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The Summer 2014 issue of Gilroy Today featuring Gilroy Gardens, the Viale home, GUSD, the museum, the library, the Miller Red Barn, the Farmers' Market, Ted Sanchez, Living in Gilroy Hoesch and Culp, Linda Martinez...
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SUMMER 2014
A MAGAZINE FOR AND ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OF GILROY
Gilroy’s OwnWonderlandSummer Fun For the Whole Family
High Expectations Reap Achievement
Fresh Produce, Flowers, And Fun
Something For Everyone
Our Schools…A Report
Farmers’ Market Opens
Popular Library Has It All
O D AYGilroy T
G I L R O Y T O D A Y S U M M E R 2 0 1 42
Be sure to visit our website gilroytoday.com and/or tell us what you think of our Summer 2014 Issue at facebook.com/gilroytoday. Your comments are important.
22-28Gilroy Gardens
A Look At The Past, The Present and The Future
Inside This Issue30 Art In The Park… Summer Art Exhibits At Red Barn Gift Store
34 Historic Miller Red Barn Local Committee Rallies Support
38 Viale Home Cherry, Sunny, Delightful
46 And The Winner Is… Garlic Festival Announces Winners Of Poster Contest
52 Ted Sanchez The Music And The Man
61 Gilroy’s Finest Linda Martinez, GUSD
62 Historically Speaking A Look Back At Gilroy’s First Library
64 Turning The Page Something For Everyone At The Library
70 The Streets Of Gilroy Living In Gilroy On Hoesch and Culp Streets
56-59High ExpectationsGilroy Unified School DistrictInspiring Higher Achievement
Community Happenings
10-16
LOOK WHO WE FOUND ON FACEBOOK: (clockwise) Emily Lettunich won first place in Bartender Competition at The Milias Restaurant; Patty Filice & daughter, Montina; Ernie & Lisa Cassara Faria, daughter Brianna and Victor; Tyler Eaton soon to attend Cal Poly majoring in Construction Management; Sue Thurman and Tony Marandos at GHS Scholarship Presentations; and the Coldwell Banker crew at The Party In The Vineyard (fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity) at Fortino Winery.
20-21Farmers’ Market OpensNew Certification Makes WayFor Bigger & Better Venue
A PUBLICATION FOR AND ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OF GILROY
Published By: InfoPOWER Communications
7446 Rosanna Street / Gilroy, CA 95020
Telephone: 408.848.6540Email: [email protected]
EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR J. Chris Mickartz
COPYWRITING Larry & J. Chris Mickartz
Kelly BarbazetteElizabeth BarrettStephanie Vegh
Sam BozzoLaura Wrede
Robin Shepherd
PHOTOGRAPHYLarry J. Mickartz
PROOFINGSusan PatereauKelly Barbazette
CONTRIBUTORS
Aging Dorie U. SugayFinance Jeffrey M. Orth, ChFC,CASL
Insurance David VillarThe Kids Corner Go Kids Inc.Real Estate Marta Dinsmore
The Law Scott van KeulenGardening Garden Accents
Secondary Education Gavilan CollegeTourism Jane Howard
Dentistry Jernell Escobar DDS
WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA Susan Patereau
DISTRIBUTION Edgar Zaldana / Glenita Gordon
ADVERTISING [email protected]
COMMUNITY EVENTS & INFORMATIONSubmit for free inclusion, space permitting.
© Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. No part, either editorial or display advertising,
may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher and author.
O D AGilroyT Y
gilroytoday.comS U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 3
J. Chris Mickartz
From the Editor
On a personal note:LOOK FAMILIAR…Some of the children’s faces throughout the magazine may look a little familiar, that’s because they are my grandchildren: Addison (6), Isabella (6), Lexi (3) and Maddox (2). They were happy to help us get just the right photos for the Gilroy Gardens article. You’ll also find little Maddox on page 55. We tend to get their help when we need photos of children for our stories — we have our own little models.
Spring was a very busy time here in Gilroy. As you will see in our Community Happenings section, we were pretty busy
going to all the wonderful events, celebrations and community activities. I am again in awe of the amount of support provided to our youths and seniors through organizations such as the Gilroy Foundation, Gilroy Rotary and the Gilroy Assistance League. This community is so rich in volunteerism and philanthropy.
My husband, Larry, and I are particularly happy that the Farmers’ Market is open once again. We live just a block away and enjoy walking over and getting fresh produce and flowers each Saturday morning. It’s a great way to start the weekend.
Now that I’ve mentioned weekends, isn’t it great that Gilroy Gardens is open on weekends and will soon be open all week? I have four grandchildren who absolutely love Gilroy Gardens so we spend a lot of time there. I feel it a privilege to have the opportunity to share a piece of the story of how Michael Bonfante’s dream has turned into our community’s treasure. How many communities can boast of having their very own amusement park? (See pages 22-28)
I attended the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce’s Government Review Committee meeting last month to hear a progress report by the Gilroy Unified School District. As Superintendent, Dr. Flores spoke, I felt this great sense of pride come over me. I remember when our schools were really in trouble and businesses were hesitant to locate here because test scores were so low. Well, not so today. Be sure to read how “High Expectations” have resulted in higher student achievement. (See pages 56-59)
Ted Sanchez — he has a voice that is so amazing. I’ve known Ted for years and have enjoyed listening to him sing at many community events. Well, I finally got him to agree to an interview. He is such a modest man — with a huge talent. He’s a crooner (big band/acoustic), but at a recent western venue, he sang a couple country songs that literally silenced the crowd. (See page 54)
Well, I have to say, I’m really thrilled with this issue of Gilroy Today. Because of the support we have experienced we have been able to not only add eight more pages to Gilroy Today but this issue is “perfect bound.” To me, that means we have arrived. After eight years of publishing, we now have a “real” magazine. I just want to thank all our advertisers and especially thank those who have been with us since the first issue back in 2006: Studio Three; GoKids Inc.; Marta Dinsmore, Realtor; Garden Accents; and last but not least, Jeff Orth, IFIT Financial.
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GILR
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Garlic City Mercantile& Shirtworks
408.842.65017550 Monterey Street
Come Downtown and be tempted by our many wonderful garlicky condiments, sauces, seasonings, gifts and décor items. Be sure to ask how the Shirtworks can provide you with custom embroidery; personalized shirts, caps, jackets, towels & linens.
DreamPower HorsemanshipEquine Facilitated Therapy
408.686.0535dreampowerhorsemanship.com
A non-profit charity serving our community for ten years, providing equine facilitated therapy for children, teens and adults. Offers a Horses for Heroes program for veterans and their families, free of charge. Donations are appreciated.
CommunityTidbitsGIANTS GARLIC FEST JUNE 27, 2014 —
The Gilroy Garlic Festival, in community partnership with the San Francisco Giants, is proud to host the 3rd Annual Giants Garlic Fest at AT&T Park. All special event ticket holders will receive a ticket to the Friday night game against the Cincinnati Reds, plus access to the Giants Garlic Fest pre-game festivities in Seals Plaza from 5-7pm.
Chefs from the world-renowned Gourmet Alley will be serving up aromatic Garlic Fries and Zesty Garlic Fried Calamari. Each guest will receive a limited-edition Giants wine stopper featuring the festival’s “Herbie” mascot. Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.sfgiants.com.
DAY IN THE COUNTRY SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 —
The Gilroy Foundation is celebrating this landmark 25th year anniversary by returning to the original setting of Gilroy Gardens for its annual fundraiser, A Day in the Country.
The evening begins at 5pm with local wineries pouring their wine varietals at Creekside Terrace while guests enjoy appetizers and silent auction. The evening continues with a wonderful dining experience under the beautifully decorated and enchanting Pavilion followed by an exciting live auction. We look forward to seeing many friends of the foundation as we celebrate in style!
Founded in 1980, the Gilroy Foundation was organized specifically to help meet the needs of the community in the areas of health, education, recreation, culture and civic service through the gifts of charitable endowments.
For more information, please visit www.gilroyfoundation.org.
There’s Nothing To Do In Downtown Gilroy???We missed the memo! So one Friday night we decided to take a walk downtown and this is what we found:
At The Milias Restaurant, singer, songwriter Neva travels up and down the Pacific coast and every now and then, brings her creative energy to The Milias Restaurant.
Calm at Bella Viva RistoranteHere there are friendly conversations, good wine and the player piano in a marvelous wine bar setting with food service from Garlic City Café.
Hot Fuse at Station 55 Bar & GrillA fun dance band plays a wide variety of dance music from the 1960’s to the present.
JJ Hawg at Old City HallJames Avena, Junior Diaz and John Michael are local favorites and know how to get people up and moving.
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S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 7
The interesting thing about these markets is that many of them are concentrated in the
hardest hit areas from the housing downturn. For instance, Los Angeles, Riverside and Sacramento were all hit hard by the market decline, but have since seen sharp improvements in the last four years. On the other end of the spectrum — in a blog post about the report — NAR says a number of markets that were in the bottom 10 for equity appreciation in 2006 did not see the same strong appreciation. These included Reno, Las Vegas and several Florida markets. This is sort of telling about some of the ultimate truths about real estate – location and
jobs are, and always will be, inextricably tied to the long-term health of local markets. It will be interesting to see where these numbers lie at this time next year.
10 MarketsWhere Housing Equity Is Going Strong
November 2013 thru January 2014 February 2014 thru April 2014
Total Listings 69 61 Short Sale 2 2 Bank Owned 3 0 Average List Price $955K $1,048K Average days on market 86 45
Closed Sales 96 92 Short Sale 14 3 Bank Owned 1 3 Average Sales Price $586K $610K Average List Price $597K $614K
Average Days on Market 50 45
Marta is the recipient of top honors at the Intero Real Estate Services Annual Achievement Awards: Top Producing Agent for 2013 Gilroy Intero Office — putting her in the top 5% of all Intero Real Estate Services nationwide.
For quite a few years during and after the economic downturn, negative equity – when more is owed on a mortgage than a home is worth - was a real problem for homeowners. And while some markets in the U.S. haven’t quite crawled completely out of the situation, others certainly have.
In fact, the National Association of Realtors recently released data showing the 10 markets in the U.S. where equity has improved the greatest since the fourth quarter of 2010. They are:
• San Jose • San Francisco• Anaheim • Los Angeles• San Diego • Boulder, CO• Honolulu • Riverside, CA• Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL • Sacramento, CA
It’s true that in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, we’ve seen some of the largest increases in home prices in the last year alone, boosted by a soaring tech economy and an overall lack of
inventory. This is great news for homeowners and the local economies that inevitably
benefit from a strong housing market. But what many watch with caution is the long-term impact on housing affordability – especially for first-time home buyers and other classes of workers that are at risk for being priced out.
Top 10 Markets by Equity Appreciation Since 4th Quarter of 2010$250,000
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$100,000
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S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 9
ainfully,Irememberthephonecall.She
calledme,crying,notknowinghowshewould
copewiththelossofherhusband.Icould
envisionhertearsandfelthelplesstofindthe
wordsthatwouldbringhersomecomfort.The
thoughtofthislovelywoman,crushedbyher
devastatingsadness,filledmewithsorrow.Her
husbandwasadearfriendandhisuntimely
deathhadcaughtusallbysurprise.Weshared
somanyinterwovenmemoriesandnow,they
werejustthat-memories.
Ihavelongunderstoodthatanimportant
partofmyresponsibilityasafinancialplanner
andwealthmanageristosupportpeopleinthe
mostpersonalandmeaningfulwaypossible.
MyfirstobligationistotrytoprotectthoseI
servefromloss,whetherwiththeirinvestments,
orasinthiscase,fromthelossofincometo
asurvivingspouse.Attimeslikethis,when
everyoneelseisatthedoorwithgoodinten-
tions,IamgratefulthatIamabletoprovide
tangibleassistancewhenitisneededmost.
Onthewaytomeetwiththisnewwidow,I
wasstruckbythefactthatlifewasgoingonas
usualforeveryoneIpassed.Therewerechil-
drenplayinginthepark,amanwashinghis
car,andyetthiswoman’slifehadbeenturned
upsidedown.Whensheopenedthedoorit
wasobviousshewasovercomewithgrief.I
huggedherandattemptedtobeofcomfortto
her.Itwasclearshewasjusttryingtofigureout
howshewasgoingtogoonwithoutthelove
ofherlife.Andthensheaskedmethequestion
thatIalwayshearfromtherecentlywidowed,
“AmIgoingtobeO.K.?”
IwassogratefulthatinthiscaseIwasable
toanswer,“Yourhusbandlovedyousomuch
thathepurchasedalargepermanentlifeinsur-
ancepolicy.Iamconfident,thatwithreasonably
goodplanning,financially,youareindeedgoing
tobeokay.”Forher,therewouldbetimetoheal
fromsuchagreatpersonalloss,freefromfinan-
cialconcerns.Thisisnotalwaysthecase.
Icanthinkofnobetterwaytoshowyour
lovedoneshowmuchyoucareaboutthem,
thanbymakingsuretheyareabletostay‘in
theirworld’shouldsomethingtragichappento
you.Havingalifeinsurancepolicythatprovides
enoughmoneytocompensateforlostincome
andsupportwillenableyourfamilytokeepas
muchoftheirlivesintactaspossible.
EventhoughtimehaspassedsinceImet
withthiswidow,thememoryhasstayedwith
mebecauseitremindsmethatprotectionisthe
prioritywhenputtingtogetherawellthought-
outfinancialplan.
by Jeffrey M. Orth, ChFC, CASLInvestment AdvisorRepresentative of HTK
“Am I Going To Be Okay?”
Jeffrey M. Orth is a Chartered Financial Consultant, a Certified Advisor in Senior Living, and an Investment Advisor Representative, with over 10 years experience as a business and personal plan-ning, insurance, and wealth management specialist Jeff is available for group lectures and private consultations. Visit his website at www.ifitfinancial.com or call 408.842.2716.
A4CM-0210-10E2
FINANCIALLYSpeaking
The author’s opinions, comments information, etc. are those solely of the speaker and are independent of, and do not represent, HTK, and should not be considered as specific investment or planning advice. Please consider your options based on your individual circumstances. Gilroy Today and other listed entities are independent of and un-affiliated with, HTK and Integrated Financial Benefits Network (IFit). Registered Representative of, and Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Hornor, Townsend & Kent, Inc. (HTK). Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC, 16845 Von Karman Ave, Ste. 225 Irvine, CA 92606 (949) 754-1700. I Fit is inde-pendent of HTK. CA Lic #0C49291 (Not an offer or solicitation in any state where representative is not properly licensed or registered.) Loans and other policy withdrawals will reduce the death benefit amount and may be subject to surrender charges and income taxes. All guarantees are based upon the claim-paying ability of the insurer.
