Our Town: Holiday season brings local feasting
It looks like I survived the holidays and I’m sitting here with a cherubic smile on my face—definitely more cherubic looking than before the holidays.
Letter to the editor: Council in a rush to appoint new member
Will the new Morgan Hill City Council with an appointed member try to represent all of us?Two years ago at a City Council meeting, I commented that the problem with our elections was that we had too few candidates.Councilmember Larry Carr responded that he was "troubled" by that view. He suggested that we do not have opposition candidates because the incumbents are all doing such a good job.We just had an election with two incumbents and three challengers for two seats. One incumbent and one challenger won, with total votes cast for challengers exceeding total votes cast for incumbents: 15,350 to 11,702.Some residents are arguing that a third place finish in a two-way race is the same as finishing third in a three-way race. I look at 15,350 votes cast for challengers and see a different message. We are looking for fresh eyes and fresh ideas.Will the incumbents on the council provide a platform for fresh eyes and fresh ideas in their appointment of the tie-breaking fifth member? Or will they seek someone who will vote in lock-step with the returning council members? Those members have repeatedly claimed that they are a collegial group as they mostly vote 5-0.A little more independence of thought would be welcome.Since no appointment will likely satisfy everyone, I repeat my suggestion that the current vacancy be filled by lottery from the candidates who apply for the council position with limited vetting by the current council. An election or even a pseudo-election would give our residents a voice.But the Council is in a rush to fill the position prior to their goal-setting Workshop at the end of January.Doug MuirheadMorgan Hill
Guest view: Swirl of emotions away from the battlefield
Some things turn out to be harder than you expect. For me, I like to go into things a little head strong and overly confident, then figure out I’m in over my head. Most times I like to think I figure it out and get the job done. Such was the case when Morgan Hill’s Eddie Bowers asked me to read the Honor Roll at the Veterans Day ceremony downtown just a few weeks ago. I couldn’t turn him down, as he has almost single handedly kept this tradition going. I’ll say that I was completely confident at the time that I would have no issues doing it.
Guest view: Keeping our lifeline healthy
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].
Guest view: Teachers are our greatest resource
Teachers in Morgan Hill are committed to the students, families, and community they serve. They respect and admire their colleagues. When we negotiate, we are negotiating for ourselves, but we are also negotiating to improve education in Morgan Hill. We believe that our present negotiations represent a pivotal moment in this district. We are asking the district for an increase in compensation that will provide an incentive for our veteran teachers to stay in this district. We are asking for an increase in compensation that will make this district competitive enough to attract well-prepared new teachers. We are asking the district to acknowledge their 30 percent increase in revenues over the last five years has only resulted in a 12 percent increase for teachers and this is why teachers have left the district. We are asking the district to value teachers as the greatest resource our students have.We are asking our community to support us in our effort to protect public education in Morgan Hill.Nicole Dietmeier is a Special Education teacher at Central High School, the district’s continuation high school. Her assignment requires her to teach a small group of students—making sure that each has access to an appropriate education program—and work with supporting agencies who service her students. Many of her students also deal with poverty, family crisis, depression and other traumas. Unofficially, Nicole says she also “provides emotional support, counseling, and access to outside resources in order to make sure that each student receives all of the support they need in order to thrive and be successful.” Like many teachers, Nicole has a son that is a student in the district. She began her career in Morgan Hill as a paraprofessional and went back to school to become a Special Education teacher. In the process, she earned two credentials and a master’s degree. It is distressing to a parent who is also a teacher when her son “questions the legitimacy of higher education because it has not enabled me to make enough money to support my family on my own.”She also has to sacrifice time with her son to tutor and work at a friend’s home business in order to make ends meet.When Nicole first came to Central, she said, “Students told me that I would give up on them like everyone else. I told them I wouldn’t. So, when I returned the following school year, they were all shocked, but told me they were happy that I was willing to stay and not give up on them. That one single action did more to build trust with these students than anything else I could have done.” She wants to show these students that people do believe in them and will support them.Nicole is committed to both the students and staff at Central. She is not currently looking for a new position, but she also knows that she can provide a more secure life for her son, and maybe even buy her own home, if she moves to a different district where she would make more money with better benefits. Nicole explains that “leaving the district is not something that I am looking forward to doing or have decided upon without a significant amount of thought and conversations with family. I have built a reputation, gained a second family, and have been personally rewarded with fulfilling relationships and the success of my students while at this district. I have learned how to become a successful teacher here and would love to be able to learn more and share my expertise with the district. I have realized though that the loyalty and respect I have demonstrated to the district is not mutual. The district continues to show that it does not have loyalty or respect for its teachers.”Since last March, teachers have been asking the district and the board for an increase in compensation that would keep teachers like Nicole in this district, but have only been told that a significant raise is unsustainable. Now, we are asking our families and our community to come to the Dec. 13 Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Education meeting and remind the board that they must invest in their greatest resource, OUR TEACHERS.Gemma Abels is a veteran high school English teacher and the president of the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers. The Dec. 13 MHUSD board meeting will start at 6 p.m. at district headquarters, 15600 Concord Circle.
