No polling necessary in the King for a Day balloting last Friday. Talk about a high school dream day come true ... Gilroy High School's Peter Guenther wins two Central Coast Section track titles on his home turf, the 110 and the 300 hurdles, grabbing the latter race literally by diving for the finish line whiskers ahead of his rival. Dashing into his costume moments later, the Superman senior appeared at the GHS choir's year-end, Disney-themed concert finale dressed as, who else, but Peter Pan and received a standing ovation from the packed house at the student center. Oh, he and his barbershop singing buddies also rendered a sterling version of the national anthem before the track meet. But here's the cake topper. Choir director Phil Robb had special words of praise for Guenther for recruiting a dozen young men into the GHS choral group. Now that's cool - a star male athlete with an infectious passion for the arts letting everyone know that it's "cool" to be a "singin' fool."

On the other tributary, there's the foolhardy OPM (other people's money) spendthrifts at the Santa Clara Valley Water District. To keep an eye on the gold-plated flotilla, funded by unsuspecting ratepayers, there's a new Web site with a simply perfect name. It's www.valleywaterwatchdog.org, and it will drown you with astonishing information about the worst governmental agency in the county.

Calling in from out of county, former Gilroyan and national daily newspaper sports columnist of the year for the Oregonian, John Canzano. "You haven't really made it until you've made it in your hometown paper," said JC about last week's column mention. Not true, but kind. Thanks, and I don't know what or if he wrote about this event having not visited oregonlive.com this week, but ...

On Mr. LeBron James' attitude and quote - "It's really hard to be nice to somebody after you lose," - after refusing to shake hands following his team's disappointing loss in the NBA playoffs the straightforward Mrs. Derry's spot-on response was, "What? I mean how old are you really, 6?"

Here's one for the ages ... it's the new nickname circulating for our new Christopher High School. Drumroll, please, it's been labeled "The Coliseum" no doubt for its imposing shape and three-foot thick concrete walls. And for $180 million buckaroos it should last even longer than the Roman version ...

The Romans, gorging in their heyday, would apparently be very proud of the kitchen at Gilroy's medical-response-only fire station on Sunrise Drive. Lush granite countertops - every fire station has to have granite, right? - and the top-of-the-line fixtures, not to mention all the best of the best to fill up the cabinets, are so nice that Chief Dale Foster reportedly nixed the idea of hosting a "Great Kitchens of Gilroy" episode there lest the restless plebians (that's you and I, the commoners, by the way) learn what luxuries exist behind the firehouse walls.

New luxuries will be available soon at the one, the only, the wall-to-wall shopping extravaganza that is the Gilroy Premium Outlets. The Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet store, not called SAKS ATTACK, is set to open mid June. I'm really not sure if there's a plan to have a blowout opening with a midsummer midnight madness event ...

Mmmmm ... midsummer midnight madness now that's magnificent marketing material and our town's marketing manager, otherwise known as Jane Howard visitor's bureau director, still has a few openings in the VB's initial golf tournament slated for Friday, June 19 at Eagle Ridge. Check in at 11:30, $150, good time, good cause. Details: Rick Smith, 846-4531, ext. 104

Good time and a good cause for a whole bunch of young people last Saturday at Las Animas Veterans Park where the Gilroy Fire and Police Departments sponsored the city's first Extreme Sports event for skaters and cyclists at the skate park. A very cool way to make a connection with the young people in our community ...

... Pardon moi, but I have to brag a bit on my son-in-law, Steve Catalano, recently promoted to the position of sous chef - that's the guy with the big white hat who really knows how to cook and multi-task - at Maggiano's Restaurant at Santana Row. Those Gilroyans who've had a chance to taste his personally catered events know he deserves it ... happy weekend all.

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