Community

The Poppy Jasper Film Festival is back and bigger than ever for its 11th year, as volunteers are ready to kick off the juried event May 12 with a big-screen tale of Morgan Hill’s best-known swashbuckling seadog, the “Benevolent Pirate” Rich Firato.This year’s festival—traditionally a short film festival—will screen feature-length films for the first time, according to PJFF Chair Kim Bush. And this year’s festival will be longer than ever, running through May 17 at the Granada Theater in downtown Morgan Hill.“We’ve been around 10 years, and this is to freshen it up,” Bush said.Categories of films to be shown during the juried competition and festival include foreign films, music/animation/science fiction, documentaries, dramas, feature-length and family films. A new category this year is “edgy” films, which are more adult themed, Bush said.The annual festival is not just a competition and a chance for filmmakers to show off their latest work, Bush explained. It has an educational mission and allows those in the industry to network.These efforts will be facilitated by two workshops to take place next-door to the theater at Grinds, Vines and Automobilia coffee shop, starting at 12 p.m. Mattock Scariot and Nils Myers, founders of 152 WEST Productions, will lead a workshop on how to produce visual effects on a budget; and award-winning filmmaker Rupert Hitzig will host a workshop on developing a film idea from a “dream” to a movie.Specifically, Hitzig will share his year-long experience developing his latest work, an unreleased pirate film based on Morgan Hill resident Firato.Firato and his band of consultants and associates were the subject of a documentary that premiered at the 2013 Poppy Jasper Film Festival. That film was about the creation of Firato’s backyard pirate-themed paradise in northeast Morgan Hill, complete with meandering creeks and waterfalls, buried treasure, majestic pirate ships and even the remains of scallywags from eras past.Firato, who is chair of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, often produces and hosts fundraising events at his cove.In fact, Firato is also in the midst of production on multiple upcoming film projects. Aside from Hitzig’s film, Firato and local producers are working on a television series to be titled “The Pirate Theater, hosted by The Benevolent Pirate.”The show will replay a classic pirate film, with Firato—dressed in his most authentic pirate garb and surrounded by props—interjecting at select breaks to offer unique history, criticism and insight into the film or the pirate life in general.The first episode will feature 1945’s “Captain Kidd.” The show is designed for late-night television, and the 2015 PJFF will kick off with a trailer previewing the series, followed by an encore of Firato’s documentary that debuted in 2013.“We’ve been doing a lot of research and development, trying to come up with the right concept,” Firato explained. “We think what we came up with is unique and unusual.”Firato, along with producer William Leamon and acting coach Donna Cowan, will be shopping for a vendor for “The Pirate Theater” at PJFF.“There are 340 films about pirates,” said Leamon, who is also a co-founder of PJFF. Thus, there should be no shortage of episodes for “The Pirate Theater.”The first three days of PJFF, May 12 – 14, will feature free screenings starting at 6:30 p.m. each night. Tickets to the blocks of competition films May 15 – 17 cost $10 per block, or $35 for a festival pass that allows access to every screening. Each block of films features a question and answer session with the filmmakers.Screenwriting legend Victor Miller, who wrote the original “Friday the 13th” horror flick, will present the 2015 PJFF keynote speech 7 p.m. May 15.For more information and to purchase tickets, visit poppyjasperfilmfest.org. The Granada Theater is located at 17440 Monterey Road.

Public art continues to deck the downtown, as students from Central High School are in the midst of painting a giant mural depicting local life covering the rear outside wall of the Granada Theater. The students, working with San Jose based Empire Seven Studios, gained funding for the project through City Hall’s “mini-grant” program which includes a dozen art pieces to be completed throughout the spring.

Morgan Hill Police, city officials and community volunteers gathered April 25 at the annual “Cops and Robbers Ball” to raise funds for public safety efforts, and to celebrate a local retired officer who has volunteered for the local department for the last eight years.The nonprofit Morgan Hill Community Law Enforcement Foundation sponsored the dinner, raffle and ceremony at the Community and Cultural Center.CLEF’s mission is to raise money to augment the city’s efforts to provide public safety services in Morgan Hill. Past efforts spearheaded by CLEF include the purchase and training of K9 dogs for MHPD, a license plate reader and other technology.At the Cops and Robbers Ball, CLEF honored Bruce Dudley with the 2015 Public Safety Award.Dudley is retired from the Sunnyvale Police Department, where he started serving in 1966. In Morgan Hill, he has volunteered as a crime scene and forensics investigator. In doing so, he has saved MHPD about $50,000 in evidence processing fees that would otherwise have been paid to the Santa Clara County Crime Lab.Dudley also volunteers at MHPD events taking pictures and shooting videos.To learn more about CLEF, visit morganhillclef.org.

GILROY—The second-annual South County Legislative Summit was a who’s-who of elected officials that included U.S. Congress representatives and South County mayors pro tem.

