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A New SV Media publication
Friday, December 21, 2018
gilroydispatch.com • Vol. 151, No. 51 • $1
OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS POEM P6
Panetta had role in final version of Farm Bill DEMOCRAT SPONSORED SECTION TO AID ORGANIC PRODUCERS Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
A GENTLE FRIEND Gilroy High School student Ogechi Elias takes an opportunity to walk a miniature horse at the Gilroy High School farm during
Gilroy FFA’s Winterfest on Saturday, Dec. 15. Elias and other students are able to take the opportunity to warm to the FFA experience.
Farm celebrates holiday Debra Eskinazi
Magazine and Features Editor
Nearly 750 guests attended the annual Gilroy FFA Winterfest on Friday and Saturday Dec. 14 and 15. The event, in its second year, spotlights various groups with connections to agriculture. “It’s a little old-school winter carnival that we put on to highlight different organizations,” said Agricultural Educator and FFA advisor Chelsi Faria. “So we had the kettle women, the kettle man. We not only showcase the farm organizations at our high school, but also we showcase
local organizations that are agricultural-related.” With more than 225 students enrolled, Gilroy FFA remains centered around farmers and agriculture. Events on Saturday were held at the Gilroy High School farm off Kern Avenue. “We’ve actually moved toward leadership and career growth—building up the kids’ leadership schools, personal growth and development,” said Faria. “We are focused on students and how they can use the skills they learn in ag and FFA to further their career, whether they go into ag or not.”
Robert Eliason
➝ Farm Bill, 8
Robert Eliason
Congressional approval of a new five-year Farm Bill on Dec. 12 that is headed to the President’s desk this week needed strong bipartisan support, and agreement from House Republicans to drop proposed food-stamp work requirements. President Donald Trump hinted that he would sign the farm bill this week. Congressman Jimmy Panetta, a leader of a bipartisan efforts in Congress and a member of the House Agriculture Committee played a role in the outcome. Panetta, whose 20th District includes San Benito and Monterey counties and half of the City of Gilroy, is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, where his influence will get a boost when the new Democratic majority of the U.S. House of Representatives is sworn in next month. Panetta said in a statement that “Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, with strong bipartisan support, fulfills a promise to our farmers, rural communities and neighbors who need assistance putting food on the table.”
WINTER AT THE FARM These Gilroy 4Hers invited friends to share in their farm fun.
Electric scooters could be in Gilroy in 2019 COMMITTEE SENDS BID TO COUNCIL FOR ITS OK Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
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visitors and workers in Gilroy," said committee chairman Zach Hilton. Bird is in its first year of operation and already has electric scooters in more than 100 cities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the European Union and at hundreds of college campuses throughout the country, including San Jose State. Two of Bird's Bay Area markets, Oakland and San Jose, are also two of the largest. Bird's stated mission is ➝ Scooters, 10
Barry Holtzclaw
After being snubbed by Lime Bike bicycles in June this year, the City of Gilroy is taking off its training wheels to try again for a rideshare alternative. This time, it’s electric scooters. The city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee late last month passed a draft resolution from Bird Scooter to introduce at
least 200 rideshare electric scooters to the city, pending approval by the Gilroy City Council. Bird electric scooters are pay-per-mile, standup devices that can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Touted as a “first mile and last mile commuter option,” (from home to public transit, then to the final destination,) Bird hopes its scooters will ease street congestion and reduce air pollution. "We want to capitalize on our growth and pursue alternative modes of transportation for residents,
PARK YOUR SCOOTER These Bird electric scooters await riders at a San Jose street corner.