Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: Volunteers clear garbage from more than 36 miles of local creeks

In Gilroy, 38 volunteers collected 345 pounds of trash and 180 pounds of recyclables.

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By Robert Airoldi

It took a while, but the numbers are in. This past May, 596 volunteers responded to a call to join National River Cleanup Day and clear 28 sites in Santa Clara County. Together, they removed 25,265 pounds of trash out of our waterways. In all, volunteers cleared more than 36 miles of creeks.

Amongst the items found were a 40-gallon aquarium, tires, a laptop docking station, and even a belt buckle from the 1979 Coors Annual Water Ski Jump.

In Gilroy, 38 volunteers cleared five miles of creek and collected 345 pounds of trash and 180 pounds of recyclables. In Morgan Hill, 36 volunteers cleaned 3.5 miles of creek and collected 978 pounds of trash and 273 pounds of recyclables.

Trash and debris that end up in local creeks can flow to the San Francisco and Monterey bays, polluting the water and endangering wildlife.

Well done, volunteers!

Want to get involved in city politics that impact youth and learn how the city operates? Seats are open on Gilroy’s Youth Commission. The 11-member board serves as a youth advisory group to the city council and is tasked with making recommendations on issues that impact local youth. Commissioners serve two-year terms. There are five vacancies open on the 11-member board. Commissioners are between the ages of 13 and 19. They meet the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m., with no meetings June through September.

The application deadline is Sept. 2 and interviews take place Sept. 12.

To apply, visit www.cityofgilroy.org/FormCenter/City-Clerk-4/Youth-Commission-Application-86

Anyone born and raised in the South Valley has surely spent a day or two in Santa Clara at Great America. Well, the nearly 50-year tradition of taking the family to the theme park will come to an end in the near future as Cedar Fair sold the amusement park land to Prologis, Inc., a Bay Area-based real estate company for about $310 million. They plan to continue to operate the park for up to 11 years and then close it, according to multiple reports.

Cedar Fair purchased the land at California’s Great America in 2019 from the city of Santa Clara after the State of California dissolved redevelopment agencies, requiring the city to cede its ownership of the property to pay off existing debt. Prior to that transaction, the company leased the land from the city for more than 40 years. It opened in 1976.

Cedar Fair officials also made news when they quietly ended their relationship with Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, according to news reports. Gilroy Gardens Inc., the nonprofit that owns the park, now manages its own operations.

Cedar Fair had operated Gilroy Gardens since 2006, when it took over the contract from Paramount Parks when it bought the company. Paramount had managed the park — then known as Bonfante Gardens after founder Michael Bonfante — since 2003, two years after the venue opened.

Despite the end of Cedar Fair’s relationship with Gilroy Gardens, holders of gold passes to Great America will still be able to use them to get free admittance to the Gilroy park.

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has entered a three-year lease with Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch and Fruit Stand to reopen at a new location at Laguna Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard in Coyote Valley. The 60 acres of prime farmlands where the festivities will be held was permanently protected by the Open Space Authority in October 2021. The fruit stand will open in July, and the pumpkin patch will open Sept. 26 through Nov. 6, with a variety of offerings for youth, families, and others looking for fall fun in the South Bay.

“We’re thrilled to keep this tradition alive less than one mile up the road in beautiful Coyote Valley,” said Ronda Estrada, the manager of the pumpkin patch. “We are eager to welcome everyone, share our rich farming history, and can’t wait to see all the smiling faces.”

Since the 1940s, Spina Farms has provided a popular and affordable source of family entertainment. As school field trips continue making a comeback after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, the patch will provide many children and teachers opportunities for in-person agricultural and environmental education. The pumpkin patch also provides seasonal employment for up to 150 local high school students each year.

“These experiences could spark a life-long interest in agriculture, and it’s important for people to learn about the many benefits local farmers and farmlands provide,” said Gary Tognetti, partner at Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch.