Has anyone else noticed that our lovely city has become a mecca
for panhandlers?
“Has anyone else noticed that our lovely city has become a mecca for panhandlers? Not only is it a nuisance to see them standing in the road medians around 10th Street Crossing (the new mall area), but it’s dangerous for them to be standing there. It’s a distraction for motorists. I think you only ever should be standing in the median if it’s an emergency and you’re waving your arms for urgent help.”
Red Phone: Dear Caught in the Middle, That street corner has indeed become a favorite spot for panhandlers to hang out, hoping people are in a generous mood after shopping. And you have the right to wonder whether the city is doing anything about it.
It is something other cities are dealing with too. In May, the Milpitas City Council voted to modify the city’s municipal code to prevent panhandlers from standing on the mediums. Citations begin at $100 and increase after multiple offenses. Mountain View and Sunnyvale already have similar ordinances in place. Santa Cruz especially has taken a strong stance when it comes to panhandlers.
Currently Gilroy doesn’t have anything in the Municipal Code regarding panhandling. Sgt. Jim Gillio said the police are looking into possibly adding a section to the code that would outlaw panhandling, but he didn’t have a time frame as to when that would take place. So stay tuned.
We noticed that you got a little impatient while waiting for an answer and decided to take matters into your own hand by posting your comment to your blog at bestofthesouthbay.info/?cat=11. But rest assured we haven’t forgot about you. Red Phone’s circuits have been extremely busy, and your response was not lost in cyberspace. But Red Phone appreciates the shoutout on your blog. Readers, check it out if you get a chance.
We’d love to hear from you. Do you think panhandling is an issue in Gilroy? And if so, what should be done?
Gopher takes down signal light
“Can someone check out the street light at Santa Teresa and Mantelli? I know you already checked into it once and they said they fixed it, but it’s back again. So if someone could check it out, I’d appreciate it. Thank you.”
Red Phone: Dear In the Dark, It looks like pesky gophers got hungry for a “light” snack. The rodents were eating the wires, and then lights were being shorted out as a result, said City Engineer Don Dey.
“It is a known problem in the traffic industry,” Dey said. “We haven’t seen it in any other area in Gilroy. We noticed in a short period of time a number of different problems were showing up. The traffic signal maintenance company we use replaced the wires, and the lights are working now.”
So if you see any gophers fried beside the road, you’ll know they may have got hungry for some tasty wires. And if you see any lights out, or any gophers tearing down light poles, you can always call the Red Phone.
