Opinion

Do you ever wonder about the fate of San Martin? Many who live in this rural, unincorporated community certainly do. Annexation proposals and Urban Service Area boundary requests, submitted by the Cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, have been unsettling to those within the unincorporated areas.

It sure feels like spring these days with the beautiful warm and clear days. I had almost forgotten that the Godzilla of El Ninos was here with the spring like weather but that should be changing right about the time you read this.While it may feel like spring right now it won’t officially be here until March 20,  which just happens to coincide with one of my favorite things: the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley (WSCV) Spring Passport Weekend held March 18 to 20.You can hold a wake for the passing of winter and celebrate the beginning of spring in one weekend while enjoying wine in a region we can call our own.As usual, our local wineries have brought in dozens of wine awards in the prestigious 2016 SF Chronicle Wine Competition. And as great as it is reading about winners, it’s a lot more satisfying having one of those winners in a glass in front you right where it was made.Our Santa Clara Valley wines are constantly getting better and better, and their local association is always working to improve just about everything related to the exposure of local wines. This year you should be able to experience some of those efforts for yourself.Starting Friday, March 18, the WSCV Spring Passport Weekend kicks off with an invitation-only evening tasting event. You have to be a Passport Weekend ticket holder to get into this event (it’s really like a party) at the Morgan Hill Grange Hall. There will be at least 16 wineries pouring samples of their wines with many of the top local restaurants providing some special victuals that will again remind you that food and wine are an unbeatable pair, especially when done well.On these special weekends I usually set out right at the noon starting time since things can get busy, which means that some food is usually also in order.Over time many of the wineries have developed a reputation for their Passport food offerings—Satori Cellars with their chili and Morgan Hill Cellars with their pork sliders, amongst others.This year, something new will be added in the way of local restaurants also setting up to serve food at some of the wineries. Look for this as it promises to be a treat that could be a lifesaver later in the day.With only two days to sample the finest bounty of our valley in a glass, I recommend you plan ahead and try not to rush the experience. You don’t have to hit every winery in one weekend—they will be there for another visit.Take some time and enjoy the grounds at the wineries you visit. Some have elaborate properties, some funky and rustic, and some are like being at home. You could even plan a relaxing return visit with friends and a lunch basket.Get your tickets early; they will sell out (and remember you want to go to that Friday evening event), plan and pace your weekend and enjoy what few others have—our own local wine region.Go to santaclarawines.com for full details on the event and enjoy yourself in a safe and responsible manner.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, city planning commissioner, Vice President of the Downtown Association and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.

Much has been written in the Morgan Hill Times regarding a proposed deal for the county agriculture land in the Southeast Quadrant of Morgan Hill. This plan will cover 229 acres of prime farmland for a Catholic High School, as well as for sports, recreation and leisure areas.

Here in Santa Clara County, more than half the water we use is “imported,” meaning it’s conveyed to us from other parts of the state.Most of that water starts out as snow in the Sierra Nevada. When it melts, it makes its way into large reservoirs like lakes Oroville and Shasta.From these reservoirs, the water flows in rivers to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta where it is then conveyed through state and federally run infrastructure known as the State Water Project and Central Valley Project to us and other southern, central and coastal parts of the state.That close to half the water we use in Santa Clara County comes through the Delta means the health of the Delta is extremely important to us and should be a concern to everyone. But the Delta is quavering under pressure from aging levees, sea level rise and human and environmental demands. So we have been working with other water agencies, state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders to evaluate options.There have been a number of plans throughout the years to improve the health of the Delta and to try to meet the demands of urban and agricultural users and the environment. The latest is a pair of proposals by the state, called California WaterFix and California EcoRestore. The WaterFix plan aims to change the way water moves south through the Delta in an effort to safeguard drinking water and improve water flows for the environment. The EcoRestore plan aims to restore at least 30,000 acres of habitat by 2020 to benefit the Delta environment.The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors is poised to make a decision on whether to support the WaterFix plan and whether to participate in it sometime this year. But before we can do that, we want to be sure we—and the public—fully understand it.That’s why we held a special workshop Jan. 26, where we invited representatives from the state Department of Water Resources, the California Natural Resources Agency and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to present more information on this plan for the Delta. If you missed it, our board meetings are webcast and archived online for later viewing.Board members asked a number of questions, ranging from cost to governance to environmental impact, and we also heard from members of the community who voiced concerns and asked questions. This is an important part of the process, and we have more workshops and committee meetings planned to learn much more about this proposal and what benefits or challenges it could pose to our county, as well as how much it would cost to participate. These workshops and meetings are open to the public, and we invite you to attend so you too can learn more and provide input. The state of our water concerns everybody.Our next discussion of the plan is scheduled for a Feb. 22 meeting of our BDCP Ad Hoc Committee. Check back at valleywater.org for final dates and times. You can submit feedback to [email protected] Varela is Vice Chairman and District 1 Director of the Board of Directors for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. For further information, contact Varela [email protected].

