The Morgan Hill Downtown Association has moved into a new office located inside the Downtown Mall. Their new address is 17490 Monterey Road, Ste. 4. The association's phone and fax numbers have remained the same.
Details: Jorge Briones, (408) 779-3190
City recruiting for committees
The City of Morgan Hill is recruiting citizens to sit on the Library, Culture and Arts or the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization commissions.
One vacancy exists on the seven-member Library, Culture and Arts Commission for a term that would expire on April 1, 2010.
The members cannot be officials or employees of the city, county library employees nor paid members of any organization receiving financial support from the city for library services. The Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Morgan Hill Library.
The commission meets regularly to advise the Morgan Hill City Council on the adequacy of library services, cultural opportunities, public art and look at the top priorities of current policy work and to serve as a liaison between the City and the Santa Clara County Library.
Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Commission has three vacancies for positions that expire June 1, 2010. One vacancy will be a mobile home park resident, and two vacancies will be citizens at large.
The commission meets quarterly and consists of five members that meet on an as-needed basis to hear and determine petitions submitted by mobile home park owners and tenants, to monitor the performance of the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance, report and recommend modifications, amendments or regulations to city council and city staff.
Candidates must be registered voters and reside within city limits or reside within the Morgan Hill Unified School District boundary.
Details: 779-7271 or morganhill.ca.gov
San Martin de Hidalgo mayor to be honored at Sister City reception
The Morgan Hill community is invited to attend a reception 5-7 p.m. July 5 in the El Toro Room at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. Mayor Alberto Rosas Camacho of Morgan Hill's sister city from Mexico, San Martin de Hidalgo, as well as some of the other delegates that will be visiting Morgan Hill during the Fourth of July weekend, will be honored. The reception will include the presentation of a gift from Mayor Steve Tate to Rosas, Folklorico dancers and finger foods. Admission is free.
Details: Julian Mancias, (408) 670-1380
Relay this July
Morgan Hill residents are preparing for the seventh American Cancer Society Relay For Life. The team captains are already busy recruiting team mates and raising money. The Relay will be July 19-20 at Community Park.
Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society's signature event, dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight cancer. Teams of families, friends and co-workers camp out overnight taking turns walking the track.
During the event participants and visitors will have the chance to celebrate the victory of local cancer survivors during the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 19; remember those who have died of cancer during the Luminaria Ceremony at 9:30 p.m. Saturday evening and participate in the new Fight Back ceremony at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Donations can be made by visiting relayforlife.org.
Details: Linda Roma, 778-1370
Seniors, disabled vets must file tax return to receive stimulus check
Congressman Jerry McNerney has offered a reminder that for those eligible to receive an economic stimulus check this year, they must file a 2007 tax return by Oct. 15. That includes seniors and disabled veterans who would not normally file a yearly tax return.
According to testimony heard by the Ways and Means subcommittees on Oversight and Social Security, more than six million Social Security and Veterans Administration beneficiaries who may be eligible for a stimulus payment have not yet applied.
"I was pleased to work with Democrats, Republicans and the President to deliver relief to my constituents who are dealing with real economic uncertainty, including rising gas and food prices," Rep. McNerney said. "I encourage everyone who is eligible, especially those veterans and Social Security recipients who wouldn't normally file a return, to do so in order to receive their check this year."
Details: Rep. McNerney's Stockton office at (209) 476-8552 or McNerney's Pleasanton office at (925) 737-0727.
Board to put bond measure on November ballot
The County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve an ordinance to place a ballot measure before voters in November requesting authorization for the county to issue $840 million in general obligation bonds to fund the first phase of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center's Seismic Safety Project and to provide a funding mechanism to help replace medical facilities in or near downtown San Jose that were lost when the San Jose Medical Center closed in 2004.
The majority of the funds, $790 million, would be used to bring the medical center into compliance with the California Seismic Safety Act, which established requirements for hospital seismic safety, and to prevent the closure of 272 patient beds and the Santa Clara Valley Medical trauma and burn center.
Phase one must be completed by 2013-15. At this phase, hospitals must remain standing during an earthquake and occupants able to exit safely. The remaining $50 million will go towards medical facilities in downtown San Jose. The location and precise nature of the replacement facilities is the subject of ongoing studies by the county and the City of San Jose.
