Still have my fingers crossed for that Christmas present
– the rear-end-ugly Chips ‘N Salsa sign coming down off Old City
Hall. Our grand lady jewel downtown has been getting the makeover
treatment for a while now and a few weeks ago I heard the clock
tower chime in the hour. Nice. Looking forward to tapas and wine in
the spring out in the courtyard.
Still have my fingers crossed for that Christmas present – the rear-end-ugly Chips ‘N Salsa sign coming down off Old City Hall. Our grand lady jewel downtown has been getting the makeover treatment for a while now and a few weeks ago I heard the clock tower chime in the hour. Nice. Looking forward to tapas and wine in the spring out in the courtyard …
Also nice is the downtown Arts Show and Sale planned for Saturday at 60 West Sixth St. Great idea. Local artists across the spectrum will be displaying and selling their creations from pottery to painting. It’s a perfect way to shop local, support local artists and find a unique Christmas gift. The fledgling group, Downtown Arts, is the sponsor. It’s from 3 to 8 p.m. and there’s free live music and food and drink available … and they won’t charge you a quarter for a bag – paper or plastic to take home your gifts …
But that’s where we’re headed if a county environmental commission gets its way … first the grocery bags, then the take-out food bags, then the bags at retail outlets, then the butcher paper that wraps your chorizo at Rocca’s (it’s the best by the way) … and the timing for the Santa Clara County proposal to add a 25-cent fee – it’s really a tax, but it just feels so much better for a government entity to call it a fee – for every grocery bag, paper or plastic, used is absolutely horrendous given the economy …
Ay, caramba … in response to the question I received, the answer is no. I have not heard anything about MayorAl proposing a city of Gilroy tax on gasoline for the care and maintenance of Gilroy Gardens … and yes, he did vote for increasing water and sewer rates on the residents of Gilroy by 5 percent.
In happy contrast, the Gilroy Sportsman Chefs increased their donation to St. Joseph’s Family Center this year by a thousand dollars the old-fashioned way, by passing the hat at the annual Christmas party. The $2,500 will help a whole bunch of needy people this holiday season. A tip of the cap to all who gave at the gathering including Tom Obata, Joe Giacalone, John Garcia, Steve “Hold ’em” Costa and Dave Kennedy. David Cox, the director of this wonderful organization which delivers services for the poor with such compassion and consistency, and Catholic Diocese of San Jose Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, an ardent supporter of our outstanding local organization, thank you with warm hearts. If you’d like to e-mail the bishop and personally thank him for his support, it’s mc*****@*sj.org. That would certainly be a nice Christmas gesture.
And I’d like to thank one of the truly outstanding, if not holy, food servers in town … Jennell at OD’s Kitchen downtown is leaving the restaurant after a ridiculously long stint – 14 years (and she still looks 20!) to pursue new horizons. She’s a quick-witted, sharp-eyed (sharp-tongued, too) type who engages customers with her smile and energetic personality. She’ll be missed on Sunday mornings, especially since I can’t tease her (quietly, of course) about the latest Raiders debacle.
I can say this about that, though … The 49ers should definitely give interim Coach Mike Singletary a shot at head coach, and keeping Mike Martz on as ‘O’-coordinator might create one of those situations of positive tension between opposing forces that yields good results.
And if you haven’t been reading Coach Bobby Garcia’s blog on the Dispatch web site each week, you’ve been missing some very entertaining and candid observations. If ESPN or Yahoo sports had decent scouts, there would be a link to Bobby’s blog up on their sites … and who knows, maybe Jeff Garcia will come back to play for the 49ers and finish his career close to home …
Our link to the coast, beautiful Highway 152 over Hecker Pass which starts with flowers, golf and wineries on the way up the mountain to the redwood forest, is not a designated state scenic highway, though I don’t know why not. It’s certainly perfect for the designation and I thought there was a grassroots effort to get that done a couple years back …
On the Hecker Pass subject, it’s still very strange to think that Goldsmith’s Seeds is no longer locally owned … hope the Rotary Flower Show fund-raising event can continue its long successful run under the new owners …
Pet owners have been running into trouble lately, too. As the economy sours, the ability to take care of pets can become a burden. So, when you’re combing through the closet to find that warm coat for St. Joseph’s, don’t forget to look out for used towels and rags for the cages at the San Martin Animal Shelter. Donations are welcome, too.
Skipped a beat in my column on reading a bit back by forgetting to include a wonderful book. If you’ve got a dog lover on the Christmas list, find “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” by Garth Stein. Sue Ligon, manager over at Barnes and Noble, promised to get more copies in … and I’ll finish with this quote, “We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet: and, amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog, has made an alliance with us.” Maurice Maeterlinck (1862 – 1949)
