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There should probably be a parade on Tuesday, April 19 in Gilroy. After all, it’s National Garlic Day and we are, of course, the Garlic Capital of the World.

Passover is a major Jewish spring festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The Jewish people observe the weeklong holiday by holding a festive meal called a seder, which means order in Hebrew. During the seder, people gather to read from a book called a Haggadah, or telling.

Suspected meat caper soughtPolice are seeking a man who allegedly stole about $700 worth of meat from a Morgan Hill Safeway grocery store. MHPD posted information about the incident, as well as photos of the suspected thief and his vehicle, on the department’s Facebook page April 12. “He didn’t even care that employees were taking pictures of him,” reads the MHPD post.MHPD: Driver of stolen mini-van arrested with gun in waistbandMHPD officers recovered a stolen mini-van and arrested its driver on suspicion of vehicle theft and “multiple warrants” in the area of Cochrane Road and Sutter Boulevard about 3 p.m. April 12, according to authorities. The driver was also armed with a handgun in his pants waistband. The mini-van was reported stolen out of Dublin, and the driver’s warrants were out of Oakland, reads a post on the MHPD Facebook page. Several MHPD patrol vehicles responded to the traffic stop.

David Wolfsmith, a Morgan Hill gym owner accused of sexually assaulting five female victims, is out of custody on $100,000 bail following his April 11 arrest, according to authorities.Wolfsmith faces 10 charges related to five female victims, and up to 40 years in prison if convicted on all counts, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Tim McInerny. Wolfsmith, the 49-year-old owner of Wolfpak Training Center in downtown Morgan Hill, is charged with eight felony counts of sexual battery by fraud, one felony count of lewd and lascivious act on a child younger than 14 and a misdemeanor count of annoying or molesting a child.His first court date has not yet been scheduled, McInerny said.Morgan Hill police arrested Wolfsmith, 49, at Wolfpak Training Center, 17300 Monterey Road, after a “lengthy investigation,” according to MHPD Sgt. Carson Thomas.“The initial victim came forward in February to report she was assaulted by Wolfsmith,” Thomas said in an email to the Times. Since then, police have identified a total of five alleged victims, including two minors.He was arrested about 4:15 p.m. April 11, according to police.Wolfsmith and his wife Julie Wolfsmith are the listed business owners of Wolfpak Training Center, located at Suite 120 at 17300 Monterey Road, according to Morgan Hill Accounting Assistant Angela Rivera. Julie Wolfsmith is also the owner of Dezign Salon, located downstairs from Wolfpak in the same building.A sign outside the front door leading upstairs to the Wolfpak center displays only the business’ logo which includes the name “Wolfpak” and no additional description of the facility.There is also a construction firm upstairs in the same building, but that company is not owned by or licensed to the Wolfsmiths.The website wolfpak.biz identifies Wolfsmith as the former head coach of the Ann Sobrato High School cross country team as well as track coach, personal trainer, triathlete and “coach extraordinaire.”“The Wolfpak is an organization promoting better health and fitness through the sports of Running and Triathlon,” the website says. Members are age 12 to 60-plus. Members train not only at the downtown gym, but also at local high schools, lakes and in the ocean.“We offer camaraderie with an emphasis on doing our VERY best,” the website continues. “We have a very close knit group who supports and helps each other as needs arise.”Wolfpak members also compete in area triathlons, according to the website. The team is run by David and Julie Wolfsmith.The MHPD investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident, or who thinks they might be a victim, can call MHPD Det. Pevehouse at (669) 243-4914.

