses 1,010 46%

10,386 $71,948 $24,102

POPULATION (US Census) July 2017 (est) April 2010 est 2020 est 2030

Hispanic 67% Cauc. 82% Asian 2% Black 0.8% Foreign-born 22% Non-English at home 45% HS diploma 75% College degree 15%

38,404 34,928 40,000 47,000

Sources: State of California and U.S. Census

Working together can build a future Progress 2030, 1 that everyone would want to come visit and everyone would be proud of.” San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas, when asked about his predictions or vision of the county in 2030, talks about transforming the county’s economic development potential into reality. “Our downtown corridor has great structure— excellent bones—when it comes to potential,” Rivas said. “We can do more to support small businesses

downtown to attract a diversity of options for residents, from restaurants to coffee shops to retail.” Rivas pointed to downtown Morgan Hill as an example of such a central community neighborhood, with its focus on infill development and support for small businesses. “I hope 12 years from now we can make the necessary changes to make a very vibrant downtown corridor, and do everything we can to preserve the rural agricultural heritage that San Benito

County is known for,” but also welcoming new Rivas said. residents to San Benito The inevitable growth County,” Rivas said. will be a challenge, but Former Mayor Victor Rivas said if public offi- Gomez, who has been an cials and the comadvocate for more munity can work growth in San together it will be a Benito County, little bit easier. thinks that by “I can only hope 2030 Hollister will this is a community finally have enough where our leaders people to attract are working with more business and residents to make more employers. sure we build a Ignacio Velazquez Now that Holliscommunity we can ter appears to have all be proud of, and pro- recovered from the “dark vide an improved quality of days” of a growth moratolife for existing residents, rium—which ended about

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10 years ago—imposed by a massive sewer system failure in the early 2000s, the region’s growth is poised to accelerate. “I think, over the next 12 years, you’re going to see average growth of about two to three percent, as long as the economy remains somewhat strong. If we continue to see some decent growth, we’ll start seeing some investment in job creation in our community,” Gomez said. Gomez, a business investor himself, thinks a population of 50,000 in

Hollister—which could be reached in 2030—will be the magic number for companies who need the “rooftops” to provide customers, as well as a stable pool of potential employees to hire. He also thinks by 2030, Highway 25 will be widened and Highway 156 will be completed, aiding the flow of commerce into and out of the county. “Once we hit that 50,000 mark, we’ll see some substantial investment in Hollister and San Benito County,” Gomez said.

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Made and cast in Hollister CITY FOUNDRY EXPANDS ITS FAMILY-RUN FACILITY TO APOLLO WAY Bryce Stoepfel Reporter

Bryce Stoepfel

When people think of metal-casting foundries, images of giant streams of glowing molten steel found in rustbelt America may come to mind. Think of the final scenes in Terminator 2. Hollister has a metal casting foundry too, American Casting Company, and while it may not be gigantic, it's growing, glowing and it's keeping jobs in Hollister. American Casting Company is a precision foundry that makes custom parts, rather than mass-produced nuts and bolts sold in bulk quantities at Home Depot. Their custom-made parts are used in jet engines, race cars, human prosthetics and in pieces used for knee surgeries, or whatever else the customer orders. American Casting Company has outgrown its 10,000-square-foot facility on Fallon Road, and will soon move to a 33,000-squarefoot facility nearby on Apollo Way. The company expects that its workforce should grow from approximately 40 employees to over 80 when the move is complete. Business has been good. According to Vice President of Operations and American Casting Company Partner Chris St. John, the company grows by about 40 percent every year. “Fast as I can take in new orders,” St. John said of how

far the company can grow after their expansion. The relocation should take place within the next six months. The company will move over much of its machinery from its current location, but American Casting Company will also invest in some new equipment. It’s hard to guess how fast the company will grow once the move is complete, but St. John is optimistic. Because of the move, the company will need new permits for new machinery, air scrubbing, dust collection, and many customers will need to recertify parts because of the new machinery. The City of Hollister has posed no roadblocks according to St. John, and the move should largely be “plug and play.” As soon as they are in, they should be ready to go. “The tricky part is making the tricky parts,” St. John said. American Casting Company's expansion could have rather been relocation to another city. Carson City Nevada went hard after the company to move their operations across state lines to the Silver State. Even though Nevada has no state income tax, and in general operating costs are lower there, American Casting Company decided to stay in Hollister. Carson City's loss is Hollister's gain. “We are choosing to stay, we want to keep our key cadre of employees,“ St. John said. “We’re investing in the area, and we’re spending millions on the new setup.” American Casting Company starts all employees

