Community

It’s been a wildly successful first two weeks of operation for Old City Hall Restaurant, the newest dining venue to occupy Gilroy’s grandest and most iconic downtown landmark since the Spanish tapas eatery that previously occupied the space shut down in early January.

You spent hours threading twinkle lights around your front yard bushes, carefully arranging a life-size nativity, and tinkered tirelessly in an attempt to fasten Santa's sleigh securely the roof so it wouldn't go tumbling backwards and crash onto your neighbor's property.

Thanks to donations from Gilroy and Morgan Hill residents, Recology South Valley collected more than 3,000 pounds of canned and nonperishable foods for Harvest Food Bank in San Jose. 

Downtown's only coffee shop is closing its doors at the end of the year. 

Morgan Hill trainer Rhonda Heiner, who recently nabbed top honors at one of the largest equine events in the country, is showing her clients and the world that the expensive hobby of horse showing can be done on a budget.

Garlic Festival Celebrity Chef Michael Giletto, who performed live food demonstrations onstage at the 34th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, is lending his talents to help feed emergency services personnel and displaced victims of October's Hurricane Sandy.

Of the 14 nominees contending for the California League of High Schools' Region V “Educator of the Year” award, Phil Robb, 60 – renown choir director for Gilroy and Christopher High Schools – tied for second place. The results were revealed at a celebratory dinner Wednesday evening at the Elk's Lodge in Santa Cruz.

The Gilroy Interim Center for the Arts is hosting its popular Arts Alliance Holiday Boutique Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 7341 Monterey St. downtown.