Adding to those festivities were Gary Plomb, an aviation historian with a booming announcing voice, who gave the audience exquisite details about the "Missing Man Formation" flyover which started the parade. Then there's Stan Devlin's melodic bagpipe efforts which either make the heart ache or jump - exactly what a bagpiper strives for. And you have to appreciate Gilroy patriarch Don Christopher's sense of humor. As the Man of the Year drove past the judge's stand he said looking at his wife, Karen, with a smile, "Very expensive driver, I have a very expensive driver."

One suggestion for the Mem Day Committee, a judging category for "cars." There were so many cool cars, but no place to rank them. And how's poor Joe Giacalone ever - let me repeat, ever - going to get a blue ribbon, if his old Army Jeep can't take first prize?

One prize for a Gilroy grown star definitely worthy of mention is the great honor given to John Canzano by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the Best Sports Columnist in the nation in 2008. The former Dispatch sports editor and Gilroy High graduate who writes for the Oregonian, beat out the likes of Michael Rosenberg from the Detroit Free Press, Bod Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. Heady stuff. Thanks to Henry Rubio for passing that tidbit on at OD's downtown the other morning ... and you can tap into Canzano's afternoon sports talk show on Portland's 95.5 FM station called "The Bald-Faced Truth" via a connection at the Oregonian's web site www.oregonlive.com. C'mon Gilroy, give "JC" a shout.

A shout out is in store for Gilroy's Frank Souza, too, who let the Gilroy police know about a new stealth grafitti-detecting device that our police department is actively looking into. The "Merlin" device, as it's known, alerts police when graffiti vandals are in the act and sets the stage for the vandals to get caught, arrested and, perhaps, sent to jail. Then, there's restitution, of course, and I wonder if a judge could include on a pro rata basis what it costs our community to paint over this nonsense in restitution orders.

Restitution is likely one of the words the record number of brilliant students - 293 - now competing in the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee have to know. It still bothers me to this day when I think back more than a decade ago and remember when I got the call from then Superintendent Ken Noonan saying that the Gilroy Unified School District intended to cancel the districtwide spelling bee because it was too traumatic for the students who didn't win and too much work for the staff. Competing is part of life, and you don't win every time. Teaching our children that - and infusing them with the joy of competition and all the achievement and disappointment that goes with it - is what's it's all about. Abandoning that does our students a disservice by shielding them from the real world and opportunities to learn important lessons.

Unfortunately, a tough business lesson learned for the son and father owners of Nick's South Philly Cafe out by Leslie's Pool Supply in the Gilroy Crossing Shopping Center. Mike Christie sent a note that the place has closed its doors and that's a darn shame. Great sandwiches and pasta. Mike, the dad and the chef behind the operation, really knew how to cook besides being a nice guy. Oddly, he made the best Tiramisu I've ever had. A better location would have been in downtown Gilroy in Gary Walton's new building on Fourth Street in a year or so when ...

... South County Housing opens a whole bunch more units in the downtown cornerstone Cannery Project. Councilman Dion Bracco has put the matter of saving the stalled project back on the Council agenda for discussion. Should be very interesting ...

As should be these three events Friday night in Gilroy. Take your pick:

- The Disney-themed, end of the year, always uplifting Gilroy High School Choirs Pops Concert. $5, 7 p.m. at the GHS Student Center.

- A pajama party at the Westside Grill featuring bartendress Teresa Glover in a Detroit Red Wings nightie.

- A combination of wine and music on a beautiful summer evening in a gorgeous setting at Jason/Stephens Winery at Day and Watsonville roads. Starts at 6 and ends at 9 p.m. The band this week is Blue, a sort of Bluesy Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Enjoy!

Mark Derry Mark Derry is the executive editor of the Gilroy Dispatch. Reach him at (408)847-7010 or editor@garlic.com.