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Robert Guerrero has a deep appreciation for the history of boxing, considering himself a “student of the game.”

So, spring Passport Weekend for our wonderful, visitor attracting wineries is a comin’ fast on March 23 and 24 and a spat has broken out. Hopefully, Sycamore Creek will change direction and participate in the weekend and, hopefully, the winery owners will get together to seek solutions to the challenges of parking and rowdy wine drinkers who overindulge. Toward that end, perhaps the winery owners could consider hiring shuttle buses – a few for the Gilroy area and a few, likewise, for Morgan Hil. The buses could ferry passengers on a loop route between wineries during the weekend. A main parking lot would have to be identified and promoted – Dhruv Khanna’s paved soccer field parking lot at Kirigin Cellars could work, for example – and that could minimize some of the challenges. If the winery owners are smart, they’ll do what they can to solve the problems themselves and collectively keep intact the momentum of Passport Weekend and the growing reputation for fun events, good wine and hospitable staffs that the area wineries have built.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to hold a special election to replace their colleague George Shirakawa, who resigned last week after he was charged with perjury and other allegations related to his misuse of public funds and failure to file campaign finance disclosure forms.

Tux came to Pet Friends with her buddy Flame last year as abandoned cats. Flame was adopted recently, and Tux should also have a home of her own. She is an adult cat (and eligible for the reduced adoption fee for adult cats), litter box trained and ready for a sunny spot on the floor of her new home. She is ok with the other cats here at Pet Friends, and seems to be non-aggressive with the other cats. Tux is moderately playful, and not an "Underfoot" kind of cat. She might be ok with dogs, and she did seem to adapt to the Pet Friends environment fairly quickly. She will come with her shots, and already spayed; all set for a happy life with a new family. If Tux seems like the cat for you, please call or visit Pet Friends to come see her. See our new website at http://www.petfriends.org/, or call us at 831-634-1191. If you'd like to just come by and help Tux (and other cats and dogs) pass the time waiting for their forever home. Pet Friends welcomes volunteers who would like to help socialize cats and dogs. Walking the dogs is always needed, and cats love to play with the people who visit. See our website for  additional information on volunteering with Pet Friends.

Five months old. That’s the age of my nephew, who now faces the first major challenge of his short life. You see, Ryland was recently diagnosed with a rare immune deficiency disorder called Wiskott Aldrich syndrome (WAS).

The Central Coast Barnstormers semi-pro football team will open the season against the South Bay Stallions at 3 p.m. March 16 at Gilroy High.

I was a young kid back in the 1960s, growing up in Cupertino when it was surrounded by acres of fruit orchards and cutting ’cots (apricots) for a summer job was a rite of passage. I remember my older brothers racing home on their bikes - out of breath - after being shot at with salt pellets from a BB-gun-wielding farmer for stealing a handful of cherries. Our fertile Santa Clara Valley, filled with a profusion of spring blossoms, was dubbed the “Valley of Heart’s Delight.”

Got a hankering for a taste of British hospitality? Save your air fare to the U.K. and visit Victoria, British Columbia's capitol and the second largest city of that province. Named for Queen Victoria, it can be found on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. You don't get more British that this delightfully charming city and it all comes without the stiff upper lip or the stuffiness that is some time associated with our friends across the great pond.