P
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IMPRESSIONS HOME TOUR Presented by GILROY ASSISTANCE LEAGUE
We are so fortunate to live in a community with so much heart. There never seems to be a shortage of places to go, people to see, and organizations to support.
As you will see in the following pages, these past few months have provided an abundance of all of the above. Gilroy Today is happy to include as many of these wonderful events and activities within its pages, as space allows. And we encourage community organizations and businesses to let us know about their efforts to support our community.
We thank them for continuing to make Gilroy a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
Gilroy CommunityHappenings…
ABOVE LEFT (l-r):Jeanie Rizzuto with Linda Pulido, Raquel Roberts and Olga Pulido.
CENTER LEFT: Erin Gibson, Designs by Erin
ABOVE: GAL’s members (l-r) Event chair, Lee Blaettler, Paula Goldsmith, J. Chris Mickartz, Teresa Costa, Gina Anderson, Janie Mardesich, Kristin Bright, Donna Pray, Sue Farotte, and helper, Mia DeLorenzo.
The 10th Annual Gilroy Assistance League’s Impressions Home and Garden Tour featured four distinctive Gilroy homes and their landscapes and one garden. The sold out event was held on May 9 & 10th. Guests enjoyed touring and a home and garden boutique complete with complimentary appetizers and no-host wine at the end of the tour. All proceeds benefit the Gilroy Assistance League (GALs), a non-profit group of 35 members, that provides grants to local youth programs.
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GILROY FOUNDATION HANDSOUT $745K IN GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS
ABOVE LEFT (l-r): Keith Higgins. Dr. Debra Flores with teacher, Ethan Stocks.
CENTER LEFT: Board Member Edwin Diaz and members of the Latino Family Fund.
ABOVE: 2014 President, Deb Smith, Lisa DeSilva (Community Solutions) and David Cox (St. Joseph’s Family Center), Youth Board President, Jacob Yoder-Schrock, with Donna Pray, Executive Director, Gilroy Foundation.
The Gilroy Foundation, a leading local charitable organization funded via endowments, parceled out more than $390,400 to more than 50 recipients which included community groups, schools and causes. The Wednesday, April 16 evening giving event at Union Bank, Gilroy, served as the Annual Meeting, too, as Executive Director Donna Pray called up various groups to receive awarded grants.
Awards went to the Gilroy Compassion Center, Rotocare, St. Joseph’s Family Center, Rebekah Children’s Services Bakery and Culinary Programs, and Operation Freedom Paws and many other groups. The Julie Hayes “Rising Start” Performing Arts $20K Competitive Grant was shared by GHS Band, GUSD Choirs, Gilroy Arts Alliance, and CHS Instrumental Music. The Richard Hayes “Like a Rock” Industrial Arts $20K Competitive Grant was awarded to Las Animas Elementary School’s technology program.
Scholarships totaling $355,500 will be awarded at GUSD Senior Awards nights and Gavilan graduation. Also, scholarships are given out to Mt. Madonna, Sobrato and Live Oak students.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Gilroy Foundation funds and scholarships, contact Donna Pray at 842-3727 or [email protected].
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SENIOR CITIZENS BALLSponsored by the GILROY ROTARY CLUB
The Senior Citizens Ball is an annual event that was started six years ago. It is put on by the Gilroy Youth Commission and sponsored by the Gilroy Rotary. The goal of the event is to bring the youth and senior citizens of Gilroy together for an evening enjoyed by all. There is dinner, catered by the Gilroy Grill, and music by the South Bay Swing Band. The evening also includes a raffle and the crowning of a “King” and “Queen.” Each event has a different theme, with this year’s being the Roaring ‘20s. Between 150 and 200 seniors attend the ball each year. The Youth Commissioners enjoy coordinating the ball and it is highly anticipated by the senior citizens of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Hollister and as far away as Santa Clara.
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TEE OFF FOR YOUTHPresented by GILROY YOUTH TASK FORCE
SOWING SEEDS, NURTURING DREAMSPresented by GAVILAN COLLEGE
Close to 200 people gathered at the Gavilan College Student Center to sample gourmet food and fine wines, bid on auction items, and socialize. The event, Sowing Seeds, Nurturing Dreams, raised over $15,000 for student scholarships and emergency needs. The first Sowing Seeds scholarships, 11 awards of $500 each, were presented at a scholarship ceremony on May 9. Many thanks to the restaurants, wineries, and sponsors that made it happen!
Sponsors: Heritage Bank of Commerce, Smart Products, Recology, Pinnacle Bank, Gavilan College Faculty Association, Gilroy Rotary, Anritsu, Edward “Boss” Prado Foundation, Wagman Family, Chinchen Family, Safeway, Johnson Garden Center.
Contributing restaurants and wineries included Fortino Winery, Guglielmo Winery, Sunlit Oaks, Sycamore Creek, Aimee June, Coastview Winery, Martin Ranch Winery, Mama Mia’s, House of Siam, Patty’s Perfect Pantry, Dona Esther, Best of Times Cafe, My Pizza, Ceorge Chiala Farms, Ladera Grill, Rosy’s At The Beach, Cellar Door Catering, Pacific Dining, Gianna’s, Ding-A-Ling Cafe.
Sixty-eight golfers took to the course on May 9th to help raise money to support programs for Gilroy’s most at-risk youth at the annual “Tee Off For Youth” golf tournament at the Gilroy Golf Course. The money raised will be spent on activities and programs that will provide a safe environment for youth.
The task force is made up of community volunteers – residents, community leaders and staff from faith-based and community-based organizations who want to see the Gilroy community and youth thrive. They work in partnership with the schools, local churches, non-profit organizations, and the South County Youth Task Force to identify local needs, gaps in services, and collaborate on offering services to the youth population who live in known Gilroy gang hot-spots or are considered at-risk to high-risk of gang participation.
Steve Kinsella, PresidentGavilan College
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GILROY MUSEUM CELEBRATES 50 YEARSPresented by GILROY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The museum, located in the old Carnegie Library on Fifth Street, hosted a series of open houses, with special exhibits in celebration of the museum’s 50th Anniversary. The main attraction was the late Steven Medley’s Gilroy postcard collection. Medley was a leader in the Yosemite Association, a writer and a naturalist. His postcard collection is vast, many of them dating back a hundred years. Al Gagliardi was also on hand to sign his book: Prune Box Collection: Preserving Gilroy’s Prune History. The book showcases his collection of prune boxes and gives a brief history on Gilroy’s past dominance in prune production. Barbara Biafore, member of the Gilroy Historical Society, coordinated the events.
FARCE OF NATUREPresented by PINTELLO THEATER
There’s Something Funny Going On Here — The World Premiere of a new and hilarious comedy by America’s most produced playwrights is currently playing at Pintello Comedy Theater. The trio of playwrights, Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten were on hand for Opening Night to celebrate seeing their newest show, “Farce of Nature,” produced for the first time. The event was hosted by hosted by Rod and Marion Pintello.
“This funny show appeals to a whole variety of audiences, and as always, we encourage groups of friends, families and neighbors,” says producer Rod Pintello. “Nobody writes comedy plays like Jones Hope Wooten,” insists director Marion Pintello. “Outrageous characters, crazy costumes, lightning pace, unexpected pranks and plenty of laughs! We’re honored to be presenting the World Premiere of Farce of Nature and are enjoying every minute of our association with Jones Hope Wooten!
Playwrights: Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten
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CITY WIDE CLEAN UPPresented by the INTERFAITH COUNCIL and CITY OF GILROY
On the morning of Saturday April 26 something strange was going on in Gilroy. People of all ages, denominations and backgrounds came together and “worked” on Gilroy. Project co-coordinator Rachelle Bendell estimated after the event that about 426 volunteers painted, repaired, planted, mulched, landscaped, cleaned, sewed quilts, gave out flowers and generally made Gilroy a better place to be.
The Interfaith Council and the City of Gilroy were the main co-sponsors. City staff was out in force helping and directing the participants. Many volunteer groups consisted of whole families. The morning of service wrapped up with a BBQ at Christmas Hill Park for volunteers and city staff.
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The annual Memorial Day Parade down Tenth Street to Christmas Hill Park is just one part of the Memorial Day Celebration. The day started with a Veterans’’ cemetery memorial service organized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6309. The parade followed and ended up at Christmas Hill Park for a family day celebration, car show and concert by the Christopher High band. The Gilroy Community Organization coordinated the Memorial Day events.
The parade had 60 entries including a tribute to veterans, a flyover, Scouts, Mr. Garlic, Chamber of Commerce honorees, Gilroy Fire and Police Departments, Mariachi Estelar and two Mexican horse associations.
“We are honored to host such an important event for our community. Please join us in remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces to preserve our freedom, liberty and way of life.” John Ceballos, VFW Commander
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MEMORIAL DAY PARADEPresented by theGILROY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
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Banquet FacilitiesTrivia Thursday Night 730 pmLive Music Friday Night 9 pm-1amFamily Karaoke Sunday 7 pm - 11pmFREE Stand-Up Comedy Wednesday Night 8 pm
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408.848.9565 • 55 Fifth Street (Downtown)www.Station55Gilroy.com
“Gilroy’s Home For Wood Fired Pizza”
Breakfast Special $4.55
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 19
N
ow that the initial dust has
settled on the first round of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enrollment, and the “who won and who lost” discussions have played out on the Sunday morning talk show circuit, what are the actual results and what do the numbers mean? More questions than answers have come to the surface since the closing of the Exchanges last month.
How many have actually enrolled? The Obama administration tracks plans purchased on the federal and 14 state run exchanges to arrive at the 7.5 million figure publicly released last month. That figure does not separate Medicaid enrollment and enrollment in private plans within the Exchange Marketplaces.
How many are actually covered? There is a distinct difference between “enrolled” and “covered.” It has been widely reported that less than 10% of those who enrolled in the federal and state run Exchanges have sent in a premium or have even been billed as I write this article. It is not known how many enrollees will actually pay their premium and for how long.
How many transitioned from a non- ACA compliant plan? In late 2013, millions of Americans received cancellation letters letting them know that their current plan wasn’t in compliance with the new mandates inside the Affordable Care Act. Those cancelled plans are not new health insurance purchasers but are counted as such in the 7.5 million new enrollment figure.
“More questions than answers have come to the surface since the
closing of the Exchanges last month.”
Dave Villar is the President of Pacific Coast Benefits LLC. He was a founder and partner of PDI Insurance Services. Dave is an active mem-ber of the National Association of Health Underwriters and a member of the Anthem Blue Cross Agent Advisory Council. He has specialized in Employee Benefit Planning for businesses since 1987. To find out more about Pacific Coast Benefits and upcoming Healthcare Reform Seminars, visit pacbenins.com or call (408) 847-1000.
Dave Villar, President Pacific Coast Benefits LLC,
Affordable Care Act: more questions than answers?
Where did the enrollment go? According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, of those who enrolled in the state run and federal marketplaces, more than 3.5 million went directly into a Medicaid or a federally funded children’s program. Nearly half of the states voted to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Regardless of your politics, the initial enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act is nothing less than a glowing success for the Obama Administration. The goal of enrolling 6 million Americans was surpassed in spite of the glitches and problems at inception.
What is yet to be determined is what will the numbers mean. How many young and health people enrolled? How many enrollees will actually pay their premium and for how long? How
many of the new premium dollars are non-subsidized private funds? Only time will tell if the individual mandate and initial enrollment period was a great success or failure.
What’s next? Nearly 85% of small businesses “Early Renewed” their health plans in December to avoid the 2014 ACA changes. These businesses will soon be receiving their renewal action letters sometime in late August or September. The impact of the new mandates, rating structure and taxes will be reflected in the new rates. New plan designs and strategies have emerged to help deal with the changes that lie ahead. Pacific Coast Benefits is here to help you navigate healthcare reform.
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 21
Farmers’ Market … nowopen!
The Gilroy Certified Farmers’ Market had a successful opening day on May 10th! Community members came out
to see their favorite vendors and meet several new local farms and gourmet food purveyors. Among the new farms participating this year are Swank Farms, JSM Organics, and Ledesma Farm, who all bring freshly picked organic vegetables and fruits grown locally and sustainably. New food purveyors include India Gourmet who serves authentic Indian rice dishes, nan wraps, and Chai tea. Mexi-Tamale brings hand-crafted Veracruz style tamales made every Saturday morning. This year, the Gilroy Certified Farmers’ Market will have an emphasis on weekly kid’s craft activities that are nutritionally based and teach healthy eating. Make sure to bring your little ones to the market each week. The Market will also be partnering with the Gilroy Library on cooperative children’s programs. Summer will be an eventful time at the market. Look forward to the addition of a grass-fed beef vendor soon. Events at the market will include cooking demonstrations, comparative fruit tastings, and all the best of the summer harvest.
Heirloom tomatoes, fresh picked corn, fragrant basil, unique varieties of stone fruits and sweet melons are all crops to look forward to this season. The Gilroy Certified Farmers’ Market, sponsored by the Gilroy Demonstration Garden and hosted by the California Farmers’ Markets Association, is a location approved by the Santa Clara County Agricultural Commissioner. The market is held in the City Hall Parking Lot, 7351 Rosanna St. from 9am-1pm, every Saturday, May - November. The local farmers and food purveyors participating in the market are excited to meet community members so stop and welcome the farmers who grow your food! See you at the market!
By Larry J. MickartzContributing Writer Laura Wrede
Gilroy Gardens 50 YEARS in the making
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 23
YesterdayThe history of Gilroy Gardens centers on Michael Bonfante. Michael is a man who is making a mark on this planet in more ways than one. During the ‘60s and ‘70s while Michael was growing the Hob Hill grocery store chain he was finding solace and adventure in the caring for big trees. The grocery store mogul loved trees!
The land that started as a place to nurture and grow trees needed landscaping and eventually became a garden. The land south of Hecker Pass Highway was home to Michael’s tree business. Grocery store managers said Michael spent too much time with his trees while the tree people said he spent too much time in the grocery stores. By 1977, Nob Hill Family Park was opened for employees and families and served as a bridge between the stores and the trees.
Like so many unique business ventures, Gilroy Gardens is not the result of a meticulously structured business plan. Jay Baska, a board member for the non-profit
Gilroy Gardens, describes it as a checker board plan... a crossways move to the left then the right, another right and several zigs and zags till the checker reaches the other side and is made a king. There is no doubt today Gilroy Gardens has royalty status. Of the thirty amusement parks in California, it is unique in that it is owned by the local municipality, it operates in the black and it attracts over 400,000 people a year! There are bigger parks in California; there are smaller parks but none has the pedigree and the future Gilroy Gardens has!
