Beaucoups squirrel holes dot the ranch side of Christmas Hill
Park. Not sure why the city doesn’t control this infestation.
Beaucoups squirrel holes dot the ranch side of Christmas Hill Park. Not sure why the city doesn’t control this infestation. The fields are a mess, really, not to mention dangerous for soccer and baseball players or anyone who wanted to toss a Frisbee with a friend, canine or otherwise. Then, oh yeah, there’s the Garlic Festival. The squirrels dig tunnels with gaping openings where mounds form. Even when there’s maintenance work done and eradication, the ground becomes all bumpy. You’d think protecting and maintaining our wonderful parks – especially the place where we entertain 100,000 guests annually – would be high on the list for the City Council. Well, maybe none of them ever use or even go to the parks.
Ah, parks … here’s how brilliant our state government is. Henry Coe Park is on the closure list for state parks as part of the plan to fix the state’s $15 billion budget deficit – a deficit that has shrunk unexpectedly from $26 billion due to increased tax receipts. Coe Park, at 87,000 acres is the state’s second largest, and there are a whopping few employees responsible for park operations – a couple of rangers, a few maintenance workers and a smattering of others. It is this kind of stupidity that breeds public cynicism about government – we’re going to close down an 87,000-acre park to save what – $500,000 or so in an $15 billion deficit? Ridiculous. Sell the Gilroy Hot Springs piece of Coe that the state bought years ago and has done nothing meritorious with and keep the park open. Or institute statewide pension reform, contract out for prison services, cut prison guard pay – do something that makes sense, don’t play politics with the parks. Just don’t.
Don’t miss the Fifth Annual Tequila Tasting this Saturday, either. Online tickets for $35 at www.eventbrite.com/event/1213245851 for the 3 to 7 p.m. tasting which includes homemade appetizers. Silent auction, too, which benefits the Latino Family Fund de Gilroy, a fund under the wonderful umbrella of the Gilroy Foundation.
Foundation for a Stanley Cup coming to San Jose looking shaky these days after the walloping the Sharks took Wednesday night. By the way, a Canuck as in Vancouver, is not a fish. It’s either an affectionate or a derogatory term applied to French-Canadians by Americans back in the day. The logo features an Orca whale breaking out of a patch of ice. But back to the point … I took a look at the Sharks website Friday morning – wanted to check the spelling on five-penalty Ben “Over” Eager’s name and found this loaded poll question: How many games will the Sharks need to eliminate Vancouver?
› Five
› Six
› Seven
No option for 10 games or next season, but as a good friend of mine reminded me in a text Friday morning, “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” ~ John Belushi, Animal House. Well, as movie devotees know, it wasn’t exactly over …
Animal house this Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. at Booksmart in Morgan Hill where Doreen Smith, owner and operator of All About Critters, will lead a Dog Adoption Fair and Pet Wash … do bring your pooch for a wash or do adopt a pooch for a nice Father’s Day gift …
A cool and unique Dad’s Day gift at a place you just wouldn’t think about – Marie La Beau Sewing, Alterations and Dress Shop at 314 First St. So, the owner isn’t Marie anymore – which some people know and many people don’t – it’s Ignacia, and she has designed some wonderful golf shirts that she’s working on marketing on a larger scale. Meanwhile, there are a few in her shop that are comfortable, vented for the hot weather, quite stylish and reasonably priced. Come to think of it, Ignacia could monogram the shirt just for Dad.
Speaking of shirts, how cool was it that Gloria MacVicar, owner of California Silk Screening, donated 150 specially made T-shirts to the charitable cause for the Robert Guerrero Day celebration in downtown Gilroy Sunday. Nine years ago, the local business owner was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She still goes for treatment every three weeks. Our boxing champ’s wife Casey, of course, has also battled back from a cancer diagnosis. Proceeds from Robert Guerrero Day were donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. By all accounts, Robert did Gilroy proud – patiently signing every autograph request, posing for umpteen pictures and speaking humble words. He’s the real deal – a true gracious Gilroy champion.
Unfortunately, I’d be remiss if I glossed over mentioning what will seem obvious to many readers at this point. Cal Silk and the MacVicar family should get a fighting chance in the bidding to provide our local Little League players with uniforms. The above paragraph outlines why – forget all the this, that and the other thing banter, it’s about supporting other local businesses.
Adorable Ava is running a local business worthy of support, too. Ava is 5 years old and her mom, Ann Marie Lopez, is on a Relay for Life fundraising team, “Judy’s Crew,” that honors Aunt Judy Ornelas, who lost her battle with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2006 at the age of 51. Ava’s been watching mom’s efforts and decided that she’d run a lemonade and baked goods booth at this Saturday’s Relay Rummage Sale at South Valley National Bank from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Santa Teresa and First Street. Stop by, grab a lemonade and make a donation or simply go to relayforlife.org/gilroyca and pony up.
Pony up $30 at the front gate for a racing duck (must purchase before noon) at our very own Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park Saturday and enjoy the 2nd Annual Duckie Derby and Celebrity Paddle Boat Races. Admission to the park is included in the price of a racing rubber duck, which could net your family a vacation for four to Disneyland including airfare and hotel or the cash equivalent of $2,000. A $500 gift certificate to Rosso’s Furniture and a 32-inch HDTV are also on the prize list. The racing rubber quackers will hit Bonfante Falls at 2 p.m. Proceeds support the Leadership Gilroy program.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com
