Guest View

Since the election last November, Americans are experiencing, with more frequency, encounters with people who have extremely different opinions from their own. However, when it comes to the men and women who valiantly serve our country, there is rarely disagreement that they deserve our support for the sacrifices they and their loved ones make to defend our country and the principles on which it was built.  It is more important than ever that we stand steadfast as a nation to support military personnel during and after their service, and it was almost 100 years ago this November, in 1918, when the events of World War One provided the basis for what is now known as Veterans Day.Noting the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, an agreement to cease fire was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in Compiegne, France, bringing to an end the Great War. Originally known as Armistice Day in recognition of this interruption in the war, the observance was formally declared a federal holiday in the U.S. in 1938. Extending the holiday to honor all military men and women after World War Two and the Korean War, it was officially renamed Veterans Day in 1954.As we celebrate Veterans Day this year, I hope you will join me and express gratitude to our service women and men who dedicate themselves on our behalf to protect our great country. It is because of our confidence in them that we live without the fear of invasion or harm to our families as we go about our daily lives. To all of you who serve, you have my thanks and appreciation. I salute you and hope you stay safe.Sen. Bill Monning represents the 17th State Senate District, which includes all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties, and portions of Monterey and Santa Clara counties.

On March 15, 2016, the Morgan Hill Unified School District board of education held a meeting in which Superintendent Steve Betando informed the board and the public of his recommendation that the newly opened Voices Charter School be co-located upon the site of the Charter School of Morgan Hill.  This decision is a momentous one which will impact hundreds of students and families. As such, parents and teachers from Voices and The Charter School of Morgan Hill attended this meeting to hear what Mr. Betando had to say, and to express their own concerns.We are writing from the perspective of the parents and teachers who were relegated to the overflow room and warehouse during the March 15 MHUSD Board meeting. There were over 200 people who had to watch the meeting via a TV monitor from these auxiliary rooms. Many of us have attended past meetings where the board room has been very crowded and people have been allowed to stand around the perimeter, sit on the floor and view the meeting from the hallway.  We attended this meeting because we wanted our presence to be felt and heard by the board and district staff, and we were denied this opportunity. We feel especially disappointed because there were multiple requests made to Mr. Betando last week to move the meeting to a venue which would accommodate the expected crowd. We feel that this request was purposefully denied.  We also feel that Mr. Betando orchestrated the setup to shield the board and squelch our ability to demonstrate our voice as a united front. Seats remained open in the board room for the entire meeting that members of our community were not allowed to access because they did not have the correct number on a sticker. Instead, many of us viewed the meeting from a room where the sound quality was so poor that it was difficult to hear the dialogue, and the lights kept flickering on and off.  The California legislators have passed the Brown Act for the purpose of facilitating public participation and it is through this type of participatory democracy, debate and discussion that the best ideas will emerge. Instead of embracing this through a simple change of venue, it appears that the district did everything in their power to limit this participation rather than encourage it.Signed by 212 CSMH parents, teachers and community members.

Measure I will allow MHUSD to attract high-quality teachers and keep them in our district. This bond will provide the necessary funds to update aging classrooms and schools to be equipped with the modern technologies essential to preparing students for their careers.

Just like our bodies require routine health screenings and checkups with age, so does our aging water infrastructure. The Santa Clara Valley Water District has been busy inspecting and maintaining our county’s aging water infrastructure, and in some cases making needed upgrades.The water district is responsible for the operation and maintenance of 142 miles of pipelines that transport water from reservoirs to its treatment plants, and from its treatment plants to water retailer distribution systems. Through our network of massive pipes (some as wide as 10 feet in diameter), over 121 billion gallons of water travel annually from their source to groundwater replenishment ponds throughout the county and, ultimately, to your tap.  For most people, pipeline maintenance isn’t a topic at the forefront of our water concerns. However, the majority of our pipelines are over 30 years old. Because they are underground, it becomes easy to forget about them—an “out of sight, out of mind” perspective. For the water district, it is important to perform routine inspections to ensure proper operation and to detect any repair needs, which helps avert a potential pipeline failure that could cause serious damage and disrupt water service.The water district maintains and inspects some of its pipelines on a 10-year inspection cycle to detect signs of corrosion, weak spots or leaking. Some of the more critical pipelines require a maintenance and inspection cycle every five years.The water district visually inspects pipelines, but also uses modern technologies to enhance the quality of diagnosis and to identify any signs of pipe distress quickly. Recently we used a high-tech sensor held in a floating foam ball that traveled through several miles of pipeline to literally listen for leaks. Another device we are using is acoustic fiber optic cables that monitor breaks in the wires that keep concrete pipes intact, and can provide instant status reports.Regular inspections are also a cost-saving measure; it is much more expensive to deal with the consequences of pipe failure than to invest in regular maintenance.Scheduling inspections and repairs for so many miles of pipe is a major challenge since we all depend on them for our water supply. Many key pipelines can only be taken out of service for short periods of time without affecting water supply availability.Another major pipeline project that started this fall will install large flexible pipelines that deliver water to the Penitencia Water Treatment Plant and connect to water distribution systems. The pipes are made to withstand movement from landslides or earthquakes registering a 6.0 magnitude, to prevent future pipe failures. This is the first project of its kind for the water district.Identifying warning signs also helps avoid wasting water through pipe leaks. As we do our part, we encourage residents to check for leaks at home in both indoor plumbing and outdoor irrigation systems, and repair them. Taking action now helps avoid future losses.For more information on upcoming pipeline projects, water supply, flood protection, board updates and more, sign up for our monthly newsletter on valleywater.org.John Varela sits on the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors, representing the district that includes South County. For further information, contact Varela at [email protected].

On Sunday, March 26, residents gathered at St. Catherine Church in Morgan Hill to receive educational information about immigrant rights. Morgan Hill Unified School District Superintendent Steve Betando was asked to speak about the district’s stance on the national immigration discussion and what MHUSD is doing to help students and families. Here is a portion of that speech, which can be read in its entirety on mhusd.org.