 On The Line -- Issue 596 -- August 18, 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 596 -- August 18, 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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Among the pleasant annual traditions in Hollister is the Street Festival, put on by the Hollister Downtown Association every mid-August. From its beginning in 1986 it has featured free slices of watermelon and a display of classic cars.
This year's event was held on Saturday, Aug. 12, along the four blocks of San Benito Street between Fourth and South streets, with some of it spilling over into streets leading from them. Over the last two decades, the event has grown to include many attractions, including fun for youngsters, and a variety of foods that benefit local organizations. It also gives different groups an opportunity to demonstrate their specialties. Because it falls in mid-August it has often been presented in very hot weather. This time, however, the temperature was somewhere in the low- to mid-70s, and those attending were grateful after a torrid July and some 100-degree weather earlier in the week. Sylvia Nichols stopped for a moment and commented upon the pleasant weather, with a smile toward the sky. As an artist she especially enjoys a beautiful day, and Saturday was beautiful by any measure, Al Gutierrez, seated in front of the restaurant just north of South street, got up to talk for a minute or so. He has a keen sense of fun and several jokes passed back and forth before he resumed his seat. Tony Ruiz was making his way along the street when he stopped to discuss politics. Ruiz is a political activist and a Democrat. When told of something that had emanated from The White House the previous evening, he rolled his eyes and continued along his way. Joe Postigo detached himself from two friends to talk. Postigo has also been active in politics and seems to enjoy every aspect of life. His smile is as good as a laugh when he finds something humorous and he finds many things funny. The first thing that catches a visitor's eye is the great array of cars of many bright colors displayed on the street. All are classic and some, antique. Most have been polished and waxed and stretch from just below South Street almost all the way to Fourth. It's Hollister's answer to the Monterey Peninsula's Concours d'Elegance. Their owners are nearby, some standing next to them and others looking from the sidewalk, watching as visitors admire them. One owner, with chamois in hand, was almost too nervous; within two minutes, he cautioned several people peering in its windows, "Please don't touch it." Salvador Agredano, who had displayed an antique car several years ago and won a prize, looked on with sympathetic humor. He was not displaying this year but knew what some of the owners were feeling. In the meantime his wife, Irene Agredano, left him to talk with friends while she went from place to place along the length of the Festival. She ran into many friends and stopped to talk with each which took her longer to see everything than she had intended. An addition this year was a speedboat, beautifully maintained and bright of color. Standing near it was a child's racecar. No one knew for sure if it was a joke or if some enterprising youngster hoped for a trophy. Ray Pierce was taking photographs of a group of youngsters dressed in karate garb going through a stylized series of moves at command of an adult. "Pro bono work" Pierce said when asked why he had his camera out. Pierce and wife Peggy are in real estate ventures now although for many years he was chief photographer for The Free Lance, and took many pictures while publisher of The Sun, a weekly publication that ran several years. At the intersection of Sixth and San Benito streets, many people sat on bales of hay while a rock band played favorites of the 1950s and ?60s. Some of the listeners were also in their 50s and 60s and kept time with the music belted out. Their faces and bodies may have changed since they were teenagers but the glad appreciation in their eyes remains constant. Among them was Patricia Geronimo who, although much younger than some of the original Elvis Presley fans present, loves his music and reacts to it in the same way they do. David Huboi smiled from the Hollister Downtown Association booth where he and Jan Arnold were distributing HDA pamphlets and selling the association's tote bags and bottled water. As he talked about the events of the day, he waved at Chris and Shannon Alvarez who were passing by. He was surprised to see Charlie and Barbara Scott because they had intended to be in Hawaii then. ""Medical situation," Scott explained. Franz Schneider came by about then and looked through one of the pamphlets. He and wife Mary Schneider take an active interest in whatever is going on in their community, and have lent their support to many local causes. Brett Rowland was a few yards away at The Free Lance's booth at Fifth and San Benito streets. Rowland's byline has become familiar to local readers, and he sometimes doubles as a photographer. Claude Davidson stopped to talk for a few minutes. Davidson said he was born just a few yards away from the festival, "behind Bishop's," and shook his head a little about many changes made since his boyhood. Jim and Shirley Horn also grew up here. Together and separately they have many friends, and often stopped to talk to them. They greeted Sharlene Van Rooy as she came along, and she went over to the HDA booth to see how everything was going. Husband Frank Van Rooy showed up a little later. Ruth Erickson often seems to be everywhere simultaneously. She has been involved in so many organizations in Hollister that she knows someone wherever she goes, and she always has something positive to say. Bob Strickland was enjoying himself as he always does, and talked for a few minutes. Brother-in-law James Hodges happened along and some good-natured bantering followed. Tony Silva smiled and waved, then Jeanette Hurtado, passing in the opposite direction, spotted a mutual friend and talked with him for a moment or so before Mrs. Hurtado continued on her way. Ernie and Mary Lou Andrade were taking in the whole affair with enthusiasm. At this time last year they were recovering from injuries suffered in a multiple-vehicle accident that a hit-and-run driver caused after being consumed by road rage. One person was killed and the Andrades later said they felt lucky to be alive. Right in the middle of San Benito and Fifth, volunteers dispensed watermelon slices -- a choice of either red or yellow -- and kept busy all day. Children had a great time at a bounce house, and everyone had a wonderful time. |
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