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Decades ago, Sunday was a unique day of the week: “The Lord’s Day.” Often, stores were closed, families prepared elaborate meals or visited others and people expected to attend church services. In fact, some states observed “Blue Laws,” which restricted or banned many Sunday activities.

Dear Red Phone,

GILROY—The Gilroy Gators just keep getting better.

ANNIVERSARY: Musachias celebrate 68 years: It was a day filled with smiles and reminiscing when Peter and Ruby Musachia celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary July 12, 2014 at home in Morgan Hill.

Alaska is such a vast and varied place that any trip there can only superficially touch the few sites that a traveler might choose to visit. It is hard to imagine that even a lifelong Alaska resident can truly “know” such an immense and wild place.

San Martin residents and businesses are mostly pleased with safety and aesthetic enhancements on a recently completed road project on one of the unincorporated town’s main thoroughfares.The San Martin Avenue “pedestrian improvement project” was completed by the Santa Clara County Roads and Airports department earlier this summer at a cost of $623,307, according to County Associate Civil Engineer Bernardine Caceres. The project included new sidewalks for the first time on the stretch of San Martin Avenue between Depot Street and Llagas Avenue. It also included new curbs and gutters, driveway approaches to private properties, new drainage facilities, fire hydrants, street signs, pavement resurfacing and other improvements, Caceres said. Completed in parallel with the roadway improvements, one block south, the county also improved the stormwater drainage system on Spring Avenue between Lincoln and Llagas avenues. “The county selected the San Martin project for guaranteed sales tax funds, which are distributed to all jurisdictions on a formula basis,” Caceres said. “The funds are limited to pedestrian and bicycle improvements. This location had particular appeal because of the combination of destinations and adjacent land uses, with San Martin being the county’s most village-like community center in the unincorporated area.”San Martin Planning Advisory Committee member Bob Cerruti said he personally called the county’s roads and airports crew to “congratulate” them on the improvements. “They did an outstanding job,” Cerruti said. “In the 28 years I’ve lived here, this is the most wonderful thing that has happened to our town. It’s nice, beautiful and well done.”Cerruti and other residents contacted on a recent brief tour of the project couldn’t remember the last time the county worked on that stretch of San Martin Avenue. Fellow SMPAC member Diane Dean added that the two new stops on San Martin Avenue at Llagas Avenue, controlling eastbound and westbound traffic, were badly needed to slow down speeding motorists.“I come through here several times a day,” said Dean, who has lived in San Martin for 23 years. “They worked on it continuously, and got it done.”Two business owners on the stretch of improvements had mixed reviews of the project. Gordon Bentley, owner of Pacific Security and Fence Supply, said the project improved access to his business, which will allow his company to grow. He noted that county staff were refreshingly responsive to the needs and concerns of himself and other property owners along the project area. Bentley said that as a “thank you” to the county he is going to maintain landscaping between the new sidewalk and curb in front of his business. “Deliveries are easier, and we’re not stopping traffic,” Bentley said. “I couldn’t have been happier. Every single request we had down here was met.”Jeffrey Moore, owner of San Martin Specialty Shop on San Martin Avenue, said he’s glad the county responded to his request to avoid building sidewalks in front of his welding and trailer repair shop. Doing so would have eliminated part of his work space, and likely forced him to move his business off the strip. But he still had reservations about the project, which disrupted his shop for about 2 1/2 months. “I was appreciative they allowed all the businesses to remain here, but nobody around here actually wanted the project done,” Moore said. “Curbs and sidewalks (for example) would be much more useful in the area where (San Martin/Gwinn Elementary) school would be using it. Very few people walk up and down San Martin Avenue.” 

Residents were given a glimpse into the future of the county road system Aug. 26 in San Martin, and an opportunity to put their own two cents in to help shape the Santa Clara County Circulation and Mobility Planning Project.Approximately 30 residents attended the first of four community forums being held in different locations throughout the county. The initial meeting was conducted at the San Martin Lions Hall.The series of meetings is part of a proactive and extensive community outreach process “to ensure public input into the Circulation and Mobility Planning Project and Roads Master Plan recommendations,” according to the County Roads and Airports Department fact sheet.There are three additional meetings scheduled, including a Sept. 9 community outreach forum at Guglielmo Winery (1480 E. Main Ave.) and a Sept. 15 forum at Gilroy Unified School District (7810 Arroyo Circle). Both meetings begin at 6 p.m. County officials will give a brief presentation followed by opportunities to give feedback on the proposed road system and road-related policies for each area.Among the plans outlined were improvements to the major corridors through San Martin, including Masten, Church, San Martin, Middle, Center and New avenues as well as Santa Teresa Boulevard, according to the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance.Proposed improvements on Center Avenue include a two-way, third lane for turns, paved shoulders/bikeways on both sides and a pedestrian/horse trail on one side.“I think that the infrastructure upgrades for San Martin’s streets and roads are long overdue,” San Martin resident Swanee Edwards said. “For too many years, the county has used San Martin as a dump.”The draft plan and environmental impact report are due to be released by November 2014, according to county staff.For more information or to provide input, call (408) 573-2417, e-mail at [email protected] or visit circulationplan.countyroads.org.

Like many parents in South Valley, I have spent the last few weeks preparing for back to school. Only this time, I was preparing to send the kid off to the brave new world of adulthood known as college. Yeah. I’m not handling it well, if you want to know the truth. In fact, I spent most of the summer insisting we all do things together for the “last time.” Visit grandparents. Go on vacation. Eat at Five Guys. (What? It’s a special place for us.)

Two quick notes before I begin. A reader informed me ahi poke, the subject of my last article, was not available at the Gilroy Costco. Upon contacting Costco, I discovered my error; the San Jose and Santa Clara locations carry ahi poke, where I made my purchase. I shop three Costco stores and inadvertently confused where I saw ahi poke. If enough people request a product at Costco, they may stock it. I apologize for any confusion. If you head to the north valley to purchase ahi poke, call ahead to make sure the store has it in stock.