Uncategorized

The Moveable Feast traveling fleet of food trucks will continue to stop on East Third Street in downtown Morgan Hill every Wednesday through July, despite the objections of a family who has owned property on the street for decades.The Dasovic family owns three homes on East Third Street, which has been redeveloped and redesigned more than once since 2009 as one of City Hall’s preferred sites for community events downtown. Only a public sidewalk separates the edge of the homes’ front yards from the boundary of events such as Moveable Feast.Diane Dasovic sent a letter to the city council June 21 listing their grievances with these events, which bring trespassers and litter to their properties, and restrict their ability to come and go as they please when the street is open only to vendors and crowds on foot.The letter was submitted as public comment on a proposed “Downtown special events and street closures” that would have allowed event organizers to shut down East Third Street up to 72 days per year, for several hours at a time.“That would have a devastating effect for the residents, especially my elderly mother,” Diane Dasovic’s letter reads. “It would force her out of her house of over 40 years.”Her letter asked the council to deny permits for Moveable Feast beyond the date of June 21, and to resist adopting the proposed event and street closures policy, which city staff recommended for approval at that evening’s meeting. The council decided to allow Moveable Feast to complete its full eight-week run as originally scheduled, but took no action on an events and street closures policy.City staff will come back to the council in the fall with a revised policy proposal, according to Morgan Hill Community Services Coordinator Nichole Martin.Dasovic blames the City of Morgan Hill for allowing event organizers to “(deny) residents access to their driveways and homes” during the events. She also blames the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, organizer of the Moveable Feast—the most recent event on East Third Street that has occurred every Wednesday since early June and will continue until July 26.But not everyone is complaining. A neighbor of the Dasovics’ on East Third Street said he and his parents, who own the family home, don’t have any gripes with Moveable Feast or other downtown events. The resident, Steve Pagaza, said noise and crowds are “expected” in an urban neighborhood.“It’s not unreasonable,” Pagaza said. “It’s not like you’re living in the country.”Balance is keyCity officials have said while the residents of East Third Street are aware that the street is designed to be closed down for periodic public gatherings, these events should strike a balance between that purpose and the rights of the property owners.“We have one resident who has been there the whole time, who has known about what we’re doing,” Mayor Steve Tate said. “We need to do everything to be respectful of these residents (but) I don’t think that should have an impact on the number of events we have.”MHDA representatives argue they have done everything they can to accommodate the Dasovics during Moveable Feast, including reserving parking spaces for them in a public lot just outside the event area, and ensuring they will have an escort from the fire department if they need to need to get in or out of their homes while the street is closed.Dasovic’s letter stated her family views the proposed special events policy as “retaliation to our request that (the) city allow my elderly mother vehicle access to her driveway and home, as her health requires, and her doctor had requested, during the Moveable Feast series.”And Dasovic accuses event organizers of shirking their requirement to comply with federal disability access guidelines.“The public has repeatedly trespassed on our private property, while the event organizer has turned a blind eye and refused the measures we requested to prevent this,” the letter adds.Is a policy needed?City staff recommended adopting the policy because of an increase for requests for downtown events that require street closures. The city has long promoted such events, which attract large crowds and thus more people to spend money at downtown businesses. The policy would have applied to popular large-scale festivals such as Mushroom Mardi Gras and Taste of Morgan Hill, as well as the Moveable Feast and the National Night Out public safety event, which typically occurs in downtown Morgan Hill in August.At the June 21 meeting, some council members couldn’t agree with city staff about the number of expected patrons per event that would trigger the policy. Staff recommended any event that brings 500 people or more to Third Street should be subject to the policy. For closure of Monterey Road, expected attendance of 5,000 or more would have triggered the policy.These events, which have become even more in demand since the city spent $25 million sprucing up the downtown in the last couple years, have paid off, according to proponents.“The people trying to do something good are being bombarded with negativity,” MHDA board member Julia Wolfsmith, who owns a salon on Third Street, told the council. “Fifty people (for example) on any street downtown is important for any business downtown. We depend on the festivals and events to get our name out there, and our exposure.”MHDA board member Kathy Sullivan told the council June 21 that the Dasovics were offered a ride to the meeting that evening, while Moveable Feast was occupying Third Street, but “they chose not to take it.” She urged the council to adopt the policy “for the greater good of the city.”Mayor Pro Tem Larry Carr said the city has “spent a lot of time, a lot of money (and) effort” on the reconstruction of East Third Street, which “has always been the epicenter of Morgan Hill.”“That being said, we need to make every reasonable accommodation we can” for the residents, he added. Carr later added that the Dasovics’ concerns are “solvable,” but the residents should be more willing to work with the city and event organizers.The city rebuilt East Third Street in 2009 with about $2 million in Redevelopment funds and a $1.7 million state grant. In 2015, the city demolished and rebuilt the street again after the original driving surface, composed of paver stones, suffered from ongoing damages. The city and contractor Joseph J. Albanese settled a lawsuit on the damages, awarding the city about $357,000 to complete the latest rebuild.

