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Live Oak’s athletic department received a jolt as two long-time Acorns decided to step down from their respective positions touching off a fire storm on social media this past week.

Dear Red Phone,What’s all the roadwork going on in the shoulder and on the sidewalks of Monterey Road just south of Dunne Avenue?Red Phone response:That work is related to the long-awaited Monterey Road utility undergrounding project, funded by the City of Morgan Hill and PG&E. The city council approved a contract with Northern Underground Construction in July 2014 at a cost of about $1.3 million. In June 2016, the council amended the contract with a change order that reduced the size of the project and brought the cost down to about $1.13 million, according to city staff.The city is footing about $417,000 of that cost, with utility provider PG&E funding the remaining $709,000 cost of the Northern Underground contract. Specifically, the city is responsible for relocating water and sewer lines in the way of the project, and installing new streetlights, reads a June 1 city staff report.PG&E will fund additional work and costs related to the replacement of overhead electrical wires and transformers underground within the right-of-way for Monterey Road, the staff report added.The purpose of the project is to place all overhead utility service facilities—including electrical, Verizon and Charter wires—into underground conduits and vaults on Monterey Road from Dunne to about 500 feet south of Spring Avenue, Morgan Hill Public Works Director Karl Bjarke explained.“Since much of the contractor’s work is in the shoulder and sidewalk areas, (the city is) rebuilding the curb, gutter, sidewalk and asphalt portions of the roadway south of Dunne (Avenue),” Bjarke said. “Once the old PG&E poles are removed, there will be new LED streetlights placed along the roadway.”The project has been in the early planning stages for several years, delayed by complicated negotiations among the city, PG&E and other utility service providers involved.“Due to significant contract disagreements between PG&E and the other utility companies with wires on the poles (Verizon & Charter) and due to continually rising PG&E costs to perform necessary work, the city has struggled to get the project completed,” reads the June 1 staff report. “However, city staff and PG&E representatives have now agreed on a plan for completing the work in 2016.”The project is mostly funded through PG&E’s “Project 20A” program, which sets aside a portion of proceeds from local rate payers in an account designated for capital improvements in Morgan Hill, the staff report added. The city’s Project 20A account currently collects about $78,000 per year, and had about $2.3 million at the end of April 2015.PG&E’s “inflexibility” in approving 20A projects has resulted in further delays, according to city staff.The original proposed scope of the work would have placed the utilities underground all the way south to Cosmo Avenue. However, PG&E proclaimed an urgency to spend the Project 20A funds before the end of 2016 because their availability after that is uncertain. That forced the city and utilities to begin the work this summer, without enough funds for the original size of the project.

The Bay Area’s own rock opera has returned to its roots for a grand welcoming. Born of Green Day’s 2004 Grammy-winning prize for Best Rock Album, American Idiot premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theater in 2009, after lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong collaborated on the book with Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer. They added a few songs from other Green Day albums, a few lines of dialogue, and were off and running. Since then, American Idiot has travelled to Broadway, the smoky basements of British pubs, and currently is back in the Bay Area where it’s playing to sold out crowds—this time at City Lights Theater Company in San Jose. The production, directed by Jeffrey Bracco, was originally scheduled to close Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016, but has been extended for five more performances. American Idiot tells the story of three young men who struggle to find themselves in the suburbs during the darkness the brand new millennium, each turning in a different direction. Under the musical direction of Samuel Cisneros, all the leads—particularly the trio of friends at the heart of the story, Johnny (Joey Pisacane), Tunny (Andrew Erwin), and Will (Tarif Pappu)—roll out superb vocal performances. The entire cast bring Green Day’s familiar songs to life in a way that’s familiar, while still adding something fresh. In particular, “21 Guns” and “St. Jimmy” contain superb solos and powerful moments by the company. Together, scenic designer and production manager, Ron Gasparinetti, and lighting and projections designer, Nick Kumamoto, worked numerous functioning television screens into the set to create a sense of the time period. In other scenes, faded backdrops project to effectively create mood or demonstrate place or time period without distraction. The minimalist, multi-level set accommodates this 21 person cast on City Lights' relatively small stage. The actors make good use of the rolling set pieces, which help provide for seamless transitions and some of the production’s more inventive choreography. Onstage, the set incorporates a guitar, bass, and keyboard player, while another guitar and drums are hidden from view. Johnny and Will also play their own guitars during the show, adding another layer of intimacy to this 100-person venue where neither the music, the images, nor the characters ever want to let you go. Don't miss the last days of this performance. Aug. 24-27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. Contact (408) 295-4200 or cltc.org for ticket information. City Lights Theater Company is located at 529 S. Second St, in San Jose’s SoFA arts district.

