Zach Hilton: Moving Gilroy forward in 2023
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 the views of my constituents to these meetings, as well as my own....
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, Mark Turner: Searching for answers in the fight against homelessness
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...
Guest view: Could carbon pricing help solve the climate crisis?
The summer of 2020 will always be remembered as the season of the largest, most destructive wildfires in the history of California. Our Golden State lost over 4 million acres that were ravaged by more than 8,200 fires. Thirty-one lives were lost, along with...
Guest View, Miguel Villa: Trade one box for another
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...
Guest View: Don’t expand city limits for single-family homes
On Aug. 2, joined by my daughter, I spoke at the Santa Clara County LAFCO public hearing in support of LAFCO's staff recommendation to deny an application to expand the city limits in order to build more single-family homes.
What has Gilroy been doing over...
Spoking My Mind: Happy New Gear
Yes, a very happy new gear to all!
Did Santa bring you a new bicycle last month? Spectacular! Send me a picture of you and your new ride—landscape is preferred over portrait—and I’ll try to feature it in a future column.
Have you signed up for...
Spoking My Mind: The most wonderful time of the gear
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...
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...
Spoking My Mind: Opportunities lost and found
Recently, I was gazing out the window of our VRBO, two tall flights above the narrow, cobblestone path below. Florence’s early-morning street view was certainly a lot quieter than our previous one in Rome! Off to the right, I spied two colorful bicycle wheels...






















