Community

Students at the Charter School of Morgan Hill celebrated Valentine’s Day in a unique way Feb. 14 as they successfully collected enough cans to go around a 1/8-mile track for a schoolwide “We LOVE our community” canned food drive.The canned food will be given to Second Harvest Food Bank for distribution to those in need.Students used critical thinking skills to calculate how many cans it would take to go around the 1/8-mile track, and then demonstrated personal and social responsibility with their donations, according to CSMH staff. They also were given the challenge of collecting enough canned food donations to do so.“I am happy to report that our CSMH community was able to demonstrate how much we care about our larger community by meeting the challenge of donating enough cans to go around our 1/8-mile track,” said Diana Gill, CSMH Community Liaison and Outreach Coordinator.

Kindred, a local service program, is seeking volunteers who are interested in dedicating time at Pacific Hills Manor, a skilled nursing facility located at 370 Noble Court in Morgan HIll, and “help residents enjoy the local community through group excursions and indoor activities.”

Local attorney Bob Foster—a longtime Morgan Hill Rotarian, former school trustee and city councilman, and all-around family man—is Leadership Morgan Hill’s 2018 Leadership Excellence Award recipient.Foster will be honored at a July 21 outdoor celebration and fundraiser at Guglielmo Winery in east Morgan Hill. Tickets and other information about the celebration will be announced in the near future.The Leadership Excellence Award recognizes leaders like Foster whose vision advances the spirit of community and charity in Morgan Hill, according to a press release from Leadership Morgan Hill. The annual award winner also reflects courage and insight and inspires others to lead in a like manner.“(Bob Foster’s) community leadership over so many years has built a solid foundation for making Morgan Hill the great community it is today,” said LMH President Cricket Rubino. “Our board enthusiastically looks forward to celebrating Bob’s accomplishments and the resulting award.”Foster, 78, was born in Long Beach and moved to Morgan Hill in 1965, after growing up in numerous locales around the country as the son of a U.S. Navy serviceman. Foster’s move to Morgan Hill followed his graduation from San Jose State University and the UC Berkeley Boalt School of Law.With his law degree and state bar membership—and some experience as a California Deputy Legislative Counsel—Foster joined Ernie Rusconi’s law firm. The two established the Rusconi & Foster firm in 1967, according to the press release. The firm was joined by George Thomas in 1972, creating the Rusconi-Foster-Thomas firm that continues to thrive in Morgan Hill.While Bob Foster is now retired, the firm in the “very capable hands” of his son Del, the press release continues.Bob Foster’s 50-plus years of practicing law allowed him to pursue a long list of public service and philanthropic experiences outside his career at the firm. These included a stint as Morgan Hill’s city attorney, practice as a volunteer judge during the 1971 riots at SJSU and work for the state and local bar associations, according to the press release.Furthermore, Foster was elected to the Morgan Hill Unified School District board of trustees for three terms (1966-74 and 1978-82), followed by election to the city council, where he served his first term as the city’s mayor. He returned to the council in 1996 for two years, as an appointee and then an elected councilmember to fill a vacant seat.As a member of the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill since 1965, Foster has served on the organization’s board as president and remains active in the club’s projects.Throughout all of these activities and commitments, Foster found time to mentor his four sons as Boy Scouts, coach their sports teams and actively support the YMCA, United Way and Goodwill, according to the press release. He has also served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, and was the chamber’s “Citizen of the Year” in 1969.He has also used his legal expertise to help establish a number of nonprofit organizations in Morgan Hill.Foster met his wife, Nancy, when they both attended Willow Glen High School, according to LMH. The couple married in 1962 and raised their four sons in Morgan Hill, where two still live. The senior Fosters now have 15 grandchildren.Nancy was an elementary school teacher for several years, and was active in their sons’ after-school pursuits. Active in the community like Bob, she has contributed as a past president and member of the American Association of University Women.Del and Chris, the sons who still reside in Morgan Hill, have carried on the family tradition of community service. Del Foster has served two terms on the MHUSD school board. Chris Foster has also become increasingly active in the local Rotary Club.Del said there is no question his own community service is influenced by his upbringing, and the tradition continues. Del’s children—who range from high school age to their 20s—have been highly active in various public service organizations, including Rotary Interact as teens, the American Red Cross, the civil air patrol and their church.“We were raised in a family where public service was the expectation, and it was what we did,” Del Foster said. “It never occurred to me to do anything other than that, and my kids have picked up the same thing from me.”The seeds were planted even earlier, though. Bob Foster said his lifetime devotion to the community was influenced by his parents. His wife’s parents were “even more active in the community than I was,” he added.“I was raised in a family that was military, and very country and community oriented, and my parents were always involved,” Bob Foster said. “When Dad was home (during peace time), he was always doing something. My mother was active in the Red Cross wherever she went.”He added he is “very appreciative” of the Leadership Excellence honor, and he is looking forward to the celebration this summer.This summer’s celebration in Bob Foster’s honor will be attended by community leaders, supporters of LMH, past Excellence Award winners and “the many friends and relatives of the honoree,” reads the press release. The event is also a fundraiser for LMH, a nonprofit educational organization. Ticket price includes dinner as well as a chance to participate in a silent auction for numerous items on display.Leadership Excellence Award winners are selected by a panel of past award recipients and other selected community members.LMH is now in its 23rd year of “building community leadership,” according to the press release. The annual LMH program provides participants with the insight, tools and training that enables leaders from all walks of life to emulate residents like Bob Foster and give back to their community through service.For more information about LMH and the Leadership Excellence Award, visit leadershipmorganhill.org.

