From My Perspective: Consuming fire
Fire...mentioned throughout the Bible with varied significance. My interest about fire peaked, recently, after a Daniel bible study. I learned about the courageous faith of Daniel’s three Jewish friends who were thrown into the blazing fire when they would not bow down to King...
Guest View: Tempo is a local treasure
In the heart of Downtown Gilroy lies a culinary treasure that has been enchanting residents and visitors alike for the past two years. Tempo Kitchen and Bar, born from the visionary minds of the dynamic duo, Dan and Nancy Nelson, recently celebrated its illustrious...
Mayor’s Update: Looking ahead in 2024
Happy New Year, Gilroy! 2024 is sure to be a big year, beginning with a milestone birthday for me in February: 60 years old. Yikes! 2023 was a year of many accomplishments for Gilroy, and 2024 shows no less promise.
In 2023, we saw the...
Guest View: It’s time to power up our local newspaper
In March 1870, the California state legislature approved an act allowing Gilroy to incorporate and become a full-fledged city. The Gilroy Advocate, our first newspaper, began publishing a weekly edition only a year earlier. The Dispatch, which came later, absorbed the Advocate in May...
Rabbi Mendel Liberow: Caring for every person—A Passover message
In the foothills of Midian, a shepherd watches over his flock. He is responsible for the well-being and safety of every sheep there. Suddenly, he notices a lamb wandering away from the flock. The shepherd gives chase and finally catches up with the sheep—when...
Guest View: How can we stop kids from abusing drugs?
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,...
Guest View: While US economic outlook improves, California’s remains muddy
Late last month, the Federal Reserve announced the latest incremental raise in its key interest rate, pushing it to the highest level in 22 years, as it continues to battle what it calls persistent inflation.
The increase, a quarter of 1%, renewed the debate among...
Religion: Praying for the dead
July 28 used to be one of my favorite days of the year. On the Roman Catholic calendar, it is the feast day of a minor saint, Pope Saint Victor I, who was martyred by the Romans around the year 199 AD. Pope Victor...
Guest View: Successful reading skills upgrade offers a lesson for politicians
A decade ago, California’s political apparatus finally recognized a yawning achievement gap in its public schools, separating poor and English-learner students from their more privileged classmates.
While overall, California’s nearly 6 million K-12 students were not faring very well in state and federal tests of...
Guest View, Zach Hilton: Housing crisis deepens under current process
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...





















