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Morgan Hill Police arrested two suspects with a variety of drugs and paraphernalia at a local hotel last weekend, according to authorities.Officers contacted a known subject, Joseph Dunham, who was wanted on unrelated offenses at an unspecified hotel in Morgan Hill, reads a MHPD Facebook post. Dunham was with his girlfriend, Callie Tresemer, and another male friend.During the investigation, police determined that all three subjects were under the influence of drugs, police said. The male friend was cited on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs and released from custody.Also during the investigation, officers found heroin, methamphetamine and Xanax “bars” in Dunham and Tresemer’s possession, authorities said. The two were arrested and booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of numerous narcotics charges, including possession of narcotics for sale.Anyone with information about this incident can contact MHPD at (408) 779-2101.

Live Oak got over a 10-season obstacle last week in defeating Monte Vista Christian to advance in the CCS Open Division III playoffs.

FraudA victim told police he was approached by a man outside Bank of America, 101 Vineyard Town Center, who asked him to cash a $650 check for him. The customer cashed the check and gave the man the cash. The bank later notified the victim that the check was fraudulent. The fraud was reported 5:35 p.m. Nov. 4.Animal controlA dog’s owner reported her pet was bitten by another dog at the Morgan Hill Dog Park, 225 West Edmundson Ave. The victim dog didn’t suffer any major visible injuries, but the owner planned to take the canine to the vet later for a wellness check. The incident was reported 8:09 a.m. Nov. 5.Stolen vehicleSomeone stole a dark gray 1998 pickup from an area in Morgan Hill. The theft was reported 11:57 a.m. Nov 5.A thief or thieves stole a black 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche from a location in Morgan Hill. The vehicle was later recovered in the City of Oakland. The theft was reported 7:07 p.m. Oct. 30.Petty theftA man tried to pay for items at Goodwill, 17630 Monterey Road, with a fake $100 bill. His girlfriend left the store with other merchandise without paying for it. The thieves left in a red Dodge Ram truck. The crime was reported at 11:59 a.m. Nov. 5.BurglaryA thief or thieves burglarized a home on Mission Avenida while the adult residents went to pick up their children from school. The home’s rear door was open and the residence was ransacked. Stolen were jewelry and other items. The crime was reported 3:08 p.m. Oct. 28.Someone broke into a home on Bradford Way while the homeowners were out of town. The thief or thieves entered the home through an unlocked back door. The burglary was reported 5:25 p.m. Oct. 28.A thief or thieves burglarized a home on Venetian Way. The burglar or burglars gained access to the home through an unlocked window. The crime was reported 2:12 p.m. Oct. 31.Suspicious personA witness called in a sighting of a Salinas man wanted on two warrants and on suspicion of stabbing someone. The suspect was seen in the area of Mountain Mike’s Pizza at Tennant Station. Police arrived and confirmed the suspect was the wanted man, and arrested him. The incident was reported 2:53 p.m. Oct. 29.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

