Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: Horror Flash Fiction Contest between Gilroy, Morgan Hill teens

Contestants will be judged on uniqueness and creativity

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By Robert Airoldi

Beware the horrors that lurk in the imagination of South Valley’s teens. Gilroy and Morgan Hill libraries are hosting a spine-tingling flash fiction contest for aspiring authors to spin terrifying tales in 100 words or less.

Calling all creative ghouls and goblins age 12-18 to unleash your scariest stories for a chance at frightful glory! Prizes will reward the most shriek-inducing narratives from each city. One bone-chilling champion will rise above all to claim the title of the supreme horror scribe.

But be warned, weird wordsmiths: Your paranormal pages must drip with dread.

“We want stories that make you think afterward,” said Ashley Bembry of Gilroy’s Teen Advisory Board, the group which cooked up the competition.

Member Nour Elali agrees: “Even if it’s short, it should be powerful. It should be scary.”

Will Morgan Hill or Gilroy pen the most hair-raising, nightmare-fueling fiction? The contest is open to all local teens ready to conjure some serious spooks in their stories. Visit Gilroy Library’s website for details, or find them on Gilroy TAB’s Instagram.

Each library competes against the other to find the best fright-filled fabrications. Prizes go to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each library, and an overall champion will be crowned. Contestants will be judged on uniqueness and creativity. The best spooky tales will be showcased in Gilroy Life.

The deadline nears, so sharpen those quills — if you dare!

Save the date of Oct. 21 for a fun competition to see more than 20 great marching bands as the Gilroy Unified Marching Band will host a regional competition at the Gilroy High School Football Field (750 W. 10th St.) from noon to 10 p.m. Attendees will enjoy watching bands of all skill levels performing field shows which they have been working on during the summer. Field shows consist of bands from schools with 20 members to 100-plus. The stories told through the musicians and visual aids appeal to all ages. Attendees will have access to food trucks, and a snack shack. Tickets will be available at garliccityclassic.brownpapertickets.com and programs will be sold at the door. All proceeds support the Gilroy Unified Marching Band.

Do you think the county owes you money? Well, the County of Santa Clara Department of Tax and Collections recently published a list of 127 individuals and businesses who are potential owners of $89,017 in unclaimed general collections monies. Potential owners who qualify for these monies must file claims by Nov. 11, 2023. The list of names and claim forms can be found at www.sccdtac.org/unclaimedmonies. The list includes monies that have been on deposit with the County’s General Collections Trust Funds for more than three years.

“DTAC is committed to issue the funds to owners of the unclaimed money,” said Sylvia Jefferson, director of the Department of Tax and Collections. “We encourage individuals and businesses to file a claim if they believe they may be rightful owners of the funds.”

If people believe they may be due funds based on the published names, they are encouraged to submit their claim form online or by mail. When a claim form is submitted, it requires a name, address, amount of claim, account number, and a copy of a valid ID and/or other supporting documents to the claim.

Details: DTAC’s Fiscal Services Division at (408) 326-1007 or email [email protected].

A climate-friendly water packaging pilot program was implemented at St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy last month. Now, all packaged water at SLRH will be distributed in environmentally friendly cardboard containers which have no microplastics or BPAs, known to cause health issues. SLRH is one of three acute care hospitals in the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system, and the first to pilot the environmental sustainability program. The action is the latest move in the health system’s commitment to the federal climate pledge, the Good Food Purchasing Program, and County Nutrition Standards.

“It may seem a small step to some, but it’s an important move away from the use of substances we know are bad for the planet and in many cases for people,” said Jocelyn Dubin, lead public health nutritionist for the county.

Potentially, more than 1,500 plastic bottles end up in oceans and landfills every single minute. The paper-based cartons now being used are Forest Stewardship Council certified, 92 percent renewable, and 100 percent recyclable.

According to a 2017 Environmental Protection Agency study, just 8.4 percent of plastic in the United States was recycled. Potentially more alarming is the presence of plastic contamination consisting of pieces of plastic debris less than five millimeters in size found in most bottled water.

“This holds the potential of being a huge win for our environment, our employees and our residents,” said Gloria Dela Merced, SLRH hospital executive.