Got an email note from the Santa Clara Valley Water District this week. Didn’t have a clue that it was “Groundwater Awareness Week.” But, hey, there’s a week for everything and the “press release people” have a magnificent dream that the press will turn into “sheeple” and write stories on the “topic of the week” every time they send out a “Baaaa release.” Here’s what I know. If the water district were truly concerned about groundwater and such, they would have appointed Gilroy farmer Ralph Santos to the water board to replace the seat vacated when Don Gage won our mayorship, not former Morgan Hill mayor Dennis Kennedy. No offense DK, but there’s not a single farmer on the board and there are plenty of politicians.
Funny papal political note from my friend Bruce: “Not making this up. A good friend from work is really into college hoops and really Catholic. He told me last night that he is in a pool for who will be the next pope, brackets and all. The name? The Sweet Sistine.”
When our sports guys get the brackets ready, my pick to go all the way this year is Gonzaga. Love the NCAA basketball tournament even though I barely follow college hoops and even less barely follow the NBA. There’s something magical about reading the team leaves and seeing all the down-to-the-wire games. Think the Zags have it this year, but, like all NCAA picks, it’s just a hunch blowin’ in the wind.
The wind is blowing through the doors once again at a downtown coffee shop, so go meet the owner, Yolanda, at 5th Street Coffee. The redecorated shop is inviting, comfortable and warm. Good taste is evident in the new decor and in the cappuccino. Every town should have a quality coffee shop downtown and 5th Street is off to a good start. All that’s missing is the friendly greeting from longtime staple barista, Miss Karen.
The Word of the Week is conflate: to combine (as two readings of a text) into a composite whole. Says Webster’s: “be careful not to conflate gossip with real news.”
It’s real news that Katherine Filice is going to be a business shark. The owner of Articulate Solutions is apparently going to be on the panel which will be listening to entrepreneurs articulate their business propositions for a downtown enterprise. Have an idea for a bakery, a deli, a boutique, a cafe or a leather shop? Bring it on, win the “Sharks Game” and receive $50,000 to jumpstart your business. Details for Downtown Business Association Board President James Suner’s idea are still being finalized, but the attention it’s bringing to downtown is marvelous. That’s exactly what Gilroy needs, creative, out-of-the box thinking to start the downtown ball rolling.
Ball is rolling for spring Passport Weekend and hopefully the weather will mirror what it’s been like this week on March 23 and 24. But be aware that Kirigin Cellars owner Dhruv Khanna has pushed for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department to increase patrols between wineries in the corridors, so plan accordingly and be aware of parking on streets.
Off the streets event is the 9th Annual Wildflower Day at Pacheco State Park on Saturday, April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Arts and crafts for children, a birding walk at 9:30 a.m. and a Nature Hike at 10 a.m. for a limited number of hikers. Plus, Los Banos-based Hot Dog Heaven will serve up the dogs at lunchtime. Sign up, bring water and enjoy. Details: www.parks.ca.gov/events.
Signing up for a government committee? Remember this adage from an unknown author: “The Ten Commandments contain 297 words, the Bill of Rights 463 words, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 266 words. A recent federal directive regulating the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words.” In an overregulation nutshell, that’s what’s wrong with our government. Imagine the little city of Morgan Hill outlining a three-year plan to update it’s General Plan that’s going to cost $1 million. Who’s going to stop this government bureaucracy insanity if it’s not residents with common sense standing up and saying repeatedly, “Why is this necessary?”
A welcome bulletin from the California Taxpayer’s Association: “Los Angeles, hardly a bastion of fiscally conservative thought, has just rejected Proposition A, a new sales tax, by a margin greater than then the one that provided Proposition 30’s victory, a flip of about 10 points. However, those who advocate fiscally responsible tax policy would be wise not to repeat the mistake made by so many on the left and assume that a single victory represents a long-term trend.”
Well, it’s a long-term trend to have a Happy Birthday day – or week – in our family, and here’s wishing Miss Jenny and our son-in-law, Steve, the happiest of happy years.