The City of Gilroy owns the land and the assets. The business, Gilroy Gardens Inc., is a nonprofit entity run by a local and new volunteer board of directors. Cedar Fair, an entertainment company out of Ohio, operates the day-to-day operation of Gilroy Gardens. Since 2003, local resident Barbara-Lea Granter has been the Vice President & General Manager of Gilroy Gardens.
Gilroy Gardens is a thriving venture. Michael Bonfante and his crew are back in the Gardens doing maintenance, garden enhancements and tree trimming. Operations are in the black. Monies are being funneled back into maintenance, upkeep and enhancements. Attendance continues to thrive and staff is considering a goal of half a million visitors a year. Gilroy Gardens is a major employer with part time employment figures hovering between 800 and 1200. The return on the City of Gilroy’s investment is seen in increased local employment, taxable sales, more tourism and a second identifier or brand element, Gilroy Gardens. Gilroy and the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival have had a long and profitable association. Gilroy Gardens has become a strong and profitable second brand association for Gilroy.
The current activity schedule for the Gardens is packed with science camps, overnights, special events, and tributes to moms, dads and vets. Gilroy Gardens is stepping up its efforts to combine education and entertainment. Second and fourth graders from local and regional schools are attending regular science days at the Park.
Residents of Gilroy are fortunate to have such a unique venue as Gilroy Gardens. It might have been the vision of one man, Michael Bonfante, but it has become the source of many dreams, education and fun for all the residents of Gilroy and for the thousands who visit every year.
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Circus Trees Arrive Michael Bonfante bought and moved “circus trees” from Scotts Valley to Gilroy. Axel Erlandson (1884-1964) crafted sycamores, box elders, ash and Spanish cork trees into unusual shapes, “circus trees.” At one point he had 90 trees in Scotts Valley. After Axel’s death and years of neglect Michael moved 29 of the trees to Gilroy. The Park still hosts 25 of these unusual trees. The 50-mile journey from Scotts Valley to Gilroy is documented in a short video “80-Ton Tree Caper.” The move involved over 20 municipal, county and state agencies in the permitting process and on move day…something that would probably be impossible today! The surviving trees are a living tribute to Axel Erlandson and Michael Bonfante.
An estimated 10,000 participants will attend one of the Natural Science Days at the Gardens in 2014. The Science Days are part of the California elementary curriculum. Gilroy Parks and Recreation is hosting more events at the Park. Granter describes it as “having fun in a beautiful agrarian setting.”
Baksa describes the success of education in an entertainment environment as the result of many partnerships.
Educational Opportunities:• Public Art in the Garden with artists visiting, working and
displaying their art in the Red Barn. • Schools offering science credits for Park visits. • The Gilroy Library by offering Parks passes in a competition
to reach specific reading goals. • Community groups like Gilroy Leadership and the Chamber
of Commerce for scheduling social events in the Park.• Free Gilroy resident days at the beginning of the season.
1985
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 25
Michael Bonfante’s original vision was to celebrate the horticultural and historical aspects of this community. Inside the Gardens there are many elements that celebrate not only Michael’s personal heritage, but the local heritage as well:• Claudia’s Garden — names after Michael’s wife.
• Uncle John’s Restaurant — named after Michael’s Uncle John.
• Sugar Plum Farm — named after one of Michael Bonfante’s favorite restaurants, currently The Grove, on Highway 156 in Hollister.
• The Red Barn — named for the Red Barn, south of Gilroy on Highway 101.
• Skeels — originally Skeels Orange Freeze, named after a popular Morgan Hill 1940-50s diner.
• The Timber Twister — named after the California Diamond Back Rattlesnake.
• Halls Mercantile — originally on the corner of Sixth and Monterey in downtown Gilroy where for many years Casey Tibbs and his horse stood on the roof.
• Miguelito Taqueria — a link to Big Mike and Little Michael Bonfante.
• San Juan Grill — for the Mission San Juan Bautista.
• Red and White Stage — representative of the first grocery store managed by Uncle John Bonfante, currently Rocca’s Market in San Martin.
Bonfante Gardens Opens To The PublicIt was to be a nonprofit education entity. By this time Nob Hill Stores were sold and Michael focused all his efforts on the Gardens. The Gardens opened with forty rides, eateries, and educational kiosks, in a beautiful garden setting. But the costs of such a unique start up venture took their toll and the Gardens closed early that first year. The Gardens drew acclaim for its unique venue but continued to struggle financially.
2001
Over 150 docents and volunteers join a staff of over 1000 employees to fill a multitude of jobs, many filled by our local youths. Photographed here is Linda Keahey, a volunteer since 2008, with Matthew Katterhagen and Matt Peatfield, both from the rides department.
In 2004, Holiday Lights was added to the parks calendar. In addition to having a wonderful family amusement park in our own backyard every summer, each Christmas season, millions of twinkling lights come on throughout the park and it is transformed into a holiday wonderland. Over the years, the park has offered a holiday fest, laser light show, Santa’s workshop, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” show, ice skating, holiday music and themed rides. Although final plans for this year won’t be released until August, the month of December (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) is sure to include a visit to Gilroy Gardens. In 1981, amusement rides were
added to the park.
Restructuring Of Bonfante GardensBonfante Gardens had accrued a huge debt. Something had to change. Bob Kraemer (1940-2008) and the then, Board of Directors was able to restructure the debt and proposed that the City of Gilroy purchase the Gardens for only $13 million, the outstanding debt. Even if the Garden did not continue as an amusement park, the 536 acres had the potential to become the “Golden Gate Park” of Gilroy.
A 2009 study on local and regional economic impact credits the Gardens with increased employment, tourism, direct and indirect spending, education, and local and regional awareness for Gilroy.
2007
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Celebration Of 10th Anniversary Of The ParkThe residents of Gilroy are fortunate to have such a unique venue as Gilroy Gardens. It might have been the vision of one man, Michael Bonfante, but it has become the source of many dreams, education and fun for all the residents of Gilroy and for the thousands who visit every year.
Gilroy Gardens, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution whose mission is to educate and inspire families, especially children, to appreciate horticulture and the importance of trees in our lives by providing fun and memories in a beautiful garden setting.
The Board of Directors guides the decision making for the development, maintenance, and operation of this unique park. The goal is to return a percentage of annual revenues back into the beautification and preservation of the property and facilities for Gilroy’s Parks and Recreational use.
2014 Volunteer Board of Directors • Greg Edgar—Chairman • Jay Baksa—Treasurer • Jane Howard—Secretary
• Terri Aulman—Council Member • Robert Oneto—Community Director • Glenn Pace—Community Director • Steve Peat—Community Director
Gilroy Gardens Board of Directors breaks ground on the new Water Oasis feature scheduled to open in late June.
Today
2011
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This summer. a new multi- million-dollar attraction, Water Oasis will open.
“Staying true to the original vision and demographic of the property, this new water feature would appeal to families with children eight and under who want another place to escape the Gilroy summer heat. This new feature could include Splash Pad spray ground, educational Water Journey, lounge chairs with shade structure, and children’s water slides into standing water with interactive water play components.” Gilroy Gardens Press Release February 2014.
The future of Gilroy Gardens looks good. As an amusement park, it is running in the black and holding its own. As 536 acres of city land, it has numerous possibilities. The Board of Directors of Gilroy Gardens is in the process of drawing up a “master plan” as Jay Baksa describes it. It is not a full-blown formal “Master Plan” but rather a Strategic Plan that aligns with the vision of the City’s Strategic Plan and includes conceptual land use with ideas on where the Park and the rest of the property might go. Ideally, the soon to open “Water Oasis” might only be phase one of a much larger family leisure expansion growing the Park’s target from 8 to 12 years of age. Some of the remaining acres might be opened as
a public park and the 350 acres of open space could offer limited “wilderness” activities like hiking and trail riding. The current Gilroy Gardens uses only about 86 acres of the total 536-acre property. There might even be room for a “zip line” course. There are some preliminary plans to connect the levee trail from the sports center in south Gilroy all the way to Gilroy Gardens.
Some of the area closer to the highway might be opened as a “visitor serving area” with things like a hotel and meeting center with easy access to local wineries. In the next few months the Gilroy Gardens Board of Directors will finalize their Strategic Plan and Conceptual Land Use and present them to the Gilroy City Council.
The Gardens encourages family picnicking and provides two shaded picnic areas near the entrance where guests, families and students can eat: one is located by the Members Processing Center and the other is to the right of the entrance and ticket booths at the Front Gate.
“I think it’s an option that would give the city ownership of the park. This thing would be equivalent to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco or Central Park in New York. It will be reserved forever for the city of Gilroy, for our citizens. That’s some of the most beautiful land in the city.” Dion Bracco, Gilroy City Council (discussion to purchase Bonfante Gardens in 2007),
Tomorrow
Written & Photographed By Laura Wrede
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Great ideas, like wild fires, often
start with small sparks. That was
certainly true with the Art in
the Park program at Gilroy Gardens. What
began with just a flicker of a thought, in a
few short years spread into a fully developed
community-wide program thanks to the
vision of two people:
Mr. Jan Froom and Anne Howe.
It started with a one-day event back
in 2012 when the Gilroy Public Art
Committee planned an “Art In The Park”
day of activities at Gilroy Gardens on Gilroy
Day (the free day for Gilroy residents). The
committee approached Jan, a docent for
Gilroy Gardens, to help plan the event.
The committee members presented their
ideas, complete with artist demonstrations
and live music.
Ironically (not known to many) Jan,
and a long time friend and local artist,
Ann Howe, had already thought about
incorporating art into The Gardens. She
thought Gilroy Gardens could have a
program similar to that of Filoli Gardens in
Woodside. When Jan met with the Public
Art Committee to plan this one-day event,
the wheels began turning as he saw what
this could mean for the community and the
Gardens beyond Gilroy Day.
When the day came, it turned out to
be one of the rainiest on record. By 2 pm
only a few hundred people braved the
storm. When the rain finally stopped,
several thousand people flooded the gates
for the last few hours, but by then the Art
in the Park event had dissipated. The soggy
circumstances didn’t dampen Jan’s spirit, in
fact just the opposite.
When the event was over Jan decided to
meet with Barb Granter, Vice President and
General Manager of Gilroy Gardens, and
pitch some ideas to her about creating an
ongoing Art in the Park program. Barb gave
the green light to go forward.
Next Jan met with members of Gilroy’s
art community. “I met with the Public
Art Committee, Gilroy Art Alliance, and
received help from Renee Harrigan in
getting names of artists who might be
interested in helping us get started,” said
Jan. “Our first year we initiated Artist
Access Days, allowing artists to come to
The Park to create art free of charge. We
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 31
art in the natural environment of the Park.
Art workshops for adults could be offered.
Live music performances throughout the
season would add another dimension. The
Summer Fine Arts Festival could also be
expanded. And more permanent or loaned
sculpture installations would add more
visibility to our programs.”
They added online visibility this
year with a dedicated website just for
the Art in the Park program:
GilroyGardensArtInThePark.org. The site
allows participants to access information
about the programs, sign up for Access
Days, inquire about participating, and
retrieve art from children’s workshops.
They would like to find a way to get
funding and grants for the artisans who
participate as professionals. Finding funds
for public art is always a difficult subject,
but professional artists – just like any other
professional – need to be paid for their
work. That would be an ideal scenario.
Of course, besides paid artists, it is hard to
find a way to credit those who offer their
services as volunteers (some who are also
professional artists).
Jan’s proud of the team who has put their
time into the program over these past two
years. “Ann Howe has been the inspiration
for Art in the Park and if it were not for
Ann, Julie Franco, Susan Graeser Memmen
and Donna Ferrante for believing in the
program, giving freely of their talent and
working extremely hard and long hours to
make it work… we would not be where we
are today,” said Jan.
From a tiny spark of an idea discussed
by friends - fast forward two years later.
Art in the Park at Gilroy Gardens is a well
designed program with a solid framework
that offers something for adults and children,
artists, and the community, and will
continue to grow as the word gets out that
Gilroy Gardens is much more than a theme
park with programs like Art in the Park.
did this while building a team to expand
the program.”
In 2013, The Park held their first
Children’s Art Workshops during the
summer season. “The docents built
the art gallery in the Red Barn, and we
mounted our first show of photographs
by the Morgan Hill Photography Club.
A children’s photography show in the
Art Gallery featured photos the children
took during the summer workshops. In
addition, a monitor displayed scenes of
the children and their artwork, and the art
docents leading workshops, as well as artists
participating in Artist Access Days,”
said Jan.
In 2014, the core group of art docents
doubled in size with new artists becoming
interested in the program. This year, in
addition to the Artist Access Days and
Children’s Art Workshops, they have added
a full calendar of gallery exhibits, have
initiated Artist Demonstration Days, and
are holding a Summer Fine Arts Festival
featuring Bay Area juried fine artists and live
music on Saturday July 5, 2014 where you
can stroll along the bridge to find a beautiful
painting to take home. This is planned as an
annual event as part of the new vision.
They want visitors to see The Gardens as
more than a theme park. Part of the goal of
Art in the Park is to add a new dimension
so that people see it as a place where you
can go to relax by a stream and watch an
artist paint while you have lunch and chat
with your friends. Or a place to take your
mom for a walk around lovely gardens and
observe a sketch artist in the gallery, or just
bring a book and read under a shady tree
or by a cool waterfall and listen to music.
Musicians, artists, performers, all potentially
have a venue at The Gardens through Art in
the Park.
In the future Jan said, “we would like
to expand our Children’s Art Workshops
so that we could expose more children to
July 5th
Art in the Park Summer
Fine Arts Festival at Gilroy
Gardens featuring juried fine
artists and live music.
Gallery in Red Barn Gifts Art
June 6th thru July 31st Art in the Park Artists
August 1st thru September 2ndArt Of The Park
September 6th thru the 28thDocent/Local Artists
October 4th thru November 30thVisiting Clubs
December 1st thru the 30thChildren’s Art
GilroyGardensArtInThePark.org
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 33
INTRODUCINGTHE 2015 HONDA FIT
1 7 1 0 0 L a u r e l R o a d I M o r g a n H i l l , C A 9 5 0 3 7 I 4 0 8 - 5 0 0 - 3 0 0 0 I H o n d a o f M o r g a n H i l l . c o m
How much can you fit in a Fit?
(Keep an eye out for the all new redesigned 2015 Honda Fit.)
By Megan Griffin
G I L R O Y T O D A Y S U M M E R 2 0 1 434
The historic Miller Red Barn, located on the Ranch Side of Christmas Hill Park, is in jeopardy! Plans to have
the original barn demolished were recently put on hold. The City of Gilroy had plans to demolish the red barn and replace it with a new building in the style of the original barn. This new building would have classrooms and meeting rooms for the use of the community.
