Rain gear from Scotland golf trip came in handy this week while
clearing the gutter downspouts of pine needles and walking the
hounds astride the suddenly swollen Uvas River, er, creek. A doozy
is what Mother Nature tossed us, in October no less. A few more
like that and our water rates will surely go down
– and when that happens pigs will fly, all the URM buildings
downtown will be fixed and the current Santa Clara Valley Water
District board members will not consider voting themselves a raise
for the next decade …
Rain gear from Scotland golf trip came in handy this week while clearing the gutter downspouts of pine needles and walking the hounds astride the suddenly swollen Uvas River, er, creek. A doozy is what Mother Nature tossed us, in October no less. A few more like that and our water rates will surely go down – and when that happens pigs will fly, all the URM buildings downtown will be fixed and the current Santa Clara Valley Water District board members will not consider voting themselves a raise for the next decade …
Decades are meant to be ignored in Gilroy and, just for posterity purposes and newspaper records, let’s be clear that we’ve ignored two of them when it comes to URM buildings downtown – 20 years later, Gilroy’s still got ’em. Shameful, really … yes, I know some have been fixed, but that’s not good enough for a public safety hazard Council, is it?
When you’re having a rough Monday morning after a fantastic weekend, a hot pastrami melt served up by the super friendly staff at OD’s Kitchen downtown for lunch and a quick stop by to say hi to Gracie at her antiques store will perk you up. Gracie’s witty Monday line: “I’ve got a million-dollar figure, but it’s all in loose change.”
Loose change, the taxpayers, apparently, have quite a bit … so questions like, “Why, exactly, does Gilroy have both firefighter-paramedics and ambulance-paramedics show up for emergency medical calls?,” don’t really get answered. God forbid the city actually consider changing the system rather than appoint a committee to infernally study it until the possibility for real change dies a slow death.
But there’s hope. Why? Because our local government will not be able to ignore what is a “permanent reset” in our economy. Hard choices will have to be made and looking at options – like contracting with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department for police services – should be on the City Council’s table. Our Web poll question about the subject produced some unexpectedly swift and critical reactions. Why is that? But the public vote clearly expresses that “Joe Gilroy” understands that everything must be on the table.
Lots of tables this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at El Roble Elementary School where the PTA is running a Flea Market fundraiser. Stop by and say hello to Jennifer Farrington, aka, Jen Ordons, enjoy the music. Maybe El Roble’s new and popular principal, Iraida Pisano, will be there, too. After that head downtown to see the unveiling of three public art sculptures representing the Legacy of Gilroy, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the lovely Pinnacle Bank Plaza, Fourth and Monterey streets. Former mayor, Mike Gilroy – I’m an unabashed fan – is making the trek from Texas with his wife, Pat, to witness the unveiling of his ancestor’s bronze statue. Can’t wait to snap a photo of Mike next to John Cameron Gilroy. Wonder if there’s a resemblance? Oh, there’s an Art and Wine Festival at the Willey Cultural Center, 140 Fifth St., after the unveiling, too, until 6 p.m. so there’s plenty to do and see.
Seeing the Bay Area from atop Mt. Livermore on Angel Island last Saturday in the middle of San Francisco Bay is absolutely stunning. The hike up is definitely worth the view if you haven’t done it. And on the ferry ride back, we were treated to one close pass by the Navy Blue Angels in their F/A – 18 Hornet jets. Now that’s what I call an area daily double.
Sometimes we forget what a great area we live in – that goes for Gilroy and beyond. A visit to bucolic Martin Ranch Winery on Redwood Retreat Road, open Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m., is a perfect example. It’s gorgeous. Bring a picnic, enjoy the serene and recently drenched surroundings and buy a bottle of the Therese Vineyards ’05 Estate Cabernet to go with your food. Owners Dan and Therese are great hosts, and the 49ers have Sunday off, so it’s perfect timing …
Timing is key, and the folks running the CalTrans Highway 152 bridge project over Uvas Creek at Burchell Road are doing an abysmal job with traffic safety measures. I’m no expert, yet it’s clearly a wonder there hasn’t been a major accident there …
There’s a good deal that’s a potential life saver at Saint Louise Hospital this month: $75 for a mammogram in concert with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s 848-8640 to schedule an appointment. CEO Joanne Allen gets a pat on the back for the effort to make this critical test more affordable.
What we can’t afford, besides the ever-escalating costs of firefighter and police pensions, is a more powerful “atmospheric river.” That’s what National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meterologists say slammed us this week. The “river” draws “water vapor from the Pacific Ocean near the equator and transports it to the U.S. West Coast with firehose-like ferocity,” according to a press release. Yikes, never heard of an “atmospheric river” – and hearing the term once is quite enough.
