 On The Line -- Issue 593 -- July 28, 2006  Online News and Views of Life in San Benito County with Herman Wrede Published by HollisterOnline.com -- Copyright 1995-2008 HollisterOnline.com
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On The Line -- Issue 593 -- July 28, 2006 Online News and Views of Life in San Benito County with Herman Wrede Published by HollisterOnline.com -- Copyright 1995-2008 HollisterOnline.com
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The heat wave continues to be the subject of conversation in Hollister and the surrounding area this week but mostly because it has ended after 10 or more days in which the temperature went well over the usual July temperatures, reaching as high as 109.
There used to be a pleasant myth about San Benito County that went like this: "You can get three downright hot days in a row here but it never -- never! (with the narrator raising a finger for emphasis) -- goes beyond that." It was true for the most part but an occasional summer would come along when the heat did not take a recess after the third day but continued for the fourth and sometimes the fifth and sixth. But people who grew up on myths will not surrender them. Years back at a local newspaper office, a member of the editorial staff had just told a newcomer about it. After the newcomer left, the editor said, "But look here at last year's newspapers," indicating the July temperatures of the previous year. The myth-spinner looked at them, with the top of one front page showing the 90-plus temperatures that had been recorded over five consecutive days. She stuck out her lower lip, said, "Pah!" and waved her hand dismissively. So much for logic when it comes to popular beliefs. It is sobering to think that this July may be a harbinger of all those to come. Some old-timers shake their heads and say, "These days were unusual but you've got to remember that it's July." July, yes; July with a number of 90-degree days and even a few 100s but for day after day when it tops 100, and humidity comes with it? Global warming is a phrase that more of us are starting to recognize. For more than a century, the automobile has depleted the ozone and even two decades ago, a few people were raising the alarm. "There's going to be a day of reckoning," they maintained. Most of us agreed but that day was still far in the future, perhaps 100 years or more, and it would arrive when all of us were gone. The worst-case scenario is that of people crowding the coastline to take advantage of the by-then glacial temperatures of 90 degrees. The ocean should be much closer then, with many port cities like San Francisco, Boston, New York and Miami being underwater from the melting of the ice caps. What's the answer? Will automobile travel be severely restricted by the government out of necessity for survival? Will old people, the very young and those with special health problems die in record numbers every summer? The federal government has either ignored warnings when they have been substantiated by undeniable statistics or has done little to meet the crisis. It has become an inconvenient truth -- thank you, Al Gore, for that memorable phrase. But the 35 -degree plunge of highs just a week apart was among the topics of the Farmers' Market on Wednesday, July 26. It reopened this spring in front of the Briggs' Building, its at least fifth location since it began in the 1980s. That smiling lady with the clipboard making the rounds thee every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. is Sharlene Van Rooy, who succeeded Diana Thorson, last year's manager. Mrs. Van Rooy has had a high profile of effectiveness in the county Historical Society, as county Chamber staff member and newsletter publisher, and now with Brenda Weatherly at the Hollister Downtown Association. In between talking to an applicant, with the latter's son translating her remarks into Spanish and his mother's into English, she checked in with a number of vendors to gauge sales, greeted a few first-time visitors and spoke with old friends. Mrs. Van Rooy acknowledged that attendance has been down slightly this month "but will probably pick up during August" and discussed the recent heat wave and other factors that may have entered into it. Eric Tognazzini was on hand as he often is at community events and relaxed in the shade with a cold soda, not far from Joe Aliotti's fish stand. Aliotti has spent a lifetime in catching fish in Monterey Bay and tells buyers who ask the best ways to prepare them. Many visitors gathered around the grill where Mike Mansmith was preparing tri-tip roasts and ribs, the business started by his parents, Jon and Juanita Mansmith. He has many repeat customers. One wag asked how to get good service in a beef restaurant, then supplied the answer himself: "Try tips!" He laughed a long time at his supposed wit. Paul Hain, a board member of the Farmers' Market, and Ev Sparling sold freshly picked produce from their station. It would be hard to find a pair that knows more about agricultural products than those two. It wasn't all selling food, however. Under the canopy of the county Republican Central Committee, Charlie Young and Marv Jones discuss current events with Eva Reyna. She tells them how the county used to be in the 1940s and ?50s. Pat Swank of Swank Farms dispensed a smile with every purchase, a pleasant bonus. Swank Farms has been a long-time participant of the market and absolutely guarantees the freshness of its goods. People came, went through the market, and made their purchases, most finding a friend or friends among the vendors and customers. It is a pleasant tradition, and will continue through every Wednesday in August between 3 and 7 p.m. Another tradition, but which runs only three days, is the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to attend it between July 28th and 30th. Many local residents will be among those staffing volunteer booths or among the crowd in general. Irene Agredano, who is going there with Barbara Cosio to staff a Chamber booth, said, "Thank goodness the heat wave is over for now. It's uncomfortable enough at 85 or 90, so imagine what it would be like there at 110, the way it was just a week ago." Amen. |
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