CHEERS to state Sen. Joe Simitian's new hands-free cell phone law which went into effect this Tuesday. A study by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that the new law could save 300 lives a year and that similar laws in other parts of the country have effectively lowered the number of deaths from crashes in all types of road hazardous conditions thanks to drivers keeping their hands on their steering wheels. We regret the one weakness in the law that allows drivers 18 and older to text message, which is just as distracting as holding a phone to someone's ears.
CHEERS to the Independence Day, Inc. nonprofit which puts on the festivities that began Thursday evening with patriotic songs at Britton Middle School and will end tonight with a wonderful display of fireworks at Community Park. These events cost money and the organization needs the community's support as only the golf tournament and the 5K run contribute toward its expenses. Everything else is done by volunteers. The celebration is Northern California's largest Independence Day observance, unique for its hometown feel and family spirit. A big thank you to all the volunteers who make it happen. To make a donation visit www.mhidi.com.
JEERS to the Gilroy City Council for allowing so-called "safe and sane" fireworks which year after year turn out to be nothing but. You would think that politicians in the Garlic City would have learned a lesson during the recent Hummingbird and Whitehurst fires which came awfully close to their backyards, but no. Last week they voted to allow nonprofits to sell fireworks that have been approved by the state fire marshal. We wonder why the council didn't consult with Gilroy Fire Chief Dale Foster. It doesn't make sense and presents a problem for the rest of the cities in the county that don't sell such fireworks. Residents outside Gilroy can go there and buy them and bring them to their communities to break the law, thus presenting a problem for local law enforcement and possibly igniting dangerous fires.
JEERS to the Morgan Hill Unified School District for denying special education parents the right to documents related to legal settlements, complaints and claims related to special education children. If such information has been turned over to the California Department of Education and can be found elsewhere, as district officials told the parents, then they can surely have the courtesy to give it to the parents. It's a shame that parents who face such serious challenges related to the education of their children now have to encounter such attitudes in our school district.
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Behind the brews: the origin and making of El Toro beers