In a recent City Council meeting, it was decided that the plans for demolition would be postponed for one year. During this one year period, a new use for the Miller Red Barn must be presented in order to prove that renovations would be cost effective.
The Miller Red Barn Committee will be charged with this grueling task. The committee is a committed group of Gilroy
What’s in store for the Miller Red Barn?
citizens working to save the barn because of its historical value. “The barn is the last standing agricultural structure in Gilroy,” stated committee member, Carol DeSantis. The barn was at one point owned by Henry Miller, the “Cattle King” and owner of approximately 3,000,000 acres of land in California, Nevada, and Oregon. Henry Miller owned most of present day Gilroy including the area that is Christmas Hill Park. Henry Miller used the red barn as a resting point for his cattle during the dry season.
In 1941, the land that is now Christmas Hill Park was sold to the Filice brothers. The Filice family has also left a huge historic impact on Gilroy. Val Filice was one of the originators of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, which is held every July in Christmas Hill Park. This barn has served as a historic landmark in Gilroy for many years. Kathleen Chavez, of the committee, says that it is representative of Gilroy’s rich
agricultural heritage. The committee is tak-ing the necessary to steps to ensure that the Miller Red Barn lives on. They have looked into the history of the barn and have tried to obtain the certified copy of the deed sold to the Filice brothers. Unfortunately, barns don’t typically make it onto deeds. This deed would have been instrumental getting a historical grant or state historic preservation designation.
The renovations needed to restore the 5,358-square foot barn would be hefty and the barn is currently located on a flood plain, putting it in further danger. If the committee is able to obtain a grant of some sort, or is able to raise substantial funds, they have many ideas for possible uses of the barn. The committee would like to see a variety of agricultural programs. Some
of these programs would include a lec-ture series about the history of agriculture in Gilroy, classes on how to operate the historical machinery, and seminars on how to grow your own food. The committee would also like to see summer camps, science programming, and an affiliation with the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America. It could also be of great use to the community as a venue for large parties and dances. The Miller Red Barn Committee will continue to fundraise.
If you would like to support their cause, they are hosting a barbecue fundraiser on June 29, 2014 at the Demonstration Garden from 4-8 pm. The committee is also doing a promotion they call “A Buck For The Barn,” where you can purchase a $1 button picturing the barn. Carol DeSantis, of the committee jokingly said “you wouldn’t shoot your grandma just because she is old.” Maybe she has a point.
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 35
Brought to you by Garden Accents 11155 Lena Avenue 408.846.4555 garden-accents.net
The Yin & Yang of your garden
By Deborah Barncord
Yin & Yang is used to describe how opposite or contrary forces are interconnected and
interdependent in the natural world and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (instead of opposing) forces interacting to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the parts. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Your lawn and garden cannot exist without water. Water is essential to the life of our lawn and garden. With the current drought crisis, it is important to find the appropriate balance between the two: too little water, and your plants and lawn will dry out, too much and they will drown.
In a worse case scenario, a world without plants would be nothing but concrete and artificial foliage. So finding a balance in the coming summer months is especially important since the drought will make it necessary for us to cut back on how much we water our yards; but the flip side is the loss of our coveted greenery. In a study by the EPA, they noted that trees and vegetation do much more than just reduce global warming. They also reduce the cost of energy, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emission and provide a degree of fire protection. They also enhance storm water management and water quality by filtering and erosion control.
Bottom line: our plants improve our overall quality of life. By learning how to water your plants correctly, you can save our precious water resources as well as have a beautiful garden. Here are some ways you can support the yin and yang of your garden.
WAYS TO SAVE WATER IN YOUR GARDEN:
• Mulch your planting beds with 2-4” thick, using coarsely chopped wood products or bark is best (finely shredded bark like gorilla hair can be a fire hazard). Keep mulch 6-12” away from tree trunks to prevent rotting and disease.
• Fescue lawn only needs water every 3-4 days in the spring and summer and can go months without water in the winter months – DON’T over water them.
• DO YOUR WATER AUDIT! Go to garden-accents.net to see the video on how to do this easy audit. You should conduct a water audit every year to make sure you don’t have any damaged sprinklers and are not applying too much water.
• Water your lawn and garden between 1-5 am to reduce evaporation and take advantage of low winds.
• Put in a subsurface irrigation system under your lawn. Yes, they have improved immensely and we saved 60% of water last year!
• Install a weather-based irrigation controller with a rain sensor.
• TURN OFF your irrigation controller November 1st, turn it back on when the rain ends.
• Apply CAL-CM and or a Soil Surfactant to loosen your soil and make it more efficient with water.
• Do not let the water run off onto the sidewalks. Break your watering into 2 smaller time amounts between the hours of 1-5 am (you will know the amount of time once you conduct your water audit and check it to your local CIMIS station).
• Put a shutoff valve onto your hose, don’t just let it run.
• Install a grey-water system to use in your garden. Recycle water from your washing machine to your garden.
We all want what is best for our planet, so let’s all take the time to do our part. Instead of just ripping out our plants and doing an expensive remodel make sure we are doing all we can do with what we have first.
SOURCES:
epa.gov/heatisland/mitigation/trees.htm
thelawninstitute.org/pages/environment/water-quality-and-quantity/water-is-a-valuable-resource/
Sub-surface irrigation system installed at Garden Accents in January 2013
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Follow the Wine Trail in Santa Clara ValleyNewSantaClaraValleyWineTrailsignswillmake iteasierthan ever for wine lovers to visit our outstanding localwineries. The new “Wine Trail” will include 70 directionalsigns to welcome and direct visitors throughout SouthCounty,alongWatsonvilleRoad,HeckerPassHighway,andtheeastsidesofGilroy,SanMartinandMorganHill.
Thenewsignagewill focusattentionon the richhistoryof winemaking and viticulture in the Santa Clara ValleyAmericanViticulturalArea(AVA).
Backinthe18thcentury,settlersdiscoverednative“VitusCalifornia” grapes growing wild, and Mission grapes werefirstplantedattheSantaClaraMissionin1798.Later,Frenchand Italian immigrants who settled here during the GoldRusherarecognizedtherichsoilsandMediterraneanclimateas the perfect New World home for their European grapevarietals.Today,theSantaClaraValleyAVAencompassesover300,000acreswithinthecountyandishometomorethan25family-ownedwineriesandtastingrooms.
Sinceearly2013,SupervisorMikeWassermanandSantaClaraCountyofficialshavebeenworkingwithrepresentativesfrom the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, Gilroy WelcomeCenter,CityofGilroy,CityofMorganHillandotherwinerysupporters to design details of this regional wine trailprogram,whichwasrecentlyapprovedbyaunanimousvotebytheSantaClaraCountyBoardofSupervisors.
With the number of wineries continuing to increase inSouthCounty,theadoptionofthewinetrailrouteandsignageprogram will contribute to the economic vibrancy of thecountybyencouragingag-tourismtotheregion.
SantaClaraCountyisresponsibleforthesignproductionand installation of the initial wine trail signs, and theWineries of Santa Clara Valley will assume responsibilityfor replacementofanymissingsignagedue to theadditionofnewwineriesorvandalism.Completionofthewinetrailproject isexpectedbythissummer.Anofficialunveilingofthe signswill be coordinatedbetweenCounty officials andrepresentativesfromtheWineriesofSantaClaraValley.
The World’s Ultimate Summer Food FairOf course, the highlight of every summer in Gilroy is theGilroyGarlicFestival,whichwillbeheld thisyearonJuly25,26,and27.Youjustcan’tbeatourhometownfestivalforgreatgarlickyfood,liveentertainment,arts&crafts,andfunfor
New SignageShows The WayTo Wineries
theentirefamily.Andbestofall,theeventispoweredbyover4,000 volunteers working to support our local schools andnon-profit groups! Visit www.gilroygarlicfestival.com to getmoreinformationandorderdiscounttickets.
Promoting Gilroy Around the WorldGilroy’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area, MontereyPeninsula,andCentralValleymakesusaverypopularstopforvisitorsfromallovertheworld.Manyofthemquicklydiscoverhow much we have to offer right here in Gilroy—includinggreat shopping, wineries, golf, historic downtown, outdoorrecreation,andGilroyGardens.
In early April, I had the opportunity to represent GilroyandtheCentralCoastTourismCouncil(CCTC)inChicagoatIPW,thelargestinternationaltradeshowintheworld.Overathree-dayperiod,IandtwoadditionalCCTCrepresentativesmet with 44 pre-scheduled business appointments. TheseappointmentsarewithInternationalLeisureBuyers,includingtour operators and travel agents representing more than 70countriesfromthroughouttheworld.Duringthistradeshow,Iwasconstantlyremindedoftheworld-wideinterestinwhatGilroyhastooffer.
A number of appointments scheduled were with Chineserepresentatives. Their interests were primarily in shoppingand wine tasting. Japanese buyers had a strong interest inag-tourism and food festivals; Germans and Australianswanted information on hiking, biking and adventure travel;andothersfromCanada,Italy,Brazil,andArgentinarequesteditineraries that included shopping, family activities, andculturalexperiences.
For each group we met with, we provided informationspecifictotheirinterests,includinglinkstophotos,suggesteditineraries, and websites that they can use to promote thesetravel opportunities to their clients. This trade show is oneof several I attend throughout the year representing thisgreatcommunity,and IcannotoverstatehowproudIamtopromoteGilroyasadestination.
We’re Here to Welcome Your Guests Too!Remember, if youhave anyout-of-townguests comingoverthe summer, be sure to bring them by the Gilroy WelcomeCenter topickuphelpfulmaps andother information (andperhaps a unique Gilroy souvenir as well!). We’re next toForever21inBuildingAatGilroyPremiumOutlets.
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 37
Summer Class Schedule Now Available
Competition Team Auditions in August
By Larry J. Mickartz
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Delightful CheerySunny
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 39
Andy & Lynn Viale
S ome great homes sit on a hilltop; others are located in an Arcadia development at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. The Viale house is the latter!
From the outside it looks like the 1980s track home that it is, although the front has a bit more pizzazz than some of the other homes on the block. The home consists of two stories, five bedrooms and three baths in 2,700 square feet and has a huge pie-shaped backyard, thanks to its location at the end of a cul-de-sac. From the backyard one can see foothills peeking through the mature trees in and around the yard. The stunning yard has little tucked away sitting areas everywhere. Elevation changes border the pool and walk-ways lead to a fountain, formal and informal seating, a BBQ and prep area, and flowers that are everywhere! This is one cool backyard…a visual delight.
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Inside the delight continues. There is a newly remodeled and elegant cook’s kitchen. For years Lynn collected winery tiles that eventually were incorporated into the stove’s backsplash. The dining and living rooms are a salute to Lynn’s design flair. Much of the house has some intriguing faux painting.
Andy and Lynn Viale like to cook. Actually for fifteen years they ran a catering business. Some of the displays show off elegant serving remnants of their former busi-ness. The cooking tradition continues with their other business venture, Andy’s Rub. This delicious dry rub is now available in 140 stores. “A jar of this and a hunk of protein is all you need to guarantee a great meal. It’s a perfect blend of herbs and earthy spices that gives food a gentle, lingering heat. It also has a touch of cornstarch that helps seal the protein, making for a more juicy bite…” noted Jolene Thyme in a 2013 San Jose Mercury News review of dry rubs — it was awarded four stars.
The Viale’s bought the home in 1983, and moved in Garlic Festival weekend. Lynn remembers commenting, “That might be nice but we’ll never be involved.” The next year Andy ran in the Garlic Run and after that he put together the Garlic Centipede, 15 people hooked together with garlic braids with garlic hats on their heads, and they ran the Garlic Run and Bay to Breakers for 15 years. They were also invited to a Giants game and were invited onto the field and were introduced. They had the “Garlic Breath Festival” at their house on Garlic Festival weekends and had over 100 people on Friday and Saturday for pasta feeds, great Garlic Festival Food, and they would all walk to the festival on Saturday morning. So, it turned out that they did indeed get involved.
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When they moved in, the neighborhood houses were still being built. They remember that there was nothing green as far as you could see, no birds, no trees, no bushes, no flowers. One of the things they have loved during their 31 years in the home is watching the neighborhood mature.
For the past 4½ years, Lynn has been on staff at the United Presbyterian Church in Watsonville. She is the Director of Spiritual Life and Outreach, and works 30 hours a week. Andy works four days a week for Harris Ranch so this gives them space in their lives to enjoy family time with their kids and grand-kids, gardening, cooking (and we love to experiment with new dishes), traveling, and spending time with friends. One of Andy’s favorite hobbies is golfing and Lynn enjoys reading. Their ideal Saturday afternoon is working in the yard, swimming, having their kids over, and barbecuing.
The Viale home is a cook’s delight inside and out…the backyard is an inviting and a delightful mix of functionality and fun. Andy is a gardener who takes pleasure in big and little surprises… like the miniature garden in a pot or the hanging decoration made completely from automobile parts, or the archway that frames the antique wooden rocking horse. The backyard has hosted weddings, baptisms and more than a few parties.
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20 East Luchessa Avenue • 408.842.0663 • Mon-Fri 8 am - 5:30 pm
Family Owned And Operated Since 1992
DIESEL SPECIALISTAAA RATEDSMOG STATIONBRAKE & LAMP INSPECTIONSALL FOREIGN & DOMESTICMAINTENANCE SERVICEWELDING
ALL MAKES/MODELS
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 43
P
artofeachnewpatientexamisa
comprehensiveevaluationofeach
patient’sdentalcondition.Frequentlyitis
determinedthatthepatientcouldbenefit
fromanightguard.Anightguardisa
protectiveplasticdentalappliancethatis
wornontheupperorlowerarchofthe
patient’smouth.Often,patientsdonot
feelthattheyneedanightguardbecause
itisnotcleartothemwhatdamagethe
dentistisseeingorhowthenightguard
couldbenefitthem.Wewillattemptto
explainsomeofthecommonreasonsfor
theprescriptionofanightguardandhow
theappliancecouldbeabenefit.
Bruxismorgrindingoftheteethisthe
mostcommonreasonfortheprescrip-
tionofanightguard.Teethgrindingis
primarilyanocturnalactivitybutitisalso
somethingthatmayhappenduringthe
day.Oftenthepointsontheteethhave
beenwornawayandacraterdevelopsin
itsplace.Ultimately,theenamelisworn
awayexposingthesofterdentineunder-
neath.Thiscanresultintoothdecayas
wellastemperatureandcontactsensitiv-
ity.Inextremecases,thepatientcanhave
abitethatcollapsesduetotheextensive
weartotheirteeth.Thenightguard
servestoactasabarrierbetweenthe
teethtopreventdamagingtooth-to-
toothcontact.
