Getting Out: Buy my eBook
Warning: What follows is shameless self-promotion – a crass sales pitch intended to lure you to buy my new ebook "Measureless Mountain Days: A Father and Son on the John Muir Trail." In exchange for your indulgence (and $3.99), I promise a lively read, and maybe the temptation to walk the John Muir Trail yourself.
Can you spot the difference between the two? Neither can I
After years of parenting I have made a stunning discovery. There is very little difference between a teenager and a 3-year-old.
The devil is in the details of merit pay
Let's talk about teacher evaluation. This is one of the most complex topics in education, and I cannot say that I have the answer. What I do have, however, is the perspective of a teacher who cares deeply about the success of the public schools, the reputation of the profession and of my own school, and the experiences that students have every day.
University kids home on break
It’s summer and parents of college students know one thing: it’s the time of year when your little birds find their way back to the nest, hauling a trailer full of stuff they collected over the last two semesters.
Using the convenient minor convention
Last time we talked about opening the bidding when partner does not have a five-card suit. The bridge gurus came up with an interesting convention to handle just this situation. Called the “convenient minor” convention, partner would open one club or diamond, bidding the longer and stronger suit. If partner is 4-4 in the minors, then partner opens one diamond - this allows partner to respond two clubs at the next opportunity. And, if partner is 3-3 in the minors, then partner opens one club. This allows YOU to bid one diamond if that is your best suit.
Sanctity of Motherhood Prevails Despite Death
When it comes to Mother's Day, most people think of celebrations featuring fragrant flowers, handmade cards, macaroni necklaces, and breakfast in bed.
Our Town: It’s Bike Week in Morgan Hill
The Amgen Tour of California, the biggest bicycle race in all of these United States, is almost here! ARE YOU READY?It’s now May, which the League of American Bicyclists has declared National Bike Month. They have 57 million members, so they win—it’s Bike Month.Next, we are about to venture into our own Morgan Hill Bike Week. It’s the first time we’ve done it here and it’s being done right—with a little help from our friends. Bike Week officially starts May 9.To get an early start on Bike Week this Friday, May 4, you’ll want to mount up and head to the corner of First and Depot Streets. A no-host ride is planned to gather at 7:30pm and it promises to be one big party—a Bike Party to be exact. Bike Parties are popular in other cities, so let’s see how much fun we can have and make it a Morgan Hill style event. I’ve heard this bike event may include dancing…On Wednesday, May 9, you can ride to school with your children to celebrate Bike to School Day. Many of our local school children just learned about bike safety from the folks at Specialized Bicycle Components and AEG (Amgen ToC event organizers), so let’s practice safety and fun.Then next Thursday morning, May 10, is “Ride to Work Day.” Stop at the Community Center and get “energized” with refreshments and some goodies so you can leave the car at home.On Friday, May 11, head down to the Downtown Amphitheater for the Amgen ToC kick off concert. Specialized got involved, allowing the Chamber of Commerce to bring in some great musical acts. Specialized helped sponsor the concert, bike inspections and a bike rodeo that will take place in the parking lot with local bike shop partner “Bike Therapy” involved.Wanna try something different for Mother’s Day? Come out and ride with the Mayor and other community leaders you’d like to see sweat, and show that spending a few quality miles with mom is the way to spend the day. After the ride, sit down to some well-earned pancakes at the Morgan Hill Grange.Specialized is a friend to the Morgan Hill community, and what do friends do? They invite you over to their place on Tuesday, May 15. Specialized will open up their headquarters and “Windtunnel” to our community for a rare look around their digs. You must see all of the cool stuff they have in their museum, check out some custom bikes (like a chopper and hot rod bike) and maybe have a beer or glass of wine while you’re at it.To cap off our Bike Week, on May 16 we will host the world of international bicycle racing—that’s race day! I think I’ve already said enough about that.FYI: a community meeting on street closures and details on the event will be held May 8, 6pm to 8pm, at the Community Center, 17000 Monterey Road. This is a great opportunity to hear details about the event so don’t miss it if you’d like to know more about getting around on race day.Enjoy your Bike Week!For detailed information, visit https://www.morgan-hill.ca.gov/1679/Events-and-Activities.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].
Where is our right to freedom from speech?
OK, it has met all the qualifications; it has passed all the tests: Winter 2012 is now officially ridiculous. I mean, fashionably late is one thing, but if you were invited to an office wine-and-cheese TGIF that started at 6 would you still be home dithering over what to wear next February?







