The following events, organizations and people deserve either a
Thumbs Up or a Thumbs Down this week:
THUMBS DOWN: Brushfires have hit the county all week, and the destruction of the St. Francis Retreat to fire has already made this fire season one of the worst. The loss of one of the county’s most beloved landmarks will be felt far beyond the county. Regardless of what caused the St. Francis fire, it underscores the danger of the season and the reasons officials have let it be known they will not tolerate illegal fireworks for the coming holiday. The thought of further fire trauma in the area, especially of that caused by illegal negligence, makes a lot of residents nervous.
THUMBS UP: To the fact that there will be no November runoff in the District Attorney election. The campaign was often brutal and personal to an uncomfortable degree for everyone. We congratulate Candice Hooper Mancino for running an efficient campaign and for not slinging mud around. While we’re at it, we would also like to commend District 4 supervisor candidate Tracie Cone and incumbent Reb Monaco for running effective campaigns that always stuck to the issues of the job. Voters in District 4 have a distinct choice of two outstanding candidates.
THUMBS UP: Cooperation by law enforcement agencies between Mexico and the United States resulted in the capture of three fugitives wanted for questioning about a murder in Michoacan. With political tension between us and our neighbors constantly in the news, it was hopeful to see cooperation on a smaller, more local scale that actually required international communication. We applaud those involved for helping each other out.
THUMBS DOWN: You never know how, or even if, a Hollywood movie will influence people, but local law enforcement officials feel that the latest “Fast & the Furious” installment might have a poor effect on the driving habits of some youth. The “Furious” series is about street racing and the latest installment features a lot of scenes of drivers power drifting through all kinds of roadway situations. We hope law-abiding drivers don’t come around any corners to find themselves face-to-face with a kid in a hot car drifting like they’re driving on an ice pond.
THUMBS UP: To the annual Saddle Horse Parade and the weekend rodeo. Thousands of local residents lining the street on a summer evening, enjoying a parade is a great way to start the summer. Chamber of Commerce director Liz Sparling and her crew deserve our thanks for their hard work in putting on such family friendly event, and an event that came off with incredible efficiency.
THUMBS DOWN: The good news is the city will at least acknowledge that bikers will be coming to town in numbers over the Independence Holiday weekend by putting a banner across San Benito Street welcoming visitors. But even the welcoming banner will make no mention of motorcycles. Mayor Robert Scattini had wanted the banner to read “Welcome to the Birthplace of the American Biker,” which seems pretty benign, but the suggestion was nixed. So, again, we can only wait and see what happens. A banner welcome is a small gesture that feels pretty benign.