For its 60th anniversary of celebrating all that’s good in Morgan Hill, the local chamber of commerce announced eighth recipients of its annual community awards.Brian Sullivan, an active board member with the Charter School of Morgan Hill, was named Man of the Year; Kathy Sullivan was named Woman of the Year; Jim Green, athletic director, teacher and basketball coach at Britton Middle School, was named Educator of the Year; and Sandra McNeal was named Volunteer of the Year.Additionally, Ponzini Community Garage and Towing was named Small Business of the Year; Learning and Loving Center was named Non-Profit of the Year; and CommonWealth Central Credit Union was named Large Business of the Year.The community is invited to celebrate these award-winners March 3 at a “Back to Prom” themed banquet dinner inside the Britton gymnasium (80 W. Central Ave) from 6 to 10pm. The cost of $105 per person or $1,000 for a table for 10 includes the event, appetizers, dinner, dessert and beverages (water, soda, beer and wine).For more information about the March 3 awards ceremony, visit the chamber’s website at morganhill.org.Man of the YearBrian “Sully” Sullivan was selected for his constant and selfless drive for the enrichment of the Morgan Hill community schools, businesses and underprivileged, according to chamber staff. Sullivan has served as Chairman of the Board for the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and President of the Board for the Charter School of Morgan Hill.Sully’s volunteer and service commitments can be found within the Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters; Nor Cal Associated Builders and Contractors; March Vision Care Policy Review Board; Aquatics Center Review Committee and more.As a Morgan Hill Rotarian, he works on many community service projects. Sullivan is an unwavering presence at the Friday Night Music Series and Taste of Morgan Hill, and is also an avid supporter of Air for Paws, Community Solutions, The Edward Boss Prado Foundation and the Morgan Hill Police Department.Woman of the yearKathy Sullivan, who moved to Morgan Hill in 2000, began her involvement with the South Valley Quilt Association and helped to organize the Taste of Morgan Hill’s Annual Quilt Show. Around 2005, she joined American Association of University Women and ever since has managed areas for their annual Wildflower Run that raises scholarship funds for girls and women.Kathy Sullivan volunteered as a docent for the Morgan Hill Historical Society, a position which later evolved into her role as President of its Board of Directors. The Society owns the 1884 Morgan Hill House at Villa Mira Monte, a National Historical Landmark and repository of the history that defines Morgan Hill. Kathy’s position as President requires extensive work in overseeing the business of collecting funds to preserve, maintain and operate the landmark while at the same time working with an inspiring team of all-volunteers to provide educational and recreational programs for the community.Sullivan (who is married to Man of the Year Brian Sullivan) was a member of Friends of the American Institute of Mathematics and their effort to move the International Mathematical Union headquarters to Morgan Hill; a member of the Parks & Recreation Stakeholder’s Group; and worked on the last School Board election campaign.Student of the YearAriana Berumen is a student at Live Oak High School, where she is the Associated Student Body Vice President as well as the Vice President of Community Service for the Future Business Leaders of America—all while maintaining a 4.34 GPA.Ariana was instrumental in re-establishing the Migrant Education Consortium for Higher Achievement (MEChA) Club at LOHS, acting as the Club’s President for two years. Her dedication to school clubs and education is an equal match to her community service contributions, according to chamber staff. Ariana is a key organizer of the FBLA Holiday Canned Food Drive and the George Flores Conference. Her work on educating low-income families on educational opportunities and community resources has resulted in her role as a trusted advocate for this population.Small Business of the YearPonzini Community Garage and Towing, which has been in business in for 66 years, has serviced vehicles for thousands of South County residents with an honest, professional and affordable approach from owner Gary Ponzini and staff.Charitable contributions can been seen in the company’s devotion to the Edward Boss Prado Foundation, the nonprofit created and operated by Gary’s wife, Cecelia Ponzini. Their support expands into the Morgan Hill Police Department HOPE Program, El Toro Youth Center and Morgan Hill’s homeless and disadvantaged communities.The company received an award from AAA for providing over 50 years of service and Gary was acknowledged as a Community Foundation Philanthropy Honoree in 2017. Ponzini Community Garage and Towing emphasizes professional service, support for local business needs and belief in the Morgan Hill community, according to chamber staff.Nonprofit of the yearLearning and Loving Center, which was founded in 1994 and originally housed in the old St. Catherine’s Parish Hall, has helped more than 3,000 women increase their literacy, lifestyle skills and employment opportunities. In addition, over 1,000 immigrant children have been tutored in the English language and preschool skills to better prepare them for entry into Kindergarten, according to chamber staff.Today, the Center offers a variety of 90-minute classes throughout the week, covering the topics of English, Mathematics, Composition and Computer skills. Enrichment Classes including sewing, knitting and art provide another dimension of learning.Friendship between the women and the volunteer teachers aids in boosting self-esteem and confidence, according to chamber staff. Currently, 150 immigrant women from a wide range of countries utilize these services with an average of 10 to 12 women graduating from the program with a high school degree every year. The selfless work done by the Center has resulted in immigrant women and children becoming better people, better citizens and contributing members to society, according to chamber staff.Volunteer of the yearMuch of the work within the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce’s programs and activities is primarily conducted and supported by community volunteers. Sandra McNeal epitomizes how volunteers bring their unique skills, experiences and passion to enhance a chamber program in an area of their personal interest, according to staff. Sandra’s particular efforts have been focused around chamber youth initiatives, most significantly through her multi-year leadership of the Rock the Mock Program which specializes in interview skills training at MHUSD high schools.McNeal founded and operates her own professional business, Ivey League Consulting, where she specializes in strategic planning, problem solving, business transformation and heightening individual self-awareness. Her extensive professional background in human resources and as a Professional Certified Coach has made her well qualified to lead a group of fellow volunteers in the training of high school students on how to best represent themselves.The Rock the Mock program, which started as an informal organization has under McNeal’s leadership, ripened into a well-documented system, operated efficiently and effectively.Educator of the yearJim Green has been an educator with the Morgan Hill Unified School District for the past 39 years. During that time, he has been involved in ASB Leadership, as a PE instructor, athletic coach and athletic director. He founded South County Basketball Academy, where he focused on teaching athletic skills and sportsmanship to young players through a year-round basketball program and summer camp for boys and girls. Before moving to Morgan Hill, Green was a coach for Barry Bonds, Mike Nolan and many other Giants’ and 49ers’ children. Jim Green is well known and respected throughout the community and across the generations in Morgan Hill, according to chamber staff.Large Business of the yearThirty years ago, Commonwealth Central Credit Union opened their first branch in Morgan Hill and have been a fixture in the community ever since. Their support and exceptional volunteers are consistently visible during the Taste of Morgan Hill, Fourth of July Parade, Holiday Light Parade, Rock the Mock, Friday Night Music Series, Career Days and Read Across America.Community contributions include volunteer hours at Cecelia’s Closet, the awarding of Charitable Cause Grants, volunteer hours with Re-Building Together Silicon Valley, support of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation and bestowing of Santa Clara County Educational Scholarships.

