Opinion

Thank you for joining me for Gilroy’s 2021 State of the City address, and as we celebrate Gilroy’s 150th anniversary year. I’m Mayor Marie Blankley, and I’m honored to be giving my first State of the City, albeit during an historic pandemic. Vaccinations are in progress,...

I’m writing to the Gilroy Dispatch and Morgan Hill Times to commend Michael Moore's reporting about the San Martin Airport. The articles were well-written and provided much-needed information about the potential consequences of airport expansion plans.  Regularly visiting a retirement home on Church Avenue near...

Under the current economic slowdown, most Americans have spent time thinking about how they will cut personal spending, how they will pay their rent or mortgage, and some are also asking themselves how long they can endure this economy that is hanging on by...

For years, I have been railing against the so-called jobs/housing imbalance, believing that the underlying construction of the logic that forms this seemingly simple premise is fundamentally flawed. While there are several flaws in the jobs/housing imbalance premise, this discussion will be limited to...

The first few months of this rainfall season were below average across California, with drought conditions evident statewide. Although the Golden State received a much-needed soaking in late January, moderate drought conditions remain across Santa Clara County.  Valley Water remains focused on preparing for future...

Quarry would destroy critical ecosystem Just outside of Gilroy, Sargent Ranch is home to critical plant and animal life. Yet the land was purchased in auction by an investor group located in San Diego. The group is bent on building an open sand and gravel...

Nobody likes a line-jumper, the snide person who forces their way through the crowd with constant utterances of “excuse me” while claiming their friend saved a spot for them at the very front. Get caught, and it’s grounds for ejection wherever they may be. But...

In response to “Gilroy needs accessible mattress disposal site” (Gilroy Dispatch, Letters, Jan. 8), The Mattress Recycling Council’s Bye Bye Mattress program shares the author’s enthusiasm for establishing a permanent collection site in the city. Our staff is working diligently to make this possible...

On Jan. 20 around 9am, I was walking dogs at Miller and Fourth. I noticed a set of keys lying in the street. I picked them up and saw that they included a Lexus key and home or office keys.  I called the police emergency...

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...