Surprise, in the Quality of Life phone survey, the public expressed broad support for public safety – i.e. police officers. That always tops the list, of course. People want to feel safe and be safe. They don’t want vagrants and gang bangers running free all over town or their parks filled with scumbags. They want to be able to park cars in their driveways and not have to worry about them being broken into. As long as I’ve been editor, that’s been the A#1 priority for city government. And it should be. That said, I’m not sure where this survey is headed. What originally began as Mayor Don Gage’s crusade to pass either a sales or parcel tax to fund capital improvement projects may morph into something far different? It’s such a smorgasbord at present – from funds to upgrade Christopher High athletic fields to a water feature at Gilroy Gardens to fixing downtown unreinforced masonry buildings. Next in the process: public meetings to refine and determine a ballot proposal, but the road to ballot box failure is paved with good intentions. For my money, a community/senior/recreation center would do wonders for Gilroy as a catalyst center of activity. But we’ll have to see how this story unfolds.
Unfolding Friday morning in front of Las Animas School is something cool. Treats for Troops is a great idea, this year being coordinated by parent Michelle Hernandez. At 7:45 a.m. – the day after Halloween – candy collectors will be in front of the school to collect goodies for our military men and women. Last year’s total was 888 pounds, so the 1,000-pound mark is in sight. Sharing the holiday spoils with whose who serve our great country and teaching the children to give back is a darn fine combination.
Combining a hand-written note with some heartfelt words is powerful and, unfortunately, a waning practice. So much email, text and lickety-split communication. My grandfather, Ed Derry, used to write weekly letters to his children who were away from home going to college or pursuing endeavors. It meant a lot to get a note – and it still does. So it brought a smile when I read a local press release that started, “There is value in the hand-created note. It promotes thoughtfulness and generates good will and generosity. Think about the last hand-created, hand-written thank you note you received. How did you feel – happy, blessed, warm?” There’s a one-hour class in Karen’s Art Zone at BookSmart (80 E. 2nd St. Morgan Hill) on Saturday, Nov. 23 where you can create your own thank you cards. Kids welcome. Materials supplied. Just in time for Thanksgiving. Cool.
Cool is what it’s going to be when I soon visit daughter Mariah, who’s a senior at Oregon State University. A senior … oh my, I didn’t know it would feel so different when the last one zoomed ever closer to donning the cap and gown. But I get it now. There’s a line of demarcation floating around that signals this segment of your life’s journey and the work that has been your primary focus for many years, has passed. It is a wistful realization, but I’m sure going to enjoy the last few visits to OSU, a school and a campus I have come to think the world of. Go BEAVS!
Go Tyler Grace, too. I would be remiss if I didn’t wish my budding gymnast granddaughter who is filled with vigor a happy 2-year-old birthday. It’s becoming more and more fun to watch her sprout up.
Up sprout more and more fast food Mexican restaurants. Gilroy has to be the leader in per capita taqueria establishments. Maybe we should use that to our advantage. How about a “Best Taco, Best Burrito” cookoff at one of our downtown events? Of course, it would have to get through city hall and …
That’s no easy feat. Take the recent example. Amoretto Boutique owners, Sandra and Hilda Castaneda, wanted to have a wrap-around fashion show at their store on the corner of Monterey and Martin streets downtown. The fashion parade would slip out the back door, go around the block past OD’s Restaurant and enter through the front door. They also wanted to cone-off two parking slots on Martin. No dice said the city. For downtown to really get off the dime, our elected officials have to engage the dominant City Hall culture of no-can-do and here’s the 40 reasons why you can’t. Didn’t we just recently hire someone for big-ticket money who was supposed to assist in facilitating business development?
Noteworthy development: Gilroy Fire Department battalion chiefs, retired Ed Bozzo and Phil King, had their lawsuit for overtime pay summarily dismissed. Thanks guys for filing a greedy and frivolous lawsuit against the city. Advice: don’t appeal. That suit cost the whole department big time, in the eyes of the public and the city. Noteworthy development II: Firefighters settled for a paltry 1/2 percent pay increase and that’s no coincidence. The City Council, rightly so, is not happy with Gilroy Fire.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at ed****@ga****.com.
