Got this from reader Kris: “I’m curious about the color of the new taco restaurant on First Street – who on earth approved it? It makes Mi Pueblo look subdued! Is the entire 64 count of Crayola colors on the approved city list for exterior colors?” Funny thing, got essentially the same email on the “new taco place on the corner of 10th and Monterey” so I’m not sure if there’s a new taco place patrol out there or what. Do know that the new taco place at 10th and Monterey is a colorful and welcome sight as far as I’m concerned. I’ve passed it almost daily going to and from the office and it’s been a weed infested, broken glass, crumbling, empty, rat hole mess for years. Paint it bright orange and put a pink bow on it as long as the paint’s fresh, the property is clean and the lights are on. As soon as it opens, I’m going for lunch.
No new taco places on Mayor Don Gage’s initial list for the percolating proposal for a Gilroy Community Improvement Bond. Originally scheduled for a June ballot, the timeline has been pushed back to November 2014. Gilroy might support a bond, but only if the projects will really make an impact on the entire community. A fractured list without a centerpiece won’t cut it. I believe Gilroy would support the building of a facility like Morgan Hill’s Centennial Recreation Center which is operated by the YMCA under a joint agreement with the city. The CRC, as it is known, is a community hub with fitness facilities, senior center meals and activities, a teen center, youth sports leagues and an indoor/outdoor aquatics center. Thousands of families are members, and offerings are extensive, running the gamut from photography club meetings to nutrition classes to blood pressure screenings to Kids Club fun. It’s an absolute gem from both a facility and a community engagement standpoint and it has definitely made a huge positive impact on the quality of life in Morgan Hill. In that regard, it stands alone. If the hired polling firm does not include such a facility on the list of questions, they will be missing the boat and our wonderful mayor will be passing over an opportunity to leave a lasting positive legacy that supports all segments of our community, not just a specialized group.
Enthusiastically went to the boutique winery Aver Family Vineyards last weekend for a tasting event coupled with local product offerings like Frantoio Grove Olive Oil and Roxanne’s Biscotti. An impromptu dinner party at our house followed and Roxanne’s chocolate dipped biscotti bites with a glass of red wine topped off a fun meal. Those bites are so decadently good. Roxanne is a Morgan Hill resident who wants to bake and make her biscotti locally, but she can’t find a place to bunk down her kitchen so she commutes to San Jose to bake. Somebody help her find a home, please.
Home for a week from her nursing duties in Nashville, TN was daughter Cayla with her beau, Nick, in tow. They arrived just in time for “baby” daughter Mariah’s 21st birthday. Yeah, she’s 21 and that makes me how old? … well, let’s move on.
Our last stop on the mini-winery tour with Cayla and Nick was one of our faves, Solis Winery on Hecker Pass. If you haven’t been, go. We were rolling in at 4:45 p.m., 15 minutes before close and I thought the place would be empty, but much to my surprise the place was mobbed with 40 or so crowding the tasting room and deck. Just goes to show what a strong attraction good wine that’s available for a reasonable price coupled with friendly people in the tasting room can be. We have to build on our strengths and the rural landscapes with an abundance of good wineries so close to a major population center is an obvious one. Wonder what our city’s Economic Development Corporation has done about capitalizing on that? Maybe we’ll read it in the next spiffy newsletter.
Almost a whole newsletter for the guide to the 18th Annual Garden Railway Tour. It’s 10 pages and details the 15 garden railroad set-ups you can visit on the tour scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17. Had no idea there were so many dedicated people out there building intricate garden railroads. In Gilroy alone there are 6 locations to visit which include Nigle and Margaret Mallinson’s Mt. Madonna Railroad and Dave and Peggy Hartwig’s Hilary Logging Lumber and Mining Co. Railroad. Up the road in Morgan Hill are the Llagas Creek Railway brought to you by Gary Broeder and Tom and Dodi Monti’s T&T Pepper Tree Railroad. The tour “profits” – which depend entirely on day-of donations – benefit St. Joseph’s Family Center and the Community Pantry, two outstanding organizations that assist those less fortunate in our community. The guide is on our website with a story. More details:
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More details to come, but don’t forget that your grateful public servants from the Gilroy Fire Department, Fire Division Chiefs Edward Bozzo and Phillip King, are suing the city for overtime back pay. An incredibly generous retirement package and a $140K per year plus just wasn’t enough. Do the right thing King and Bozzo, withdraw the lawsuit.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at
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