New telemedicine service available for pet care

The East Bay SPCA has launched a telemedicine service available to all California residents that provides a variety of services, including consultations and access to certain prescriptions.

Appointments can be made for prescriptions for preventative treatments such as flea, tick and heartworm medications, as well as special medications for holidays or stressful events. For pets adopted from East Bay SPCA who had prescriptions, these can be renewed with a telehealth appointment.

Consultations can be scheduled for anxious pets prior to an in-person veterinary visit. In addition, consultations can be scheduled for pets enrolled in the East Bay SPCA’s education service who require anti-anxiety medication.

The telemedicine service is operated by the Oakland-based Theodore B. Travers Family Veterinary Clinic.

Kristen Beitzel, vice president of medical services at the East Bay SPCA, said in a statement that the service has already helped reduce stress among pets and their owners who have used it.

“Thanks to our new telemedicine program, we have been able to improve access to care and reduce the anxiety and stress that pets and their owners feel when visiting a veterinary clinic,” Beitzel said.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday. The patient must be located in California at the time of the appointment.

To schedule an appointment, call 510.569.1606. More information is available online at eastbayspca.org.

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Union Road will be closed on August 15

Caltrans will temporarily close a short section of Union Road between San Juan Hollister Road and State Route 156 in Hollister for up to eight weeks. The closure is expected to begin at 7 p.m. on August 15, according to a news release from the California Department of Transportation.

The closure is necessary to rebuild the intersection of Union Road and SR 156, align it with the new SR 156 widening project, and improve access to and from the highway. During the closure, traffic must be detoured via San Juan Hollister Road to access SR 156.

To assist the community during the Union Road closure, Caltrans and the Council of San Benito County Governments (SBCOG) have created a series of detour and traffic guidance maps in English and Spanish. The detour maps are available on the SBCOG website at https://sanbenitocog.org/transportation-updates.

Caltrans added that temporary portable signs would be placed in front of the intersection to alert commuters of the planned closure and detour.

Following the reopening of Union Road, Mitchell Road north of SR 156 will also be temporarily closed to allow for further intersection improvements and repaving of the old highway into an access road.

Caltrans will provide additional information on these milestones and work in late summer.

Call to artists

The San Benito County Arts Council this week issued a call for artists for its upcoming fall exhibition, “Soul Searching: An Exploration of Portrait Art.” The goal of the exhibition is to showcase the diverse and dynamic portrait work of local and regional artists in all media, according to a press release from the Arts Council.

Soul Searching invites artists to delve into the depths of portraiture and explore the myriad ways in which faces and figures can convey stories, emotions and identities. Whether through painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media or any other form of artistic expression, the Arts Council is looking for works that reflect the diversity of local creative communities, the press release states.

The exhibition will be on view at the Art Depot, 35 Fifth Street (in the historic train station in downtown Hollister) from September 27 through November 1. An opening reception is planned for October 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The call for artist submissions is open to all local and regional artists working in any medium. Artists of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome to apply. The deadline for applications is August 30th at 5pm.

Submissions will be reviewed by the Arts Council’s Trustees and selected artists will be notified by 6 September.
Artists are invited to submit their works electronically through an online submission form at www.sanbenitoarts.org.
For further information about the exhibition or the submission process, please contact (email protected).

Cool in the parks

The water features at Valley View and McCarthy Parks in Hollister are now operating daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through September 29.

Hollister Concerts

This year’s Hollister concert series honors music legends with top-notch tribute bands and opens up sponsorship opportunities for local businesses looking to increase their visibility and connect with the community.

The schedule for the 2024 summer concert series includes:

• August 24: The Long Run, Eagles Tribute and Ronstadt Revival, Linda Ronstadt Tribute

• September 14th: Bonfire, ACDC Tribute and Hurricane, Scorpions Tribute

The concerts will take place at Guerra Cellars Winery, Pepper Tree Ranch, 500 John Smith Road in Hollister.

Doors open every evening at 5pm and the show runs from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

For more information, visit www.hollisterconcerts.com or contact Guerra Cellars Winery.

Gilroy Rodeo

The Gilroy Rodeo returns August 9-11 at 2365 Dunlap Ave. For more information, visit gilroyrodeo.com.

School receives accreditation

Mount Madonna School announced this week that the California Association of Independent Schools, the Accrediting Commission for Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges have granted MMS seven-year accreditation with a mid-cycle visit.

“This achievement reflects the school’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of educational excellence, continuous improvement and dedication to the success of our students,” said Ann Goewert, Mount Madonna’s principal, in a press release. “This full accreditation is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our students, parents, faculty, staff, administration, board and trustees in upholding the mission and values ​​of Mount Madonna School.”

CAIS and ASC WASC establish a set of educational and operational standards for the pursuit of excellence in primary and secondary education against which private and independent day schools are measured. Therefore, accreditation by CAIS and ASC WASC is a recognition of the quality of education at Mount Madonna School, the press release said.

As part of their commitment to continuous improvement, the Trustees, Board of Directors, and members of the Mount Madonna School administration are developing a Future Planning document. The document outlines institutional efforts to implement the key recommendations of the Accrediting Institute Visitation Committee so that MMS is prepared for the mid-cycle visit.

The mid-cycle visit, according to Mount Madonna School, is designed to ensure that MMS stays on track and pursues its goals of educational excellence and continuous improvement to meet the rigorous standards of CAIS and ASC WASC.