Community

The funeral services for California Highway Patrol Officer James Branik, who died in an early-morning accident in San Martin Sept. 19, will take place Sept. 29 in Morgan Hill.Services are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. The public is invited.Branik, 44, of Morgan Hill, died after a traffic accident on Monterey Road just south of Chester Avenue just before 6 a.m. Sept. 19. He was driving south on his Suzuki motorcycle when a Chevrolet pickup—travelling north on Monterey Road in the left-turn lane—turned into him, according to authorities.Branik, who was off duty at the time of the accident, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, which is under investigation, according to police. Alcohol or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in the collision.Branik worked for the CHP since 2005. Since 2010, he was assigned to the Gilroy Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility, which is located on U.S. 101 in San Martin. His role was as a mobile road enforcement officer, tasked with patrolling county roads and freeways in the area of the weigh station for vehicle safety violations, making traffic stops and issuing citations, according to CHP Lt. Robb Kaczor, who was Branik’s commanding officer at the San Martin facility.Branik was recognized by his commander and his peers as a “leader” in commercial vehicle safety knowledge and enforcement, Kaczor said.His obituary, printed in the Morgan Hill Times and other South County media, says Branik was “a man of integrity and quiet conviction.”He graduated from Leigh High School in San Jose in 1991. Before becoming a CHP officer, Branik worked for the U.S. Post Office in Campbell and Los Gatos from 1993 to 2005. He enjoyed basketball, G.I. Joe, Marvel and DC comics and animals, according to the obituary notice.In lieu of flowers, Branik’s family has requested donations be made to the CHP 11-99 Foundation in his name.

April is recognized as World Autism Month, and I write this as both a mother and an advocate. Like many parents, my early experiences with autism were overwhelming and, at times, isolating.  In our community, support can feel limited. Many autistic children are often defined by...

Hundreds of small heroes, villains, cartoon characters, farm animals and more—along with their costumed parents—took over downtown Morgan Hill for a brief outing the night of Halloween. Shop and restaurant owners held the invaders at bay by donning their own disguises and offering candy payoffs.Luckily, the looters meant no harm and nothing but fun and good times were reported. The Oct. 31 scene, known as the annual Safe Trick Or Treat event, was organized by the City of Morgan Hill and the Downtown Association.Monterey Road and downtown side streets were closed to vehicle traffic in order to give the costumed families free reign of the neighborhood and maximize their treat stores and partake in street games.

Marking its one-year anniversary, the local company that owns and operates the Morgan Hill Wine Trolley has announced it is expanding its fleet and broadening the variety of events and tours it offers in the South Bay.  To celebrate, El Toro Tours, Inc. invites guests...

Morgan Hill

What does freedom taste like? As Jews celebrate the weeklong holiday of Passover (Pesach) beginning this Saturday night (April 12), the interactive ritual of a Passover Seder provides a rich learning experience to literally taste freedom.  The book of Exodus details the story of Passover...

Robert Rivas, who represents 29th California district, was re-elected this week as Speaker of the California State Assembly.  Rivas, of Hollister, now begins his second year as Assembly Speaker following a unanimous vote by his Democratic colleagues on Dec. 2.  “I am filled with great pride...

On Oct. 24, the San Martin/Gwinn Elementary School Garden received a grant from Western Growers Foundation and Uesugi Farms. The presentation took place at 11 a.m. in the garden and included the students of Mrs. Moore's fourth-grade class, members of the Western Growers Foundation, and Associates of Uesugi Farms.