Fourth of July: Snap, crackle, kaboom

The discordant medley of safe and sane fireworks echoed through my neighborhood off Luchessa Drive in Gilroy much to the annoyance of the roommates.
“Snap, crackle, kaboom, pop-pop.”
On occasion and around the holidays, I don’t mind a nighttime Fourth of July light show with some pop, albeit if it’s days before they’re legal and not too late into the night. Others take issue with it, especially since they were occurring before the actual holiday within city limits. My neighborhood across from the Gilroy Dispatch office wasn’t exempt from at least one call to Gilroy Police Department about the annoyance, but of course not by me as I’m earplugs away from audibly noticing. Sure, it happens on a nightly basis on the clock for a few days, but I don’t see a big need to make a fuss about it.
Keeping it real is Mt. Madonna Continuation School AdvancePath lead instructor Rick Charvet. The Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s All-Star Teacher Award runner-up remains humble and realistic because one minute he’s standing on the AT&T Park infield making history and the next scooping dog poop in the backyard. That’s how Charvet keeps it real.
It wasn’t Charvet’s first 15 minutes of fame. Years ago he penned a Michael Jordan Fundamentals proposal grant for Project HOPE. It took time, but Charvet made it to the “finals,” so to speak. Charvet recently came upon a video that sums up his idea of how he would have spent the $20,000 donation for his school by improving the dropout rate, among other things.
The disappearance of Cotati’s Noemi “Mimi” Coolbaugh came with a few twists. In this case husband, Steve, said he paid $4,000 for a private helicopter, and the family hired two private investigators with no results. What’s good to know is that the family is touching down with volunteers from the search for Sierra LaMar crew who came to their aid knowing they were inexperienced to take on a search by themselves. I’ve heard about families in cities across California working at various newspapers complaining about law authorities’ lack of attention to their case, but the Coolbaugh family means business. That’s why it was good to hear they’ll have a grassroots hand, as well as police service.
It’s that time of the year again when events start heating up. Motorists clamor for room on the roadways headed to and from the Pacific Coast and inland. The 2014 Gilroy Garlic Festival is fast approaching July 25 through 27, so there is no better time than summer for road construction. Chances are if you’re traveling Highway 152 like I do numerous times weekly, you’ll notice some delays as workers get rolling near the intersection of Watsonville Road and the highway.
Traffic delays can be a good thing for motorists seeking a change of scenery by using an alternate route. For the businesses located in the thick of construction on Highway 152 who rely on in-and-out tourism traffic, it can be a burden. Caltrans District Four Spokesman Bernard Walik’s efforts to work with stakeholders like Fortino Winery and neighbors in providing extra flaggers during high-traffic events is a positive thing for a booming wine country. Let’s not let road construction or delays get in the way of a wine country main arterial or traffic coming to the 2014 Gilroy Garlic Festival, for that matter. He says they won’t, so trust in this case and likely a little patience is all it will take.
Heading into next week, look for coverage on a 74-page report issued by the California state auditor that slams the commission that threatened to revoke City College of San Francisco’s accreditation for lacking transparency and equal treatment. Gavilan College President Dr. Steven Kinsella sits on that commission.
If you’re planning on attending this year’s Fourth of July fireworks display and have the camera out, be sure to send your photos to

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. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!