Our Town: Home for the holidays at local wineries
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of local wines and I plan on enjoying them a lot this holiday season.My guess is that many of you who enjoy wine may not be all that familiar with our local wineries and the fact that there are over 30 of them right in our backyard. I sit in on the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley wine association’s marketing meetings and that’s not lost on them. There has been good progress made promoting the local wine region with events like the WSCV Passport Weekend and the installation of the Wine Trail signage. But it has always felt like more could be done.The WSCV is now stepping up their game and brought in a top notch wine marketing consultant to match their goals. This firm is out of the winemaking mecca of Napa, and at first blush I was thinking, “Uh oh, are we going to be molded into something else and be like some other place?” Well, I needn’t worry because the marketing consultant gave a wonderful seminar that emphasized our local wineries should continue doing what they do best: making great wines and being personable and approachable.That marketing consultant really clicked with me because he was saying that winery visitors were looking to have a good time and not get an undergraduate degree in winemaking. Traditionally many wineries seemingly wanted to impress you with talk about things like brix readings, the effect of fermenting or barrel ageing in oak (must always ask if it is French), stirring the lees and malolactic fermentation. All the stuff I want to learn about but not feel obligated to do so.Now, instead of encouraging the wineries to talk about how many months the wine spent ageing in an oak barrel, etc., the winemakers have been encouraged to just talk about what they like to eat with a particular wine or maybe tell you a funny or touching story about how a wine or their winery came about, and maybe talk about their dog. Halleluiah.This was comforting to me since I was always a little self-conscious about my wine knowledge and I can only imagine others felt that way too. So often I’ve walked into a winery and felt like I had to earn a sample by proving I was worthy. I felt like I should taste a hint of this or that and was disappointed if I couldn’t.It turns out that I never should have felt that way in our local wineries. No one was ever testing me—that was my own preconceived notion. Many of our local wineries were already practicing the fun approach to winery visits and they just wanted to see me enjoying their wine.Our local wineries are mostly small and family operated. They love the personal touch of sharing their stories and just talking about wine. And for those wine aficionados who want to get technical, most of these folks are still wine geeks at heart so chat it up.So in between the shopping, gatherings with family and friends, and generally celebrating the holidays head out to a winery for a local wine experience that’ll make you feel right at home.John McKay is president of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, a city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.
‘Daddy Long Legs’ a delightful charmer
Daddy Long Legs brings us a delightful moment of time in theatre. Written in 1912 by Jean Webster (a grandniece of Mark Twain), Daddy Long Legs has been made into a number of movies and plays when John Caird, famed director of Les Miserables adapted the classic novel into a musical with Paul Gordon handling the music and lyrics. A story about an orphan whose education is a sponsored by a benefactor who does not want to be involved other than to receive a monthly progress report. Sounds like a cross between Great Expectations and My Fair Lady.A well done production directed by the esteemed Robert Kelly, with a super cast including Hilary Maiberger as Jerusha Abbott, Daddy Long Legs is delightful and charming. The story provides her character a spirit and magnetism that gives her performance life. Maiberger carries the show; she sings beautifully and matures believably into a delightful young woman. Her secret benefactor, Jervis Pendleton, (Derek Carley) does an admirable job supporting her.Of course, predictably, all’s well that ends well with Jerusha captivating Jervis with her wit and innocent wisdom in her letters.Musical Director William Liberatore carries the musical accompaniment with his group with his usual perfection. Joe Ragey’s super library set using books and trunks as props for the scenes is imaginative and holds attention. It blends with Steven B. Mannshardt’s subtle lighting to make for scenes that are soft and creative.Daddy Long Legs is a delightful charmer. ‘Daddy Long Legs’Book and Direction by John CairdFrom a novel by Jean WebsterMusic and lyrics by Paul GordonLucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd, Palo AltoPerformances through: Dec 31Tickets: $30-$80 Details: call: (650) 463-1960, or visit www.theatreworks,org
Letters: FBLA food drive, housing for teachers
Thanks for helping the communityThe Live Oak High School Chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) thanks the community for its generous support of the Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive for the 125 underprivileged families in the Morgan Hill Unified School District. Through your efforts, they were able to have a happier Thanksgiving.It all began when you donated money and cans to the students who stood in front of the two Safeway stores in town Nov. 12 and 13 and asked for your contributions. In addition, cans and non-perishables were collected in the classrooms at Live Oak throughout the month—over 3,700 items. A small group at Martin Murphy Middle School also helped toward the cause. A former FBLA member who has scoured her neighborhood for over 10 years brought in over 500 items. The names of the families were acquired from each of the schools in the district.All of the sorting and packing into the huge apple boxes and a large grocery bag for each family was completed Nov. 21 and 22. On Nov. 23, the pickups, vans and cars were loaded and the deliveries were made to each of the 125 families with the help of the Morgan Hill and San Martin Lions Club members as drivers who took two students with each of them.Each of the 125 families received a huge apple box (approximately 60-70 pounds); a large grocery bag full of potatoes, rice, beans, tortillas and non-perishables; a loaf of bread; a turkey; and laundry detergent. Over 400 man-hours were spent for this successful endeavor!Kiki Nakauchi, FBLA AdvisorMorgan Hill Take care of teachersI think it’s about time our teachers are taken care of.Time and time again, education is the first to get cut one way or another, and it’s upsetting. It is known information that a teacher’s salary is rather low in comparison to other professions, which can be discouraging for those who are innately qualified to teach our children.As a result, our children lose out. Offering low cost housing to educators will certainly relieve them of some stress, and will surely give them a reason to stay. Less stress often equates to happier life, and a happier person tends to perform better at work. This means that the children will have better education.My family is part of a different district and I hope this sets the bar for other districts within the county to start taking care of the people who give so much to create leaders.Claudia CortezSan Jose