Anotherconditionisclenching.Often
peoplewakeupwithaheadacheor
findthemselveswithtensionheadaches
throughouttheday.Thiscanbetheresult
ofclenching.Oftenpeoplehavenoidea
thattheyareclenchinguntilsomeone
bringsittotheirattention.Inaddition,
therearephysicalsymptomsaswell.
Typicallythiscanbeobservedinwell-
developedjawmuscles,fracturesand
fracturelinesintheteethandabuild
upofsupportingboneinthejaws.Itis
alsoimportanttonotethatsomeofthese
symptomscanalsobeobservedin“tooth
grinders”aswell.Thenightguardserves
tobreakthetensionthatwouldotherwise
becreatedbyclenchingtheteethtogether.
Manypeoplereportresolutionoftheir
headachesandthepractitionerobservesa
decreaseintoothdamageaswell.
Thenightguardcanalsoserveasa
firstlineoftreatmentforpeoplehaving
problemswiththeirTemporomandibular
JointorTMJ.Itisimportanttonote
thatbruxismandclenchingcanbothbe
majorcontributorstoproblemsassociated
withtheTMJ.Somepeoplerequiremore
sophisticatedappliancesinorderto
treattheirsymptomsanditisuptothe
practitionertomakethisdetermination.
Inconclusion,therecommendation
ofanightguardisasimpletreatmentto
preventaseriesoftoothrelatedproblems
inthefuture.Itmayalsoproviderelief
forsymptomsyoumaybeexperiencing
now.Ifyouhavebeenprescribedanight
guardandarereluctanttoproceed,we
encourageyoutobeginadialoguewith
yourdentisttohelpyoufullyunderstand
whyanightguardisbeingprescribed.
Dr. Escobar has been practicing dentistry in the Bay Area since 2006. She took over Dr. Palmerlee’s practice when he retired in 2012. She is passionate about providing exceptional oral health care in a patient centered environment. Dr. Escobar participates in continuing education seminars with other lead-ing clinicians in exploring new and innovative methods and materials for restoring smiles.
Night guards:Not just a piece of plastic!!
By Dr. Jernell Escobar
It’s Your Smile
This is the third, in a series of articles, which will attempt to address some of the most common questions that are regularly posed to dental practitioners. We hope that the reader will find this to be useful and perhaps find answers to questions they might have regarding dental procedures. We will preface all of these articles by reminding the reader that no armchair diagnosis or advice is a substitute for a trip to a dental professional. Every person’s case is unique and proper diagnosis and treatment planning with a dental professional is essential for optimal case outcome.
By Laura Wrede
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Gilroy Garlic Festival Poster ContestAnd the winner is… Aliza Alkoby, this year’s first place winner, lives in Tarzana, California. This is her
second year entering the contest. In 2013, Aliza won second place for her entry. Aliza is originally from Israel and had just returned from a visit as her extended family still lives there. Her inspiration came from what she envisioned the Gilroy area to look like. She also tried to incorporate the elements of the fields of garlic and wanted to make it feel warm with the brown wood, the bag of garlic, the garlic bulbs, and the hills in the background. Aliza will have the opportunity to visit Gilroy, as she will be here to sign her winning poster during the festival for those who purchase them.
Aliza didn’t go to school to study art; she has been a self-taught artist. As a stay-at-home mom who raised five children, she pursued creating art all her life. Encouraged by her teachers at school who felt she showed great artistic promise, she continues to pursue art outside of academia. She chose to work in many media from acrylics to pen to charcoal pencil. With this particular piece she used acrylics and then computer-generated lettering to finish it off.
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The Gilroy Garlic Festival Poster Contest began in 1986, according to Joann Kessler, Assistant Executive Director of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, and is open to anyone except those with ties to the Association. Each year the call goes out to artists everywhere and the deadline is typically mid March.
The first place winner receives $750, second $400, third $200, and “up to ten non-winning entries, excluding the first place winner, will be entered into the People’s Choice Contest. The entry with the most votes in this contest will win $200,” according to the contest rules. The People’s Choice is held at the Garlic Festival where the crowd can vote on their favorite poster entry.
According to the contest rules to win first place an entry must be “one that is judged to best capture the spirit and essence of this premier food festival.” It’s hard choosing a winning entry as each year many wonderful artistic creations are received. It’s then the responsibility of the Gilroy Garlic Festival staff, the Retail Committee, and the Board, to select the winners.
There’s a lot to consider when deciding which one to pick. However, Joann said, “we can always get consensus on which one we like – at least which one we like in the top three.” The judges aren’t the only ones with a challenge, however. Artists also have a difficult job.
The posters will be printed and sold to festival attendees and are designed to hang in kitchens and dining rooms. This is the challenge for the artists as they sit down to mull over the blank canvas staring at them as they try to create a winner. What qualifications do these artists have and what inspires them?
Each year the Gilroy Garlic Festival Poster Contest brings in exciting entries as new artists and returning veterans, both hobbyists and professionals, locals and visitors, all come together to present their best creations. If you would like to get more information on the Gilroy Garlic Festival Poster Contest please visit their website at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com/festival/poster-contest
Gilroy resident Cory Still was the third place runner-up and is new to the contest this year. He studied art at Long Beach State University. Not long before graduation, however, his entire portfolio was stolen - five years of work gone in an instant. This incident took place when there was no such thing as backup data storage. With all of his work gone he became discouraged and dropped out of art school, never to return.
Second runner-up, Julie Franco, a professional artist, is from Gilroy. She is a Garlic Festival Poster Contest veteran having entered and placed many times in the past. Her art background is decorative illustration. She received a BFA from the San Francisco Academy of Arts College. Her inspiration for this year’s entry sprung from another
work she recently completed for Gilroy that she painted as a gift for the twenty-fifth anniversary for Takko Machi, Gilroy’s Sister City.
Her admiration for the complexity of Japanese art coupled with a piece of kimono fabric inspired her to paint her poster entry. She chose to work in gouache (pronounced gwash). The medium is similar to watercolor, but much more opaque. The resulting colors are much richer and are perfect for posters. The look she was going for was some-thing different and elegant, “something you would want hanging in your kitchen,” said Julie.
Now after a long hiatus he decided it was time to reenter the art world. The Garlic Festival Contest has been part of his art career revival. His friends also encouraged him. He has recently worked on commission pieces and is selling prints on Fine Art America. He said that he had recently finished a garlic-themed print a client bought who was so impressed with the work that she told him he should consider entering the Garlic Festival Poster Contest. That was his inspiration for his entry. The title was, “Just Garlic.” Cory’s style leans toward photorealism using pens as his medium. His work is crisp and detailed. It has been mistaken for photographs in the past.
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By Scott van Keulen
Scott van Keulen is a long-time South County resident. He has practiced law for over thirtyyears and with his brother, Craig, at van Keulen & van Keulen, they provide over 60 years of experience in the areas of complex and general estate planning, trust administration, trust litigation, land development, commercial real estate purchase and sale, business formation and representation, business and civil litigation, construction law and landlord tenant matters.
LEGALLYSpeaking
Enforcing AgreementsNot To Compete?
PICTURE THIS SCENARIO: You have been in business many years, you have several employees, you have all of them sign employment agreements, which sets forth their salary or hourly rate, their benefits, and you confirm that they are all employees at will, plus their employment agreements include a covenant not to compete and a covenant not to solicit your other employees if they leave your employment. Then your most trusted employee, who has been with you a long time, who knows all of your customers, knows how you market to your customers, what your pricing policy and terms are with all or most of your customers, quits and opens a competing business in the same town. Not only does the ex-employee start competing against you, he/she starts contacting your other employees and tries to talk them into coming to work for him/her.
You believe that because you have an employment agreement that contains the covenant not to compete and a covenant not to solicit, your attorney can get a restraining order to stop the ex-employee immediately, and then you will sue the ex-employee for the loss of business and the damage caused when they raided your employees. Not so fast.
For more than a hundred years, the general statutory rule in California is set forth in Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §16600 which
provides that contractual restraints on an employee’s ability to engage in a trade, business or profession are unenforceable unless you fall into three narrow statutory exceptions. Those three statutory exceptions are to protect goodwill on the sale of a business, dissolution of a partnership and a limited liability company. Then about 30 years ago, a California intermediate appellate court case ruling was issued which held that a termination agreement was not void if it restrained the employee from disrupting, damaging, impairing, or interfering with the employer’s business, including “raiding” its employees. This gave hope to employers that they could at least prevent their ex-employees from stealing their employees.
The reasoning and analysis, however, in a later 2008 California Supreme Court case made it clear that any employment agreements that restrict competition are invalid under 16600 even if they are narrowly drafted. Although the California Supreme Court in this case did not specifically address the enforceability of covenants not to solicit, there is language in several other cases that indicate that covenants not to solicit do impact and restrict a party’s business practices, and under the California Supreme Court case reasoning would therefore not be enforceable. Since the California Supreme Court made it clear that the “reasonableness” of the restriction is not a factor in determining whether the restriction will be enforced, many practitioners now believe that if the California Supreme Court were to decide a case involving a covenant not to solicit, they would invalidate it if they are consistent with their prior case decision.
Nevertheless, it appears that employers may still protect their “trade secrets” and prevent ex-employees from taking them and using them to compete against them. Although the 2008 California Supreme Court specifically did not address the application of the “trade secrets” exception to §16600, several other courts have upheld claims by employers against employees for stealing “trade secrets.” Although there still exists some uncertainty as to whether or not the “trade secrets” exception would be enforced by the California Supreme Court because of the broad public policy to invalidate any action which restricts competition.
So what should employers do? First, in any employment contract with an employee who is not a part owner of the business, employers should remove
any covenants not to compete, and probably do the same with any covenants not to solicit. A big risk to the employer is if they were to bring suit against an employee for breaching a covenant not to compete or covenant not to solicit and they lose, the ex-employee could have a tort claim against the employer for intentionally interfering with the ex-employees prospective economic advantage.
Second, the employer should have all of its employees sign confidentiality agreements which specifically puts the employees on notice that there is certain information about the employer’s business which the employer considers a “trade secret,” and which the employee may become aware of or have access to, as part of performing their duties as an employee. Under the confidentiality agreement, the employee would be restricted and prevented from disclosing any “trade secret” information after their employment ended, and the employer would then be entitled to take action to prevent the disclosure or use by the ex-employee of that “trade secret” information.
Of course, it has always been difficult or impossible to prevent ex-employees from taking what they “know or have learned” while working for you and using it in their new business or for their new employer. If the ex-employee, however, were to tell or disclose to a new employer or a customer your “trade secret” information you probably would be able to take action against them. Therefore, it is vitally impor-tant for you to do everything you can to treat your most valuable business information as a “trade secret.”
I analogize a “trade secret” for clients to actual “cash.” Would you leave a pile of cash sitting out in the open for anybody to come and take? No, you would keep it locked up and limit employees’ access to it to only those who needed it for their work. The employer’s actual actions in protecting the information usually determines if it is truly a “trade secret” that the employer can prevent someone else from using after they leave their employment.
Under California’s current law, if you are an employer, you may not be able to prevent a non- owner employee from leaving and going out to compete against your business, unless you can show that they have taken and are using some “trade secret” from your business. In addition, your agreements must be consistent with the law or you could end up being on the wrong side of a claim. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our firm and we will be glad to advise you what your options are, and what actions you should take.
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Help forVeterans
Dorie Sugay is the Executive Director of Visiting Angels, a company that provides living-assistance services to seniors and adults-in-need who wish to stay in their own home or receive one-on-one care within a facility.
By Dorie U. Sugay
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It was written independent of Visiting Angels.
Many don’t know that Veterans who need home health care may be able to
get financial assistance from the Veteran’s Administration. Depending on one’s situation, the VA can pay 6 – 9 hours of home health care a week. It isn’t a lot but it helps.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs census estimates, there are approximately 13 million Veterans and their single surviving spouses age 65 and older. Comparing this to a total of 41 million Americans 65 and older, Veterans and their single surviving spouses represent about ¹/³ of the senior population. According to the VA, about 42% of all veterans are 65 and older. This percentage will continue to grow as the Vietnam Veterans reach 65.
Facts You Should Know Senior veterans are typically in receipt of four cash income programs from the VA. Two of these programs – Pension and Death Pension – are paid to veterans and their surviving spouses who are non-service-connected disabled. The other two of these programs - Compensation and Dependents Indemnity Compensation (DIC) - are paid to veterans or surviving spouses due to disability or death from service connection. The VA estimates handling about 4,501,200 cases in 2013, and of those about 38% or 1,693,200 beneficiaries are age 65 and older. It is important to note that of those 1.7 million beneficiaries 65 and older, only about 28% or 517,900 beneficiaries will be receiving Pension or Death Pension. Also note that the number of surviving spouses receiving DIC is about 20% more than those receiving Death Pension.
Why are these important? Practitioners who work on educating seniors about Veterans benefits almost always direct their attention exclusively to Pension or Death Pension – which comprise only about 28% of all VA beneficiaries! In contrast, seniors receiving service-connected payments represent 72% of those beneficiaries age 65 and over. Those seniors who could benefit from knowing more about Compensation and DIC and the Aid and Attendance Assistance are often completely ignored.
Pension and Death Pension Commonly called “Aid and Attendance,” these benefits provide cash payments to Veterans who served during a period of war or to their single surviving spouses. Pension helps to cover the cost of home care, assisted living and nursing home services. Pension is also available to Veterans or surviving spouses with very low income who do not have long-term care costs. Cash income payments from Pension range from about $700 a month to a little over $2,000 a month depending on the type of claim and the medical rating involved. Most people don’t even know of the existence of this benefit. VA does not advertise it, and, as such, many eligible people never apply. Visiting Angels in this area is the only agency approved by the VA to work with Veterans between South San Jose and North Salinas. Our Vet clients receive from 2-3 days (3 hours each) of assistance and a few hours every other week for respite to help a caregiver spouse.
Disability Compensation Disability Compensation is a tax-free benefit paid to a veteran for a service-connected disability that happened as a result of active duty, active duty for training, inactive duty training or injury from VA healthcare. Cash income payments for Compensation range from a low of about $130 a month to a high of about $8,000 a month. Special benefits like grants for new automobiles or modifying existing automobiles, grants for constructing or modifying homes, clothing allowances and so on are payable for severe service-connected disabilities. An Aid and Attendance or Housebound Assistance Allowance in the form of Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is available to the veteran who is 100% disabled. In 2013, a veteran assessed as 100% disabled could receive a check for about $2,816 a month. And if the Veteran had a spouse, the amount could be as high as $2,974 a month. Higher amounts are possible if the aid and attendance involves certain severe disabilities.
