JEERS: For For Mayor Al Pinheiro’s proposal asking the Gilroy
Unified School District to continue to waive school impact fees for
buildings in the downtown area.
The following organizations and individuals deserve either CHEERS or JEERS this week:
JEERS: For For Mayor Al Pinheiro’s proposal asking the Gilroy Unified School District to continue to waive school impact fees for buildings in the downtown area. The school district has played nice for quite some time, and what support has that earned them from the city? Shared parks and shared gyms, but nothing where it really counts – mitigation for new school buildings when new developments are approved. Without a concrete proposal from the mayor of substance and significance, school trustees should do what the city has done for years: Shrug, lift their arms and say, “Our hands are tied.”
CHEERS: For the revival of the Gilroy Police Department’s traffic patrol. Anyone who drives in town more than a limited amount has likely noticed the sporty white car with the flashing lights pulled over with a victim in tow. It’s more than a subtle reminder to watch your speed, and it’s something Gilroy has needed for quite some time.
JEERS: For the numbskull who set the fire in the bathroom at Gilroy High School. It’s exactly the kind of thing that can escalate and cause serious harm to someone. If the perpetrator is caught, expulsion and restitution for the school and the city’s fire response is in order.
CHEERS: For Lis Gifford, who passed away on Valentine’s Day. Her expressive wit and well-penned letters graced these pages often before she ran for and won a City Council seat. She ventured bold opinions, always with her feet firmly on the ground. She will be missed.
JEERS: For the City Council’s decision to pay for another study to determine what to do about the downtown parking mess. Is it really that complicated that city staff, with information gathered by the Council, can’t come up with a solution? Imagine the downtown improvements which could be made with the money that will instead be spent on the study.
CHEERS: For our new District Attorney Dolores Carr who brings a refreshing spirit to the office, and a new perspective for the department. She is moving thoughtfully and cautiously ahead, and her approach bodes well for the future.
CHEERS: For St. Joseph’s Family Center’s St. Patrick’s Day fund-raising event. Yes, it’s a month away, but there’s no reason to wait to do a good deed. Your $25 dinner ticket purchase – or a $1,000 table sponsorship – gets plowed into grassroots programs that touch the truly needy in our community each day. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate “the wearing of the green” on March 17. St. Joseph’s Director David Cox at 842-6662 has tickets and information.
