Free rides on New Year’s Eve
Gilroy
– The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will continue
its annual tradition of offering free rides on New Year’s Eve to
help create a safe holiday for those out celebrating the new
year.
Free rides on New Year’s Eve
Gilroy – The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will continue its annual tradition of offering free rides on New Year’s Eve to help create a safe holiday for those out celebrating the new year.
Free service will be offered on all VTA buses, light rail lines and the Historic Trolley from 7pm Saturday, Dec. 31 to 4am Sunday, Jan. 1.
Details: 321-2300, 321-2330 or 800-894-9908.
dent.org.
See ‘Songs for a New World’
Gilroy – The Odyssey Theatre Company of Gilroy High School Presents “Songs for a New World” on Jan. 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 8pm; Jan. 15 at 4pm; and Jan. 19 at 7:30pm at the Gilroy High School Theatre, 750 W. 10th St.
Tickets are $14 for adults and $10 for students/seniors.
Details: 333-9065 or [email protected].
Auditions for ‘Narnia’ set
Gilroy – The South Valley Civic Theatre is holding auditions for its young performers production of Narnia on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7pm and Saturday, Jan. 14 at 9am and 1pm.
School-aged children in grades two through eight may audition. The director is also looking to fill two adult roles – adult female, mezzo soprano, for the part of the White Witch and an adult male, tenor-baritone, for the part of Aslan (the lion).
Auditions will be held in the Gilroy High School choir room located directly across the walkway from the Gilroy High School theater’s main entrance.
Actors should arrive 30 minutes prior to audition to register and be prepared with a song and a copy of the sheet music (an accompanist will be provided). Performances will be held in March at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse.
Details: (831) 261-4838 or [email protected].
Bach to Blues tickets now on sale
Gilroy – Buy tickets now for the 2006 Bach to Blues concert at Gavilan College on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30pm. The concert is held each year to raise funds for music education at Gavilan College, and to showcase the talent of the Gavilan College Music Department.
This year’s program features pianist Maria Amirkhanian, guitarist John Garcia, Art Juncker and the Gavilan Performance Ensemble, vocalist Sandra Marlowe, flamenco guitarist Alberto Marques, South Valley Symphony concert master Beverly Oliver-Blount, and Nate Pruitt & Primary Colors. Ticket Prices: VIP: $30, general $15, senior $10, student $10.
Tickets are available at www.ticketguys.com, Gavilan College Box Office at 846-4973, Gavilan College Bookstore at 848-4742 or Porcella’s Music at 842-3712.
Details: http://www.gavilan.edu/music/bachtoblues/bachtoblues, or call 848-4724.
Going native garden tour
Gilroy – Visit home gardens that are water-wise, low maintenance, low on chemical use, bird and butterfly friendly, and attractive. A variety of home gardens landscaped with California native plants will be open to the public Sunday, April 30, from 10am to 4pm. Locations throughout Santa Clara Valley and Peninsula.
Free admission; registration required at www.GoingNativeGardenTour.org before April 29, noon, or until tour reaches capacity, whichever comes first. Space is limited; register early to ensure a place.
Details: [email protected]
Bypass work to start this summer
Hollister – After a six month delay to get new appraisals for property needed for the Highway 25 bypass project, local traffic officials say that construction on the long-awaited project will begin by summer 2006.
The bypass project, which will divert Highway 25 traffic away from downtown, was delayed in June when the San Benito County Council of Governments Board of Directors chose to get new appraisals for several pieces of land needed for the project rather than face a legal showdown with property owners who said that COG’s initial offers we’re too low.
Earlier this month, the COG board approved new offers for 13 parcels – about half the land needed for the bypass. COG’s Executive Director Tom Quigley said Friday that he signed off on the final offers, which the property owners will receive in the mail next week.
Quigley said the new offers reflect market value for the property. Quigley said construction on the bypass will begin in May or June and will take about 18 months to complete. Members of the COG board say the project will move forward whether or not COG can strike deals with the property owners who have been holding out.
A long time in coming, plans for the bypass have been in the works since at least 1988. That year voters passed Measure A, raising the sales tax a half-cent to pay for highway improvements.
The measure has since provided half of the project’s $24 million cost. Another $7 million has come from traffic impact fees, and $8 million in developer fees and federal funds is also available.
Send news items to City Editor Robert Airoldi. FAX to 842-2206, mail to Gilroy Dispatch, 6400 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA 95020, or e-mail [email protected].
