Community

Dazed, Not Confused

There’s not much to Gilroy’s premiere nightclub, the District Theater, from the outside—no marquee, no lights, not much to mark it as an entertainment spot in the center of downtown.Then, when you walk in, there’s a long hallway that looks like it might lead to some kind of warehouse.But, at the end—Lights! Camera! Action!—there are lasers, a purple-glowing bar, a big stage, a 20-foot TV screen and a $50,000 sound system that fills the room’s 300 capacity. It looks as cool as any club you’ll find in San Francisco, New York or—gasp—San Jose.Owner Darin Dixon, 44, celebrated the club’s first anniversary in April and he has big plans for bringing more music and entertainment downtown, something locals say is sorely lacking.In his first year Dixon has brought some famous musicians to Gilroy: Pete Escovedo and his daughter, Sheila E., country artist James Wesley Prosser and Santana singer Tony Lindsay.He’s also staged events including a fight between Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi, had karaoke, line dancing, blues, disco and rock. The District, rebuilt on the site of the old Gaslighter Theater, is a bright light in our small city.“I love seeing the reaction of people who come here for the first time,” said Dixon, while hosting a Chamber of Commerce grand opening earlier this month. “We have zero curb appeal out front and a long hallway. The natural expectation is that we are a small place. When they get to the back, they have that shock and awe expression. They see that DMX lighting, the fog machines, the lasers, all the colored lights and the theatrics.”Besides a range of entertainment that includes an open mic night on Wednesdays, country DJs, and the Chicano All Stars, Dixon leases the space for parties and gatherings, including Mount Madonna High School’s Prom. It can even be used for seminars. The ceiling is high enough to fit a kids’ bounce house and host a weather-proof birthday party.Dixon put his money where his heart is, spending $100,000 to remodel the hall and a year to get it all done.The next step in his entrepreneurial evolution is relocating his music store, the Music Tree, which he has operated for the past decade in Morgan Hill, to Gilroy, where he lives. The store rents and sells instruments and gives lessons. Dixon’s goal is to incorporate both businesses by having students study music at the Music Tree, then perform shows across Monterey Street at the District.The District has one of only three dance permits in town, along with Old City Hall, the Longhouse and the Tequila VIP Lounge.“Gilroy kind of rolls up the sidewalks at night, especially during the week,” said Jane Howard, who runs the Gilroy Welcome Center and has been trying to spread the word about entertainment. “Our visitors are looking for something to do at night.”Around town there are regular live cover bands at the Milias Restaurant (7397 Monterey Rd.), karaoke at the Old City Hall (7400 Monterey Rd.), a summer outdoor Fifth Street music series every Friday night and events at area wineries. One of them, Clos LaChance has a Sunday afternoon music series of local acoustic performers. Sarah’s Vineyard has music every Friday evening from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring local acoustic performers from Memorial Day to Sept. 30. Fortino has a music series that includes a show by local favorite, Isaiah Pickett on May 20.

“Gilroy is a shopping destination,” said Jane Howard, executive director of the Gilroy Welcome Center, a nonprofit that promotes the city as a tourist destination.“It’s regional, it’s international and as for the Outlets, they are pushing now to get more of a local flavor to it,” added Howard.A draw for tourists, visitors from more than 15 countries came to the Gilroy Premium Outlets in 2015.Tour groups coming to the Outlets can include from 15 to 300 guests at one time, with each person receiving a welcome packet.An economic impact study currently underway found that shopping is the number one reason people come to Gilroy.“From a marketing perspective, we oftentimes do lead with shopping,” added Howard.The Outlets continue to lead the way, generating more sales tax revenue for the city than any other group.Heather Roach, director of marketing for the Outlets, said they look forward to continued success.“The Outlets’ big focus now is to promote the center to local shoppers and find out what Gilroyans want,” she said.Roach, who also serves on the Welcome Center’s board of directors, said she regularly goes out to ask shoppers what they would like to see at Outlets.“One of the exciting things about The Outlets,” she said “is the mix of retailers.”High-end retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Michael Kors offer discounts, making them accessible to range of shoppers, she said, while sporting brands like Adidas, Nike, Puma and Under Armor are also very popular.And for that sought-after millennial consumer?“Charlotte Russeand Forever 21 are fun and exciting retailers for the up and coming millennial group,” said Roach.The Outlets now have 145 stores and this year has seen some changes.Popular retailers Michael Kors, Converse and Skechers expanded to nearly twice their original size. Tommy Hilfiger combined with Tommy Kids into one large family store.And Steve Madden, the brand that brought the world chunky platforms in the ’90s, is expected to open a store in Building A before summer.Gilroy Premium Outlets is also the site of the only Lululemon Athleticaoutlet store in Northern California.Now local shoppers can finally afford a pair of those ubiquitous yoga pants without breaking the bank.Other exciting additions to the Gilroy Premium Outlets over the last couple years include Kate Spade and Abercrombie and Fitch.Gilroy Premium Outlets hold special events throughout the year. Its two most popular are the Halloween Spooktacular and month-long Mission Pink program. During the month of October, shoppers can purchase a coupon book for $10 redeemable at participating retailers. The cost of the coupon book is tax deductible and the $10 is donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation in support of breast cancer awareness activities.The Outlets’ Halloween Spooktacular invites local children to trick-or-treat at participating retailers. The first 500 costumed children receive a goodie bag at the Outlets’ management office.Coming in May are the Mother’s Day Weekend Sales, which include special giveaways and special retailer offers as well as light bites and refreshments for shoppers.

