Guest View

On Nov. 12, my wife Lucy and I attended the most powerful and impactful panel discussion ever. The constant theme was the importance of continuing the fight and struggle for social justice, equal rights, dignity and respect for all. The venue was Wheeler Auditorium...

As a lifelong resident of Gilroy (since 1964!) whose family comes from farming throughout Santa Clara County, I’ve lived through the change of our once prevalent orchards to today’s Silicon Valley. As Silicon Valley developed and job opportunities soared, so did the cry for...

School safety has been a hotly debated issue everywhere in America, as kids start to emerge from their homes to in-person education. While Gilroy is no exception, there seems to be a similar discussion around students from the view of drugs and drug safety,...

City council meetings are the heart of local government. They are officially noticed by the City with a published agenda to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be aware of what’s being discussed and to witness live or recorded meetings and/or participate as...

There’s a lot going on. In the last two years, we’ve endured political upheaval, the fallout of systemic racism, the growing impact of climate change, and genuine loss and collective trauma brought on by the pandemic, which drastically altered our social lives and school...

I recently pedaled past what used to be Gilroy’s Sunshine Bicycles. Instead of all those shiny new bikes in the windows, all I saw was a lonely, little “For Rent” sign. Truly the end of an era. Shifting gears from sad to happy… A super Cycle...

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...

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...

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...

Gilroy has a housing shortage and our low and middle-income households face historic rent burden. Undersupply of “Missing Middle” housing, or medium density housing near jobs and transit, is one of the key factors contributing to the displacement and rent burden of our residents.  In...