Bookstore prepares for final chapter
The final chapter of BookSmart may soon be written.
Citing mounting debt following a move from downtown Morgan Hill to East Dunne Avenue, BookSmart owners Brad Jones and Cinda Meister face the imminent closure of their Morgan Hill mainstay.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Meister said. “This is our...
County looks to expand hazardous waste disposal for small businesses
The County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste program is expanding access to a service that helps small businesses dispose of hazardous waste in a safe and cost effective manner.
The county’s Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) disposal program is a dropoff service for businesses...
Gourmet Alley plan proposes plazas, outdoor dining venues
As the last building on Monterey Street wraps up its seismic retrofitting, downtown property owners are turning their attention to the oft-neglected alley that runs parallel to the road, which they view as an important part of the city’s economic recovery.
The Gilroy City Council...
Sharks give back to Gilroy homeowner
Retired healthcare professional Dorothy Cardenas is enjoying an updated, remodeled look to her west Gilroy home after two Santa Clara Valley nonprofits teamed up to donate their time and materials for a project on Sept. 10.
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley and the Sharks Foundation partnered...
New affiliate for Windermere
Windermere Real Estate announced a new affiliate, Windermere Valley Properties, with a location in Morgan Hill at 17490 Depot St. Owner of Windermere Valley Properties, Chuck Vargas, is a real estate veteran. Starting out in 1992 with a single RE/MAX office in Gilroy, Vargas quickly grew his brokerage from five to 40 agents. In 1996, Vargas joined forces with Century 21/Premier Group, eventually overseeing five offices and two-hundred agents. Vargas currently serves on the board of directors for MLS.com and the Mexican American Golf Association.
Lyft, Uber, killing local cab companies
The owner of Union Taxi Company of Gilroy says ride-sharing companies like Lyft and Uber have been killing his business. Pedro Virgen, 50, who has owned the company since 2006, has seen his business shrink from eight taxis and a dozen employees to three cabs and two drivers.
BookBuyers’ epilogue: Downtown bookstore closing April 15
It will take a Herculean effort not unlike those found in the epics on BookBuyers’ shelves to clear the store’s 300,000 books in only a few weeks.
The downtown bookstore is facing a conundrum similar to the one it tackled a little more than five...




















