What a great addition the Las Animas Dog Park is to our city’s
wonderful park system! The grand opening on Jan. 31 was attended by
so many happy families and pups
– it was a delight to watch. And, thanks Mr. Editor for your
kind kudos to me in your always-eagerly-awaited Friday column!
Celebrating a wonderful opening of the latest addition – the dog park
Dear Editor,
What a great addition the Las Animas Dog Park is to our city’s wonderful park system! The grand opening on Jan. 31 was attended by so many happy families and pups – it was a delight to watch. And, thanks Mr. Editor for your kind kudos to me in your always-eagerly-awaited Friday column!
Indeed I have been mentioning the need for a Dog Park in Gilroy since 2002, and was delighted to discover that one was put on the city’s park master plan! Many of my fellow dog-lover residents joined me in an effort to be involved with the planning. Many of us visited dog parks around the Bay Area and got ideas, which we passed along to city staff.
I want to take the opportunity to thank certain staff members that took the time to meet and listen to our ideas: Mayor Al Pinheiro, Susan Andrade-Wax, Bill Headley, Lisa Gabrielsen, and the architectural firm of Bellinger, Foster and Steinmetz, represented by Elke Lucking. We were able to “negotiate” a separate small dog area, which was a big concern to many, and give input on park rules. Then, I was asked to join the planning team for the grand opening.
As the only non-city staff member of the team, it was a great honor. And, the group did a fabulous job – they were headed by Maria Deleon, and included Lisa Gabrielsen, Judy Mireles Janisch, John Garcia, Catherine Mirelez, Gayle Glines, Sandra Sammut, Carla Ruigh and Chris Orr. They were a pleasure to work with and the results of the day were great. Gayle Glines approached Dr. Dennis Harrigan and Dr. Pete Keesling and they generously donated special pet treats for all our canine visitors that day!
During construction of the park, many residents wanted to support this project in a financial way as well, so I was able to raise more than $11,000 to start a permanent endowment (savings account) at the Gilroy Foundation which will give an annual payout, in perpetuity, to help maintain and improve the park. In addition, doggie plaques, either used as memorials or just as good luck wishes, can be purchased at $100 each, and $50 of that money goes into the endowment.
More shade has been the biggest request, and I had so many people come over to me at the opening offering financial help to purchase trees and get irrigation to them. More benches can be added as well, which will include an engraved acknowledgement plaque. Putting private money together with our now limited public money can improve communities, as this park has proven. And, it is community foundations, like the Gilroy Foundation, that can make that happen.
You have a personal cause? The Foundation can help you support it! Just email dp***@**************on.org. Thank you all again!
Donna Pray and Reggie, Gilroy
Keep City Council’s – and the newspaper’s nose – out of layoffs
Dear Editor,
The current layoff situation is of course very unfortunate. But the Dispatch Editorial Board seems to be the one that is making it a very uncomfortable situation by printing your last opinions in the paper.
When the layoff policy was conceived no one thought that there would be some 40-plus layoffs at one time. At the time it was thought to be fair and was agreed to by the employees, the city, and surprise, surprise by the City Council. It was a vehicle for the city to layoff employees without prejudice to any one group. If the policy was not in place it could have been a way to get rid of all female employees or all employee over 45 years of age.
Granted it may not have been perfect, but it was what was in place at the time.
I agree now is the time to revisit this policy, by meeting with employees and coming up with a policy that is fair and workable. But please leave the City Council out of drafting of this policy, as we have seen what those brilliant minds have done. I don’t believe they are capable of making the right decisions on this matter … oops I forgot, Gartman can, he knows everything.
Kathy McHenry, Gilroy
Obama and the Democracts making evil deals with the devil
Dear Editor,
I’m really puzzled with couple of decisions by the messiah Barack Obama and was wondering if I could impose on our educated liberals to help me figure this out.
First, he reversed the Mexico City Policy which was prohibiting our tax dollars from being sent to planned parenthood organizations in poor countries such as Mexico for the fees they charge to kill the unborn babies. In these economic hard times, how do you justify sending millions of dollars to freely kill the unborn?
Second, is the $800 billion stimulus package. The Democrats are strongly urging Obama to give millions to planned parenthood across the nation to control the population of states in order to lessen the economic burden placed on them by pregnant women and the unborn children.
At first I was scared of the Russian-style socialism and communism that the naked king brought into the White House, but now I’m thinking this is turning into more like the Nazi-style government. This is insane and evil.
David Kaeini, Gilroy
