When Mayor Don Gage and Councilman Peter Arellano cozily vote together and the two lawyers on the Council, Peter Leroe-Muñoz and Perry Woodward, are on the opposite side of the vote and steadfast about it, something interesting is up. What’s up is that the Council, at long, long last wants a bottom line, no-B.S. answer on what the city spends each year with its high-falutin San Jose-based legal firm, Berliner-Cohen. What should be a simple answer to get is cloaked, seemingly, in smoky back room political gobbledygook, so … Dear City Administrator Tom Haglund: How much did the City of Gilroy pay the law firm of Berliner-Cohen last year? Please include any and all payments for any and all legal work. Sincerely, The taxpaying residents of this fine town.
Please City of Gilroy, if you’re going to shut down a facility like the youth center that was housed for years at the old PG&E building at Sixth and Railroad, take the sign down. “Gilroy Youth Center” and “Entrance” proclamations when the place is a boarded-up ghost town does not send a good message. It just exacerbates what a poor decision it was to close down such a thriving center that had much greater community visibility than what’s planned for San Ysidro Park.
Two lines from the sports world that entertained recently: First from Mario Serrano, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero’s manager, who told our sports editor in the midst of the fury over “The Ghost’s” arrest at JFK for surrendering his gun at the counter that he didn’t have any time to talk because… wait for it … “he was under the gun.” Second, from one of the TV hosts on the Golf Channel referring to Tiger Wood’s penalty issue in the Masters Tournament as “two yards and a cloud of trust.”
This is a bit off the wall, but if someone asked me about a company that I would liked to have founded, my answer would be “ChuckIt.” That’s not a stick-it-in-your-ear answer, it’s an honest one. ChuckIt is the company that makes the plastic ball “flingers” that I use on a daily basis to exercise and play with my dogs, Roxy and Rocco. It’s simple, good for man and best friend beast, it makes a ton of money and whoever invented it is a genius.
Our high school choir instructor, Phil Robb, sent me a mea culpa email saying he was late in getting the word to the newspaper about one of his “final curtain” performances, the spring concerts at the San Juan Mission and asked if we could post the news online. I wrote back quickly: Dear Mr. Robb, It’s online and in the featured section. … the final curtain, yes, but what a fabulous performance … thank you, thank you, thank you … FYI, Mariah is going to New York with the Oregon State University Choir to perform at Carnegie Hall. The gift you’ve given so many is lifelong. He gave that gift to our daughter and to so many others. I sincerely hope that Gilroy School trustees do name the Gilroy High School music building in his honor as Tim Day has suggested. It is not only fitting, it is deserved for the legacy Phil has left in the voices and hearts of so many Gilroy students.
Saturday, I became a student at Solis Winery when winemaker Mike Vanni graciously gave me a brief explanation of the differences in oak barrels and how he is using those on different varietals and blends. It’s fascinating and, since new French oak barrels cost $1,200 or so apiece, using those and other barrels to make great wines and keep costs to the consumer from running away is a part of the art of winemaking. And that’s something Mike does with the Solis wine line exceptionally well as we discovered yet again at the fun “Bottle Your Own” event Sunday which brought home a tasty and affordable red varietal blend labeled “Jewel of the Valley.”
The jewels of southern Santa Clara Valley – our verdant spring hillsides and open lands – are giving way to the long, brown summer far too early for my taste. Do wish the rains lasted longer into April. Those nasty weeds will be sticking to our hiking socks far too early for my taste. But yet, the Garlic Festival beckons as July is just around the corner, and that’s always more fun than a packet full of Christopher Ranch roasted garlic.
Set the alarm and don’t gobble up too much garlic Friday night if you’re going to meet the throngs that will invade Syngenta Seeds Saturday morning for the Gilroy Rotary Club’s annual Flower Sale. Miss Jenny and I enjoyed a Rotary luncheon (great job on the food again Dave Bozzo) preview on the grounds Tuesday and the amazing array of brightly colored offerings is absolutely stunning this year. As a reminder, doors open to the warehouse filled with color at 8 a.m. If you’re a first-timer, head to 2280 Hecker Pass. Oh, and there’s one fellow there dying to carry out your purchases to your car or truck. Tireless volunteer David Cox awaits – just look for the fellow with the bandanna with the t-shirt that says, “Wine tips accepted.”
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com.
