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David Wolfsmith, a former downtown Morgan Hill training facility owner who is accused of sexually assaulting seven female victims, has gained permission to operate another business in the City of San Jose.Wolfsmith, 49, is out of custody in lieu of $325,000 bail, awaiting his next hearing Oct. 27 on charges that he inappropriately touched the victims while serving as their personal trainer, according to authorities. His former gym, known as Wolfpak Training Center, was located at the corner of Monterey Road and East Third Street for several years before Morgan Hill police arrested him April 11. Wolfpak was co-owned by David and his wife Julia Wolfsmith, but the private training center has closed since he was arrested.On Aug. 1, the Wolfsmiths gained a “business tax certificate” from the City of San Jose to open a business called Wolfsmith Training on Turtle Creek Court, according to the city’s searchable online database of such licenses. The certificate lists “personal training” as the nature of the business. The document lists both David and Julia Wolfsmith as the business owners.MHPD officers arrested David Wolfsmith April 11 on suspicion that he sexually assaulted five female victims who were clients at Wolfpak, according to police. In the ensuing investigation, two more female victims came forward to police to report similar offenses. Two of the alleged victims were minors at the time of the suspected abuse.He is charged with 13 counts, including multiple felony counts of sexual battery by fraud and one count of lewd and lascivious act on a child younger than 14, according to authorities.The initial police investigation started in February, according to police.His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 27 at South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Tim McInerny.City of San Jose Revenue Division Manager Wendy Sollazzi clarified that a business tax certificate such as that acquired by the Wolfsmiths is similar to what other cities refer to as a business license, but it alone doesn’t provide a regulatory structure. The certificate itself simply documents that “you’re a registered business” that is conducting business in the City of San Jose, Sollazzi explained.  Certain other industries in San Jose—such as medical marijuana, massage parlors and card rooms—require additional permissions and are subject to further regulations specific to those businesses, Sollazzi added. These regulations are enforced by the city’s police or code enforcement departments.But personal training is not one of those industries, Sollazzi clarified. In order to acquire a business tax certificate, business owners like the Wolfsmiths must pay the city’s tax and provide essential personal and company information.“Personal training is not a regulatory environment at this time,” Sollazzi said.McInerny responded to the news of Wolfsmith’s possible new business, “We are doing everything in our power to protect the community and unwary customers/clients of (the defendant).”He added that if Wolfsmith had required a license to do business, the “licensing board” would likely consider the accusations against him. But because Wolfsmith doesn’t require a license to be a personal trainer, it falls on the DA’s office to ensure the safety of the community, McInerny said.Wolfsmith’s attorney Sam Polverino said he is unaware of any effort by Wolfsmith to open another business. He is only handling the criminal case against him, which he says is unfounded.“The investigation in this case was predetermined,” Polverino said. “This is not an objective investigation. It was subjective, and I think it was biased, and I am shocked this is the way they do things in Morgan Hill.”He added that the MHPD investigating detective tainted the case by telling victims or witnesses what other accusers had said during interviews. He said the detective “formulated an opinion (on Wolfsmith) within 48 hours” of the beginning of the investigation.If convicted as charged, Wolfsmith faces up to 40 years in prison, according to authorities.

For six matches, Sobrato found ways to win. Live Oak, meanwhile, found ways to keep going despite lack of numbers.

Candidates for elected city and school board positions squared off in recent days at two forums sponsored by local organizations.

