Community

Four local wineries made South County proud at the California State Fair Wine Competition in Sacramento. The winners were announced Thursday.

The Daughters of Charity Health System, a regional healthcare system with 22 sites including Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, recently announced the creation of a Santa Clara County Market that aims to bolster communication between hospitals; continuity of patient care from the Emergency Room to the physician’s office; and placing a heightened emphasis on preventative, informative care as well as ongoing chronic disease management.

A California Department of Transportation project to upgrade a section of State Route 152 seven miles east of Gilroy is expected to cause delays to local motorists during the evenings and weekends. Work has started and will continue until March 2014.

More than a decade after Irenne Zwierlein – a Native American tribal member who previously inked plans with a major developer to build on roughly 6,000 acres of pristine property just south of Gilroy known as Sargent Ranch – forged documents in an attempt to prove herself the rightful leader of the local Amah Mutsun Tribal Band of Ohlone/Costanoan Indians, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs made a move last week that left her rivals “absolutely blindsided.”

The Gilroy Recreation Department will host the 33rd Annual Special Friends Golf Tournament June 21 at Gilroy Golf Course. Tee off is at noon.

An Afrikaner Butternut Tart and Mahi-mahi Laulau with Shiitake Risotto are among the gastronomic tours de force that will battle it out during the Great Garlic Cook-Off at the 35th Gilroy Garlic Festival July 27.

State Park officials recently unveiled the “Parks Forward” initiative that will assess California's underfunded state parks system and eventually provide ways to make state parks economically viable again.

Hecker Pass is closed between Watsonville Road in Gilroy and Carlton Road in Watsonville until about 2 p.m. today due to a downed power pole, according to the California Highway Patrol traffic incident information page. Snapped power lines and phone lines are blocking east and westbound lanes, according to CHP.

Lured by a $50,000 grand prize bait, 13 brave souls took the plunge Saturday night at Old City Hall and pitched their business ideas in hopes that Gilroy’s “Sharks” would smell the scent of success.