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I have noticed that there are approximately 20 trees that are either dead or dying, along with much of the landscaping at Christopher High School. I assume that this is due to lack of water. I think it’s ridiculous that in order to save a little water, the district is letting tens of thousands of dollars in landscaping die. Our tax dollars paid for the landscaping and they are always asking for more. GUSD, how about being good stewards with the money and resources you have been given?

GUSD board president in council run Fred Tovar, a first-time Gilroy City Council candidate and current president of the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education, says he seeks to bring a spirit of inclusion to the city’s legislative body.“My biggest asset is I collaborate with people—no matter what end of the spectrum they are on. I want to ensure everyone is part of the process, whether it’s about land use or transportation. It can be a long process, but we owe it to the members of our community to make sure everyone is involved,” said Tovar, during an interview in downtown Gilroy on Aug. 20.“We may not agree, but we can work together to get to a decision we are both happy with. I love to talk things through with everybody.”Tovar said he’s not one to make “rubberstamp” decisions. During his eight years on the school board, he’s pushed for more discussion during meetings and further inquiry.“I’m not a micromanager and I believe in the talent we have, but if I have questions about something in our packet, I will go straight to the source and ask.”It was during his tenure on the board that saw the updating of aging facilities, new school construction, the successful passage of two school bond measures and inclusion of prestige programs like the Biomedical Science Academy at Gilroy High School and K-12 Spanish Dual Immersion Program.While talking to Tovar, the phrase “raising the bar” came up repeatedly. During his time on the school board, Tovar said he championed policies that pushed students and the district to do better.Born and raised in San Jose, Tovar moved with his wife, Patricia, and their two kids, Jordan and Ciarra, now 21 and 18 respectively, to Gilroy 10 years ago to be closer to his parents, Teresa and Carlos Tovar.Tovar has worked at the Stanford University School of Medicine for the last 15 years and is currently the director of student affairs and assistant director of admissions for the Stanford University School of Medicine Primary Care Associate Program.In this dual role, he supports students as they make their way through school and reaches out to prospective students, including those from underrepresented communities in rural areas like El Centro, Bakersfield and Salinas.“I want to build collaborations with counselors, different school administrators, but I also want to expose kids to the idea that they too can go to Stanford,” said Tovar, who each year invites a group of 30 to 40 Gilroy students to the university campus. Does his homework“Fred is a straight shooter,” said GUSD board trustee Mark Good, at Tovar’s campaign kick-off event last week at The Golden Goddess, a new spray tan salon in downtown Gilroy owned by his niece, Alexis Tovar. Tovar’s City Council candidacy has been endorsed by the entire GUSD board. “What he says in public, he says in private also.”Good, who is running for re-election to the board in November, called Tovar a “hard-worker” who listened and used good judgment.“There is a lot of reading and research that goes on when you are sitting on a board or city council, and you have to do it competently, which he does,” said Good. “He always does his homework, talks to people and then votes for what he thinks is right.” ‘We can do this’Over DJ music at the salon, Tovar’s campaign manager, Art Barron, offers the lowdown on the next couple months.“This is going to be a grassroots campaign,” he said. “We’ll have volunteers getting out the vote, registering new voters, knocking on doors, fundraising.”Barron, who helped Tovar with his first successful run for the school board in 2008, said they also plan on holding a number of events or speaking engagements so the larger Gilroy community can learn more about Tovar, who has already received endorsements from Mayor Perry Woodward, Councilmember Peter Leroe-Muñoz, and Rebeca Armendariz, a city planning commissioner and founding member of the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services, which this year presented Tovar with a Community Champion Award.“Fred is for smart growth and is a big supporter of our downtown businesses,” said Barron. “He wants to work with all small businesses and help new ones get started.“He will be the voice of the community,” Barron added.  

The Dispatch has returned to downtown after a hiatus of nearly 30 years, and is now located at 64 W Sixth St, the site of a former internet cafe and next to Garlic City Auction.

Downtown Gets New Begonias, Twinkling Lights Fresh bright red begonias in new hanging planters greeted thousands of visitors to the 15th Annual Garlic City Car Show in downtown Gilroy last Saturday courtesy of the city of Gilroy and a one-time expenditure of just over $1,000 dollars.As pretty as the more than 160 classic cars and trucks showcased along Monterey Street and side streets were the 50 hanging flower baskets, grown and arranged by family-owned and operated Kawahara Nurseries of Gilroy and Morgan Hill, part of a two-day effort to spruce up the district.Moises Rodriguez and Gilberto Bucio of city contractors BrightView Landscaping, were seen affixing the new planters on Aug. 18.The city also purchased twinkling lights for the trees that line Monterey Street in a move the city administrator said was consistent with the City Council’s goal to revitalize downtown.A group of volunteers donning orange vests helped string up the lights and later unpacked boxes and shelved books for the soon-to-open BookBuyers bookstore at the former Dick Bruhn’s Building.The all-hands-on-deck volunteer force and welcoming committee on Aug. 18 were sustained by sandwiches provided by Cafe 152 Bread Company on Fourth and Eigleberry streets.

Like its gaming neighbor San Jose to the north, Gilroy may soon tout in neon lights its gambling enterprise to folks driving on Highway 101.

The Bay Area’s own rock opera has returned to its roots for a grand welcoming. Born of Green Day’s 2004 Grammy-winning prize for Best Rock Album, American Idiot premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theater in 2009, after lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong collaborated on the book with Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer. They added a few songs from other Green Day albums, a few lines of dialogue, and were off and running. Since then, American Idiot has travelled to Broadway, the smoky basements of British pubs, and currently is back in the Bay Area where it’s playing to sold out crowds—this time at City Lights Theater Company in San Jose. The production, directed by Jeffrey Bracco, was originally scheduled to close Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016, but has been extended for five more performances. American Idiot tells the story of three young men who struggle to find themselves in the suburbs during the darkness the brand new millennium, each turning in a different direction. Under the musical direction of Samuel Cisneros, all the leads—particularly the trio of friends at the heart of the story, Johnny (Joey Pisacane), Tunny (Andrew Erwin), and Will (Tarif Pappu)—roll out superb vocal performances. The entire cast bring Green Day’s familiar songs to life in a way that’s familiar, while still adding something fresh. In particular, “21 Guns” and “St. Jimmy” contain superb solos and powerful moments by the company. Together, scenic designer and production manager, Ron Gasparinetti, and lighting and projections designer, Nick Kumamoto, worked numerous functioning television screens into the set to create a sense of the time period. In other scenes, faded backdrops project to effectively create mood or demonstrate place or time period without distraction. The minimalist, multi-level set accommodates this 21 person cast on City Lights' relatively small stage. The actors make good use of the rolling set pieces, which help provide for seamless transitions and some of the production’s more inventive choreography. Onstage, the set incorporates a guitar, bass, and keyboard player, while another guitar and drums are hidden from view. Johnny and Will also play their own guitars during the show, adding another layer of intimacy to this 100-person venue where neither the music, the images, nor the characters ever want to let you go. Don't miss the last days of this performance. Aug. 24-27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. Contact (408) 295-4200 or cltc.org for ticket information. City Lights Theater Company is located at 529 S. Second St, in San Jose’s SoFA arts district.

After back-to-back three-win seasons, Gilroy is looking to start a new trend in 2016.

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