That’s One Ugly, New, Expensive Police Station, Let’s Hope They Paint It
Dear Editor,
I would agree that the new Gilroy police station is ugly – kind like having a big, green PG&E box in the middle of your garden. Honestly, I would have rather paid a bit more in taxes and had a nicer building. We supposedly pride ourselves on our downtown and our Victorian homes, then we do this.
Let’s hope they paint the tan blocks white to help minimize the prison look. Let’s hope those steps are not a liability for the City … it’s a long way down.
I don’t know if they did, but they should have had the city vote for the proposed design. We have to pay for it.
Alejandro Herrera, Gilroy
Gilroy Foundation Thanks Connell Family, Paper and Event Volunteers
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Gilroy Foundation, we would like to thank the Dispatch and its great reporters for the informative articles pertaining to the Foundation in last Friday’s paper. We are pleased that now our entire community is aware of the Connell family’s generosity and inspiration. The Connell’s words have already begun to inspire, as a person who has never been involved or given to the Foundation before stopped by our offices Friday afternoon, congratulated us on the articles and sat down and wrote a check to the Foundation!
The Foundation appreciates your coverage of its work as well. We have so many supporters in this great community, but with Gilroy’s continued growth, we appreciate your helping new residents to be aware of our work!
Many exciting things are happening with the Gilroy Foundation and we appreciate the opportunity to share them with the community.
Last Saturday, we held our annual “A Day in the Country”, our guests sipped fine wines, compliments of our local vintners, and bid on dozens of auction items generously donated by local individuals and businesses. We would like to thank everyone involved for their participation.
Thank you again, from all of us …
Janie Mardesich, Community Relations, and Donna Pray, Executive Director
Cheerleaders a Shining Example for Gilroy – They Deserve the Hawaii Trip
Dear Editor,
As a former resident of Gilroy I was very disappointed to see the quick decision made by the Gilroy Unified School District Board denying the varsity cheerleading squad performing at the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
Being a cheerleader is an honor and special privilege. Cheerleaders and spirit groups exist to promote good sportsmanship, good citizenship, wholesome and enthusiastic school spirit and are, first and foremost, representatives of their school. Cheerleading encourages the principle of being proud of who you are and where you come from, to generate spirit and pride within a school or community.
This isn’t just any student group on a lark, going to Hawaii to study surfing and hula dancing. It’s Gilroy High School’s varsity cheerleading squad, which worked extremely hard to win a competition this summer at the University of Santa Cruz and thereby earned an invitation to perform at the NFL Pro Bowl in February.
That’s quite an accomplishment in anybody’s book and they’re to be congratulated for carrying Gilroy’s community sprit to the NFL’s nationally televised all-star game.
These type of trips can be a reward, a nice public relations device for the school districts and educational. Few people are so narrow minded as to deny the mind-expanding value of travel, the opportunity to see the world’s peoples, places and cultures firsthand.
As voting citizens of the community, we trust that reasonable people who are not “education experts” are qualified to set policy and govern the schools, to represent the “public” in public education. Who better to set the policy and direction for our children than local community members? That is why we elect public-minded citizens to the local school board, where they are charged with articulating the needs of the community to the schools and the needs of the schools to the community.
Providing a sound academic experience for every student is a major task and one that should take into account many learning experiences.
When a board is divided on an issue, it often means the community is divided as well. As with any form of government, the only way to build consensus is to discuss, debate and, ultimately, make the best and most informed decision that is in the best interest of all children.
Paul Thomas, former Gilroy resident
now in Hollister
Get Rid of the Nasty Diesel School Buses
Dear Editor,
It’s time to end pollution from diesel fuel, and Proposition 87 will help replace dirty diesel school buses that make up all suffer from black soot in the air.
Proposition 87 does a lot more, but just replacing the old buses is enough for me. I’m in favor for health
reasons.
