Columnists

I think this is the third year that you get to wake up to one of my columns from your tryptophan-induced coma (it is obligatory to use that line every year) and reach for your coffee in a daze.I feel like I’m already in a daze recently with the elections, attending meetings for great things to come and celebrating people and accomplishments. In that daze, I swing back and forth between a dream and a nightmare; but I think it’s very much a net positive.Sometimes I feel like I’m in a dream when I think about how the Granada Theater was saved and is being transformed. Honestly, I never thought there was even the slimmest chance it would ever open for business again. Not only is it going to be open, but soon it will be so cool that it sends the accomplishment needle off the dial.It will have terraced dinner seating around a stage, like you see in those old movies where someone like Benny Goodman’s big band is playing and everybody’s dancing and enjoying fancy dining and drinks.All this in our old theater that had succumbed to the smell of mold and tobacco smoke and probably not the best place to be in an earthquake.Newly renovated, the smell of food and wine has replaced the mold and smoke and I’d rather be there than in one of my home’s doorways during a major temblor.Many of us had dreamed of a boutique hotel downtown. “Long shot,” we mused. Now even that dream comes true.We will have a new three-story hotel with lots of retail space. But get this—the building comes pre-loaded with shops! The owner/developer will base his wedding planning business there with supporting shops like a florist, as well as places to get your wine and dinner. Many of the key ingredients in these shops will come from packages with “Leal” on the label.Frank Leal’s constellation of symbiotic businesses make the theater and boutique hotel feasible, where other developers crunched numbers and walked away shaking their heads.I fully realize that this is not a dream and this is all happening. Two things never dreamed possible became reality; not only will I see them in my lifetime but I will see them soon.Not only am I not dreaming, but I also don’t have to wait for the next nugget. Prova, the new restaurant headed up by Chef Sal Calisi (of Odeum), should be open as you read this.For those familiar with Chef Calisi’s work at Odeum, Prova—located on Monterey Road where Slim’s used to be—will represent a journey down a slightly different path but with no change in creativity or quality at the destination.The food will be of the small plate variety with interesting items from around the world, with unique beers and wines with craft cocktails the house specialty. Like so many other fine restaurants, most of what comes out of the kitchen will not be liberated from a package but made right there.So wake up now and go out and do some shopping and more dining where we live.Please shop and dine locally, and do it often.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley does it again with its regional premiere of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano, translated by Michael Hollinger and adapted by Hollinger and Aaron Posner. There are a number of versions about this character since 1897 and this offering by TheatreWorks brings a fresh look at this romantic, swirling, swashbuckling, poignant character.

The 2009 Tony Award-winning play God Of Carnage opened at the Morgan Hill Playhouse on April 8 and raised the bar on South Valley Civic Theatre presentations. We have talent here in our little town and it’s really good.

So much divisiveness was brought out locally during the 2016 election. The influence of the digital news media and social media was especially highlighted, which reflected an ongoing concern of mine.In digital news media, we now have the ability to post a comment with no fact checking or filtering for maliciousness, and thousands can see it instantly. Social media seems to be used effectively on the national stage, but we don’t yet understand the reach of it locally; I certainly believe in its potential. But again, there is no checking for facts or malicious intent.One thing that has been pointed out in many contentious public digital conversations is the lack of participation by our local elected and appointed officials, and city staff. This is generally a true statement.Until just a few days ago I rarely participated in public digital conversations. The reason was, early on I was misquoted and the piling on began; I didn’t step in to defend myself and it seemed to take on a life of its own. I then tried to defend my comments and that incited an even greater response. As much as I may not like being misquoted—it comes with the territory of being a city official—what I don’t like is the piling on and mean-spirited dialog that can so quickly ensue.So I refrain from engaging in public digital conversations because I feel no matter what I say there is no effective way of participating. I am tired of it, and now there is the cyber bullying.I have now been the suggested target for groups to protest at planning commission meetings when the issue did not include my commission work and there were efforts to disrupt my other community efforts.Cyber bullying is not just for children (do a search on adult cyber bullying).“Cyber bullying, like traditional bullying, involves an imbalance of power, aggression, and a negative action that is often repeated.”– Violence Prevention Works.How do we end rampant propagation of misinformation and hostile attacks in the digital realm? Participate yourself and support others in a civil manner. If attacked, provide support and remember to continue to use facts and remain civil. Remember that it’s not just about getting your point across; it’s also about how you do it.Let’s shine a light on those places where cyber bullying takes place. Take a screenshot of inappropriate behavior, particularly when you think that your post might be deleted by a biased moderator. Send those screen shots to: [email protected]. A website may be available to post these screenshots soon.So much has been said about the physical Morgan Hill, but what about the spirit and culture?I am confident the concerns of many issues in this election will be alleviated over time. What I am sure of right now is there has been an unpleasant shift in the spirit and culture within the digital realm in Morgan Hill.Isn’t how we treat each other just as important as issues like the concerns about how our community develops? Isn’t honesty and civil treatment more important than some focused issue?If we can get back to more honest and civil dialogues in our public digital conversations, I will certainly engage more. I hope others will too.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, city planning commissioner, president of the Downtown Association and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance. 

Earlier this week Michelle and I got the call that we had been dreading for way too long. Our dear friend known for his integrity, compassion and ability to get things done lost a battle with an opponent that paid no regard to any of those qualities. Cancer was his foe, and in a world where the odds of surviving this foe grow greater every day, too often it is still unstoppable.There was no way to win this battle. Any sense of victory would have to come from the way he faced the world and fought the battle with the usual tenacity and calm air of dignity around him. He can claim that victory.The battle took place over months and brought out a cast of characters to lend support in every imaginable way. Too numerous to name everyone here, it included his son Matthew, Jill Kirk and Kathy Sullivan who need to be mentioned for all of the difficult decisions and daily toil.Everyone involved in the battle could now be considered family because the man engendered that kind of bond amongst a group that otherwise might not have naturally gravitated to each other. I guess that is what some people can do. I hope this is something everyone can understand since I wouldn’t have if I had not been involved.I know in the coming days we will hear about what a great statesman he was and how much he gave to the community and what an inspiration he is, and I think they would all be true. But what matters to me was who he was as a person.So often in public someone would come up and say, “Remember me? I met you at so-and-so working on this-or-that…” And he would always take the time to engage them—or even better, if he didn’t have the time he expressed that in a way that I could only dream of.He was honest about his time and if you got any you got it all.We both loved good food and a fine glass of wine, and we shared many—usually with a gathering of friends with varied and energetic conversations.Even the quietest of moments are remembered, maybe now the most.He was also a man that suffered more pain than most. He had lost his first wife to a debilitating disease that lingered for too many years before exacting its final toll. He lost his second wife to an insidious disease that also lingered but had more than physical effects which he had to deal with that hurt him so much inside. The final blow which was so unfair was the recent loss of his beloved Nika, his canine companion who was also the vessel that carried so many fond reminders of his last wife. Is there any fairness?But you would never guess that this man had experienced so much inequity from his approach to life.Holidays, birthdays and those other special occasions will now be a little hollow. Discussions regarding city politics, the Downtown Association, or which flavor gelato is best will be missing a voice.The sun will come up, darkness will fall, we will laugh, we will cry, we will go on. But life will never be quite the same.Dennis Kennedy has left the room.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, Interim President of the Downtown Association, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.