Opinion

This is the time of the year when most of us are looking forward to spending time with family and friends, putting on our holiday cheer and generally letting the past year wind down.I am looking forward to all of the above too but this year seems to be including un-holiday-like conflicting sentiments and torn emotions. The season is delivering the satisfaction that one of our community’s most unfair episodes seems to be coming to a close, yet also with the concern that all of this might be giving our community a black eye.I am referring to the recent attempt to recall MHUSD Board President Bob Benevento which has deservedly fizzled while emotions in the community are reaching the boiling point towards another trustee—David Gerard, whose district emails are now in the public realm for all to see.The trustee’s public emails recently released by the district offices in response to a Public Records Act request by the Morgan Hill Times have opened a Pandora’s box for Trustee Gerard in particular but seems to implicate trustees Borgioli and Badillo in recent goings on too. Do we have a trinity here?From alleged harassment that ultimately led to trustee Porter-Jensen’s retirement to the recall effort against Benevento, there seems to be a thread that connects Gerard and the other two trustees. This leads a small group of the like-minded to do things that remind me of one of those movies where someone is unjustly accused of something heinous until a hero steps up and metes out justice with the support of the local townsfolk.Most of those movies come to a fitting end, which includes all of the bad guys getting theirs while the wrongly accused is exonerated and life can finally move on.So far the ending of our story is shaping up nicely with the exoneration of one of the good guys and the realization that the “large numbers of disgruntled parents” supporting the unjust recall is actually a small number of very vocal parents.Just how completely involved were the trinity in the alleged harassment of Trustee Porter-Jensen? I hope we can get a clearer understanding of this soon so we can gain some certainty that we will no longer have silly behavior on the board again.I see the local media and even a columnist out of San Jose and the Metro as being the heros here. They shined a light on a dark place where the unsavory behavior took place. Now we can make up our own minds about how we feel toward these events.During all of this, the fact that the school district is in a much better place than it was just five years ago has been missed. Let’s pay some attention to how well things are going for our students. Some insist on comparing our schools to others and can dig up statistics that say we are not at the top. How about we take a look at how much we have improved and start looking forward to the day when we will be at the top? We are headed that way.So this holiday I’ll be spending time with family and friends, being cheerful, and putting this whole school board mess in the rear view mirror.John McKay is a Morgan Hill resident, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.

THERE is more to a natural landscape than meets the eye. We stand in awed reverence beneath Yosemite Falls or on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Who wouldn't? The grandeur is overwhelming. But what about those ho-hum areas that we pass without notice? Are those places empty wasteland, or do they hold some importance beyond our ken?

Like all of Santa Clara County, Morgan Hill has a rich agricultural history. Most of today's remaining actively grown agriculture (ag) is in South County. To preserve our region's proud history, residents throughout the county want to see active ag preserved to the maximum extent possible.   Our community has invested significant time and resources in evaluating alternatives to preserve viable ag. Morgan Hill's forward thinking, citywide Agricultural Preservation Program was developed with guidance from respected ag preservation and economic consultants. It includes a "stay ahead" provision requiring preservation to occur before development.Morgan Hill has pledged to invest millions of dollars in ag preservation from a fund that continues to grow as the city develops. We have a plan that effectively saves the most ag while providing other benefits to our community and region.It is unrealistic to think that if we don't change anything, South County ag land will remain ag. We have ample evidence to the contrary. Every parcel in unincorporated South County has development rights, including active ag parcels.San Martin is a visual example of ag land turned into housing on large acreage parcels. If you go to the south end of Trail Drive, you'll see five homes under construction. It is literally happening now! House by house, our ag lands will disappear unless we do something different.Morgan Hill is doing something different and innovative. One way to guarantee that these lands remain ag is to remove their development rights by recording a permanent ag easement on the deeds. Land owners will do this—for a price.The city will assure that any ag land developed in or around Morgan Hill preserves an equal amount of designated ag land in the area southeast of the city. It can do this by supplementing payments from an open space account funded by developers who compete for housing allocations in the city. Housing development in the city assists in preserving ag lands in the surrounding county.We are also working with landowners on other innovative approaches to compensating them for ag easements.Morgan Hill has a great reputation for providing high quality recreation facilities. Another creative way to fund ag preservation is to annex a small portion of the area (less than 180 acres) near the Tenant-101 interchange to enhance its family and youth-oriented recreation, sports and leisure offerings. Morgan Hill can leverage its reputation by expanding its active recreation facilities.This envisioned development will pay ag preservation fees, so it will assist in preserving ag in the surrounding county.Another planned use for the southeast area is a new Catholic high school on land owned by the church near the Tenant-101 interchange. It will be a tremendous South County asset, and its development will also help fund ag preservation.Morgan Hill's plans do not add any housing to these areas. None.Consistent with the widely accepted Santa Clara Food and Farmlands Resolution, Morgan Hill is working diligently to insure that small-scale ag remains viable in our sphere of influence. We are seeking the services of a third-party administrator to oversee easements and explore creative ways to provide ag infrastructure to small-scale farmers.To make ag preservation a reality, Morgan Hill is working closely with our Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to gain approval to annex the land for recreation and the Catholic high school. A hearing is scheduled Feb. 3. It is imperative for LAFCo to approve our application, as it proactively and responsibly preserves viable ag while also providing quality community-serving facilities.Steve Tate is the mayor of Morgan Hill. The Feb. 3 LAFCO meeting will take place at the county’s board meeting chambers, 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose.

