Poppy Jasper is Morgan Hill
’s official rock. I’d like to own a piece of a rock. Where can I
buy Poppy Jasper – how much does it cost?
Poppy Jasper is Morgan Hill’s official rock. I’d like to own a piece of a rock. Where can I buy Poppy Jasper – how much does it cost?
This truly fine rock, according to the Smithsonian Institution, is only found in Morgan Hill, our claim to fame in the world of geology.
Poppy jasper is a semi-precious stone that has alternating rings of brick red, white, poppy orange and sometimes black.
Rockhounds used to find poppy jasper on the ground on the east side of town and in the hills, but the last time somebody tried that – chipping away illegally at the deposit in Silveira County Park – he ended up in jail.
You can buy it legally at the Historical Museum, 600 W. Main Ave. behind the library (call 779-5755 for hours), made into jewelry at the Goddess Bead Shop in the Downtown Mall, 17490 Monterey next to the Granada Theater, and in San Martin at A1 Saw and Lawnmowers, 30 Burbank Ave. (683-2001), behind Rocca’s Market.
The Historical Society also has small pieces for sale at the Taste of Morgan Hill in September.
To see a particularly nice specimen, visit the Community and Cultural Center lobby, Monterey and East Dunne Avenue. Historical Society volunteers raised funds to buy a museum-quality chunk, polish it and build a display case. Check out the bronze plaque with the names of the fine folks who contributed. The piece travels to schools and businesses – just ask at the Community Center.
Fore!
When will the miniature golf course and restaurant open? Will they offer any birthday party facilities?
The two-story white building with red tile roof will house a snack bar and party hall, catering to miniature golfers of all ages. Morgan Hill’s Yogi Patel, who will run the family-owned business, said they plan to open in mid-to-late May – depending on the weather, he stresses.
The snack bar will offer everything kids like, Patel says, plus his favorite drink, The Arnold Palmer – half iced tea and half lemonade. The golf course will not have clowns and castles, but a landscape with streams, a water fountain and waterfall. They want it to look nice and natural.
And, yes, there will be birthday party packages. Call 779-7400 to sign up.
Phase two will be a family-run restaurant and will open, if all goes well, six to eight weeks later, giving the Patels time to get phase one running smoothly. The location on Condit Road just south of East Dunne Avenue should be convenient for families using the Aquatics Center and Soccer Complex on Condit and, in future, the outdoor sports complex.
n The Red Phone sounds off Saturday in The Times.
We invite you to call us 24/7 to ask questions, report a complaint, give us a tip, offer an amusing tale of the short variety or just want people to know about something to do with the Morgan Hill area. We’ll check it out and have the answer in an upcoming column. Have a question about the paper? A complaint about garbage on the city street? A compliment about your good neighbor?
Leave us a message on the Red Phone at 779-4106, x206. We won’t print your name or share it with others but we do need your name and phone number for verification purposes. You can also sneak onto www.morganhilltimes.com, click the Red Phone icon and quietly e-mail your comments. Or E-mail direct to re******@*************es.com
