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. Where else would we start this week’s salutes. It’s a community success machine duplicated nowhere else in the world. We work hard, we play hard, we pray hard for good Garlic Festival weather and, when it’s all said and done, we’ve infused the community with pride and donated quite a chunk of money to various deserving area organizations. The Garlic Festival is a classic situation where “you get out of it what you put into it.” So many Gilroyans have worked so hard over the years to make this a success. We don’t want to get too sappy about it because it’s a whole lot of fun, but when you take a minute to think about a 26-year event that keeps getting better and drawing throngs of people to our fair city each year, it’s truly a wonder. Smile, and let the Garlic Festival begin.

JEERS: For the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Santa Clara County Parks and Rec Department for punting on the issue of whether to once again allow personal watercraft on numerous area reservoirs. The MTBE pollution problem is not an issue any longer, so if there’s another issue other than a few residents saying they don’t want the jet skis buzzing around the lake, let’s hear it. Otherwise, it’s a healthy recreational use for our local lakes.

CHEERS: For Heinzen Manufacturing which built and donated new stainless steel stoves and sinks for the Garlic Festival. The Heinzens even included a Garlic Festival logo and an outline of a calamari flame-up into the front of the stoves. Now that’s generosity and class.

JEERS: For the Morgan Hill City Councilmembers who decided to spend upwards of $50,000 to investigate who was investigating the city manager. The Council made the call to hand out the taxpayers’ money behind closed doors without informing the public. Elected officials need to remember who they are working for and act accordingly. What has the Morgan Hill citizenry gained?

JEERS: For the demise of the 36-year-old once-proud Gavilan ram mascot statue which graces the Gilroy campus. College officials say it’s time to tear down the ram which was sculpted by a student. Perhaps proper maintenance would have saved it. Maybe Gavilan should become “the home of the swallows” named after the dirty birds which incessantly litter the campus.

CHEERS: For the kick-off of construction for Gilroy’s only eastside elementary school. Eliot School will be a beautiful, two-story school in 12 months (let’s hope it stays on schedule) and be capable of housing 600 students. When Superintendent Edwin Diaz said the “former facility wasn’t very good,” it was a huge understatement. The new Eliot will be a school the community can be proud of.

CHEERS: For Mayor Al Pinheiro who continues to fulfill a campaign promise by keeping the focus on downtown improvements. His latest forum attracted good crowds to discuss various city programs and possibilities for improvement. Hopefully, the momentum for change will continue.

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