"While my family is enjoying Gilroy Gardens this year, is it just me, or are others noticing what appears to be a downward slide in the overall maintenance of the park? There seems to be weeds appearing in areas where there have not been weeds, chipped concrete steps in need of repair and plants looking tweaked. Even the plastic oranges and lemons in the crates on the shipping dock next to where the train goes by are faded and broken. This raises a question: What does the city spend by way of a park maintenance budget verses the maintenance budget when the park was not owned by the city? Does an apparent downward slide in keeping up the maintenance on these 'little things' indicate bigger problems are coming on park rides, creating problems that might effect the safety of riders? While I support Gilroy Gardens and wish for its success, I'm concerned about what I'm starting to see."

Dear Concerned,

Assistant City Administrator Anna Jatczak assured Red Phone that while the park's Board of Directors no longer pays bondholders $1.3 million a year, the city still expects proper maintenance. In fact, the board has not cut its $550,000 maintenance bill so far, and weathered equipment, damaged infrastructure and props some patrons have noticed will be replaced or repaired as usual, Jatczak said.

Need some info on Gateway School

"When was Gateway School built?"

Dear Wondering,

According to principal Laurene Beto, the school opened in the fall of 1970, making it 39 years old. Gateway is a county run school that serves students with special needs. The school has recently experienced a rash of bad luck. The Santa Clara County Office of Education had already been talking to insurance representatives about rebuilding the structure after an arson fire nearly destroyed in January. Authorities have not made any arrests in connection with that fire, which caused about $4 million in damages and displaced 38 of the school's 50 students at the time, according to office spokesman Larry Slonaker. Then, the evening of July 23 another fire, since determined to be arson, destroyed about 90 percent of the school's main building.

This fall, students returned to classes scattered about South County. Eleven of the displaced students are in a portable on the Gateway campus, 12 are in a classroom at the South County Community School in San Martin and nine are in a classroom at Brownell Middle School.

Does resident warrant handicap space

"What is the city code for painting the curb in front of your house blue. The resident of 1055 Ayer Drive has painted his curb blue from his driveway all the way to his neighbors driveway, preventing them from parking in front of their own house. No one at the resident appears to have a handicap? They park their vehicles in other areas of the street and do not even use the space marked in blue."

Dear Blue in the Face,

Red Phone contacted Don Dey, city traffic engineer, who said the property owner has a permit for a handicap space in front of the home. The problem is that the frontage along the property on the cul-de-sac does is less than that needed for parking space, thus it stretches into the neighboring property, he added.

"It's an unusual case because it has to be in front of two properties," Dey said. He added that staff will be talking to both property owners. If they cannot come to an agreement, "we'll have to look at other alternatives," Dey said.

Stay clear of art galleries, museums

"This is for the caller who was offended by the undressed mannequin in the store window. FYI, you might want to avoid the fine art galleries and museums of the world. The nudes there are anatomically correct."

Dear Sarcastic,

You couldn't be more correct. Red Phone can't imagine the reader's response to Michelangelo's David.