Gilroy is great reason #28 … because people like Cathy Light
have a grassroots idea (the light is definitely on) that takes root
and helps the community
– in this case raising $14,000 for Community Solutions. Her
annual charity luncheon is a good time for Gilroy gals who get to
enjoy good company, good food and that ever-popular pastime –
shopping. As a bonus, the donated shopping items come from the
guests. On the hit parade: Annie LaCroix bou
ght an animal print purse for $115; Vilma Pinheiro shelled out
$160 for a lime green purse; Eva Hays purchased the
”
Leal
”
package for wine tasting tour package for $775 and Karen
Christopher plunked down $375 for dinner for four in the Wine Room
at Tres Pinos Inn. Attendance and profits doubled from the first
year
– 68 people and $7,500, respectively. Now, it’s such a smashing
success that Cathy wonders where to hold it next year. Easy. A
quick visit to La Vigna at Hecker Pass Winery after a call to Carlo
Fortino should seal the deal.
Gilroy is great reason #28 … because people like Cathy Light have a grassroots idea (the light is definitely on) that takes root and helps the community – in this case raising $14,000 for Community Solutions. Her annual charity luncheon is a good time for Gilroy gals who get to enjoy good company, good food and that ever-popular pastime – shopping. As a bonus, the donated shopping items come from the guests. On the hit parade: Annie LaCroix bought an animal print purse for $115; Vilma Pinheiro shelled out $160 for a lime green purse; Eva Hays purchased the “Leal” package for wine tasting tour package for $775 and Karen Christopher plunked down $375 for dinner for four in the Wine Room at Tres Pinos Inn. Attendance and profits doubled from the first year – 68 people and $7,500, respectively. Now, it’s such a smashing success that Cathy wonders where to hold it next year. Easy. A quick visit to La Vigna at Hecker Pass Winery after a call to Carlo Fortino should seal the deal.
At many South County wineries the mustard seed is in full vibrant yellow bloom amidst the budding grape vines. And so it is the perfect time for Passport Weekend this Saturday and Sunday. Part with $25 and you get to taste the fruit of the vine from Santa Clara Valley wineries and enjoy all the special planned activities: barrel tastings, music, BBQs and, of course, refills in the souvenir wine glass. Clos LaChance and J. Lohr are new additons this year. Tickets are available at the tasting rooms of any of the participating wineries that include Solis, Sycamore Creek, Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, Fortino and Guglielmo.
Kirigin Cellars is also on list and those who travel near Day and Watsonville Roads may be wondering what happened to Kirigin’s old vines. Maria Bruhns reports from the Kirigin central communications console that production had slowed to a trickle from the vines but assured drive-by vineyard admirers that the new vines “will be trained in the same gnarly fashion as the ones we pulled out.” Thousands of new vines will be planted and 50 or so redwoods are in the ground. Give that 10 years and the charm will be off the charts.
Enough wine, but let’s stick with the fun … Another weekend, another worthy fundraising event. The St. Mary’s Youth Group Mexico Mission Dinner-Dance is Saturday night at the parish. A scrumptious (that’s a word good enough to eat) Mexican food dinner starts at 6 p.m. and the fun goes until midnight. One auction item is a dinner at Mark and Jenny Derry’s house featuring my uncle Father Dan in an around-the-block sombrero serving the guests and mouth-watering pulled pork tacos. Value: priceless … of the Fr. Dan pictures that is. Tickets are $30. Details can be gleaned from Clorete Almeida at 482-0554.
If the dinner dance or the Passport Weekend is on your palate, a good tune-up is a wildflower hike at Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park Saturday morning from 9 to 11 a.m. The ranger-led moderate 4- to 5-mile jaunt along the scenic Coyote Ridge Trail yields great views and stunning wildflower color. Coyote Lake Dam Parking Area at the end of Coyote Lake Road is the meeting place. It’s $6 per vehicle.
Entering into the spring season, this caught my eye as a good possibility for Gilroy in the fall and made me contemplate those famous lyrics, “Oh, Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again …” In downtown Lodi, the chamber hosts a wine, food and first-class shopping event featuring 25 local wineries which take up residence in the unique shops of Lodi’s historic district. Each participating business is paired with a winery for the evening. Merchants provide delicious hors d’oeuvres and offer special sales while the wineries pour a tasting of their label to strolling visitors, wine lovers and shoppers. Cool idea to benefit the Lodi Chamber of Commerce and the Lodi-Adopt-A-Child Foundation. So …
I just had to email MayorAl vacationing at his new house in the Azores (ain’t the WorD WiDe web grand?) and tell him so. Got back two sunset pictures that maybe we’ll use on page A2 Tuesday. BTW, MayorAl says he’s missing the Sister Cities dinner because it moved from the original March 15 date and promises a big donation check in lieu of his presence.
To gloat or soon to goat – that is the dilemma … Yep, I’m #3 out of 25,000 or so entrants in an nbcsports.com Web March Madness pool. Been filling out brackets for 20-plus years and never had a run like this. Thirteen out of 16 in the Sweet Round. All will likely come crashing down, but still … Go Stanford!
Don’t think it’s true what Mr. Rue R. Monger reports that the mayor and City Council members have “Reserved for City Council members” parking slots at Bonfante/Gilroy Gardens now that the city has bought the place.
Oh, and to that lady who hopped out of her car Tuesday on Thomas Road and started cutting blossoms off the tree in the median, please don’t. It’s public property and there for all to enjoy.