In a small, converted 1930s house on Main Street in Morgan Hill, with just enough room for a few tables inside and an outdoor patio for al fresco dining, locals wait to be seated at Sicilia in Bocca. Once seated, I am greeted with a basket of sliced, crusty bread and complimentary bruschetta—fresh tomato, basil and garlic, gently tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper on a crisp ciabatta—a perfect start to a real Italian dinner.

Like dominoes placed long ago in a haphazard, yet still kinetic array, the walls of one of downtown Morgan Hill’s longtime favorite shopping centers came crashing down this week.The demolition of Depot Center, colloquially known as the BookSmart center, is scheduled to be complete this week, according to city officials. The razing of the building that used to house more than a dozen commercial tenants will make way for a new residential/commercial project to be developed by new property owner City Ventures.“They had to remove some asbestos” before knocking down the structure on Depot Street between Second and Third streets, Assistant City Manager Leslie Little said. “Their plans are completely approved. They can move right into construction.”The new project, known as Depot Station, will have up to 29 townhomes and four commercial units ranging in size from 516 to about 3,000 square feet, but the details are subject to change as construction gets closer, according to City Ventures Marketing Manager Petrise Switzer.Current plans call for two-car private garage for 26 of the residences, and three one-car garages for the rest, Switzer added. The project will also deploy environmentally-friendly amenities, an aspect of residential construction that City Ventures prides itself on.“The homes at Solera Ranch are solar,” Switzer said, referring to the single-family home City Ventures under way near the intersection of Monterey and Old Monterey roads in north Morgan Hill. She didn’t know yet if the new homes downtown would use solar power, but added, “We are a green builder.”About a block and a half away, on Monterey Road, hospitality entrepreneur Frank Leal and his crew are in the process of “deconstruction” of the Downtown Mall, which will make way for the new Granada Hotel. Little said the Downtown Mall is “being gutted from the inside out,” as Leal strives to reuse many of the materials—such as lumber and decorative supplies—from the existing structure in his new project.“Environmentally, that’s the smart thing to do,” Little said.The four-story Granada Hotel will house up to 60 rooms, conference space, a swimming pool and spa. The ground floor will contain a steakhouse and market hall, flower shop, and lobby with a wine bar.Next door at the Granada Theater, Leal’s renovation project will transform the former movie house into a multi-purpose event center. Community Solutions’ annual Black, White & Bling fundraiser is scheduled there for Dec. 10, shortly after the expected completion of construction.These projects and others are part of the city’s longtime plan—first set into motion by the now defunct Redevelopment Agency—to revitalize the downtown neighborhood. Completed projects that work toward that end are the new four-story parking garage and various street and public infrastructure upgrades throughout the downtown.Demolition is complete and grading is underway at the former Simple Beverages property at Third Street and Monterey Road. Developers Ken Rodrigues and Don Imwalle will build four new restaurants owned by The Opa! Group on the site by next summer.The former Royal Clothier building at Second Street and Monterey Road—now owned by developer Lone Star—will soon see exterior renovations, Little added. Royal Clothier men’s clothing store has moved across the street on Monterey Road, and Tryst boutique is getting ready to move out to a new location downtown.The city sold these sites—as well as the Granada Theater, Downtown Mall and Depot Center properties—to their current owners last year for fractions of the cost that the RDA paid for them in 2008 and 2009.Most of the former tenants of the properties have found new locations to make way for the new development, though most were unable to remain downtown.Furthermore, the 4,000-square-foot retail shell on the ground floor of the Third Street side is “fully leased,” Little added. Orange Theory Fitness, a private gym, and Coffee Guys coffee shop will move into those spaces after tenant improvements are complete.The design process for three new downtown parks is also moving along, Little said. One of the parks will be located on Second Street, one on the top of the hill at Third Street and Del Monte Avenue where a city water tank is, and other other in the Caltrain parking lot on Depot Street.All of the projects are expected to be complete within the next 18 months, according to the developers and city staff.When the downtown revitalization is complete, the city will have spent $25 million of former RDA funds on the public infrastructure improvements, parks and assistance to the private developers.

