Letters

Mosque will enhance South BayIf you live across from the “mosque” in San Martin used by the Islamic community of South Bay, then you are very well aware that it is a barn turned into a prayer and meeting place, and is not a mosque.And if you haven’t seen 400 families there at one time, it’s because it is a small area, with insufficient parking, and so when there is a need for 400 families to meet, we rent halls at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center to meet those needs and celebrate our events. So thank you for pointing out the very reason that there is a need for a proper place of worship and gathering without compromising the serenity of your neighborhood.As far as what the residents of San Martin care about--water, land use, encroachment and paving over of this rural community--all of these concerns have been addressed. Many of our members are San Martin residents who are concerned with the same issues, and thus the expenditure of thousands of dollars to make sure none of these concerns will be negatively impacted.We will be more than happy to go over all your concerns to ease your anxiety.The Cordoba Center will be an enhancement to the South Bay community, more importantly to San Martin with its beautiful architecture and the orchards surrounding it.I would suggest you see plans for the Cordoba Center and read the results of the draft Environmental Impact Report with an open mind and heart to welcome this project.Nuzi AlaviMorgan HillWishful thinking by HSRThe California High-Speed Rail Authority wants to sell the new downtown alignment as a solution that can work for Morgan Hill. However, HSR presumes a lot when making this claim, including:1. HSR can reach an agreement with Union Pacific to share its right-of-way (at present there is no agreement);2. Electrification will bring more commuter trains to South County (CalTrain and VTA, the entities responsible for commuter trains, have not committed to doing so);3. Grade-level crossings are feasible given the amount of east/west traffic that must pass over the tracks (HSR has not studied the traffic and safety impacts to drivers, pedestrians and emergency services).These are just a few of the known issues.It is unclear how this alignment is anything more than wishful thinking by HSR and any less bad for Morgan Hill.Ryan TreffersMorgan Hill

Continue reporting on mosque concernsJudging from the "editor's picks,” you are in support of the Cordoba Center project.There has been a mosque in San Martin for many years. I live across the street from it. I've never seen 400 families there simultaneously. If there were, it would likely be in violation since this area is zoned rural residential.It is interesting that people who do not live in San Martin have free rein in your paper to tell us how we should live. Please stop making this about religion and provide equal comment on what a lot of San Martin residents care about: water, land use, encroachment and the paving over of this rural community.San Martin residents have genuine concerns, having been through water contamination at least twice in recent history. Zoning violations are rampant in this unincorporated town, and the county doesn't have the manpower to deal with the problem.I suggest you read the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance’s document addressing the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Cordoba Center. It came out yesterday, and I'd be happy to forward it to you.Thank you,Dawn PeruSan Martin

Welcome Cordoba Center to San MartinIt is my dream to live in a community where fears are lessened and differences are embraced.I recall learning in grade school that the pilgrims came from England to America seeking freedom of religion. The Muslim faith has deep roots and longevity. It is an authentic religion honoring the same God Christians and Jews honor, as there is only one God. I know exemplary people who embrace and practice the Muslim religion.I have seen the plans for the Cordoba Center proposal. They have been made with the utmost of care so as not to be intrusive to the neighbors. The cemetery is situated so that it has a natural barrier to mitigate any health concerns. The proposed buildings are compatible in size with the surrounding developments. Since all buildings in the Cordoba plans are grouped in one area, there are many open spaces between it and the neighbors."To know one, is to love one.” It is my prayer that the opposition to the Cordoba is not being based on the negative press about Islam. True Christians know that we are all children of God and that He has given us free will to express His love differently.My family of migrant workers settled in Morgan Hill in 1946. We were warmly welcomed. I wish the same acceptance for all who wish to live and visit our community and whose ethical values contribute to the harmony and well-being of our beloved community.I urge our community to support this worthwhile project as it not only would meet the needs of a significant segment of our community, but also enrich us all.Rose HernandezMorgan HillProject larger than othersSan Martin Neighborhood Alliance welcomes all religious institutions to our community.The Cordoba Center project, as proposed is:• Four times the size of the largest religious/communal/social facility currently in San Martin.• Three times the limit that requires "enhanced scrutiny" under the recently revised Santa Clara County Planning and Land Use regulations.• Twice the size that the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) concludes would reasonably accommodate the needs identified by the proposers.There are numerous inaccuracies in the DEIR, as well as important issues which are not addressed. The SMNA Board will formally address those issues in written DEIR comments to the county, which at that time will become public record.The proposed cemetery is of particular concern, as it would be sited immediately adjacent to homes dependent on well water for household consumption. We believe, based on the references we have found, that this aspect of the proposal requires further study by cognizant technical experts before it can safely be approved. Further, we believe that suitable alternatives to meet this need exist and have not been explored.San Martin faces tremendous development pressure from its neighbors to the north and south.  If we are to host large developments that our urban neighbors can't or won't accommodate, we hope and expect that the county will honor its General Plan commitment to protect our rural/agricultural community.We would be pleased to engage with the proposers, regarding a more modest project that would meet their needs with substantially less impact, but regretfully cannot support this project as proposed.Sincerely,SMNA Board of DirectorsTrina Hineser, President

