Opinion

Maybe you’ve seen him on the side of the road. Or at an intersection, holding a cardboard sign. And it’s easy for you to jump to conclusions about him—his choices, his work ethic, how he would use any money you give him, how he...

MH is grateful for veteransThank You, Thank You, Thank You!I would like to thank our community, our young families, Eddie Bowers, and our veterans for the gift of our annual Veterans Day and Memorial Day Ceremonies.Our community, with the support of our local police, gathers in the median of Monterey Road at First Street to honor our local military and to express our thanks for their service and sacrifice. Young families bring children to experience what Veterans Day and Memorial Day represent—not just a sale at the mall, but a tribute to the members of our Armed Forces.Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts proudly wear their uniforms to show their respect and patriotism.Eddie Bowers, whose idea it was to build and retain our Veterans Wall at the intersection of First and Monterey, deservedly was recognized as the "Veteran of the Year" by the California State Assembly. He graciously shared his recognition with the veterans of our audience who were greeted with applause and cheers.We live in an amazing community. Morgan Hill represents a community standing together in its grateful thanks to our veterans. We are passing our traditions into the future through our children. These children are learning to honor those who serve and to love this great country of ours.Karen Ann CraneMorgan Hill Columnist should offer more dialogueIn response to John McKay’s opinion regarding social media dialogue in the Nov. 11 Times, I agree more of an effort is needed to bring civility to discussions. But Mr. McKay is hardly the spokesperson for “honest and civil” digital dialogues.Mr. McKay contributed to the divisiveness in Measure S conversations and perpetuated dissent by suggesting residents with differing opinions weren’t talking to the “experts” or reading the facts, and were therefore misinformed. I felt insulted that my attempts to understand the facts weren’t good enough, my conclusions were wrong, and my ability to make up my own mind was impaired.Mr. McKay’s participation in social media discussions, in my experience, serves his purpose of expressing his opinion and providing information he feels is beneficial to the community. I respect his right to do that, and I have gained insight from him that I probably wouldn’t by dismissing his views as contrary and one-sided. However, I did not see similar consideration in return.As Mr. McKay speaks of cyber bullying, he forgets his own criticism targeted toward those attempting to share differing opinions. Just prior to the election, Mr. McKay attacked Councilmember-elect Rene Spring on the Jackson Oaks Nextdoor site, stating Mr. Spring, who helped develop Measure S, “did not show any concern that the wording had been changed” regarding open space protection and “support for him will suffer by definition.” He also called into question Mr. Spring’s Planning Commission vote on Oak Meadow (in west Morgan Hill) that contributed to the loss of 80 acres of open space protection—a protection that Mr. McKay also voted against. Mr. Spring did not have the access to the Jackson Oaks site and had no opportunity to defend himself.As for Mr. McKay’s suggestion that he is a target of planning commission protests, I’d like to know who those groups are so I can distance myself from them. To date, I have not read one word on social media indicating any planned protests. If these threats are being sent to Mr. McKay personally, he is doing a disservice to his point by including them to support his view of a social media problem.Yes, there can be problem with social media as the language and intent can be misinterpreted. Mr. McKay sees this contributing to an “unpleasant shift in the spirit and culture within the digital realm of Morgan Hill.”One way to adjust that shift is by reaching out personally. I’d like to remind Commissioner McKay that what also comes “with the territory of being a city official” is availability to the community. He has never once responded to my emails to the commission, nor has he offered to speak with me in person, which is something other members of the commission and city council have done to clarify their messages.To me, that makes him an addition to the problem more than the solution he seeks.Chris MonackMorgan Hill

My name is Mikayla McCoy and I am a 13-year-old resident of Morgan Hill. It has come to my attention that a bike lane for Sunnyside Avenue has been in the planning for a long period of time.  I live right off of Sunnyside; all...

What an incredible quarter century I have spent working for these community newspapers.  Twenty five years spent learning, teaching and contributing to producing your local newspaper.  I had several mentors over the years, who each had many more years here than I have racked up.  They taught me so much about each department, how it works and how they all fit together. Thank you to each and every one of you (you know who you are) for investing in me and making me better.  Much of my work was behind the scenes, planning and organizing, making sure everything came together on deadline.  I loved every minute of it!

To get a warm and fuzzy feeling this holiday season, consider donating to a local animal care organization such as wildlife rehabilitation, pet shelter, and animal rescue group, who are always in need of that extra helping of generosity.Giving to a local organization enhances your community and produces immediate and visible results. Many of these organizations, including the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, are supported solely by donations from individuals and companies. A donation to your favorite animal charity can make a heart warming, deeply appreciated gift and gives the giver a feeling of goodwill (and a tax deduction, too).A word of warning:  Beware of fly-by-night “charities.”  Check out an organization before sending off a check. If you’re not familiar with the organization, ask for the phone number and address. Call to see if they’re reputable or have them send you more information. The organization should have a 501(c)(3) tax exemption number. It’s your hard earned money—don’t hesitate to ask questions regarding where that money goes.W.E.R.C. wishes to thank all in our community who have generously donated throughout the year to help us help the helpless, injured and orphaned native wildlife that would not have survived on their own.Sue Howell is the Executive Director of the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center in Morgan Hill.