News

The Gilroy Library will offer curbside pickup and return services later in June, the Santa Clara County Library District announced. The services will be available Monday through Saturday at all eight SCCLD library locations. In order to accept returns, SCCLD is establishing a system to...

The beef is back at Gilroy High. Brian “Beef” Calimpong, a longtime youth volleyball coach in the area, is in his first season back as the head coach of the Gilroy High girls volleyball team. A 2003 GHS graduate, Calimpong returns with several goals...

Santa Clara County health officials announced Feb. 9 that local indoor masking requirements will not be lifted on Feb. 16, which is the date the state will rescind its order. Instead, Santa Clara County will continue to base decisions on whether and when to lift...

Hundreds of people rallied against a proposed mining project south of Gilroy in front of Santa Clara County government buildings on Sept. 10, at an event co-sponsored by 70 area organizations that advocate for human rights and environmental protection. During the rally, about 75 members...

Fire crews had the Pacheco Fire fully contained by Sunday

The election for Santa Clara County District 1 Supervisor is well over a year away, but the field of candidates is already packed with veteran local politicians. Morgan Hill Mayor Rich Constantine, former San Jose City Councilmember Johnny Khamis, County Board of Education Trustee Claudia...

There’s nothing quite like a stage full of kids dressed as starfish, sea anemones and seagulls singing and dancing their little hearts out to lift one’s spirits these days. And the cast and crew of South Valley Civic Theatre do a charming job of it in their current children’s musical production of The Little Mermaid Jr. in Morgan Hill through Oct. 22.The story, loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s Danish fairy tale and adapted into a Disney movie and then a musical, involves a young mermaid, Ariel (Emily Pember) who falls in love with a human prince (Gannon Janisch) and is tricked into giving up her lovely singing voice to an evil sea witch (Jenna Hernandez) in exchange for legs so she can walk on land. She is surrounded by a cast of hilarious characters including the woebegone crab Sebastian (Tegan Leong) charged by Ariel’s father (Paul Maack) with keeping her safe.As the little mermaid of the title, Pember does fine work singing while managing the tricky aspects of swimming gracefully through the air (with flight direction by Jason Chamberlain). Unfortunately, her voice is sometimes overwhelmed by the recorded soundtrack on “Part of Your World.”As Ursula, the sea witch—in a wonderful costume of purple velvet and satin with sequined octopus’s tentacles—Hernandez has no such problems. She’s got a big voice and knows how to use it to best effect on “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”Stealing the show every which way is the spark plug Tegan Leong as the crab Sebastian, who knocks everyone out with a fish ensemble in “Under the Sea” and really tears things up in the sassy calypso “Kiss the Girl,” well supported by an undersea cast of seemingly thousands.Among the numerous other characters, well directed by Colleen Blanchard, Catherine Drayton stands out as the lead seagull, Scuttle (in a terrific costume, designed by Alice Gracey). Set designers Blanchard, Larry Tom and Jason Leong have created a wondrous undersea world, all wavering watercolors studded with bubbles and seaweed.The Little Mermaid Jr. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, book by Doug Wright. Directed by Colleen Blanchard at South Valley Civic Theatre, Morgan Hill. Final performance is Oct. 22. For tickets call (408) 842-SHOW or visit www.svct.org. 

No one was hurt Tuesday afternoon after a motorhome burst into flames at Leavesley Mini Storage at the corner of Leavesley Road and Forest Street. The owner of the motorhome said a crew was working on the fuel pump of the 1980s-era vehicle when the...

Police arrested a Gilroy man Wednesday night after he allegedly shot at officers during a high-speed vehicle pursuit through two counties, according to authorities. About 9pm June 9, Gilroy Police officers attempted a traffic stop on a known, wanted suspect at Luchessa Avenue and Monterey...

Santa Clara County’s water storage reservoirs are at healthy levels due to the rainy winter, according to Valley Water.  The local water district’s 10 reservoirs are collectively about 130% of their normal water levels for this time of year, Valley Water spokesperson Matt Keller said...