CUSTOM CUT Worker at American Casting creates one of many customized products at Hollister foundry. at over $15 per hour with medical benefits and profitsharing perks. The company spends 25 percent of its profits on its profit-sharing program. It spends another 40 percent on taxes, one of the reasons they considered moving out of state. Another benefit that would certainly not be wasted on football fans is that American Casting Company closes on weekends. “We’re not afraid to put people in overtime, they can work as much as they want to work, but we don’t work weekends,” St. John said. “I don’t believe in it. I

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just don’t’ think that’s how you grow a business. You need to give people time to be with their family.” The rest of the week, American Casting Company runs on all gears 24 hours a day, producing between 500 and 1,000 parts a day. The pieces, depending on the size and complexities of design, cost consumers anywhere between $10 and $2,500. American Casting Company started in Gilroy in the 1970s as a one-man operation. In 1999, then in Hollister, the company embraced technology and it’s been expanding under its current

leadership, President John Reed and St. John. “In the early 2000s we started getting into servicing the electronics market,” St. John said. “We came up with a few innovative concepts, and we came up with ways to cut out secondary processes. We made some really aggressive moves and invested in different technologies. We invested in 3D printing and vacuum melting superalloys.” When American Casting Company receives a custom-made order, like pieces used for knee replacement implants, each piece is

medically designed to fit the customer. All knees are different, so the parts need to be precise to fit the patient. “We have 11 3D printers that run 24 hours a day,” St. John said. “They’re not toys. We spend over $1 million running them.” Through a series of steps, from creating wax patterns, casting and finishing (a full explanation of the process can is at americancastingco.com), the part is ready for inspection and shipping. Minor defects, as small a few millimeters, are automatically rejected for medical products.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

2035: A blueprint for the future San Benito County initiated the General Plan update process in 2007 and concluded the process with the adoption of the 2035 General Plan by the Board of Supervisors in 2015. Here are excerpts:

21-point Plan:

1. Encourage new growth in existing unincorporated communities, new communities, or clustered developments in order to preserve prime farmland and rangeland, protect natural habitats, and reduce the financial, social, and environmental impacts of urban sprawl. 2. Ensure that there is a mix of residential, commercial, employment, park, open space, school, and public land uses in order to create a sense of place by supporting condensed, pedestrian accessible, and transit-oriented development. 3. Promote higher residential densities in existing unincorporated urban areas and new communities while encouraging mixed-use development. 4. Ensure new development complements and preserve the unique character and beauty of San Benito County. 5. Establish defined boundaries to separate cities and unincorporated communities from prime agricultural land and important natural resources.

Barry Holtzclaw

At pace with the changing world, but still rural in nature, our vision of San Benito County in 2035 is of a positive and prosperous future, in which balance has been attained between business and residential growth without surrendering our rich natural resources, valuable agricultural assets, active country character, or our historic heritage. Neighborhoods, parks and public lands, business districts, and job centers are linked to one another by a sensibly-sized, well-maintained transportation network, suitable for foot, bicycle, auto, bus, or sometimes horse. Connection to distant destinations is readily available by auto, bus, train, or plane, or by way of enhanced virtual telecommunications. Established local businesses, not just the buildings they inhabit, are understood to be important foundations to thriving prosperous downtowns. To ensure continued relevance of the downtowns, infill development containing compatible enterprises is supported. Visitors find ample retail and dining prospects, welcoming accommodations, and unmatched outdoor recreational opportunities. The county continues to widen the spectrum of business and industry, enhanced educational opportunities, and broadened leisure time activities available for

a population that is diverse in age, culture, education, and lifestyle. People are afforded the facilities needed for healthy lives. Environmentally-sustainable technologies are embraced, and businesses of any size are encouraged to put down roots here, hire local talent, and grow in the rich soil, clean water, beautiful climate, and rural atmosphere of San Benito County.

