Not sure what to make of the Gilroy Political Action Committee, an arm of the Chamber, which erected those borderline insulting campaign signs that scream, “It’s the Gilroy Economy, Genius” that endorse a slate of four candidates. Am darn sure the candidates didn’t give that slogan the stamp of approval even though, in theory, they might concur. The PAC’s motto is of the same political vein, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” What’s so odd is that for decades the Chamber has been unfailingly unwilling to offend. “Preserve and protect” could have been the motto. Case in point: Though it’s Government Review Committee staunchly opposed the binding arbitration clause in the city charter for public safety employees, the chamber politely refused to do public opinion battle and weakly presented the case without a recommended course of action to the City Council after much flapping of wings. Perhaps what we have emerging is the Chamber’s alter ego that has been bottled up for years and now, like a college teenager who’s left an ultra-strict household, it’s time for a new motto: “GilPAC, let the wild child out.”
Shine on Gilroy Foundation. A few years back, Gilroy’s leading philanthropic organization initiated the Turkey Challenge, pitting Gilroy and Christopher high schools in a super-positive competition to see which school’s students can provide the most turkeys to help feed St. Joseph’s Family Center to feed low-income families during the holiday season. Now, it’s an annual event that principals Marco Sanchez at GHS and John Perales at CHS really get the students excited about. The Foundation is going to kick in $500 for side dishes to go with all those turkeys. Like so many ideas coming from the Foundation, it’s a beautiful Gilroy thing.
Newly wed, Vanessa LaCorte Courneen, and her betrothed, Casey, will be flying through the aisles at Nob Hill Foods on First Street Saturday at 6 a.m. They’re cashing in on a “Supermarket Sweep” auction item at last year’s Gilroy Foundation Day in the Country event. It’s a timed, 5-minute shopping spree to load up the cart (limit $3,000). If they can get the father of the bride, “Big Game” Frank, to stop asking which aisle the Caribou sausage is in, things should go well.
Things seem to be picking up at the Gilroy Farmer’s Market on Sundays. They’re trying to hit a head count number, so head out Sunday and give the market a try – or another try – as the case may be. It’s Health and Healthy Food Day. The Gilroy Walgreen’s store will conduct free blood pressure checks, Santa Clara County Public Health will be giving alternative ideas to lower salt and sugar use and the Gilroy Compassion Center will be collecting blankets, sleeping bags and winter coats for the homeless. There’s coffee, pumpkin bread, heirloom tomatoes, jewelry, kale, basil and boccoli-diccio, sausage, hummus and purses and bags by Louise Shields. Stroll down to Monterey and Seventh streets Sunday. Plenty of free parking.
One parking lot entrance to the shopping center where Kohl’s and Target are, off Leavesley, was going to be shut down. A sign at the “back door” entrance at the Shell gas station, proclaimed just that months ago. But the sign is gone, a new produce stand went up in a jiffy and plenty of cars still use the “back door” entrance to get to the center. It’s a mystery that only the retiring city of Gilroy traffic guru, Don Dey, can solve.
No mystery to the fact that four Gilroy candidates on the ballot have declared bankruptcy for various reasons. The voters have to answer whether the bankruptcies of Peter Arellano, Rochelle Arellano, Rebeca Armendariz and Dion Bracco matter. For the most part, Gilroyans take special care to vote on local issues. Though since Mayor Al Pinheiro led the charge to change the election dates, putting local races on the ballot with the large national and state General Elections, that truism may be, sadly, turned into a falsehood, lost and gone forever.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@ga****.com
