”
Red Phone, the other day I noticed some new benches installed
along Monterey Road in the downtown, and I just wanted to say they
look great. Can’t wait for some nice weather to enjoy them. My
question is, who installed them and how much did they cost?
Thanks.
”
“Red Phone, the other day I noticed some new benches installed along Monterey Road in the downtown, and I just wanted to say they look great. Can’t wait for some nice weather to enjoy them. My question is, who installed them and how much did they cost? Thanks.”
Red Phone: Dear Who and How Much, Red Phone contacted Gary Walton, president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Property Based Improvement District. He said the benches were on PBID’s work plan for this fiscal year and PBID was moving forward with the purchase when the city offered to buy the benches with Redevelopment Agency funds as long as PBID agreed to maintain them.
“As you know, RDA funds can be used to purchase or build, but cannot be used to for maintenance,” Walton said. “In addition to the newly installed benches, the PBID currently maintains the new parking lots, pays for increased electrical for higher wattage street lights, and maintains the fountain on the Third Street Promenade to name just a few of the ways we have partnered with the city.”
The cost was $29,400 for the 30 benches, including installation, according to Garrett Toy, Business Assistance and Housing Services director.
“Our PBID board is very pleased with the installation of the benches and feel that it is something that has been missing downtown for a long time,” Walton added. “One of the joys of being downtown is to ‘people watch.’ So in addition to providing a place to stop and rest, we have plenty of places for people to linger and watch what goes on around them. Keeping people in the downtown longer should ultimately benefit downtown retailers and restaurants.”
There you have it, good caller. And, with the weather much nicer now that June is here, those benches are getting plenty of use.
Can we eat fish caught locally?
“Hey Red Phone, I’ve been fishing out at some of the local reservoirs recently. There are signs at Uvas, Calero and Anderson that say that the fish are contaminated with mercury and should not be eaten. Well, lately I’ve been fishing the shores of Chesbro and I haven’t seen any similar signs. Are the fish caught there good to eat?”
Red Phone: Dear Angler, your question is timely. According to a report released Thursday by the State Water Resources Control Board, all four South County reservoirs – Anderson, Calero, Chesbro and Uvas – rank among the top 20 lakes in the state in which fish have the highest mercury concentrations. Thusly, any fish caught should be released back into the lakes, not eaten. The level considered unsafe for children and pregnant women is 0.44 parts per million. The levels of our local reservoirs were: Anderson at 0.08 ppm, Calero at 1.05 ppm, Chesbro at 1.04 and Uvas at 0.91 ppm. As to where the mercury comes from, that is our legacy. In the mid-19th century, New Almaden Mines operated out of the area and although the mines have been sealed, contamination remains in the sediment of local creeks.
Good caller, hope that answers your question. Catch and release. Catch and release.
