Community

As a young boy, Gilroy native Dustin Wolf went to San Jose Sharks games with his parents. On April 9, Wolf started an NHL game at goalie in the same building for the first time. Playing for the Calgary Flames, Wolf backstopped his team...

The County of Santa Clara will soon begin construction of a new Children’s Advocacy Center at Valley Health Center in Morgan Hill.  The CAC is expected to open in early 2027 at the former site of De Paul Health Center. It will bring together investigative...

When the owners of a Morgan Hill children’s gymnasium woke up recently to find the centerpiece of their float for the upcoming Fourth of July parade stolen, they didn’t expect the outpouring of generosity that helped them quickly replace the lost item.Carol and Kurt Kromer, owners of The Little Gym, are veterans of the downtown Morgan Hill Independence Day parade, as they have entered a float each of the last 10 years—as long as The Little Gym has been in business. This year’s parade theme is “Home Sweet Home,” and the Kromers’ idea was to purchase and decorate a pre-fabricated playhouse structure, “and build the float around that,” Carol Kromer explained.Carol’s husband Kurt started working on the float earlier this month outside The Little Gym, which is located at 15750 Vineyard Blvd. The night of June 19, he nailed the playhouse down onto the flatbed of the parade float, and went home to get some sleep. When he returned to continue working the next morning, the playhouse was missing.“I was devastated, and he was really upset,” Carol said.The couple reported the theft to Morgan Hill police. A nearby video surveillance video captured a blurry image of the theft about 12:25 a.m. June 20, Carol Kromer said.The couple also posted information about the theft and the stolen item on Facebook. Carol said she was merely hoping someone had seen the playhouse and could help the couple retrieve it.“Instead, I received such overwhelming love and support from the community,” Carol beamed. “People stopped by with donations, and we purchased the very last (playhouse) that CostCo had. I was brought to tears by the generosity of the community.”Now the couple and their son are in the process of rebuilding their float with the new playhouse. This time, they have a locked storage unit to work in and secure the items when the owners are not on site.And on July 16, the Kromers plan to give away the playhouse to one of their members as part of The Little Gym’s 10th anniversary celebration. The community is invited to the celebration, which will take place 3 to 5 p.m. at The Little Gym.The Little Gym offers classes in gymnastics and other sports, as well as dance, karate and music for children from 4 months to 12 years of age. They also host birthday parties and camps, Carol Kromer explained. She expects up to half a dozen of her member children to ride on the Independence Day parade float.“We are even more excited to take our amazing float down the parade route and show it to the community and thank them for helping make it possible,” Carol Kromer added by email. “A huge thank you to the individuals and families that donated money to help us purchase the second house.”The downtown Morgan Hill Independence Day parade will start at 10 a.m. July 4. The route begins on Monterey Road, and circles to West Main, Peak and West Dunne avenues. Last year, the parade featured more than 2,500 participants, including marching bands, colorful floats, a variety of performance groups and numerous specialty entities.For more information about the Freedom Fest holiday festivities—including the July 3 Patriotic Sing and Street Dance, and July 4 fireworks—visit morganhillfreedomfest.com.

Gilroy Elks Lodge #1567, as part of the Elks National Youth

A crisp fall day Saturday and a bright blue sky on a warm Sunday

The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill is seeking applications for $15,000 in community grants to help local organizations fund philanthropic projects or programs. The grant offer is an annual program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, according to a press release from the organization. Previous grants from the Rotary Club have supported more than 30 philanthropic organizations. The local club has distributed more than $100,000 in grants over the last 12 years. “We reach out to help with projects that simply need to be done when there are no other funds available,” said Rotarian Rosy Bergin, chair of the local Rotary Club’s community grants program. Applications are due Nov. 30. Grant guidelines and the applications are available at www.morganhillrotary.com. Requests should focus on projects or programs that benefit youth, seniors, education or community benefit in the Morgan Hill or San Martin areas, according to the press release. Last year’s recipients of Rotary Club grants in Morgan Hill include:-Charter School of Morgan Hill, to fund the “Science Alive!” program-Community Law Enforcement Foundation, to help purchase fingerprint cards for children-Community Solutions, for new play therapy toys and supplies-El Toro Elementary School, to purchase 40 stools for the new science lab-P.A. Walsh and El Toro elementary schools, to purchase woodwind musical recorder instruments for all fifth and sixth grade students-Learning and Loving Education Center, to provide computer and literacy education to more than 200 low-income immigrant women-Martha’s Kitchen, to purchase supplies to support the hot meal program for seniors, homeless and low-income families-Morgan Hill Historical Society, to help fund the kitchen renovation at the Hiram Morgan Hill House-Morgan Hill Recreation Preschool, to purchase a permanent, child-sized picnic table in the playground at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center-P.A. Walsh Elementary Home & School Club, to help fund a school fruit and vegetable garden for each K-6 grade-San Martin 4-H Beef Project and Sheep Project, to purchase two portable animal scales to monitor healthy weight gain-St. Catherine School, to purchase a bicycle rack-Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, to purchase materials to repair their two largest raptor enclosuresThe Rotary Club of Morgan Hill has served the local community for almost 60 years, according to the press release. Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders which provides humanitarian service and helps build good will and peace in the world. 

By the time Chamber of Commerce 2013 Woman of the Year Cricket Rubino and her husband Michael “retired” from the Live Oak Emerald Regime in 1998 – more than 25 years after the couple helped establish the marching band – she knew so many people in Morgan Hill that she couldn’t avoid being involved in the community.

Show your patriotism at the annual Morgan Hill Independence Day