Dear Editor, Something extraordinary happened to me yesterday
(April 5th) in Gilroy that I thought merited commenting on, in that
the community should benefit knowing about one of the little heroes
that live among us, balancing out all the craziness.
Just a Heartwarming Story About a Person Who Did the Right Thing for Another
Dear Editor,
Something extraordinary happened to me yesterday (April 5th) in Gilroy that I thought merited commenting on, in that the community should benefit knowing about one of the little heroes that live among us, balancing out all the craziness.
While doing errands at the little strip mall which houses The Dollar Store and Mama Mia’s I lost my wallet.
I was getting a facial and ignored my cell phone ringing three times, planning to check my messages when the treatment was done, which obviously involved pulling my wallet out of my purse to pay … and, no wallet. Fortunately I had my checkbook, but I was feeling anything but fortunate.
Frantically checking at the cleaner’s and searching my car and the ground I covered, I sat in my car, trying to not cry, the mind starting the dizzying dance of all the phone calls I had to make to credit card companies, banks, etc. … and double-ouch, the loss of the battered, much-loved family photos.
I started to check my messages before starting the engine … all three were about the wallet, all sent before I even knew it was gone.
First my hair salon, Designs in Morgan Hill, called saying a Jeanie Lopez had found my stylist’s card in the wallet and that she asked them to call me to call her; then Jeanie called twice herself, having found my cell number on the cleaner’s ticket, and knowing that I would be out of it with worry.
I walked into the Printing Spot where she told me she was picking something up and just spontaneously hugged: “Would you accept a cash reward?,” I blurted, though by the look on her face I knew that the answer was no before she said it. She said she just hoped that should something like that ever happen to her that someone would do the same for her. What are the odds?
I walked to my car with my eyes watering and my heart finally quieting down after the ups and downs of the last half-hour thinking how it all turn on a dime … and a Jeanie Lopez.
May a Jeanie Lopez show up in all of our lives.
Sarah Whitely, Gilroy
Turning Gilroy High Campus Into a War Zone Isn’t Right, Nor is it a Necessary Drill
Dear Editor,
I am shocked by what occurred on the Gilroy High campus last week. However, I am less astounded by the behavior of some students (which, indeed, was hideous), than I am by the decision to stage a mock catastrophe involving a crazed gunman and police officers armed with fake assault rifles.
Our schools are places of education, places were children need to feel relaxed and safe and ready to learn. They are not training or exhibition grounds for police officers. Students are smart enough (and possess imaginations big enough) to master a drill – whether needed or not – without the presence of armed police and phony terrorists. By the looks of the photo on the cover of the Dispatch, the administration created a mock war zone. No wonder students went crazy.
Violence in our schools has dropped dramatically over the past decade. A few high-profile incidences have been blown out of proportion by the media, and drills such as the one staged at Gilroy High only foment fear and uncertainty – not an atmosphere of safety and comfort. If Gilroy High would have asked police officers to come to the school and talk with students about what to do in such an event, rather than having them whipped into a frenzy with fake guns and displays of terror, there would likely have been dialogue rather than destruction. And no expulsions.
Danny Palmerlee, San Martin
