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GILROY — Garcia-Elder Sports Complex was all but empty following Gilroy’s game with North Salinas. The fans had cleared out, both teams made their ways to the lockerroom. But for one final time, senior running back Brandon Boyd took a knee at midfield, reflecting on “G” that represents Gilroy and everything he’s fought so hard for the last four years.

The City Council has a smorgasbord of items to cover for their regular meeting Monday night. Here is a sampling of what City leaders in your community will be discussing:

Recology South Valley has filed a request to keep its garbage and recycling transfer station in San Martin open “indefinitely,” according to a Santa Clara County planner. The San Martin Planning Advisory Committee will discuss the request at its Nov. 20 meeting at the South County Office Building, 80 W. Highland Ave.The transfer station’s current use permit includes a requirement that the facility at 13920 Llagas Avenue close by February 2015, according to County Planner Rob Salisbury. That clause was added to the permit after 2005, when the facility’s owner indicated Recology was planning to move its garbage and recycling drop-off and processing operation to a location east of Gilroy. However, the company’s plans have changed, and Recology wants to remain at the San Martin transfer station for the foreseeable future, Salisbury said. Recology’s request does not include any changes to the facility’s footprint other than a reduction in the number of daily vehicle trips to and from the transfer station. “They’re not proposing any changes to the operation or infrastructure,” Salisbury said. “Staff’s recommendation is simply to remove the condition they have to close, which would allow them to remain in operation indefinitely.” After the San Martin Planning Advisory discusses the request, that body’s recommendation will be forwarded to the County Planning Commission which will consider the request at a future meeting. 

Attorneys involved in the case of the man accused of murdering Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar continued to verbally spar over the sluggish evidence disclosure process at a hearing Friday, but the suspect again declined to enter a plea.Antolin Garcia Torres, 22 of Morgan Hill, appeared at the hearing at the Hall of Justice in San Jose. He was handcuffed and wearing County Jail inmate scrubs - a contrast to recent previous hearings where he wore a brown suit and tie. Garcia Torres is accused of kidnapping and murdering Sierra, who disappeared at the age 15 from her mother’s north Morgan Hill home March 16, 2012. Her remains have not been found, and investigators have not revealed any evidence indicating her whereabouts since finding her cell phone and a bag containing some of her clothes in the early days of the investigation. Previous recent hearings have centered around the unfinished process requiring investigators to share case files and evidence with the defendant. Authorities have said there are more than 10,000 pages’ worth of evidence in the kidnapping and murder case. Garcia Torres’ attorney Friday told Superior Court Judge Sharon Chatman that a spreadsheet listing items of evidence, provided by prosecutors and requested at Garcia Torres’ last hearing in October, was “inadequate.” The list only indicated evidence provided by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office so far, while Garcia Torres’ attorney Al Lopez was under the impression the spreadsheet would include a list of items that are “going to come our way.” Santa Clara County Deputy DA David Boyd was consequently perturbed that the defense waited until Thursday’s hearing to let him know their view on the completeness of the list of evidence. “It’s frustrating to hear these things for the first time,” said Boyd, who added that he did not indicate he would provide a more complete spreadsheet at the last hearing, as Lopez suggested. Chatman asked the prosecutor and defense attorneys to “informally” communicate their requests and complaints about the discovery or evidence sharing process to each other before court proceedings in order to speed up the process. The judge granted Garcia Torres’ request to schedule the next hearing for Jan. 9, 2014, for a status update. Boyd, noting it has been 17 months since Garcia Torres’ first court appearance following his arrest in May 2012, wanted the defendant to indicate at the next hearing when Garcia Torres will be ready for a “probable cause hearing.” Chatman asked Owens and Lopez to make such an indication at the Jan. 9 hearing. A small group of volunteers who continue to search for Sierra or her whereabouts attended Friday’s hearing. “We just wish they could speed it up more,” said volunteer Mike Nino of San Jose. “All we can do is be patient.” Nino and other volunteers meet every Saturday morning at the former site of Central High School to conduct searches. “As soon as we get more information we can find new areas to go (search),” Nino said. Sierra disappeared as she was walking to her school bus stop near the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues, according to authorities. She was a sophomore at Sobrato High School at the time of her disappearance. Garcia Torres is also charged with a series of unrelated attempted carjacking and assaults in 2009, which occurred in the parking lots of two Safeway grocery stores in Morgan Hill.For more information on the search for Sierra, go to findsierralamar.com.

SCVWD maintains ag rate

The practice of gratitude and giving thanks for the blessings and happy moments you experience each day can actually improve your life! According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking can actually make you healthier; the many benefits include:

Casper is a 1-year and 9-month-old medium hair cat who has been neutered. He is very sweet, quiet and relaxed. He would make a great lap cat. Due to his coloring he needs to be an indoor only cat. He is available for adoption at the San Martin Animal Shelter. Call (408) 686-3900.

Flu season is officially here, and the “Flu shots today” signs are out in force at pharmacies, supermarkets and big-box discount stores.

Thanksgiving feast: Succulent turkey and savory pumpkin pie are a wonderful holiday treat for human celebrants, but this turkey vulture prefers his pumpkin au naturale, no whipped cream necessary. Because vultures are not vegetarians, the pumpkin was given to Zorro (WERC's non-releasable animal ambassador) for mental, rather than nutritional, enrichment. Just like most of us probably wouldn't enjoy eating meatloaf day after day or watching the same television show over and over, the educational animals at WERC also get bored without variety.