The following events, organizations and people deserve either a
Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
THUMBS UP: To the local YMCA for holding a contest that resulted in the giving of three computers to students at Marguerite Maze Middle School. The three students, Jazmine Alexis Velasquez, Yuliana Sanchez Flores, and Lauren Pesce entered an essay-writing contest at the school and won Hewlett-Packard computers donated by Gary Dunn of Fremont Investment and Loan. Printers were also provided. This type of contest promotes brains over brawn and gives our brightest kids a chance at something worthwhile.
THUMBS DOWN: Pot growers. This has become a familiar refrain in the past month as UNET officers track down and eradicate marijuana-growing operations from Hollister to south Santa Clara Valley. These growing operations create a danger to everyone in the surrounding area and often degrade the environment. Here’s to hoping law enforcement makes a dent in the drug-culture production population.
THUMBS UP: To the schools in the area that showed improvement in their Academic Performance Index results over last year. The Hollister School District showed improvement over last year and is to be congratulated, while San Benito High School District scores were down. The API is a statewide ranking system of all public schools. Congratulations also to Anzar High in San Juan Bautista. Anzar exceeded its five-point goal to improve by a substantial 22 points over last year.
THUMBS UP: To San Benito County Superior Court Judge Harry Tobias, who ordered that county District Attorney John Sarsfield be recused from the Los Valientes prosecution case. The decision on whether to pursue the case against the shadow group accused of committing civil rights violations will now be in the hands of the state Attorney General’s Office. The DA’s pursuit of the case has been going for two years, long enough. Let’s let a higher power decide what to do with it.
THUMBS UP: To city officials who are working toward coming up with a 2007 Biker Rally strategy. Mayor Robert Scattini has brought together business leaders and city officials to see if the Independence Day rally can be brought back to life – in a profitable manner. So far meetings have also included organizers from Gilroy’s highly successful Garlic Festival. We hope this dialogue results in a strategy that brings back the rally and makes it profitable.
THUMBS DOWN: To the continued aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which has marked a one-year anniversary of the disaster. New Orleans is still in disarray, and efforts at rebuilding have become stuck in a quagmire of bureaucratic red tape and organizational incompetence. Meanwhile, residents and former residents need to see an effort at rebuilding that means something.