COUNTY OFFICES San Benito County administration building on Fourth Street in Hollister. 6.Ensure a full range of housing options are available to accommodate residents of all income levels and life situations. 7. Balance housing growth with employment growth in order to provide local, affordable housing choices so people can live and work in the county. 8. Ensure that agriculture and agriculture-related industries remain a major economic sector by protecting productive agriculture lands and industries, promoting new and profitable agricultural sectors, and supporting new technologies 9. Encourage agriculture that is locally produced,

profitable, and attracts related businesses. 10. Expand and diversify the local economy by supporting businesses, supporting jobs for the diverse population, and capitalizing on the county’s natural and human resources 11. Support existing and establish new local businesses that are based on industries that are innovative, technologybased, and sustainable 12. Support programs that educate the local workforce on conventional, productive, sustainable, and organic agriculture concepts 13. Support the county’s growing tourism

industry transportation and infrastructure. 14. Encourage future growth near existing transportation networks such as the major roadways, state highways, airports, rail corridors, and other major transportation routes. 15. Encourage future growth near available water and sewer infrastructure to ensure improvements are economically feasible. 16. Encourage future growth that can be supported by adequate, long-term access to water, sewer, electric, gas, and other utilities. natural resource protection. 17. Protect natural resources

and open space areas from incompatible uses. 18. Preserve the county’s environmental quality and diverse natural habitats health and sustainability 19. Encourage a healthy living environment that includes walkable neighborhoods, access to recreation and open space, healthy foods, medical services, and public transit. 20. Become a leader in the efficient use of resources, including renewable energy, water, and land health and sustainability. 21. Coordinate County planning efforts with those of the City of Hollister and the City of San Juan Bautista.

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File Photo

SPEEDING BULLET Artist’s conception of how the proposed high-speed rail would look speeding through Morgan Hill.

High-speed rail to shape city future HALF-HOUR COMMUTE FROM GILROY TO SAN JOSE COULD EASE SAN BENITO COMMUTE Jaqueline McCool Reporter

It’s a sight that half of Hollister’s working adults know all too well: sitting in hours of traffic to get to jobs in Silicon Valley and then commuting hours home. While infrastructure projects within the county work to alleviate the congestion, it won’t be long before there will be another alternative. By 2030 the Silicon Valley to Central Valley line of the high-speed rail is to be

completed, giving Hollister residents a car-free way of heading north from GIlroy. A GIlroy high-speed rail station, plus renewed possibilities of extending Caltrain south to Hollister would offfer options to access a 25-minute commute from Gilroy to San Jose. The San Benito County Council of Governments, the regional transportation planning agency, has pledged $150,000 to study possible rail routes connecting Hollister to new or existing rail lines. Boris Lipkin, Northern California regional director for the High-Speed Rail Authority, described the stop that will be located in Gilroy as, “a hub for South County.” He believes it will be an opportunity to open

up the South County to more economic opportunities located in Silicon Valley. With less than a halfhour train ride into San Jose, Lipkin said the highspeed rail service will be “very different” than any train service available today. In 2008, California voters passed proposition 1A, which gave $9.95 billion of general obligation bonds to be used to build the high-speed rail system in California. Several areas have already broken ground, beginning construction on the ‘valley-tovalley’ leg of the project. The first phase of the line will run from Bakersfield to San Francisco, the Central Valley to Silicon Valley, and will be completed by 2029.

Lipkin said the key to high-speed rail is leveraging electrified tracks to create a web of trains that run throughout California. There is renewed interest in extending a Caltrain line into Hollister, which is the type of extension Lipkin said the rail authority had hoped for. He said the major question on the rail authority’s mind has been, “how do we take best advantage” when it comes to utilizing existing rail lines— which is how the “mixed use” plans would come into play. Although there will be no stop in Morgan Hill, the rail authority hopes electrifying the tracks to run the high-speed train in the Union Pacific Corridor

