I do not appreciate the Aug. 5 headline story implicating that I
threatened to burn down people’s homes.
Dear Editor:
I do not appreciate the Aug. 5 headline story implicating that I threatened to burn down people’s homes.
Despite my quarrel with Editor Mark Derry, as well as my refusal to renew my subscription to The Dispatch, I have always spoken to Dispatch reporters, figuring they were doing their jobs. That was clearly a mistake.
When I spoke to the reporter Eric Leins, he told me people who spoke out against illegal fireworks were threatened to have their houses burned down. Curiously omitted from the story, I told him that the letter I wrote to Mayor Tom Springer and City Administrator Jay Baksa, C.C. to Fire Chief Jeff Clet, called for the termination of Clet for his lack of sense of justice: Legal fireworks did not burn down the El Toro home; it is blatantly wrong to ruin harmless block (and family) parties (by banning all fireworks), which thousands of Gilroy residents enjoy, to simply “make it easier” to catch those few who do endanger others. Why was that not mentioned in the story? And, why wasn’t the part, in my note to Councilman Dillon, about starting the recall drive if he brings a motion for a firework ban, mentioned?
I contested the Dispatch editorial advocating a rat-out-your-neightbor “hotline” because it is destructive to neighborhoods.
What you do is encourage people to educate others: If you see a bottle rocket being shot off, let he who shot it off know he is endangering others. Post signs all around town reminding people, “Don’t ruin Fourth of July; don’t use bottle rockets. Don’t set off anything near grassy areas.” These are pro-active methods.
At many times during the year, I find spent bottle rockets in my front and back yards, and in the street. That disturbs me, because those (not legal fireworks, firecrackers, or even, in most cases, mortars) are what cause fires.
If I were to see who was shooting them off, I would go speak to them, leaving a call to our very busy police department only as a last resort.
Hundreds of other California communities have Fourth of July fireworks. (Your paper constantly mentions how we are the only city in Santa Clara County that has fireworks, but never mentions how many other cities across the state have them. And, why don’t our elected officials discuss those communities’ methods of safety, which would be far more constructive than Councilman Dillon’s knee-jerk ban everything nonsense?)
One of the few good things left about Gilroy is, we are one of those communities!
We have fantastic neighborhood celebrations: The most common time during the year that neighbors – kids and adults – get together for real fun.
The many should not lose their rights and privileges for the actions of the few. I hope the many will speak out and stop the injustices proposed by Dillon and Fire Chief Clet, who hardly act like public servants concerning this issue.
Alan Viarengo, Gilroy
Submitted Tuesday, Aug. 12