City officials will take a closer look at how to make pedestrians more visible while traversing key downtown Morgan Hill crosswalks, which have been criticized as too dark in the evenings and not marked clearly enough for motorists.These crosswalk measures—focusing on Monterey Road—could include overhead lights or reflective hand-held flags that walkers could carry while crossing. However, city staff suggest avoiding the use of permanent speed bumps or flashing beacons that could be obtrusive to downtown patrons and the overall “ambiance” that the city is trying to create, according to discussion at the April 6 Morgan Hill City Council meeting.Councilmembers directed staff to proceed with a list of downtown traffic safety improvements approved by the five-member body in September 2015, and add some form of crosswalk delineators on Monterey Road to the effort.The council requested an update to the ongoing “traffic calming” efforts after a vehicle hit two pedestrians in the crosswalk at Monterey Road and Third Street in a March 12 accident.Despite that accident, in which police say one of the pedestrians was cited for public drunkenness, MHPD Capt. Shane Palsgrove said at the April 6 meeting, “We consider downtown a very safe area.”The motorist in the March 12 collision was cited for a traffic violation. Palsgrove said that was the only traffic accident downtown so far this year, and there were a total of six collisions in 2015. Much of downtown was under construction in 2015, limiting Monterey Road traffic to single lanes at times.Police have recently conducted speed surveys on Monterey Road and deployed the city’s radar trailer—an educational effort to let motorists know how fast they are driving. During a week in late March, the speed survey found that about 97 percent of motorists on Monterey Road travel slower than 31 mph, Palsgrove said. The speed limit on Monterey Road downtown is 25 mph.Historically, most downtown accidents are the result of traffic violations, including illegal turning movements and running red lights, Palsgrove added.“We can account for most variables, but we cannot control for the human element,” Palsgrove said.Four lanes a ‘long walk’Regardless of what the numbers show, councilmembers and the public agree that certain downtown crosswalks could use some additional lighting or other enhancements to make pedestrians more visible, especially at Third Street.Morgan Hill resident Chris Monack told the council April 6 he recently spent a few hours sitting still in the area of Monterey Road and Third Street, watching the interaction between pedestrians and vehicles. “The city needs to do something that identifies the crossing for pedestrians,” he determined.City Councilmember Larry Carr said the need for better pedestrian safety stems from the council’s decision last summer to keep Monterey Road in its current four-lane configuration, after a “road diet” experiment failed to win over the public and downtown businesses.“Pedestrian safety and traffic calming are a big part of the downtown,” which is likely to become even busier in the coming years with new parks and restaurants under development. While Carr noted that all the downtown crosswalks that are not protected by traffic signals could benefit from more safety measures, “the particular focus is Third Street.”“That is going to continue to be a more popular place to cross the street...We set the direction that Monterey Road is going to continue to be two lanes (each way), and it’s a good long walk from one side to the other.”Can the downtown vibe and pedestrian safety coexist?Those in charge hope they can create a downtown vibe that is friendly to visitors (notably restaurant patrons) without sacrificing traffic safety.Some efforts to do that were approved by the council in September 2015, including a traffic signal at the intersection of Monterey Road and Fourth Street. Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez said that measure will be a “big win” for slowing down traffic. The traffic signal, which is intended to accommodate vehicles exiting and entering the parking structure on Fourth Street, is expected to be installed by April 2017 at an estimated cost of $350,000.City staff and the council are leaning away from flashing lights at crosswalks because it doesn’t fit in with the preferred downtown atmosphere. The same argument goes for permanent speed bumps, which create noise and exhaust fumes, and are “not the best treatment for a dining district that has active outdoor dining,” Ramirez said. This is one reason why permanent speed bumps were removed from the Third Street area in 2015, when the road diet began.Morgan Hill resident Kathy Sullivan told the council, “Flashing beacons can be visual pollution, which will shine in the faces of our restaurant patrons.”Ramirez added, “Short of having traffic signals at every intersection, I don’t know what we can do to provide absolute pedestrian safety. There are a number of measures we are exploring.”City staff have also noted that the speed limit cannot be arbitrarily lowered if the city wants to be able to crack down on speeders. By state law, enforceable speed limits must be based on approved surveys that demonstrate how fast motorists typically drive on the surveyed roadway.Speed bumps currently in place on Monterey Road at the Fourth Street intersection are temporary. They were installed in order to get motorists used to the coming traffic signal, and to handle the extra traffic that will be generated by the new parking garage when it opens later this spring.Other traffic safety improvements approved by the council in September 2015, either already completed or in development, include adding green bicycle markings in the roadway imploring motorists to share the road; narrowing vehicle lanes from 10.5 to 10 feet in width; slurry sealing the street for new directional stripes; movable pedestrian signs installed at key crosswalks; more bike parking; and lighting in Monterey Road street trees.The total cost of these efforts—including the Fourth Street traffic light—is about $600,000.