It’s back to school time and you know what that means. Yes, it’s time to drop off the kids at school and do the happy dance. For the next several months, your mornings will be spent in the drop off line—a genuinely happy place.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but with wine, it’s a different story. We often purchase a bottle of wine based on a colorful, eye-catching label. But reading what the label says will improve your chances of actually liking the wine inside. Here are 10 tips for better understanding what’s in the bottle. The largest words on a wine label are usually the name of the winery or company that made the wine.If the label lists the name of the varietal, it means there is at least 75 percent of that varietal in the bottle—the remaining 25 percent can be one or more different grapes. If you don’t see the name of a varietal, it means that the wine is a blend.Labels will tell you where the grapes are grown. If you see Santa Clara Valley, you know right away that the grapes are premium. Riper styled wines typically come from Lodi or Paso Robles where the growing season is quite warm. Monterey wines usually produce cooler climate grapes such as pinot noir and chardonnays, which tend to be a little crisp and drier.Next look for a vintage date—the date the grapes were picked. NV means non-vintage—the grapes used were from more than one year.Some wine labels use the word “reserve” for a wine has been aged a bit longer than usual or to connote a wine that is extra special.I like to see “estate” on the label—letting me know that the grapes were grown on the wineries’ property—giving the winery a lot of control over how the grapes were grown and nurtured.Most wines are somewhere between 12 to 18 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). Usually, the higher the alcohol, the bolder and richer the wine will taste.Don’t miss the back label where winemakers tell the world why their wine is so awesome. The Medeiros Family Wine label shown here says, “From vine to bottle. Our reputation is in every glass.”I also like to see “produced and bottled by” which again means that the winery held control over how the wine was fermented, aged and finished. If the label only says “bottled by” it means that someone else made the wine.Sulfites are naturally occurring in most wines. Dry red wines usually contain around 50 parts per million (ppm), which is quite low when compared to other foods. As a reference, french fries contain up to 1,850 ppm. Finally, while some wine labels are informational only, others will surprise you with a little trivia. For instance, the label on the back of Kirigin Cellars Malvasia Bianca says that it was Mrs. Kirigin’s favorite wine. Others may tell you about their location, like Sunlit Oaks Winery: “Our terrain is reminiscent of Tuscan hillsides with 180-degree views from San Martin to San Juan Bautista.”If you need a chuckle, Satori Cellars Estate Za-Zin’s label suggests that you “sit cross-legged, a glass of Zin in your left hand and a slice of Za in your right.”

Identity theftSomeone used the victim’s social security number to fraudulently open phone accounts in the victim’s name. The crime was reported 3:56 p.m. Aug. 11.Stolen vehicleA thief or thieves stole a silver 1997 Honda Civic from a residential parking spot on the 200 block of East Dunne Avenue.  The crime was reported 8 a.m. Aug. 12.Someone stole a white HaUlmark trailer that was parked at Pinnacle Manufacturing, 17680 Butterfield Blvd. The crime was reported 10:38 a.m. Aug. 12.A white 1993 Honda Civic was stolen from a parking spot on La Honda Court. The crime was reported 8:20 a.m. Aug. 14.Someone stole a white 2005 Chevrolet Impala from the 16800 block of Barnell Avenue. The crime was reported 6:33 p.m. Aug. 18.A thief or thieves stole a white 2003 GMC pickup from the 18500 block of Butterfield Boulevard. The crime was reported 8:53 a.m. Aug. 18.Petty theftA homeless man stole two bottles of Grey Goose vodka from Trader Joe’s, 17035 Laurel Road. The suspect was detained and cited on suspicion of petty theft. The crime was reported 10:49 a.m. Aug. 13.Someone stole about $300 worth of meat from Safeway grocery store, 840 E. Dunne Ave. The crime was reported 3:40 p.m. Aug. 14.A customer at Dollar Tree, 16975 Monterey Road, ate five grocery items from the store and refused to pay for them. The crime was reported 4:07 p.m. Aug. 19.Three men and a woman stole an air mattress and other items—worth a total of $548—from Target, 1061 Cochrane Road. The suspects were associated with a silver Honda Civic.BurglaryA thief or thieves broke into a new home on the 1700 block of Ventura Drive and stole speakers. The suspect or suspects gained entry by popping open a rear window. The residents of the home were just starting to move in. The crime was reported 4:29 p.m. Aug. 13.A woman in her 20s walked into Target, 1061 Cochrane Road, and stole about $875 worth of electronics items. The suspect reportedly entered the front door of the store during business hours and walked back to the electronics section. The woman loaded two fire alarms and two security cameras into her cart and ran out of the store, to a white Honda Accord. The crime was reported 5:35 p.m. Aug. 17.Auto burglaryA thief or thieves broke into a silver Honda Civic parked on LaCrosse Drive and stole a stereo. The crime was reported 2:16 p.m. Aug. 14.Two suspects cut the lock of a Ford F350 work truck and stole tools. The crime was reported 3:14 a.m. Aug. 19 on the 16900 block of Del Monte Avenue.Someone broke into a Toyota Highlander on Lotus Way and stole a purse. The crime was reported 6:38 p.m. Aug. 17.A thief or thieves broke into a Toyota Tacoma on the 16400 block of Del Monte Avenue, and stole a key that belonged to another vehicle. The crime was reported 9:14 a.m. Aug. 18.Hit and runA driver of a red Chevrolet pickup truck collided with a gray PT Cruiser in the area of Fisher Avenue and Butterfield Boulevard, and left the scene without exchanging information. Police tracked the red pickup to a residence in Gilroy. Property damage but no injuries were reported in the accident. The incident was reported 5:20 p.m. Aug. 17.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

Computers, the internet and social media have all had an enormous impact on the way our wineries do business.