This aid and attendance allowance is not an automatic benefit and most veterans don’t know about this special assistance and never apply for it. If the Veteran receiving
AGING with an Attitude{ }
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Compensation is not 100% disabled, the need for aid and attendance might possibly allow for that increase in rating and the additional assistance for aid and attendance on top of that. Most veterans receiving Compensation don’t have a clue as to their eligibility for this special benefit. Also, an aid and attendance assistance allowance is available due to the need for services to a disabled spouse of a veteran where the veteran is 30% or more disabled.
Of particular note for Disability compensation are Agent Orange claims for each and every veteran who was stationed in Vietnam and who has developed pre-sumptive health conditions such as certain forms of cancer, type II diabetes, ischemic heart disease (lack of proper blood flow to the heart) and Parkinson’s disease. Veterans with service-connected hearing loss can also make claims and receive free hearing aids. This hearing disability rating will also get them into the health care system.
Health Care Benefits The VA health care system is the larg-est single provider of health care in the United States. It has also been recognized by numerous surveys as being one of the best providers of health care as well. Not all veterans can receive care in the system. Eligibility requires either service-connected disability, receipt of Pension, special ser-vice recognition such as prisoner of war or Purple Heart or low income and less than $80,000 in assets. For all beneficiaries – not to include those who are means tested – all services are free and medications are $8 per month per medication regardless of what it is. Means tested veterans have a co-pay for services. There are no other out-of-pocket costs such as health care premiums. Help can also be provided with disability-required home renovation grants of $2,000 or $6,800, orthotics, prosthetics, and in certain cases, hearing aids. VA outpatient clinics are available in most communities. Approximately 8,400,000 individuals are enrolled in the health care system.
Dependents Indemnity CompensationDependents Indemnity Compensation (DIC) - is payable to eligible survivors of a military service member who died on
There IS help… check it out!
active duty or whose death after service resulted from a service-connected injury or disease. It is also available due to improper treatment of the deceased veteran from VA healthcare or rehabilitation services. DIC is automatically granted to a surviving spouse for a veteran who was permanently and totally disabled for 10 years or more. DIC is said to have paid up to $1,215 a month in 2013 to a surviving spouse. Additional amounts are available if there are dependent children. A dependent child is one who is 18 years old or younger or 23 years old or younger and enrolled full-time in school or is an adult who became totally dependent prior to the age of 18. If the surviving spouse needs the aid and attendance of another person such as home care, assisted living or nursing home care, an additional monetary assistance is provided.
Burial Benefits Money is available for burial costs for veterans who were service disabled, receiving Pension or died under VA care. If the death was a result of service-connected disability, $2,000 is available. If the death was non-service related, and the veteran was receiving Pension or Compensation or was entitled to either of these, up to $700 is available for plot allowance and burial and funeral expenses. All veterans also receive free burial in State and Federal VA cemeteries. Under cer-tain conditions, spouses and other family members can receive free burial in State and Federal VA cemeteries. All veterans are eligible for a grave marker (or equivalent monetary allowance), a flag for the coffin, a graveside honor guard, and a letter from the President of the United States. Approximately 60,000 veterans received burial allowance in 2013 and about 33,000 received a burial plot. The VA expected about 18,000 service- connected deaths in 2013 and claims for about 350,000 grave markers. About 500,000 flags were given out for burial.
State Veteran Benefits All states offer various additional benefits to veterans to include special recognition, property tax reduction, free hunting and fishing and state parks admission, as well as a whole host of other benefits. Some
states are more generous than others and in some states, veterans can receive a one-time cash stipend. All states have at least one or more Veterans’ homes that are available to various classes of veterans depending on the rules of the home. Some homes require the veteran to have been a war veteran and others do not. Federal rules require that at least 25% of all beds in state Veterans homes be reserved for the spouses of veterans if those beds are available.
There IS help!Many Veterans in this area do not realize, for example, that they can get assistance from the VA when they need home health care. The budget cuts may have affected some of these benefits that were intended to assist our veterans, but there IS help. Visiting Angels has been working with the VA. Our experience has been encouraging – the people who work with the Veterans on home health care truly care, and see to it that our Vets get whatever assistance is available. For home health care funding assistance, see your VA Primary Physician and for a home healthcare consult – he/she can get the wheels turning. (Physicians outside the VA system cannot get the process started).
For more information, NCPC has two books: “How to Apply for Department of Veterans Benefits for Seniors and Their Survivors” and “The 4 Steps of Long Term Care Planning.” LTC Benefits for Veterans is free at VeteransBenefitsNow.com. The va.gov website has a lot of information as well. There are also agencies who can help you navigate through the VA system. Our first-hand experience working with the VA is that the process to apply for home health care funding seems simpler than one would expect.
SOURCES:“How to Apply for Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits for Seniors and Their Survivors” (NCPC)www.seniorvets.org VeteransBenefitsNow.com
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Since he was a boy singing in the back of his parents’ car during family trips, the road Ted Sanchez has travelled has
always brought him back to music.Sanchez has sung in front of hundreds
of audiences around the world for the past 40-plus years. Today, semi-retired, the 64-year-old crooner has his own big band and also sings with the South Bay Swing Band. He is best known for his covers of Frank Sinatra classics as well as show tunes.
But Sanchez said there were times in his life that a career in music seemed improbable.
Born and raised in Sunnyvale, Sanchez said his Dad had hoped that he would one day take over his construction company. Sanchez had planned to become an engineer, but he took a voice class at De Anza College under the direction of Royal Stanton, the choir director and voice teacher of De Anza College. He found himself transferring and singing opera at San Jose State University. He remembers receiving high marks in singing in Russian, Italian, French, and German.
He took a jazz class at Northridge University the following summer. When he returned to school in the fall, he learned that he would be representing SJSU in a singing competition in Germany. But Sanchez left school when his Dad suffered a stroke. He worked at a few different jobs, including driving trucks and working in a quarry.
Then a friend called and once again Sanchez’s path veered back to music.
“He said you’ve got to learn 35 songs. You can make 35 bucks a night,” Sanchez chuckles.
His friend taught him how to play guitar and Sanchez began playing in clubs at night - including the former Loft in San Jose and the Gazebo in Los Gatos, which is now California Café Restaurant – while working his day job in the quarry. He said the clanging of the conveyor belt became his metronome.
“I had learned what dinner shows are all about. And how you can take an audience and hear a pin drop,” Ted said.
Then an accident on the job caused Ted to lose his ring finger on his left hand shortly after he was married.
“Ah, man I had just learned those 35 songs,” Ted recalls lamenting. But he persevered, singing at weddings every week-end, once performing at five weddings in one weekend. Ted moved to Gilroy in 1977. He worked five to six days a week, while performing four nights a week and weddings on the weekends to help supplement his income to pay for his new home in Gilroy.
During the week, he continued working, eventually becoming the Apprentice Coordinator for the Operating Engineers local #3, 15 years before retiring. During the course of his career, he built roads, freeway, dams, major pipelines, and subdivisions - some right here in Gilroy. He retired eight years ago and is a nearly 40-year member of the Operating Engineers Local #3.
Then in 1981, Ted broke his hand playing baseball.
“Everything came to an end,” he said.Ted couldn’t play the guitar comfortably
for more than a half hour when previously it wouldn’t be unusual for him to play two two-hour sets back to back. Ted’s hand eventually healed and he went onto make a recording of some of his songs in 1983. He stopped singing again after his Dad’s death and started playing again in 1992. He opened for Martina McBride in 1999.
During that time, he sang the National Anthem numerous times at sporting events. He remembers fondly his first time singing it before an A’s game at Candlestick Park and years later with his daughter Julia. His scrapbooks are filled with pictures of his performances, including those at American Cancer Society benefits and singing the National Anthem at A’s, Giants, Raiders, and Little League games.
“That means more to me than anything to sing the National Anthem. Because I remember my dad and my uncles, and my buddies who never came back from Vietnam,” Ted says.
Besides his daughter Julia, who lives
in San Jose, Ted has two other children, Tammy and Ted, who live in Gilroy, as well as three grandchildren, and one on the way.
He said all his children attended Gilroy High School and instead of living in a grand home, he chose to live modestly to help his children through school.
Ted began singing with the South Bay Swing Band in 1999. Formed just a year earlier, the band plays Big Band music, including the styles of Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey, under the direction of saxophonist Steve Chambers. They began playing primarily for private parties, and then started performing regularly at local restaurants. They were invited to be a featured band at the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s main stage and their performance schedule grew to include a formal Holiday Winter Ball, events at Mirassou Winery, and the City of Gilroy’s 75th Birthday Bash.
In 2001, the South Bay Swing Band recorded a CD called “Uptown Stomp” featuring all three vocalists, including Ted, and several band soloists. They have been featured in the Morgan Hill Downtown Friday Night Music Series and Gilroy’s Community Summer Concert Series.
“I played for so many different people. I played from the very wealthy to (a performance in) a garage,” Ted recalls. “Some of the most fun places I played were like in the Whiskey Creek Saloon in Hollister.”
This past May, Ted returned from a four-month trip touring. He sang for a wedding in Lagos de Moreno in Mexico, and then performed in a private party in Thailand and then a nightclub in the Philippines. He went on to play private parties in La Quinta, Tucson, Dallas and Corpus Christi.
Now, he mainly plays private parties, which he is happy about. “You have a captive audience,” Ted explains, but said he isn’t opposed to playing at a small venue again. Ted also likes to play golf and fish, adding that he just learned how to fly fish while visiting family in Texas.
Ted Sanchez… the man and his music
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Sam is a precocious three years old. He lives a very active life with his mom and dad, who both work full
time, and his two older siblings. He goes to day care while his siblings attend school except for one day a week when he visits his grandparents. On weekends, the family stays active with family outings, visits to friends, play dates and shopping for the week ahead. When at home, the older children have iPads and spend time playing electronic games. The television is always on and there is a high degree of acting out that takes place in the household. Little Sam is considered the “bad seed”— always vying for attention, good or bad, from his parents and siblings.
At his grandparents’ house, Sam is a different child. He spends hours in a little room by himself, playing with building blocks, cars and books. The TV isn’t on. His grandmother takes him to gymnastics; an activity that he has chosen and loves. After lunch, another quiet time; this one
designated for a nap but often utilized as a time to play with his stuffed animal, Charlie. Then it’s time for a walk, or a short trip to the backyard to explore. Sam picks up leaves, asks questions and imagines he is a pilot flying a pretend plane up in the sky.
It is evident that Sam enjoys having time to himself, in a supportive environment. Parents often forget that chil-dren of all ages need blocks of silence and stillness to simply rest, relax and reflect — just like us. These moments give children the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination to decide how to use their free time, what fantasy to explore or what part of their world they like to discover, at their own pace, in their own way.
Child-development experts unanimously celebrate the benefits of a healthy imagination. Children with good imaginations are happier and more alert, better able to cope with life’s twists and turns, and more likely to grow into well-
adjusted, secure adults. Children today desperately need time and space to develop their creative imaginations free from adult agendas. Even if your child complains, “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do!,” trust that if you force them to figure out for themselves how to fill their time, their innate creativity will kick in and their imaginations will soar.
In a recent article Magical Child in Nurture Parenting Magazine, author Jenny England notes, “In our rush to introduce children to the intricate technological world of the twenty-first century we often forget that the main occupation of magical children is developing their imagination, a sense of who they are as individuals through all kinds of self initi-ated unstructured play.” She goes on to say that the special moments when your child is engaged in exploring, taking initiative, copying others and using their imagination to make things are the main ingredients of play and should always be encouraged.
A world of exploration and discovery
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WE LIKE TO REMIND OUR YOUTH about the value of a good education, but we some-times forget or underestimate the value that a
good public education system provides to our community. It’s an incubator for future business and community leaders, a significant local employer, and a hub that brings families together.
Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD) is an excellent example, with 15 schools and 1,100 employees serving close to 12,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. GUSD has made great strides in the seven years since Dr. Deborah Flores took the reins as the school district superintendent. She is passionate about Gilroy schools, and it shows.
No matter how busy her day is Dr. Flores manages to find time to talk with parents and other community stakeholders about the school district’s goals and performance. She skips the rhetoric and states the facts when describing how the district is raising the bar on its educational goals, and how the students are aiming higher to achieve more.
“When I came to the district in 2007, it was the worst economic downturn in decades, with teachers forgoing salary increases and being asked to take furlough days, but our schools still performed better. By 2011, we surpassed the state goal for district API scores and our schools continue to trend upward.”
GUSD is gaining recognition for its achievements. In 2012, the district received the prestigious Hoffmann Award from the Santa Clara County Office of Education for its Elementary Engagement and Achievement Initiative. That same year, four GUSD schools received 2020 Vision Awards from the County Office of Education based on performance in closing the achievement gap between socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged students.
Paving The Way For A Bright Future“We are constantly learning and continuously working to improve our district schools, and we spend time with the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the County’s youth task force and other community members to let them know how we are doing,” Dr. Flores said.
Every month, Dr. Flores meets with parent advisory committees, which represent each of the district’s 15 schools. “We’ve taken our district’s Local Control Accountability Plan on the road to these parent groups. It’s a great two-way communication that allows us to talk about priorities, what’s working, and areas for improvement. Parent involvement is essential to our success.”
High Expectations Inspire High Achievement in Gilroy SchoolsBY ROBINSHEPHERD
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Student Achievement
By meeting its Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals, the district is eligible to receive funds for English learners, socio-economically disadvantaged students and foster youth. These funds enable programs to help close the achievement gap across the district.
“We don’t want to lose even one student,” Dr. Flores said. “We have a comprehensive program to help all students – even those who have dropped out. They can come back and work with teachers at night and in the summer, and eventually earn their diploma.”
For GUSD schools, the drop-out rate is down from 20 percent to 9.4 percent, well below both the county, state and national averages. At the same time, there’s been a major uptick in the graduation rate, which reached 85 percent last year and is expected to improve further this year.
Beginning with next year’s 9th Grade class, students will be expected to complete A-G coursework in order to graduate. By doing so, they will have met the curriculum requirements of the University of California for eligibility to apply to its schools. The A-G curriculum has also been adopted by Morgan Hill and a number of other Santa Clara County school districts and is supported by the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.
“We’re setting the bar high so that graduating students will have more choice of schools to which they can apply. Studies show that today’s students may have several different careers in their lifetime. Advances in technology and the sciences demand new skills and ways of working. We don’t know what careers will look like twenty to thirty years from now, but what we do know is that high achieving students are much more likely to be successful in their careers.”
GUSD is in its third year of focus on Common Core Standards, and Dr. Flores said that students across the district will be well-prepared when Common Core testing begins next year.
