At Lakeside Splash, kids of all ages can splash, spin, spray and play
A girl enjoys Lakeside Splash. Photo courtesy Gilroy Gardens
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
There’s some good news coming from Gilroy Gardens. A brand-new water play area, Lakeside Splash, will be opening at the family theme park Saturday, May 25. This new attraction has a prime location overlooking Coyote Lake and the Bonfante Falls river and also features luxury cabanas and a reimagined Smokehouse BBQ restaurant.
At Lakeside Splash, kids of all ages can splash, spin, spray and play on a structure with water slides and fun interactive features like the Water Maze. Encircling the new water play area are colorful luxury family cabanas with 32-inch TVs (tuned to sports and cartoon channels) and mini-refrigerators stocked with complimentary beverages. Cabanas also come with cooling fans, towels, and private lounge seating for up to eight guests.
The nearby Smokehouse BBQ restaurant will serve mouth-watering ribs, chicken, corn-on-the-cob, and more along with craft beers and locally-produced wine. Guests who reserve cabanas can even order food and drinks to be delivered directly to their lounge chairs.
“We’re so excited to open Lakeside Splash and welcome our guests to an all-new luxury experience at Gilroy Gardens,” said Michael Fulcher, the park’s director of marketing and operations.
Admission to Lakeside Splash is included with regular park admission and free for Value+ and Premium Members. Cabanas must be reserved online in advance.
For more information, visit www.gilroygardens.org.
The culmination of years of work will come to an artistic fruition with the AAUW Quilt show May 18 at the IFDES Lodge on Old Gilroy Street. If you think quilts are old-fashioned and not relevant today, you will be amazed at what you see. Quilts are much more than a bed cover, they come in all sizes, shapes and can be wall hangings, table runners, lap blankets and more.
This event is a chance to relax, have a light lunch and view the gallery. Tickets are $35 and available by calling Marianne Peoples at (408) 842-9022 or Judy Bozzo at (408) 607-1621.
In keeping with AAUW’s mission of education, this fundraiser will benefit scholarships for both high school and community college students. The Opportunity Quilt will be raffled off to a lucky winner who bought a $10 ticket. It was beautifully made by Carol Cooper, a well-known former Gavilan faculty member. A small number of quilts will be for sale, along with quilting supplies and books.
The show is a long-standing tradition. Some of the members are part of a group called “The Rippers,” which shows they have a sense of humor. The displayed quilts will have varied themes, depending on the time, fabric available, patterns and the influence of people. Today some quilts are even made out of T-shirts. In the earliest days quilts provided a pragmatic way to reuse fabrics that had been part of a garment or even a flour sack. Quilts provide a way to remember important people in our lives, or ways to tell a story or commemorate an event. Many quilters “sign” their quilts or put a small “patch” on the reverse giving the date, occasion and reason for making the quilt.
Sounds like a fun time viewing some of the beautiful quilts!
Congratulations to Dave Domenichini and his entire team at D.R. Domenichini Construction. They were just named the National Association of the Remodeling Industry the 2024 National Contractor of the Year (CotY) winner in the Residential Interior $250,000 to $500,000 category in its annual awards competition.
In 2023, the NARI Silicon Valley Chapter awarded D. R. Domenichini Construction six Gold 2023 Meta Awards. Three of the Meta-award-winning projects went on to win the NARI Southwest Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) award in their remodeling category. One project, a modern kitchen and living space remodel in the Jackson Oaks neighborhood of Morgan Hill went on to earn the 2024 National CotY Award in the Residential Interior $250,000 to $500,000 category.
Each year, NARI presents CotY Awards to members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. The CotY Awards are the highest form of recognition by industry leaders and peers. NARI received over 600 entries from across the United States, representing more than $230 million in remodeling projects.
It may be the beginning of May, but it’s important to remember that April’s Distracted Driving Month is something we should be aware of throughout the year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2024 campaign is “Don’t drive distracted. Eyes forward.” Every driver should heed those simple statements to keep themselves, their families, and their neighbors safe on the road.
According to NHTSA, “distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system.” NHTSA statistics show that distracted driving is a nationwide concern: the agency estimates that distracted driving caused 3,522 fatalities during 2021, or 8 percent of all traffic fatalities.
That’s something we should all take to heart.
