Opinion

People globally celebrate Earth Day on April 22, recognizing the urgent need to help our planet.  What began in 1970 as a grassroots environmental movement in the United States has since grown into the largest secular observance in the world, involving more than a...

Agreement on a new fire protection contract last week means local residents can rest assured they will continue to have high-level safety services into the future. This was a monumental win for our community.  This agreement marked the end of a collective process to extend...

Re: International film fest returns to SBC, Free Lance, April 4, 2025 If I could I would make a film about our hospital from the last century to this one for the Poppy Jasper Film Festival. The film might begin with a horse-drawn cart ramble...

Bruce John Bannister, a local pastor who had a major impact on hundreds of lives, died June 9, at the age of 73 surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with cancer, his wife Dori told us.Bruce was born in San Jose on May...

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...

Author reflects on iconic moment, upcoming local performances Every August, I reminisce about my adventurous week at the legendary Woodstock Music & Art Fair, now 56 years ago. I think about the heat and humidity and the smell of patchouli oil, incense, cow manure and...

When I heard legendary musician, writer, DJ, manager and producer Peter Asher was coming to Morgan Hill, I just knew I had to put out my music column and let the community know about this special one-time appearance.  Peter Asher may not be a household...

Re: Hospital proceeds with negotiations, Free Lance, April 18, 2025 Instead of the Easter Bunny, we get the Big Bad Wolf and he is trying to blow the house down.  The Easter basket from the San Benito County Health Care District over-flowed with attractive colors,...

Lately, it can feel like the world is weighed down with stress—global conflicts, economic uncertainty and the fast pace of everyday life. It’s easy to get caught up in the heaviness of it all. But right here in our own community, there are still...

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...