Saint Louise looks to re-survey voters on ER tax
Despite gleaning support from voters for a possible sales tax measure to build a new emergency room at Saint Louise Regional Hospital, CEO Joanne Allen said a more straightforward telephone survey is likely before taking the next steps to put it on the ballot.
City hall: ‘Let’s Move’ on park, nutrition
In an effort to promote active lifestyles and healthy eating
Police: Man uses stolen credit cards at Chevron gas station
Local police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who used stolen credit cards to fill up his black pickup truck Dec. 16 at a Chevron gas station, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department’s Facebook page
UPDATED: Settlement with Loyd victims goes before school board tonight
March 15 update: Attorneys for the three victims' families and MHUSD agreed to the $8.25 million settlement in Santa Clara County Superior Court March 15. Also as part of the settlement, MHUSD will implement predatory identification training for staff and curriculum for students.An $8.25-million settlement agreement between Morgan Hill Unified School District and the families of three victims of a former teacher who is now in prison for molesting children will go before the school board for formal approval in a closed session tonight.Attorney Robert Allard, who represents the families of children who were sexually assaulted by fifth grade teacher John Loyd, confirmed that MHUSD officials agreed to pay the families $8.25 million. The settlement will include other, non-monetary terms, but the full agreement requires the school board’s approval before it can be approved by a Superior Court judge.Allard’s spokesman, Ed Vasquez, previously confirmed the monetary part of the settlement March 11.Though MHUSD officials aren’t commenting on the agreement reached over this past weekend, Allard said the matter is “completely settled” as far as the victims’ families are concerned.The district has called for a special closed session meeting at 5 p.m March 14 to discuss the case. Under "Conference with legal counsel - existing litigation," the meeting agenda lists three cases "Jane Doe1," "Jane Doe2," and "Jane Doe3," all v. Morgan Hill Unified School District with corresponding case numbers.The young female victims and their families sued the district in 2015 for allowing Loyd, 55—the girls’ fifth grade teacher—to molest the children while they attended his class at Paradise Valley Elementary School on LaCrosse Drive. The complaint accused the district of turning a blind eye while Loyd violated state education laws and district policies that left him alone with the children in his classroom.In August 2015, Loyd pleaded guilty to four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with four of his fifth-grade female students, all of which occurred at the school. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.Non-monetary terms of the settlement could include to what extent the district will be required to implement new training programs for staff and students on how to identify a sexual predator.After the Times received numerous anonymous reports that a settlement had been reached outside court, Allard and Vasquez confirmed this training was part of the agreement March 11. However, they later walked back that statement because such a requirement depends on approval by the MHUSD board, Allard said Tuesday.MHUSD officials declined to comment on the settlement before Tuesday’s closed session board meeting."Both parties have an obligation under the gag order not to speak to the media," said MHUSD Communications Coordinator Kimberly Beare in an emailed response to The Times. "Until a settlement is reached, we will be abiding by that order."The 2015 complaint filed by three of the victims’ families alleges that Loyd created opportunities to be alone with the female fifth-grade students in the classroom, in violation of state education laws and school district policies. It also claims the district disregarded a series of complaints about the teacher’s conduct, which included a tendency by Loyd to “play favorites” with some of his female students.The claim also alleged that Loyd was directed by his supervisor to retain children in his classroom during lunch and recess periods, which is a violation of state education codes that mandate all students must be out of the classroom during these times.Loyd also reportedly covered his classroom windows with paper, obstructing any view inside and out.Loyd taught at MHUSD from 2000 until his arrest in 2014. He began teaching in the district at Nordstrom Elementary School, and was transferred to Paradise Valley on LaCrosse Drive in south Morgan Hill in 2008.The incidents to which he pleaded guilty took place on four separate occasions from late 2012 to October 2014, according to court documents.Allard disagreed with the school district’s position on the gag order, which he said “expired” as soon as the parties agreed to a settlement, leaving no jury to influence. He added that the school district is sticking to its position on the gag order “because they want to restrict the ability of my clients to speak freely.”Allard sent a statement to the Times Saturday, March 11, but later asked to hold off on publishing it because it addressed settlement conditions not yet approved by the MHUSD board. He said he “did not want to unduly influence the school district through the press. We wanted to give them the opportunity to do the right thing when it came down to finalizing the non-monetary terms.”The March 15 hearing in Santa Clara County Superior Court will begin at 10 a.m. All terms of the $8.25-million settlement will be disclosed at that hearing.
