Columnists

If you are a fan but never had the opportunity to experience the King of Pop perform, this is as close as you will ever get. "Cirque du Soleil" has combined Jackson's music, dancing and awe-inspiring visuals into a celebration of the experience of one of his legendary concerts.

As the New Year begins, I reflect on the local arts events of the past year. Among them are the art shows at the center, choir concerts, symphony concerts, theater productions, the Diva/Divo Concert, songwriter's showcase, poetry readings, dance recitals, Kids Discover Arts, Garlic Festival entertainment and the wonderful Fifth Street Music Series. How fortunate we are to have this wealth of enrichment in our community.

One had to believe that 2012 was the gift of a benevolent God on New Year's Day when temperatures in South Valley soared, and the dawning day felt warm as springtime.

Q: Our dog's name is Trouble and he has bad ears. He's been treated at least 10 times with different medications, including eardrops, ointments, pills, etc. Now our vet says he has both a bacterial and a yeast infection that will never go away. The vet wants to do surgery and we think this might be a bad idea. What do you think?

The new year has officially begun but warm memories linger as I think about the wonderful holiday just spent with loved ones. As is common to most families, my family relationships can be messy at times, but in the end, I realize how tremendously blessed I am to have them.

Last year held both disconcerting and promising changes for South County. On the disconcerting side, a California Supreme Court decision came at the end of the year that allows the state of California to kill redevelopment agencies. The decision means that the Morgan Hill Redevelopment Agency, which is responsible for many projects that improve the quality of life for city residents, will cease to exist on Feb. 1, 2012.

A tumultuous year for stocks. As 2012 begins, many investors are more concerned with return of capital than return on capital. That is understandable. Wall Street faced some powerful headwinds last year. With little policy momentum to foster or aid any available economic momentum, United States and global indices were poised to finish 2011 with flat to poor annual returns.

The congregation of Gilroy's Lutheran Church of the Good

The musical

For all the moaning and groaning I've done about the demise of