Community

More than 400 revelers enjoyed cultural dances, stage performances and authentic cuisine at the Indian Association of South County’s celebration of Diwali Nov. 18.The association’s 23rd annual celebration of the Indian holiday took place at Oakwood School in south Morgan Hill. IASC President Poonam Chabra said the 450 people in attendance was a “record-breaking” crowd.Among the attendees were special guests Ranu Sinha, an award winning filmmaker, writer and director, and Morgan Hill City Councilman Rene Spring.In her comments to the audience, Sinha addressed the youth.“Let no one else stop you, but be yourself,” Sinha said. “Do other things in life that make you happy. It’s not just about becoming doctors or engineers, but support your community and those who are less fortunate.”Spring noted that the City of Morgan Hill has actively strived to embrace and celebrate its cultural diversity in recent years, and the Nov. 18 Diwali celebration is an example.Chabra listed the increasing involvement of IASC within the broader South County community in recent years, with an annual Indian Independence Day flag ceremony and other events. But she said they can do more, and implored IASC members to help the association implement more programs such as a senior resources fair, a youth skills development program and a community focused social media site.Diwali is celebrated in October in India and among Indian-Americans. The IASC held its annual celebration about a month later due to the timing of acquiring a large enough venue.The holiday is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival acquired its name from rows of clay lamps that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness.The IASC represents more than 400 families in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin, Hollister and south San Jose. Their website is iascinfo.com.

The City of Morgan Hill is beginning to prepare its first-ever Transportation Master Plan, which will consider not just traffic projections but all of the city’s transportation needs as the community grows.  The city council at the June 7 meeting unanimously approved a consultant agreement...

The famed Gilroy Garlic Festival will return this summer after a five-year absence, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced. The 2025 version will be on a smaller scale—about one-tenth of the previous festival’s big crowds—and at a different location, the Gilroy Gardens amusement park instead...

$1.5 million renovation includes new tennis courts, picnic areas

The South County Faith Based Coalition will host two events in the coming weeks that are intended to bring locals together to help their fellow residents and honor the region’s law enforcement.

Despite the threat of rain, the 41st annual Wildflower Run on March 24 in Morgan Hill was once again a sold out event, with about 1,200 participants in six races.  New to this year’s Wildflower Run—sponsored annually by the Morgan Hill chapter of the AAUW—was...

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced Aug. 3 that he is sponsoring an “unprecedented” statewide ballot initiative that seeks to “transcend the bitter politics of gun control and save the lives of crime victims, the suicidal and children.” If approved by voters, the...

It is often said that U.S. military veterans communicate among themselves with an unspoken language as well as an understood, unbreakable trust. Perhaps that’s one reason Charles Weston, organizer of the upcoming Veterans Day Run, knows he made the right call in supporting Mary Cortani’s Operation Freedom Paws as one of the fundraiser’s beneficiaries.Cortani—a U.S. Army veteran who, like Weston, served in Vietnam—gave a tour of OFP’s 4.2-acre San Martin site earlier this week to a small group of donors, including Weston. OFP is a unique nonprofit that matches rescued dogs with individuals—primarily veterans—who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury symptoms and other physical, neurological, psychological or mobility conditions.OFP’s program works with each client to train their own dog, then certifies the dog and handler together as a service team in a rigorous 48-week course, during which the dogs are housed at the OFP facility. The service is therapy-intense and available to clients 24/7: Cortani said it is common for a client to call her in the middle of the night “in crisis,” wanting to come over to see their dog.“We’re dealing with the families too,” Cortani told the group Oct. 24. OFP even offers spousal support groups and other family services.Cortani, who founded OFP in 2010 and was a finalist for CNN’s “Hero of the Year” award in 2012, said as of last week, the nonprofit has matched, trained and supported 316 clients with service dogs. About 85 percent of the clients are veterans, but OFP serves a variety of people with service dog needs.One of their clients is a young girl prone to seizures, who gained a service dog that OFP staff and the girl’s family trained to detect upcoming episodes, Cortani said. The dog has simplified the family’s life together, and possibly even saved the client from serious injury or death.OFP’s property, which it currently leases from the commercial owner next door, includes a fenced-in, grassy training yard and numerous structures that house dog kennels and meeting spaces. The middle of the floor of an open warehouse is set up for group therapy and dog lounging.OFP is getting ready to begin a “capital campaign” to raise enough funds to purchase the property, which Cortani feels is the ideal permanent home for the organization. OFP’s county use permit is under a “one-year review” for potential modifications due to the nonprofit’s growth at the site.Six nonprofits to benefit from Veterans RunOFP is one of five nonprofits that will benefit from the third annual Morgan Hill Veterans Run 5K/10K/Walk, which is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Nov. 11 in the city’s downtown.The others are Gilroy-based Dreampower Horsemanship, which offers equine therapy for children, teens, adults and veterans throughout the South Bay; Wounded Warrior Project, a national organization that assists veterans with lifelong combat injuries; Taji 100, another run/walk charity challenge that raises funds for veterans service organizations; and the Morgan Hill Freedom Fest, for which Weston, organizer for the Veterans Day Run, is a director.OFP is slated to receive 25 percent of Veterans Day Run proceeds, while Dreampower and WWP will receive 10 percent. Taji 100 is tagged for 15 percent of the proceeds and Freedom Fest—which organizes annual Independence Day festivities in Morgan Hill—will gain 40 percent of funds raised.Last year’s Veterans Day Run raised $3,253 for the partners, Weston said.“I think Mary and Operation Freedom Paws is awesome,” Weston said. “I can't imagine the effort and intelligence she has to push this forward. I think they have some hurdles to get to a stable place, and I think she needs help in fundraising and operations. I hope it comes soon.”He added that he tagged the other beneficiaries or “partners” for the Veterans Day Run because veterans have a variety of different needs after serving in combat. “Not everyone digs dogs, so there’s horse people (for example),” Weston said.“Most veterans don’t feel comfortable around people who can’t understand what they’re trying to say,” he continued. “It’s easier to say it to a veteran. That’s why these organizations are important; generally, veterans remain silent. They think they can integrate into society on their own seamlessly (but) they can’t do it, fully. They need to talk it through, and express their feelings.”Registration remains open for the Veterans Day Run. More information about the event—including the different routes, registration fees, and schedule—can be found online at morganhillveteransdayrun.com.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is extending an air quality advisory through Thursday, August 9, in the Bay Area, including South County and northern San Benito County. Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy and Hollister early Wednesday, Aug.8, began experiencing brown, hazy skies, the smoke impacts from the Mendocino Complex  Fire and other wildfires.Starting Tuesday afternoon and continuing into Wednesday, smoke impacts became more widespread and at ground level at times. Due to active wildfires and changing wind patterns, air quality throughout the Bay Area is likely to be impacted through most of the week.A regional Spare the Air Alert was called, because air quality exceeded federal standards. The Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring air quality every 20 minutes. Updates are posted at https://airnow.gov.If the smell of smoke is present, it is important that Bay Area residents protect their health by avoiding exposure. If possible, stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside. Set air-conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate to prevent outside air from moving inside.Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat and irritated sinuses. Elevated particulate matter in the air can trigger wheezing in those who suffer from asthma, emphysema or COPD.Elderly persons, children and individuals with respiratory illnesses are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure.

Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner last week wanted the city to consider adding requirements for businesses that host “adult cabaret shows,” but reversed course after the owner of a local venue he had in mind agreed to make its events less visible from outside.  Before...