One of the Morgan Hill City Council’s first major decisions after the Nov. 8 election could be how to go about replacing one of their colleagues who is likely to resign in early 2017.Councilman Gordon Siebert, who was first elected to the five-member body in 2010, has sold his home in the Jackson Oaks neighborhood. He and his wife Esther are planning to move to Nashville, Tenn., where they have family including a young grandson.Siebert said they expect to move out of state after the end of 2016, but they don’t have a specific, determined timeline. The couple has spent several weeks agonizing over their future plans, and at one point contemplated staying in the Bay Area after they move out of their Morgan Hill home. There is even a “slight chance” they could stay local, but “roughly in the last month” they have set their sights on Nashville.“The house has sold, but…we don’t know when it’s going to close,” Siebert said. “I’ve made arrangements to stay in town after that (before moving out of state) so that I can continue to serve” on the council until the relocation.Factoring in the Sieberts’ decision is Esther’s health, which has been complicated “for many years” by a chronic illness, Gordon Siebert said. She has “excellent” doctors in the Bay Area, and that’s why the couple considered moving up the Peninsula.“Her health is very important to me,” Siebert said.Siebert told his colleagues on the council over the last month or so that he was selling his home, where he and his family have lived for nine years, but his plans after that were undetermined.If Siebert resigns from the council, the remaining four councilmembers—including the mayor—will have 60 days to appoint a replacement or call a special election, according to Morgan Hill City Clerk Irma Torrez. If the council calls a special election, it “shall be held on the next regularly established election date not less than 114 days from the call of the special election,” the state government code reads.In either case, the new councilmember would serve the remainder of Siebert’s four-year term, which ends in 2018. At that point the seat would be subject to a regular election.A special, standalone election for a candidate to finish Siebert’s current term would cost the city about $351,000, Torrez said.The other councilmembers confirmed Siebert has told them in private that he has been planning to sell his home and is likely to move out of Morgan Hill. Three of these officials—Mayor Steve Tate, as well as Councilmembers Larry Carr and Marilyn Librers—are up for re-election Nov. 8 and might not be seated on the dais when it’s time to decide how to replace Siebert.Tate said with the timing of Siebert’s plans coming within the last month or so, there “was never any kind of possibility” the city could have added his seat to the ballot for the Nov. 8 election.“I think we’ve got to see what the results of this (Nov. 8) election are, and what the options are, formally, at the time he announces to the council and the city he is leaving,” Tate said.Joseph Carrillo and Kirk Bertolet are running against Tate in the Nov. 8 election. The elected mayor serves a two-year term.One possibility if the council decides to appoint a replacement without a popular vote of the citizens, suggested by Siebert, would be to appoint the candidate who finishes third in the Nov. 8 council election. The top two vote recipients will win the two available seats on the council in that race.The appointment process could also include a call for applications from interested candidates, who would then be interviewed in a future public council meeting. This is what the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees tried to do when former Trustee Amy Porter Jensen resigned from that board in November 2015. The remaining six trustees interviewed seven candidates, but couldn’t reach a majority decision on a finalist. They ended up ordering a special election in June 2016, which Tom Arnett won.The Santa Clara Valley Water District appointed John Varela to replace former Director Dennis Kennedy, who resigned from that board due to health complications in November 2015. The remaining board members interviewed five applicants before deciding on Varela, who is reaching the end of Kennedy’s former term with the Nov. 8 election. Varela is running against Tom Cruz in that race.“I would hate for the city to have to go to the expense of having a special election,” Siebert added.Morgan Hill resident John Mattes, who has been a supporter of Siebert’s in the past, said he doesn’t think it’s fair for the councilman to leave Morgan Hill halfway through his term. He said the voters should be allowed to elect his replacement.“Why is he going to wait less than two months (after the Nov. 8 election) and then resign?” Mattes wondered.Carr and Librers, the two incumbents up for re-election Nov. 8, agreed the council needs to get through the upcoming balloting before focusing on replacing Siebert when and if he announces his resignation.“If he leaves, it’s a huge loss to the council because he is a wealth of knowledge,” Librers said, pointing to Siebert’s former employment—decades ago—in Morgan Hill’s public works and finance departments.Carr said he supports the Siebert family’s efforts to stay happy and healthy, even if that takes the councilmember away from Morgan Hill. He added he doesn’t think there is a “dire need” for the council to decide how to replace Siebert yet, because he hasn’t formally announced or even settled on his potential resignation.Running against Carr and Librers in the Nov. 8 election are Mario Banuelos, Armando Benavides and Rene Spring.  Mayor Pro Temp Rich Constantine, who is not up for re-election until 2018, said Siebert told him at the Sept. 21 council meeting that he was “97 percent sure he is moving” out of Morgan Hill.“It’s hard to make plans when he’s not completely sure,” Constantine said. “I would hope he could finish out his term—that would be fair for everyone—but he also has to think about his family and do what’s best for him.”

