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My great-grandfather was a bishop in a small Christian denomination who got his start preaching on street corners. Crowds gathered to hear his message of God’s love. Eventually he founded a church in Dayton, Ohio’s poorest district, leading standing-room-only services. I admire my great-grandfather,...

We are the members of Zach Hilton’s Student City Council Internship Program. We represent different genders, cultures and backgrounds. We are the first generation. Most importantly, we represent a demographic of the crippingly underserved.  We have come to let our written words lay bare, so...

Three years ago, the possibility of a global pandemic took up about as much headspace for most people as the possibility of a global conflict: technically possible, but not really a “thing” in this millennium. But as it turns out, history repeats itself. And...

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...

Whose town has the true Pedal Power? Meaning, the most people with wind in their hair, and with wheels turning. With young people and adults rolling in the open air.  Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition invited cities across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties to a...

It was a warm Thursday summer evening, and everything was in place. I stepped back and was completely in awe. In previous years, I had seen the wonder of creating a venue in a matter of days, having a celebration of Garlic and family for...

I’m sitting at my laptop, basking in the memories of last week’s camping trip to the Sierras. My camping trips actually began when I was still in diapers; after that, yearly camp adventures were part of my life. But, that magic age came for...

There was an opinion piece in the March 19 Dispatch that led the reader to believe that the Gilroy City Council is ignoring a plan that could end homelessness. That is a misleading statement. What the opinion leaves out is that the Gilroy City Council...

The governor just released his revised spending plan for the California budget, and while he did not admit that we are headed towards a recession, he did acknowledge the state faces economic uncertainty.  His assessment of the state’s growing fiscal challenges brings a greater focus...

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...