History

During its regularly scheduled meeting, Dec. 6, Mayor Rob Rennie asked Town Manager Laurel Prevetti for an update on the process to officially acknowledge Los Gatos’ earliest residents. But her response—while delighting some First Nations advocates—left one group in particular feeling a little left out. “We...

The iconic La Cañada building on the corner of West Main Street and North Santa Cruz Avenue, with its circular bay window and signature “witches hat” turret, has been a prominent feature of our historic downtown business district almost since the day it was...

When I was a child in the 70s, Los Gatos was filled with Italians. I remember seeing the older women walking in town, dragging behind them their wire utility carts filled with groceries down Santa Cruz Avenue. My grandparents, Adam and Albina Contardo, were...

Tourists from around the world flock to the well publicized wine regions of Napa and Sonoma, but those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Los Gatos know that some of the best wines in the world can be found right here...

While the Los Gatan often shines a light on the rich history of our wonderful town, let me take you next door to San Jose and revisit a local legend that made such a difference in my life. It might just resonate with your...

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…unless you’re fighting bumper-to-bumper beach traffic on Highway 17. Even navigating from one side of town to another is an ordeal on summer weekends. Multiple attempts to eliminate cut-through traffic haven’t resulted in a permanent fix. But Caltrans is...

Summer has arrived, and there’s no shortage of live music for us to enjoy here in Los Gatos, from regularly scheduled Jazz on the Plazz and Music in the Park concerts to special events like the multi-cultural Drums in the Park celebration. Our tradition of...

During a walk along North Santa Cruz Avenue, it is easy to take for granted the stack of newspapers sitting in Los Gatos Roasting Company and in other local coffee houses. In a town like ours, where debate over housing developments, Town Council budgets...

There’s no shortage of live entertainment for us to take in this time of year, from Jazz on the Plazz and Music in the Park to Chamber of Commerce street festivals. Los Gatos has a long history of outdoor summer entertainment. On June 21, 1919,...

St. Patrick’s Day offers the perfect opportunity to pay homage to one of Los Gatos’ most fascinating and colorful characters, Charles Henry McKiernan, better known as “Mountain Charlie.”  McKiernan was born in Ireland in 1825. He joined the British navy to escape the potato famine...