Council Driving a Stake in Gilroy’s Heart One Development at a
Time
Council Driving a Stake in Gilroy’s Heart One Development at a Time
Dear Editor,
Recently there have been numerous accidents in Gilroy that have people shaking their heads. Around the county people remark about how much Gilroy is building and growing. We all complain but want someone else to solve the problem!
Last year I attended two meetings of the building commission. I questioned the wisdom of putting 50 homes on Kern Avenue adjacent to the school agriculture farm. Kern is narrow there, and Tatum (the road to go north) is only wide enough for one and a half vehicles with no shoulder. The matter was addressed to Mr. Don Dey who explained that Kern would be widened and that no study had been made for Tatum as it is in unincorporated area. He also stated that eventually they may be able to widen Tatum if easements on the properties could be made.
What did the planning commission decide? Build it! There was a remark made that the school farm needs to be sold anyway.
The questions I posed were simple: 1) safety 2) putting in proper access roads before building 3) wisdom in building so close to the ag farm, where there are sheep, goats, roosters and other animals.
I am not opposed to growth or affordable housing. I am opposed to irresponsible planning and building. What did the city learn with the Bonfante Gardens Theme Park debacle? Apparently nothing. We have power outages when the temperature soars and the city says, “Build on!”.
Instead of squeezing the ag farm out, why not plan in advance to move the farm to a larger, well-equipped property at Bonfante Gardens? I’m sure it would fit in well with the rest of the educational programs provided there. Widen Kern, annex Tatum and widen it. – then consider building.
Our city leaders are allowing large and small developers to pressure them into making decisions that become disasters later.
Gilroy is not properly prepared for those grandiose ideas that some of our city leaders have. Poor planning has created an unsafe environment in a place where we should feel relatively safe to cross a road. If our leaders like the big-city feeling, they should relocate to Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara or another area where the quaintness of the town was destroyed by expressways, huge boulevards and malls.
We all need to voice our opinions and thoughts and stand up for the safety of our children and families!
Heide Unger, Gilroy
High Endorsement Irony in Leadership Group’s Stance on Measure A
Dear Editor,
The Silicon Valley Leadership Group endorsed Measure A, which will impose all impact and burden on rural land owners. Yet SVLG high-tech companies exist because of strong property rights laws and protections.
SVLG companies know the value of intellectual property rights. Would they want the speculative value of their intellectual property reduced by a general election that limits their freedom of action? Not likely.They could not survive. Intellectual property is the most important asset of SVLG businesses, similarly land is the primary asset of rural and agricultural families.
Diane Dobson, Santa Clara
Prey Drive in Pit Bulls Same as in Other Dogs
Dear Editor,
I just read the article about the pit bull that killed a kitten in Gilroy, what a terrible tragedy, not only for the kitten, but also the pit bull. Many dogs have a “prey drive” and this prey drive is not limited to pit bulls.
This is a behavioral trait shared by both dogs and cats. This is the instinct that drives a cat to chase a bug, a piece of string, or any other small, erratically moving object.
In dogs, the degree of prey drive varies from breed to breed and then again from dog to dog. Many terriers have a very strong prey drive, a genetic trait developed from centuries of rodent hunting. A Jack Russell terrier has the same type of a prey drive as a pit bull terrier. This doesn’t make them bad dogs; most of the high prey dogs I’ve met with have excellent temperments and do just fine with obedience commands. They just need to be more carefully watched and trained than their less ambitious cousins.
There is a huge difference between prey drive and human aggression, a dog with a high prey drive, especially a bully breed, does not show human aggression. Pit bulls were never bred in the past to bite people. Sadly, in the past they were bred to be dog aggressive. With the exception of some idiots now who think they are good protection dogs … through physical and mental mistreatment they abuse the dog and force it/train it to act in a manner against its very nature and breeding. You have a greater likelihood of being bit by a sheperd, doberman or rot than you do a pit.
I hope that the authorities in your town understand the difference between prey drive and human aggression and that this poor pup does not suffer any consequences for doing what comes naturally to a terrier. If there are any consequences, the dog’s owner should be blamed for not obeying the leash laws and allowing the dog to run free.
Lisa D. Roche-Schroeder, RN, Albany, NY
