Local honored at Southern New Hampshire University
Kendra Stewart of Morgan Hill was named to the Summer 2023 President’s List Southern New Hampshire University.
Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired eight-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring and summer.
Learn how to prepare for emergency Sept. 20
As the news headlines continue to make clear, fires, floods, earthquakes, public health emergencies and other disasters are increasingly a part of everyday life. September is Emergency Preparedness Month, a time when safety advocates strive to raise awareness of the benefits of making some preparations before the next disaster strikes.
Morgan Hill Emergency Services Coordinator Jennifer Ponce will lead a discussion on household and individual emergency preparedness 2:30-3:30pm Sept. 20 at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
Ponce has been the City of Morgan Hill’s ESC for 15 years, and will share her expertise with attendees.
The session is sponsored by the Morgan Hill Senior Advisory Committee and South County Lifelong Learning.
Admission to the Sept. 20 event is free.
Farm Bureau to present awards at barbecue
The Santa Clara County Farm Bureau has selected the recipients of two annual awards that will be presented at its Family BBQ on Sept. 17 from 12:30-4:30pm at Kirigin Cellars in Gilroy.
The 2023 George Chiala Farmer of the Year award will be presented to Louie and Judy Bonino. The award is given annually to a grower or farming organization who has gone above and beyond to contribute to agriculture in Santa Clara County.
The Boninos are being recognized for their long-term dedication to agriculture and the agricultural community. The family has been farming in Santa Clara County for more than 100 years, and the fifth generation of the family now works for the farming operation.
The 2023 Linda L. Lester Friend of Agriculture award will be presented to Andrea Mackenzie, general manager of the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. This award is given annually to an individual or organization who is not directly involved in production agriculture, but has done much for the local agricultural industry.
Mackenzie has worked for multiple public land conservation agencies to preserve open space, farmland and biodiversity around the San Francisco Bay Region. She has focused her work on regional conservation policy, urban and regional planning, and conservation finance.
The event will feature a barbecue lunch, live music by the Alison Sharino Band, games for the family and more. To make reservations, visit Eventbrite.com and search for “Farm Bureau Family BBQ” in Gilroy.
For information, contact Executive Director Jess Brown at 831.818.1193 or email the office at in**@sa******************.org.
Blood drive scheduled in Morgan Hill
The American Red Cross is experiencing a national blood shortage. Fewer donors than needed gave this summer, drawing down the national blood supply and reducing distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals.
Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, and there is an emergency need for platelet donors and type O blood donors to make an appointment to give now to ensure patients across the country continue to receive critical medical care.
Community Christian, 305 West Main Ave. in Morgan Hill, will host a blood drive on Sept. 23 from 8am to 2pm.
When Hurricane Idalia slammed into the Southeast, the storm also forced the cancellation of more than a dozen blood drives and caused hundreds of blood and platelet donations to go uncollected. This compounded a shortfall of about 30,000 donations in August. Right now, blood product distributions to hospitals are outpacing the number of blood donations coming in.
Schedule an appointment to give by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1.800.733.2767.
Give your stuff a Second Chance
In support of the many ways that everyone can reuse and recycle unwanted items, South County communities will host the annual Second Chance Week in September. Second Chance Week is a full week of events, from Sept. 9-17, designed to give your stuff a second chance.
Opportunities to recycle, reuse, give away or otherwise safely get rid of unwanted possessions include two citywide garage sales in Morgan Hill/South County (Sept. 9-10) and Gilroy (Sept. 16-17). The deadline to apply to have your garage sale listed in these events is Sept. 1 for the Morgan Hill weekend and Sept. 8 for Gilroy, according to the City of Morgan Hill’s website for Second Chance Week.
Other events during Second Chance Week include Universal Waste Awareness Day on Sept. 11; Donate Coats for Kids and Adults Too Day on Sept. 13; Second Sight Day (to donate old eyeglasses) on Sept. 14; and Recycle Your Cycle Day on Sept. 15.
For more information and to register for the garage sale weekends, visit https://tinyurl.com/28zpkf6h.
Meditation Workshop Sept. 20
A “Serenity and Insight” mindfulness meditation workshop will take place Sept. 20, from 1-4pm at the Morgan Hill House, Villa Mira Monte, 17860 Monterey Road.
The workshop will be led by James Morrison, who was a Buddhist monk for over 30 years. The workshop is suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Teachings are offered on a donation basis. Participation is limited.
For complete details and to reserve your place, contact Carol at he***@aa****.org.
Book Sale Oct. 7
The Friends of the Morgan Hill Library will have their quarterly book sale 10am-3pm Oct. 7, at the Morgan Hill Library, 660 West Main Ave.
All books and media are $1 or less; children’s and teen books are 10 cents each. The bag sale starts at 2 pm: $4 to fill a standard-size bag or $5 with a reusable library bag.
The members-only preview sale is 9-10 am before the sale opens to the public. Memberships may be purchased at the door and are valid through December 2024. Members also receive half off any book each month in the Friends Bookstore at the library. For more information, visit friendsmhlibrary.org.