With planning efforts “done,” officials are in the process of acquiring properties needed for the Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection project before construction can start next year.Staff from the Santa Clara Valley Water District recently updated the Morgan Hill City Council on the project that has been in the pre-planning stages since the 1950s. The nearly 14-mile long project will provide 100-year flood protection for properties from Buena Vista Avenue in Gilroy to just beyond Llagas Road in north Morgan Hill.Despite the completion of key planning and design milestones, the SCVWD still has a lot of progress to make in acquiring funding. The total construction cost of the Upper Llagas Creek Flood Protection project is about $80 million, and the SCVWD has about $56 million.“We’re a little bit short,” Steve Ferranti of SCVWD told the council Nov. 2, although they have enough money to complete the first of two phases next year. Funding comes from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, voter-approved property taxes, state agencies and local sources.The project will require widening the existing creek in most sections as well as rechanneling it in others and tunneling through Nob Hill just west of downtown Morgan Hill, according to water district staff who spoke at the Nov. 2 council meeting. It will also revitalize wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities in some sections.The project consists of a total of eight sections or “reaches” to be built in two phases, starting with the southernmost reach by next summer. At the same time that work is proceeding, crews will begin digging the tunnel out of Nob Hill, which is the site of a city water tank.Ferranti said SCVWD will use earthen materials from the tunnel excavation for another project across town—the retrofitting of Anderson Dam off Cochrane Road. The dam has to be strengthened because state officials determined it is seismically unsound.“We’re obviously trying to save money and utilize (the material) for both projects,” Ferranti said.The downtown section of the project, known as “Reach 8,” includes the proposed Nob Hill tunnel and is one of the most complicated sections of the project, which will reroute Upper Llagas Creek’s flood waters through underground culverts and through the tunnel, according to SCVWD staff.This reach is part of “phase two” construction. Officials expect to begin seeking a construction contract for this phase by November 2017.SCVWD, the project sponsor, still needs dozens of private properties along the project route in order to begin construction on phase one, Ferranti told the council. Of the 149 properties needed, 82 owners have accepted offers from the SCVWD.Restoration will provide habitat, recreationAnother unique aspect of the project is the proposed restoration of Silveira Lake, which is off the west side of Monterey Road just south of Morgan Hill. This part of the project will be completed with phase one construction.The lake’s restoration will improve habitat for migratory steelhead trout and provide permanent wetlands for other wildlife, SCVWD Fisheries Biologist Melissa Moore told the council. This includes islands within the lake to protect bird species from feral cats and other non-native mammals that inhabit the area.The project will also remove about 70 acres of Himalayan blackberries, an invasive species that has grown unchecked along the creek for several years. This vegetation will be replaced with “native understory,” Moore said.The Silveira Lake design, which is “100 percent” complete, will also incorporate recreational facilities for humans, including new trails and benches.“I think it will be a very positive community attribute,” Moore said. “Aesthetically, I think it’s going to be quite lovely.”Morgan Hill officials have been lobbying for completion of the Upper Llagas Creek project ever since it was proposed in 1954. When complete, it will prevent flooding in Morgan Hill during torrential storms, particularly in the downtown where past floods have damaged businesses and residences.Upper Llagas Creek has seen major flooding during 14 major storms since 1955, including most recently in 2008, 2009 and 2011, according to SCVWD staff.

