As I was doing the heart-heavy job of sorting through my
mother’s belongings after she passed away, I found a thin piece of
metal the size of a credit card.
As I was doing the heart-heavy job of sorting through my mother’s belongings after she passed away, I found a thin piece of metal the size of a credit card.
My grandfather had saved it from 1925.
The tiny piece of tin reads, “Cub Pharmacy, Phone 149.” On the flip side, there is an anonymous poem entitled, “It Isn’t Your Town – It’s You.”
It must have struck my grandfather’s fancy, since he kept it all these years, and as I read it, I could see why.
“If you want to live in the kind of a town’/ Like the kind of a town you like’/ You needn’t slip your clothes in a grip/And start on a long, long hike /You’ll only find what you left behind/It’s a knock at yourself when you knock your town./ It isn’t your town – it’s you./ Real towns are not made by men afraid/ Lest somebody else get ahead./ When everybody works and nobody shirks/ You can raise a town from the dead./ And if while you make your personal stake/ Your neighbor can make one, too’/ Your town will be what you want to see./ It isn’t your town – it’s YOU.
This poem reminded me of someone from Gilroy who really lives this philosophy. He is a former city planner/Dispatch columnist/community activist named Chuck Myer. Chuck also supported the arts and helped restore local historic buildings, such as our old city hall building.
Though now a resident of Rancho Cordova, he has maintained strong ties with Gilroy. Many of you have been following his ongoing fight with Melanoma, which has necessitated brain surgery.
Now he has written a book called, “Melanoma Melodrama,” which is meant both as a self-help tome for those with their own struggles and as a way of dealing with life’s most difficult challenges through humor. The problem is that his original deal with a publisher fell through, and now there is a grassroots campaign in Gilroy to try to raise funds for the publication of Chuck’s book in spite of that setback.
On Feb. 23, Janice Krahenbuhl (2005 Educator of the Year) is putting together an evening of music featuring Gilroy’s best, everyone from singer and performer Sandra Marlowe, South Valley Symphony Concertmaster Beverly Blount, Lori Franke’s Suzuki Violinists, the Side by Side senior ladies’ chorus, pianist Andoni Bundros, the GUMC Praise Band, and Music Academy Director Candace Fazzio, just to name a few on a list that keeps growing.
“I think I’m going to pass out,” Krahenbuhl said, “You will find me in a puddle on the floor. It’s an amazing experience to put together a benefit where everyone you ask to help immediately says ‘Yes!’ ”
When told about it, city planners such as Bill Faus whipped out their checkbooks and volunteered to help with the silent auction planned for the benefit. Bill Headley at city hall offered to help rally folks, Rosalind Farotte offered to make cheesecake, and Marianne Bruegmann offered a quilting gift basket for the auction. Claudia Salewske volunteered to read excerpts from Chuck’s book between performances. 
Chuck’s endeavors in the past helped make our town a better place, and now this 53-year-old husband and father of three is in the fight of his life.
He needs our support now, and this benefit is bound to give his spirits a great boost. Never have I seen a community come together so quickly and enthusiastically from all walks of life to unite for such a worthy cause. It makes me proud to be a part of this town.         
Call (408) 847-1210 for more info about the benefit that will be held at 7 p.m.