will give Caltrain more stops and benefit Morgan Hill commuters to and from Morgan Hill. The rail authority’s 2018 business plan estimated the economic impact of the valley to valley line stating,” A forward looking analysis shows that a completed Silicon Valley to Central Valley Line will support nearly 240,000 job years of employment and nearly $50 billion in economic activity over the lifetime of the line’s construction.” It seems the future is coming more quickly than anyone hadanticipated. Despite years of construction, the highspeed rail planners say that in under 10 years a quick commute to and

from California’s cities will be a reality. “With high-speed rail, a trip from as far south as Bakersfield and other key locations in the Central Valley to the San Francisco Bay Area will take two hours or less, and it will be the same every time no matter how congested the roads or how bad the weather,” wrote the rail authority. Lipkin sees high-speed rail as a game changer for cities and economies throughout California. He thinks it will be a sustainable and long-term solution to California traffic and ever-lengthening commute times into the tech-hubs of the state. “High-speed rail is the future of how we’re going to get around in California,” predicted Lipkin.

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Vision for Development for Hollister for any development requiring new service connections. The moratorium will not be lifted until improvements for increasing capacity are completed.

Hollister General Plan Goals

1. Encourage pedestrianfriendly, mixed-use development downtown 2. Provide core services in every neighborhood 3. Encourage multiple modes of transportation 4. Provide a range of housing styles and affordability levels 5. Provide for an environment that encourages healthy living 6. Promote economic and environmental sustainability

Primary Strategies

• Attract and maintin a diverse mix of land uses downtown. • Create an appealing physical environment for living, working and shopping downtown. • Promote affordable housing and special-needs housing development. • Encourage development of a diverse range of housing styles. • Establish design standards and project review to foster diverse housing types. • Create and improve natural open spaces for public use. • Strengthen physical infrastructure connections throughout all neighborhoods. • Provide access to social and community services from neighorhoods. • Where appropriate, protect and preserve

Barry Holtzclaw

This General Plan is a statement of fundamental values and shared vision for future development of the City of Hollister. Its purpose is to direct and coordinate future planning decisions. It also describes the desired character and quality of development, and the process for how development should proceed. The plan was adopted in 2005. As the City of Hollister faces continuing development pressure, it must strive to preserve its historical and rural character and traditions while rising to new opportunities and challenges. The General Plan is a tool for protecting Hollister's past while guiding its future development. The General Plan encapsulates the current state of the City and presents a vision for the next twenty years of development [through 2025]. While agriculture continues to be the predominant economic activity in the county, development pressure is changing the rural character of the area. Due to Hollister's proximity to regional job markets, many of Hollister's employed residents commute to jobs outside the city. San Benito County was the fastest-growing county in California during the 1990's, with the majority of that growth concentrated in Hollister. This new development has resulted in the loss of agricultural land and has created severe constraints upon the City's infrastructure. Primary commuter roadways, such as Highway 25, have become congested and more hazardous. Wastewater capacity issues have resulted in a moratorium

DOWNTOWN PLANS The Hollister General Plan aims to “create an appealing physical

environment for living, working and shopping downtown.”

• • •

•

natural resources from development. Create environmentally sustainable design and development. Develop a strong and diverse economic development framework. Support bike- and pedestrian-oriented development and circulation systems. Create a supportive environment for transit use.

Retail Development Strategy

The General Plan’s Land Use Plan is designed to provide a high level of flexibility for future commercial development projects. New

land use categories, such as Mixed-Use and Home Office, allow a range of commercial projects to develop throughout Hollister without mandating specific uses so that individual projects are free to meet the market demand of the City and its unique neighborhoods at the time of development. In addition to this flexibility, the General Plan identifies prime locations for new development to occur. By distributing different types of retail development opportunities throughout Hollister, the General Plan seeks to promote accessible and diverse retails districts that

complement, rather than compete with, each other. Other incentive techniques Hollister can undertake include the reduction or elimination of development fees associated with construction projects in infill areas. The City can provide credits, fee waivers, or fee deferments on exactions such as water and sewer fees, construction and building permit fees, etc., on projects in priority areas. Hollister may adopt a policy to defer or adjust sales and/or property taxes in specific districts. For example the City could explore the possibility of exempting from sales tax the purchase

of building materials for infill development projects and investigate the legal and financial implications of freezing property taxes at the year 2004 (or at the level at the time of development) for parcels that are underutilized or blighted, or any developments that place housing above restaurants or retail in infill areas. Hollister can adjust its land use policies, and zoning and development standards to provide developers with greater potential financial returns in exchange for tackling high priority development projects which otherwise might prove too risky.