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.

I grew up on a prune ranch on Fisher Avenue bought in the 1930s by my immigrant grandparents, Gataeno and Anna Forestieri. My first job was picking 10 boxes of prunes to buy a lunch box when starting kindergarten. The year was 1960.My brother Steve and I worked summers, weekends and part-time jobs. My parents were adamant that farming was not a feasible career for us. Steve and I found other careers—an engineer and court reporter, respectively.Morgan Hill is a town rich in history, and my father helped build that image and was appointed to the Federal Prune Administrative Committee by Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland in 1980.You must understand the past to see the future. The freeway placement, which my father Duke Forestieri fought, cut off our land to the west. Dad took on other people's orchards to make ends meet for our family. He also pursued the idea of moving to Yuba County where prune farming was beginning. My father's love of Morgan Hill instead kept him here. He continued to sharecrop but as Yuba County's production increased, it drove the price of prunes down everywhere—including in Morgan Hill.The cost of farming escalated in the Valley, as more and more restrictions were enacted, utility costs increased, and labor for harvesting became harder to find even though my dad paid top dollar and provided free housing for the seasonal workers.  My dad's health began to spiral downward in his mid-70s. He gave up sharecropping and farmed only his land and the next door neighbor's..The pioneer farmers did not have stock options or golden handshakes; they had their families and their land. Dad joined others in working with the city in the 90s and early 2000s to carve out a plan for the pioneer farmers and include the needs of a growing Morgan Hill. Before he died in 2011, this plan was taking shape and he told me, “It lets people enjoy using our land, not just looking at it as they drive by, but to walk on it, play on it".This  final plan has been worked on for over 15 years. It provides an area where kids who cannot afford traveling teams can improve their skills in many sports and have a better chance at the coveted spots on the high school teams.It will provide a place for community sponsored events, where families can afford the tickets for the whole family.  If this cohesive plan is not put into place, landowners will go their own way, creating a haphazard tapestry for financial survival, which will not enrich our children's lives or improve the landscape.I firmly support this plan for the SEQ.Editor’s note: The Southeast Quadrant/Sports-Recreation-Leisure Urban Service Area expansion plan will be considered for approval at the March 11 meeting of the Local Agency Formation Commission. For more information, visit morganhilltimes.com or santaclaralafco.org.

On Feb. 17, the Morgan Hill City Council once again displayed a lack of foresight and financial wisdom in handling Ordinance 2131. You might recall that last spring, voters signed a petition to suspend the ordinance that would change the zoning for a three-acre parcel of land on Lightpost Way and Madrone Parkway from “light industrial” to “general commercial.” The petition required the zoning change to be approved by the voters before it could be enacted. Instead of following the California Constitution, the city terminated the petition in an attempt to aid an out-of-town developer who bought the land cheaply. That developer will now make a windfall with the city council rezoning the land to commercial, which is worth more. Now the city is being sued by the Hotel Coalition for failing to abide by the requirements of the Constitution. Who will pay the bill to defend the city? You, the taxpayer.

“Valley of the Heart” is a heart wrenching story of actual happenings and how the almost forgotten Second World War affected the people of the time. It jars those of us that lived through that moment to remember a time we would rather forget. It also shows this generation what went on and cautions about it not letting the past happen again.