CHEERS: For former Gilroy Police chief C.J.
”
Jim
”
Laizure who’s name graces the new police department building.
His sense of humor is clearly intact
– he calls the building
”
Fort Laizure.
”
The following organizations and individuals deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this week:
CHEERS: For former Gilroy Police chief C.J. “Jim” Laizure who’s name graces the new police department building. His sense of humor is clearly intact – he calls the building “Fort Laizure.” But it’s his rare combination of old-style, hands-on police work with an eye toward modernization which served Gilroy well for two decades. Under Laizure’s watch, Gilroy became the fourth city in California to operate a 911 system. He also took four months at night to write a standardized manual for Gilroy officers. But mostly, he is revered for his simple humanity, being a kind and humble guy who did his job, and did it well. As a Korea service vet, he’d be a great grand marshall for the Memorial Day parade one of these years, too.
JEERS: For the news that the rural deputy sheriff’s job is on potential Santa Clara County chopping block again. Supervisor Don Gage vows it won’t be cut, and it should not be cut. There’s an expertise born of experience involved in rural crime fighting that is unique. Without this deputy position, theft of often very expensive equipment will rise and more farmers may become discouraged in a climate that is often hostile to them.
CHEERS: For the quick shift in the city’s e-mail policy which will standardize and formalize correspondence protocol on public matters. That will allow a smooth retrieval so that e-mails can be made available to the public when needed to shed light on decisions and deliberations. The school district should follow suit.
CHEERS: For Gilroy High School mathematics teacher Jennifer Lewis who played a big role in landing a first Central Coast Section soccer title for the Mustangs. Her dedication to after-school tutoring kept the players eligible and her appreciation, for their efforts, on the field and off, no doubt became an important motivating factor as she attended the games religiously and rooted on the squad.
CHEERS: For the Gilroy Unified School District Board’s decision to forego a scheduled closed session to discuss the level and form of compensation that will be offered to the next superintendent. The public should hear the possibilities, the thoughts and the discussion related to the topic as the trustees deliberate.
JEERS: For the “our hands are tied” answer to the ongoing issue of firefighter overtime. It’s projected to climb to near $900,000 this year. If the city can’t control it, perhaps it’s time to look at county fire as a serious option.