Firefighters made substantial progress on the Loma fire west of Morgan Hill over the weekend, as the more than 4,400-acre blaze is now 81 percent contained and many residents formerly within the wildfire’s evacuation zone were allowed to return home.Total acreage burned in the fire that started Sept. 26 near Loma Prieta and Loma Chiquita roads is 4,474, according to an Oct. 3 CalFire press release.“Overnight, firefighters were able to reinforce existing fire lines,” CalFire reported. “Extremely drought stressed vegetation conditions still exist, however the potential for torching trees has decreased.”Fighting the fire has been complicated by the area’s steep, remote and, at times, inaccessible terrain in the Santa Cruz mountains. The first few days of firefighting efforts were further hampered by hot, dry temperatures, according to authorities.But as of late last week, cooler temperatures and higher humidity have worked in fire crews’ favor. Plus, with multiple firefighting agencies attacking the blaze, abundant resources have helped “mitigate” the threat of the Loma fire, according to CalFire Engineer Bryan Martin.“We’re working on mop-up, doing repair and setting up for erosion control,” Martin said. “It hasn’t grown for a couple of days, and we’re not expecting it to.”PG&E has entered the burned area to reset power lines and re-establish electricity to affected residents, Martin added.Crews are targeting 100 percent containment of the Loma fire by Saturday, Oct. 8.“Stumps and dead wood still have the potential to burn in these remote areas within the fire perimeter,” the Oct. 3 release continues.A total of 12 homes and 16 unspecified “outbuildings” have been destroyed by the fire, according to authorities. Although 81 structures remain threatened, that number is down from more than 300 last week.CalFire hosted an Oct. 1 community meeting on the Loma fire at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. Martin said this meeting was “well attended” by local residents and those displaced by the fire. CalFire officials offered information about the firefighting progress, resources for those who are affected and answered questions from the community.Evacuation orders previously in place on Croy Road and within the Sveadal Swedish community on the way up to Uvas Canyon County Park were lifted Oct. 1. Furthermore, evacuation orders were lifted for residents on Summit Road from Loma Prieta Road to Highway 152 in Santa Clara County, authorities said.These roads will remain closed to non-residents.Remaining under evacuation orders are properties on the Loma Prieta ridgeline, including all tributary roads along Summit Road east of Soquel San Jose Road to Ormsby Fire Station. This includes Loma Chiquita, Casa Loma, and Loma Prieta Way.Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church, 16970 DeWitt Ave., is serving as a Red Cross evacuation center for displaced residents.CalFire officials also cautioned residents about scammers asking for money to donate to the state firefighting agency, which is not allowed to solicit donations. These individuals are reportedly requesting cash for operations related to CalFire’s base camp at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Anyone contacted by these individuals should not donate to them.“CalFire cannot, is not and will not accept donations for the Loma fire incident,” reads a CalFire statement. “It is against the law for California state agencies to solicit or accept any donation for its own use.”

Like the biblical tale of their wandering, the local Jewish community searched for a permanent place to call home. Eight years ago they found it on Monterey Street in Morgan Hill.

Just five minutes past the Gilroy Outlets, up a white picket fenced drive, I arrived at the bucolic hillside winery called Sunlit Oaks. With sweeping 180-degree views of the valley below and raptors soaring above, I felt an instant peacefulness.Electrical engineer-turned winemaker John Grogan was there pouring a line-up of five, equally outstanding wines. All the grapes used in Sunlit Oaks’ wines are grown in Santa Clara Valley. The un-oaked 2012 Chardonnay ($22), with its toasted nut profile is one of the most interesting interpretations of this varietal that you’ll find—a refreshing change from more typical, fruity styles.Merlot lovers will enjoy the 2012 Merlot ($19), full of plummy fruit and soft tannins. Their gold medal winner, a 2012 Sangiovese ($28), is a cherries jubilee of a wine with plenty of tart red fruits that would be a heavenly match with a plate of spaghetti marinara. The third and final red tasting was Rita’s Red Reserve ($35) a bold blend with concentrated layers of black fruit and sturdy tannins.Sunlit Oaks’ 2012 Moscato ($22), an ever-so-slightly sweet wine, completed our tasting. The lovely lychee aroma is evident as soon as you bring the glass to your nose.Mini gourmet picnics are available for purchase and wine club members are free to pick and choose their favorite wines in the quarterly shipments.John, an attentive host, said, “I want people to feel relaxed and at home here. I encourage them to bring picnics, linger and enjoy the serenity of the views and the wine.”

The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce will host a forum for city council and mayoral candidates Monday, Oct. 3 at the Community Playhouse.

Sobrato remains perfect in Santa Teresa Division play—showing no signs of a let down from its dramatic five-set thriller against Pioneer—defeating Santa Teresa in straight sets Thursday night.