Guest View

Growing up in Gilroy and coming from a campesino family, viewing such an impactful and humane story this past August, via a short documentary film, “Campesinos, America’s Unsung Heroes,” was an emotional and very moving experience. The audience reaction, many so personal, will forever...

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...

In the past year, Gilroy has made strides to plan and promote more affordable housing opportunities for our residents. This is needed now more than ever before.  According to the State’s recently released new income guidelines, a household of one whose income is $96,000 is...

The South County Jewish community was shaken to its core after waking on the morning of Dec. 14 to the tragic news of a shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where a terrorist attack targeted a Chanukah Menorah Lighting. The horror of the...

In Gilroy, we have many examples of properties where we used to not require vehicle parking many decades ago, before a majority of zoning codes have been adopted that require more land to be developed for parking. With the recent implementation of Vehicles Mile...

A few weeks ago, my family and I joined the Fourth of July celebration organized by the Freedom Fest organization. As we enjoyed the parade and the beautiful weather, we met many community members and friends, all sharing in this beautiful, nearly 150-year-old Morgan...

May. For the unenlightened, it’s the fifth month, a time between the seasons of “It’s too cold!” and “It’s too hot!”  To the enlightened, however, it’s our month! National Bike Month! Thirty-one days to celebrate our two-wheeled, pedal-powered pals! As in previous Mays, Cycle Guy...

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...

Every generation has grown up being told that they, the youth, are the future. In American society, this means that the youth (theoretically) have the power to sway elections once they are of voting age.  Unfortunately, the youth vote has not always met its potential...

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,...