Gil1745

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ESTABLISHED 1868

A New SV Media publication

Friday, November 10, 2017

gilroydispatch.com • Vol. 150, No. 45 • $1

BUSINESS: Business uses organics to fight pollution P2 LOCAL SCENE Sip, shop and sparkle Want to shop for holiday gifts made right here? Head over to Old City Hall Sunday for a crafts fair with 25 vendors— and complimentary mimosas and appetizers. The fair is open from 2pm to 7pm at the upstairs banquet room at Old City Hall Restaurant, 7400 Monterey Road.

Feed a Veteran

Get your science on

Peddling to the future PROGRESS CAN BE SLOW, BUT ZACH HILTON PRESSES ON Reporter

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN

NOVEMBER 10, 2017

OU T & AB OU T OF NDAR CA LE EN TS EV

Veterans speak about their services and experience P4

A section of the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times

PEDAL POWER Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission Chairperson Zach Hilton and daughter Avery show off the Dero Fixit station at the Gilroy Public Library. The Fixit station has all the tools, including a bike pump, needed to fix a bike.

Bryce Stoepfel

It’s not too early to think about the South Valley Science Fair on Jan. 11 for middle and high school students. Registration ends Dec. 20 and there is an informational event focused on engineering led by Synopsys Championship and held at Oakwood School in Morgan Hill on Nov. 27 at 7pm. Register here for the area’s premiere science event: https://tinyurl.com/ svsf-registration

Vets’ Voices

community for bicyclist and pedestrians. Despite his optimism, getting through government red tape can be frustrating. “I’ve only been on the board since January, but I discovered that everything takes so long, it’s a process,” Hilton said. “Government is slow.” The Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission came into the year with three main projects in mind: revitalize Gourmet Alley, install bike racks downtown and build a BMX pump track. Early this summer the city approved a onetime expenditure for the installation, but in recent

months the project seems to have slipped through the cracks at city hall. “I think we were the only commission to actually bring forward any projects,” Hilton said. “When Gabe Gonzalez presented other city projects, ours was listed as an outside request. We had to ask to be involved in the budget process. When we asked to be involved, all the other departments had turned their ideas in for finance. When we finally got the opportunity, everything had already been submitted to other departments." The idea for the bike

racks was sparked by the gift from Sunrise Rotary members. Problems arose almost immediately. Their desire to put Sunrise Rotary’s logo on the bikeshaped rack conflicted with the city’s downtown sign ordinance. “If they wanted to have their logo in the front spoke of the rack, that would be considered a sign that's against the current code,” Hilton said. “To change the code the city would have to run through the process of getting staff time, public hearings and posting it in the newspaper and get all of that approved by the city council.”

Today the City of Gilroy is looking for 21 applicants to the 15 various city boards, which aside from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission includes the Planning Commission, the Arts and Culture Commission and the Historic Heritage Commission among others. For more information visit cityofgilroy.org/148/ Boards-CommissionsCommittees. While the commissions and boards serve in advisory roles only, they provide an essential conduit between the city's government and the people. ➝ Bike, 16

City targets neighborhood speeding violations RADAR GUNS, SPEED HUMPS AND PATROLS Reporter

Inside this issue: Voices of veterans

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For members of the City of Gilroy Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, the ride has been a little bumpy. For Zach Hilton, a first-year chairperson and a Gilroyan who works as a firefighter in Oakland, maneuvering around the bumps in the road are worth the effort to make Gilroy a safer and more enjoyable

Bryce Stoepfel

BACKPACKER’S RESPITE P10 | YOGA FOR PEACE P14 | THE GRAPEVINE P16

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Brad Kava

On Saturday, in honor of Veteran’s Day, Famous Dave’s offering a free Two Meat Salute to veterans. They can choose from Georgia Chopped Pork, CountryRoasted Chicken, Barbeque Chicken, Sweetwater Catfish Fingers, Traditional Wings, Boneless Wings, Southside Rib Tips, Chicken Tenders and Texas Beef Brisket, served with choice of one side and a corn bread muffin. Others honoring vets: Applebee’s is offering a free meal to military veterans and active-duty service members on There will be eight entrées to choose from. Military ID or proof of service required. Buffalo Wild Wings, Saturday is taking 10 percent off veterans’ orders. Dine-in only. Bring proof of military service. Chuck E. Cheese, Saturday is giving one free personal 1-topping pizza to military veterans at all U.S. restaurants. Mimi’s Café, Saturday. veterans or active duty military personnel can select a free item from a special menu. Drink purchase required and proof of Military ID. Wienerschnitzel, Saturday offers a complimentary Chili Dog, small fries and small drink is redeemable at participating Wienerschnitzel locations with valid military ID or by wearing a military uniform. Check in advance to make sure local outlets are participating.

People in Gilroy neighborhoods may be allowed to use radar guns to monitor and report traffic violations in their neighborhoods, the City Council suggested Monday. After an hour-long

discussion about people speeding and cutting through neighborhoods, endangering children and pedestrians, the council voted unanimously to have the city staff come up with clear policies to calm traffic in problem areas. “I’d like the city staff to look into Citizen Speed Watch Programs, like what’s being done in Rockville, Md. and Cheyenne, Wyo.,” Mayor

Roland Velasco said. “This is about empowering the citizens to get a radar gun and get trained on it.” “The staff gets a lot of calls from residents every week and traffic and speeding and right now the city lacks a policy to directly handle that,” said transportation consultant Gary Black, who was one of a panel of people to address the council, along with Interim

Traffic Engineer Michael Fisher and Public Works Director Girum Awoke. “As I read through this staff report one of the things that really jumped out at me was the fact that many of the traffic calming is reactive to accidents that have already happened,” council member Dan Harney said. “A lot of the issues that have come up are because residents have brought it to

our attention. I would like to see something done before someone gets hurt or killed.” In June the city entered into a contract with Hexagon Transportation to examine what nine other Bay Area communities in the area are doing to tackle their traffic issues. Those include more ➝ Traffic Calming, 16

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