gmhTODAY Summer 2024 | Page 5

WHAT GOES IN THE GREEN BIN ?

Ceramic coffee cups

South Valley

Disposable coffee pods Coffee grounds & filter

Residents and businesses are now required to compost organic material . It ’ s the law .

LEARN MORE : 408.842.3358 | Recology . com / SB1383

Summer is upon us !

Debbi & Mike Sanchez , Publishers

Welcome warm days , cool nights , fireworks blasting all over town … ugh . Well , nothing ’ s perfect I suppose . Back to the positive : I love seeing kids riding bikes all over town , barbequing just about every meal except for when we are out enjoying the great food our communities have to offer . Those nights out include sitting outdoors at Craft Roots , Maurizio ’ s , and Ladera Grill in Morgan Hill , or Tempo Kitchen and Bar , Westside Grill , and Garlic City Café ( for a late lunch ) in Gilroy , just to name a few . We are fortunate to have great dining all around us . Add the local wineries , the pubs and microbreweries , and you have to admit , we ’ ve got it pretty good .

This summer we have the Gilroy Downtown Music Series running through August , and in Morgan Hill the uber popular Friday Night Music Series happening at the Community Center Amphitheater . Check out ActiveSouthBay . com for these and all other events happening in our area .

I don ’ t know about you , but we love the beach . It just so happens that we are no more than 35 minutes from the beach ! Just head out on 152 West ( from Watsonville Rd . in MH , or from 1st Street in Gilroy ) and not only will you be at the beach in minutes , but you will also have a beautiful drive along one of America ’ s most enjoyable and scenic roads ( we should make a proclamation !).

Proximity to everything used to be a big joke about our little South County . Nowadays , it is one of our best assets . Launch a trip to the beaches , the mountains , the valley , the big cities , or the desert from our neck in the woods and you can be back before bedtime . Or choose to extend your trip for a day or two and on your way back home , take in the beauty within our communities when you return home .

We take a lot of road trips , and it never fails that upon our return — heading over 152 into town , or navigating 13-mile drive over Pacheco Pass , or even coming back from the north or south on Hwy 101 — we are always delighted to take in the scenery as we get closer to home . From wide open fields of vineyards and row crops to gorgeous hillsides and grazing cattle , we are surrounded by natural beauty .

I personally feel that we should double down on the good , eliminate some of the “ low hanging fruit ” that detracts from our beautiful surroundings ( fix the potholes , clean up the weeds along Monterey Rd ., put pressure on Union Pacific to clean up the easement areas adjacent to the railroad tracks , find and fine illegal garbage dumpers , and spend some economic development money to improve the property facades along our gateways into our little communities , to name a few ), and showcase all we have to offer .

The streets in our South County are lined with gold . We should respect them as such . While on the subject , many props to the Saint Joseph ’ s street cleaning team who work tirelessly to keep the sidewalks clean in Gilroy . If not for the grease stains left by street vendors every weekend , our downtown sidewalks would be spotless . We ’ ve got it good here . But we need to work to keep it that way and improve where we can . Let ' s go make history .