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40+ YEARS

E optometry Group 18181 Butterfiled Blvd., Ste. 150, Morgan Hill 408.779.2000; eoptometry.com 34 YEARS

Physician’s Skin Solutions 15585 Monterey Road B, Morgan Hill 408.778.4684 physiciansskinsolusions.com 19 YEARS

17500 Depot Street, Morgan Hill 408.963.0120 morganhilltimes.com 124 YEARS

Ernie’s Plumbing

The Grannary

7411 Railroad Street, Gilroy 408.847.3274; erniesplumbinginc.com

17500 Depot Street, Morgan Hill 408.779.6686; morganhillgranary.com

41 YEARS

Porcella’s Musical Instrument, Repairs and Accessories 7357 Monterey Street, Gilroy 408.842.3712 porcellasmusic.com 120 YEARS

Professional Property Management 339 Seventh Street, Hollister 831.637.9273 professionalpropertymgt.com

Accurate Printing & Promotions Inc. Gilroy, CA 408.842.6323; accurateprintpro.com danielle@accurateprintpro.com 33 YEARS

15 YEARS

5+ YEARS

41 YEARS

The Ford Store Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital 911 Sunset Drive, Hollister 831.637.5711 hazelhawkins.com 111 YEARS

Country Automotive 16880 Joleen Way, Morgan Hill 408.779.5938 countryautomotiveonline.com

PO Box 1265, Morgan Hill 408.847.8197

17045 Condit Road, Morgan Hill 408.782.8201 fordstoremorganhill.com 14 YEARS

31 YEARS

40 YEARS

Morgan Hill Cellars

Mount Madonna School

1645 San Pedro Avenue, Morgan Hill 408.779.7389 morganhillcellares.com

491 Summit Road, Mount Madonna 408.847.2717; mountmadonnaschool.org

105 YEARS

Custom One

Ace Hardware - Hollister

Johnson Garden Center

1725 Airline Hwy, Hollister 831.634.1590; acehardware.com

520 Tennant Avenue, Ste. C, Morgan Hill 408.779.7171; johnson-lumber.com

21 YEARS

12 YEARS

40 YEARS

Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home 870 San Benito Street, Hollister 831.637.3757 grunnagle.com 100 YEARS

Heinzen Manufacturing

Rianda Air Inc.

405 Mayock Rd., Gilroy 408.842.7233

703 McCray street, Hollister 831.636.3767; riandaair.isoars.com

40 YEARS

20 YEARS

Silva Custom Construction, Inc. 45 W. 1st Street, Morgan Hill 408.612.4888; silvacc.com 10 YEARS

1919 - 2019

Gavilan College

Rosso’s Furniture

5055 Santa Teresa Blvd., Gilroy 408.848.4800 gavilan.edu/

6881 Monterey Rd., Gilroy 408.842.2800; rosso.com

100 YEARS

212 Tennant Avenue, Morgan Hill 408.776.8100 40 YEARS

Weston Construction

RV Restor and Repair

17500 Depot Street, Suite 200, Morgan Hill 408.779.6686; wcconstruct.com sam@wmarchitects.com

16885 Joleen Way, Morgan Hill 408.779.1769; rvrestoreandrepair.com

20 YEARS

9 YEARS

12B

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

Highway 25 will grow with San Benito PLANS WOULD WIDEN MAIN ROUTE WITH MEASURE G Jaqueline McCool Reporter

