Community

Just over 239 years ago—on March 24, 1776 to be exact—members of the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition stopped in Morgan Hill on their way up the coast in search of an inland supply route from Mexico to northern California.On March 28, 2015, the California State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with scores of local and regional dignitaries and descendants of the de Anza family, gathered at the campsite on the banks of Llagas Creek to celebrate the expedition’s 240th anniversary.The CSSDAR and Morgan Hill Historical Society placed a permanent marker at the de Anza expedition campsite, which is located on an unoccupied property owned by the city of Morgan Hill. The site is now bound by the Woodland Estates Mobile Home Park, Llagas Creek and Santa Teresa Boulevard.The de Anza expedition started with a party of 240 men, women and children in Tubac, Mexico Oct. 23, 1775, according to CSSDAR Regent Sally Holcombe, who participated in the March 28 ceremony and monument unveiling. Under the leadership of Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza, the purpose of the expedition was not only to establish a supply route up the continent; it was also to establish new grounds for future settlements and enable the colonization of California.While the families concluded the expedition at Monterey, California March 22, 1776, Anza continued north with a company of 12 soldiers, Holcombe continued. Two days later they camped near what is now Santa Teresa Boulevard in Morgan Hill. From there, the band traveled up the San Francisco Peninsula and back south.During the trip, the Anza expedition selected settlement sites for what later became the city of San Jose, Mission Santa Clara and Mission Dolores (both in what is now San Francisco) as well as the San Francisco Presidio. The families that traveled with Anza settled throughout California, and the descendants of these early colonial families remain in the state, Holcombe said.Some of these descendants attended the March 28 monument ceremony in Morgan Hill.Helping CSSDAR secure the Anza expedition campsite as a historical site and placing the granite marker were the city of Morgan Hill, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Morgan Hill Historical Society and Woodland Estates, Holcombe noted.

Local children got a chance to meet a real live Easter bunny, among other mascots of Sonrisa Stables’ equestrian team.

A new student club at Sobrato High School devoted to identifying and helping local disabled residents will host a fundraiser for a boy with a rare developmental syndrome at the Granada Theater Saturday.The club, “A Lending Hand,” will bring dance and music performances, a raffle and singers to the downtown Morgan Hill theater in order to raise funds for Kevin Lopez-Rendon, a 7-year-old boy who suffers from DiGeorge Syndrome, according to club member Zuha Aslam, a junior at Sobrato High School.DiGeorge Syndrome is a developmental disorder caused by a deletion of part of a chromosome. The disability results in the poor development of a number of body systems, characterized by heart defects, poor immune system function, blood defects and delayed behavioral and emotional development, according to the website mayoclinic.org.The April 4 fundraiser, which will take place from 1 to 3 p.m., will specifically raise funds to buy Lopez-Rendon a new wheelchair, Aslam said. The students hope to raise $2,500 for a new wheelchair.“A Lending Hand” was just started at Sobrato this year, Aslam said. The club currently has about 10 members from the school’s student body.Granada Theater is located at 17440 Monterey Road.  

Visitors and residents of South County swarmed wineries in Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy for the Spring 2015 Santa Clara Valley Wineries Passport Weekend. Passport holders were treated to wine tastings at participating wineries, as well as winery tours, live entertainment and fine dining. For more information about local wineries, visit santaclarawines.com.

The San Martin Neighborhood Alliance is urging its members to attend at least one of two public meetings this week regarding Santa Clara County’s proposed modifications to General Plan land use policies that could “significantly impact San Martin,” according to an SMNA statement.