Three new housing sites under construction in Morgan Hill by affordable housing developer EAH Housing will offer 41 new apartments—including six for youth who are aging out of area foster care programs—and make beneficial use properties that have long been vacant, according to city staff.The three mixed-use housing sites are currently under construction. Approved by the city council in February 2016, the three-site project is referred to as the “EAH Affordable Housing Scattered” project.The city agreed to “partner” with EAH on the three sites in order to provide more housing for vulnerable residents and improve the three properties which are located on the south side of Morgan Hill.“We took a look at sites that could alleviate some long-standing properties that hadn’t been utilized,” Assistant City Manager Leslie Little said. “It was an opportunity to revitalize sites that had been sitting vacant for a long time.”The three properties are:• Belle Allori, a 14-unit affordable apartment building located on 40 E. Dunne Ave. (across from the Community and Cultural Center). This site will also include about 1,200 square feet of commercial space, along with community spaces for the future residents. The property is the former site of the St. Catherine school.• Belle Noci, an eight-unit multi-family affordable apartment complex with three stories and a parking garage on the first level. Located at 16873 Monterey Road, the site is near the intersection of Ciolino Avenue.• Belle Salici, a 19-unit affordable multi-family apartment complex with 1,000 square feet of commercial space. This site is located at 16180 Monterey Road, the former site of Giovanni’s restaurant. The complex backs up to Keith Way on the east side of the property.The three sites are further suited for affordable housing due to their central location to a variety of commercial and public services, including a VTA commuter bus line that goes through Morgan Hill between Gilroy and San Jose, Little noted.Most of the 41 units throughout the three sites will be two-bedroom, with a few three-bedroom units. The six units for former foster care youth will be one-bedroom residences.Rents at the sites will be restricted according to federal income limits for Section 8 Housing, Little explained.EAH has utilized a variety of public and competitive funds for the scattered affordable apartment project. This includes a $4.5 million loan for the city’s housing fund, which paid for a combination of property acquisition, planning and city fees, according to a city staff report. EAH has also used county HOME funds ($756,269), Community Development Block Grant ($660,723) and County Mental Health Services Act funding ($283,267) for the transitional foster youth units.EAH Housing did not return a phone call requesting an update on the projects.

The Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department announced Monday it will take initial public comments and input in February for public access to the Coyote Highlands-Coyote Canyon properties.The primary goal of the planning effort is to investigate the properties to determine existing conditions, opportunities and constraints, and to present recommendations that facilitate opening the properties to public access immediately following plan adoption, ideally by spring or summer 2019.The properties are located east of Morgan Hill and are naturally undeveloped areas in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The 2,753-acre acquisition provides a regionally significant ecological link, connecting north to Anderson Lake County Park, east to Henry Coe State Park, and Coyote Lake-Harvey Bear Ranch County Park to the south. Coyote Creek bisects the Coyote Canyon portion of the property.The county purchased the property for about $25.1 million in 2016.Santa Clara County staff are expected to complete an informative, fact-based investigation to find the most suitable property access solution for the public while at the same time balancing natural resource management goals.Planning efforts will include:A recommended Interim Public Access Plan;A Development of Natural Resource Management Concepts (NRM Plan) that considers the long-term management and enhancement of natural resources within the properties;A Grazing Plan expected to identify infrastructure and resources to support cattle grazing on the property;A California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document to allow immediate construction following final approval by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.The parks and recreation department plan will be present at the County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Feb. 7 for initial comments and input. The meeting will be held at the Isaac Newton Auditorium in the County Government Center at 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose.Additional opportunities for input will be available during future meetings in the summer. For more information, visit sccgov.org/sites/parks/PlansProjects/introduction/Pages/coyote-highlands.aspx.