The medical center is the largest provider of care in the county, with one in four residents receiving care for more than four years. It is only one of two burn-trauma centers north of Los Angeles and is a high level trauma center for adults and children; a reduced number of bed would likely force the center to close these services.
The number of patients seeking care at Valley Medical Center has increased 45 percent since 2000, as San Jose Medical Center and other area hospitals stopped accepting Medi-Cal patients.
Local artist's work at the Olympics
Longtime Morgan Hill resident and San Jose State University Professor Emeritus in Art Bob Freimark is well-represented at the Beijing Olympics. His large painting "Isn't it about time for another war?" has been selected by New York Arts magazine to be included in their group show "Prelude" from July 4 through 29 at New York Arts Beijing Gallery.
Freimark's painting represents a decapitated man inverted. It was created at the Walter Bischoff Studios in Stuttagart, Germany, after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
Freimark has been invited to show two of his hand-made prints at Two Lines Gallery in Beijing. The exhibition is dedicated to master prints. Freimark's works include a color lithograph, hand-pulled at Grass Valley Studios in Morgan Hill, called Muenchener Morgen, which won a Purchase Award at the Portland Museum of Art's International Print Exhibition. His second work is a color vitreograph, "Catawba."
New AAA program StartSmart offers free driving tips to teens and parents
Getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time is an exciting experience for teens, but it also means they are putting their lives at risk. AAA of Northern California's new StartSmart program will help families learn how to keep their teens safe while they're learning to drive.
"Car crashes are the leading cause of death among 16- to 19-year-olds," said Matt Skryja, spokesperson for AAA of Northern California. "StartSmart is an innovative and easy way for parents and teen drivers to learn how they can reduce the risks of driving."
To keep new drivers safe on the road, teens must start learning good driving habits before they get their licenses and continue even after they pass their driving tests. StartSmart has helpful advice for parents and teens every step of the way. The program is free and easy to join. Visit www.aaa.com/StartSmart and get parent and teen guides full of valuable information. As part of the program, AAA members can enroll to get informative email newsletters approximately every two weeks. Each newsletter is tailored to a different phase of a teen's learning process.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that 16-year-olds are 20 times more likely to have a motor vehicle crash than the general population. AAA StartSmart helps parents and teens reduce that possibility by offering tips and information on a wide variety of topics.
A few examples are how to drive in bad weather, the importance of safety belts, how to avoid distractions like having friends in the car, and knowing the dangers of combining alcohol or other drugs while driving.
AAA offers other programs to help teen drivers. Driver-ZED (Zero Errors Driving) is an interactive computer DVD-ROM that allows teen drivers to gain experience at recognizing dangerous driving situations in a safe virtual environment.
TeenSMART is another program that helps teens to drive more safely and rewards drivers between 16 to 18 years old who successfully complete home study coursework with a discount of up to 20 percent on auto insurance. Visit www.aaa.com/teens for details.
Families are also encouraged to download the Parent-Teen Driving Agreement that includes guidelines that should be followed on a teen's path to fully independent driving.
Humane Society SV urges public to keep pets indoors during July 4th
Fourth of July fireworks dazzle people but the flashes of light and noise can frighten animals, causing them to become injured or to run away.
"Every year, we see a dramatic increase in the number of stray dogs and cats during the Fourth of July holiday weekend," said Beth Ward, vice president of animal care at Humane Society Silicon Valley.
"The frightening sights and sounds of fireworks can spook animals and they often do whatever it takes to escape from their confines."
Ward offers the following suggestions to pet owners on how to create a happy yet safe Fourth of July for your pets:
Never leave pets outside and alone, because even if your yard is fenced in, your pet may panic and escape; he or she may even become lost or injured while trying to find safety.
Try to be home on Independence Day. That way, if your pet is afraid of loud noises, keep him inside and turn on a TV or radio that masks the booms of fireworks. If you've experienced trouble in previous years with your pet being excessively frightened, consult your veterinarian for tranquilizers. Make sure you give your pet the medication before the noises start. If you can't be at home, leave your pet inside in an area where he or she feels secure and at ease. Make sure all the windows and doors are securely locked, since some pets have been known to try to break through barriers.
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