Petty theftSomeone stole two license plates from a gray Saturn parked on La Alameda Drive. The theft was reported 9:37 p.m. July 3.Auto burglaryA thief or thieves smashed the window of a 1997 Honda Odyssey and stole items. The crime was reported 3 a.m. July 5 on Railroad Avenue.Someone broke the window on a black Mazda 3 parked on the 18200 block of Hale Avenue and stole paperwork and electronics items. The crime was reported 7:38 a.m. July 5.TheftA guest at Economy Inn, 15080 Monterey Road, stole a television from a guest room. The theft was reported 10:20 a.m. July 4.DisturbanceAbout 10 girls reportedly attacked another girl on the top floor of the downtown parking garage, 50 East Third Street, and broadcast the fight on the Snapchat social media application. The disturbance was reported 10:23 p.m. July 3.Recovered stolen vehicleA white Econoline van, previously reported stolen, was recovered on Diana Avenue. The vehicle was recovered with two sets of bolt cutters on the front seat. Police arrested a 39-year-old man in relation to the theft. The van was reported 10:28 a.m. July 1. Dine and dashA large family ate lunch at Denny’s, on Cochrane Road, and left the restaurant without paying their bill. The crime was reported 1:28 p.m. July 2.BatteryA man punched a victim in the face following a verbal argument at the Safeway fuel pumps at Tennant Station Way. The crime was reported 2:37 p.m. July 2.Stolen vehicleSomeone stole a black 1998 Honda Civic from a spot on Village Circle. The theft was reported 8:07 a.m. July 2.A thief or thieves stole a red 1989 Honda Civic from the parking lot of Sushi Ichiban, 116 Cochrane Plaza. The theft was reported 2:38 p.m. July 3.Someone stole a green 1994 GMC truck from Jasmine Square Apartments, 16530 Monterey Road. The crime was reported 7:24 a.m. July 5.VandalismA victim reported a “drive by shooting” after someone drove by her house, near Cochrane Road and Butterfield Boulevard, in a vehicle and shot a window with a BB gun. Police filed the incident as a vandalism case. The incident was reported 3:33 p.m. July 1.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

The Spirit of Morgan Hill 8U Red competitive travel team won all four tournaments it has entered this season.

Former world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero is hard at work preparing for his main event showdown with unbeaten Omar Figueroa that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Fox and Fox Deportes July 15 in the first boxing event at the newly renovated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Update: At about 2:50 p.m. July 6, MHPD posted on Facebook that Palafox has been arrested. More details on his arrest and allegations will follow as they are available. Police are looking for a man they say tried to kill his girlfriend at a home in east Morgan Hill, according to a post on the MHPD Facebook page.On July 1 just after midnight, Morgan Hill Police responded to the area of Pine Way on a report of domestic battery, according to police. The victim told officers that her boyfriend, Gage Palafox, assaulted her and tried to drown her in the swimming pool. The woman was able to escape and call 911.Officers have been unable to locate Palafox since the initial report, the Facebook post reads. He was last seen driving a 2004 Suzuki Verona, with a license plate of 5RLE959, according to police.Palafox also has an active felony warrant for his arrest in relation to another case, according to police.Anyone with information about this case can call MHPD at (408) 779-2101.