Barry M. Wright, Gilroy
Let the GHS Cheer Team Go and Move On
Dear Editor,
I think the cheerleaders should be allowed to go. If their grades are good enough to participate and they are required to make up the work, I don’t see the harm in letting them go.
A student with really poor grades who shouldn’t be missing school could miss more days for a family vacation and there isn’t anything you can do about that. I am sure there are more important things for the school board to discuss.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these girls and a great memory to have. If they are going to be there long enough, make it an educational trip. There are lots of things to see and learn about in Hawaii. Move on to a new topic and let them go!
Maryanne Robinson, Gilroy
Don’t Glorify Privy Diggers – They’re Thieves
Dear Editor,
Speaking as a professional archaeologist, I am opposed to the activities of privy diggers everywhere. What they are doing is stealing from history. Despite Mark Huddleston’s apparent largess, the motive is monetary gain.
If he doesn’t keep careful records of his excavations, examine ALL of the contents of the pit and write reports on his work, most of the information about our common past that can be gleaned from privies will be lost forever.
Please do not glorify the selfish urge to acquire saleable goods at the cost of destroying pages of the history book in the ground.
Warren Wulzen, Gilroy
South Valley Middle School Positive Facts
Dear Editor,
The staff of South Valley Middle School, wish to share some facts with the community in response to the Sept. 5th article:
– The state average growth was plus-11 points, South Valley more than doubled the state average with a growth of 23 points
– South Valley’s 23-point gain was more than three times the target growth of
7 points
n We reversed the downward trend by surpassing the 2003 API base of 674 by 14 API points – now 688
– We met the 95 percent testing participation minimum
– We met 18 of 19 AYP criteria – missed making AYP by 1.7 percent in English/Language Arts for English language learners.
– South Valley Middle School met 18 of the 19 AYP criteria, making impressive gains of 9.1 percent in math with English language learners, but missing the target set for English Language Arts by 1.7 percent.
Since the article, community members, some of whom are parents of SVMS students, have written articles positive to the schools in response. Letters such as those from Dave Williams and Judy Williams have been heartening.
The staff of SVMS is dedicated to success and achievement for its students. Each staff member has set the goal of moving his or her students up one band on the state tests. We meet regularly to collaborate about instruction and are continually reassessing our students’ needs and how to help them achieve.
SVMS, Brownell, and Solorsano schools comprise a team of concerned teachers and administrators, not isolated camps of middle schools. Teams from all three middle schools collaborate on a regular basis. No one site works in a vacuum.
We look forward to the day when the educational community as a whole reaches its goals and the successes of all sites (elementary, middle school, charter, high school and alternative settings) fill the community paper.
There has been no “stampede” to Solorsano. We at SV only missed achieving our goals by just six students. We are pledged to achieving these goals in the coming year.
Thank you to the parents who show their faith in us by sending their children to all three sites to be educated and educated well. We thank the school board and Superintendent Edwin Diaz for their continued support. We especially thank our colleagues in the educational community for their unflagging enthusiasm and commitment to excellence … in all schools, for all students.
Sharon Avina, on behalf of the South Valley Middle School
staff and administration
Critical Housing Shortage, Yes on Prop. 1C
Dear Editor,
The article titled “Homeless Shelter Idles” published Sept. 12, perfectly illustrated the need for affordable housing and shelters in Santa Clara County. Developers and non-profits, as stated in Dispatch article, are having great difficulties in meeting these needs due to cost and market demands. I urge residents of Gilroy and Santa Clara County to vote Yes on Proposition 1C.
Across the state, Proposition 1C will provide $2.85 billion over the next 30 years to address affordable housing needs. But more importantly the measure would set aside more than $73 million for the California Department of Housing and Community Development to build or provide incentives to build 2,691 homes, rental homes and shelters in Santa Clara County. The county will also receive $10.5 million in down payment and mortgage assistance from the California Housing Finance Agency for 959 units.
Shanna Boigon, Morgan Hill