“Common Core came from businesses and schools nationwide, saying that public schools must better prepare students for careers,” Dr. Flores explained. “Its adoption brought a lot of changes. We’ve set new goals, provided intensive staff development, and created specific initiatives at elementary and secondary school levels to reach these goals. We are teaching to the new standards, helping students learn how to apply knowledge to solve complex problems with critical thinking and collaborative skills.”
Planning For GrowthGilroy continues to attract new families who want to raise their children here. Currently, the district serves 11,571 students, with 150 new students expected to enroll in the fall of 2015, and a bigger increase anticipated the following year. Managing this
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Award Winning
SJ2020 Vision Award at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (January 2012) - (l-r) Maria Walker, Solorsano Middle School Principal; Valerie Kelly, teacher - South Valley Middle School; Greg CamachoLight, Brownell Middle School Principal; Superintendent Dr. Deborah A. Flores; Anisha Munshi, South Valley Middle School Principal; Richard Rodriguez, Luigi Aprea Principal; Kathleen Taylor, Administrator-Early Childhood Education and Jaime Rosso, GUSD Board Member.
Glen W. Hoffman Exemplary Program Awards, April 2012
Youth Leadership Award recipient Paul Fox at the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce Spice Of Life Awards Dinner, February 8, 2014 — Pictured with his parents Gloria & Bill Fox and Dr. Flores.
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growth is an important issue for the district that requires careful long-range planning.
“We’ve been planning for this growth for some time,” Dr. Flores said. “We try to maintain an ideal population on each campus. Christopher High School is nearing capacity, and we will be out of capacity at the elementary school level unless we build a new school over the next four to five years.”
Small Community With A Big HeartDr. Flores is quick to express gratitude for the generous support provided by the Gilroy community. Thanks to voters’ passage of Measure P in 2008, the school district received $150 million for campus modernization, classroom upgrades and repairs. The funds have been invested in significant district-wide projects designed to provide students with productive, healthy and safe learning environments.
“We’ve accomplished so much thanks to Gilroy voters,” Dr. Flores said. “We completed construction of Christopher High School, built the Las Animas Elementary School, and made major improvements across 50 percent of our campuses using these funds.”
Gilroy High School now has state-of-the-art science labs and athletic facilities, and theater renovation is scheduled for this summer. Brownell Middle School has a 6th grade wing. Rod Kelley Elementary School has improved technology infrastructure,
a new library and cafeteria facilities. South Valley and a number of other schools now have new fencing as well as restroom, security and fire alarm upgrades.
Elementary school teachers are equipped with mobile inter-active whiteboards designed to support student-centered active learning. Secondary school teachers have been provided new desktop computer systems. High school campuses are now 100 percent wireless, with middle and elementary schools moving toward this goal.
Along with Measure P funds, GUSD has received donations from the local community. The Gilroy Foundation is an annual supporter, having donated close to $250,000 in 2014 for a variety of needs from music and theater arts to a classroom for the severely handicapped and scholarships for students. The Christopher family donated funds for construction of a sports complex and other needs at Christopher High School.
“We’ve seen amazing support for our schools from the Gilroy Foundation, the Rotary Club and other organizations as well as Gilroy families,” Dr. Flores said. “Their generosity compares easily to larger communities.”
High expectations inspire high achievement – GUSD is proof-positive. Here’s to the success of the thousands of students who prepare for their futures under the guidance of the teachers and administrators of the Gilroy Unified School District.
Community Supported
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Linda Martinez Administrative Assistant, GUSD
By Kelly Barbazette
As the administrative assistant at the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, Linda Martinez wears plenty of hats, from attendance taker and nurse to overall helper.
“I help the students. I work closely with Gavilan College. I do purchase orders. I do everything. I love it. Some people when they wake up in the morning, they dread coming to work? I love it!” Linda, 53, said.
This year, Linda celebrates seven years working at the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, and 37 years with the Gilroy Unified School District.
Born and raised in Gilroy, Linda has always worked in education, even as a student. She said she started working at Gilroy High School as a freshman through a low-income student work program. Upon her graduation – after four years of working at GHS – a group of teachers signed a petition and presented it to the school district office. The next thing Linda knew, the school district offered her a job.
“I worked my way up,” Linda said. “I have been a clerk, an attendance clerk, a receptionist, and a registrar. And now I’m here.”
Linda is the only secretary at the Academy. An educational partnership between Gilroy Unified School District and Gavilan College, the school is a college preparatory high school for which students receive both college and high school credit. In four years, students graduate from the Academy with not only a high school degree, but also with about 60 fully transferable college units.
“My favorite part is the kids,” Linda said. “I really enjoy the students. Like any other job, they’re just learning. They need someone to guide them. And we’re all here to do that. Sometimes they come in with problems and we take the time to help them. We all do.”
And Linda said if she doesn’t have the answer, she’ll find it. Linda has a son who is attending San Jose State University
and a daughter living in Costa Mesa attending University of California at Irvine. Linda says she loves to sew and read when she’s not working.
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Gilroy’s First Public LibraryBy Elizabeth Barrett
Historically Speaking
In an era where Free Public Libraries were uncommon, organizations in small towns
often formed proprietary or subscription library collections. Either the members exchanged books as a private club (proprietary) or individuals paid a regular fee to borrow books (subscription.)
In Gilroy there was no pub-lic library for decades following the town’s incorporation. In 1878 the Blue Ribbon Club, a local temperance league, established a book club. Even though visitors were offered free coffee and ice cream as an enticement, the venture lasted only a year. The society then combined its collection with the Good Templars, forming one of Gilroy’s first book circulat-ing libraries, located inside a member’s home at Fifth and Rosanna Streets. By
1880, the members had moved to a back room at A.R. Moore’s Photographic Gallery at Sixth and Monterey Streets for their lending library. Several other social clubs in Gilroy maintained small propri-etary libraries, such as a YMCA Reading Room, established in January 1883.
In 1895, Miss Emily Wilson founded a readers’ book exchange called the Reading Circle. The women-only group, which lasted until the mid-1950s, met in members’ homes on a regular basis to hold literary discussions. Miss Wilson founded another ladies’ club, the F.R.F.G. Study Club in 1898. The 116 year-old group continues to meet biweekly in members’ homes.
But still, a free public library, supported by taxes and open to all, remained out of reach to locals for decades. Elections to
vote for a public library failed in 1890 and 1894 and by 1903, the Gilroy Advocate Editor scolded readers, stating, “Gilroy still needs a reference or lending library.”
In January 1906, the Gilroy City Council finally adopted a resolution to establish a public library. The council wrote to other California cities that had received grants from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, to inquire about the success of the undertaking. Gilroy Mayor Dunlap wrote to Carnegie himself, and received a favorable response. Library Trustees then applied for a grant. In March 1906, Gilroy’s petition for $10,000 for a library building was approved.
Andrew Carnegie founded 1,681 public libraries across the United States between 1889 and 1923. There were only two conditions placed on any community
Photos Courtesy of the Gilroy Museum
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applying for to receive a grant: the local community must provide a site for the building, and citizens were required to support the library with tax funds.
By November 1907, a temporary Gilroy Public Library space was established upstairs at the newly completed City Hall on Monterey and Sixth Streets. A month later, the space was open and functioning with its first collection of volumes donated by the Ladies Reading Circle. At a salary of $30 per month, Mrs. Mary Briggs Benn operated the library daily from 2 to 5 pm and 6:30-9 pm. After the first year, Sundays were discontinued for lack of attendance.
Within the year, a search was on to find the right lot to build the Carnegie Library. In 1909, local philanthropist Caroline Hoxett presented the city with
a check for $1,000 to purchase a public tennis court located at Fifth and Church Streets. By mid-August, blueprints by Watsonville architect William Weeks were submitted to Andrew Carnegie for approval and in October 1909, the first incremental check came in. Enthused citizens proceeded to hold the ground-breaking ceremony.
On the big day, July 27, 1910, Gilroy’s brand new public library opened its doors, with 1700 volumes on the shelves. An evening reception celebrated the event, complete with a musicale, speeches and refreshments. Beneath the central skylight rotunda, four archways opened into spacious reading and book rooms, where sturdy oak tables and bentwood chairs awaited eager readers. A wood-burning fireplace
in the largest reading room provided heat for the building, along with a central coal powered heating system.
A popular community spot for 65 years, the Classical Revival style Carnegie Library served Gilroy citizens until 1975 when, no longer able hold its book collection or provide adequate services to patrons, the building was closed. A newer, larger public library was built two blocks away at Rosanna and Sixth Streets, to be replaced once again by an even larger structure in 2012.
The original Carnegie Library space, which took the citizens of Gilroy so long to achieve, was renovated and reopened in 1976, to continue as the Gilroy Museum. Visitors will still find much of the building’s original, and now historic, charm when they step into the venerable structure.
F.R.F.G. (Freely Received, Freely Given) Study Club in 1949
Mary Briggs Benn
Caroline Hoxett
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By Robin Shepherd
“It’s not just about the books, it’s about the people.”
Lani Yoshimura
The Gilroy Library
Turning the Page
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People tend to think of libraries as stuffy buildings stacked with ancient books, uncomfortable chairs and spinsterish librarians who take pleasure in shushing
the patrons. The Gilroy Library defies this funny old stereotype in every way. It’s a remarkably welcoming place offering a wealth of resources and programs. There is literally something for everyone at the Gilroy Library.
Community Librarian Lani Yoshimura has been managing Gilroy Library’s day-to-day operations since 1984. She is not only charming, but a passionate advocate of the library and the value of its role in the community. Her enthusiasm for the library is down-right contagious and her knowledge of its offerings is impressive.
Every day, Yoshimura makes a point of connecting with patrons, and she encourages her staff to do the same.
A Place to Connect“People come in looking for information but often they are hoping to connect with others who have similar interests too. Many of our members have been coming to the library for years, and now their children are coming too.”
“Offering programs that really suit the interests and needs of the Gilroy community is equally important as the contents of the library.”
“We sometimes run up to 90 programs a month,” Yoshimura said. “Often we co-sponsor programs with other organizations.”
The library has hosted voter registration drives and even a program offered through Saint Louise Hospital to help people enroll in the Covered California program.
There are programs for new readers, expectant moms, adoptive parents, people seeking legal advice, Zumba enthusiasts, computer novices, book clubs, poetry enthusiasts, and the list goes on. These programs are typically offered free of charge to library members.
Books, Music and Videos for EveryoneFor people who enjoy the tactile experience of a real paperback or hard cover book, the library has about 185,000 volumes to choose from. Those who prefer electronic media can borrow e-readers, audio book players and download or stream books, music and videos – all year long – for free.
“Not everyone has a computer at home,” Yoshimura said. “On Tuesday mornings when we open for the week, we usually have a line of people at the door who may have been waiting since Saturday to check their email.”
During a soup-to-nuts tour of the library, she provides a helpful rundown of the many resources, and points out the variety of well-lit and comfortable spaces that can be used by individuals or groups for quiet study or even for professional business meetings. She also describes the many merits of the Library’s certification as a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) facility, which means that it meets strict environmental standards for sustainable “green building” design, construction, operation and maintenance.
While the Library was established in Gilroy decades ago, the current building is just two years old, designed to let in natural light, maintain ambient temperature, conserve energy, and make computer technology readily available to patrons. And it is technology that enables the Library to make its resources available to the public on a 24x7x365 basis through its website.
In early May, a group of Google employees toured the library in person while their counterparts back at the office enjoy a virtual tour from the convenience of their smartphones, tablets or laptop computers.
Magazine aficionados will find Gilroy Library a treasure trove with 400 different titles to choose from. “It’s a very large collection for a library of our size,” Yoshimura said, noting that this includes scientific magazines read by physicians and other professionals that would otherwise be very expensive to purchase.
The library system shares a single bookmobile that rotates to the county’s various library neighborhoods. According to Yoshimura, the Gilroy Library has had occasion to deliver books to local library members who are home-bound.
It’s a Family AffairGilroy Library has a spacious multi-purpose room dedicated to its extensive Children’s Program.
“We introduce the whole family to our resources, and many of them visit us every week,” Yoshimura said.
During pre-school story-time activities, librarians guide children through a physical activity before they sit down to read. One program that always draws a crowd is called “Rhythm, Rattle and Roll” and it makes use of music and movement. These and other early childhood learning programs are designed to promote reading readiness.
“Reading stories aloud is such a universal thing that we get a very diverse audience including many families with parents with little to no English-speaking skills. We’ll probably expand our story-time to two classes soon to meet demand.”
The library has special computers with age-appropriate software geared to help children through game-play. Software is available for English and Spanish speakers. Yoshimura has found that the computers are very popular with dads who often bring
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their children to the library on Saturdays.Along with a small but dedicated staff, the library
has an Active Teen program that includes teen volunteers who put in about 250-300 hours per month helping the library staff.
“There’s always demand from Gilroy families to get their teens into our volunteer program, usually as part of their volunteer service requirement for school,” Yoshimura said. “We love their energy and it’s great to have them on board.”
The library’s Active Teen Program also includes special film screenings of current feature films for teen film-buffs to enjoy with friends.
Creative thinking even led the library to connect with the California Farmer’s Market Association with the goal of supporting community efforts to eliminate childhood obesity.
“We have a great opportunity here at the library to help parents teach their children about healthy foods and healthy eating,” Yoshimura said.
All in all, not bad for a library that first opened its doors over a century ago at its original Fifth Street location with 1,700 books donated by the Gilroy Ladies Reading Circle.
As Yoshimura likes to say, “It’s not just about the books, it’s about the people.”
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By Whitney Pintello
Whitney is a local artist whose paintings can be found at local wineries and restaurants, as well as the Gilroy Garlic Festival. With her family, she has enjoyed staging comedies at Pintello Comedy Theater in Gilroy for over 11 years.
Leadership
Gilroy…
Ongoing
tales of future
leaders!
When you last joined our class, we were brand new students of leadership, having barely gotten our feet wet with a flurry of classroom instruction and a quick snapshot of local social service agencies. Just three months later,
we have bonded at our weekend retreat, taken time to meet on our own, toured Gilroy’s history and gotten a glimpse of local government’s inner workings.
The most exciting thing I’d like to share is that we have presented our class service project to our board, and it was approved! Students of Leadership Gilroy are trained in current schools of thought in negotiating, communication and conflict resolution, but to what end? How can we practice what we’ve learned? The group project gives us a chance to use our newfound skills with each other and in the community to launch our project. We will build this event from the ground up, covering every aspect from PR to fundraising.
At the retreat in a beautiful Los Gatos convent, we all spent hours brainstorming possible projects, negotiating and narrowing down choices, regrouping and trying to sell others on our plans, and finally choosing a plan we could all support. We were encouraged to use our new leadership skills and tactics and to stay open-minded. Our initial project ideas varied from homeless support in the form of showers, transportation and laundering facilities to neighborhood or downtown revitalization, to daycare or playground improvements. We finally settled on a bicycle drive to provide new and refurbished bikes, along with helmets and locks to the underprivileged children and adults in Gilroy. Our group is so motivated that we have already settled on a date and time and are now looking to our community to come out and make a difference by donating to this great cause!
