Bike- and pedestrian-safe streets need to be a priority
To the Editor,
I see another person was killed on Main Street. This is why I feel it’s so important people know who my mother was. My mother Jennie Martinez Gervasio was also killed on Main Street while she was riding her bicycle in September. She was a human with a life and family.
People need to know others’ lives matter and whatever the reason is for speeding to get from point A to point B, racing for fun is not more important than someone’s life. People need to slow down and pay attention everywhere, period.
There needs to be more traffic patrols and traffic cameras. There are no traffic cameras on Main Street, and there should be. We need protected bike lanes, green bike lanes, speed bumps, whatever it takes to fix this problem. There needs to be more corrective measures to help prevent and stop people from thinking they can disobey laws because everyone else does with no consequences.
Main Street is a straight away street which is very visible, as officer Ridgway stated in my mother’s case, “the straight stretch of road offered a clear line of sight that allows pedestrians to see vehicles approaching from a good distance.” This also goes to the drivers who can visibly see a pedestrian crossing from a distance as well!
My mom has not been the first person killed on Main Street and obviously not the last now with another fatality with pedestrian versus car. People need to know there are human beings walking and just because they’re in a car does not give them the right of way or right to drive negligently. The pedestrian always has the right of way. Just because you have the green light, you still need to be aware of your surroundings.
People get struck all the time and there needs to be more awareness and consequences. These people have lives and family. People need to be accountable for their actions.
The times we’ve gone out where my mother was killed, we were constantly seeing people speeding and racing right before our eyes. No one got stopped and ticketed. There needs to be corrective measures taken by our city and WPD!
If the city and WPD tried to help provide safety measures for pedestrians, than my mom could still be alive today. If they tried to work on corrective measures after my mother, maybe Billy Joe Silapan would still be alive today, too. We need bike- and pedestrian-safe streets and this needs to be a priority!
Geneve Valle
Watsonville
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Trunk or Treat a success
To the Editor,
It takes everyone working together to make a community a special place to live. Trunk or Treat in Corralitos on Halloween night is a perfect example.
Thanks to much local support and help, Trunk or Treat at Corralitos Community Church has become a Corralitos tradition. This year, more than 500 people enjoyed trick-or-treating at decorated trunks, walking through an under-the-sea themed maze, seeing farm animals up close at a petting zoo, and more. And all of it was free! Even the delicious hot dogs from Corralitos Market & Sausage Company.
We would like to thank all those who helped make this fun, positive, family-friendly event possible: Burgstrom-Kramer, Inc; Carroll & Strong Builders, Inc.; Corralitos Cal-Fire; Corralitos Coffeehouse; Corralitos Feed & Pet Supplies; Corralitos Market; Dave Jensen, Freedom Women’s Center; The Hair Studio; Hansen’s Feed; Hurley Temporary Light & Power; Rodoni Farms; and photographer Dan Tracy.
Steve Thompson
Family Life Pastor
Corralitos Community Church
