Guest View, Fred Tovar: Saluting the pillars of Gilroy
As we bid farewell to 2023, I, Fred M. Tovar, a proud member of the Gilroy City Council, would like to take a moment to extend profound gratitude to the unsung heroes who relentlessly contribute to the well-being and vitality of our community—the dedicated...
Guest View, Zach Hilton: Happy New Year
2021 is in the rear-view mirror, and with multiple vaccines for Covid-19 being distributed, we have found a way for our lives to return to normal. I received the Pfizer vaccine and booster. I’ve had no side effects and I urge you to get...
Guest View, Marie Blankley: Considering the future of the transit center
With my support, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority held two community meetings in Gilroy to introduce the possibility of and receive feedback on an affordable housing project at the Gilroy Transit Center. However, the project described in their request for approval to authorize...
Guest View: This MLK Day, let’s honor his message
Whenever I think of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, two things come to mind: sales and whitewashing.
As a capitalist nation, we will frequently throw any social and moral awareness behind a paywall regardless of the original person’s message. The irony of an MLK sale...
Guest View: Assembly must pass critical small business protections
When small businesses are protected in the State of California from unjust attacks, so too is the California economy. For decades, small business owners have been embroiled in litanies of legal battles that forces them to stare down the prospect of financial ruin. Why?...
Guest View: Gilroy’s unique rural appeal is in jeopardy
What would make Gilroy an even better place to live? It’s not billboards, especially not huge electronic ones. But the City is considering changes in our ordinance which would allow them.
The Mitigated Negative Declaration should be denied because it claims that our environment won’t...
Guest view: Gavilan College serves South Valley community
The Gavilan Joint Community College District extends from the Coyote Valley to the southern edge of San Benito County, and includes the communities of Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos and Paicines, along with the surrounding rural areas. It...
Guest view: What to know about property tax relief as fire season arrives
Anyone driving through the cities and unincorporated areas of southern Santa Clara County will immediately notice its diverse and vibrant landscape. For many, the area evokes memories of the region’s rich agricultural heritage.
However, South County's location and topography also make it particularly vulnerable to...
Guest view: Film fest brings online cinema, family fun to South Valley
By Mattie Scariot
The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival will take place virtually from Wednesday, April 7 to Tuesday, April 20 this year. This longtime, internationally acclaimed, local festival in Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista will feature fantastic films, panels,...
Zach Hilton: Moving Gilroy forward in 2023
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....





















