It’s pretty clear that the Red Barn’s heritage traces back to cattle baron Henry Miller
Dear Editor,
Several people have spoken regretfully to me about the scheduled demolition of the Miller Red Barn. It occurred to me that there may be many others in Gilroy’s community who feel the same and just haven’t had an opportunity to say so.
Since it is obvious now that the barn was built before the Glen Ranch was purchased by the Filice brothers in 1939 and that they bought it from the Henry Miller estate, the barn, whether mentioned on any historic list or not, is connected to this Henry Miller local ranching operation. Mr. Miller is of visceral interest to this community in that his friendly Santa Clara County lawsuit with Massey Thomas et al from 1879 to 1887 settled the title and boundary lines of all the property that was sold to Mr. Miller and others by the Las Animas Rancho heirs.
The determination of this case is the legal foundation of all property ownership in Gilroy and its Las Animas environs. I am overwhelming grateful that the issue of the Miller Red Barn is expected to be reopened by Council sometime in January.
There are certainly issues of condition and stability that will have to be addressed, but I have seen articles and photographs of barns that were turned into upscale homes that started out in much worse condition than our Barn.
If there is money to take it down, surely there is money to stabilize it until it can be repurposed. If you are at all inclined to think that the Miller Red Barn is an appropriate asset to our community – regardless of its putative state which can be argued with – would you email
mi***********@gm***.com
to let me know and to let those of us who are trying to nurture the fundamentals of Gilroy’s being know that there are people in Gilroy that still see the value of knowing our past, and who also value the remaining evidence of Gilroy’s roots. Many thanks.
Carol DeSantis, Gilroy
U.S. Constitution clear: the unwarranted government spying by NSA is illegal
Dear Editor,
It comes as no surprise to people who can read that the first judge to evaluate the National Security Agency spying found it unconstitutional. The 4th Amendment of the Constitution says, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
So when the Constitution says that warrants are required describing what is being searched for and why, it’s pretty clear that does not mean it’s OK to search everyone for anything without a warrant. You don’t have to be a lawyer or a judge to figure out that dog won’t hunt.
Thank you Edward Snowden for making this ruling possible.
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
Gilroy athlete headed to Washington State will get a warm welcome from town
Dear Editor,
Anna Brolin, welcome to the Pride. As a former Gilroy resident, I try to stay current on what is happening in Gilroy. I recently read in the Dispatch that Anna Brolin has signed a letter of intent to attend Washington State University in Pullman.
As a former WSU student and a resident of Pullman, I extend a warm welcome to you. You will find Pullman a very friendly community which makes students feel a part of the college community and the Pullman community as well.
The city of Pullman has a motto that anyone who has attended WSU will soon come to understand – “once a Coug, always a Coug.”
You can go anywhere in the country and if you are wearing WSU gear and are noticed by another Coug, former or present, you will always receive a warm “GO COUGS”. Once again welcome to WSU and I hope you enjoy your college experience. GO COUGS.
Mike McCarthy, former Gilroy resident
