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Although Santa Clara County is facing a drought, flooding remains a threat to many of our communities. The last drought was followed by one of the wettest winters on record. Climate change has made extreme weather the new normal. Valley Water remains committed to keeping...

That times have changed is palpable to all, but how much of it is what you wanted to see? What could be a theme with more depth than, “Be the Change You Want to See” for these times, albeit targeted towards our little ones?...

The Gavilan Joint Community College District extends from the Coyote Valley to the southern edge of San Benito County, and includes the communities of Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister, San Juan Bautista, Tres Pinos and Paicines, along with the surrounding rural areas. It...

Last August, I had the opportunity to speak at a Hitachi conference for Chief Information Officers from companies in Vietnam. This conference was held in Danang, Vietnam, which was in the area of operations during my tour in Vietnam. I took this opportunity to visit some of the battle sites I was engaged in 50 years ago.One of the areas that I visited was Tinh Binh near Quang Nhai. This was the site of Operation Utah where my unit, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, engaged two regiments of the North Vietnamese Army. After a day-long battle, we were overrun and had to call air strikes down on our position to survive.I found a villager that lived in the area who was a 16-year-old Viet Cong at the time. He did not participate in the fighting, but he helped the North Vietnamese Army dig their fortifications. He later became an officer, and he and his wife were honored by Ho Chi Minh and General Giap. We walked the battlefield together using my old military map and later he invited me to his home for tea where he and his wife showed me their many citations from Ho Chi Minh.My best friend in the Marine Corps was the executive officer of G Company when he was shot through the chest on the first day of Operation Utah. He survived Operation Utah and we both joined IBM after we left the Marine Corps.Over the past 50 years, he has sent me a Christmas card every year, with which he encloses a picture of his family. I have seen his family grow with kids, marriages, grandkids and now their wives and husbands. All this would not exist if the bullet had hit him a few millimeters either way or the helicopter had not evacuated him in time.Operation Utah was a success for the Marines in the way they kept score in that war. There were 98 Marines killed in action versus an estimated 600 North Vietnamese. If you visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., you will see the names of these Marines on the wall in the time period, March 4 to 6, 1966.When I visited the area of Operation Utah this August, there was a large military cemetery where hundreds of Vietnamese soldiers were interred. These were North Vietnamese soldiers who had travelled from their homes in North Vietnam to fight and die and be buried in this area so far from their family homes. I said a prayer for them as I prayed also for our Marines.Now 50 years after that war, I wonder at the loss we all suffered and the senseless waste. I work with my Vietnamese colleagues in Hitachi, whose fathers and grandfathers fought against us in the same war. There is no hatred or distrust—only a shared sense of vision and cooperation in our work.Thomas J. Watson, the founder of IBM, made many speeches on “World Peace Through World Trade.” I am hopeful for that vision. In Hitachi, our corporate strategy is Social Innovation, developing solutions to make society healthier, smarter, and safe. That means a world without war.Hubert Yoshida is a Morgan Hill resident.

We celebrate the 4th of July because that's America’s Birthday. When I think  about the 4th of July, I think of Morgan Hill’s 4th of July Parade, and our whole community gathering together to celebrate America’s Birthday. I think of the 4th of July...

Veterans Day Proclamation, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Oct.8, 1954 Whereas, it has long been our custom to commemorate Nov. 11, the anniversary of the ending of World War I, by paying tribute to the heroes of that tragic struggle and by rededicating ourselves to...

