This community opinion was contributed by Mary Zanger. 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. Lea este articulo en español aquí.

We can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because when our fields of lettuce, onions and peppers are green, they must look like the green isle of Ireland.

We must carefully view the spoken brogue of those in public office because not all want to preserve our green like what happened in San Jose where green orchards and farmlands have all been covered with houses and roads.  

Many want pell-mell growth like what is happening right now. The biggest collateral catastrophe is our beloved Hazel Hawkins Hospital. Consider our hospital green, because it is the largest job provider in the county, providing green for hardworking, dedicated employees. Yet funds and fees from housing growth are insufficient to maintain our roads and to grow our hospital and encourage doctors to live here in this very desirable place in which to live.    

Wanting a good hospital would be a reason to expand a medical community that provides full medical service, including all the special categories of medical practice. Medical groups in place would remove the need to travel away for medical care and would cause our hospital to thrive. Green funds for medical groups would be like watering the growth of our hospital.

Currently, a plan researched by our SBC Board of Supervisors could be put in place to save our hospital from purchase and lease. The Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital Board will need to concur on this plan. The Hospital Board continues to favor a sale/lease plan. If a sale option is selected, that option goes to the people for a vote, because the people own the hospital and could reject a sale.

If, on the other hand, the SBC Board of Supervisors and the HHMH Board of members agree on the county plan of hospital growth, the hospital is saved.

I hope for cooperation between both boards, hospital and county, because serving the common good is the highest priority of those in public office. Serving the people weighs heavily on the shoulders of unselfish individuals who understand the need for cooperation to keep our hospital.