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Below is a timeline of the local (Gilroy, CA) debate as chronicled in the letters to the editor, as well as e-mail. Also see the Alpha By Author cross-reference.  The most recent events are at the bottom.  Throughout these pages I will be adding commentary to the letters and columns by other authors.  My commentary will be in [ bracketed red text ].

• 04 MAR 1999: The  Gilroy Dispatch., publishes an article about how Gilroy High School teacher Nicky Austin is preparing a proposal for a semester-long elective on evolution, and how she fears backlash from local creationists.
• 05 MAR 1999: I e-mail a letter to the editor in response  to the article.  The letter is published the same day (Golden Quill Award!  Woo Woo!)  I pretty much forget about the evolution debate after this point, up until the Stembridge letter.  During this time, a few other letters to the editor were published on the same topic.  I went back and got copies of the most significant ones.
• 24 MAR 1999: A column by a local physicist Jack Penkethman is published.
• 02 APR 1999:  A letter from a local creationist Joseph McCormack is published attempting to rebut the Penkethman column.
• 05 APR 1999: A letter from Jim Stembridge is published in which he cites two celebrated cases, Nebraska Man, and Piltdown Man.  He claims that these cases show 'how scientists will actually manufacture "evidence" to prove the well-established fact of evolution'.  I clip the letter, intending to reply to it, but never get the chance to.
• 06 APR 1999: A letter from Suzanne Rodriguez is published which contains many factual errors.
• 08 APR 1999: I e-mail a rebuttal to the Rodriguez letter to The Dispatch.  A letter from a local High School biology teacher Dale Morejon is published.
• 09 APR 1999: My letter was not published today.  Perhaps it is because I'm over double the word limit? :)  I decide to e-mail The Dispatch again, with a short rebuttal and a pointer to this web page.  I'm worried that the controversy will cause the proposed class to be DOA at the board.  It would be easy for them to say that the class doesn't meet their focus, which is to increase literacy.
• 12 APR 1999: I e-mail a shorter rebuttal to the Rodriguez letter to The Dispatch.  This is a summary of my April 8th rebuttal
• 13 APR 1999: My short rebuttal is published today.  I receive the following e-mail in response almost immediately.  Also see my reply.
• 14 APR 1999: A new column from Jack Penkethman is published, in which he makes many of the same points as my April 8 letter.  I receive another e-mail from Alan Viarengo.
• 15 APR 1999: I reply to Alan Viarengo.
• 16 APR 1999: A letter from a local Baptist pastor, Bob Achilles is published.  (Note: Bob Achilles is the Pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Gilroy).
• 20 APR 1999: I e-mail a rebuttal of the Achilles letter to The Dispatch.  A new letter from Dale Morejon is published.
• 23 APR 1999: I receive word that the approval process of the class is 'bogged down' and 'being stonewalled'.  I've asked for permission to place this personal communication on this site.
• 27 APR 1999: I e-mail my last letter for a while.   Personal relationships are being strained by my outspoken stance. And while I place a high value on science, and the truth, I place a high value on friendships and family too.  The webpage will continue with other peoples letters as well as my comments.    My source for the comments above ( 23 APR 1999 ) does not want their name attached to the statements, as they are in a sensitive situation.
• 30 APR 1999: Dale Morejon rebuts the Achilles Letter.
• 03 MAY 1999: Richard Garcia writes a column blaming the moral decline of America on (among other things) evolution.  Richard Dahl writes a short letter expressing the same sentiment.
• 05 MAY 1999: Joshua Bress writes a column rebutting the Garcia column. I write a letter praising Mr Bress, and seconding the separation issue.
• 07 May 1999: My 05MAY99 letter is published.
• 10 May 1999: A letter from Doug Wilber is published rebutting my 07 May 99 Letter. In addition, a column by Frank Bath is printed in which he rebuts Pastor Garcia's column.
• 21 May 1999: A letter from Peter Clonts in which he states that the exaggeration of the separation of church and state is injuring the country.