Discussing the administrative snafu in the Gilroy Unified School
District offices which turned 30 teacher pink-slip notices into
dust because the district missed a legal notification deadline, one
of our Editorial Board members chimed in with this gem:
Discussing the administrative snafu in the Gilroy Unified School District offices which turned 30 teacher pink-slip notices into dust because the district missed a legal notification deadline, one of our Editorial Board members chimed in with this gem: “What were they then, mauve pink slips?” Well, the admin job performance certainly wasn’t mauvelous – and it makes one wonder about the district office’s diligence with regard to the removal of Gilroy High Athletic Director Jack Daley. An investigative report, commissioned by the district with taxpayer dollars, should clear up the questions of who did what and who was responsible for what. But the school district has formally denied an informal request for the report. Stay tuned, the newspaper will file a Public Records Act request to hopefully clear the air and let the community know the critical details.
Details aside, there’s a good news a’comin’ … Super Taqueria – the superstar of fast, consistently yummy Mexican food – is moving to a new location just down the street from The Dispatch. SuperTaq will anchor Plaza Monterey, a 14,000-square-foot center south of 10th Street on Monterey Road. It’s nice to see a new commercial building project sprout up. The new SuperTaq will seat up to 132 people and encompass 3,000-square feet. Plus, it’s a perfect stop on the way to the movies.
Would be a good scene in a touching Father’s Day movie … received this text from my effusive daughter Mariah Wednesday evening: “Officially done with my freshman year of college! And I totally killed my last final!” Now that’s music to my ears.
Ear music, too, when reading the story in Tuesday’s sports section about the Gilroy High Mustang’s post-season softball awards. There’s a line in the Desiderata, a prose poem, that reads, “With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.” And then there’s the famous quote from the late Earl Warren, a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court: “I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.” Without further ado, my point is that, given all the muck lately, it’s great to read the comments from Julie Berggren, the softball coach at GHS. After 10 players earned individual honors, Berggren pointed to the Sportsmanship Award the Mustangs were honored with by the league. “I’m really proud of that award. We talked a lot about what it’s like to enjoy the game and value all parts of the game. We talked about how sportsmanship is a big part of that,” she said. Quality words from a quality coach who sees the big picture.
Big picture news number from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (and 4-1-1 info for my oldest, Shannon, and her husband, Steve, who are expecting their second child) … a middle-income American family with a child born in 2010 can expect to spend about $286,860 for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise that child over the next 17 years.
Carissa Filice just made a huge dent in that number – and what a Dad’s Day gift for her parents, Greg and Janice. Carissa, who’s earning her teaching credential from the Stanford Teacher Education Program after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has been awarded a five-year fellowship worth $150,000 by the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation. She’s going to teach high school science. The award is given to outstanding beginning teachers to ensure they make an impact and remain in the profession. I’d like to say that Jimmy Habing and I had a hand in her wonderful success since we coached Carissa in Little League softball many moons ago, but she’s far too eloquent for anyone to believe that. “Teaching challenges my ability to be prepared, communicate, facilitate and motivate unique groups of individuals. It is multifaceted, exhausting, and amazing,” she said. And each of us knows what a huge difference a committed, caring and dedicated teacher can make in a student’s life.
Life isn’t such a bowl of cherries these days for Tiger Woods, who has withdrawn from playing in the U.S. Open golf tournament. Consider this prophecy from Tiger’s late dad, Earl, who said in an interview about eight years ago “that the only things that could derail his son in eclipsing Jack’s (Nicklaus’) record were a bad marriage and injuries.” Officially, that’s a two-fer tidbit.
Tidbits are the spaces between stops now while travelling Gilroy’s western spine on Stupid Santa Teresa Boulevard. The traffic light situation on SSTB is absolutely haywire. Cars coming out of Eagle Ridge – for right-hand turns for goodness sake – trip the stoplights for no good reason and the same’s true from Village Green. Further north it’s a roll of the dice on a traffic-choked road. C’mon City Hall, save Gilroyans some gas money and frustration, make a little effort, take a look at the stoplights on SSTB and improve the situation.
Adam Sanchez and business partner Ann Zyburra are just about ready to improve the dining and cocktails situation in downtown Gilroy. A&A Culinary Enterprises said Thursday morning while exiting First Street Coffee in tandem that they’re hopeful to open the Milias Restaurant and Steakhouse at Monterey and Sixth streets right around June 20. That would give them a few weeks to work out the kinks before Gilroy’s happy campers turn out in droves to visit the renovated old haunt during Garlic Fest weekend. It’ll be great to see the Western-themed mural above the bar again and, more importantly, have local friendly owners operating the town’s new hotspot.
Hotseat it is and should be, for South County Collaborative Board members who have not turned to law enforcement to sort out their big mess. Of nearly 700 voters in our web poll, 95 percent answered YES to this: Do you think the South County Collaborative Board should have informed law enforcement about the alleged embezzlement of $52,000 by School Board trustee Francisco Dominguez? Yes, we do!
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@****ic.com
