Opinion

My name is Lee Kalpin, and I was born in Gilroy in 1946. My parents subscribed to the Dispatch as far back as I can remember, and I have been a constant subscriber for at least 55 years.  In fact, in the early 1950s I...

In his Letter to the Editor on April 11, City Council member Zach Hilton misleads readers with several observations and assumptions. He makes erroneous claims about existing Cal Fire service.  And he overlooks some facts that make his support for proposed changes without logic or...

People globally celebrate Earth Day on April 22, recognizing the urgent need to help our planet.  What began in 1970 as a grassroots environmental movement in the United States has since grown into the largest secular observance in the world, involving more than a...

The annual Poppy Jasper International Film Festival wrapped up its weeklong celebration of film Wednesday with a tour of Hollister wineries, a final film screening and the closing ceremony and audience awards at the Granada Theater in Hollister. PJIFF executive director Mattie Scariot said this...

I am writing to address troubling misinformation recently shared by Gilroy City Council member Zach Hilton regarding the status of South County Fire Engine 69 and the future of our city's fire services.  Councilmember Hilton has claimed that Engine 69 has been shut down for...

I was appointed as an alternate to the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) by the Cities Selection Committee for 2025-28, representing all cities in Santa Clara County. I supported the action taken in January by the Board of Supervisors to dissolve...

Welcome to the new format of the Gilroy Dispatch community newspaper. We have changed to a tab size to make it more reader friendly and have expanded our local news coverage. We will do more in the future. The new print edition sports a fresh...

Our community has an active Interfaith Clergy Alliance, which includes clergy from a number of the faith communities in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy. We all seek to build up a community of respect and love for neighbors in the community in which...

We didn’t hang offensive flag Roxana Bliss’ recent letter to the editor alleges that it was the pro-Trump and pro-American Patriots that hung a Nazi flag on the Burnett overpass before waiting for law enforcement to determine who did it and why. It appears she...

Welcome to April! Happy/Hoppy Easter on the 20th! As you know from previous columns, 2025 will be my last year with you as your South Valley bicycle columnist. I will dearly miss many things about this assignment, especially the privilege of sharing the local bike...