Guest View

This guest view is part of a periodic series of upcoming op-eds on tips to prepare for wildfire season, which started May 1 in Santa Clara County.Most people believe that wildfires ignite homes through direct contact with flames, but it is rare to have a home ignite this way. Flaming brands and embers can travel a mile or more ahead of the active front of a wildfire, and up to 60 percent of wildland/urban interface home ignitions result from embers.Your home could be at risk. Make changes now to reduce the ember threat to your home. Clean out debris from under your deck, and move woodpiles away from your house.Our “Ember Aware” campaign is intended to educate people on the risks of ember cast and the actions they can take to reduce those risks, to encourage residents to harden their homes against embers and/or to maintain those ember-resistant features, and to practice ember-safe housekeeping and landscaping. You can learn more at emberaware.comTip #3: Chuck that woodHow much wood could a woodchuck chuck? If he lived in one of California’s high fire hazard areas, he should chuck all of it at least 30 feet from his home.One of the most common ember hazards homeowners create is the placement of firewood stacks next to their home. During a wildfire, hundreds of burning embers could become lodged within the stack. The dry, high winds that often accompany wildfire can fan the embers and cause ignition. Once burning, the firewood stack can jeopardize just about any home, regardless of construction material, because of its ability to ignite combustible siding, provide a flaming exposure to windows and break the glass, or climb to the eave and possibly enter into the attic.Firewood should be stored at least 30 feet from the house, deck and other structures during fire season. If the firewood stack is located uphill, make sure burning logs won’t roll downhill and ignite the home. Don’t place the stack under tree branches or adjacent to wood fences that are connected to the house. Don’t let your firewood stack be the kindling for your house fire.Fire Marshal Dwight Good serves the Morgan Hill Fire Department and South Santa Clara County Fire Protection District and the CalFire Santa Clara Unit. He has 24 years of fire service experience. He can be contacted at [email protected].

California has some of the most beautiful weather in the country, but those beautiful sunny days can expose us to harmful side effects if we aren’t prepared.Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main cause of skin cancer in children and adults, and is the most common cancer in California and the nation. Tanning beds and some welding equipment are also known to cause skin cancer.  Approximately 128,000 Californians will get skin cancer this year and one out of every five people in California will get skin cancer in his or her lifetime. The federal government has classified UV rays as a known human carcinogen because of their extreme likelihood of causing skin cancer.UV rays can be harmful to both adults and children, but children are particularly sensitive, especially before age ten. Children’s risk of developing skin cancer later in life is increased if they get sunburns and/or tan.The good news is that skin cancer caused by UV radiation can be prevented. The California Department of Public Health suggests that to prevent skin cancer you should decrease the time you spent outside from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., wear full-length clothing and a hat with a wide brim and neck flaps, wear UV-protective sunglasses, seek shade, apply sunscreen SPF 30 or higher to exposed skin, use lip balm SPF 30 or higher and avoid tanning beds.Additionally, people should be aware that cancer-causing UV rays are the strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from mid-spring through mid-fall, at higher altitudes, concentrating an extra 6 percent per 1,000 feet gain in elevation and with a lack of thick cloud cover.You can find additional information about UV safety on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) website:  https://www.cdph.ca.gov. The website provides resources and tips on how to stay safe from cancer-causing UV radiation.The better prepared you are, the more likely you are to have a fun and safe summer, and I encourage everyone to take the steps necessary to become educated on this issue to protect yourself and your family.  Monning represents the 17th Senate District, which includes all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties, and portions of Monterey and Santa Clara counties.

In early 2015, three clergy colleagues were looking for support and fellowship from other faith leaders in South County.  From the seeds of those relationships emerged the inaugural Interfaith Thanksgiving Service in November 2015. Advent Lutheran Church hosted the multi-faith event, filling the church’s...

The City of Morgan Hill’s plan to develop county farmland to preserve it lacks merit. It undermines broader regional efforts to enhance and protect productive farmlands throughout our valley. Dominated by financial self interests, the city has pushed forward a fiscally and environmentally irresponsible plan that will hasten the demise of local farming. With the impending effects of climate change, preserving our farmlands becomes crucial. This is why on March 11, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) must vote to deny the city’s plan.The city is seeking LAFCO approval to annex 229 of acres of farmland in the county for commercial development to fund preservation. But the funding plan is flawed and grossly inadequate according to the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and American Farmland Trust, and LAFCO concurs. The city has 45 years’ worth of vacant commercial land within its current boundaries. It can use those lands and not develop any farmland at all.As the city touts its preservation policies, it has declined to work with the OSA, the county and LAFCO to address concerns they have with the plan.So what is the city’s plan? There is no plan. There are few if any viable projects proposed for the lands to be annex. If LAFCO approves the city’s request, the city can simply abandon the plan and rezone for commercial and residential use. There is no guarantee than any farmland will be preserved.The city has proposed a terrible recipe for 21st century urban sprawl. It’s greed, not need. And that puts our region at risk of losing an invaluable and finite resource, at risk of lowering our quality of life, at risk of damaging an important and valued economic industry in our valley. In fact, the county agricultural commissioner has recently reported, “The value per acre and the value per worker created by Santa Clara County agriculture has continued to increase and has never been higher.”Southern Santa Clara County contains the majority of farmlands in the county and their value cannot be understated. Our farmlands are utilized throughout the year. They are supported by a unique groundwater basin. They are well suited to lessen the effects of climate change through carbon storage, water retention, flood protection, local food production, habitat and biodiversity.The lands in question are county lands. While the cities have a part in protecting farmlands, it is the county that is in the best position to ensure a coordinated effort. The city’s piecemeal plan undermines all farmland at the cusp of regional efforts to preserve.Please add your voice to theirs and send an email to LAFCo before March 11th c/o Executive Director, [email protected] to urge LAFCo to deny the City’s proposal.Mark Grzan is a Morgan Hill resident and former City Councilmember.

With Memorial Day just a few weeks ago and Independence Day right around the corner, this time of year we often think about those who have gone before us and the legacies that they left behind. We often reflect back on those who have...

Today we are “sheltering in place” to protect our physical health, the health of our loved ones and our greater community. However, these protections, combined with the enormous uncertainty we face, can have a significant toll on our mental health.

A collaboration of local nonprofit organizations has undertaken means of expressing gratitude to these healthcare professionals and helping to support our local restaurants at the same time.