SHARING THE SIDEWALKS?
“I was jogging the other day and was forced off the sidewalk into some stickers by a bicyclist that gave no warning of his appraoch. Aren’t there laws concerning how bike riders behave when they need to share the walkway with pedestrians?”
RED PHONE
Right you are, caller. The Morgan Hill municipal code states bicycle riders on a sidewalk or crosswalk bicycle path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. Cmdr. Joe Sampson of the Morgan Hill Police Department reminds us that the law treats bicycles just like any other vehicle on the street and bicylists need to adhere to the rules of the road just like the rest of us.
The Morgan Hill Police Department needs to be aware of this problem, especially if it is habitually happening in a specific area. Call the police at 779-2101 and give them a heads up about this dangerous practice. Maybe we can get the law enforcement personnel to hang out in the area and catch the inconsiderate bikers in the act.
WEEDING OUT LANDSCAPING PROBLEMS
“I recently drove by the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center and noticed that the landscaping is going downhill. There are weeds and dandelions all over the lawns. Why doesn’t the maintenance crew just use weed and feed to rid the lawn of weeds? The taxpayers have paid for this property … let’s maintain it properly.”
RED PHONE
We understand your concern, caller. The public buildings in town and the grounds they are located on need to present a positive image to the public and our city’s visitors. Theresa Lugger, recreation supervisor for the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center commented that the landscaping duties at the center are contracted out to New Image Landscape. The crews are kept extremely busy this time of year as young flowers spring up and, unfortunately, so do the weeds. To complicate matters, the winds we have been experiencing lately have spread the nasty seeds quite efficiently, and as a result, maintenance crews have to keep after new areas that crop up.
How landscapers attack the unwanted growth also plays a part in this. Most herbicides and weed control products can only be applied effectively after the weeds have been allowed to grow to a good percentage of their full height so the product can be deposited on the leaves and subsequently absorbed into the plant. Basically, the weed killer is a potent fertilizer that forces the weed to burn itself out.
The landscaping may look ugly for a little while at first, but the weeds eventually die, dry up and disappear after the application of the herbicide. Patience is a virtue when it comes to lawn maintenance. The last time we passed by the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, the grounds were looking pretty good.
MAKING MY WAY THROUGH THE PARKING LOT
“I think we need a stronger police presence in the parking lot by the new bowling alley. The people that were hanging around there made me feel very uncomfortable as I walked through the area to my car, and I don’t want to feel that way about Morgan Hill. What can be done about this?”
RED PHONE
Anytime a resident of our city sees a situation that is possibly dangerous or feels threatened, the first step to be taken is to call the Morgan Hill Police Department at 779-2101 and report what is going on immediately.
In this particular case, caller, it is good to know that the new bowling alley, located at 650 Tennant Station, has its own security people that deal with disruptions in the bowling alley and in the parking lot. Tim Brown, general manager of the bowling alley, informed Red Phone that these security personnel can be identified by the black jackets that they wear with the word “security” written on the back. Be sure to let bowling alley operators know your concerns as they want to provide the public a safe and fun place to visit. The phone number at the bowling alley is 778-0909. Perhaps they can clean up their own area before it becomes a huge problem.
If you have a problem, a question, are worried about a specific situation or simply need to praise a job well done in our town, please pick up the phone, get on the Internet or snail mail any issue that needs the Crimson Crusader’s attention. He’s here to help you, always. You can count on that.
Contact us 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.
