Cruising through downtown on the way to the Times’ office, I had to wonder what visitors or newbies thought when they saw the chairs lined up in the middle of Monterey Street. “What kind of a crazy town is this?,” they must ask themselves. Well, it’s a crazy good hometown, tradition-laden-Fourth-of-July-parade-every-year town – and people come from all over to enjoy the nostalgic and patriotic feeling that comes with it. Uncle Sam would be proud of Morgan Hill.
Proud I am of my tomatoes so far. The Italian half of my heritage is responsible for the raised garden beds in my backyard filled with a few tomato varieties. In the grocery store, 99.68 percent of the tomatoes are tough-skinned and bland as a rubber band. So, you either find a good local farm stand – like LJB on Fitzgerald Avenue – or a reliable farmer’s market provider or you grow your own. There’s nothing like a juicy tomato fresh off the vine bursting with flavor. Besides, though it sounds a bit odd, the scent, the taste and the whole growing experience brings back fond memories of younger days with my grandfather Angelo in the garden and my mother, Ellen, who also relished her summer garden.
Garden hose … it almost always says, “Guaranteed not to kink” on the package. Never purchased one that doesn’t kink or crimp, but if anyone knows of a garden hose that really doesn’t kink, I’d love an email on the brand and the place to buy it.
One great local place to buy hardware, garden, lumber, BBQ ware, kitchen gadgets and other goods is Johnson’s Lumber/Ace Hardware store on Tennant Avenue. Love this store. Why? First, the staff. They’re helpful and friendly. The store atmosphere is congenial. Everyone obviously enjoys working there and understands that the customers are the lifeblood. I’d rather get asked three times, “Are you finding everything?” then wander around a big box store where all the clerks are well practiced in avoiding eye contact with customers. Add that to the “Support a Local Business” angle, throw in a tasty hotdog stand at the entrance, put a full garden center just a door down, and I’m a fan. Owner Mike Johnson runs a good ship, so next time you’re headed for the big box, re-think it, and try Johnson’s. It might cost a few extra pennies, but it’s well worth it.
Well worth it, too, is a cool dip in a lake on a hot summer day. And we have so many lakes/reservoirs nearby – there’s Anderson, Coyote, Uvas, Calero and Chesbro. Yet, the all-knowing, all-defying-common-sense Santa Clara Valley Water District says, “No Swimming Allowed.” Maybe Dennis Kennedy, our former mayor, and now Santa Clara Valley Water District Board member, can crack that ridiculous policy … let’s review, you can wakeboard, run a gas-powered boat in the water, throw in bait while fishing, watch deer wade into the water and witness all kinds of birds swim around, but humans aren’t allowed to swim. It’s “bizzaro world” stuff. If the SCVWD would go jump in a lake, the South County world would be a better place.
Better place Morgan Hill will be in 20 years if City Administrator Steve Rymer and company take a strong stand on public pension reform. Our city has done a good job on keeping a relatively tight lid on the unfunded pension liability to date, but it’s an ever-growing problem that needs to be dealt with on a short- and long-term basis. Currently, there are five former city employees who are members of what’s been tabbed as the “$100k Pension Club.” They are as follows with month/annual payments listed: Bruce Cumming $11,534/$138,408; Gerald Galvin: $10,633/$127,600; James Ashcraft, $10,033/$120,404; Steven Schwab, $9,682/$116,184 and Irma Torrez, $8,683.04/$104,196.48. The overly generous system has to be scaled back significantly. Otherwise, there’s a nexus point coming where cities will be severely cash-strapped or forced into bankruptcy unable to provide even the most basic services.
Services for students are clearly not top of mind for Morgan Hill School District trustees who authorized spending $30,000 on a public relations campaign instead of spending taxpayer money on classroom needs or teacher training. Might I suggest a new MHUSD slogan for trustees – “Spin Not Students” or perhaps a bumper snicker, “Superintendent says spin – and we do.” If trustees want real community feedback, read the poll results at www.morganhilltimes.com. The question: Do you support Morgan Hill Unified School District trustees approving $30,000 to be spent on public relations? There were 148 responses, 130 No and only 18 were Yes.
No, sorry to say to Giants fans not in 2013 and Yes, the fantasy of winning three world championships in four years appears to be over … it’s that sick feeling you get listening to them scuffle that tells me it’s so. Good news though: First 49ers pre-season game is less than a month away, Aug. 8 against Denver.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@mo*************.com
