The Red Phone is grateful to our readers for keeping us humble.
A caller phoned in this week to correct last week’s column, in
which we said we were midway through the summer.
The Red Phone is grateful to our readers for keeping us humble. A caller phoned in this week to correct last week’s column, in which we said we were midway through the summer.
“By my calendar, it’s not the middle of summer. We’re about three weeks into it.”
Assuming we’re all on the Gregorian calendar, the caller is right if you want to take us literally. Summer technically began on the solstice, June 21. We don’t want to quibble, but the Red Phone was referring to “summer” in the generic sense. Remember, those days when little kids are free to run through the sprinkler and drink lemonade? For them, their days of summer’s carefree bliss are numbered.
But, caller, point well taken.
***
The Red Phone was excited to know we have at least one reader out there.
Apparently, we’ll probably never be able to compete with columnist Robert Mitchell, who received some fan “voice mail” on the Red Phone. Readers were asked the question of where in the paper we should place his columns, and the replies went like this:
“Hi. You were asking whether we should keep Robert Mitchell or move him to the Editorial page. I don’t care where you keep him as long as you keep him. That column is the very best thing that The Dispatch produces.”
And the praise goes on …
“I like Robert Mitchell’s articles very, very much. I don’t care where you put them just so it is very conspicuous. That’s one of the main reasons I am taking The Dispatch. I admire him.”
Pretty soon our lawyer friend is going to let comments like these go to his head and be asking for a raise. Wait, one of Robert Mitchell’s fellow columnists called the Red Phone to do just that. To that Dispatch columnist, we say great column last week. Hope that “lifts” your spirits.
***
Now, to the down and dirty of recent calls to the Red Phone. And it is dirty. The issue is blight, and two callers dialed the Red Phone to complain about it.
“I’m concerned that Gilroy is turning into the junk car capital of the world. All of our neighborhoods even on kind of our nicer side of town, everywhere you drive around, there’s broken down vehicles in driveways, motor homes, boats. I thought that Gilroy had a blight ordinance. Could you guys look into that and maybe let us know what the deal is with Gilroy cleaning this town up. Thanks for you help.”
We are happy to help. But first, listen to this caller’s complaint.
“Behind the house on the corner of Carmel and Welburn Avenue, there’s a chop shop or an illegal auto repair shop. There’s a big mess. The alley is also blocked by cars, cars, cars. So there is something definitely going on there. No one seems to care, maybe you do.”
Boy, do we ever. The caller told us these cars are parked so thick an emergency vehicle couldn’t squeeze through, which sounds dangerous. First, we called Gilroy Police, and they said they hadn’t received any complaints or heard of the problem. But GPD said an officer would look into it. For this frustrated woman’s sake, we hope they do.
For those of you who may have a similar problem, don’t let the problem build up until the Red Phone is your last resort. Here’s who to call
• Gilroy Police Officer Gary Muraoka at 846-0320. He handles calls for cars or other machinery, such as a boat or trailer, that are being dismantled, assembled, repaired, painted, serviced or otherwise in the front yard.
• Scott Barron in the Building division at 846-0430. He deals with un-kept swimming pools or bodies of water and the storage, dismantling, assembling, repairing, painting or servicing of any machinery, equipment, appliance or furniture in the front yard area.
• Rodger Maggio, who is in charge of fire prevention, at 846-0432. Call him if there is a problem with overgrown weeds and vegetation or rubbish.
• Gregg Polubinsky in the planning department at 846-0440. He enforces the recreational vehicle storage ordinance on operable motor vehicles and restricts front yard parking of operable vehicles.
Residents who violate the recently passed blight ordinance face fines of up to $1,000. So, people clean up your acts. The Red Phone doesn’t want Gilroy to be called the junk car capital of the world, either. But, then who is it that thought to give our wonderful town the moniker of a stinky bulb?
Got a call for the red phone? 408-842-9070
