Local Scene: Politics and Pillows

If appointed . . .
The political rumor mill suggests that if Mayor Perry Woodward loses the election to City Councilmember Roland Velasco, Woodward could be appointed to serve out the last two years of Velasco’s term.
The council appoints someone to fill vacant seats, and wags say that Woodward would be a natural and already has a council following.
“No way,” says Woodward, who has served on the council for nine years. “If I don’t win, I’m done. If appointed, I will not serve.”
Woodward was taken aback at the question and said he hadn’t even thought about it.
Not My Pillow
The TV commercials for the great My Pillow that aims to solve all your problems, from restless leg syndrome to insomnia, seem endless and almost too good to be true.
Not almost, says the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, which was part of a group that sued the Minnesota pillow maker for false advertising.
As part of the settlement, My Pillow paid $995,000 in penalties and an additional $100,000 in charitable donations. The complaint was brought by the California Food, Drug and Medical Device Task Force which consists of 10 California District Attorney’s offices including the Santa Clara County DA’s Office.
The complaint alleges that My Pillow made representations regarding the effects or attributes of its products that were not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. These included that My Pillow products could mitigate the effects of medical conditions such as fibromyalgia, insomnia, and migraines, etc. The complaint also states that My Pillow advertised itself as the “Official Bed Pillow” of the National Sleep Foundation, without disclosing that a financial connection existed between My Pillow and NSF.
The civil penalty distribution for Santa Clara County totals $99,500, which will be used by the DA’s office for the enforcement of consumer protection laws. Receiving $10,000 from My Pillow are: YWCA Silicon Valley, Asian Women’s Home (Asian Americans for Community Involvement), Community Solutions for Children, Families and Individuals, and Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence.
Welcome to Gilroy?
In its first month in town, the new downtown bookshop, BookBuyers, has been burgled twice. The first time someone broke in at 4:30 a.m., walking out with a computer and raiding the owner’s bank accounts. The second time, the owner found a burglar in the shop. The suspect threatened him, claiming to have a gun, and took off with a computer. Really makes you wonder.