We hope you will all join in by donating a new or used bicycle, or new locks or helmets, either at our event: Spokes for Folks! Changing lives one spoke at a time! We will be collecting bikes at a fun bicycle fair on Saturday August 2nd, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gilroy Center for the Arts on 7th and Monterey Streets. Stay tuned to local press and Facebook for how you can donate in the weeks leading up to the event. We are all excited to be putting our skills into action, to be reaching out to new people and places in the community!
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The Streets of Gilroy… and the people who live on them
By Sam Bozzo
ABOVE: Walt Glines with his son, Ben with wife Stephanie and their three children, Ady, Gavin and Brayden. ABOVE RIGHT: Rebecca Scheel and Bruce Morasca. RIGHT: Jeff and Barbara Orth.
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By Sam Bozzo
In the last issue of Gilroy Today, I interviewed my neighbors (folks who live on Fifth Street) and enjoyed reminiscing about the changes our neighborhood had experienced
over the years. Since the publishing of the story, we lost one of our dear neighbors, Lucy Gori. I am so happy that we had that brief time together and Gilroy Today showcased a small piece of her life here on Fifth Street.
This article is about the people who live on Hoesch and Culp streets. I found that the inhabitance of this neighborhood shared many characteristics found in my own neighborhood and most likely in many other neighborhoods that make up our community. There are kids growing up together, going to the same school, and belonging to the same school clubs — their parents accountable for the other kids living on the block. Many held keys to each others houses and picked up their neighbors’ garbage cans. The kids can’t get away with anything because the other parents would know. There are stay at home moms, BBQ parties, sleep-overs, and table and chair lending. There’s always someone throwing a ball in their front yard. There are golfers, actors, baseball and foot-ball players and a field hockey standout. As one family stated “truly a Norman Rockwell setting.” They reminisce about when a new school was built without a playing field, families organized themselves, raised enough money, and put in the field; and when that was finished parents organized to establish a library; and after that it was comput-ers. This is life on Hoesch and Culp streets, not too far from Rod Kelley Elementary, Mount Madonna High School and Christopher High School.
This story starts in 1987 when people began moving into the homes that make up this neighborhood, but for me, it started much earlier. One of people that live there is Walt Glines, someone I have know for many years; from back in the day, when he and his dad Bill covered the Gavilan College Trustee meetings. Bill worked for the Mercury News and Walt for the Gilroy Dispatch. Gene Sakahara remembers introducing him to his fellow students at Gilroy High when fifteen year old Walt moved here with his parents, two brothers and five sisters. I think Gene was the leader of a small group (class of 1966), known as the Rat Pack, that included Walt, Rick Heinzen and John Voorhees. They all still reside in Gilroy. Out of that group came a school principal, a couple business owners, a superior court judge and a newspaper reporter and editor.
Years later Walt was on assignment for the Gilroy Dispatch, interviewing new employees for the City of Gilroy (this was in the early ‘70s), when he met Gayle Matsura. When Gayle came to Gilroy, she had just graduated with a degree in Recreation and
Leisure studies from San Jose State. Sometime later, Gayle and Walt began dating and in 1980, they were married at the Elks Lodge. Gayle and Walt moved to Culp Street on Thanksgiving Day in 1987. Their son Ben was 4 years old at the time. I asked Walt why they choose Culp Street and he said because it was close to Rod Kelley School where Gene Sakahara was the principal. In fact, it was eight houses away from the school. At that time the area around Culp and Hoesch was developing and Rod Kelley School was a year-round portable school. Gayle utilized her community development skills to raise funds for the new school, her idea “Rod’s Trod for Sod” was a huge success. She would be the first to say that it wasn’t just her that made it happen.
When the 1989 earthquake hit Gilroy, I lost my chimney on 5th Street, but there was little damage on Culp and Hoesch. A Rod
Kelley family who lived not too far from the school, however, had their house red tagged. So, the Glines family invited them to stay with them; which they did, for 7 months.
The community dealt with tragedy in 2011 when Gayle was struck with a sudden illness and died. The support of the neighborhood helped Walt and his family through their time of mourning.
The memorial was held at Gavilan College where an estimated 800 people paid tribute to Gayle. Today there is a bench at Gilroy Library dedicated to her memory.
Their son, Ben, who was active in baseball at Gilroy High and at San Jose City College and California State University Monterey Bay, now lives on Culp with his wife Stephanie and their three children: Ady (5) who attends Rod Kelley School, (second generation) Gavin (3) and Brayden (1) will also attend. Stephanie’s goal is to become a nurse. Ben works in Los Gatos and still finds time to pitch for a semi-pro baseball team. Grandpa Walt is completing his first term as a Gavilan College Trustee and gearing up for a second term run. He is active in the Democratic party and is currently serving on two boards with the City of Gilroy. Walt finds time to frequent the library with his grandkids. When they are there they always make time to sit on grandma Gayle’s bench.
Barbara and Jeff Orth lived in five cities before they moved to Gilroy. Their Hoesch Street home was built by local contractor, Randy Moen. Barbara and Jeff met at the University of California, Davis. He worked for Big5 Sporting Goods, before starting their business as a Chartered Financial Consultant and Investment Advisor in 1989. As their children were growing up and attending local schools, they participated in their children’s activities. All of the Orth children went to Gilroy High School. Daughter, Stephanie is a Pediatric Nurse Practioner and lives on Wall Street in New York
“And in our society the occurrence of community is still rare — indeed an
extraordinary happening in the ordinary course of
things.”
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City. Melissa lives in Sacramento with husband Brian and their two children.
Jeff and Barbara are very active in the community. Jeff graduated from the Leadership Gilroy in 2001 and Barbara in 2008. Jeff said one of the hardest volunteer jobs he has had was washing pots and pans at the Garlic Festival. He has also worked for the Gilroy Chamber in the beer concession. Both Jeff and Barbara have limitless energy. Jeff still works the chain gang at Gilroy High School football games, serves as the master of ceremonies for the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce breakfast; has received the Firman Voorhees Volunteer of the Year award from the Gilroy Chamber and will be a Rotary District Governor, following the retired Chamber President, Susan Valenta.
Jeff and Barbara remember the aroma the blending of the stewed tomatoes canned at the Cannery on 10th Street and the garlic processed at Gilroy Foods (now OLAM, Hwy 152) produced. “It smelled like marinara sauce and made one hungry for a bowl of
spaghetti.” For many on Hoesch Street,
the kids are either off to college or married, liv-
ing in other cities but find time to come
back to Hoesch Street, especially around Garlic Festival time. All are invited to Barbara and Jeff ’s for a pre-
festival garlic party on the last
Saturday where calamari, scampi,
pasta compesto and the famous steak sandwiches
are served with the sole purpose of training the taste buds for the gour-
met feast at the end of July.
Dia and Mike Hoshida were looking for more space when they moved to Gilroy in 1984 from Mountain View. They found it on Hoesch Street and it was called Rancho Solis, built by the Moen Family, Tanglewood Construction. Their home is on the north side of the street and the opposite side of the street, which was not developed, became a play area. As others moved in, there began a commonality — children were born, landscaping was completed and yards became gathering places. According to Dia, neighbors shared a glass of wine in the afternoon while the children played in the front yard. And, strong bonds were formed. I asked Dia if she
ever thought she would move, now that Mike was retired. She was quick to say, “If we were to move, Margie and Jim Hemeon (who live a couple of doors down) would have to move, too.” She backed that comment up with responses from her children, “Where would we go?” She notes that when their grandchildren visit, they want to visit the Hemeon’s. That’s how close the bond is. Dia refers to life on Hoesch as “All American Living.”
Mike worked for the Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) for 33 years as a driver /trainer. As he gained seniority with the agency he was able to work split shifts, allowing him time to coach little league while Dia became very active with the parent club at the new Rod Kelley School. Dia has been involved in the Gilroy Music Theater with John Bisceglie for fourteen years, serving as producer. Three of their sons Stephan, Allan and William participated in many of the plays while their fourth son, Thomas, concentrated on golf. During that time Mike worked on stage sets. In 2008, he retired from the VTA and soon after became Christopher High School’s golf coach.
In 1994, Rebecca Scheel came to live on Hoesch Street from Arizona. She would later meet Bruce Morasca who then lived on Laurel in Gilroy, at a Santa Clara County Democratic Committee meeting, where a seven-year courtship began. The house that Rebecca moved into was the first of nine built by Gary Walton, a local developer who has devoted much time and energy to the revitalization of downtown Gilroy.
I first met Bruce when he ran for City Council. He didn’t win but he has remained involved. He is on the Arts and Cultural Commission and the Arts and Cultural Committee. Originally from Salinas, he will be the first to say: “Gilroy is my home.” Although Rebecca enjoyed life in Arizona, she has developed a fondness for her home and neighborhood. For a person who started out as a truck driver in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Rebecca has accomplished a lot: President of the Parent Club at Rucker and Brownell; a graduate of Leadership Gilroy Academy (thanks to the then Superintendent Edwin Diaz); president of the local Chapter of California School Employee Association; and eight years as a Park and Recreation Commissioner. She has been recognized statewide as “Activist of the Year” by the California School Employee Association (CSEA).
I think it’s safe to say that Hoesch Street has been good to the families that live there and there is no question that their children won’t be asking “where would you go if you moved?” They know the response would be “no where” — they like living right where they are, on Hoesch with the Glines’s, the Orth’s, and the Hemion’s. I found a great quote in one of my books on Community Building: “And in our society the occurrence of community is still rare — indeed an extraordinary happening in the ordinary course of things.” The folks that I have referred to in this article have made significant contributions to this community…and are indeed extraordinary.
And that’s what I love about Gilroy
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 G I L R O Y T O D A Y 73
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G I L R O Y T O D A Y S U M M E R 2 0 1 474
It is very normal to take your body for granted,
most men and women do. In your youth, you
probably neglected and mistreated your body
and it never failed you. A couple of decades
ago, you could probably work for 12 hours
straight, devour a pizza, and spend the evening in
front of the TV and know that your body would be in
great condition for a game of tennis that weekend.
It was only a matter of time, however, before the
mistakes of your youth began to take their toll. You
might notice a new crick in your back as you carry
in the groceries, possibly your jeans seem to tighten
a size each year, or perhaps you are concerned
with the increasing number of prescriptions accumu-
lating in your medicine cabinet.
By the time most people reach the age of 50
or 60 they have accepted the negative effects of
aging as a fact of life — one that they have little or
no control over. While it is true that we cannot stop
the calendar from marching ahead at what seems
to be a faster and faster pace, recent studies have
shown that we can alter the rate at which our bod-
ies progress through our life cycle.
We now have a better understanding of why
some people tend to age much faster than others.
The good news is that there is a large body of
scientific evidence that suggests that we can slow
down and even reverse the symptoms of aging. In
fact, many people can be in better health in their
70s than they were in their 50s. Recent studies
indicate that between the ages of 30 and 70 many
of the symptoms & conditions that were traditionally
associated with normal aging are in fact the result of
sedentary lifestyles. If you suspect these are warning
signs of more serious problems yet to come, you are
right. However, today is a great day to reclaim your
health and freedom by beginning a 50+ exercise
program.
As you age you are increasingly more at risk of
losing your health, independence, and even life.
Eighty-two percent of people who die from coro-
nary heart disease are over 50, the average age
for men being 64 and for women 70. Obesity rates
are the highest they have ever been and 60% of
all obese senior citizens will suffer a critical or fatal
illness related to their weight, including uncontrolled
diabetes. (cdc.gov)
Right now you enjoy the ability to complete
basic tasks like grocery shopping and laundry, but
every year, you lose 2- 5% of your muscle strength
and 2- 3% of your bone density. After age 70,
this decline accelerates. A much better health and
happiness outlook exists for the men and women
who exercise. These people have a proven ability
to actually increase bone density and muscle mass.
Considering that 78%- 90% of retirees and
senior citizens lead overly sedentary lifestyles, any
exercise over 50 is a great achievement. However,
if you want to ensure your continued health and
happiness, then you need to develop a well-round-
ed exercise program that includes some portion of
cardio, strength training, and flexibility workouts.
CARDIOVASCULAR exercise is a proven
way to fight heart disease and obesity and is a vital
exercise for women over 50 and men over 45. It is
also believed that the increased blood flow helps
to improve cognitive abilities. The amount and
intensity needed for your cardio workout is unique
to your body, but most people have had greatest
success when they maintain their target heart rate
for 30 to 60 minutes.
Many people who’ve had significant fitness
success recommend finding a cardio workout
that is fun and will motivate you to keep exercis-
ing. Right here in Morgan Hill at the Centennial
Recreation Center there are several 50+ classes
that will get your heart pumping.
STRENGTH TRAINING builds muscle mass,
reduces fat, and gives you strength to perform your
everyday tasks longer.
Your body is broken into muscle groups, such
as abs, biceps, and back. The American Heart
Association recommends that you perform a
minimum of 8 to 10 exercises per muscle group.
Strength training experts typically focus on only one
or two muscle groups each day and make sure
their entire body has been exercised before begin-
ning a new cycle. Strength training can be done
at home or at the gym. At the gym, you will have
access to a wide range of weights and press, curl,
and rowing machines. The Centennial Recreation
Center offers complimentary wellness sessions with
a qualified wellness coach to help you get started
with weight training. The coaches will teach you
how to perform the exercises on the machines and
get you started on a weight training regime.
Like aerobic endurance and muscle strength,
FLEXIBILITY provides anti-aging benefits that
keep you running like new. The pain and stiffness
of aging begins as temporary tensions that become
learned habits. But don’t assume that with aging
you will automatically lose your flexibility. You
can counter-balance the effects of aging so that
your physiology is quite a bit younger than your
chronology. When you stay flexible, you’ll be able
to live with vibrancy, energy, and independence.
Yoga is a great way to stay limber. A striking find-
ing in the Yoga Journal study was the rise of the
“yoga as medicine” trend: 14 million Americans
say that a doctor or therapist has recommended
yoga to them. With good reason. “The health
benefits of yoga are well documented,” says
Christine Geithner, professor of human physiology
at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. “It’s a
good entry-level activity for older adults.”
The good news is that regular exercise
incorporated into our lifestyle can improve our
heart and respiratory function, lower our blood
pressure, increase our strength, improve bone
density, improve flexibility, quicken our reaction
time, reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, and
reduce susceptibility to depression & disease.
Over 50? … time to turn back the clock!
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