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Over the past week I have had to witness three sport's seasons

Gavilan College hopes to be one of 15 community colleges allowed to offer bachelor’s degrees as early as January 2015, after the California Legislature’s Aug. 20 approval of Senate Bill 850.The bill, which is awaiting the signature of Governor Jerry Brown, would establish a baccalaureate degree pilot program with 15 community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees in select workforce majors, according to a press release from the San Diego Community College District.“At this point we do not know which colleges will be participating or what the (selection) process will look like,” Gavilan spokesperson Jan Bernstein-Chargin said.California Community Colleges is the largest higher education system in the nation with 72 districts and 112 colleges, serving more than 2.6 million students, according to the CCC Registry.Chargin added that changes to the state’s master plan for higher education must be approved first, and then an implementation plan can be established for the community college system.“It’s definitely something we’re very interested in,” said Gavilan President Steve Kinsella back in February when the bill was introduced by State Senator Marty Block (D-San Diego). “I think it will happen. It needs to happen.”If approved California would join 21 other states already allowing community colleges to grant bachelor’s programs. Brown has until Sept. 30 to act on the bill. “Unlike previous bills, however, SB 850 enjoys bipartisan support and is widely touted as a way for the state to address its need to be competitive in areas of high workforce demand,” the release states.There have been four failed attempts since 2004 to pass a similar bill granting community colleges permission to offer bachelor’s degrees, according to an EdSource report. That same report says the proposal faces likely opposition from CSU, UC and even some corners of the community college system.Stipulations to SB 850 include community colleges can only offer bachelor’s degrees in areas where public universities do not offer such a program, cannot accommodate student demand, or do not have the interest. Such workforce programs include dental hygiene, radiologic technology, health information science/informatics and automotive technology.“The California pilot will allow the legislature to explore this possibility and study the results in a thorough report before making a full commitment that the other states have made,” the release reads.

Doug was born in Hollister, March 29, 1927 to Leslie and Carrie Skow, who preceded him in death. Doug passed away Wednesday morning at Mabie Southside Skilled Nursing Facility at the age of 82. He was the husband of Patricia whom he married in October, 1949. Doug and his father built the newlyweds their first home on the family ranch on Bird Creek Road (now Cienega), into which they moved after their marriage. As their family grew, so did their home, with the construction of many additions. Doug spent most of his life working as a carpenter and farming the family ranch. He graduated from the Old Union School, Hollister High and Hollister Junior College. He loved baseball and played many years on softball teams for Paine's Club and The American Legion. He managed Little League teams throughout the years his three sons played. He was active in 4-H clubs while his family was involved. During the 1968-1969 school year he worked as a teacher's aide in the Ag Department and SBHS. Doug was awarded the Farmer of the Year award by the FFA group in 1969. Doug and Pat enjoyed traveling in their R.V., traveling to such places as Mexico, Las Vegas and Calgary BC to the Calgary Stampede. They especially enjoyed traveling with friends in the Hollister RV groups to various places in California. Their favorite place was Pismo Beach. He was an avid fan of the San Francisco Giants and 49ers. Doug and Pat held season tickets for many years, allowing them to see the Super Bowl at Stanford. He was a member of the Hollister Elks for 52 years, Hollister Exchange Club for 25 years and Hollister Boosters.

Burchell Road resident Don Schneider lives within easy access of a South Santa Clara County Fire station, but he's still one of thousands of Californians getting slapped with an annual $150 “fire prevention fee.”

Federal and local authorities are warning residents about a sophisticated phone scam that has been reported in some Bay Area counties and across the nation.