For a small town (at least for now), Morgan Hill has a way of making headlines each year, and 2017 was filled with noteworthy acts of nature, community activism, progress and, on occasion, controversy.
There are usually two sides, if not more, to every story, and, as Morgan Hill’s favorite hometown newspaper, our reporters try to cover every angle of an issue that pops on the newsroom radar. Following is a recap of some of the most memorable stories from 2017, and how some of them are likely to pan out as 2018 begins.
Teen’s killer convicted, sentenced
After a nearly four-month trial that lasted throughout the summer of 2017—and another four months of delays and challenges by the defendant—the man who killed 15-year-old Sierra LaMar was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole.
Antolin Garcia Torres, 26, of Morgan Hill, was sentenced after a Dec. 12 hearing in which Sierra’s parents and other family members tearfully read statements directly to their daughter’s killer, pleading with him to reveal the location of the girl’s remains. A jury convicted Garcia Torres of murdering Sierra in June.
The same jury also convicted him of three unrelated attempted carjackings in the parking lots of two Safeway stores in Morgan Hill, in which he targeted three different women in 2009.
While the DA’s Office argued for the death penalty for Garcia Torres, the jury recommended life in prison.
Sierra has been missing since March 16, 2012. She disappeared while she was walking to her school bus stop at the intersection of Palm and Dougherty avenues in north Morgan Hill. She was a sophomore at Sobrato High School at the time.
While her remains have not been found, authorities are still on alert for any sign of her whereabouts. Volunteer searcher Roger Nelson, of Gilroy, said it’s possible that the volunteer crews could schedule more search efforts, but only if they receive new leads.
Councilmember charged
Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr’s colleagues and constituents were surprised to learn that prosecutors charged him with domestic battery in relation to a Nov. 25 incident at the home he shares with his longtime girlfriend in the city’s downtown.
More research by the Times found that Carr, 48, pleaded no contest to an earlier domestic battery charge—involving the same victim—in 2015 at the couple’s previous home in Morgan Hill. He was also convicted in 1993, at the age of 24, of driving under the influence resulting in bodily injury in relation to a vehicle accident on Hale Avenue. Two occupants of the vehicle Carr collided with suffered numerous injuries.
Carr has denied ever physically harming any woman, particularly in relation to the charges filed in 2015 and 2017. Both charges are misdemeanors, as was the DUI conviction. In 2015, Carr agreed to complete a counseling program, but did not receive a fine or jail time for the no contest conviction.
Carr’s arraignment on the Nov. 24 domestic battery charge is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2018.
Anderson overflows
April showers might bring May flowers, but February’s heavy rains brought more than anyone bargained for, as Anderson Reservoir overflowed from its spillway for the first time since 2006. To make matters worse, an ill-prepared Santa Clara Valley Water District and City of San Jose did not anticipate Coyote Creek’s inability to hold the substantial runoff, as widespread flooding overtook South San Jose neighborhoods, which were evacuated with belongings left behind. The floods resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damages.
This winter, the water district is planning to keep Anderson’s water levels low enough that it will not reach the spillway, even if we see similar downpours in the coming months. SCVWD officials have also noted that a scheduled retrofit of Anderson Dam will not only strengthen the earthen structure, but also minimize future flooding. Construction is set to begin in 2020.
Neighbors steamed over new elementary school project
Residents near a Peet Road and Mission Avenida site brought strong vocal opposition to Morgan Hill Unified School District’s plan to dig up tons of contaminated soil on a donated 10-acre parcel of land to give way to a new elementary school.
Assurances from school district leaders and state environmental experts did not quell the concerns of residents, who were forced to be schooled in the dangers of a banned pesticide called dieldrin that was found in dangerous levels in the soil throughout the parcel. The state-approved plan to offhaul the toxic soil is on its way in 2018 and residents remain suspect of the method that they believe will allow harmful particles to be blown around in their neighborhood.
Construction of the new $20-$30 million school, which will be named S.G. Borello Elementary, is estimated for completion in February 2019. The new school will be funded through the $198 million Measure G capital improvements bond along with developer fees.
New president sparks local action
The national political climate heated up in the local community when it was discovered a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office opened in Morgan Hill. Local organizations, including the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers (MHFT), Services, Immigration Rights and Education Network (SIREN) and Community Agency for Resources and Advocacy Services (CARAS), banned together and planned three protests in front of the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) sub-office. It is located on Vineyard Court, just down the street from the Morgan Hill Police station.
