Why would Gilroy Gardens be giving free admission to
firefighters and police when they make 80K or more a year?
“Why would Gilroy Gardens be giving free admission to firefighters and police when they make 80K or more a year? Why don’t they give free admission to students who have good grades or patrons who have purchased season passes every year or local entrepreneurs. I could think of a 100 people to give free passes to, but not firefighters and police officers.”
Red Phone: Dear Don’t Forget The Kids, It is true that firefighters and police shouldn’t have any problem forking out the admission fee even with salary cutbacks.
It is more a gesture of appreciation than to help them balance their checkbooks. Its like when grandma sends you a $1.99 card that you discard right away. Its the thought that counts. Right? You know she spent hours in the card department picking out just the right cheesy saying that she was sure you’d appreciate. Giving out free admissions is just a small way of saying thanks.
Firefighters and police officers aren’t the only group of people that Gilroy Gardens offers free or discounted passes to.
“We have several promotions aimed at a multitude of different types of people throughout the year,” said Stephanie Anderson, the marketing and call center area manager for Gilroy Gardens. “The special for firefighters was actually for all military, police, fire and emergency personnel in celebration of Memorial Day and again for the Fourth of July in honor of everyday heroes.”
The promotion is called “Salute to Heroes” and Gilroy Gardens has had it for a couple of years now, Anderson said. The “hero” gets his or her ticket free with a proof of employment or current ID. And his or her family and friends get in for half price.
“As our park is geared towards kids, all of our promotions are aimed at children, families and education,” Anderson said. “We specifically target those groups with many other offers throughout the season.”
Parking in front of house
“I live in a home on Rosanna Street in Gilroy. I have a driveway where I can park my three cars. However when my friends come over for dinner, which is about once a week, I move one of my cars across the street to park next to the curb like any other car. However my neighbor that lives across the street does not like for anyone to park there to say the least. I could understand if I had seven cars and always parked my car there, but that’s not the case. One time I had a flat tire. I think this was purposely done. Does my neighbor have rights to the parking in front of his home? I’m confused about public street parking.”
Red Phone: Dear Public Parker, You indeed have the right to park wherever you want for a short time as long as you aren’t blocking other vehicles and are parked in a legal parking spot.
“The Gilroy Police Department handles all issues regarding vehicles parked in the street,” said Gilroy Code Enforcement Officer Scott Barron. “Rosanna Street and the sidewalks adjacent to it are publicly owned and regulated. As a result, adjacent private property owners have no authority to control who may or may not park there.”
While there may not be any regulations on where you can park, you may want to consider what you can do on your end to keep good neighborly relations. It sounds like you are trying to avoid an all out war with your neighbor, so here are couple things you can try.
You might be able to park your car a little farther down the street or have your dinner guests park a blocks away to keep an open spot for your neighbor. If your neighbor just likes having an open spot, you may want to consider talking to him or her and mentioning your concerns.
If you feel threatened, you can call the police at 846-0350. And let the Red Phone know if that doesn’t help. Hopefully you and your neighbor will be able to mend up the wounds – after all, it is just parking spots.
