Opinion

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...

This weekend marks the return of a reimagined Garlic Festival—a beloved tradition that, for more than 40 years, has played a vital role in supporting our local community. Through the tireless work of volunteers and the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association (GGFA), the event has...

There are moments in life that don’t announce themselves with fanfare or ceremony. They arrive quietly, leaving behind a memory that settles into your bones.  Nine of us taking an early morning walk Saturday, July 19 to scatter Marty Cheek’s ashes at Henry Coe State...

When someone in our community is murdered, the pain reaches beyond the victim. It devastates families, close friends, neighbors and often the entire town. In the wake of such violence, our attention tends to focus on the police investigation or the court case. But...

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...

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...

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...