News

GILROY—For a seasoned chef, the perfect way to challenge your creativity and innovation in the kitchen is to undertake the ultimate challenge—the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s annual Garlic Showdown.

TUCSON, ARIZ.—The Gilroy Junior All Stars’ successful season has come to an end.

Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs celebrated the restoration and dedication of the newly restored Texas Cabin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 18.The Texas Cabin was built in the early 1920s utilizing elements from an earlier building on the same site. Built during the period in which Gilroy Hot Springs was owned and operated by the William J. McDonald family, the cabin provided four separate accommodations with two bathrooms. Later it housed Japanese families recovering from their time in internments camps during World War II.The Texas Cabin is one of the largest remaining cabins at Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs. The restoration was jointly funded by California State Parks and private donations with work completed by Southwest Construction and overseen by state parks staff.Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs can be toured by reservation only by calling (408) 314-7185 or e-mailing [email protected].

Dear Savvy Senior,Can you recommend some basic simplified cellphones for seniors with hearing impairment? My 82-year-old father needs to get a new cellphone for occasional calls or emergencies, but he needs something that’s easy to use and one that he can hear on.Looking Around Dear Looking,There are several simplified cellphones on the market today that are specifically designed for seniors, or for people who just like things simple. These are basic cellphones – primarily used for talk and text – that come with big buttons, easy to navigate menus, SOS emergency buttons, enhanced sound and are hearing aid compatible too. Here are some top options.Senior-Friendly PhonesIf your dad isn’t locked into a cellphone contract, there are three senior-friendly options to consider, all from no-contract cellphone companies.One of best is GreatCall’s Jitterbug5 (greatcall.com (800) 918-8543). This custom designed Samsung flip-phone offers a backlit keypad with big buttons, large text on a brightly colored screen, and “YES” and “NO” buttons to access the phone’s menu of options versus confusing icons.It also offers voice dialing, a powerful speakerphone, a built-in camera, and a variety of optional health and safety features like the “5Star” medical alert button that would let your dad call for help and speak to a certified agent 24/7 that could identify his location and dispatch help as needed. “Urgent Care,” which provides access to registered nurses and doctors for advice and diagnoses. And “GreatCall Link,” which keeps family members informed through your dad’s phone activities.The Jitterbug5 sells for $99 with a one-time $35 activation fee, no-contract, and calling plans that start at $15 per month.If you’re looking for something a little less expensive, the Doro PhoneEasy 626 sold through Consumer Cellular is a new option. For information go to consumercellular.com or call (888) 345-5509.This flip phone offers a backlit, separated keypad that can speak the numbers as you push them, which is a nice feature for seniors with vision problems. It also has a big easy to read color display screen that offers large text with different color themes.Other handy features include two speed dial buttons, shortcut buttons to texting and the camera, a powerful two-way speakerphone, and an ICE (in case of emergency) button on the back of the phone that will automatically dial one preprogrammed number.The Doro 626 sells for $50 with service plans starting at $10 per month and no long-term contract. They even offer discounts to AARP members.Another budget-friendly cellphone you should look into is the Snapfon ezTWO for seniors, which costs under $20, with a $35 activation fee, no-contract and monthly service plans that start at $10. For information, go to snapfon.com or call (800) 937-1532. If you don’t want the Snapfon service plan (you can go through AT&T or T-Mobile,) the phone is $80.This is a bar-style phone that provides big buttons, a color screen, enhanced volume with a speaker phone, a speaking keypad and an SOS emergency alert button on the back of the phone that can sound an alert when pushed and held down for five seconds. It then sends a text message to as many as five emergency contacts and calls those contacts in order until the call is answered. Or for an additional $15 per month you can subscribe to their SOS monitoring service that will dispatch help as needed.Shared Plan OptionsIf you want to get your dad a simple cellphone through your cellphone provider, most carriers–like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile–still offer a few basic cellphones that are inexpensive and hearing aid compatible.If you’re an AT&T customer the option is the LG A380. For Verizon users, there’s the Samsung Gusto 3 and LG Revere 3. If you’re a Sprint customer there’s the Kyocera Kona and “Alcatel OneTouch Retro.” And for T-Mobile users there’s the LG 450.Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC “Today” show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or go to SavvySenior.org.  

GILROY—It was a record-setting year for the Gilroy Garlic Festival, and not for the heat. More money was generated this year than ever in the festival’s 37-year history, 2015 festival president Deanna Franklin said Monday.

TUCSON, ARIZ.—The Gilroy Junior All Stars softball team dropped their Western Regionals opener Thursday, but have rebounded with a vengeance.

GILROY—The Gilroy Garlic Festival provides a wealth of entertainment for its attendees, but behind the scenes it serves a much bigger purpose.

GILROY—A family of three living inside a garage in a home along the 400 block of Fairview Drive was displaced Monday, after the building caught fire just before 11 a.m. Gilroy firefighters extinguished the structure fire within 15 minutes, according to Gilroy Fire Department Division Chief Chris Weber.

GILROY—As people descended on the Gilroy Garlic Festival in droves over the weekend, a number of them did so for the first time.

GILROY—Thousands of patrons enjoyed the exceptional weather and a family atmosphere of the Gilroy Garlic Festival this past weekend, which was complimented by the entertainment which came in many forms.