Special to the NEWS
It was a sad day for the community in 2007 when Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital closed its doors in San Benito.
After a few years, the building was sold, and in April 2013, when Southwest Key Program renovated the facility to accommodate the children in residence, the Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital sign was stored, according to Lead Maintenance Director, Lionel Martinez.
Just recently, with the organization needing more space, Southwest Key began looking for someone who might want the sign. Otherwise, it would be disposed of. Sandra Tumberlinson, treasurer of the San Benito Historical Society, received a call inquiring whether the society might want the sign. Members were quickly contacted and all voted to accept it with Ben Fry volunteering to store the sign.
Within a day, Historical Society members Ben Fry and Bob Tumberlinson arrived at the former hospital and realized that it would take more then two men to load it onto Fry’s trailer. Lionel Martinez called for back-up and seven men came to the warehouse behind the main building to help. It took all seven men, some like Edgar Cantu, a P.E. teacher, and Florentino Aguilar, a lead teacher, to help the maintenance crew, including Roberto Puga, Jr., load the 12x6x2 foot sign.
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