City should repair road hazard

To get a warm and fuzzy feeling this holiday season, consider donating to a local animal care organization such as wildlife rehabilitation, pet shelter, and animal rescue group, who are always in need of that extra helping of generosity.Giving to a local organization enhances your community and produces immediate and visible results. Many of these organizations, including the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, are supported solely by donations from individuals and companies. A donation to your favorite animal charity can make a heart warming, deeply appreciated gift and gives the giver a feeling of goodwill (and a tax deduction, too).A word of warning:  Beware of fly-by-night “charities.”  Check out an organization before sending off a check. If you’re not familiar with the organization, ask for the phone number and address. Call to see if they’re reputable or have them send you more information. The organization should have a 501(c)(3) tax exemption number. It’s your hard earned money—don’t hesitate to ask questions regarding where that money goes.W.E.R.C. wishes to thank all in our community who have generously donated throughout the year to help us help the helpless, injured and orphaned native wildlife that would not have survived on their own.Sue Howell is the Executive Director of the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center in Morgan Hill.

During the holiday season it is easy to become overwhelmed with errands and tasks that are inherently linked to this time of year, such as shopping for gifts, baking and visiting family and friends.

Lianne Marie Dobbs as Emma and Timothy Gulan as Mr. Knightley return in this radiant much demanded production of Jane Austen’s charming “Emma”. It was so highly lauded in TheatreWorks 2007 production season that it has returned in all of Robert Kelly’s directional glory as good as new if not better.

Music brings people together. With the holidays now in high gear, the South Valley Symphony welcomes everyone in Hollister, Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill communities to celebrate the joy and cheer of the season with festive symphonic music at the “Holiday Panorama” concert at the Gavilan Community College Theater 4 p.m. Dec. 13.At this concert, we will honor the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris with a special piece composed by Sobrato High School graduate Christopher Niemann. The young man's piece is very poignant and personal, and I feel amazed that something of this quality was composed in a few days. Niemann told me he needed to write something to use music as healing for what happened in Paris. In a matter of days he completed a full-orchestral piece as a remembrance of those who died in Paris.The symphony made the decision to have the orchestra perform the new piece at the winter concert because the holiday season is a “season of giving” and the music can help people heal after a tragedy.A 2013 graduate of Sobrato where he first developed his talent in music composition, Niemann, 20, said he hopes the audience will feel motivated to move on from this tragedy after hearing the composition.“Being barely old enough to remember the 9/11 attacks and living through the aftermath, I remember the sensation of being extremely helpless,” he said. “Everyone from around the world watching such terrible events happen through the news and wanting to help when all you could do was watch. I never thought that I would have to experience that feeling of helplessness again. The idea to create a piece in honor of the victims came through the feeling of helplessness; because it’s very hard to just sit and do nothing when people around you are suffering.”Niemann has composed and conducted several pieces performed by the South Valley Symphony, including at the Oct. 10 concert a special composition called “In the Halls of the Overlook” based on the Stephen King novel “The Shining.”The selection of other pieces at the concert will give the audience a festive feeling for the holidays. Top billing at the concert will go to two guest artists—soprano Milena Georgieva who will sing Mozart’s “Exsultate Jubilate” and soloist Greg Chambers performing John Williams’ “Escapades for Saxophone & Orchestra.” The orchestra will also perform selections from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Sleeping Beauty.” Leroy Anderson’s “Christmas Festival” will complete the concert with a medley of songs taking the audience into the festive spirit of the season.Greg Chambers is a music teacher at Sobrato High School and a master of the saxophone. The solo “Escapades” that he will perform is based on Williams’ film score for the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie “Catch Me If You Can.”Along with the Mother’s Day concert at the San Juan Bautista Mission, the symphony’s holiday concert is so popular that it usually sells out, so buy your tickets early online on the symphony’s website atsouthvalleysymphony.org or at Morgan Hill’s BookSmart store, Gilroy’s Porcellas Music and First Street Cafe, Hollister’s PostalGraphics or San Juan Bautista’s The Mission Gallery.We encourage families to share the festive fun of the holidays by attending the upcoming concert. Children can attend for free with accompanying paying adult (but the child must get a ticket to be admitted). Students with identification can also attend the concerts for free. During the intermission, I invite children on the stage to learn about the various instruments.The South Valley Symphony is a family, and we welcome everyone to celebrate the season at our Holiday Panorama concert this Sunday.Anthony Quartuccio is the Music Director and Conductor of the South Valley Symphony.