Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: Fresno wants to take away Gilroy’s Garlic Capital of the World title
Click HERE to read stories published in the May 29 – June 11, 2019 issue of Gilroy Life
Giant garlic in Fresno. Fresno/Clovis Convention and Visitors Bureau
A certain city in California is claiming that it and not Gilroy the genuine Garlic Capital. Wait! What? That’s right. Fresno will hold its inaugural Garlic Festival (scheduled for May 28) and claims: “Be a part of HISTORY — our taking back the crown as the ‘GARLIC CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES!!!'” according to the Fresno event’s page. “FRESNO IS THE TRUE GARLIC CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES — NOT GILROY. FRESNO COUNTY grows many times more garlic than any other county in the United States? It’s a fact!” And while this is true, almost all California garlic is processed in Gilroy, even that grown in Fresno!
Gilroy Garlic Festival Executive Director Brian Bowe said it’s great that Fresno is spicing things up. “The more communities celebrating our famed herb the better!” he told us.
Very diplomatic. But we have this to say about Fresno’s first-ever festival. When you get an estimated 100,000 people to gather over three days to celebrate garlic, give us a call.
More than 50 volunteers from New Hope Community Church gathered at Pacific Mobile Estates last month to revitalize the home of longtime Gilroy resident, Sharon McKeegan. Sharon has been unable to perform repairs on her own due to health and financial constraints, so she applied for help from Rebuilding Together (a nonprofit organization responsible for improvements to residences of low-income home-owners and nonprofits).
As part of Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s National Rebuild Day, New Hope Community Church was matched to sponsor vital improvements to her home and surrounding yard. Improvements included painting the residence, repairing siding, landscaping, gardening, outdoor lighting installation and tree-trimming (donated by Bill’s Tree Care and Landscape Inc.). Church members Anthony Sanchez, Norman Heredia, and Brian Harrigan coordinated the project with the support of volunteers and church staff. Pastor Malcolm McPhail said, “When we learned of the rewarding difference Rebuilding Together is making in Santa Clara County, we had to get involved and make an impact.”
Great job! To learn about Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley and New Hope Community Church, please visit www.rebuildingtogethersv.org and www.gilroy.newhope.ch.
Gilroy police are warning residents about a scam currently going around. A resident received a phone call May 14 from someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. The resident was informed their Social Security number was fraudulently used and an officer from the Gilroy Police Department would be calling them to take a report.
A few minutes later, the resident received a “spoof call” from the GPD non-emergency phone number. The caller identified himself as a member of GPD and he told the resident in order to resolve the issue, they would need to purchase retail gift cards and provide the card numbers. The resident followed his instructions and later realized it was a scam.
“The Gilroy Police Department would like to remind everyone to be aware of these types of scams and to be suspicious of any telephone calls where the caller imposes a problem or crisis and the only solution is to immediately send money,” according to a release from the department.
They remind everyone that genuine governmental agencies never accept payments by prepaid gift cards or through private money transfer companies.
If an individual calls you identifying themselves as a law enforcement officer or a representative of a law enforcement agency and you believe the phone call is suspicious in nature, contact the law enforcement agency in question to verify the caller’s identity. Good advice.
Looks like there’s a rogue lumberjack in town. The Gilroy police are looking for the person who felled a city-owned tree the weekend of May 18-19. Ironically, it was during a time when the city was planting trees for the Arbor Day celebration.
A medium-sized city tree — a “pinkdawnchitapla” planted in 2005 and valued at $1,000 — was “maliciously” cut down on the southeast side of Los Arroyos Park. If you saw or heard anything, contact Gilroy police at (408) 846-0350.The suspected vandal faces a felony charge.
The American Legion Gilroy Post #217 will celebrate its 98th Anniversary June 8 at the Gilroy Veterans Memorial. The Gilroy post is the oldest American Veterans organizations in Gilroy and the American Legion nationwide also stands as the oldest and largest. This special anniversary dinner will be open to the public as well as to members. All tickets are $30 per person and are pre-sold only. Funds raised are used exclusively for scholarship programs at local schools. For information and to purchase tickets, contact Ray Sanchez at (408) 607-3280 or email [email protected].