Guest View

To my council colleagues, city staff and the public, I am very excited to be a part of the many changes coming to Gilroy this year. I will continue to bring to these meetings not just the views of myself but those of my...

After time with the criminal justice system in 2010, I experienced the job rejection that many like myself deal with upon re-entering the workforce. While I was more than qualified for job after job, as soon as they saw the box checked for a...

It’s heartbreaking that in today’s world, every time a child picks up a phone or tablet, parents feel a wave of panic. Not long ago, electronic devices were simple tools for curiosity and creativity.  Kids played 2048, battled friends on slither.io, filled their camera rolls...

While Valley Water rebuilds Anderson Dam, we have ensured that Coyote Creek and the Coyote Percolation Ponds in South San José have enough water to recharge groundwater and support the surrounding habitat and wildlife.   In November 2024, our agency completed the Cross Valley Pipeline Extension...

Steve Glazer is a former political consultant who served as mayor of Orinda before being elected to the state Senate in a 2015 special election. Glazer is a Democrat who usually votes with others in the party’s overwhelming Senate majority. However, Glazer has a rare...

Hooray! We made it to another December! Covid appears to be dropping further and further behind, not unlike Cycle Guy on a group ride. Still, let’s all remember to stay vigilant, be wise, care for ourselves and others…and ride on! According to the latest intel...

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...

As your State Senator representing the 15th Senate District in the California State Legislature, I am grateful to serve such an involved, engaged and strong neighborhood as Gilroy. For years, I have been committed to enhancing affordability, transportation and education in this neighborhood.  It is...

For our tribe, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Betabel is much, much more than a vacant lot conveniently located by a Highway 101 offramp. Positioned at the confluence of the San Benito and Pajaro Rivers, where earthquake faults also meet, the Betabel area is a place of power where, for countless generations, our people came together for healing and renewal.

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...