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I turned 18 without knowing how to ride a bike. It was 1997, and I remember spending that summer at a public park swallowing my pride as an uncle pushed me around on a bike until I could ride it on my own.

Recently my mom realized it was the 21st Century and did something that literally a billion people have done before her: she joined Facebook. Now, if you believe this isn’t a tragedy in the making, you clearly do not have a mother on Facebook.

A plaque that states “All of God’s grace, in one tiny face” is on the wall of 11-month-old Wyatt Castalano’s nursery, a testament to the love his parents, Gilroy residents Shannon and Steven Catalano, feel for their son. On the day he was born, Oct. 31, 2014, they knew he was special, as all parents feel about their children. But the Catalanos knew immediately that their baby was special in a different way.

Hi, I am calling about the vacant lot between Alexander Street and the railroad tracks on 10th Street. The same lot that once was occupied by Nob Hill Foods and Indian Motorcycles. I realize that a growing number of homeless have relocated to Gilroy in desperate need of assistance. But, what I don’t understand is why these citizens have been allowed to destroy the property by cutting through a chain link fence on a main thoroughfare giving them full access to the property for the construction of a tent city made out of cardboard. Each day it grows bigger and bigger and nothing has been done to stop it. How is it that a city that opposes the use of flags and banners for small businesses think that this is okay? Thank you.

Yes, California's golden (read: brown) hills are lovely, but even in non-drought years our mid-summer landscape seems coated by a dusty tinge that makes me long for a cool verdant setting. Fortunately for us, medicine for parched souls is just over the hill.

Patti Lemon sings and plays the keyboards on the porch of a home on Hanna Street during the second annual Porchfest Gilroy on Sept. 19.  The Mariachi Estelar group (below) performs in the street. The singer’s voice was so sweet, many people in the audience were brought to tears, according to one spectator. Richard Simunic and his musical combo sing the blues at 7580 Hanna St.

Sadness and striving were subjects of the Gilroy library’s winning entries for the annual poetry contest sponsored by the Santa Clara County library district.

Opera San Jose begins its illustrious 32nd season with "Tosca," Puccini’s most melodramatic opera. “Tosca” is based on Victorian Sardou’s 1887 French language dramatic play La Tosca. The play starred Sarah Bernhardt, who played the lead in over 3,000 performances.  Puccini became obsessed with turning the play into an opera. Librettist Luigi Illica advised Puccini against trying to turn the play into an opera because he felt it could not be adapted to a musical form and was too violent.

Three years ago, CARAS—the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services—first opened its doors in Gilroy to offer assistance to the Latino community. The nonprofit organization picked up where MACSA—Mexican American Community Services Agency—left off when it closed its downtown Gilroy office.

Yeah, it’s really amazing. I was reading the paper today about how a guy holding a white cross standing at a street corner is carded by a code enforcer for being unsafe and you get these street vendors on 6th and Church Street that are selling trays or racks of fruits, nuts, this and that, and nothing is ever done. Those people are all over the place and cars stop. These guys are illegally selling bags and cartons of fruit. Why isn’t code enforcement doing something about that? I think it’s wrong that people are selling fruit on street corners. It’s not right. Why isn’t code enforcement doing something about that?