50Up Lifestyle Magazine 2024

A supplement to the Morgan Hill Times, Gilroy Dispatch & Hollister Free Lance

2024

PICKLE FEVER Fastest-growing sport is a hit with locals 50+ LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE | PUBLISHED BY SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE | 2024

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SPECIAL

LIBRARY ON WHEELS Bookmobile brings library services to community 4

FIRST HARVEST Local winery honors owner’s family 12

GAME ON New pickleball courts coming to South County 10

TIGHT-KNIT GROUP Singers of all ages welcome 16

CEO & EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dan Pulcrano

CREATIVE SERVICES PRODUCTION MANAGER Deb Fisher

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PUBLISHED BY SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE

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Published by New SV Media Inc., Gilroy, CA Entire contents © 2024. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form prohibited without publisher’s written permission.

7455 Monterey St, Gilroy, CA | Mailing address: P.O. Box 516, Gilroy, CA 95021 Phone: 408-842-6400

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Bookmobile team describes service to the community

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BY KIMBERLY EWERTZ

COURTESY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT

Library on Wheels

MOBILE BOOKS The Santa Clara County Library District’s Bookmobile team travels throughout the county to meet people who have little or no access to a library.

S

anta Clara County Library District’s pastel-colored rolling library, the Bookmobile, is a welcome sight for readers as it travels throughout the communities of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Cupertino, Campbell, Milpitas, Saratoga and Los Altos, clocking more than 1,000 miles each month to serve individuals with little or no access to a local library.

“I feel the Bookmobile is important because there are people out in the community who need services, and the people who likely need them the most are less likely to be able to get to the library,” said Amytha Willard, Supervising Librarian of »»

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CONTRIBUTED

ROLLING LIBRARY Amytha Willard, standing next to one of the Bookmobile vehicles, is the Supervising Librarian of Bookmobile Services.

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«« Bookmobile Services and recipient of the Karen

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Hake Outstanding Bookmobile Librarian award.

“The library is a great bridge to all the resources that are available and free. To be able to provide those services to people out on the road and bring it to them, it’s the extra step of a helping hand.”

Since 1953, the Bookmobile program has been a valuable resource to communities all throughout Santa Clara County, and an immediate hit providing 40 stops to outlying areas where no branches were established. Soon a second Bookmobile followed, and a third in 1958, which extended service to more than 100 sites.

Up until 1978 the Bookmobile program flourished, but with the passing of Proposition 13, a disruption in service resulted. In Willard’s 18-year association with the Bookmobile, she’s experienced “quite a few reductions over time,” she said, adding, even in hard times they always found ways to continue to serve the community.

In 1981, the service was relegated to one Bookmobile, with only bi-weekly service available.

The Bookmobile services changed and transformed throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s due to funding and changing social patterns, including the growth of preschools and retirement communities. By 2005, the focus had switched to geographically remote patrons, and patrons with limited mobility as well as special needs patrons. In addition, the service was cut to four

days a week and the number of stops reduced to 34.

Today, the Bookmobile service runs Monday through Friday throughout nearly every community in Santa Clara County, including unincorporated pockets of San Jose, making a total of 51 stops in all.

Bookmobile team member Eileen Watley said she loves serving the communities.

“You see the same people and you build relationships,” she said. “Everybody is so happy to see us and we’re happy to see them. It’s sort of like family.”

In addition to scores of books in English and Spanish, the Bookmobile offers movies, music and a multitude of free resources to its patrons. Among its regular stops is the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Chandler Tripp School, which provides preschool education for students who are blind or deaf or have other special needs.

“We put out playthings to interact with, and we bring our robots out there,” Willard said.

The mobile units aren’t the only service provided by the Bookmobile. Digital help to residents of senior centers has been a recent addition.

“I go to different retirement communities, and I help seniors with their laptops, or their phones or iPads,” said Itzel Enriquez, a two-year member of the Bookmobile team. “It’s actually been very wellreceived.”