High Speed Rail, more downtown development and new plans in the industrial park are among the topics of discussion and decision on tap for the Nov. 16 Morgan Hill City Council meeting.The council will consider sending the final draft of a “scoping letter” to California High Speed Rail Authority officials. The letter will contain a list of concerns and questions regarding the HSR’s potential alignment through or around Morgan Hill, and how the construction of tracks and other facilities for the 200-mph-plus train will impact residents and businesses.The agenda item includes a public hearing, in which residents can voice their concerns to the council and city staff before the council approves the letter to HSR officials.The HSR will carry passengers from San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hours. Stations nearest to Morgan Hill are proposed in Gilroy and San Jose. HSR officials are currently considering four possible train alignments through Morgan Hill. These are:• At grade, on a berm, along Monterey Road or adjacent (on the east side) of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks;• Elevated, in a viaduct, along Monterey Road or adjacent (on the east side) of the UPRR;• Elevated in a viaduct along the west side of U.S. 101;• Elevated in a viaduct along the east side of U.S. 101.The viaducts in the elevated options would rise 30 to 60 feet above the ground.While the city has no authority to determine the future alignment, the council hopes to influence the project developer (HSRA) to choose an option that will result in the least disturbance to residents and businesses, according to city staff.The HSRA board of directors is expected to choose its “preferred alignment” through Morgan Hill by spring 2017, according to city staff.Church/Depot realignmentCity staff want to connect Depot and Church streets where they intersect at East Dunne Avenue by contracting with a residential builder to redevelop a portion of the Community and Cultural Center parking lot.On the Nov. 16 agenda, city staff recommends the council enter an “exclusive negotiating agreement” with Brookfield Residential Properties to “negotiate for the sale, exchange or lease of the (CCC) parking lot area and the section of Depot Street between Dunne Avenue and Fifth Street, to facilitate the realignment of Depot Street, construction of new housing and the construction of replacement public parking.”Conceptual plans for the roughly three-acre site show Depot Street would be realigned with the existing traffic light at Church and East Dunne, where a main entrance to the CCC parking lot is located. This entrance would be transformed into a continuation of Church Street into Depot Street.The existing stretch of Depot Street—approximately from the southern end of the Caltrain lot to East Dunne—as well as about the southeastern half of the existing CCC parking lot, would be redeveloped with new housing, according to the city staff report.The city’s economic development staff have been “working with many housing developers to explore opportunities that could lead to redevelopment of the Hale Lumber site (on Depot Street at East Dunne) as well as the realignment of Depot Street and, most importantly, a project that would be able to replace all of the CCC parking disturbed by roadway realignment.”The conceptual plans include building a two-story parking structure with about 145 parking spaces at the northern end of the CCC parking lot.The residential portion of the project would include 56 new townhomes and a replacement of all 240 CCC parking spaces to be eliminated by the project, city staff said.The Hammond family, which owns Hale Lumber, entered into contract negotiations with Brookfield in the summer of 2016, according to city staff. Among the city’s objectives in redeveloping the site is the relocation of Hale Lumber to “a more appropriate industrial business location.”The realignment of Depot to Church Street has been “envisioned” by city planning documents—including the Downtown Specific Plan, the Infrastructure Master Plan and the General Plan 2035 update—for several years, according to the staff report which comments on the currently awkward street alignment.If the council approves the exclusive negotiations with Brookfield, city staff and the developer will “explore options and financing for the project.” If the two parties agree on favorable terms all around, they could draft a “proposal and development agreement” by January 2017, according to city staff.550K square feet of industry proposedThe council will also review the preliminary plans for an industrial project proposed by Mwest on the west side of Butterfield Boulevard near Jarvis Drive.This project would consist of about 550,000 square feet of industrial development, consisting of 10 industrial buildings on 32.9 acres; about four acres of park improvements on the north side of a proposed extension of Sutter Boulevard; a one-acre landscaped “greenway” for the joint use of residents and employees of the area; the possible use of a 7.9-acre city-owned property for recreation, currently used as a drain basin; and the extension of Sutter Boulevard between Butterfield Boulevard and Digital Drive.The property is vacant, and sits within the western portion of the 387.5-acre Morgan Hill Ranch Business Park.In September 2015, the council approved the conversion of 19.5 acres of Mwest’s property to residential, from industrial uses. This residential portion of the project has not yet been approved, but Mwest has submitted an application for 383 residential units for the site which is currently under consideration by city planning officials.The developer wanted the council to see their industrial plans before submitting a formal development proposal to city staff.Consent calendarItems on the Nov. 16 consent agenda, which consists of items considered routine and unlikely to generate discussion, include:• Authorize the purchase of five mechanical chest compression devices from Physio Control for $83,283;• Development impact fee report for fiscal year 2015-16;• Raising the single-game bingo prize limit from $250 to $500;• Forgiveness of an outstanding loan of $425,000 plus about $73,000 interest to the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara. The loan was provided to the county agency by the city’s Redevelopment Agency in 1991, to partially finance the acquisition of the San Pedro Gardens site.The council meeting will start 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at City Hall meeting chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.

