Guest View

I am writing as a parent of two middle schoolers in the Gilroy Unified School District. Like many families in our town, we embraced distance learning (DL) wholeheartedly in the beginning of the pandemic when there was very little information about the Covid-19 virus...

While Valley Water rebuilds Anderson Dam, we have ensured that Coyote Creek and the Coyote Percolation Ponds in South San José have enough water to recharge groundwater and support the surrounding habitat and wildlife.   In November 2024, our agency completed the Cross Valley Pipeline Extension...

Established in 1973 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Preservation Month brings attention to historical places to instill pride, promote heritage conservation and encourage tourism. We know our historic buildings are important, but May is a great time to give them a...

By John Goldstein We don’t have a “rogue cop” problem in America. Let’s be clear on that. It was caught on video. That’s why it became of national interest.   Mr. Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back as he went to get into his...

Whose town has the true Pedal Power? Meaning, the most people with wind in their hair, and with wheels turning. With young people and adults rolling in the open air.  Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition invited cities across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to a...

Every teacher in California wants their students to be able to read. But too often, we’re not given the tools to provide effective reading instruction.  While serving as an English language arts/English language development teacher on Special Assignment for Gilroy Unified School District, our Las...

At a recent city function, a guest speaker said Anderson Dam was built in 18 months but the retrofit would take 8-10 years. It was his next comment that resonated with me: “That’s just the way it is.” I sat there thinking, nothing is...

There’s an old adage that one must first acknowledge a problem exists before it can be addressed. It bears repeating because of a huge disagreement over the size of California’s state budget deficit. In December, the Legislature’s independent budget analyst said the state faces a...

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...

There was an opinion piece in the March 19 Dispatch that led the reader to believe that the Gilroy City Council is ignoring a plan that could end homelessness. That is a misleading statement. What the opinion leaves out is that the Gilroy City Council...