Jaqueline McCool

Long lines of cars and trucks—northbound in the morning and southbound in the evening—that’s the reality for thousands of commuters on Highway 25, waiting behind a row of trucks before finally turning onto US-101. But the lines of traffic on that 12-mile stretch of twolane road will soon be a distant memory. If all goes as planned —San Benito voters approve Measure G in November and the county continues to receive federal and state funding, Highway 25 will become a four-lane expressway. Voters will decide the fate of Measure G this November, which will put money toward the highway construction with a 1 percent sales tax in addition to already existing sales tax rates countywide. If Measure G passes, work on Highway 25 could begin as early as April of 2019. The sales tax on all purchases in Hollister would increase from 8.25 to 9.25 percent, from 8 to 9 percent in San Juan Bautista, and purchases in unincorporated areas from 7.25 to 8.25 percent in 2019. Mary Gilbert, executive director for the San Benito Council of Governments, said Highway 25 needs more than just additional lanes. She said creating an expressway with higher speeds and fewer

entrances and exits from residential and commercial areas will help mitigate traffic problems on the route. “An expressway controls the access,” said Gilbert. The Council of Governments is a regional transportation planning agency responsible for developing the plan for allocation of state transportation funds and coordinates social service transportation services. The council compiled a transportation safety and Investment plan in June 2018. The plan recognized the conditions of San Benito roads when compared to roads statewide, finding the pavement conditions of San Benito roads to be poor in comparison. The plan estimates the Highway 25 project will need $214 million to be completed and states that all federal and state funding will be matched by the county. Gilbert said that developers who create new residences within the county are required to pay a traffic mitigation fee that will go to creating the expressway. The need for Highway 25 to be widened comes from an increasing number of San Benito homes and those commuting out of the county daily for work. Gilbert said this problem will only continue to develop as the county is expected to grow. The highway widening comes in preparation for what she says will be a much bigger population in 2040. She said transportation

APPROACHING GRIDLOCK More people and more commuters clog Highway 25,

the only route connecting Hollister to Santa Clara County jobs. planners expect the population of San Benito County will grow to 69,000 by 2030 and 72,000 by 2035, from its current estimated population of nearly 58,000. Gilbert said that as construction approaches, community members will continue to be consulted about the process. The days of

waiting in streams of traffic could be gone in as few as five to seven years after Measure G begins to be collected, if everything works out the way the transportation council hopes. Jaime De La Cruz,council vice chair, has previously called the work on Highway 25 a “dire need,” and expressed

concern over the safety of commuters using the route to get into San Jose. The tax to update Highway 25 is estimated to collect $16 million annually in revenue. With Measure G on the ballot this year, Gilbert expressed concern if it doesn’t pass. She said the county would have to re-evaluate how it would

complete the project and match state and federal funds, if it failed. A study found that a majority of San Benito residents is in favor of a sales tax if it meant fixing Highway 25. De La Cruz has said, “If [the tax] doesn’t happen this election, we’ll be in deep trouble down the road.”

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

13B

14B

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

Merry Cherry fruit stands have variety TWO SISTERS PRESERVING TOGNETTI FRUIT STAND TRADITIONS Scott Forstner Reporter

Submitted

The Tognetti sisters, Andrea and Nancy, always loved being on the family ranch with their parents and brothers, playing in the fields and on the tractors. Throughout childhood and into their high school years, they even helped out with the family’s Merry Cherry fruit stands. But as they entered adulthood, both had different career paths in mind. For Andrea, it was teaching. She earned her teaching credential from San Jose State University and is in her 25th year at Rod Kelley Elementary School in Gilroy. For Nancy, it was dentistry. She earned her degree from Cabrillo College and has been a dental hygienist for 30 years, currently working at Eric Nagareda, DDS in Gilroy. But the two sisters never strayed too far from home and, although well-established in their chosen professions, the two sisters jumped at an opportunity offered to them by their younger brother Gary to take over one of the Merry Cherry fruit stands. “It was always fun when we were kids,” said the now 52-year-old Nancy (Tognetti) Soto who recalled fond memories of hanging out with her grandmother at the stand. “I just like being out here, talking to the customers. I love fruit and I love baking.” So, in 2011, the two