Election: PACs, unions load city campaign coffers
Statewide political action committees and unions are a growing presence on the campaign trail for local elected offices for the City of Morgan Hill, as the latest funding disclosure forms filed by those running for mayor and two council seats show.Candidates for the mayor’s seat and two city council positions filed their latest campaign finance disclosure forms in accordance with the California Fair Political Practices Commission guidelines, just before the Oct. 27 deadline.Two political action committees representing real estate interests in California have contributed a total of $3,000 to three candidates.The California Real Estate Political Action Committee (CREPAC) contributed $1,000 each to incumbent Mayor Steve Tate and incumbent Councilman Larry Carr, as well as $500 to council candidate Mario Banuelos.The California Apartment Association (CAA) has contributed $250 each to Carr and Tate’s campaigns, according to their latest FPPC forms, which are on file at the Morgan Hill City Clerk’s office.CREPAC, based in Los Angeles, represents the legislative aims of the California Association of Realtors by “managing and administering funds to support candidates for local, state and federal offices,” according to the association’s website, car.org.The CAA is “the largest statewide rental housing trade association in the country committed to protecting the interests of rental housing owners and managers,” reads the association’s website, caapac.org. The CAA’s political action committee makes contributions to candidates for public office “who are receptive to the concerns of rental property owners and managers statewide.”Unions representing firefighters, electrical workers, construction employees and other industries have chimed in as well, contributing thousands of dollars to various local candidates.The election is Nov.8. Running against Tate for mayor are Kirk Bertolet and Joseph Carrillo. Running for two seats on the council are Carr, incumbent Marilyn Librers, Banuelos, Armando Benavides and Rene Spring. The top two vote recipients in the council race will gain the two available seats.Carr has raised $3,000 since the September FPPC deadline, bringing the total fundraising for his 2016 candidacy to $8,844. Contributions to Carr’s campaign in the last month include $250 from the South County Democratic Club, $500 from the San Jose-based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 332 labor union and $500 from the Santa Clara County Construction Trades Council labor union.Carr also received $300 from developer Gordon Jacoby, who sold about 20 acres of property to the city in July 2015 for about $5.3 million. The agricultural property is located on the corner of Tennant Avenue and U.S. 101, and the city purchased it as a future site of baseball and softball fields.Librers’ late October campaign funding disclosures show that she has raised $6,523 in the last month, bringing her total for the year to about $13,867. Her contributors include the Sacramento-based Lincoln Club of Northern California PAC ($500), the CalFire Local 2881 union ($1,000), developer Monterey Dynasty LLC ($3,000), Firato Services ($500) and the E&H Family LP ($500).Monterey Dynasty is the developer of the Diamond Creek residential project on Monterey Road south of Vineyard Boulevard. Firato Services is a janitorial contractor that currently has a contract to clean city-owned facilities.The Lincoln Club PAC “recruits, mentors and supports local, state and federal candidates that strengthen fiscal and personal responsibility and free enterprise,” according to their website thelincolnclub.com.Banuelos reported another $945 in contributions since the Sept. 24 filing, bringing his total campaign funds collected this year to $4,199. Recent contributors include CREPAC ($500) and Morgan Hill Planning Commissioner John McKay.Spring, a city planning commissioner, remains in the fundraising lead among all city candidates, though most of the $36,281 funding his campaign since last year was contributed by him and his husband.Since the late September filing, Spring has raised $2,745 in campaign funds. Top contributors include the IBEW 332 Education Fund ($500), Laborers LO 279 PAC ($500), Santa Clara/Benito Building Trades union ($500) and the South County Democratic Club ($250).Bertolet reported three contributions to his campaign for mayor since September. These include a $300 contribution from Larry Breniman. Bertolet’s total campaign contributions come out to $5,925, mostly provided by himself, according to the FPPC filings.Tate’s latest campaign disclosures show he has raised just over $2,000 since the September filing, and a total of $12,320 for the year so far. Among his top contributors are CREPAC, Morgan Hill resident and longtime farmer George Chiala ($250), the CAA PAC and PG&E ($250).The mayor’s campaign expenditures indicate his support for candidates in other races, including John Varela for the Santa Clara Valley Water District director’s seat, and Mary Patterson for Morgan Hill Unified School District board of trustees. Tate’s campaign contributed $100 to each of those candidates.Candidates are required to file a “Form 497” whenever they receive a contribution totaling $1,000 or more within 90 days prior to the election, according to City Clerk Irma Torrez.Carrillo and Benavides are not required to file campaign finance disclosures or form a campaign committee because they do not expect to raise or spend more than $2,000 on their respective election efforts, Torrez said.