When word of the Morgan Hill/Gilroy neglected horse herd launched on Facebook in response to the mistreatment of more than three dozen horses on two South County ranches (in the summer of 2014), we knew that they needed the help of the equine community, so we stepped in.Since Santa Clara County Animal Care and Control was doing nothing to assist in the seizure, rescue, and placement of these horses, we worked side by side with the Center Horse advocates and San Martin Animal Shelter to ensure each horse found a safe rescue, sanctuary, foster or forever home. The whole thing was a huge debacle because of ACC’s negligence in addressing this case. Horses were taken off of the property, new horses appeared on the property, and most horses did not end up in rescues in Santa Clara County.We decided that with the help of a few friends, we could take on one of the pregnant mares.  That’s when Cinder came into our lives.Cinder and several other horses from this herd used to belong to a local breeder in the performance horse industry. Most of these horses were registered Quarter Horses with outstanding pedigree and careers in the cutting industry. Cinder had a successful career as a cutting horse, but eventually this sport wore her down. They turned her into a broodmare for years, producing foal after foal, year after year.Eventually, they discarded her and that’s how she wound up with the South County herd.  Cinder’s story began the day she was born to a 23-year-old mare, who died after her birth.  Like so many of the horses from this herd, Cin came to us pregnant, her conception date unknown due to the fact that this herd was living with numerous stallions and mares together on a small lot on Center Avenue in Gilroy.Cin got the best care she could get in the months following her departure from Center Avenue. Her board was $315 per month for her to stay at Lakeview Stables in San Jose. The first thing we did was have a vet out to assess her. She was not only pregnant, but had a significant limp that was found to be caused by Navicular, a debilitating syndrome in horses, and fused hocks—most likely the result of the physical demands of being a cutting horse. The extra weight of her foal made her very uncomfortable so we purchased special boots for her to ease some of the pain. Cin adjusted to her new life at Lakeview. The owners agreed to let us build her a stall and a paddock on the hill where she and her new foal would live safely.  All along, we knew Cinder was at risk.Our daily routine included taking her for walks, letting her graze, and feeding and grooming her. She loved to roll in sand arena, but even this was becoming too difficult for her. I still cherish the times I spent braiding her hair as she grazed on the hillside. She loved her life at Lakeview, and we loved her.On April 1, just before midnight, Cinder finally delivered a very large, very healthy filly. The delivery was quick and all seemed well. We were relieved, but this relief did not last long.  Within hours CinCin started showing signs of distress. We rushed her to Steinbeck where she received several transfusions due to a ruptured uterine artery. She was bleeding internally. She fought all day to stay alive, getting up time and time again, calling to her foal. But they couldn’t save her. I can still see the pain and longing in her eyes…she’d fought so hard to deliver her foal despite the neglect and abuse she’d suffered. We decided to name the foal Belle because after all, she was Cinder’s belly.Belle required round the clock care with feedings every two hours. We managed to recruit our Lakeview family to help with the feedings and care of Belle that will go on for several months.  We were able to find an older mare at the ranch to look after her in her stall and teach her how to be a horse. But Belle is still an orphan...no person or horse can replace her mom.Belle is a very healthy young filly who reminds us of her beautiful mother. She will grow up in our care and she will never go hungry. But raising an orphan foal is never easy; she will require a lot of extra time and effort. Her formula alone is averaging over $500 per month.This is the story of just one of the horses from the South County herd. We have spent countless hours rehabilitating and caring for this mare and her foal because we have a broken system that refused to recognize the need for tougher laws and enforcement.  We cannot continue to expect the horse community to pick up the pieces. It has to be controlled at a state and county level.We MUST change the way we manage our horses in this county. We need to have our own county rescue and partnership so that we can take in horses in need sooner. It is time to reform Santa Clara County ACC.Loera will give a presentation on the aftermath of the 2014 South County abused horses case at the May 14 Santa Clara County Animal Advisory Committee meeting, which takes place 6:30 p.m. at the County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding Street, San Jose. Rivas, the owner of the nearly 40 malnourished horses, was convicted of felony animal abuse in January.

A Letter to Our NeighborsDear Morgan Hill Community,Specialized Bicycle Components would like to apologize for the inconveniences caused by the large number of cyclists that ride each day from our company and the lack of riding etiquette while out on the roads of Morgan Hill. Effective immediately we have changed our lunch ride route so it no longer goes through the Paradise Valley Neighborhood. We are working directly with Specialized employees to educate and enforce the California State Vehicle Code regulations as they pertain to cyclists.We are working closely with the Morgan Hill Police Department to create safer road situations for both cyclists and motorists and will be working together to plan a safety course in the near future.To further emphasize the importance of riding safely and respecting community we have developed the How We Roll guiding principles:How We Roll-RESPECT for all traffic laws, like responsible and intelligent adults-RESPECT to all those we encounter: motorists, riders, runners, kids incrosswalks, etc.-BE COOL and say hello to everyone we meet while out riding-DON’T FORGET that when we ride we are representing both Specialized and cyclists at large-BE RESPONSIBLE and have the courage to remind anyone that is not riding in accordanceSpecialized takes pride in being a part of the Morgan Hill community for over 35 years. Our ultimate goal is to promote health and fitness through the sport of cycling and hope to encourage more people to join. We are a company of passionate people who believe in the power of the bike. Going forward we are committed to following the rules of the road and being better at sharing with other people out and about.Please join us for the monthly community ride we host the first Monday of each month to continue the dialogue and join a ride.If you have any questions or would like to send feedback please email [email protected] or call (408)779-6229.Sincerely,The Team at Specialized

Growing up in Gilroy and coming from a campesino family, viewing such an impactful and humane story this past August, via a short documentary film, “Campesinos, America’s Unsung Heroes,” was an emotional and very moving experience. The audience reaction, many so personal, will forever...

If there’s one thing we all have in common, no matter how many differences may separate us afterward, it’s this: we all came into this world in more or less the same way—we were born. In fact, celebrating one’s “birth” day is so common...