Tognetti sisters took over the Merry Cherry stand behind the Gilroy outlets while their brother Gary took ownership of another Merry Cherry stand on the outskirts of town heading east on Highway 152. Nancy and Andrea now manage their Merry Cherry fruit run the Market 25 fruit stand on Highway 25 north of Hollister. “For the first couple of years, it was just us two sisters only out here,” said the now 50-year-old Andrea (Tognetti) Castro. “I love being outside and it just felt good to come back to your roots.” The Merry Cherry business began in May of 1972, the year Gary was born, as the sisters tell it. Their mother Carolyn Tognetti and grandma Mary Tognetti opened the first stand outside the grandparents’ house on old Monterey Road. They partnered with a nearby and now Christopher Ranch farmer, Don Christopher. Carolyn would run the stand in the mornings and Mary in the afternoons, switching off as to who would take care of the four children, Nancy, Andrea, Gary and Tony. Carolyn’s husband, Ed Jr., and his father, Ed Sr., were local farmers who later on down the road formed B&T Farms in Gilroy, where today they grow mostly tomatoes, peppers, corn and, yes, cherries on parcels throughout Gilroy and South County. Once the freeway opened up through the region, the Merry Cherry stand moved next to Highway 101 south in Gilroy. Soon after, they moved it again to the corner of Castro Valley Road and Highway 101 and yet again

COLORFUL BOUNTY All kinds of local fruits, preserved and fresh, are on display at Gilroy and Hollister fruit stands. across the highway where Garlic World stands when diverting off Highway 25 to 101. At that time, the Merry Cherry stand was absorbed into Garlic World, which was run in part by the Tognettis. “All we did in the summer was work in the fruit stand and then at Garlic World,” said Andrea, who graduated from Gilroy High School in 1986, three years after her sister Nancy. “Our friends worked with us as well.” Nancy added: “We had lots of fun doing it, although if anybody called in sick we had to come in to work.” However, after several years passed, Carolyn (the girls’ mom), stepped away from the fruit stand at Garlic World and leased it out.

Wanting to rejuvenate the Merry Cherry business, Gary decided to re-open the stand behind the outlets and a second one on 152. Shortly thereafter, he asked his sisters if they wanted to take one over and they immediately obliged. “We all work together,” Andrea explained. “He gets the produce and then we get it from him and bring it here to sell.” Every weekend from April through Labor Day instead of sleeping in and relaxing at their homesteads, the two Tognetti sisters go out and open the stand, luring in customers, new and old, with fresh stone fruit, vegetables, and a secret weapon

of garlic ice cream. They now have a staff that works the stand during the week as well. (They are opened daily from 10am-7pm on weekends and noon-6pm on weekdays.) “The best thing is the return customers,” Andrea said. “Now we have a following. They are always asking, ‘when are you going to open?’” Behind the stand is one of the fields where the family grew garlic back when they were growing up. The sisters smiled as they recalled going out in the field with friends and topping the garlic, which their dad would graciously pay them for. Today, their own children come out and help

at the Merry Cherry fruit stand just like they did when they were children. Andrea has two children: 21-year-old Lauren and 18-year-old Andrew (who helps his grandpa with irrigation pipe in the fields, she shared). Nancy has four children: Matthew, 26; Michelle, 24; Michael, 21; and Mark, 19. And if an employee calls in sick or can’t make it to work, “we do what our mom did” and have one of their children come in to fill in the hours at the stand. “Michael wants to go into farming. He’s studying ag at Chico State and plans to come back (and work on the family farm),” Nancy shared.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

15B

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

South Valley Civic Theatre production of

THE MAGIC IS BACK...WITH EVEN MORE BOO!

Sept. 21 – Oct.20 Friday

Saturday*

7:30 pm

3:30 pm

Saturday 7:30 pm

Sunday 2:30 pm

Sept 21

Sept 22

Oct 05

Oct 06

Oct 07

Oct 13

Oct 14

Oct 13

Oct 12

Oct 20

Oct 19

*Oct 13th @ 3:30 will be a sensory & young child friendly performance

Adult $25

Senior $20

Youth $16

Gardens@Night Halloween at Gilroy Gardens Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings Now through October 28 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Discover spooky-but-not-too-scary fun for the whole family! Dance along with The Great Big Boo! live show, hop aboard the Boo Train and other rides, or trick or treat along the Boo Trail. Admission is FREE for season pass holders or may be purchased separately.

www.svct.org

Resident Company of the Morgan Hill Playhouse 5th and Monterey Streets

Fall Harvest is In!

Saturdays, 9AM - 1PM

Year-Round, Rain or Shine! Facebook.com/MHfarmersmkt

Buy this season’s bounty direct from local farmers to taste the freshest hand-picked heirloom fruits and vegetables.

