Politics

With the budget crisis facing Gilroy, one thing is evident, the status quo is not going to cut it anymore. Changes in how government delivers service and what those services costs are going to happen whether or not you like it or not. That is just a simple fact of economics; we are living in a time of limited resources with huge unfunded liabilities created by overly generous salaries and pension benefits made to public employees and mounting costs of repairing our aging infrastructure.

Strollin’ Around

Last year alone, tourists spent more than $350 million in Gilroy, making the Garlic Capital of the World a major hub for tourism in the Silicon Valley. With the 38th annual Garlic Festival just around the corner, tourism in Gilroy is only going to get hotter as the summer approaches.

On the front line of Santa Clara County Vector Control District's fight against mosquitoes is Bob Kaufman. Kaufman, 52, the Vector Control Field Operations Supervisor sets out, armed with a scooper, a long pole with a cup on the end, hunting through stagnant streams, abandoned tires and murky swimming pools. The quarry of his hunt, mosquito larvae and after a few hours on the prowl, he's found his prey inside an old abandoned truck tire on Santa Teresa Boulevard.

VTA wants to help ease the commute for South County residents traveling to Mountain View by offering a FREE one-week trial on the Express Bus 185. This offer is available the week of May 8 – May 12 to the first 100 riders who sign up. For tickets and details visit: https://vta185.eventbrite.com Express Bus 185 offers round trip services from South County to Mountain View with reclining seats, Wi-Fi and more. It’s time for residents to start enjoying their commute to work again and say goodbye to driving in gridlock.

By Georgine Scott-Codiga

Five years of drought and the recent winter storms have wreaked havoc on Gilroy’s trees, according to city staff, and now more than 200 of them are on the chopping block.