Guest View

Seasoned riders know all about lows and highs, from gears to mountain climbing to the PSI in their tires! Life is also full of lows and highs. (Let’s not to say “highs and lows,” as that arrangement leaves everyone sad.) This particular April has...

California enters the new year with its existential issues still unresolved, and a new one—an immense budget deficit—threatens to make dealing with them even more difficult. California has made very little progress, if any, on narrowing its shortage of housing, its levels of homelessness and...

By Mark Turner To Chief Scot Smithee, thank you for a job well done. I can’t imagine it’s an easy job being a cop. There are a lot of challenges that go along with being a member of law enforcement, especially these days. While the cop...

By John Varela Early next month, Valley Water will take a significant step toward fixing Anderson Dam so it can safely withstand a large earthquake.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered Valley Water to begin lowering water levels in Anderson Reservoir starting Oct. 1. This effort...

To my council colleagues, city staff and the public, I am very excited to be a part of the many changes coming to Gilroy this year. I will continue to bring the views of my constituents to these meetings, as well as my own....

In California’s fight against homelessness, the Governor just announced a $12 billion plan to end homelessness in five years. Combine that with Santa Clara County’s 5-Year Plan to End Homelessness and one might think we are making progress. But it seems the more money...

You may hear there was a lot of conflict at the Sept. 20 City Council meeting, but I suggest a different perspective. The focus was on a time capsule, part of the Covid-postponed celebration of Gilroy’s 150th anniversary as an incorporated city. The committee that...

The ever-continuous magic question: “Is now the right time to buy?” Is it?  My response has always stayed the same: “if the time is right for you.” How do you determine that in an ever-changing and evolving market? Many considerations, economics, interest rates and of...

I write on behalf of my Gilroy City Council Member Office, in support of Valley Transportation Authority’s Transit Oriented Development in Gilroy and in response to a recent letter from Gilroy Growing Smarter (Gilroy Dispatch, May 21). 1. Downtown Gilroy is the urban core of...

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Mayor Marie Blankley’s State of the City address. She will deliver the full talk in person on June 4 at 9:30am in the Gilroy City Council Chambers. It is my pleasure to bring to you Gilroy’s 2022...