Columnists

It’s a full-fledged assault now on the charter school petitions from Rocketship and Navigator. Fascinating to watch unfold, there are “hatchet men” who likely expect to be rewarded down the line, teacher’s union petition bullies, master strategic planners and a whole bunch of folks who are wrongly becoming convinced that doom and gloom (lost jobs and the collapse of public education in Morgan Hill) are right around the corner should the County Office of Education approve the charters after the rejections of Navigator and Rocketship petitions to open schools – the latter rejection by the Board of Trustees looming just around the corner. As in any good modern American fight, the attorneys are next in line, salivating on the sidelines with thoughts of sugarplum taxpayer funded treasures dance in their heads. Everyone knows a teacher, of course. It’s the largest employee group in Morgan Hill according to the city – Morgan Hill Unified, 753 employees, Anritsu, 488. So, it’s uncomfortable stuff, especially with holiday parties ahead. But it’s too bad that cooperative learning is preached on a classroom level, but not practiced on an administrative level. The charter schools are agents for change and, if skillfully integrated into MHUSD, could lift the entire district. It’s happening elsewhere in this county, but MHUSD opted for a good old-fashioned all-out Nixonian political the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense assault, and the dust will not settle now for years to come.

I’ve lived in Morgan Hill for 16 years now. To some, that makes me a newcomer, and to others an old timer; but to me it’s been time to understand and reinforce why I chose to live here.I recently spoke to some folks about why we moved here and it was fun comparing stories. It seems that emotions and desire played a surprisingly important role for quite a few in a decision that for so many is just a practical one.Michelle and I moved here after we spent one of those idyllic evenings visiting and enjoying the Friday Night Music Series. That was back when it was on Second Street. Maybe 100 people showed up.I’ve said it before many times: I felt like we were back in my father’s hometown in Iowa and it just felt right.At the time, we were in the middle of a house remodel, lived 15 minutes from work and were close to everything. But something grabbed us and made us do what so many others we’ve spoken to have done: we dropped everything and found a new home—not just a house—here in Morgan Hill.And I’m going to throw a rant in here—we did not buy a house here because we got more house for our money. We bought here because we got more of a home for the life we choose to lead.It’s not just us, it should be no surprise that so many of us felt an emotional response to this town and decided to move here. It’s a choice that is not taken lightly, so it’s no wonder we have such a volunteer-rich community.We live on the northern edge of a lifestyle and we have a 12-mile gap to the next outpost to the north where we have to steel ourselves to enter an environment that is akin to being packed into sardine cans. To most of the “sardine canners,” we’re the ones making the sacrifices by living on the frontier and to some extent they’re right. We’re modern frontierspeople, I tell ya…We consciously and gladly give up a lot of conveniences to live here.  In trade, I got this incredible rural community where the vistas of a narrow valley greet me every time I walk out my front door.  We have access to such great local produce that I really suffer when I can’t get what is local and fresh in season.We have a downtown that is a regional dining destination and it’s just getting better.I don’t need to jump on a freeway to get to hiking, biking, boating or other outdoor pursuits. I can go to a couple dozen wineries within 20 minutes of my front door!Okay, so I have to leave town for fancy clothes (except for Tommy Bahama…), I may sit in traffic for a couple hours a day trying to cross the great divide to earn a buck, I wear out my car and my gas card sizzles.I make those sacrifices and it’s OK, because I am a frontiersman.John McKay is Interim President of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, a city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.