The protests were in response to executive orders and other policies put in place by President Donald Trump’s administration which attempt to vastly restrict immigration in the U.S. and deport those who are here undocumented.
The president’s policies also inspired a successful lawsuit by Santa Clara County and San Francisco officials, in which an executive order prohibiting federal funds for undefined “sanctuary cities” was struck down.
Housing values hit record highs
By midyear 2017, it was reported that finding a house in Morgan Hill for under $800,000 was like finding a needle in a haystack, as home sale prices skyrocketed to record highs locally and regionally. The median Morgan Hill home sales price in June 2017 was estimated at $860,000.
Those values have steadily skyrocketed even as residential construction continues throughout Morgan Hill, and after the city council in April approved only 195 new homes for the 2019-20 fiscal year—a sharp reduction from the annual average of about 250 homes over the last decade.
Homeless population grows
With home and rental prices through the roof in 2017, it was no surprise that Santa Clara County saw a 13 percent increase in homelessness over a two-year span with a point-in-time census of 7,394, according to the county homeless count report. In Morgan Hill, the number of unsheltered homeless increased 379 percent from 81 in 2015 to 388 in 2017, according to that same report. Also, a growing trend of individuals living in Recreational Vehicles parked on the side of roads and in shopping centers becomes an issue throughout the county.
Some local authorities, including Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing, noted that these rising numbers are largely due to the closure of the Thousand Trails RV park on Uvas Road in unincorporated Morgan Hill.
New animal shelter approved
County supervisors approved a $26 million budget to construct a 36,000-square foot, state-of-the-art, no-kill animal shelter in San Martin. The long overdue project, which will move the shelter out of its current facility on Murphy Avenue on airport grounds to behind the South County Office Building located at 80 Highland Ave., is expected to break ground in early 2019.
No love lost between MHUSD, charter
The seemingly never-ending war between local school district and charter school officials came to a head in late 2017 when Charter School of Morgan Hill sought approval to seek millions in state rehabilitation funds. While Morgan Hill Unified School District’s Board of Trustees supported the charter school’s play, district leadership attempted to derail their plans by passing along a failing grade for CSMH to the state authority in charge of distributing the Proposition 51 funds. It got testy at a Dec. 5 school board meeting, but ultimately the board majority rebuffed district staff and backed the charter in its request for more than $11 million in funds to fix up the aging Encinal school site. To be continued.
Beloved middle school teachers die
Students, faculty, alumni and the community lost Martin Murphy Middle School teacher Mary Francis, 61, and Britton Middle School teacher George Flores, 65—both veteran educators beloved by students and colleagues—in 2017. Francis died in a tragic car accident on her way to work. Flores succumbed to lymphatic cancer. While their lives were cut short, both left lasting legacies at their respective schools.
Britton Middle School set for $50 million remake
The oldest and most rundown school in the district will be completely rebuilt in early 2018 after the school board approved the $50 million project, which includes a state-of-the-art student center and library. A ground-breaking in December, however, was postponed due to delays from the Department of State Architect.
Phase 1, which includes two solar-ready, “Net Zero Energy” classroom buildings at the campus on Central Avenue on the north side of downtown Morgan Hill, is expected to break ground January 2018 with an August 2018 target for completion.
Construction continues downtown
The ongoing development of downtown Morgan Hill is a story that persisted from 2016 throughout the entirety of 2017. The latest completed aspect of the city council’s years-long, $25 million effort to revitalize the neighborhood was three new parks, for which city officials and hundreds of residents celebrated a grand opening Dec. 2.
Construction of various residential and commercial projects continues throughout the downtown, while some sites won’t see intensive construction until 2018 starts.
In 2018, Frank Leal is expected to complete the 60-room Granada Hotel project (next door to the theater of the same name that he renovated last year), and Rocke and Glenda Garcia’s crews will begin construction of an 83-unit residential project.
In the meantime, four new restaurants at the corner of Monterey Road and East Third Street—Willard Hicks, Opa, Mo’s and Tac-Oh!—are expected to be open by January.
Public improvements associated with this revitalization—including assistance for private developers—have been funded by $25 million in leftover Redevelopment Agency funds. City officials have said the expenses have generated more than $60 million in private developer investment downtown.
Scott Forstner and Michael Moore, Times staff
