First set foot in a Dick’s Sporting Goods store outside
Carlisle, Pennsylvania when we took the middle daughter to college
and she needed some field hockey gear we didn’t pack.
First set foot in a Dick’s Sporting Goods store outside Carlisle, Pennsylvania when we took the middle daughter to college and she needed some field hockey gear we didn’t pack. Never had heard of it. But I thought “what a great store” … and “wish we had one in Gilroy.” Councilman Bob Dillon, too, has often said that Gilroy would be the perfect location for a huge outdoor/sporting goods store like Bass Pro Shop or Cabellas. He’s right on the money with that call. Wonder how hard Gilroy’s Economic Development Directors have worked over the years to land one of the mega-outdoor/sports retailers. Next time I bump into Tammy Brownlow, the current EDC maven, I’ll ask her if this is even on the radar. Any of the three mega-sports stores, located either by the outlets or the 10th Street shopping centers, would be a huge success – a win-win for residents and the city coffers.
A lose-lose for residents is how the Santa Clara Valley Water District and County Parks treat residents when it comes to our South County reservoirs. An interesting call to the Red Phone this week pointed out the absurdities in the boat inspection process required to prevent an invasion from Zebra mussel critters. But what’s far worse is the absurdity that swimming is prevented in Anderson and Coyote reservoirs. Now, let’s go over this … it’s 90 degrees outside, you can camp at Coyote, throw a baited hook into the water, run a speedboat with a wakeboarder on the water, watch ducks swim and deer drink, but you can’t SWIM. How DUMB is that regulation. I called the number for Anderson, 779-3634, and asked why. The answer, “I don’t know … maybe because it’s drinking water.” Right, of course, wakeboarders, boats, fish, deer, ducks … yeah, makes a lot of sense and it’s such a resident friendly parks policy. Really, who would want to take a nice dip in a refreshing lake on a 90-degree day anyway? Could the “Dynamic Duo” – SCVWD Director Don Gage and County Supervisor Mike Wasserman team up to defeat this absurd policy? Don’t bet on it, it’s staff that really runs the show, just ask any local winery owner who has tried to navigate the inane and inconsistent rules and regulations issued by the county planning and fire departments.
Somebody in some government department somewhere knows which government agency owns the land where Gilroy’s youth have erected a makeshift BMX park hidden by brush adjacent to Uvas Creek. It’s an issue now since a 15-year-old boy (who was not wearing a helmet) had to be airlifted to the hospital after being injured on a missed jump. He isn’t the first. Back in 2006, Mario Bonfante, Jr., then 17, failed to clear a bump, flew over the handlebars and broke his neck. He wasn’t wearing a helmet, either. The latest injury, thankfully, isn’t as serious, but as contributors to our comment board wrote, “This is nothing new for BMXing in Gilroy … The creek, Christmas Hill Park area, and the old fields by Las Animas Park (now houses) have been an amazing place for BMX kids for years since early ’80s … as a child growing up in Gilroy you rode your bike to the parks, up and down the creek … This is all the things of being a kid. let them be. … Plus, all the jumps by Las Animas Park created some of the most legendary BMX professionals, with real X GAMES winners (Chad Kagy, Joey Garcia and Ryan Nyquist). … This is such a better outlet instead of getting into the wrong crowd … Bikes, jumps, BMX or gangs? Pretty simple.” Those are good points, but listen up – wear a helmet if you’re going to jump. That’s some protection.
There’s seemingly no protection – just an inordinate amount of pure frustration – against a criminal justice system that moves slower than a glacier … The story is this: At around 3 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2008, Gilroy police officer John Ballard noticed Pete Joseph Valdez III, biking east on West Eighth Street without a headlight and on the wrong side of the road. Valdez III, son of a longtime former City Councilman, was well known to all the GPD officers. Ballard tried to stop him, Valdez III allegedly sped away. A foot chase and struggle ensued, police say, and Valdez III pulled a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with seven hollow-point bullets, aimed the gun at Ballard’s face and repeatedly pulled the trigger. The gun jammed and did not fire, police said. … Now it’s June 24, 2011 – THREE AND A HALF YEARS LATER – and there’s finally a trial date set for Monday, June 27 in Dept. 110 of the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill. And that, dear readers, is the state of “justice” in America. Delay, delay, delay cost the taxpayers more, frustrate the system, delay, delay, delay …
Don’t delay, all reports from the street on Adam Sanchez and Ann Zyburra’s new Milias Restaurant at the site of the old Harvest Time downtown (Monterey and Sixth), are glowing. Sounds like a near shoo-in to become Gilroy’s hot spot for a cocktail in a lively, friendly and well-designed bar followed by a top-notch good meal. Couldn’t make one of a few soft-opening parties this past weekend, but I’m headed there with the lovely Miss Jenny after finishing off this column to see what I’ve been missing. Should be a big crowd after this Saturday’s Garlic City Fun Run and Car Show this weekend, too.
Car show downtown: noon to 9 p.m., lots of way cool cars you can’t afford, mucho music (even dancing downtown by special permit issued by the Great and Mysterious Oz at Gilroy City Hall-Al), and even a raffle.
Seems like downtown may be winning the raffle with young Gilroy newcomer Kellen McBain saying he’s opening the Aviva Wine Cafe in the fall. Signs already up at 7423 Monterey St. – if all goes well a building re-design will lead to a wine bar stocked with local labels, a Mediterranean cuisine dining option and a bakery with pastries and espresso drinks. Downtown transformed, one store at a time.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@****ic.com