Don't look now, but in the wink of an eye, the holidays will be here. On New Year’s Eve, you will resolve to do a bit more of this and a lot less of that. By mid-January you will likely cast your resolution aside.Instead, consider doing something bold; something that scares you a little and excites you a little; something you are not even sure you can do. Join me on July 15, 2017 to hike to Snow Valley Peak above Lake Tahoe.But I’m not an adventurer, you say. I can’t walk a 13-mile loop or climb 2,500 feet to a 9,213-foot Sierra peak. Balderdash.This is the fifth year I have laid down a summer challenge. Through the winter and spring, we do six local hikes to prepare for a tough ascent of a Sierra peak. Each year, from atop a windswept pinnacle overlooking an airplane window view, a very tired and very proud person tells me that they were sure they couldn’t do it. Don't sell yourself short. You can do it.On the last two challenges, Mount Hoffman and Round Top, the final portions of the climb involved scrambling and rough going that turned some challengers back. This year, the path to Snow Valley Peak is well-marked all the way. But make no mistake; Snow Valley Peak is no pushover. We will meet at 7,146-foot Spooner Summit, the pass on Hwy. 50 that separates the Tahoe Basin from Carson Valley. From there we will walk 6.5 miles and climb 2,500 feet to a jaw-dropping view of Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley.This fall, I visited Snow Valley Peak. The first four miles of the trail climb gently through a landscape typical of the Lake Tahoe Basin. In a bright forest of widely spaced Jeffrey pines and red firs, here and there massive granite boulders that poke through a soft forest floor are strung together by a lacy groundcover thread of chinquapin and manzanita. Two miles from the top, I popped into an open sagebrush landscape with sweeping views across Lake Tahoe on one side and the Carson Valley on the other. Amazing vistas and a steady gale in advance of a coming storm gave me the full summit experience. You won’t be disappointed.Whether it is best to encourage, shame, badger, or beg you, I will do it to get you to take on the challenge. Here is a schedule of the Snow Valley Peak hikes. I will post a detailed schedule at www.facebook.com/RonGettingOut. To receive updates and full directions and details about each hike as it draws near, email me at [email protected]. See you on the trail.

Morgan Hill residents will have numerous chances in the coming weeks to gain more details, offer input and ask questions about the city’s plan to establish a trail to the top of El Toro Mountain.The series of meetings—which starts Nov. 15 with the Parks and Recreation Commission—will be conducted by the City of Morgan Hill in coordination with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. Key points to be discussed during the meeting are:• Update on the development of a southern trailhead/access point at the base of the odd-shaped hill that overlooks the valley from west Morgan Hill;• Opportunities presented by the OSA to acquire land at the west end of West Main Avenue;• Potential updates to the city’s approved access strategy and the trail planning process.The PRC meeting will take place 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Morgan Hill City Council chambers, 17555 Peak Ave.On Nov. 30, starting at 6 p.m., the OSA and city staff will co-host an El Toro Trail planning open house, also at council chambers. This will be a more informal meeting where attendees will have a chance to have individual discussions with city and OSA staff.Then the City Council will discuss the latest input and updates at its 7 p.m. Dec. 7 meeting at council chambers.City officials, residents and open space advocates have discussed the possibility of creating a permanent trail, open year-round to the public, to the top of El Toro Mountain, which is known to long-time locals as Murphy’s Peak.Although a path to the top can be seen from the valley floor, that access is located on private property, prohibiting public access. Trespassing on the property has been reported and enforced numerous times over the years.The last time the council discussed a possible El Toro trail was in February 2015, when the five-member body voted to move ahead on plans to use a property near the intersection of DeWitt and Spring avenues as the primary trailhead for any future public trail.Planners have not yet determined how hikers would get from the proposed trailhead to the start of an existing trail on the side of the mountain, which is owned by the OSA.Residents in neighborhoods west of Morgan Hill, at the base of El Toro Mountain, have long complained about the trespassing hikers who park their vehicles on the streets and leave behind trash and destroy property. These residents have pleaded with the council to ensure any trail plan they implement will address their concerns.

Live Oak exercised a couple of demons Friday night with a 52-20 win over Monte Vista Christian.