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Morgan Hill
January 27, 2026

Lexi Pino proves she can mix it up with the boys

Meeting Lexi Pino on the street, you’d peg her for a typical teenage girl. She’s bubbly with a good sense of humor and a smile that goes ear to ear.

Morgan Hill Library to open Mondays starting Jan. 6

Starting in January, the Morgan Hill Library will be open every Monday for the first time in several years, according to the County librarian. Due to heavy demand from residents, the library will be open six days a week, starting Jan. 6, 2014, according to Santa Clara County Librarian Nancy Howe. The library will remain closed on Sundays. Another notable change to the Morgan Hill library’s schedule is the facility will open later on Wednesdays starting Jan. 6, Howe said. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the library’s hours will be 1 to 9 p.m., with lobby or “self service” hours starting at 12 p.m.Currently the library is closed on Mondays. The library will be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting in January, Howe said.The new schedule increases the total weekly library hours by two, and is based on use data collected from library patrons, Howe explained. “It’s a balance. What we’re trying to do is have the library meet the needs of a cross section of people,” Howe said. “We analyze how busy we are.” Mondays are typically busy days at other libraries that are open that day, she added. Morgan Hill Community Librarian Peggy Tomasso added, “There was a survey of residents a couple of years ago about what days and hours they would like to see the library open. Monday was overwhelmingly the day that the community wanted the library open. Evening hours are popular for students and community members who work during the day.” The new and extended hours are possible due to extra revenue from the redistributed property tax income from the Redevelopment Agency, which closed in 2012, Howe said. The state shut down the agencies statewide in an effort to direct their assets and income to more basic services offered by school districts, the library district, cities and counties. In Morgan Hill, the RDA received about $22 million annually in property tax revenues, a portion of which is still used to pay off some of the RDA’s outstanding debts and obligations. “If this works, and redevelopment continues to flow in, we’ll try to increase these hours,” Howe said. The Morgan Hill library is located at 660 West Main Avenue. Starting Jan. 6, 2014, the Morgan Hill library’s hours will be:-Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, 1 to 9 p.m. (with unstaffed “self service” lobby hours starting at 12 p.m.)-Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.-Sunday, closed

Police briefs: Burglaries, candy theft reported

Morgan Hill police responded to numerous incidents during the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, including the following.Cash stolen in alleged burglarySomeone broke into The Little Gym on Vineyard Boulevard last Monday and stole about $200 in cash from the register, according to police reports. The thief or thieves broke a glass window to gain entry to the business. The crime was reported about 4 p.m. Nov. 25. Break-in reported at substance abuse treatment facilityA thief or thieves broke into a substance abuse treatment center and stole a pair of shoes and $108 in cash, police said. The crime was reported about 9:30 p.m. last Monday at Advent Group Ministries, 865 Black Walnut Court. Ford Fusion stolen, recoveredSomeone stole a gray four-door 2010 Ford Fusion from a parking spot on Wright Avenue, according to police reports. The car was parked on the 100 block of Wright Avenue when it disappeared, and was later found in an unincorporated area of Gilroy. The crime was reported about 6 a.m. Tuesday. Candy theft reported at dollar storeTwo juveniles stole about $10 worth of candy from Dollar Tree, 16975 Monterey Road Wednesday, according to police reports. The two suspects fled the store on scooters. They were described as 13 or 14 years old, and were wearing light gray hooded jackets at the time of the theft, which was reported about 3:15 p.m. Nov. 27.  

Compassionate Friends help parents cope with loss

DEAR ABBY: My little girl was born with a heart defect. She made it through the first heart surgery, but passed away a week later right in front of me while the doctors and nurses tried to save her.

Doting granddad overspends with his time and money

DEAR ABBY: I am ready to explode. My father-in-law dotes on my 16-year-old daughter, who is his only grandchild. The biggest issue, aside from his overspending, is that he takes her to and from school every day and then expects to stay and visit.

Four-hour commute is iffy investment in relationship

DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing my boyfriend, "Casey," for a year. He has said throughout our courtship that we could get married in four to five years.

