For the first time in a decade, a Gilroy teacher is not among a
group of businesses and residents honored for putting others before
themselves. But it’s not for lack of deserving teachers.
Gilroy – For the first time in a decade, a Gilroy teacher is not among a group of businesses and residents honored for putting others before themselves. But it’s not for lack of deserving teachers.
The city’s Economic Development Corporation has ended its sponsorship of the Educator of the Year award, saying it plans to put the $1,000 prize into a different “educational partnership.”
“We still, like always, support the educators, but we have so few dollars we need to see how to stretch them farther,” said EDC Director Larry Cope.
The Educator award is one of a half dozen doled out each year by the at an awards gala hosted by the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. The annual chamber awards date back to 1966, when the group named its first man and woman of the year. In 1988, it added businesses to the list of honorees, followed by volunteers in 1991 and educators in 1997.
Last year, the award capped off Janice Krahenbuhl’s 41-year career as an elementary school teacher.
“I was disappointed when I read the list and didn’t see an educator of the year,” Krahenbuhl said Monday. “I felt that when they honored one person, they were honoring all the teachers. It was really special.”
But rustling up candidates has not always been easy, Cope said, and last year the EDC had to repeatedly reach out to schools before nominations started flowing back. In the end, he said the EDC only received four or five nomination forms.
The EDC board of directors chose to end its sponsorship shortly after the award was given to Krahenbuhl. Board members have not decided how to spend the money, but Cope suggested the EDC could use it to finance brochures and other marketing materials for a new employment and educational partnership between the EDC, Gavilan College and others organizations.
“If the EDC feels it can’t afford to do it, maybe we can find some other group that will support this,” said Pat Midtgaard, a school board trustee. “We’re talking about people who affect the lives of 10,000 students in Gilroy Unified School District. To recognize one teacher once a year is a really important thing to do.”
It may be too late for teachers this year, but plenty of other shining stars from the Gilroy business and civic community will be honored Feb. 3 at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club. The awards typically go to some of the most prominent civic-minded residents of the city, as well as those who have toiled away in the background to help others.
Past recipients include Rudy Melone, founder of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, and Country Clutter, a homegrown gift and home items store that has managed to succeed in the outlets, amidst national names like GAP and Kenneth Cole.
Tim Day, a lifelong Boy Scout volunteer and a bishop of the Mormon church, has been named the 2006 man of the year. Aggie Ternasky has earned the woman of the year award for spending 26 years as a volunteer for the American Red Cross. The chamber honored Erwin Boggs as the volunteer of the year for his years of service organizing chamber fundraisers, networking events, and other programs to benefit chamber members. Solis Winery earned the small business of the year award while Container Consulting Services, a packaging distributor for companies across Northern California, was named large business of the year.
And for the second time ever, the chamber decided to name a nonprofit organization of the year. The Garlic Festival Association was the first winner a few years ago. This year, the award was given to CALSTAR, a nonprofit emergency helicopter service.
“We are so fortunate in Gilroy to have so many great people and businesses,” said Chamber Executive Director Susan Valenta. “The common thread is their commitment to serve.”