Petty theftSomeone stole a wallet from a customer’s purse while she was shopping at Goodwill, 17630 Monterey Road. The crime was reported 5:05 p.m. April 5.A thief or thieves stole a television from a vacant room at Executive Inn & Suites, 16505 Condit Road. The theft was reported 8:53 a.m. April 3.FraudSomeone opened AT&T and Sprint accounts in the victim’s name in February. The crime was reported 9:48 a.m. April 6.Oversized vehicle parkingTwo recreational vehicles were reportedly parked on the side of the road on Diana Avenue for eight days without being moved. A witness told police the vehicles have been tagged in the past but the drivers only move them back and forth up the street. The crime was reported 8 p.m. April 4.Narcotics complaintA man who was “tweaking real bad” was challenging customers as they walked into the ampm convenience store, 18605 Monterey Road. The incident was reported 7:21 a.m. April 2.VandalismSomeone used a rock to break the driver’s side window of a gray Dodge Charger on the 17700 block of Park Way. Nothing was taken from the vehicle. The crime was reported 10:16 a.m. April 2.Recovered stolen vehicleA purple Honda Civic reported stolen out of San Jose was recovered on the 16500 block of Church Street in Morgan Hill. The incident was reported 11:30 a.m. April 2.DisturbanceSomeone reported teenagers were skating inside the downtown parking structure, 50 East Third Street. The garage is not yet open to the public. The incident was reported 1:37 p.m. April 2.A resident of La Jolla Court reported that a neighbor’s realtor has been flying a drone over their backyard. The incident was reported 3:59 p.m. March 28.Stolen vehicleA thief or thieves tried to steal a Chevrolet S10 pickup from the 16700 block of Del Monte Avenue. The owner approached the vehicle and found its passenger door unlocked and the ignition damaged. The incident was reported 2:38 p.m. April 3.Someone stole a blue Honda Civic hybrid from the 100 block of West Edmundson Avenue. The crime was reported 9:06 p.m. March 28.Auto burglarySomeone broke into a Ford Expedition and stole registration and insurance paperwork. The crime was reported about 1 a.m. April 4.AccidentA silver Honda Odyssey and a beige Ford Fusion were involved in an accident at a car wash located on the 15800 block of Monterey Road. The driver of the Odyssey allegedly refused to exchange information. No injuries were reported. The incident was reported 1:02 p.m. March 27.Municipal code violationA resident of Romal Court reported that a neighbor had 14 inoperable older Mercedes vehicles parked in their driveway and on the street, in violation of Morgan Hill municipal code. The violation was reported 3 p.m. March 24.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

Despite PJ Rochon’s three-hit day, Live Oak fell 5-2 to Lincoln in San Jose on Wednesday.

After returning home from his annual vacation to Arizona for San Francisco Giants’ training camp, Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate announced April 4 he will run for re-election.If Tate is successful at the polls Nov. 8, he will be starting his sixth consecutive term as mayor.“At our annual goal-setting retreat in late January, the Morgan Hill Council team, supported by our phenomenal staff, came up with a list of 44 significant projects for us to pursue this year,” Tate said in a written announcement. “I realized that at least 13 of these are not things we can accomplish in just a year’s time, but will require intense, long-term commitment to achieve the desired results, which...will make Morgan Hill even better than it is now (which is) always our goal.”Among the upcoming projects that Tate wants to continue to remain involved in are the ongoing Morgan Hill General Plan update; an update of the Residential Development Control System which is slated to go to the voters Nov. 8; creating an Economic Development Blueprint for the city; and how to enhance recreation opportunities and preserve farmland in the Southeast Quadrant, despite a county commission’s recent rejection of the city’s latest plan.Other high priorities for Tate include implementing the Community Choice Energy cooperative; the hiring of a new city attorney; and continued discussions with the California High Speed Rail Authority will remain important in the coming years, as that project has “reared its head” again, Tate said.Tate, 72, added that because of the length of time he has already served, he “really had to justify” running for a sixth term.“I am not a proponent of term limits and am very happy that we do not have them, but it does require that officeholders like myself know when they can no longer effectively serve and should call it quits,” Tate’s announcement continued.Tate was elected to his first term as mayor in 2006. Before that, he served on the city’s planning commission and as a councilmember. He is retired from a career at IBM.Other city offices to appear on the Nov. 8 local ballot are the city council seats currently occupied by Larry Carr and Marilyn Librers. Neither councilmember has formally announced whether they will seek re-election.Tate’s announcement added, “Today’s council works very well together and that really makes it a pleasure to be part of it.”

