The numbers were staggering. An estimated $200 million. When all
was said and done, more than 600 pounds of methamphetamine – the
most ever recorded in the country’s history, according to
authorities. The Aug. 19 drug bust at 2250 Roop Road in rural
Gilroy cut off one of the country’s primary drug distribution hubs,
and is an incident Gilroy won’t soon forget.
For the Top 10 Faces of Gilroy in 2010, click here.
For the Top 5 Going Forward Stories, click here.
$80m drug bust
The numbers were staggering. An estimated $200 million. When all was said and done, more than 600 pounds of methamphetamine – the most ever recorded in the country’s history, according to authorities. The Aug. 19 drug bust at 2250 Roop Road in rural Gilroy cut off one of the country’s primary drug distribution hubs, and is an incident Gilroy won’t soon forget.
High Speed Rail
Once seen as a cool, futuristic glimpse into super speedy travel, support for the California high-speed rail project has derailed. The opposition against the $45-billion, 800-mile system – that will have a major stop in Gilroy – reached a head this year when the Gilroy City Council issued a vote of no confidence in October to the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
Medicinal Marijuana Clinic Battle
Lawsuits and MediLeaf were synonymous in 2010. What started as a legal fight between the medicinal marijuana dispensary and Gilroy on whether MediLeaf could stay open without a business license took on a new twist Dec. 9 when law enforcement raided the pot shops and residences associated with MediLeaf directors as part of an investigation concerning money laundering and illegal sales.
Flag Shirts
When four Live Oak High School teens were sent home for wearing red, white and blue or patriotic-themed T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo, it quickly garnered national media attention and ignited a firestorm of freedom of speech versus campus safety. The aftermath included a protest march through downtown by Hispanic students and a civil rights lawsuit filed against the school district by families of three of the teens.
Mi Pueblo dust up
Apparently the bright colors of cranberry, yellow and blue of Mi Pueblo was just a little too much. The Hispanic grocery chain and its bright facade sparked debate on what tackiness is compared to cultural pride and the importance of financial gain as compared to city regulation. In the end, compromise ruled the day. Mi Pueblo agreed to tone down the colors and opened in November.
