The following individuals and organizations deserve either
CHEERS or JEERS this week:
The following individuals and organizations deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this week:
CHEERS: For the Gilroy Garlic Festival Board and supporters who, year after year, refuse to stand pat. Instead, the Garlic Festival team scrutinizes all aspects of the event and carefully considers changes. Deciding to reinvent a festival staple – pasta con pesto – after 25 years is a prime example. It’s a semi-risky move, but by all accounts the new pasta and pesto dish featuring penne noodles and a light cream sauce is a mouth-watering hit. Of course, the jury will weigh in on July 23, 24 and 25 at Christmas Hill Park, but it’s a good bet festival organizers have done their homework and a new Gourmet Alley star will be born.
JEERS: For illegal fireworks users – you know who you are – for the ruckus on and in the days leading up to the July 4th holiday. Not only do illegal fireworks, like bottle-rockets, pose a fire risk, they annoy neighbors and keep fire and police personnel running around for days on end. Do us all a favor – stick to the Safe and Sane legal varieties sold by nonprofit organizations all over town.
CHEERS: For the withdrawal of a proposal being floated by the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group for a countywide parcel tax that would have primarily funded teacher salaries. Bad idea, bad timing. If the SVMG wants to propose something innovative, then it should get down to the nitty gritty and tackle the issue of teacher merit pay and offer school districts a model proposal. Then perhaps a increased pay proposal coupled with some form of tax would make sense.
CHEERS: For Santa Clara Valley Water District watchers Bob Cerruti and Terry Mahurin who have been doggedly questioning the rate increases being forced on water users and the ballooning budget increases from the SCVWD. It’s heartening to have citizens so committed to researching and challenging business as usual. Maybe voters will take a keener interest in the next election for the water board.
CHEERS: For the Gilroy School District which has listened to parents who contend that the process for testing, and thus identifying gifted and talented students has slipped. GUSD officials have agreed to commit time, energy and resources to retest students and get the GATE program back on track. That’s consistent with the mission which should be to challenge all students.
