Following the time-honored tradition, many community leaders
have made New Year
’s resolutions for 2004.
Following the time-honored tradition, many community leaders have made New Year’s resolutions for 2004.
Lt. Joe Sampson, who is serving as acting police chief for the Morgan Hill Police Department after the retirement of Chief Jerry Galvin in December and until the arrival of Interim Chief Bruce Cumming Jan. 20, expects a busy year for the MHPD.
“This is an exciting time for the police department and the community also,” he said. “We will be opening the new building this summer, and that will give us the opportunity to do things we haven’t been able to do in the past.”
Sampson said while the new facility at 16200 Vineyard Boulevard will provide breathing room for the department, the MHPD also has plans to increase services to the public.
“This year, we look to broaden our involvement with volunteers in the police department, in the area of public safety,” he said. “That will bring the opportunity to provide some additional services.”
Getting more information out to the community will be a goal for 2004, he said.
Also in the new year, the department will come under new leadership as City Manager Ed Tewes selects a new chief, Sampson said, with the assistance of Cumming.
“My expectation is that, like with any agency, a new leader means the chance to take a fresh look at things,” he said.
Leaders in the Morgan Hill School District are also looking forward to a fresh start.
“Of course I’m excited about the opening of Sobrato High and the (renovation) work at Live Oak,” said Superintendent Carolyn McKennan. “We are reaching a significant point, for the first time in close to a quarter century, we will have a nine-12 high school and seven-to-eight middle schools. This will represent a significant achievement; it has been one of the goals the board has focused on since I was hired.”
McKennan said she also looked forward to seeing continued student progress.
“I would like to see us continue the work we’re doing for our students, which has resulted in improvements, and to look at what else we can do to assist students so they can continue to succeed,” she said.
Assistant Superintendent Denise Tate said she was also looking forward to the opening of Sobrato for the district. On a personal level, she said, she would like to spend more time at the school sites.
“I would like to be more in the classrooms to observe the instructional strategies employed by our teachers,” said Tate, who heads human resources for the district. “I would like the opportunity to observe firsthand the student learning curve.”
School Board Trustee Shellé Thomas said she hopes to see a community commitment to supporting education and a cooperative relationship between the district and the community.
“I would like to bring people together in our community and our district to work together for the betterment of our kids,” she said. “We have great teachers, a great support staff doing the best they can with the limited resources available. We need to refocus on our goals to be specific, to work towards something that includes all children.”
The opening of the new high school is significant, Thomas said, but must be done in the right way.
“I want to move forward, but I want a move forward in a way that is equitable,” she said. “We don’t need to build our future on the backs of the very people who got us where we are today.”
Thomas said the issues of communication and trust are important.
“We need to restore trust,” she said. “I don’t want a community divided. I want a community that supports public education and where we all work together to bring about student achievement.”
Trustee Jan Masuda said she expects to see students in the district keep reaching new heights in student achievement.
“Academic achievement is at an all-time high,” she said. “Five elementary schools qualified to apply for a California Distinguished School Award; Twelve of 13 schools achieved their state academic growth targets. Our staff has made great progress in the process of aligning/implementing district curriculum with graduation requirements. We would continue to improve.”
She also, like Thomas, said trust and communication are areas for improvement.
“If one were to compare the district to a multi-story building, we need to retrofit our foundation and continue to build additional stories,” she said. “Retrofitting includes improving leadership, communication, community ownership and trust.”
Around City Hall the mood is restrained as Council and staff wait to see what Sacramento will actually withhold from expected revenues.
“This will be a tough year,” said Councilwoman Hedy Chang. “We already have a $900,000 deficit for this year and are projecting $2 million in deficit for next year.”
Councilman Larry Carr focuses on the positives in Morgan Hill.
“Fortunately we have the tools to do that,” Carr said. “We are lucky to have the Redevelopment Agency, the budget reserve and outstanding employees and will continue to invest in the community – and keep our quality of life.”
City Attorney Helene Leichter said she believes 2004 will bring residents a new appreciation of what government does for the town.
“As the council examines the finances and discusses how to deliver critical city services with less money,” Leichter said, “there should be a good dialogue about what we are willing to pay for. It will be a matter of priorities.”
She said the cuts will be particularly painful for her coworkers at the city.
“We had 5 percent cuts in the last two years and will certainly have more this year,” Leichter said.
Dan Craig, executive director Morgan Hill Downtown Association, has his eye on the future of the town’s occasionally vibrant but changing downtown.
“The year 2004 will see The Granary, the Dayworker Center and Y’a Bon Café (Isaacson Grain Co. reconstructed into offices) on Depot Street. We’ve retained a good restaurant – Maurizio’s will open at any moment on East First Street; Sinaloa’s Mexican Café will open soon in Maurizio’s former spot on Monterey Road near First. The Art Guild and Gallery in the little yellow house (on the west side of Monterey Road between Third and Fourth streets is in the process of getting up and running, bringing a new art and cultural use. And,” he said, “we may see some resolution on the Granada Theater.”
All this, he said, demonstrates an interest in investing in the downtown.
Councilman Greg Sellers said he remains confident for 2004 and looks forward to the aquatic center opening.
“We will have to develop a long-term strategy to deal with two major issues: the immediate state shortfalls and flat economy and the need to find additional resources to make up the difference.”
