Community

Batman, Captain America, Superwoman and other local heroes joined scores of Morgan Hill residents downtown Sunday night for a “yellow ribbon” vigil to raise awareness of traffic safety.The event, organized by Morgan Hill resident Mark Preader of Heroes4Hope, was held as a show of support for two young victims of a July 4 traffic accident at Monterey Road and Fourth Street as fundraising pages recently set up for each of the children continue to gain donations and publicity.Preader, dressed as Batman, addressed the assembled crowd as the July 17 vigil and march through downtown began at the corner adjacent to where the two pedestrians were struck by a white SUV on the Fourth of July. He urged the crowd to support the family of Michael, the 13-year-old who remains in the hospital due to extensive injuries he suffered in the July 4 collision.“Michael is in our prayers,” Preader said while volunteers handed out candles to the crowd before marching through the downtown.The younger child involved in the accident, identified on a gofundme.com page as Mateo, suffered numerous broken bones and other injuries in the July 4 accident.Volunteers with Heroes4Hope, a nonprofit whose mission is to empower children and teach them that they can be a hero, were dressed in costumes including Batgirl and a Storm Trooper.Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate joined the assembled residents as they proceeded together through the downtown, and expressed his thanks for helping the injured children’s family.“I just wanted to thank them for showing the support for Michael,” Tate said. “It’s kind of a typical thing for the Morgan Hill community, when we have tragic problems the community comes out and supports, and tries to do everything they can to ease the problems.”Two pages on gofundme.com have been set up to gather contributions for medical expenses for the family of Michael and Mateo, the 6-year-old who was injured in the same July 4 accident. Both children were rushed to the hospital after the collision, in which police say the children were crossing eastbound through the crosswalk at Fourth Street when a Jeep traveling north struck them both.“Michael took the full hit straight on and ended up under the SUV,” reads a message on the gofundme page titled “Michael’s Recovery Fund.”“Michael has suffered severe head trauma,” the page continues. “His parents, family and friends who were on that journey to watch fireworks that night all witnessed this tragic nightmare.”Michael, whose last name is not listed on the gofundme page, has undergone two surgeries since the accident, including one that removed a section of his skull to relieve pressure from brain swelling. He has spent more than a week in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit of an area hospital, and he has a “long…but very hopeful road to recovery ahead of him,” the page states.The page continues that Michael’s parents face “exorbitant financial hardships” that his treatment, recovery and ongoing medical attention will incur. As of July 18, the gofundme page has raised more than $21,000 in donations toward a goal of $250,000.The page for Mateo, the 6-year-old who was struck in the July 4 accident, says the youth suffered numerous broken bones, road rash and cuts on his face in the collision. That page has raised about $2,500 toward a goal of $10,000.Michael’s fundraising page says the family was on their way to the Community and Cultural Center to watch the holiday fireworks when the collision happened. They were traveling from Michael’s house, where the family had been celebrating the Fourth of July with a barbecue. The pages do not say how Mateo and Michael are related. The administrator for Michael’s page declined to comment further when contacted by the Times.“No person, let alone such a young man, should ever endure the battles Michael is now and will continue to fight,” Michael’s gofundme page concludes.The driver whose vehicle struck Michael and Mateo July 4 stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities, and did not show any signs of impaired driving, police have said.The fundraising page for Michael can be found at gofundme.com/miraclemichael, while Mateo’s site can be found at gofundme.com/2d22tu48.

Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone announced July 1 that the county’s net property assessment roll increased by 7.9 percent in the last year to $419 billion, an increase of $30.9 billion.

Supporters of the forthcoming Morgan Hill Inclusive Playground continue to raise awareness and funds for their project, which needs another $3.5 million in funding before it can proceed.The City of Morgan Hill so far has contributed about $100,000 of public funds for the project design, which was presented by contractor Verde Design at a city council meeting this summer. The city’s six-year Capital Improvement Program dedicated another $300,000 of city funds to go toward construction of the new park, which will be located on the grounds of the Community Park, located between West Edmundson and Cosmo avenues.The remainder of the funds will have to be raised from private donors, grants and other sources, according to Morgan Hill Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ron Locicero, one of the chief supporters of the project.“We’re trying to make it a regional park for the Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Hollister areas, and even Salinas and San Jose,” Locicero said. “We want to make it a destination.”Locicero and other inclusive park supporters are currently in search of a “major donor” who can contribute significant funding to the effort and add clout that will help carry the word far beyond Morgan Hill.The inclusive park will be designed to accommodate all children, including those with disabilities who might not be able to enjoy traditional public parks with their peers.The design for the Morgan Hill Inclusive Park shows a variety of features intended to stimulate participants’ tactile senses and facilitate observation and interaction between park attendees.A tree house has a view deck, moveable parts, a climbing net, slide and other creative features, the design concept illustrates. A “sound play garden” allows children to make music with a laser harp, chimes and percussion instruments built into the ground. Also planned for the park is a sand play area, water spray feature, swing set that can accommodate children in wheelchairs, a climbing wall, a seating area aimed at the action where kids can simply watch their peers, an amphitheater and outdoor classroom.Access to the facility, including parking and restrooms, will be designed to ease the path for those with physical disabilities, according to the designs.Locicero added the park can even be used by senior citizens and veterans who suffer from disabilities.The city held a “Fun Day at the Park” June 25 to raise awareness and funds for the project. More than 200 people attended that event at the Community Park, which featured games, face painting and animal balloons, Locicero said. Home Depot oversaw a station where kids could place their handprint in a clay tile, which they gave to the children to take home after the solution hardened.Inclusive playground advocates also guided guests on a virtual tour of the project within its proposed footprint.“We tried to show them the size of the park,” Locicero said.Locicero and his wife Shirlee are both former teachers—a background that inspired them to embark on the mission to bring an inclusive playground to Morgan Hill. They started the effort about two years ago. Morgan Hill Unified School District has also voiced its support for an inclusive playground in town.

Brittany Lang wasn’t the only winner at San Martin’s CordeValle Golf Club, the site of the 71st U.S. Women’s Open. Local nonprofit organizations were able to take the event—which drew more than 50,000 people to the venue—as an opportunity to raise money for their respective causes.Volunteers from Operation Freedom Paws and the Sobrato High School Athletic Boosters manned some of the concession booths at the site, and in return took home 10 percent of sales proceeds from food and soft drinks, as well as 100 percent of tips collected. “Folks are very generous. It’s been a very positive experience,” said volunteer Diane Jimenez at the OFP concession booth July 8, during the second round of the USGA golf tournament. She was joined behind the counter by fellow volunteers Ed Brown and Nicole Martinez.OFP is a nonprofit that helps veterans and people with disabilities improve their quality of life by helping them to train their own dogs, and certifying them as service dog teams. The San Martin-based organization will host the 5K “Hoofs and Woofs” 5K run/walk 8 to 11 a.m. July 16 at Harvey Bear County Park to raise more funds to support their mission. For more information about the 5K and upcoming OFP fundraisers, or to learn more about the organization, visit operationfreedompaws.org.Sobrato High School football and volleyball team members and parents also participated in fundraising opportunities at the U.S. Women’s Open last week. Sophomore quarterback Sebastian Degroot, 14, said July 8 that he and his volunteer crewmates had raised about $600 in tips at their counter so far. He and freshman Nick Thrappus, a 14-year-old wide receiver, said the team plans to use the proceeds to purchase new equipment for the upcoming fall season.

Community members invite Morgan Hill residents to help raise awareness of traffic-related injuries and support the family of two children who were hospitalized after being struck by a vehicle downtown July 4.A “yellow candle campaign” and downtown march is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 17, starting in front of Alain Pinel Realtors, 17200 Monterey Road, according to event organizer Mark Preader of Heroes4Hope.“The recent Fourth of July accident has left the community in sadness, despair and anger,” Preader said in a press release. “However, during this challenging time the only people that should really be focused on are those children and family that was affected by this…as we focus on raising the proper awareness to help tragic events like this from happening.”At the July 17 event, Heroes4Hope will donate 250 yellow ribbons that attendees can pin to their clothing, as well as 100 yellow candles that participants can carry as they march through downtown to show support.The July 4 accident took place about 9 p.m. at the intersection of Monterey Road and Fourth Street. Two boys—a 13-year-old and a 6-year-old—were crossing eastbound on the Fourth Street crosswalk when a white Jeep struck them, according to police. The Jeep was traveling northbound.The 13-year-old was riding a bicycle and the younger child was riding a scooter at the time, police said.When officers arrived to the scene, one of the juveniles was trapped under the vehicle, according to police. Both pedestrians were transported to Valley Medical Center.Police do not suspect alcohol or drugs to be a factor in the accident. Police said the female adult driver of the Jeep remained at the scene and cooperated with authorities.The July 4 accident is the second collision involving a pedestrian downtown in 2016. The first accident took place March 12, when a gray Ford hit two female pedestrians in the crosswalk at Third Street and Monterey Road. One of those pedestrians was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries, and was released later that evening, according to police.Heroes4Hope is a nonprofit whose mission is to impact and empower children and teach them that they can be a hero, according to the group’s website heroes4hope.us.

Officials from Pacific Gas & Electric will host three informational, open house meetings regarding its proposed South County Power Connect project next week in Morgan Hill and Gilroy.

The 71st U.S. Women’s Open was a special experience for families as countless moms and dads from around the globe shared the game of golf with their little ones by walking the links and admiring the elite athletes on the wondrous 18-hole course July 4-10 at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin.

The eyes of the world are on San Martin and South County for this week’s 2016 U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at CordeValle Resort, and few are more grateful than Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman.

“America, My Home Sweet Home” was the theme of the 2016 Morgan Hill Freedom Fest’s Fourth of July parade, and thousands of participants and spectators displayed their patriotism like only a small town can during Monday’s all-day-and-night South County celebration.

For two months after graduating from the Academy of Art University in 2009, local actor Mickey Casab commuted weekly about 760 miles round trip from Daly City to Los Angeles.