Community

County officials will host a community meeting on the proposed new San Martin animal shelter at 7 pm Nov. 1 at the South County Office Building located at 80 Highland Ave.

Cindy Seeley Hendrickson, a candidate who recently opened a campaign to replace Judge Aaron Persky in the potential recall election in June 2018, will be on hand for a community meet-and-greet at 5pm tonight at Huntington Station. (50 E. Third St.)

The Friends of the Morgan Hill Library honored volunteer Vicky Reader with its 2017 “Best of Friends” award Tuesday, Oct. 17. Two dozen members of the group gathered at Ladera Grill in downtown Morgan Hill for a special luncheon to celebrate Vicky’s dedication and commitment to the organization.Friends of the Morgan Hill Library President Teresa Stephenson shared that Vicky has held nearly every board position—including president, secretary, newsletter editor, and membership chair (but not treasurer, as Vicky was quick to point out)—and also works a regular shift in the Friends bookstore, at the Morgan Hill Library, 660 W. Main Ave.Currently, Vicky Reader is responsible for speakers forums and serves on the board of the Santa Clara County Library District Foundation. She played an important role in the successful 2005 Measure A Library Parcel Tax campaign, which provides ongoing funding for county libraries, according to a press release.In appreciation for her years of volunteer services and support of the library, the Friends of the Library presented Vicky with an engraved “Best of Friends” wooden box.Vicky also volunteers with the weekly ESL Conversation Club at the library, a program that helps individuals improve their English language skills. In recognition of these efforts, Adult Services Librarian Jeff Grubb gave her flowers and announced that a donation to the Friends will be made in her honor.Oct. 15–21 was National Friends of Library Week, a time to recognize all members of the Friends and their support of the Morgan Hill Library.Founded in 1974, the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library is a group of volunteers who are committed to enhancing programs, services and facilities at the library in Morgan Hill. They raise money through memberships, donations and book sales. These funds are used to provide programs and activities and to purchase materials and furnishings not provided in the library budget.To learn more about the Friends of the Library, visit friendsmhlibrary.org.

It is often said that U.S. military veterans communicate among themselves with an unspoken language as well as an understood, unbreakable trust. Perhaps that’s one reason Charles Weston, organizer of the upcoming Veterans Day Run, knows he made the right call in supporting Mary Cortani’s Operation Freedom Paws as one of the fundraiser’s beneficiaries.Cortani—a U.S. Army veteran who, like Weston, served in Vietnam—gave a tour of OFP’s 4.2-acre San Martin site earlier this week to a small group of donors, including Weston. OFP is a unique nonprofit that matches rescued dogs with individuals—primarily veterans—who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury symptoms and other physical, neurological, psychological or mobility conditions.OFP’s program works with each client to train their own dog, then certifies the dog and handler together as a service team in a rigorous 48-week course, during which the dogs are housed at the OFP facility. The service is therapy-intense and available to clients 24/7: Cortani said it is common for a client to call her in the middle of the night “in crisis,” wanting to come over to see their dog.“We’re dealing with the families too,” Cortani told the group Oct. 24. OFP even offers spousal support groups and other family services.Cortani, who founded OFP in 2010 and was a finalist for CNN’s “Hero of the Year” award in 2012, said as of last week, the nonprofit has matched, trained and supported 316 clients with service dogs. About 85 percent of the clients are veterans, but OFP serves a variety of people with service dog needs.One of their clients is a young girl prone to seizures, who gained a service dog that OFP staff and the girl’s family trained to detect upcoming episodes, Cortani said. The dog has simplified the family’s life together, and possibly even saved the client from serious injury or death.OFP’s property, which it currently leases from the commercial owner next door, includes a fenced-in, grassy training yard and numerous structures that house dog kennels and meeting spaces. The middle of the floor of an open warehouse is set up for group therapy and dog lounging.OFP is getting ready to begin a “capital campaign” to raise enough funds to purchase the property, which Cortani feels is the ideal permanent home for the organization. OFP’s county use permit is under a “one-year review” for potential modifications due to the nonprofit’s growth at the site.Six nonprofits to benefit from Veterans RunOFP is one of five nonprofits that will benefit from the third annual Morgan Hill Veterans Run 5K/10K/Walk, which is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Nov. 11 in the city’s downtown.The others are Gilroy-based Dreampower Horsemanship, which offers equine therapy for children, teens, adults and veterans throughout the South Bay; Wounded Warrior Project, a national organization that assists veterans with lifelong combat injuries; Taji 100, another run/walk charity challenge that raises funds for veterans service organizations; and the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest, for which Weston, organizer for the Veterans Day Run, is a director.OFP is slated to receive 25 percent of Veterans Day Run proceeds, while Dreampower and WWP will receive 10 percent. Taji 100 is tagged for 15 percent of the proceeds and Freedom Fest—which organizes annual Independence Day festivities in Morgan Hill—will gain 40 percent of funds raised.Last year’s Veterans Day Run raised $3,253 for the partners, Weston said.“I think Mary and Operation Freedom Paws is awesome,” Weston said. “I can't imagine the effort and intelligence she has to push this forward. I think they have some hurdles to get to a stable place, and I think she needs help in fundraising and operations. I hope it comes soon.”He added that he tagged the other beneficiaries or “partners” for the Veterans Day Run because veterans have a variety of different needs after serving in combat. “Not everyone digs dogs, so there’s horse people (for example),” Weston said.“Most veterans don’t feel comfortable around people who can’t understand what they’re trying to say,” he continued. “It’s easier to say it to a veteran. That’s why these organizations are important; generally, veterans remain silent. They think they can integrate into society on their own seamlessly (but) they can’t do it, fully. They need to talk it through, and express their feelings.”Registration remains open for the Veterans Day Run. More information about the event—including the different routes, registration fees, and schedule—can be found online at morganhillveteransdayrun.com.

Unseasonably warm weather is set to hit South County today, with highs in the low to mid 90s forecast this week by the National Weather Service.

Showing Up for Racial Justice South County will host a free screening of Ava Duvernay’s seminal documentary, entitled “13th,” from 6-9pm Nov. 15 at the Morgan Hill Library (660 W. Main Ave.).

The Morgan Hill Community Foundation is set to honor a distinct and special group of nonprofit organizations and individuals at this year’s annual philanthropy celebration, scheduled for Nov. 17 at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman and GreenWaste are partnering with the San Martin Chamber of Commerce and San Martin Neighborhood Alliance for a Nov. 11 clean up event.

The Gavilan Joint Community College District Board of Trustees is considering placing a $248 million bond measure on the November 2018 ballot.

Wanting to raise awareness of the neurodevelopmental disorder she copes with on a daily basis, San Martin teen Riyani Patel has published her debut book, titled “The Boy Battle.”