Thanks to two separate groups of Morgan Hillites, the police
department building on Monterey at Main might just have a vibrant,
exciting and really useful future
– and totally unrelated to crime.
Thanks to two separate groups of Morgan Hillites, the police department building on Monterey at Main might just have a vibrant, exciting and really useful future – and totally unrelated to crime.
Both Geno and Cindy Acevedo of the home-grown El Toro Brewing Company and Rick Page and friends of Page Holdings, are going to great lengths and expense to work up designs, plans, menus and financing to turn the old building into a brewpub.
Brewpubs are family-oriented restaurants – usually quite affordable – that happen to make beer on the premises, giving the operation a certain, well, something jazzy. Brewing involves monster-sized metal tanks and laboratory-like apparatus (think Dr. Frankenstein’s lab), all normally visible through windows, adding color and intrigue to what might otherwise be an ordinary dining room.
The Page group will not actually brew on site – two partners are associated with Coast Range Brewing Co. in Gilroy – but do plan to show the tanks. The Acevedos plan to brew their specialty beers and soft drinks on site while continuing to make their award-winning beers at the ETBC brewery on Hill Road.
Both camps plan entertainment for kids and grownups: darts, Foosball, games, even live entertainment. Both plan an outdoor patio to take advantage of Morgan Hill’s climate and have an eye on menus that will serve Morgan Hill families – and indeed, grownups – well. The Page group plans a special Tuesday night low cost menu all served Basque style where everybody sits together.
Whichever plan the city ultimately chooses will add sparkle to the downtown restaurant scene and for Morgan Hill.
• We also want to enter a plea that residents appreciate what downtown merchants, the Downtown Association and the city are trying to do to our very nice downtown. It can only get better. Come on down and check out its many restaurants and specialty shops. Sinaloa Restaurant will reopen soon at Monterey and First and Siccilia in Boca on West Main Avenue (next to the police department) is under new and equally tasty management. And, don’t forget Mushrooms and Le Bistro on the same street. Mama Mia’s on East Dunne Avenue near the railroad tracks has opened – families take notice – and Maurizio – who gave up his spot to Sinaloa – is renovating a space on East First Street. Also, the Trail Dust, now at 17240 Monterey (East Fourth Street) plans to open for lunch on Dec. 6.
• A part of the school district, yet not a part of the district, the Charter School of Morgan Hill must raise funds to augment the money it receives from the state, and its supporters answered the call in September. The school’s second annual fundraiser at the Clos LaChance winery raised nearly $60,000 for the school. Executive Director Mary Smathers and volunteers like Bev Locsin put in many hours to make sure the event was a success. Sponsors included parents like Charles Lewis of the Chef’s Table, which catered the event, corporate sponsors like IBM, Frye’s Electronics, C&M Auto, as well as smaller businesses, including Rosie’s at the Beach, House of Bagels and others. Of course, the folks at Clos LaChance who opened their doors to school supporters to provide a lovely setting for a fun, festive and beneficial evening.
• An encouraging sight/sound at Monday’s School Board meeting was the presence of a large contingent of Hispanic parents, with translators. ELAC (English Language Acquisition Consortium) members at various district schools have been encouraged by their principals – Kathleen Masner of El Toro was mentioned by President Julia Starling as being particularly encouraging – to attend meetings and be a voice in the school community. Kudos to the parents, for stepping up to the plate and getting involved, despite needing translators whispering in their ears. And kudos to the district, specifically the principals, for reaching out and letting this important part of our district know they are needed and wanted.
• Because the parents of a special education child brought the subject to light, all students in our district will have an opportunity to participate in K-8 promotion ceremonies. Last June, several kindergartners at Jackson Elementary who are special education students were excluded from a promotion ceremony, and their parents were not notified the ceremony was taking place. District officials, working with School Board trustees and a committee of parents and district staff created a policy for the district requiring inclusion of all students in these ceremonies and pre-approval by the site administrator. Perhaps even more far-reaching than the promotion policy, however, is the fact that the committee alos created a timeline for giving district teachers, through their administrators, training in discrimination. This is a good example of the district’s positive response to a problem of a small group which in turn benefits the entire district.
• Just when it seemed that time had run out for freshman basketball, Live Oak Athletic Director Marc Cummins and Live Oak Basketball Coach Brett Paolucci sank a three-pointer with their quick response to save the teams. In what was apparently a miscommunication, other freshman sports were rescued from the budget ax by Live Oak Athletic Boosters and their $25,000, but the freshman basketball team, somehow included since its inception in the middle school budget, was still in jeopardy. Parents quickly stepped forward to offer to do what was needed to save the program, and Cummins and Paolucci, unwilling to lose a valuable training ground for future JV and varsity players, committed to make it happen. The final details have not been completely worked out, but it appears safe to conclude there will be a freshman boys’ basketball team. The girls’ team will hopefully not be far behind.
