The 490-acre Triple Buck Ranch, previously owned by the Della Maggiora family, is going to become a part of Mt. Madonna County Park soon. The Redwood Retreat Road property in Gilroy features more than a half mile of Little Arthur Creek, and the acquisition will eventually enable the linking of a future trail from the Little Arthur property to Mt. Madonna County Park. So, more recreational opportunities ahead that our community should be capitalizing on. Hike South County … who has more trailheads than us? Nobody.
Not everybody, but plenty of bodies will head to Morgan Hill’s Brew Crawl this weekend downtown. I will, and I think the idea is worth stealing and wish our downtown folks would take a hard look at what’s working for our northerly neighbor. Morgan Hill is leaps and bounds ahead on the pro-active downtown scale and it has nothing to do with expectations that the city handle everything.
One of the more innovative items on the silent auction list for Saturday evening’s Gilroy Foundation Day in the Country event is the “Ladies Night Out” offered by downtown’s inviting Amoretto Boutique. It’s an after-hours private event with music, appetizers and wine for 10. A little vino, surrounded by tempting clothing and accessories … now that’s a smart item – smart for business and smart for the Foundation auction. Listed value is $400, but I bet it will climb to double that when a group of women form a bidding coalition. Karen LaCorte and???? … hmmmm, wonder if she’ll be bidding high and bidding often on husband Frank’s memorabilia collection from his days in the baseball’s Big Show?
Final year of the Big Football Show began at Candlestick Park Sunday and weathering a pretty good Green Bay storm were the SF 49ers with a solid victory in a fantastic game to open the season. Favorite quote afterward: “If intimidation is your game plan, I hope you have a better one,” said QB Colin Kaepernick, following a week of smack talk by the Packers about how they were gunning for him. A cheap shot by chief smack yakker Clay Matthews, who should have been thrown out of the stadium after clotheslining Kaepernick three yards out of bounds, delivered on the ugly promise.
Bound to crop up every now and again are childhood memories. Don’t know why, but I thought about one of my long ago duties this week, sponging the back of the S&H Green Stamps or Blue Chip Stamps for mom. Filled books and books, then we’d head for the merchandise redemption store and turn those stamps mom got at the gas station and grocery store into goodies. That was almost as fun as picking out a crab from the outdoor boiling pot at Cook’s Seafood.
Whew, while Gilroy Unified continues to post respectable and improving standardized test scores, Morgan Hill Unified School District is wallowing in mediocrity and, in particular, is failing the Latino students. Yet, the charter school petition by Gilroy-based Navigator schools and Principal James Dent has really touched off a firestorm in the community. Fortunately, in Gilroy cooler heads have prevailed and charter and traditional schools are co-existing in productive fashion.
If you see a Gilroy firefighter on the street this weekend with outstretched boot in hand – even if you’re upset over the lawsuit against the city by misguided retired battalion chief Ed Bozzo and current battalion chief Phil King – stop and make a donation. The “Fill the Boot” fundraising event on Saturday and Sunday supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It’s a worthy cause and know that all Gilroy firefighters do not support the Bozzo-King lawsuit against the city.
While we’re on the public safety good guys track, note the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department upcoming Heroes Run/Walk on Saturday, Nov. 9 which benefits a Super Hero worthy cause, the pediatric unit at Valley Medical Center. Children are welcome, too, and the $35 registration fee covers a child. Dressing up as a Super Hero is encouraged and the best child’s costume will be recognized. There are fun and games for the kids planned. Visit www.heroesrunscc.org and sign up for a run and some fun or a nice walk on the Guadalupe Trail in San Jose.
San Jose ain’t too far away, but it seems like a million miles away when you’re at one of our rural wineries. Fall Passport Weekend is coming soon, Oct. 5 and 6, so it’s time to make plans and secure a passport at www.SantaClaraWines.com. It’s a particularly beautiful time of year in the vineyards.
Speaking of local fruit on the vine, congratulations to former Pastor Mark Turner, now the Chief Executive Officer of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. People are flocking to support him and boy are the puns going to be fun … good thing he has a great sense of humor.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com
