DEAR Editor:
We just returned home from a wonderful Mediterranean cruise with
our friends Al and Ruth Slechta.
DEAR Editor:
We just returned home from a wonderful Mediterranean cruise with our friends Al and Ruth Slechta. Ports of call included Lisbon, Portugal, Gibraltar, Malaga and Barcelona, Spain, Livorno, Rome, Naples/Capri, Taormina, Sicily, Venice and Florence, Italy. The sights, art, culture and history were incredible.
But the reason for this letter is that we saw ugly, and “decorative” graffiti in every city we visited, most of it totally unabated. I was sensitive to it, especially since I work on the Gilroy “Wipe out Watch” anti-graffiti committee.
At this point in time, Gilroy is relatively free of graffiti. Every now and then we have an outbreak of it, clean it up as fast as we can and never give up the battle. Compare Gilroy to Salinas – graffiti and gang activity go hand in hand. We have an anti-gang task force, “Wipe out Watch” volunteer committee. People like Art Barron “adopted” his Eigleberry neighborhood and wrote a grant for $3,215 to help beautify his neighborhood. Someone “adopted” the Luchessa Avenue bridge at Princevalle and painted out graffiti on it almost before it was dry. I never see it there any more. Rogers Lane residents, San Ysidro Park residents and Springdale Court residents have all re-taken their neighborhoods and said “no” to gangs and graffiti.
So we have taken ownership of our town. That is what it will take to ward off ugliness and crime. I must commend our police department and city fathers for prioritizing this effort and the Gilroy Unified School District Schools for promoting Peace Builders.
Here are some of the phone numbers I have programmed into my cell phone.
• Gilroy Police Department (for crimes and accidents) 408 846-8350
• Reporting Graffiti – 408 846-0395
• Reporting Trash – 408 846-0245
• Reporting graffiti to county (outside city limits) 408 299-5777
If we all keep the pressure on we will continue to enjoy our much loved Gilroy.
Marvin Thomas, Gilroy
Submitted Wednesday, Nov. 5 to ed****@gi************.com