A group of hopeful local leaders has a “bright idea” to illuminate a local public entertainment facility as their contribution to the Morgan Hill community.The Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2015 is currently raising money for the project, a “permanent, state-of-the-art stage lighting system” for the Morgan Hill Downtown Amphitheater, according to class member Lisa Washington. The amphitheater is located adjacent to the Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, and is the venue for the Chamber of Commerce’s annual summertime “Friday Night Music Series” and other special events.“We expect to enhance the experience of residents and out-of-town guests at this year’s (FNMS), and broaden the appeal of the amphitheater for additional events such as concerts, ceremonies and lectures,” Washington said. “For the city of Morgan Hill, this will translate into upside potential for revenues from new renters.”The class is looking to raise $25,000 to design, build and install the ambitious volunteer-, nonprofit-funded project, which they have titled “Bright Idea.” They are currently halfway toward the fundraising goal, Washington said. They hope to have the lighting system installed by the time FNMS starts June 5.Specifically, the project would add six lights onto each of two existing light poles, pointing at the stage from the edge of the audience lawn. Another 12 lights will be installed above the stage, pointing onto the performance area for down lighting, backlighting and angling to light up the dance floor, Washington explained.“The LED light fixtures will be weather and UV resistant with wireless controls and a spectrum of colors—red, green, blue and white,” Washington added.The Morgan Hill City Council approved the “Bright Idea” concept at the April 15 meeting, and will take up the matter again as it gets close to installation by the end of this summer. The city of Morgan Hill owns the amphitheater and CCC property, and charges fees to the public and nonprofits such as the Chamber to use the facilities.Chamber board Chair Rich Firato, who also chairs the committee that runs the annual FNMS, said the “Bright Idea” lighting will enhance the music and dancing experience at the venue.“It will bring an upscale experience to concert goers and performers for night-time events at the amphitheater,” Firato said. “Plus, it will streamline production of our live music program this summer, since we’ll no longer have the hassle of setting up and taking down temporary lighting each week.”FNMS begins June 5 at the Downtown Amphitheater, and will continue most Friday nights through the summer.LMH Class of 2015 is offering recognition opportunities to donors who make generous contributions to the fundraising effort, from “Bronze” to “Platinum” levels, Washington said. Sponsors will be features in event promotions.LMH is a training and development program “created to inspire future leaders to community service,” according to the LMH website. Each class goes through a year-long program, and is required to complete a hands-on project that benefits the community in order to graduate from the program.For more information about the project and to make a donation, visit leadershipmorganhill.org or check out the Facebook page titled “LMH Class of 2015 – Bright Idea Project.”

Four veteran Santa Clara County office holders offered unique insight into their experiences as women in politics at an April 23 panel discussion in Morgan Hill.The forum featured Morgan Hill Councilwoman Marilyn Librers, Santa Clara County Board of Education member Claudia Rossi, former Morgan Hill Unified School District Trustee Kathy Sullivan and San Jose Vice Mayor Rose Herrera.The event was organized by the American Association of University Women Morgan Hill chapter, and was held at the Community and Cultural Center.A key goal of the forum was to encourage women to run for office and support those who are already serving their communities in office, according to AAUW members.“Don’t be afraid to try it,” Herrera offered as advice for any woman who is thinking about running for an elected position. “Or support a woman who wants to run. We have to realize that women are great political leaders.”The panelists answered questions about their reasons for running, their accomplishments in office and challenges they have faced in politics.Rossi, who sat on the MHUSD board of education before being elected to the county board in November 2014, said she was inspired to run by longtime Morgan Hill educator, volunteer and community activist Loritta Bonfante Johnson.“She recognized a potential in me I didn’t see in myself,” Rossi said. “There are people in our community serving very quietly.”Rossi added her advice to potential candidates is to “think beyond the election” and “know your role.” As an example, she referred to her “dismay” at reports of recent MHUSD board meetings in which tensions have flared among trustees and staff.“There are certain board members who do not know their role. That can be disruptive and demoralizing,” Rossi said. She did not name these board members at the April 23 forum.Librers said while she served as an appointed city commissioner before running for office, she heard frequent “mumbling and grumbling” in the community about government decisions.“I thought, ‘I’m not going to just grumble. I’m going to step up,’” Librers said.

Members of the Community Advocacy Coalition have organized a Cinco De Mayo Celebration from noon to 7 p.m. May 3 at Morgan Hill Galvan Park (17666 Crest Avenue).

Local gardeners and their children celebrated the unveiling of Helen Lessick's latest public art display at the Morgan Hill Community Garden at "Soil Art Day" April 18. Festivities included an art workshop for children, gardening workshops for grownups and a tour of the garden. The Community Garden is located on Butterfield Boulevard, between the South County Courthouse and the VTA bus station parking lot. 

Ann Sobrato High School’s horticulture students got their hands dirty April 17, planting a pollinator and harvestable hedgerow of fruit trees, herb shrubs and native plants along the western edge of the school’s two-acre farm.“We’re delighted that the students have this opportunity to learn about planting and about the many ways that hedgerows can benefit farms,” said Vera Gomes, Sobrato’s Assistant Principal and a long-time agriculture program teacher.The high school has a long-term goal to develop a 10-acre organic row crop and orchard demonstration farm next to the current farm, which mainly focuses on animal husbandry.Later in the spring, the students will plant a windbreak hedgerow of native shrubs and trees along the northern edge of the school farm. These two hedgerows—over 10,000 square feet combined—will have habitat and windbreak functions and will also be used as a teaching tool. The hedgerow design and planting is overseen by Sam Earnshaw of Hedgerows Unlimited, which has established over 400 miles of hedgerows in California.The hedgerow planting is a partnership between the high school’s acclaimed agriculture program, in which about a third of the school’s 1,500 students are involved, and Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting agriculture near cities.SAGE is working with the high school on the hedgerow and the demonstration farm planning as part of the project Revitalizing Specialty Crop Agriculture in the Coyote Valley, which is funded by a California Department of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Block grant. This project is guided by the Coyote Valley Agricultural Enterprise and Conservation program Advisory Committee.

New SV Media Inc. has acquired Out & About magazine. The monthly joins a family of publications that includes the Morgan Hill Times, Gilroy Dispatch, the Hollister Free Lance, Good Times in Santa Cruz and Metro in Sili- con Valley. “We look forward to building...