Guest view: Food security is critical to economic and national security on Central Coast
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...
Guest View, Cat Tucker: Our community is better with Caltrain
By Cat Tucker
Seven months into the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are feeling the profound personal effects. While the pandemic will eventually come to an end, allowing us to go back to doing what we love, its long-reaching economic impacts could make it difficult...
Guest View: Regulators want to spend billions to reduce a fraction of water usage
Hydrologists measure large amounts of water in acre-feet—an acre of water one-foot deep, or 326,000 gallons.
In an average year, 200 million acre-feet of water fall on California as rain or snow. The vast majority of it sinks into the ground or evaporates, but about...
From My Perspective: Fear, faith and fire
Where do you spend most of your time...in fear or faith? You have a “natural” faith of things: awakening each morning knowing the sun will shine or putting your foot on the brake trusting the car will stop. You have faith when you board...
Guest View, Johnny Khamis: Can we fix CEQA?
If Bay Area housing stakeholders are to ever address factors that have led to construction delays and the rise in costs for constructing desperately needed housing, we must delve deeper into how a well-intentioned law has inadvertently led to difficulty in producing sufficient housing....
Guest View, Marie Blankley: VTA’s 10-year outlook still threatens local streets and roads
By Marie Blankley
On Jan. 7, Valley Transportation Authority staff presented the VTA Board with a revised Draft 10-year Vision that allocates 2016 Measure B revenue among the categories of projects to be funded by Measure B over the next 10 years. Among these projects...
Guest View: Valley Water completes pipeline extension project
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...
Guest View: For housing, ‘status quo’ has got to go
Gilroy has made strides to plan and promote housing opportunities for our workforce that are typically more affordable. This is needed more now than ever before.
The State recently released new income guidelines: a Santa Clara County household of one whose income is $92,250 is...
Rabbi Mendel Liberow: As we respond to the crisis in Ukraine, unity is key
They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat.
Jewish festivals often conjure up something along these lines. Purim, the Jewish festival that takes place on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar—this year March 16-17—is no exception.
In 357 BCE, Persia’s King Ahasuerus...
Guest View, Beverly Kirk: Gift Shop has been eliminated
On May 28, there was an article in the Dispatch about possible changes for the Senior Center. The article indicated that these changes could hinder operations of the longtime gift shop or close it all together.
This is not just a possibility, it is indeed...





















