This column was provided by San Benito County resident and amateur astronomer David Baumgartner as part of a local series on astronomy. Well, I think it’s official now.  Nether God, the Weatherman, or Mother Nature, whoever is in charge of the weather, could be considered an avid Astronomer.  If they were they wouldn’t have clouded up the most important planned evenings of the month for us. I do understand the need for adequate rainfall, especially when we have been going through such lean years of the wet stuff.  But come on, at least give us a few nights a month to dust off ou ..read more

This article was written by BenitoLink intern Alexis Castro Juarez Información disponible en español a continuación The Community FoodBank of San Benito County will host a Community Resource Fair on April 1, at 1133 San Felipe Rd. from 1-5 p.m.   Sarah Nordwick, executive director at the food bank told BenitoLink that the Community Resource Fair is for people who have been impacted by the storm, to come and receive food and beverages and learn about youth resources in the community.  “A chance for some community members who have offered some help in assisting with cleanups ..read more

Steve Loup, the county’s public works administrator, informed the board of supervisors on March 28 that individuals could go into Pacheco Creek, on an emergency basis, to clean out debris, some of which has amassed for decades. The new policy took effect Jan. 12, 2023. This is a total reversal of decades of controversial control by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) over counties and property owners’ property maintenance. Previous CDFW rules prevented them from maintaining waterways and clearing debris. Several projects in the county were adversely affected (San Juan Oaks 55 ..read more

Information provided by California Department of Fish and Wildlife In a news release on March 28 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) said the Eurasian strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, was detected in two mountain lions in Mono County in December 2022 and January 2023. While additional disease testing is being conducted to rule out the possibility of co-infections, HPAI H5N1 is suspected to be the cause of the death for both mountain lions. According to CDFW, this is the second species of wild mammal known to have contracted ..read more

With neither a budget nor a plan specifically for traffic-calming projects, the previous Hollister City Council approved over $1 million for traffic calming on two of 50 roads studied: Ladd Lane ($687,036) and Central Avenue ($536,653).  Mayor Mia Casey, who was not on the council that approved the projects, was determined to stop spending money and angering residents. Casey asked that the topic be placed on a future agenda so the council could discuss the process for developing traffic-calming measures and adopt a formal policy to help people understand the criteria and process. She said ..read more

This commentary was contributed by Gregory LaForge. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues.   You get home from work and turn on your favorite cop show.  The cops bust some poor guy, handcuff him, and ‘read him his rights’, only this time when the defendant says tha ..read more

Information provided by Gavilan College Renowned international artist, speaker, author, and “Creativity Crusader,” Simon Silva, will return to Gavilan College this Spring semester, to provide lectures and workshops at both the Gilroy Campus and Hollister Site on April 20, and an evening art exhibit at the Gilroy Campus on April 21; the latter hosted by the Gavilan Educational Foundation.  Hosted by Gavilan’s El Centro, Mr. Silva will provide the following lecture, “Nurturing Sustainable Success Through the Arts ..read more

At the March 21 San Juan Bautista City Council meeting, City Manager Don Reynolds presented a report on the flooding at Mission Farm RV Park, with photographs of the high waters and devastation. Reynolds told BenitoLink that there is still no clear reason for the flooding of the park. “It is clear it came from the unincorporated area into the city,” he said. “And why it came at that volume or that speed nobody knows. When the water comes down the canyon, some of it goes behind the homes on Main Street in the Alameda and some of that water poured out of its banks and down the Alameda to the int ..read more

PG&E announced there are three outages in San Benito County ahead of the 15th major storm event in its service area in 2023. According to PG&E’s power outage map, those areas are near the corner of Fairview and McCloskey roads, in Aromas and the corner of Nicholson and Hilltop drives. A total of five customers are without power as of 12:15 p.m. The estimated time of power restoration for the Nicholson Drive outage is March 28 at 8 p.m. No estimates are provided for the other two outages. PG&E said crews are staged and ready to respond to outages on the Central Coast today as a stro ..read more

This article was contributed by The San Benito County Arts Council.  BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues. The San Benito County Arts Council, Caltrans and the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista invite the community to the Clean California Art Show Opening Party on Saturday, April 1, 6-7:30 pm at The Art Depot, 35 Fifth Street, located in the historic train ..read more