Guest View

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...

Thank you for joining me for Gilroy’s 2021 State of the City address, and as we celebrate Gilroy’s 150th anniversary year. I’m Mayor Marie Blankley, and I’m honored to be giving my first State of the City, albeit during an historic pandemic. Vaccinations are in progress,...

If Bay Area housing stakeholders are to ever address factors that have led to construction delays and the rise in costs for constructing desperately needed housing, we must delve deeper into how a well-intentioned law has inadvertently led to difficulty in producing sufficient housing....

The long-awaited draft Term Sheet to bring Sharks Ice to the Gilroy Sports Park is ready to be presented to the Gilroy City Council at our meeting on Monday, June 20. To participate, you may either attend the meeting which will include public comment...

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...

Reading the back and forth over the discourse surrounding the Time Capsule is a worthwhile discussion. As a resident of Gilroy for a little more than a year (most of it inside) the first bit of exposure I had to the project was the...

For the past four years I have participated at some level with California State legislative bills, first as an advocate and now as an elected official. I have spent hours listening, reading legislative files, all while writing letters of support and testifying myself. That...

This weekend marks the return of a reimagined Garlic Festival—a beloved tradition that, for more than 40 years, has played a vital role in supporting our local community. Through the tireless work of volunteers and the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association (GGFA), the event has...

Two weeks ago, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced that they would not be moving forward with the traditional large-scale Garlic Festival event for the foreseeable future. The news was met by all of us with sadness, disappointment and even anger. This event, a...

Just like a well-inflated tire, I am pumped! For the first time in forever, we’ve got ourselves both a Sea Otter Classic and a Tierra Bella in April. Two of the year’s top cycle celebrations, and they’re right here in our own backyard. It’s...