Stolen vehicleSomeone stole a dark green Honda Civic from a spot on the zero block of West Edmundson Avenue. The vehicle was later recovered in east Morgan Hill. The crime was initially reported 8:15 p.m. June 26.A thief or thieves stole a black 2016 Volkswagen Passat from Oak Park Drive. The theft was reported 11:42 p.m. June 23.A 2015 Honda Civic was stolen from a hotel parking lot on Condit Road. The crime was reported 1:52 p.m. June 24.Someone stole a 1996 Honda from a parking spot on San Ramon Court. The theft was reported 6:42 a.m. June 19.Auto burglaryA thief or thieves broke a window on a black Kia Sol parked on the 18400 block of Butterfield Boulevard, and stole a portable speaker. The crime was reported 6:40 a.m. June 27.Someone broke into a Ford Focus on Condit Road and stole a Nintendo DS, Windows tablet, iPod Touch and other items. The burglary was reported 11:19 a.m. June 25.A thief or thieves smashed the window of a Honda Accord on San Pedro Avenue, and stole a coffee cup. The break-in was reported 8:32 a.m. June 26.TheftTwo suspects stole a tent and three sleeping bags from Big 5 Sporting Goods, 150 Cochrane Plaza. The suspects are described as white male adults in their 20s. The crime was reported 10:54 a.m. June 27.Petty theftThree female adults stole clothing and cosmetics from Target, 1061 Cochrane Road. The crime was reported 9:41 p.m. June 27.Someone stole a rear license plate from a vehicle parked on Del Monte Avenue. The theft was reported 5:48 p.m. June 24.FraudA local woman purchased tickets to a concert in San Francisco by responding to an ad on Craigslist. She met the seller to pick up the tickets and later realized they were fake. The crime was reported 5:47 p.m. June 29.Municipal code violationMultiple reports of illegal fireworks have been reported in Morgan Hill neighborhoods since late June. A resident reported illegal fireworks on West Dunne Avenue. The violation was reported 9:13 p.m. June 29. On Glenn Canyon Court, loud noises and flashes of light associated with fireworks were reported about 9:20 p.m. June 29. On Espana Way, a resident reported hearing fireworks about 9:40 p.m. June 24.Wallet missing, recoveredA woman reported her wallet missing or stolen after she lost it at Safeway Fuel Center about 12 p.m. June 30. An MHPD officer later called the woman to tell her someone had found her wallet and turned it in at the police department on Vineyard Boulevard. The woman picked up her wallet without further incident.DisturbanceSeveral juveniles jumped the fence to a community pool near Yosemite and Venetian Ways, and assaulted a female resident. The juveniles did not reside in the area. Witnesses also reported the youths tried to break windows and fight with residents. MHPD officers arrived and cited the teens. The incident was reported 8:15 p.m. June 23.BurglaryA resident of Via Castana watched on a remote screen while the home was burglarized. The resident reported the crime to police 9:20 p.m. June 23.A burglar or burglars broke into a home on Calle Mazatan and ransacked the residence. The suspect or suspects entered the home by breaking a rear glass sliding door. The burglary was reported 11:31 a.m. June 24.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

Morgan Hill Police Department “pulled out all the stops” in enforcing illegal fireworks violations on Independence Day, deploying undercover vehicles and dozens of officers to cite more than 20 people for possession or discharge of fireworks, according to a July 5 press release.  The need for such a special enforcement effort was identified earlier this year, when MHPD reached out to the community and asked what issues were important when reflecting on the quality of life here in Morgan Hill, the press release continues. One of the top areas of concern cited by residents in this survey was “illegal fireworks,” and how it affects the community’s safety each year during the Fourth of July holiday celebrations.The Morgan Hill City Council subsequently amended its fireworks ordinance so that fireworks related fines were tripled during the week Independence Day. Prior to enforcement, the department sent out information through multiple formats including print, email, social media, television and word of mouth, reminding people about illegal fireworks and the police department’s plan for enforcing a zero-tolerance policy, according to police.On July 4, MHPD in conjunction with Cal Fire had specific teams patrolling the city, focused on people and places where illegal fireworks were discharged from, the press release states. The teams spent the night conducting proactive enforcement and responding to calls for service regarding the discharge of fireworks.At the end of the night, officers issued 20 citations and collected a large amount of unspent illegal fireworks, police said. MHPD Sgt. Carson Thomas added that dispatchers received more than 40 calls from residents reporting illegal fireworks throughout Morgan Hill.This was an especially busy day for the department as it staffed multiple events during the 36-hour period and two significant events simultaneously: the fireworks show at the Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road and the fireworks enforcement detail throughout the evening.“I am especially proud of the dedication of our entire team—civilian and sworn, paid and volunteer—for their sacrifice away from their families and friends so that others can enjoy a fun and safe Independence Day celebration. Their efforts are truly commendable,” said Morgan Hill Police Chief David Swing.Thomas, who coordinated the special enforcement effort for MHPD, thanked residents who reported illegal fireworks in their neighborhoods, and encouraged others to continue to make such reports.“Please know that your MHPD works proactively to ensure safety through the abatement of crime and addressing quality of life concerns,” Thomas said. “The enforcement of fireworks violations enhances the quality of life for our residents and their pets, ensuring safety for all.”To report illegal fireworks or other possible municipal code violations, call MHPD at (408) 779-2101.