PEDESTRIANS IN PERIL
“With the coming of daylight saving time bringing evening earlier, I would like to pass on the following comments to your readers and people that use cell phones while driving.
“I take daily walks with my dad downtown from Main to Dunne avenues. We stop at all traffic lights and wait for the walk signal. On our walk a few nights ago, we encountered no fewer than 11 drivers making right-hand turns while still looking left and talking on a cell phone. I guess they were too busy to check if anyone was using the crosswalk. I even wear a flashing red light to help these “busy” people see me better.
“On another subject, I would like to bring up the issue of bicycle riders using the sidewalks downtown. There are signs stating this is not allowed. I see the new motorcycle patrol quite often in the area. Why don’t they enforce this?”
RED PHONE
The Red Phone is in complete agreement with you, caller. People need to pay close attention to their driving in the downtown area and obey the traffic signals. The speed bumps that have been installed on Monterey Road should alert drivers that the city is serious about keeping this area safe for pedestrians. We will have to see what effect the “no cell phone use” law while driving will have when it becomes effective in January 2007.
Concerning the bicyclists on the sidewalks, Sgt. David Myers of the Morgan Hill Police Department admits that bicycle enforcement ranks right along with parking violations. However, if a person makes a complaint to the department, it will certainly be addressed. The police are lenient with young riders because the roadway configuration downtown puts bicyclists at risk when they use the street, but the police keep a stearner eye on the older riders.
RADON IN MORGAN HILL
“I received a radon gas disclosure on a house I am purchasing in Morgan Hill. This seems to be something no one is aware of that I’ve talked to in this area. Should the residents in Morgan Hill be concerned, or is this a normal thing in the South Bay?”
RED PHONE
The Red Phone got on a number of radon Web sites to find out about your problem, caller.
Radon is the gaseous product of radioactive minerals as they break down in soil and can accumulate in a house if it can find a way in, such as through cracks in the concrete foundation. Surprisingly enough, one in 15 homes in the United States has a detectible level of radon, so the problem is not confined to our specific area.
There are inexpensive test kits available to the public to detect radon, which in higher concentrations can cause lung cancer over time. There are also easy fixes to the problem, such as venting the inside air of the house to the atomsphere. This work involves the installation of ducting and fans and should be done by professionals, with the average cost for the fix being $1,200.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/radon.
NEW YELLOW CURB
“I usually park on First Street when I visit Maurizio’s restaurant or when shopping downtown, but now there is a yellow line painted on the parking area. Could you find out if this is a no parking area or loading zone?”
RED PHONE
You are referring to the newly painted yellow curb in front of Maurizio’s new sidewalk dining area. Mori Struve, Morgan Hill’s deputy director of public works and operations, informed the Red Phone that a yellow curb designates a freight loading or unloading zone, so you are correct, caller, you may not park there. This may inconvenience some drivers, but the curb makes double-parking on the street by the delivery trucks unnecessary when supplies are being hauled in.
Helping to keep the residents of our fair city informed is what the Red Phone strives for. Keep us tracking down the answers for you. Contact Red Phone at (408) 779-4106,
ext. 206, or e-mail re******@*************es.com. Remember to leave a name and phone number when you call or e-mail. The Red Phone will not publish this information and will only use it for
verification purposes