1-800-806-FARM

gilroygardens.org/gardens@night

CAFarmersMkts.com

8 OFF

GENERAL ADMISSION

Present this coupon at any open ticket window at Gilroy Gardens and save $8 off each adult general admission (ages 3 & up), up to six (6) people. Valid for general admission only, which includes use of all shows, and attractions in operation on day of use except pay events and pay-per-play attractions. Coupon valid 9/21/18 – 10/28/18 during public night-time operating hours only. Not valid on park company rentals or special events, including but not limited to daytime operating hours and events. Not valid with any other offer, discount, coupon, or promotion. Call (408) 840-7100 or visit www.gilroygardens.org to conrm operating dates and hours as they are subject to change. ©2018 Gilroy Gardens, Inc. A 501(c)(3) Nonprot Corporation Created & Built by Michael Bonfante. PLU 7580619

16B

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

File Photo

BOUNTIFUL HARVEST Casa de Fruta is a regional food attraction that is national recognized.

Casa de Fruta recognized MIXED BERRY PIE GARNERS RECOGNITION Staff report

In a recent article on “Some of the Most Delicious Places for Pie in All 50 States,” USA Today honored Casa de Fruta Orchard Resort in Hollister

as having the best pie in California. The article highlighted Casa de Fruta’s Mixed Berry Pie, which it says was “positively loaded down with fruit,” featuring “big and sweet” berries. Casa de Fruta’s pies are served by the slice in the Casa de Fruta Restaurant (10021 Pacheco Pass Highway), which is open

24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whole pies can also be purchased to take home. “We’re very proud of our pies, which are packed with delicious fruit fresh from farms and orchards that have been in our family for more than 100 years,” said Casa de Fruta co-owner Gene Zanger. “It’s a great

honor to be recognized by USA Today as being the best in California. We encourage visitors to stop by and try a slice.” Casa de Fruta is a true American success story that blossomed from the roots of an immigrant Italian family. Since 1908, when the original ancestors planted the first orchards in the Pacheco Valley, Casa

de Fruta has grown into a diversified operation encompassing a variety of business ventures. In the 1940’s, three teenaged brothers, George, Joseph and Eugene Zanger, opened a cherry stand on the Pacheco Pass Highway. Encouraged by their mother, Clara Bisceglia Zanger, the young entrepreneurs expanded

their operation into what is now a bustling roadside resort that welcomes over 2 million visitors each year. The families of Joseph and Eugene Zanger continue to operate this California landmark destination, which includes a restaurant, hotel, RV park, produce stand, sweet shop, wine tasting room, rides, and other attractions.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

Visit us at the Taste of Morgan Hill!

• • • • •

Preschool – 12th grade

CAIS & WASC accredited Nonsectarian Independent, nonprofit school 355-acre campus among a redwood forest and hilltop meadows • Bus transportation available • Now enrolling!

408-847-2717 / MountMadonnaSchool.org

Holiday Advertising Programs Reach the local communities in the Gilroy Dispatch, Morgan Hill Times and Hollister Freelance newspapers with 33,400 Friday home delivery. Schedule all your holiday advertising at one time. Run 4 Friday dates in Oct. Nov & Dec for one low price! 1, 2 or 3 newspaper buys… your choice. You can add in a digital website or newsletter ad to any advertising package!

CONTACT

advertising@newsvmedia.com or 408.842.6400

17B

18B

PRIDE & PROGRESS 2018

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

Admission to the Gallery & Receptions are always free!

Shop unique at the Artisans’ Corner Tues-Fri 2-5pm • Sat 11am-2pm

Photography Exhibit Limelight Show: ‘It’s Only a Play’ Dia de los Muertos Holiday Boutique Limelight Show: ‘Mom’s Gift’ Fundraising Exhibit for Center

Aug. 4-Sept. 29 Sept. 7-29 Oct. 14-Nov. 3 Nov. 9-11 Nov. 16-Dec. 8 Nov. 17-Dec. 16

Nov. 9 3-7pm Nov. 10 11am-4pm Nov. 11 11am-1pm

7341 Monterey Street 408.842.6999 GilroyCenterForTheArts.com