Columnists

Our kitchens have long been the center of our homes. Many of us have happy memories of the wonderful aromas when mom was baking. And, since so much of our time is spent in our kitchens, it's natural to want your décor to be comforting and satisfying - just like a great meal! Now that the holidays are over, you may be thinking of giving your kitchen a facelift, or even remodeling. Maybe it's time to put down the carving knives and pick up your sketch pad, now that all the “hungry masses” have left and your home is once again your castle.

Last time we talked about responding when partner opens with a one notrump bid. A beginner's response is more or less limited to sign-off bids at the two level (two diamonds, hearts or spades), or sign-off bids at game (three notrump and four hearts or spades) and invitational bids (two notrump and three hearts or spades).

Ah, our love affair with our cars. In the past, Americans spent hours polishing, tuning, cruising and bragging about their cars. Now, it seems we just use then to get from point A to point B.

I recently mentioned that the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, in partnership with the City of Morgan Hill, invited construction projects downtown to participate in a competition to see who could make their site the most interesting.The prize for this competition was a lunch for the construction crews, so there was little incentive other than the spirit of competition and lots of community spirit.The Leal organization’s site for the future Granada Hotel and Spa won the competition with a decorated fence and a construction site that really doesn’t look like either anymore. This is a great example of how to make a normally unsightly looking construction site blend back into the background.So I told some people about the competition and realized that the Leal organization was not being recognized for some of the other good things they do.I originally started writing this column because I didn’t feel that the community knew enough about so many of the good things being done in Morgan Hill, and this is a good example.The Leal organization became visible to most of us in Morgan Hill with its purchase of the old Granada Theater site. Little did we know that someone could save that old building (it was structurally unsafe), let alone make it a thriving business and contemporary landmark.It took a lot of resources to save that sentimental old building, but the Leal organization made it happen. Now we don’t have to rely on just memories of the building; we can be entertained and dine in an updated version that can now make new memories.For me, most of those memories are associated with the philanthropic work in the way of charitable fundraisers in that building.Think about the Edward Boss Prado Foundation’s annual Gala Event which found a new home there. Community Solutions’ “Black, White & Bling” Gala was the first event in the newly renovated Granada (this year’s gala is Nov. 4). Those events were generously supported by donation of the venue by the Leal organization.New this year will be Rebekah Children’s Services’ “Festival of Trees” fundraiser which just moved to Morgan Hill from the swanky Corinthian in San Jose. The Live Oak High Booster Club will be the recipient of 25 percent of the receipts from the “Pasta for a Purpose” dinner. This is a takeoff of the “Pizza for a Purpose” event the Leal organization held in Hollister for their local needs.The Leal organization is a business and will conduct itself as one, as it has to. The organization is also very active philanthropically—it doesn’t have to be but it is.This organization is another example of how so many of our local businesses become partners in the community. I welcome them to the community.John McKay is president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance. He can be reached at [email protected].