This I can say about a terribly difficult situation at Paradise Elementary School: There are very good people who run the YMCA programs who are conscientous and horrified that an arrest for sexual abuse of a child has taken place at a YMCA program. I know this because I’m on the YMCA volunteer board. My fellow board members and the staff members I have met are very dedicated people who work hard and sincerely for the betterment of the community and for the positive development of so many children. They will not duck or try to spin the situation, it will be met head on with great sadness and dissected thoroughly to see what changes can be made. One of the greatest evils is the sexual abuse of children for its horrid nature – in this case an attack on a defenseless 6-year-old girl – and the fact that it leaves scars that last a lifetime. It’s unconscienable, but it is also a testament to this girl’s courage and heart that she spoke up. It’s truly heroic. My heart goes out to the families involved and all those who have to deal with such a terrible mess.
Life’s messes, whether man made or of an inexplicable nature, can be so painful … imagine being a brilliant, admired computer science university professor making a wonderful living who, at 46 years old, has a beautiful wife and two young children. You are existing on top of the world, heaven on earth. Then, pancreatic cancer strikes, mocking the folloy of your human existence. It’s deadly, you have six months. What did Randy Pausch do? He wrote one incredible book – a gift of life lessons to his children, a collection of beautiful insights, words of wisdom and humorous revalations of his personality so his children could know him long after he departed, which he did on July 25, 2008. If you haven’t read “The Last Lecture” it’s well worth the short investment. You will take something valuable from it. The book is not preachy or gooey or sappy, it’s just real and written from the heart with eternal highlights on subjects like this foundational one for relationships – his A-Number One Rule: “Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth.”
Truth is, I enjoy baseball books and movies and Hank Miller’s column below gave me a good laugh. I love how Hank approaches a topic with such fluidity and grace like Roberto Clemente played the outfield. If you appreciate baseball as America’s game and its intertwining with our country’s history, then a fantastic summer read is “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero” by David Maraniss. And even though it certainly would not be a purist’s favorite, my favorite baseball movie is “Bull Durham.”
Ya know, that No Bull BBQ event the Morgan Hill Chamber put on for a couple of years really was a good idea. And it could become very popular and positive for the city and community. BBQ competitions and events have really taken off across the country and the preponderance (Ding, ding, ding … I like that word) of TV shows featuring BBQ like “BBQ Pitmasters” exemplifies the trend. It’s a brand new day at the Chamber with new leadership and new directions, so perhaps some careful planning and thought could resurrect the event and make it a success. First off, the location needs to be somewhere park-like with trees and grass and some space. BBQ is a hot and smoky business, so balancing that spice, like you would cooking a pork shoulder, with some shady sweetness is key. Location really matters. And so does execution. Plenty of people showed up to enjoy the “No Bull BBQ” but the event execution came off like tough and chewy beef brisket. Separate the competitors in the BBQ competition from the vendors who are there to serve food to the crowds and make money. There could be a blue ribbbon award for the best vendor, but it should be clear to customers which pitmasters are competing for blue ribbons and which are out to sell you some great BBQ. Also, involve the local BBQ folks like Trail Dust and BBQ 152 in Gilroy. There’s a lot that goes into planning and executing such an event, but there are plenty of smart, hard-working people in our town who can make this happen. And it could turn into the Chamber’s major fund-raising event that fires up the coffers with cash each and every year. Is there a pirate out there who’s ready to take the BBQ bull by the horns?
It’s a shame that the PG&E pipeline issue on John Fry’s property that’s holding up the building of the clubhouse/math institute is forcing the Fry’s.com Open to move to Silverado Resort in the Napa area. It seems so solveable, yet there’s this mysterious veil over the situation. Perhaps things are happening in the background, but maybe not … maybe it’s an adventure into the bottomless pit of PG&E bureacracy and we all know where those adventures end – rate hikes.
Hikes are good for the soul and there are so many around here, whether it’s the trail up the hill from Sprig Lake or the jaunt around the Harvey Bear Ranch, take one. It will soothe you to hear the wind whispering in the trees. As Henry David Thoreau said, “We need the tonic of wildness.”
Reach Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@mo*************.com