Morgan Hill to decorate downtown with Saturday parklet event

Downtown Morgan Hill will celebrate Small Business Saturday and the beginning of the holiday season with festive “street scenes” in front of Monterey Road businesses. The one-day parklet project will allow businesses and organizations to transform a dozen on-street parking spots on Monterey Road, between Second and Third streets, into “lively street scenes,” according to Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez. Examples of the street scenes to decorate downtown Morgan Hill for the event include Santa Claus stations, art galleries and outdoor lounges. The effort was launched by the Tourism Alliance, which has developed an “ideas book” identifying more than 70 strategies of how to promote Morgan Hill as a tourism destination, City staff said. The purpose of the parklet project is not only to decorate the downtown, but also to encourage residents and visitors to shop local and support downtown businesses.“It’s like performance art for the downtown,” said Brad Jones, co-owner of BookSmart on Depot Street. “It’s going to attract people, and get them to look around and do some prospecting here.”The downtown scene project is sponsored by the City of Morgan Hill and the Morgan Hill Downtown Association. The parklet event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, which happens to be Small Business Saturday - a counter and follow-up to Black Friday which marks the unofficial beginning to the winter holiday shopping season. The nationwide Small Business Saturday shopping campaign encourages people to shop locally and from small, independent retailers for their holiday needs. Jones, who is president of the MHDA, explained that when residents shop at their local independent stores, up to three times more of the money from their purchases remains in the local community than if the money were spent at big-box chain stores. “There’s a lot of reasons to support small businesses because they give back to the community in ways that no big-box store has even dreamt of,” Jones said. “The people who own small businesses are part of your church, or your service organization, and without those people a lot of good wouldn’t happen in your community.”City staff also announced Wednesday that the City is participating in the “100 percent local campaign” to help promote Morgan Hill’s locally made food products such as premium wines and pick-your-own fruit farms. The local campaign is in partnership with the Santa Clara County Farm Bureau and the Wineries of Santa Clara County, according to a press release from City Hall. Those who create and sell local products can participate in the local campaign by signing up at www.morganhill.ca.gov, and list their companies and products for residents and visitors who want to buy local and promote agri-tourism in Morgan Hill, City staff said. These efforts and more are part of a heightened focus by the City in recent years to promote tourism and economic development in Morgan Hill.“Increasing tourism is one of the economic development goals for the City,” Ramirez said. “However, even though we have all the amenities that a weekend getaway would offer, many people don’t know about these great amenities. This creates a tremendous opportunity to brand the City as the perfect weekend destination and as an alternative to the wine regions up north.” 

Operation Second Chance to allow certain offenders to spend the holidays at home

Residents with warrants for minor crimes and traffic violations can avoid jail and spend the holidays with their loved ones by surrendering to authorities during the month of December, according to police. “Operation Second Chance” starts Saturday, and will continue through Dec. 31. During this time, individuals with non-violent misdemeanor criminal and traffic warrants can to their local sheriff’s or police station and receive a citation with a new court date, rather than being booked into the County Jail. The warrant citation will contain a “promise to appear” court date. Operation Second Chance is directed toward most misdemeanor warrants, no matter the bail - including warrants stamped “no cite and release” and “no bail,” according to authorities. The following warrants do not qualify for forgiveness during Operation Second Chance:-Felony warrants-Any warrant involving violence-Any warrant involving a firearm-Any warrant involving resisting arrest-Any warrant involving giving false information to a peace officerStill, individuals with these types of warrants are still encouraged to surrender to authorities so they can take care of their matter in court, authorities said. Over the past seven years, more than 2,400 local residents have taken advantage of Operation Second Chance and avoided spending the holidays in jail by surrendering, according to a sheriff’s press release. All law enforcement agencies are participating in Operation Second Chance, and individuals who qualify can go to their local police station to surrender and be released instead of going to jail, authorities said. In South County, residents can take care of their warrants at the following locations:-Sheriff’s Office South County Substation, 80 W. Highland Ave., San Martin, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.-Morgan Hill Police Department, 16200 Vineyard Blvd., Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.-Gilroy Police Department, 7301 Hanna St., Gilroy, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.For more information about this program, contact the Sheriff’s Office records staff at (408) 808-4717.

Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony

A Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony, sponsored by South County's Congregation Emeth, will allow all to participate in this ancient festival of freedom with candle lighting, blessings, storytelling and singing. It will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 3 on Morgan Hill's Third Street Promenade. No charge, www.emeth.net.

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