After 32 years in the auto industry, Leonard Harrington, owner of Gilroy Nissan and Gilroy Hyundai, has seen fortunes rise and fall, but with low gas prices and a fleet of economical cars that are made for the everyday commuter, the future is bright.

After two and half years of haggling and wrangling red tape, a group of Gilroy activists can claim victory in an ambitious barn rescue that secures for future generations a very large piece of the city’s past to use and enjoy: the old Henry Miller red barn at Christmas Hill Park.

A mural at South Valley Middle School has got back its tiger and a local family’s story has come full circle.

Rounds of applause echoed from the Community Room of Gilroy Library on April 30, where the first FixIt Clinic in Santa Clara County took place.

One of the nation’s top attorneys accused Gilroy school officials Wednesday of outrageous conduct in allowing a teacher to return to the classroom after a complaint alleging sexual misconduct with a student.Gloria Allred, who has been involved in high-profile women’s rights and other civil rights cases, addressed the Gilroy Unified School District board at its regular evening meeting on behalf of Celeste Benn, who has claimed that officials, including superintendent Debbie Flores, refused to listen or mete out appropriate punishment when she alleged in October 2014 that the teacher sent her daughter, 15, sexually charged text messages.The teacher, Douglas Le, 25, was arrested April 26 by San Jose police on suspicion of soliciting lewd photos from minor boys. He resigned April 29.“He should not have been permitted to teach [in 2014], children and families have been harmed,” Allred said before a nearly full chamber at GUSD headquarters on Arroyo Circle.Allred called for a full investigation into, among other things, whether school officials complied with all laws in handling Benn’s complaint, including those that require officials to report suspicions that an adult might be sexually victimizing a minor.The Los Angeles lawyer announced a press conference for 3 p.m. today at school district headquarters about what her press release called the "sexual misconduct" case. The GUSD office is at 7810 Arroyo Circle, Gilroy.On Wednesday evening Allred told the press there might be more minor victims.Calmly addressing the board, Benn called for changes in how the district deals with student safety issues.“You had one job to do and you failed to do it for my daughter and all the boys that followed,” she said.She described how she was refused meetings with Flores and Gilroy High School principal Marco Sanchez the day after the incident. The district only responded when she threatened to go to the media, but permitted Le to continue teaching, forcing her frightened daughter to transfer to Christopher High School, she said.As the meeting began, trustee Linda Piceno spoke for the board after a closed session. She said of the 2014 incident that Le’s behavior “did not rise to the level of dismissal” and that while his conduct was “unprofessional and unacceptable,” it was not a crime.However, an attorney who specializes in child abuse law and is closely involved in the Benn case told the Dispatch the district is wrong. A crime did occur, he said, because of the sexually explicit nature of the texts sent to Benn’s daughter. The district was required to report the incident to authorities, he said. He asked not to be identified.

The Dispatch took the first place award for best front page design and second place for agricultural reporting in the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s annual Better Newspaper Contest. Winners of the 2015 contest were announced this week.The winning front page design is for the Dispatch’s Dec. 11, 2015 issue, whose top headline reads “GAGE QUITS.” The award recognizes graphic designers Stephanie Woerhmann and Roger Black, along with publisher Dan Pulcrano, whose centerpiece photo of a sheep accompanies a news story on the City Council’s approval of plans to annex 721 acres of farmland north of the city for a housing development. With 10 months left in his term, former mayor Don Gage announced he was retiring from the council just before the annexation vote was taken.Dispatch reporter Roseann Hernandez Cattani took second place honors for best agricultural reporting with her Dec. 25, 2015 story about grower Jeff Martin, “Despite the drought, the county's only olive oil producer had a great year.”The Dispatch vied against newspapers in its circulation range throughout the state to win the front page and agricultural coverage awards.Sister papers the Morgan Hill Times and Hollister Free Lance also received CNPA honors, including a first place for best sports page or section (Free Lance), a second place for breaking news (Times), and second place honors for best columns, sports action photo and feature photo (Free Lance). In all, the Times earned three CNPA awards and the Free Lance earned seven.Sister paper the North Bay Bohemian took first place honors at CNPA for best writing, along with four other awards. Awards were also given to sister papers Metro Silicon Valley, Good Times Weekly and the Pacific Sun.In all, the associated papers won 21 awards from the CNPA, a trade group founded in 1888 that represents the daily, weekly, monthly and campus papers of California.

Bullies, unions, growing schools, lunches and working in a community of great diversity are just some of the things Debbie Flores has dealt with in her decade at the helm of the Gilroy Unified School District. And just this month she was selected Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators, a tremendous honor.