CHEERS for the aggressive anti-crime sweeps put together by the Gilroy Police Department over the last few weeks. Thirty three arrests the past week on top of a whopping 115 during the recent sweep – largest in the city’s history – dubbed Operation Garlic Press. That’s a whole bunch of bad people being swept from our streets. Just as importantly, the ground rules are being established: not tolerated in Gilroy. It’s good work, and reaching out to the various law enforcement agencies for expertise and assistance paid dividends now and will likely do so again in the future. Thanks for all the good police work to the entire GPD force.
JEERS for Mayor Al Pinheiro who used the city’s Open Government Commission to put forth proposals to raise the local campaign spending limit and institute a pricey and questionable set of “ethics” election laws. First, like all other city commissions, the Open Government Commission should be comprised of residents, not City Council members who have personal agendas. The Council should put that to a vote so it’s clear where everyone stands. Second, an issue as significant as changing local election laws should be brought up and discussed at the Council level first. That’s the proper course of action. Ignoring that just leads to more divisiveness on the Council. Lastly, to justify proposing an increase in campaign spending by simply saying, “We haven’t raised it in a while,” is such a flimsy rationale that it would be laughable were the topic not so serious.
CHEERS for Pat Vickroy, Gilroy Unified School District P.E. teacher. Vickroy defines dedication, and his Jump Rope Challenge is just another example of that. The program engages elementary school students in skipping rope challenges that reap rewards once the students attain one of six different levels. Some, like Amber Platt at Luigi Aprea, become Ninja jump rope endurance masters, putting the feet through a 15-minute exercise. Vickroy pays for the rewards from his own pocket. That’s not surprising, but it sure would be wonderful if a few students and parents wrote him a Christmas-inspired thank you note. Being a P.E. teacher in this day and age where tests are king and video games are pervasive is no task for the faint of heart. Vickroy is a champion in many senses of the word.
JEERS for the ongoing charade that is the California High Speed Rail Authority visioning process in Gilroy. It’s been clearly demonstrated that there is no vision, no plan meriting popular support and nothing akin to what voters were promised by the billion-dollar bond measure. The Gilroy City Council should again take a vote of no confidence and see how it can assist in getting a measure on the ballot that will end this fiasco before billions more are spent.
CHEERS for the Houston Texans for signing Gilroy’s favorite son, quarterback Jeff Garcia, to an NFL contract at age 41. We’d love to see “JG” get another shot at NFL glory … and you just never know.
CHEERS for the surprising news that eight candidates set their sites on the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees seat vacated by the resignation of Francisco Dominguez. With further state budget cuts looming, teacher and staff morale suffering and classrooms brimming, it’s a wonder that there are that many still willing to take on the duty. If they all do indeed decide to run a campaign in the next election, that will make for a diverse and interesting race. The school board did an exceptional job thinking through the process, making sure the public had a chance to hear from the candidates and getting the word out about the vacancy. That straightforward approach and attention to detail paid off.
