Gilroy Students are Finalists at Middle School Poetry Slam

esidents Julia Ebmeyer and Heather Miranda earned spots as
finalists at the Middle School Poetry Slam May 18 at Monte Vista
Christian School in Watsonville.
Gilroy Students are Finalists at Middle School Poetry Slam

Gilroy – Residents Julia Ebmeyer and Heather Miranda earned spots as finalists at the Middle School Poetry Slam May 18 at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville.

Fifteen student finalists, out of more than 60 students who entered the competition, read their poems before a panel of judges at the Slam, as bongos played quietly in the background. The judges rated each poem based on presentation, quality, and their own personal opinions.

“The Poetry Slam is a fun way for students to share their writing and to hear each other’s ideas,” said Rachel Hirota, a language teacher at the middle school who developed the event last year. “Sometimes the things they come up with are surprising!”

Ebmeyer and Miranda each won a book of poetry and a candy bar. The title of “Grand Slampion” was awarded to classmate Willie Fox of Castroville, whose poem described how he missed his mom when he had to live apart from her for a little while.

Register Now for Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament

Gilroy – The Gilroy Community Services Department is hosting the 2007 Spring Classic Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament at 10am Saturday, June 2 at the Gilroy Community Center.

The event, which uses all proceeds to benefit senior, teen and youth programs in the department, is open to four-person teams. The recreational tournament continues registration through 5pm Tuesday May 29. The team entry fee is $60.

The Spring Classic is the 12th in a series of Texas Hold ‘Em offerings produced by the department.

Details: 846-0460.

Cops Out in Force This Memorial Day Weekend

Santa Clara County – During the long Memorial Day weekend, law enforcement agencies will be swarming the county looking for unsafe drivers, especially those who get behind the wheel after having too much to drink, and drivers and passengers who do not buckle up.

The Avoid the 13 campaign for the holiday weekend is scheduled to begin at 12:01am today and continue through to midnight Monday. Last year, officers from Palo Alto to Gilroy made 106 DUI arrests and reported two DUI injury crashes but no DUI-related fatalities. 

“Click It or Ticket” started May 14 and will continue through June 3. The campaign by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is designed to get drivers and passengers to buckle up. 

County Supervisors Get Tough On Cock Fights

San Jose – Santa Clara County Supervisors hope to reduce the number of cock fights held by residents in unincorporated county areas with a new law limiting how many roosters people can own.

The ordinance passed 5-0 Tuesday and requires residents keeping more than four roosters to obtain a so-called “rooster coop permit” from the Santa Clara County Animal Care and Control Department. After a second reading June 5, the law will take effect immediately.

“Raising birds for fighting and the act of making them fight is inhumane and illegal in California,” said Supervisor Don Gage in a news release. “The new ordinance demonstrates the county’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of our community.”

Since 2006, law enforcement officers have made several arrests and confiscated hundreds of roosters while fielding complaints of illegal bird combat in rural areas of the county.

Currently there is no limit in the unincorporated areas for the number of roosters that may be kept on a single property, and gathering legal evidence on suspected cock-fighting rings is a time-consuming and costly process, according to the county. The ordinance will allow sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers who observe numerous birds to respond directly without the typical cock-fighting complaints from neighbors and residents.

Send news items to City Editor Robert Airoldi. FAX to 842-2206, mail to Gilroy Dispatch, 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA 95020, or e-mail ed****@****ic.com.