While county officials have made it clear that they disagree with the attorney general’s decision to approve the sale of Daughters of Charity Health System to Prime Healthcare, Morgan Hill mayor Steve Tate is in wait-and-see mode as the for-profit company decides whether to accept the stringent conditions tied to the $843 million acquisition.“I’m going to wait to see how it unfolds, wait to see if Prime accepts the conditions, that’s question No. 1, and if they do, how they are going to be enforced,” Tate said. “And if they don’t, what’s the next step?”Attorney General Kamala Harris’ approval of the sale with conditions came Feb. 20 after months of deliberations, research and community input meetings. The DCHS includes Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, De Paul Medical Center in Morgan Hill, O’Connor Hospital in San Jose and four other medical facilities in California.“I wasn’t really surprised,” said Tate of Harris’ decision. “It seemed to be like she needed to approve it because there weren’t that many other options, but she needed to put conditions on it. So, it wasn’t that big of a surprise.”Supervisor Mike Wasserman has been unavailable for comment, although the county sent out a prepared statement shortly after Harris’ Feb. 20 announcement. The county submitted a bid to acquire SLRH and O’Connor Hospital, but was rejected from consideration by DCHS.“The County of Santa Clara is disappointed with the Attorney General’s decision,” the county response reads. “Regardless of the conditions placed upon Prime Healthcare, the county believes that the decision jeopardizes the health of the county’s neediest and most vulnerable residents by reducing their access to critical medical services, and by placing undue hardship on the county’s existing healthcare facilities and services to the poor and disadvantaged.”Prime officials, as well as those from DCHS, said they must carefully review all of the attached conditions, which include operating four of the DCHS facilities (SLRH among them) as acute care hospitals with emergency services and charity care for the next 10 years as well as continuing the Medi-Cal and Medicare programs for a decade.“I agree with all of them,” Tate said. “I think (Harris’ decision) brought about many more questions than it did answers.”Tate spoke with members of the community who have stake in the hospital sale and they were “universally convinced that (DCHS) had to be sold to Prime because it was the only option that would keep them employed.”Among the 12 conditions, one solely focused on the hospital workers states that Prime must assume and guarantee all pension obligations covering approximately 17,000 current and retired employees. Prime agreed to such parameters with DCHS officials prior to the Harris decision, as well as to invest $150 million in capital improvement expenditures at the facilities over the next three years.“(All the conditions) are fairly important because they all have to do with the health of our community,” Tate concluded.See this related story for all the details on Harris’ Feb. 20 announcement, including the full list of conditions for Prime’s acquisition.

GILROY—Following the largest review of its kind, California Attorney General Kamala Harris ruled Friday that new owners can take over six medical facilities from a Roman Catholic health system nearing financial ruin, but not without rigorous, 10-year conditions.

Ann Sobrato High School’s Future Farmers of America celebrated FFA Week with a slew of events running from Feb. 9 through Feb. 13, culminating with the “Kiss a Pig” fundraiser on campus during their lunch break.“FFA Week is a week long celebration of our pride to be part of such an enriching organization,” said Emmanuel Calivo, Sobrato FFA Chapter Reporter.Sobrato’s FFA—which consists of about 500 members—hosted an assortment of contests and fun activities throughout the week, including Feb. 9 “Cowboy & Cowgirl Day;” Feb. 10 “Dress Like Your Ag Teacher Day/Bubble Gum in a Pie;” Feb. 11 “College Day” and Obstacle Course; Feb. 12 “Construction Day/Build a Barn;” and Feb. 13 FFA Day/Kiss a Pig Contest.Each day of the week, FFA students dressed up in different apparel to show their creativity and pride, according to Calivo. Activities were held in the Sobrato quad for all students to participate.FFA members raise various livestock animals on the sprawling Sobrato farm and then show them during the annual county fair, which is held July 30-Aug. 2 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds located at 344 Tully Road in San Jose. Students also take agricultural science courses at school.

It’s three strikes and you’re fined in Santa Clara County after the Board of Supervisors passed a new county water conservation ordinance at the Feb. 10 meeting.

The Morgan Hill Community Foundation is now accepting applications for its annual spring grant cycle, which disburses awards to local, qualifying nonprofit in addition to a scholarship for Morgan Hill Unified School District high school students.