Translate
How should you respond when someone asks ‘the question’?
“Where are you from?”
It’s a common question, and one that can be quite loaded for people of diverse ethnicities.
On its face, it’s a plain question based on curiosity, filled with nostalgia, or awe.
But it could also carry covert racism and hatred, carrying the connotation...
Channeling Twain pt. 2: Voyaging beyond the 101
I’m still reading the biography of Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. The book is more than 1,000 pages long, so cut me some slack.
My last column channeled Twain’s propensity to write fake news stories when he was a journalist. Prior to picking up Chernow’s...
Blum: Here’s my whimsical plea for civic engagement
In our quaint town of Los Gatos, nestled amidst rolling hills and serene landscapes, reside dedicated public servants whose hearts beat in rhythm with the pulse of the community. These individuals tirelessly serve on the Community Health and Senior Services Commission (CHSSC), their passion...
The paradox of progress
News cycles spin with relentless negativity, bombarding us with stories of conflict, division and environmental woes. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the volume of problems the world faces. Sometimes, the most tempting response is to bury our heads in the sand, hoping the...
Guest View: How to teach kids about fiery realities
Parents want to shield their children from the dangers of the world—but fire is one thing they can’t sweep under the rug. Especially now, as our communities begin to realize fire season no longer has a beginning or end; it is a constant where...
Van Nada: 4 Town officials responsible for flood of Builder’s Remedy proposals
Four Town officials—Town Manager Laurel Prevetti and former mayors Maria Ristow and Rob Rennie, along with Councilmember Rob Moore—have been responsible for the failure to get the Housing Element passed, despite five attempts. Ristow recently said the three of them should be recognized for...
Op-Ed: Tamien Nation deserves to be recognized as historical Los Gatos tribe
On Aug. 10, 2022, the Los Gatan published an article by Drew Penner on the Town’s efforts to acknowledge the first people of Los Gatos. We were dismayed by the comments anthropologist Alan Leventhal made regarding the Tamien Nation, which were repeated by Muwekma...
Remembering our roots, building our future
It’s easy to get caught up in the present, but sometimes looking back helps us understand where we’re going. So, let’s take a trip in the wayback machine to 1966. The Beatles were dominating the charts, “Star Trek” premiered on television, and the Vietnam...
San Jose Water: Your water, our promise
Every family deserves the peace of mind that comes with clean, lead-free drinking water. At San Jose Water, we are committed to developing a comprehensive inventory of service line materials in our system.
Since 2017, we’ve worked alongside industry experts to inspect thousands of lines...
How to create a healthier community
Reading “Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World” by Peter S. Goodman left me despairing the power and greediness of a select group of billionaires until I neared the book’s end. One of the final chapters, titled “The Money is Right There in...

















