 On The Line -- Issue 614 -- December 22, 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 614 -- December 22, 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 traditions that attend Christmas in San Benito County is the December mixer of those sponsored every month by the county Chamber of Commerce.
Each miser throughout the year is pleasant and some have been memorable. Yet, that one held on the second Wednesday of December is especially anticipated because it arrives during the midst of the holiday season, and everyone is infused with its spirit. It was held this year at the Elks' Lodge at Hollister Airport. Guests arriving at 5:30, its official starting time, remarked upon the number of vehicles already parked in the building's lot. The few days preceding it had been rainy and blustery but on Wednesday, as though Mother Nature had felt the holiday spirit, the weather had tamed, Many clouds hovered but rain had held off for that evening. David and Ravena Huboi, who arrived punctually at 5:30, got the last parking space left in front of the building, thus avoiding a long walk. They joined other guests who were being signed in by the team of Barbara Cosio and Irene Agredano. Ed Ford was there, the first time in awhile that he has made a mixer, as were his friends, Cilly Fisher and Jack and Francene Markle. Upon registering, many of the guests entered the building proper and bought raffle tickets from Jessica French and Irene Turturici. Chamber Vice President Mark Vivian greeted guests as they streamed in. He will be installed as president next month. Working beside him was Liz Sparling, executive manager, and she looked radiant. Her daughter is expected to be born about March 19. She explained that husband Ev Sparling could not be there that night. Shannon Grissom was happy to be there and talked with many people. She likes to attend the mixers but very frequently one of her many careers as artist, television personality and writer makes demands on her and she has to miss one. Robert Scattini, Hollister's most recent former mayor, had arrived early as is his habit and many friends were attracted to his table. They included, among others, Richard Place, Glen and Jean Koehl, Jack Hance and Jaime De La Cruz. The Hubois joined them, and Ruth Erickson was also there, and the conversation went around and round. Most people lost no time in going to one of several buffet tables. There were several varieties of cheese, miniature meatballs, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, crackers with dips and an excellent entrée of steak cut into bite-size pieces in a very tasty gravy. Coffee was available and wine was, too. Most guests made separate trips to the food and the wine but a few deft people balanced a food-laden dish while carrying a glass of wine in the other hand. No significant spillage was reported. It would not be a real mixer without the presence of Jim and Shirley Horn, and they were there. They and old friends Helen McAbee and Ron and Diane Rodrigues found much to talk about even though it has been no time at all since they last saw each other. You cannot miss Dee Hone, whose love of life is vibrant. She was passing a table when she asked what everyone was talking about. "The DHAS is meeting," she was told. "What do those letters stand for?" she inquired. When told that they signified the Dee Hone Admiration Society, she shrieked in delight. More than the usual number of people congregated around Ed and Michele Stephenson. When a friend asked why, he replied: "Michele's been named the Chamber's Woman of the Year." Will Sutton, who also was getting many congratulations, had been named its Man of the Year. They will be honored at the dinner/dance in January. Jim West received congratulations from a number of friends for recently being named to the Chamber's board. He is a man deeply involved with life and gives his best efforts to any project in which he has a part. It is always a pleasure to see Wolfgang and Ingrid Leitenberger and their usual merriment took on an added dimension as Christmas neared. Their native Germany, the land where Christmas was invented, is far from their Hollister home but they have not lost the spirit. Jim and Gayle Sleznick laughed with many friends. They did not attend the November mixer as they were at Yosemite Park where she executed a number of paintings. He was the Chamber's previous Man of the Year. Jim West accepted congratulations from friends for being named to the Chamber board of directors. West is a man of many involvements and gives his best efforts to whatever project is at hand. One does not often see Rich and Trish Brem at mixers any more so it was a special treat to encounter them there that evening. He remarked that Nov. 30 was also the birthday of Winston Churchill and Mark Twain, and a friend added that it was the day on which Oscar Wilde died. (Brem was going to check that). Joe Postigo excited some speculation when he arrived using a cane as an aid to walking. It turned out that a ski trip went wrong and he took a nasty fall. "It could have been worse, though,: he said. "I missed a tree by inches." A waggish friend said, "You started on the right course but went downhill fast." Linda Fine and sidekick Diane Lenz made the rounds and were greeted with smiles at every table they stopped. Ms. Fine is quite a historian and can tell you arcane items of 20th Century lore. Elizabeth Gage had smiles for many friends as she circulated during the evening. She also has many interesting facts at her fingertips but it is her pleasant personality that captivates people. The mixer was all that its many guests had anticipated, and each guest left with the sense of having been at a special one. It will be among those discussed in future years when friends reminisce about the best mixers the Chamber ever held. |
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