Community

Arlene Biala is an award-winning poet who has participated in poetry performances and workshops in the Bay Area for over 20 years. She is currently Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County for 2016-17. Her poetry has been described as “grounded in ritual object and ritual practice, mantras that resonate within the body, and plant the body firmly in the world.”

The Morgan Hill Community Foundation’s El Toro Culture and Arts Committee and Morgan Hill’s Recreation and Community Services Department will host the 17th annual Art a la Carte, a children’s art fair  from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 29 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center.

U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who represents Morgan Hill in the nation’s highest legislative body, was “preaching to the choir,” according to one attendee, at her March 4 town hall that brought a packed house to the council meeting chambers on Peak Avenue.

A report showing that Morgan Hill has the second highest suicide rate in the county among “youth” between ages 10-24 was released March 3 by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.

U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren will host a town hall meeting, with a focus on immigration, 10 to 11:30 a.m. March 4 at the Morgan Hill City Council meeting chambers, 17555 Peak Ave. Due to limited space, anyone interested in attending is asked to register by visiting lofgren.house.gov or calling (408) 271-8700. Lofgren represents Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Jose and all of Santa Clara County.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is now accepting online applications for the 2017 Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Queen Pageant. Young ladies between the ages of 18 to 24 who live in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, San Martin, Hollister, San Juan Bautista or Aromas are eligible to enter.

Every year, Morgan Hill’s Chamber of Commerce honors a select group of individuals for their dedicated service to the local community with the nonprofit’s annual Chamber of the Year Awards.

A couple hundred protesters from throughout the Bay Area braved the heavy Presidents’ Day rains Feb. 20 and converged on the new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Morgan Hill.

As weather reports indicate the rain won’t let up on Morgan Hill until at least Tuesday evening, local officials are again cautioning residents to prepare for flooding and other hazards.The city’s Office of Emergency Services issued its latest warning for neighborhoods along Coyote Creek, just below Anderson Dam in northeast Morgan Hill. Residents of the Coyote Estates, Alicante and Mission Ranch subdivisions are urged to be ready for potential local flooding.This readiness includes stocking up on sandbags, which were available over the weekend next to the Target store driveway on Cochrane Road, in addition to the usual locations, according to authorities. Sand and sandbags can also be retrieved at 100 Edes Court, next to the city’s corp yard; on Old Monterey Road, just south of the El Toro Fire Station; and in the southeast corner of the Caltrain parking lot on Depot Street.City staff also issued a storm update Monday morning, expecting the latest storm to get worse before it gets better.“Winds will increase throughout the day, which may cause downed trees and power lines,” reads the update on the Facebook page “City of Morgan Hill – Engage.” “Our area may experience another 2-3 inches of rain as the day continues, with rain tapering tonight into Tuesday morning.”

Anderson Reservoir began rushing over the spillway for the first time in more than 10 years Saturday, Feb. 18.