Where to start, where to start? ... Give it up for Rob Oneto he of Ruggeri, Jensen, Azar & Associates who is also on our community pulse panel (see opposite page). When responding to this week's question, Rob went "postal" in his patented hilarious way, sending in the accompanying picture (look close) … don't worry, Rob, MayorAl is working on delivering a new P.O. which hopefully won't get lost in the shuffle.Shuffling your feet or dancing your socks off to rock 'n' roll band Shaboom at the world famous Gilroy Garlic Festival may be a thing of the past. It's all in "negotiations," we're told by Entertainment Chair "King" Kurt Chacon. Hmmm ... well, if the deal can't be done, here's an unabashed pitch for a great band, the Groove Kings, who rocked the house at Kirigin Cellars last weekend under warm, blue skies. The repertoire is deep, the vocals are solid, the horns kick it up a notch and the music is tailored to get everyone on their feet. Perfect for the festival. Dhruv Khanna, Kirigin Cellars owner, put on a good party. Clear winner in the wine tasting arena: the estate Cab followed by the Syrah.
Syrah-hurrah to Debbie Pellicione who threw my uncle, Father Dan Derry, the pastor at St. Mary's Church, a surprise 70th birthday party Saturday. Even the bishop showed up and, adding to the surprising atmosphere, didn't ask for more money. Bishop P.J. McGrath, witty as ever, delighted the crowd with his humble thanks - delivered appropriately with a subtle Irish lilt - regarding the invitation to visit the "Holy See" of Gilroy. Old family friends, and many from parishes past, gathered with family to say thanks to a man who has been around the block and earned a special place in their hearts. BTW, Dan promised to stick around another 10 years as pastor if the good bishop consents.
Did the bishop consent to the newfangled notion of confession and a pedicure? Only the bishop and Father Joe MacLean know for sure. But if you catch the gregarious visiting priest who hails from o-Canada at just the right time at the Lavender Day Spa next to Nob Hill, you just might pull off a Catholic double-double - cleansed feet and a manicured conscience.
Forgive me Father Joe, not for letting the toes out of the bag, but for my bubbling anger at the thought of the hundreds of arrogant bicycle riders on Santa Teresa Boulevard who blocked the southbound lane on their way to Gilroy from Morgan Hill Thursday afternoon. Give people a friggin' Valentine's Day break, will ya. Not everyone can be on a lovely bike ride in the middle of the day - where's the CHP handing out tickets when you need them? Let's keep Critical Mass idiocy away from South County. This type of rude, inconsiderate and arrogant behavior is so unnecessary. Duh, guys, there's a huge shoulder on the roadway - move over!
But if you're taking a bike ride down our wonderful Uvas Levee, don't stop at the new Gilroy Sports Park for a drink from the water fountains. Those freshly painted, modern green water dispensers with the hefty price tags, don't work. So the kids playing ball out there can't catch a drink. C'mon City Hall, turn 'em on or fix them.
Fixing is what the intersection of First and Church needs - specifically a left turn lane onto Church northbound when travelling east. Is this irony found by anyone else: Our city is hyper-concerned about "building green" to reduce emissions and energy use, meanwhile our traffic planning is three wheels short of a tractor. If only there were an 8th City Council seat for the press, I'd propose City Hall beef up the traffic planning and cut some fat elsewhere.
Elsewhere for Mike Wedekind has been from Gilroy to Salinas and back for a lot of years as the bus driver for the students headed to Palma and Notre Dame high schools in Salinas. But with waning interest, it appears the bus will get the axe and Mike will close out the year and that's it. Happy trails and thanks for the years of service.
Great customer service is exactly what you'll get at the two relatively new boutiques in town. CBO, owned and operated by mother and daughter combo Dot and Lauren Scott, and Nevael, owned by Jene Garcia Mitchell, are inviting, friendly and filled with stylish and tasteful fashion. So, if you have three daughters and a wife like I do, it's a godsend to shop local and come away with something chic. As an added bonus, the music playing at Dot and Lauren's place picks you up right away. Locations for the directionally challenged: CBO at 7483 Monterey St. and Neveal at 7516 Eigleberry St. And, yes, sister Jene is related to that guy from Gilroy who can throw the football, ah, Jeff someone ...
Yep, that former 49er and now Tampa Bay Buccaneer, who just finished throwing for a 117 yards and a touchdown in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu, is hosting the annual fundraiser for his Pass It On Foundation on Feb. 23 at CordeValle Resort in San Martin. Jeff's charity efforts will benefit groups like the Special Olympics Northern California, the American Cancer Society, and the El Toro Youth Center, For tickets: (310) 545-4949.
No tickets were necessary for the Debbi Sanchez support show. If you recall, she celebrated her five-year anniversary of being cancer free with a Wine and Bra decorating party. Results below, and don't forget that Debbie is chairing this year's Gilroy Relay for Life which raises money to fight cancer. Here's Debbie (far right) holding her grandson, Hayden, and the gang all decked out for a good cause and with good humor at First Street Coffee. Will Debbie's decorated wonderbras make an appearance at the Relay? Sign up and find out on June 6 and 7.
Mark Derry is the editor of the Dispatch. Reach him at editor@garlic.com
