Where does it stop? When I get a press release like this I wonder about that: “Today, the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance passed out Senate Bill (SB) 622 by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), a bill that would tax sweetened beverages in order to fund childhood obesity prevention. ‘This is the first time this state committee has passed a bill that would place a tax on sugary drinks and the first step toward stemming the epidemic of childhood obesity,’ stated Monning. ‘By taxing these products we will be able to implement programs that will assist in preventing diseases among children and begin to address a public health crisis, whose rising health care costs affect all Californians.’ SB 622 passed on a 5 to 2 vote. By collecting an excise tax of one penny ($0.01) per fluid ounce on specified beverages that have a high level of caloric sweeteners, such as sodas, energy drinks, sweet teas, and sports drinks distributed in California, SB 622 will generate funds to support the newly created Children’s Health Promotion Fund and finance programs statewide that will fight childhood obesity and prevention activities.” What’s next, Taco Bell, In ’n’ Out, Snickers bars, Chinese Fast Food or the chocolate dipped cone at Foster’s Freeze? Why can’t legislators and the public understand that government cannot and will never solve our problems. The more legislation we enact, the more bureaucracy we create, the more “helpless” our society becomes.
That thinking is cattywampus which just happens to be The Word for the Week. It’s a good word to say, sound out with kids or cock your eye dramatically while looking at the cat before saying aloud, “Are you cattywampus?” It means not lined up or not arranged correctly which is applicable in so many instances these days.
Oh, the folks who occupy and run that Vets Hall that LOVELY LAFCO thinks ought to be shut down or taken over is helping to put together Gilroy’s annual Remembrance Celebration and Memorial Day Parade. Thank you to American Legion Post #217 and VFW post #6309 along with the Gilroy Memorial Day Parade Committee for keeping this homespun tradition alive. It’s always a true mix of a heartfelt tribute to the heroic soldiers who have fallen, but are not forgotten, coupled with an All-American celebration that includes the parade teeming with local groups which is followed by family-friendly activities at Christmas Hill Park. Remembrance ceremony at St. Mary’s Cemetery at 9 a.m., parade at 11 a.m. and car show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. To get your parade application in for your organization or business go to www.gilroycommunity.org or contact Albert Lambert at 408-781-3396. Maybe the LAFCO Board could ride in the parade – just for chuckles.
A few chuckles and a boatload of, or should I say a cottage garden filled with, cash – the Rotary Club Flower Sale tally topped the $50,000 mark. That’s money that gets plowed back into the community through the club’s grants and scholarship programs. And a huge thank you to Syngenta Flowers for keeping this one-day flower bonanza going.
Aesthetics matter, of course, though sometimes we seem to forget that. The open, well-manicured lawn area next to the Interim Center for the Arts downtown is a prime example. It’s such an inviting space and sure to make the upcoming farmer’s market more attractive and bolster the enthusiasm for Limelighter’s outdoor summer theater events.
A little green gives a boost to downtown, but so does a lot of green. I’m excited to see the plan for a downtown business and the entrepreneur behind it that nails down the $50,000 first-place prize in the “Shark Tank Gilroy” competition. The judging cast may not include Donald Trump, but Katherine Filice, owner of Articulate Solutions, Jose Montes, owner of D and S Enterprises, and Amber Madrone, owner of Mango Street Kids, are great choices. All are invested in Gilroy and in the future of downtown. The live forum event to crown the winner from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at the Old City Hall should be really entertaining.
The real Sharks on the ice have been mucho entertaining, too, wrapping up a playoff spot and steaming toward making a serious run at The Cup. It seems the unlikeliest of Sharks teams in recent years to do so, but that’s exactly why it might just happen.
If you have a youngin that would enjoy catching a real fish, not a Shark, pencil in the 24th Annual Kids’ Fish, Swim, and Fun Day, hosted by California’s Department of Water Resources and state parks staff and volunteers at San Luis Creek on the O’Neill Forebay in Los Banos on May 18. Bring fishin’ poles for children 3 to 15 who can sign in from 10 a.m. on. Free bait along with free strawberries and whip cream, other goodies and free pontoon boat rides. It’s $10 to get into the park, so pile in as many kids in the van as possible. The legendary Los Banos’ Hot Dog Heaven truck is also going to be there. Details: Jennifer or Howard, (209) 827-5353. Go Sharks!
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com.
