Editorials

Three months after the Daughters of Charity Health System named their preferred buyer for medical facilities in South County, city councils in Gilroy and Morgan Hill still are mum

An area as beautiful as ours deserves a great looking newspaper, too. In freshening up the Gilroy Dispatch, we were conscious of its heritage, which dates back to 1868. So we updated a classic look to create a contemporary news presentation.

The massacre last week at the French satire publication Charlie Hebdo was a direct affront to our freedoms of speech and expression. Sunday’s march in Paris was an expression of solidarity and the fact that we won’t cower to the terrorist acts of extremists of any stripe. As journalists, we must never allow anyone or anything to affect our right to speak and report freely and to express our opinions. Free speech and expression were a relative novelty on planet Earth at the violent birth of our republic nearly 240 years ago. Patriots who called themselves Americans even before we existed as a nation died for what they believed and we continue to believe to be among the fundamental rights of humankind. And Americans have died ever since protecting and defending those freedoms and those who enjoy them, often perhaps with little thought to the sacrifices or what their world would be like absent free speech and expression. In the wake of the Paris massacre of journalists, Jews and police officers targeted by those who murder in the name of religion, we as Americans must be vigilant, stand like steel and never surrender what is right and what so many have laid down their lives and loved ones to safe-keep for the future of this country and the world.

As we get head into 2015, we reflect on 2014 and make resolutions to hopefully carry us through the upcoming year. We promise to eat healthier, exercise more, be a better person and pray for world peace. But instead of searching for that magic cure, or constantly working toward fulfilling New Year's resolutions, just be happy—it's not that hard.

For the most part, holiday traditions are very similar across the world. Families come together to share the holiday spirit, gifts are exchanged and there is usually food involved. Generosity is spread to those less fortunate, and there tends to be a feeling of being uplifted.

All around the country, families and friends are gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. Here at the Gilroy Dispatch, we’re celebrating too.

Amidst current discussions and controversy about the merits and challenges of the new “Core Curriculum,” a less dramatic yet equally important issue is the trend away from teaching “cursive” in our schools. As a retired teacher and current voter, genealogist and sports fan, I think the loss of the ability to write (and therefore read) cursive is another step in the increasing “depersonalization” of our culture with potentially disastrous consequences. I was further reminded of this as I went to vote by mail, where, on the envelope, you are told emphatically to sign your name (not print it) for your vote to count.

School is back in session, and our local athletes are back in action. Tuesday’s Central Coast Section Sportsmanship game between Christopher and San Benito High Schools (see B1 for the story) serves as a reminder of what prep and collegiate sports are all about. Our local athletes are learning about more than just offensive and defensive strategies; they’re learning how to work with others, remain humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

The Gilroy Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors recently voted to oppose the half-cent general-purpose sales tax measure in a 9-1 vote—a gutsy and important move.

In May of 2013, Mayor Don Gage first introduced the idea of a “Quality of Life” bond measure for the November ballot. “It's not for education, it's not for police officers. It's for capital improvements,” he told a Dispatch reporter.