The following organizations and individuals deserve either
CHEERS or JEERS this week:
The following organizations and individuals deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this week:
JEERS: For Shappell Corporation’s hard-line stance against the Thomas family, which has historically used water from the spring now on Shappell’s Eagle Ridge development property for three historic homes. Cutting off the water line to those homes and forcing the battle into the legal system is not only petty, it’s poor community relations. The giant homebuilding company should respect the established water rights of the Thomas family. Perhaps, as the family claims, Shappell harbors ill will because the Thomases weren’t interested in selling the land or an easement. If that’s true, Shappell ought to get over it and respect the family’s wishes. Shappell should be a good neighbor. Gilroy has been good to Shappell and the company should do likewise.
JEERS: For Mayor Tom Springer, who is knee deep in the effort to thwart the proposed Day Road site for a second high school. To state publicly that he opposes the school board’s top site selection for Gilroy’s second high school and articulate the reasons why is one thing. To manipulate, feed and tacitly lead those citizens who oppose the site is another thing. It’s exactly that type of behind-the-scenes political manipulation that has fostered a growing distrust of our city’s leader. That distrust will quickly turn into disdain unless the mayor changes course.
CHEERS: For the City Council, which has publicly acknowledged that the proposed new $26-million-plus police station is too costly a project. That’s a significant first step in dealing with a situation that threatened to spiral out of cost control. Putting a plan together for alternatives is the next step. Though going down the current road has been costly, the results would have been far worse had the Council pursued the project.
CHEERS: For the Gilroy Police Department’s Anti-Crime team, which works undercover to combat violent criminals and drug dealers. The duty can be dangerous. Cash, weapons and violence are a routine part of the drug dealer’s world as the methamphetamine bust the ACT team participated in last Friday night showed. As reporter Zeb Carabello detailed in his story last Wednesday, the GPD’s undercover work often goes unnoticed. It shouldn’t.
