Guest View

The end of a semester is a stressed time for all our students. From tests to essays to presentations and projects, Gilroy students are being put through their paces.  My student interns who go to Gavilan College regale me with stories of all their end-of-semester...

In June the City Council approved our financial budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. For the next two years this budget drives the City’s spending and funding allocations within the limits of our revenue sources. As your mayor and a CPA by profession,...

With our nation’s democracy facing existential threats, California’s duty to protect and empower every eligible voter in the state has never been more urgent. Although we often lead the nation with innovative laws designed to defend voting rights, thousands of eligible voters continue to...

In California’s fight against homelessness, the Governor just announced a $12 billion plan to end homelessness in five years. Combine that with Santa Clara County’s 5-Year Plan to End Homelessness and one might think we are making progress. But it seems the more money...

Driving around Gilroy, I still see remnants of Valentine’s Day. Glittery hearts have replaced Christmas decorations, colors of red and pink delight neighborhoods and banners blow in the wind saying “I love you more” or “Love you to the moon and back.” Think about that...

On April 21, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association (GGFA) released a statement that the Garlic Festival was postponed indefinitely due to prohibitive insurance required by the City of Gilroy. We stand by that statement. Some of the talk online against the city and council is...

While December’s rain and snow show promise, water managers remember the same thing happened last year—epic early storms followed by the driest January through March in California’s recorded history.  After three dry years, all of us are hoping for some reprieve this winter. But the tough reality...

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...

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...

The agricultural stretch of California’s Central Coast along the Salinas Valley is often called the “Salad Bowl of the World,” and for good reason. It supplies more than 60% of the nation’s lettuce and substantial portions of strawberries, spinach and broccoli.  But beyond the fertile...