Dear Editor, As manager of Eagle Ridge Golf Course and Country
Club, we disagree with this recommendation. All well owners,
including farmers, should file a protest with the Santa Clara
Valley Water District before April 27, 2010.
Time to unify and protest water district’s groundwater charges
Dear Editor,
As manager of Eagle Ridge Golf Course and Country Club, we disagree with this recommendation. All well owners, including farmers, should file a protest with the Santa Clara Valley Water District before April 27, 2010.
Besides the Proposition 218 violation which now requires majority agreement as to any water charge, Judge Murphy, in the recent Great Oaks decision, also ruled “The plaintiff was overcharged because of subsidies made for treated water and discounts given to agricultural users.” SCVWD’s attempt to notify well owners of the right to protest is legally flawed by continuing the multiple rate system. The rate for farmers is $16.50 an acre foot, and for everybody else, including the citizens of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, the rate is $275 an acre foot. All of this will be headed back to court.
Morgan Hill and Gilroy have a fiduciary duty to all of us to protest and, if necessary, file suit to recover the millions of dollars unlawfully collected by the district. A serious problem that confronts all of us in that SCVWD has not been a model of good and efficient government. The court also ruled that SCVWD improperly used groundwater extraction funds in violation of law.
Groundwater recharge is very important to us. But, all money collected from farmers, cities and other well owners must be used solely for that purpose. In the future, we cannot afford an expensive and inefficient bureaucracy to perform this task.
The cities, farmers and other well owners need to unify and explore other political and legal alternatives to improve groundwater generation and do it efficiently. We all need to protest this year in order to begin the dialogue as to how we will solve this problem. Many years ago there was a separate water district serving South County. Maybe that is the solution.
Rick Smith, Vice President and General Manager, Eagle Ridge Golf Course and Country Club
Thanks to all those who helped put on successful Wildflower Run
Dear Editor,
On behalf of AAUW-Morgan Hill, I would like to thank the citizens and businesses of Morgan Hill and the surrounding area for their support of our annual fundraiser, the Wildflower Run.
We had an amazing turnout of runners, walkers and families for a beautiful day of fun and exercise.
We thank our sponsors and businesses who donated cash and prizes. We especially appreciate Jamba Juice for supplying the delicious smoothies for more than 900 participants. Thanks also the many volunteers who made it happen.
All proceeds from the Wildflower Run promote increased educational opportunities for girls and women. We fund local scholarships for high school and Gavilan College girls and women in addition to our Tech Trek camper scholarships for the science camp at Stanford.
We are grateful to the community for their support of our cause.
Yvonne Duckett, Wildflower Run director
Thanks to everyone who helped injured husband
Dear Editor,
I would like to express my thanks for the “random acts of kindness” which I encountered Monday, March 22.
First, to the PG&E employee who stopped his truck and called me to tell me my husband had fallen. Second, to a young lady and her son who found something to put under his head and called 911. Third, to the Morgan Hill police officer named Max who stayed with me until everything was taken care of.
Also, thank you to the paramedics who transported him to the hospital. It certainly boosted my faith in humankind and I won’t soon forget it.
Joyce Groth, Morgan Hill
