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Some kids hate their freckles. Others wish they had blonde hair

For terrific summer fun, it’s hard to beat a concert at Fortino Winery in Gilroy. On a very warm evening, a group of us arrived just as the sun was setting and in time to snag the last table. We came stocked with picnic baskets full of submarine sandwiches, heirloom cherry tomatoes and summer salads.

I’m looking forward to the next week and a half. It isn’t because the 2011-12 prep sports year is coming to a close, either. Like former Saints and Colts head coach Jim Mora once questioned – playoffs? Yes, coach Mora, playoffs.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority board of directors elected San Jose City Councilman Ash Kalra as Chair for 2014, and Gilroy Vice Mayor Perry Woodward as Vice Chair at Thursday’s meeting. Kalra served as the VTA board’s Vice Chair for 2013 and will replace outgoing Chair Joe Pirzynski, a Los Gatos Town Councilman. Kalra has been on the VTA board since 2009 and has been a member of the VTA’s administration and finance committee where he served as Vice Chair in 2012 and as Chair in 2013, according to VTA staff. Kalra was elected to the San Jose Council in 2008, and he represents the City’s District 2 (south San Jose).“VTA has an exciting year ahead from furthering work on the BART extension to Silicon Valley to establishing Bus Rapid Transit throughout the County to working with a new general manager,” Kalra said. “I’m looking forward to partnering with the community, VTA employees and others to make transportation even better throughout Santa Clara County and the region.”Woodward has served as a VTA director since 2010, and in 2013 has been on the board’s administration and finance committee. He is the Mayor Pro Tempore of Gilroy, and was elected to the City Council in 2007. “VTA is facing an exciting future, and I’m happy my colleagues have expressed the confidence in me to help guide it through the upcoming year,” Woodward said. “VTA will need to think creatively and act decisively to meet the growing demands of the traveling public. It will take the board’s leadership and guidance to keep VTA moving down the right path.”Both Kalra and Woodward also serve on Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board.VTA is responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations; congestion management; specific highway improvement projects; and countywide transportation planning services throughout the county including the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale.