Community

Eight local students were honored by The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill for their academic performance, individual leadership, commitment to the community and overall excellence as part of the organization’s Outstanding Student Achievement Recognition Program.Each of the students were selected by their principals or teachers who identified them as great scholars or student leaders who strive to make the Morgan Hill community a better place, according to Morgan Hill Unified School District’s March 24 press release.“These students selflessly give of their time to help those in need in our area or have persevered in their education and life in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds,” it states.Students were acknowledged with a framed certificate and a cash award after their principal or teacher spoke about their accomplishments. The outstanding students also talked about their successes, and many described their aspirations and future goals.“We are exceptionally proud of all of these young men and women who showcase positive leadership amongst their peers, and we know they will go on to achieve amazing things in life,” said Superintendent Steve Betando.Each student also had the opportunity to identify a quote that reflected their philosophy for personal success:• Katie Meager, an eighth grader from St. Catherine School chose an anonymous writer's quote: "The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."• Jodi Rodriguez, an eighth grader from Britton Middle School, found Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy for success an excellent guide: “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life—think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success."• Jaylene Baltazar, an eighth grader from Martin Murphy Middle School, values Albert Einstein's words: “Try not to become the person of success, but rather try to become the person of value.”• Ben Millward, a senior from Oakwood School, identified with Oscar Wilde’s quote: “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.”• Samantha Sadoff, a senior at Live Oak High School, named a proverb that reflected her thoughts about success: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly."• Arthur Rodriguez, a senior at Ann Sobrato High School, reflected on Truman Capote’s quote when thinking of his philosophy for success: “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”• Jerry Juarez, a senior at Central High School, believes in John Wooden’s philosophy: “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”• Ana Barocio, achieving graduation at Community Adult School, likes the philosophy in Winston Churchill’s quote: “If you're going through hell, keep going.”

Local middle school students from the 2016 Morgan Hill Mizuho Student Exchange program are collecting unwanted items to raise funds for their cultural exchange trip to Japan later this year.They will host a Spring Clean-up Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 23 at the Goodwill Collection Truck in the Rosso’s furniture store parking lot at the corner of Tennant Avenue and Monterey Road.Books, clothes, electronics, small appliances, toys, household goods and lamps in any condition are welcomed.Prohibited items are furniture/mattresses, exercise equipment, car seats, strollers, construction materials, large appliances, food, liquid, automobile parts and light fixtures.Alternative drop-off dates are 2 to 4 p.m. April 15 or 8 a.m. to noon April 16 at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center located at 16450 Murphy Ave.For more information on accepted items, visit goodwillsv.org.The Mizuho exchange students travel to Japan in July.The sister city exchange program started with the first set of six Japanese students, along with two chaperones, coming to Morgan Hill in 2008. The next year, eight Morgan Hill students, accompanied by two adults, traveled to the sister city in Japan. Students go through a rigorous application and interview process, which includes writing an essay on why they want to travel abroad, before being selected.

Dear Red Phone,What is going on at the property on the west side of U.S. 101 just north of town, where it looks like someone has thrown up a bunch of shed-looking horse stalls and there’s lots of junk scattered around?The property you are referring to—which sits prominently on the side of the busy freeway for motorists stuck in afternoon traffic to gaze upon during their commute—is private land, zoned for agriculture, according to Santa Clara County Code Enforcement Program Manager Mark Ruffing. The site contains a number of small stables for horses.Ruffing said his office has visited the property on a number of occasions, and has notified the property owners that they were in violation of county codes related to exterior storage and unpermitted construction. However, Ruffing said the owner has been cooperative with the county and is working on resolving the issues.The property is located on the west side of U.S. 101, just north of the Cochrane Road exit. The site is accessed off Burnett Avenue.Specifically, county code enforcement issued a compliance order for piles of debris stored outdoors. This violation included bicycles, motorcycle parts and appliances sitting out in the open, which is a violation of county code.“Storing refrigerators, bike parts, household goods…is something that is not allowed,” Ruffing said.Furthermore, some of the horse stables that are larger than 150 square feet in size were out of compliance because they were built without a permit, Ruffing added. Anything larger than 150 square feet in unincorporated county jurisdiction requires a permit, but most of the structures are not that large. County code also spells out a limit to the number of such structures allowed on a property, but so far the site in question does not exceed that limit.There are also some outdoor pens for goats and other livestock on the property, but these are not a subject of the compliance order.“I know it’s unsightly. We have gotten some phone calls, and that’s why we had staff go out there and investigate,” Ruffing said. He added that county staff were on site last week to monitor the removal of some of the debris piles.Dear Red Phone,Why is Ladera Grill allowed to take up valuable parking spaces on Monterey Road in front of their establishment for valet parking, when other downtown businesses are struggling to find available parking for their customers?City staff assured Red Phone that Ladera Grill owner Dan McCranie acquired an “encroachment permit” to use those spots in front of his restaurant. Furthermore, the ability to gain such a permit is not exclusive to Ladera Grill, and other downtown restaurants are encouraged to offer similar services.In fact, offering valet parking service helps with the downtown parking scarcity, as it frees up other spots that can be used by patrons of other nearby businesses, according to Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez. Ladera Grill staff parks the vehicles utilizing this service in the VTA lot on Butterfield Boulevard, on the east side of the railroad tracks—a lot that is seldom used by downtown patrons at nighttime, largely due to its distance from the neighborhood and popular restaurants.“If other restaurants are interested in pursuing (similar uses), we as a city would be happy to help them activate their street front by using valet parking, and relieving the parking pressure downtown,” Ramirez said.When the city started a series of construction projects in the downtown in early 2015, the city even began waiving the fee for an encroachment permit for downtown businesses who choose to make similar use of the parking in front of their shops, Ramirez added.The city coordinated with VTA, which owns more than 50 percent of the parking lot on Butterfield Boulevard, to allow McCranie to use those spaces to park valeted vehicles, Ramirez added. There is no fee for Ladera Grill to use those spots, as the valet service only utilizes the lot in the evenings, and it’s free parking for downtown visitors anyway.Ladera Grill currently offers valet parking on Friday and Saturday evenings.

As each of the 80 local families hand-selected fresh produce from bins set out on tables outside St. Catherine’s Parish in Morgan Hill, 13-year-old Trinity Chester greeted them with a welcoming smile and told them how many of each item they could pack in their grocery bag.

A new house-building project at a local high school for Incarcerated youth has the troubled teens learning new career skills while also taking pride in their work.

Members of “I Love Morgan Hill,” a charitable arm of the local Cathedral of Faith congregation, passed out groceries to some 230 qualified families as part of their “Reaching Out Food Program,” which was held March 8 at the Morgan Hill Community Center.

A dozen years after authorities discovered a dangerous amount of perchlorate in the groundwater basin and fingered a local company for the widespread contamination, one of the last remaining wells affected is considered safe to drink from.

The 18th annual South Valley Wine Auction and Food Fest returns to the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, from 6 to 10 p.m. April 1 for a special evening that benefits local athletics.

