Letters

As the Mayor of Morgan Hill and the VTA Board member representing South County, I would like to thank Councilmember Hilton for his thoughtful letter regarding the future of Caltrain service in South County. I appreciate his long-standing commitment to improving transportation options for...

I wanted to express my excitement and appreciation regarding the return of our city's Garlic Festival, which ran for the first time after being on hiatus for six years. Given the tragedy in 2019, I can say that this successful return, with heightened security...

Gilroy is a city with a big heart. We are proud of the many nonprofit, faith-based and government programs here that offer help to those experiencing homelessness. In fact, our abundance of services has made Gilroy a regional hub, and today, per capita, we...

I’ve seen the June South County Caltrain ridership numbers (Monday-Friday, four trains north in the morning and four trains south in the evening): Gilroy 126 riders/day; San Martin 22 riders/day; Morgan Hill 104 riders/day; Blossom Hill 68 riders/day; Capitol 45 riders/day.  It's not fiscally responsible...

A little after midnight on Friday, July 11, I was awakened by the sound of sirens from many fire engines and a call from a neighbor, saying, “You’re OK, but you need to get out of your house, now. The barn next to you...

As a mom of two kids and a passionate advocate for educational choice, I’m deeply concerned about the potential impact of Assembly Bill 84 (AB 84) on students and families along the Highway 101 corridor. This bill, if passed, would deal a devastating blow...

Imagine a place where children laugh as they pick sun-ripened fruit, where families reconnect with the land and animals that feed us—and where the legacy of South County’s farms thrives for generations.  This is the heart of the “Valley of Heart’s Delight,” and it’s at risk. The...

Since my last housing post in July 2024, Gilroy continues to make strides to plan and promote housing opportunities for our workforce that are typically more affordable.  The state released new income guidelines, stating a household of one whose income is $111,700 is considered low...

Today, nearly 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s, including 720,000 in California. That’s roughly 36,000 in Santa Clara County and potentially 1,440 in Gilroy.  Without medical breakthroughs, this number is projected to nearly double in the next 15 years. These numbers can be...

City Councilmember Zach Hilton recently wrote in a letter to the editor that the commuter rail service Caltrain should “pause” their service out of Gilroy (Dispatch, June 13, 2025). I feel that this action would be taking a step backward and do more harm...