The death of 14-year-old Tara Romero in a drive-by shooting in Morgan Hill was the tragic result of “two very separate worlds colliding,” Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Miguel Valdovinos said in closing arguments for the trial of two of the teen’s alleged killers April 5.“Tara Romero (and her friends) had celebration in mind. On the other hand, you had five Surenos who had retaliation in mind,” Valdovinos told the jury in the San Jose Hall of Justice courtroom. “The (suspects’) plan was to go look for Nortenos and shoot Nortenos, and they were armed for that purpose. They opened fire and gunned them down,” he added, referring to the group of teens who had been out celebrating a birthday that evening.The victims were not gang affiliated, and the suspects mistakenly targeted them to settle an ongoing feud between the Sureno suspects and nearby Nortenos that escalated to vandalism, threats and beyond, according to authorities.The trial for Primitivo Hernandez, 27 of Gilroy, and Fernando Mateo Lopez, 24 of Gilroy, has been under way since March 3. They, along with three other suspects, are accused of killing Romero and wounding three of her friends in a gang-related drive-by shooting Nov. 4, 2011 at the intersection of Cosmo and Del Monte avenues. All five suspects have been in custody since their arrest by Morgan Hill police hours after the shooting.After the closing arguments by Valdovinos and defense attorneys, the jury will determine the fate of Hernandez and Lopez.Valdovinos summarized the testimonies of more than a dozen witnesses and hundreds of exhibits presented during the trial: the discovery of the SKS “killing rifle” in one of the suspects’ homes; ballistics analysis of the gun and casings found at the scene of the drive-by; gunshot residue found on all five suspects’ hands; text messages among at least three of the suspects that suggest a planned “conspiracy” to shoot Nortenos that night; and the statements of suspect Ricardo Diaz, who took the stand and testified against the defendants during the recent trial.The prosecutor also reminded the jury of a handwritten note allegedly produced by Lopez and found by police during the investigation. “I’m a crazy dude, my blue handkerchief hanging, always walking with my gun…present for my hood, Surenos killing Nortenos,” the note read.“That’s the gang culture,” Valdovinos said in his quest to convince the jury that the suspects’ criminal street gang affiliations motivated them to go out searching for rival gang members to shoot.Before the closing arguments began April 5, Superior Court Judge Linda Clark read a lengthy list of instructions to the jury. These instructions included the charges they were to consider for Hernandez and Lopez: one count of murder, five counts of attempted murder and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling house.Each of these charges carries “special circumstances” or “special allegations”—such as gang affiliations and shooting from a moving vehicle—that could add more weight to the accusations if the jury accepts them.The attempted murder charges are related not only to three friends of Romero’s who were wounded by the same gunfire that killed the Sobrato High School freshman. They also include two teens standing with the other victims at the time of the shooting but “luckily” ran away and did not get hit, Valdovinos told the jury.Four of these victims—who had been out with Romero that evening and were her classmates—testified during the trial.State’s case based on ‘theories’Defense attorney Nicole Lambros, representing Hernandez, suggested that her client was wholly uninvolved in and unaware of the decision to shoot Nortenos or anyone else the evening of Nov. 4, 2011, even if he was a passenger in the suspects’ vehicle before and during the incident. She added that even if he has been affiliated in the Sureno street gang, that also does not necessarily implicate him in the shooting that killed Romero.“This case is not about theories or speculation…It’s about the facts and the evidence,” Lambros said.She picked apart the testimony and previous statements of Diaz, a key component of the state’s case against Hernandez and Lopez. She said Diaz’ statements to police and his testimony were inconsistent as to the five suspects’ motives. Lambrose pointed to one of his early statements in which he said the shooting “was about my windows,” and not about an organized gang retaliation.In the weeks leading up to the fatal shooting, the police investigation found that some nearby Norteno suspects had broken windows on vehicles belonging to the suspects and the home of another suspect, Esmeling Bahena, who will face trial for the same charges after the current proceedings.“Something about (Diaz’ testimony) causes you to doubt that Mr. Hernandez committed this crime,” Lambrose told the jury.Before the closing arguments, the judge cautioned the jury that by law they cannot convict the suspects on the Diaz’ testimony alone because he is an accomplice. His statement can only be considered in a conviction of the others if it is supported by additional evidence.Valdovinos added that while none of the evidence says which of the five suspects pulled the trigger, they are all guilty of murder and the other charges as “aiders and abettors.” Furthermore, Diaz’ testimony is reliable to some extent, partly because he pleaded guilty to the same charges and agreed to a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.“We all get to go home. Mr. Diaz doesn’t get to go home; he goes to prison with a ‘snitch’ jacket,” Valdovinos said.James Blackman, attorney for Lopez, was scheduled to deliver his closing arguments April 6, but the Times was unable to attend. After his statement, Valdovinos gets a chance to rebut both defense attorneys, and then the case goes to the jury.Valdovinos concluded April 5, “There are no winners in this case; the damage has been done…The only thing I ask (of the jury) is to do the right thing and hold them accountable.”