College scholarship applications are now available for the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras Scholarship program, which has awarded over $1 million to more than 1,000 local students for continuing education.

This year marks the 40th year in business in Gilroy for Sal Oliveri, owner of Pinocchio’s Pizza.It’s a year he will never forget.The year began with him nearly losing his life defending his family from a knife-wielding homeless man. In an interview after the Jan. 6 attack, the humble pizza maker, son of Sicilian immigrants, said he is hopeful the year will end better than it started.Sal and his family—former 25-year residents of Morgan Hill—calmly reflected on that day, and described a scene of terror and bloody mayhem.It was during the first Saturday evening dinner rush of the new year at his restaurant at Church and Welburn in Gilroy that a man rushed in waving a large knife. When the man lunged wildly at Sal’s daughter, Gina Oliveri Polhaupessy, Sal and his son-in-law, Duke Polhaupessy, leaped into action, pushing the man towards the door.They ended up on one of the tables, and the man swung the knife towards Sal’s throat. When Sal raised his arm to block the blow, the assailant slashed it with his knife, then fled the store, as Duke was able to lock the door.Gina was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher throughout the frightening fracas, and the attacker was arrested without incident a blocks away a few minutes later.“There was blood everywhere,” said Sal. Gina said she at first wondered if her dad had lost his arm in the attack. The wound had cut to the bone in his forearm, Sal said.“It’s scary when there are customers here, and my family—you don’t want to see anything happen,” said Sal.His right arm has a brace and heavy bandage from his bicep to his fingers. He has use of his hand, but more surgeries lie ahead before he knows whether he will regain full use of his arm to be able to throw pizza dough as he has for four decades.Sal’s wife, Vickie, is a Gilroy native. “I’m just glad he is alive,” she said.She said her mother lives a couple of blocks away, and saw the police cars outside the business. She couldn’t get past the barricades yellow tape.After Gilroy firefighter paramedics got an IV going, Sal was taken to St. Louise Regional Hospital.Gina and Vickie said the attacker had been angry and barely coherent, accusing the Italian-American family of being terrorists. He mentioned President Trump and said the Oliveris should be deported, after Vickie had declined to shake his hand a few moments before the attack.“I’m an American,” Vickie said he had shouted.“It wasn’t even a robbery,” said Sal, shaking his head.He grew up first in Detroit, and then Little Italy on New York’s Lower East Side — tough immigrant neighborhoods. But he said he never saw a crime like this.The Oliveris lived in Morgan Hill for 25 years — Gina graduated from Live Oak High — then moved back to Gilroy when they opened the Church Street location four years ago.Shortly after moving in, there northside home was burglarized.On the fateful Saturday, Jan. 6, “I was making pizza, then I heard the commotion.” he said.“When he came in the door, he opened his knife, then he starts jumping up and down. This guy — you don’t know what he’s going to do. He’s going to hurt someone,” Sal recalled.“When I saw the knife, I started to call 911, I just froze,” said Gina.“When I saw the knife, I thought, this is going to end up bad,” said Sal.“I was worried the customers were going to get hurt — my daughter, my wife. I don’t want to see anybody get hurt.”“My back was turned and he comes at me, and my dad and husband saw that he was coming at me,” said Gina.“The first thing in my mind was I am not going to let her get hurt,” recalled Duke. “I don’t care what happens to me.”Duke escaped uninjured.The counter at the restaurant is filled with flowers and cards from neighbors, friends and customers.“This community, this community so great. People have been so great,” said Sal.Gina said Gilroy officers stopped by the day after the attack, to see how the  family was doing.It is a family business. No employees. Just family.They treat their customers like family. And this month, their customers responded, words of encouragement, flowers — and of course with orders for the locally famous Oliveri pizza.

Local families with children involved in Morgan Hill sports leagues—some spanning three generations—had every reason to be upset with school district officials and board trustees after sitting around for nearly three hours to be heard Tuesday night.

With the American Cancer Society pushing for more regional fundraising efforts, local organizers of the annual Relay For Life from Morgan Hill and Gilroy have combined their resources and developed the inaugural Relay For Life of South County.