No concrete vaults in Cordoba cemetery

I am writing to express my disappointment after reading news reports of a student being victimized by an employee of the Morgan Hill Unified School District back in 2014. It is outrageous that the district failed to follow state law requiring a report of this incident to the police. Because of this, even more students may have been involved.

I write in support of the Cordoba Center project initiated by the South Valley Islamic Community (SVIC) to provide a mosque for worship and related spiritual services, a cemetery, a separate community building for social and educational activities, a caretaker’s dwelling and a maintenance building.

CalFire, the Morgan Hill Fire Department and the South Santa Clara County Fire District will be conducting the annual Fill the Boot campaign for muscular dystrophy patients and research on June 8, 9 and 10. We will be at the intersections of Monterey/Tennant, Monterey/Main and Cochrane/Madrone to collect money that helps send kids to summer camp and fund research.We look forward to seeing you out there!Herb AlpersMorgan Hill

On May 27 at about 10:15pm, a major incident involving a person being stabbed occurred in downtown Morgan Hill in front of our business. On behalf of the Acevedo family and all of the staff at The Hill Bar & Grill, we are extending our deepest sympathy for those involved and are hoping for everyone’s full recovery.At the time of the incident a physical altercation had erupted near our front door involving multiple people. Our security staff, in an effort to keep our customers safe and prevent anyone wishing to do others harm inside our business, shut the doors and placed staff members at each door. No altercations, incidents or injuries occurred on or in The Hill Bar & Grill.Our security staff, along with members of the public, called 911 emergency services to report the incident.During the altercation, a person who was not a customer or had been in our establishment prior to the event was unfortunately stabbed, and again we are sending our deepest prayers for their full recovery. This person was stabbed by another person, who also was not a customer of ours nor was inside our establishment at the time of the stabbing or prior to the event. While we have no knowledge of who these persons were, our security staff were able to verify that neither of them had been in our establishment at the time of the incident or prior to it.While we do not condone this abhorrent behavior, we would like to thank our diligent security for acting quickly to prevent any of our customers leaving our establishment from walking into a potentially hazardous situation. Our security acted professionally and rapidly to keep our customers safe.We would also like to thank the Morgan Hill Police Department and all of our first responders for their rapid and professional response to such a serious incident.We want all of our customers to know that your safety is our first and primary concern when you are dining or enjoying our cocktail service with us. Our security implements many practices designed to provide a safe environment for everyone, including hand-held metal detectors, pat-down searches, bag checks and positive identification in a security line for everyone entering or re-entering on weekends, festivals and major holidays that produce large crowds.Again, on behalf of everyone at The Hill Bar & Grill, our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who was involved with the incident that occurred in downtown Morgan Hill on that Sunday night.Robert AcevedoOwner, The Hill Bar & GrillSubmitted via the Morgan Hill Times’ Facebook page