With little fanfare for its arrival early Thursday morning, Morgan Hill’s newest downtown centerpiece—yes the Fourth Street parking garage tarantula—was hoisted via crane from the back bed of a truck and ever so gently placed onto the three-story wall of the downtown structure.About a dozen residents came out to see the public art piece with their own eyes after viewing images and sketches of Napa artist Gordon Huether’s arachnid creation paid for via use-it-or-lose-it redevelopment funds—and debating its worth at public meetings and social media sites.“I think it’s beautiful. I love the color. It’s so cool,” said Judy Viegas, an administrative analyst in the City of Morgan Hill’s Community Services Department. “This is exciting for our city.”Installing the red-legged tarantula, which spans 16 feet in diameter with limbs made out of waterjet cut aluminum and a body of headlights that light up and glow at night, was no easy task for construction workers. One in particular was tasked with finagling the spider onto a mounting pipe that protruded out high on the parking structure wall and then tilting it while the crane operator helped keep it in place.“I actually think it’s really cool,” said Ali DeStasio, who works at Dr. Crowe’s medical office in the downtown. “I was looking forward to seeing it in person. It actually is cooler than I thought it would be and I’m excited to see it lit up.”A green electric extension cord could be seen dangling from the wall and eventually will hook up to the tarantula to supply power to its LED lights inside the various headlights that make up the body.But not everyone in town is a fan of the tarantula, mostly due to its six-figure cost.“It’s 200 grand and I think honestly the money could’ve gone into infrastructure or other things,” said Dan Skeen, a local resident since 1987 who was the first one out taking pictures with his camera as it was mounted. “To me, it seems out of place in our downtown. Aesthetically, it doesn’t match up with the rest of the downtown.”Morgan Hill native Jim Sergi, 58, shared similar sentiments about the spider’s place in the downtown.“200 thousand spent on a spider and no animal control service in Morgan Hill is a disgrace to the community,” said Sergi, who called for the resignation of all those involved in commissioning the public art piece for the downtown. “I think the artwork is terrible.”Mixed reviews—including some unfiltered comments about the tarantula selection—from some community members sprung up as soon as the city unveiled the idea several months back. But downtown business owner Nancy Reynolds, who, along with husband Chris, runs the Candy Parlor, was impressed with the tarantula statue that symbolized the species indigenous to the Morgan Hill area.“I think it’s awesome,” said Reynolds, who explores other cities and appreciates their public art pieces. “I think it fits in our downtown pretty well.”The parking structure, which is yet to open, consists of 270-plus parking spaces to serve downtown residents and future visitors. The $8.6-million construction contract with F&H Construction is funded by leftover Redevelopment Agency bond proceeds. The city purchased the property for the garage last year for $2.1 million from developer Rocke Garcia, also with leftover RDA cash.The project is located between Third and Fourth streets, behind Huntington Station, Trail Dust and Toto Trattoria restaurants.The contract also includes about $425,000 worth of public art. Along with the 12-foot spider sculpture, the city commissioned a 20-feet-by-12-feet glass depiction of poppy jasper, a mineral found only in Morgan Hill for the Third Street side of the garage.Despite the outcry over the cost of the artwork seen on social media and heard at the installation site and various other places around town, the city got a bargain on the garage’s public art, according to  Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez.When the city sent out a request for proposals from qualified contractors for the project in late 2014, they specifically asked for a public art component, Ramirez said. Thus all three contractors included public art proposals with their garage plans, and F & H submitted the lowest bid. None of the submitted bids included local artists in the process.Ramirez added F & H Construction negotiated the public art budget before they bid the project. Not only was their bid the lowest, but their public art proposal was the largest of the three bidders, Ramirez noted.“They offered a wall of poppy jasper art glass to enclose the plaza stairwell and the tarantula as their public art component,” Ramirez said. “The city did not choose the art. And, had the city gone with a different contractor, the total cost for the garage would have been more.”The garage project also includes about 4,000 square feet of retail and commercial space on the side facing Third Street, which will also feature a public plaza of benches, tables and wide walkways underneath a sprawling oak tree just outside the parking structure.The entrance and exit for vehicles to the structure will be on Fourth Street.

UPDATE: As of 2:04 p.m. March 7, power was restored to all but three customers affected by this outage, according to the PG&E website. Nearly 1,500 PG&E customers are without power in north Morgan Hill, according to the utility company’s website.The outage started about 1:30 p.m., and is primarily affecting customers on the west side of U.S. 101, from West Main Avenue to Live Oak Avenue. The cause of the outage is unknown, and the PG&E website says a crew is en route to the scene to assess the cause and damage.No estimated time of power restoration is given on the PG&E website.Updates on this and other power outages in the area can be viewed at m.pge.com/#outages.