While pondering 30 glorious Gilroy Garlic Festival years, we're hopeful another 30 years is possible. So much about our festival defines our community, right down to the rightful claiming of a significant share of our new community logo - "A community with a spice for life."

Our spirit shines through in the festival with Gilroyans pitching in year after year to make the event come off superbly and, with that effort, make some cash for their designated local charity or organization.

2. The festival's economic engine represents phenomenal power

It's an amazing economic engine, and Gilroy works as a team to power it up and get it done right year in and year out. So many people work very hard to improve, suggest and forge ahead. There are folks like retired city administrator Jay Baksa who's back working garbage detail for the 14th year or so. Volunteering, once you've done it, gets in your blood. Volunteering at the festival cements one's commitment to this community and makes a tangible connection to doing good work.

Four thousand plus volunteers marching to the garlic beat each year have plowed $7,919,822 - NEARLY $8 MILLION - back into our community. Think about that dollar amount.

It's an amazing figure, and it doesn't count all the hotel taxes, gas taxes, and retail sales - not to mention the enormous good will - that comes along with the festival.

3. If a few police officers would donate the money earned back to the fest ...

We would like to see the Gilroy police officers join in the volunteer effort. Safety and security costs represent one of the festival's largest expenses. If a few officers who worked the festival donated the money they earned back to the festival and made that information public, perhaps it would start a groundswell within the department so that most would join in the volunteer effort and thus reduce costs significantly.

Additionally, it's worth the Garlic Festival board taking a hard look at the entire security budget. The festival has changed from the beerfest it once was, and perhaps it's an opportune time to ratchet the expense for extra security down.

It is in good spirit that we welcome the 100,000 or so visitors to Gilroy's festival. The weather is expected to be perfect for the fest - morning fog burning off and heating up to the high 80s. Let's get our smiles on, and our hands dirty. It's festival time, and there's not a community in America that does it better than Gilroy.