Recall Judge PerskyDespite being convicted of three felonies by a unanimous jury on all counts, former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner served only 90 days after assaulting his victim behind a dumpster. Many members of the legal community questioned Judge Aaron Persky's sentencing decision, and over 94,000 voters in the county signed a petition to add his recall to this June's ballot.We deserve judges who take sexual assault seriously, and there is no valid reason why we would need to retain an elected judge who we no longer trust to do so. We are not a “lynch mob” and we are not on a “witch hunt,” as opponents of Persky's recall crudely claim.We are voters frustrated with an elected official's poor decision making. We are simply exercising our rights to remove him from a seat of elected authority.I encourage everyone in the county who is eligible to vote yes to recall Judge Persky.Kathy DiefenbachMorgan HillJudge’s supporters blame victimThis letter is in response to a May 25 letter to the editor about the Recall Judge Persky campaign. In January 2015, two grad students biking through campus found Stanford swimmer Brock Turner in the act of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, known as Emily Doe. A 12-person jury unanimously convicted Turner of all three felonies with which he was charged—intent to commit rape of an intoxicated or unconscious person, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person and sexual penetration of an unconscious person.Judge Aaron Persky gave Brock Turner a six-month jail sentence for the crime, sparking nationwide outrage for what was widely viewed as an unduly lenient outcome.In spite of Turner's convictions, Jim McManis, Persky's lawyer and the largest donor to Persky's campaign—giving more than half a million dollars—said of Emily Doe, “This woman was not attacked.”Retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, a spokeswoman for the Persky campaign, claims, “There was no sexual activity behind a dumpster.”Many from the Persky campaign have referred to Emily Doe's intoxication level as a justification for Turner's lenient sentence, shifting the blame of Turner's crime onto his victim. Judge Persky hasn't repudiated any of these statements.The outcome in the Brock Turner case proved to many women that even if you have all of the evidence—the perpetrator is caught in the act, there are independent eyewitnesses, the cops were there on the scene right away, the survivor had a rape kit—you will not find anything resembling justice in the criminal justice system.The Persky campaign's repeated use of victim-blaming tactics to distract from Persky's failings only worsens the misgivings women have about coming forward. As long as Persky’s on the bench, women will continue to believe there’s no use in filing a police report when they're faced with abuse. He needs to go, and now.If Judge Persky is recalled this June, his will be only the third successful judicial recall in California history. The vast majority of attempted judicial recalls in California fail due to the prohibitively high threshold of voter signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. This is by design. While provisions like this are put in place to protect judicial independence, the power of voters to recall judges is crucial for maintaining the democratic legitimacy of the judiciary.California's judicial system is designed to balance the opposing values of judicial independence and accountability to voters.Please vote yes to recall Judge Aaron Persky on June 5.Jennie RichardsonSan Jose

As your District 1 County Supervisor, I am proud of the beautiful parks and trails in South County that are accessible to all residents, and I encourage you and your readers to explore what South County has to offer.The County, City of Morgan Hill and City of Gilroy invest in parks and trails for their economic, health, environmental and quality of life benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, providing places where residents can be physically active can improve both physical and mental health. Chronic disease sufferers can greatly benefit from walking on local trails and spending time at our parks. Being outdoors can increase vitamin D levels, decrease blood sugar levels for diabetes, and reduce feelings of depression, thereby improving mental health. Parks and trails function as a hub for community members to meet for social events and recreational activities resulting in increased social cohesion, which strengthens our community.The South County United for Health Leadership Team—which I Co-Chair with Erin O’Brien, CEO of Community Solutions—is coordinating our second annual “Let’s All Go to the Park” initiative. Along with the City of Gilroy, City of Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County Parks, Santa Clara County Public Health, the South County Collaborative and the Gilroy Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, we have undertaken this initiative to promote parks and trails as destinations for physical activity and meeting other members of the community.Five free events have been planned in South County geared to all ages and fitness levels. Prizes will be provided for participation.I encourage residents to participate in these events. The first event is a hike on Saturday, May 26 at 9am at the Coyote Creek Parkway. This event will begin at the Park Visitor Center, 19245 Malaguerra Ave. in Morgan Hill, and be led by Santa Clara County Park guides who will provide information about local plants and animals.Taking steps toward better health as a community is important.For information about “Let’s All go to the Park” events please visit https://spark.adobe.com/page/QBHMd68OAVBt7/.Mike WassermanSanta Clara County Supervisor, District 1