Smooth – and effective. Have to hand it to the Chamber of Commerce and the city for the foresight to “re-brand” the outdoor area at the Community and Cultural Center as the Downtown Amphitheater. It’s one of those brilliant brush strokes that not only enhances the perception of local residents, but spills over into the visitor arena. “Hey, how about we head to Morgan Hill for the Kihncert – it’s at the Downtown Amphitheater?” It sounds cool, it bundles the perception of the facility with downtown – as it should be – and a key element for success is that perception, and this is just the ticket.
No ticket needed to hear Mayor Steve Tate deliver the 2014 State of the City Address on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Community and Cultural Center in the El Toro Room. It’s the mayor’s annual big performance, akin on the local level to the U.S. president’s State of the Union address. There are facts to gather, points to ponder, writing and editing to do and visions to consider. Fortunately, we have a thoughtful man at the helm who can hone in on what’s important and share the future vision of the community. That’s a good thing.
When a mom calls with good news, I love it. In the news business, we have to deal with nasty news and controversy, of course. Then, there are the uplifting stories – yeah! So, when it’s a tough day and you get a call from a mom who is so proud of her son and just wants to know if it’s possible to get his accomplishment in the paper, it’s a welcome respite from the rest. So, thanks to Beth Hartman for calling and letting us know that her son, Kevin, a member of the fabled Live Oak High School Emerald Regime Band, has been selected as an All-State Honor Band member as a trombonist. Thanks for calling to toot Kevin’s horn! OK, corny, but I couldn’t resist writing that line …
Good line returned to me when I inquired about a Thursday night meeting in Morgan Hill labeled the County Expressway Planning Meeting: “It’s an open house type meeting about the county’s overall Expressways Plan, which happens to include the unfunded, unpermitted, and essentially hypothetical Santa Teresa Boulevard/Hale Avenue extension through west Morgan Hill.” Guess, we’ll have to settle for the useful and lovely Butterfield Extension for the time being. Back in the day there were plans to connect Morgan Hill and Gilroy via an expressway, but really Gilroy has ruined that idea by sprouting stoplights all along Santa Teresa Boulevard on its northern border and entrance. Besides, why build another road when we can’t even seem to take care of what we have? Anyone driving on U.S. 101 from Morgan Hill to Gilroy or vice versa, particularly in the slow lane, knows what I’m talking about.
Most businesses talk about customer service, but few deliver like the bustling Ford Store in Morgan Hill. A year after my vehicle purchase and a few scheduled service stops later, I’m still impressed. Kevin Riberdy in the service department is a no-nonsense guy (and BTW a die-hard Red Sox fan for those transplanted New Englanders) who knows how to cut to the chase and get things done. The truck runs like a charm and, after the last service, I got a thank you note via email from Service Manager Murray Allen. Nice touch – no wonder sales continue to climb steadily.
If your teen is looking for a steady job this summer, that’s a good thing. There’s no experience like real-world work to put the exclamation point on why it’s important to get an a good education. The city recreation department is looking for staff at the skate park, lifeguards, swim instructors and camp counselors. Apply online at www.mhrecreation.com and teens over 15 can also sign up for a Red Cross lifeguard certification class that’s held in April. It’s a good job, and one that carried through college for my middle daughter Cayla who worked – and worked out at – the Centennial Recreation Center.
Haven’t worked out cycling in a long time, but a gift membership to the clean, spacious and well-run Morgan Hill Athletic Club led to what was formerly known as “spinning” classes. Since I hadn’t hopped on the stationary bike in a decade, I had some trepidation. But a few classes into it and it’s really enjoyable. The stationary bikes are vastly improved and the two instructors – Tawny and Debbie – both have a knack for pairing really good music with the hour-long workout. That’s a plus, and there’s one more plus at MHAC, they have Comcast SportsNet Bay Area available on the individual TVs on the various fitness machines. Olympics, Giants, Sharks, A’s and Warriors all fair game during a workout.
Morgan Hill Unified School District just can’t seem to work its way out of the charter school sweepstakes. Word on the street is the Charter School of Morgan Hill, already established, will seek to expand. Stay tuned.
Can’t stay tuned to some of the winter Olympic sports. When it comes to global competition, I lean towards the traditional. So, though I appreciate the difficulty, some of the snowboarding events in particular just don’t captivate my Olympic spirit. Since we’re on the topic, my winter Olympic fantasy event has stayed the same since I was a kid: Bobsled. Crazy fast, crazy dangerous, but what a rush. Maybe someday I’ll write about the time my childhood buddy and I took on the Olympic ski jump at Squaw Valley in a wood toboggan.
Reach Editor Mark Derry at
ed****@mo*************.com
