Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: Temporary memorial to be installed to honor festival shooting victims
Memorial will include a palm tree surrounded by three large boulders
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
The Gilroy City Council has agreed to create a temporary memorial to victims of the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting. Shortly after the July 28 shooting, city staff hired Gilroy landscape architect Karen Aitken and landscaper Greg Bozzo, to design and build the memorial. It is proposed for the side of the park where the shooting took place. It will include a palm tree surrounded by three large boulders to represent the three young people killed. It will also include a fence with 16 posts to symbolize the 16 killed or injured.
We are looking forward to seeing the finished product and at some point in time a permanent memorial honoring the victims.
Oakwood School celebrated the opening of the Gwendolyn Riches Liberal Arts Center Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Students, parents, faculty, staff, trustees, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce members, and other honored guests, gathered in the expanded quad outside the impressive new building.
Head of School Michelle Helvey welcomed the community and thanked all who participated in the campaign in the past year.
The Liberal Arts Center, a two-story addition to the campus, houses state-of-the-art innovation including a 200-seat theater, green room, dressing rooms, a Makers Lab, a student center, and many new classrooms and visual and performing arts spaces. The addition was made possible in part through the generosity of the school’s community of donors including parents, alumni, trustees, grandparents, and friends.
The Oakwood community looked on as Helvey officially cut the red ribbon with an oversized pair of scissors, marking the opening of the Liberal Arts Center and the 2019-2020 school year.
Are you ready for some football? It’s time for the South Valley Flag Football League to kick off. Dedicated to providing a high-quality NFL Flag program for boys and girls ages 4 to 14, South Valley Flag Football has been running leagues in the Morgan Hill area since 2004. The cost to play is $150 for 10 games plus the player combine, end of season jamboree, NFL logo jersey and flags, T-shirt, shorts, socks and more. NFL Flag is 5-on-5, no-contact game that emphasizes skill development, equal playing time, life lessons and teamwork, plus its lots of fun to play. Registration is open at www.svflagfootball.net. Early registration closes Sept. 29 and final registration closes Oct. 20. The player combine will be held Sept. 29, with first games scheduled for Oct. 20. The season ends Dec. 1.
It’s heartening to see South Valley people coming together in the wake of the tragic shooting the final day of this year’s Gilroy Garlic Festival. Together, we have raised more than $1.2 million for the victims.
Festival organizers recently posted this to their Facebook:
“Even in our mourning, we are taking our first steps toward healing. Recovery begins with appreciation for our entire community — you — who have shared your time, prayers and support. We would like to thank the Gilroy Police Department who responded with bravery and professionalism; the first responders and volunteers who reacted without hesitation even while their own lives were at risk; the medical and mental health care providers who continue to provide care — there are no words to express our gratitude and lasting admiration; our 4,000-plus volunteers who organized and hosted the festival and continue our shared mission; the artists, craftspeople, vendors, and musicians who exhibited, entertained, and performed for our guests; and our community partners who continue to support us and our commitment to bring the community together to raise funds for local organizations. Together, we look forward to brighter days and to the 42nd festival.”
Well said.
The Gilroy Police Department announced the date of their rescheduled National Night Out that was canceled in the wake of the Garlic Festival shooting. It was originally set for Aug. 6 and will now be held Oct. 1.
“The Gilroy Police Department wishes to respect our community’s grieving process and encourages community dialog with the assistance of our local and county supportive services,” said a note on the Facebook page after the shooting. “The event will be rescheduled for Tuesday, Oct.1, 2019, which is another nationally designated date for National Night Out celebrations. Thank you for your understanding and support.”
According to the National Association of Town Watch, the nonprofit that sponsors the event since 1984, National Night Out began simply with neighbors turning on their porch lights and sitting in front of their homes. The tradition has grown mightily, expanding from 2.5 million residents across 400 communities in 23 states who took part in the inaugural event to 38 million residents in 16,000 communities across the United States.
It was the right thing to do to cancel at the time following a tragedy. We look forward to the rescheduled event.