At the height of the pandemic, the library, a crucial

outlet for entertainment and enrichment for its patrons, was no longer accessible to those that were home-bound. The answer to that problem was Book Dash, a once-a-month home delivery service of library materials.

Seven-year Bookmobile team member Mark Tomacci maintains a list of Book Dash patrons who have standing orders.

“So, he knows what they want, and the authors, and he keeps a running list to keep ordering materials for them,” Willard said.

The program currently serves more than 60 patrons, with more joining every week.

“There’s definitely an interest because I don’t think there is any other library system that is doing this service,” said Jeannie Takagi-Hsu, a recent addition to the Bookmobile staff.

The pandemic emphasized the need for Wi-Fi access, and Willard hopes to soon offer computers and Wi-Fi to their patrons.

“We’re striving for that,” she said.

The success of the Bookmobile, according to Willard, is her team.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without them, they are the best team ever,” Willard said. “Everyone has a specialty, and everyone works together and contributes.”

A testament of their success is the recent Morgan Hill Community Foundation EAH Housing award that credits Willard and her team with “Unconditional commitment and enduring dedication.” In addition, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors awarded a commendation for the Bookmobile’s service and dedication to improving the quality of life for county residents.

For information about the Bookmobile or Book Dash, visit sccld.org/bookmobile or call 408.883.6959.

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Morgan Hill breaks ground on pickleball courts as sport continues to grow

BY MICHAEL MOORE AND ERIK CHALHOUB

O

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ne of the fastest-growing sports in America is enjoying a similar rise in popularity here in the South Valley.

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Morgan Hill broke ground in early 2024 on the city’s first dedicated outdoor pickleball courts, which will be located at the Community Park off West Edmundson Avenue.

The city recently hired EF&S Concrete to build the four new pickleball courts, according to city staff.

The new facilities will serve Morgan Hill’s growing pickleball community, which has been using the park’s basketball courts as temporary pickleball surfaces since early 2022.

“Only a year ago, Morgan Hill had no public outdoor pickleball courts,” Morgan Hill Pickleball Club President Tim Hendrick said. “Since then, the

city has given us temporary use of the basketball courts and expanded indoor pickleball hours at the (Centennial Recreation Center). Now, the sport has skyrocketed. Morgan Hill loves its pickleball!”

The new courts will be open to the public, and players of all skill levels are welcome. Those who have never played pickleball can pick it up quickly and spend the rest of their lives enjoying the game as they improve their skills, Hendrick added.

“The city’s four new, professional-quality courts will make play safer, reduce congestion and certainly make the game more enjoyable,” Hendrick said.

Construction of the new courts will take about four months, though that timeline may be lengthened by weather conditions, according to the city.

Pickleball is a quickly growing sport, not only

SUE BRAZELTON

GAME ON

GROWING FAST Athletes compete in a pickleball game at Morgan Hill’s temporary courts, which share space with the outdoor basketball courts at Community Park.

in Morgan Hill, but also nationwide. According to a report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the country had approximately nine million pickleball players in 2022 and participation in the sport has grown an average of 158.6% with a 7.7% forecasted compound annual growth rate through 2028.

According to the U.S. Pickleball Association, the sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, and is played on a badminton-size court with a modified tennis net. Players use a paddle and a plastic ball with holes.

A Vanity Fair article mentions how numerous celebrities have taken up the sport, and quoted statistics from The Economist that showed pickleball participation grew by 21% between 2019-20, declaring it “the fastest-growing sport in America,” with roughly 4.2 million Americans playing at least once a year.

The new courts in Morgan Hill will be free and open to the public the majority of the time they are open. Morgan Hill’s Parks and Recreation department will manage limited scheduled and formal use of the courts by the Pickleball Club and other pickleball players.

Elsewhere, the pickleball community is stepping up to bring the sport closer to their homes.

In 2018, the San Juan-Aromas Tennis Club raised

ERIK CHALHOUB

BACK-AND-FORTH Pickleball players compete in a match at the temporary courts at Sunrise Park in Gilroy.

GROWING THE GAME Steve Ellemberg prepares to return the ball during a match at the San Juan Bautista pickleball courts.

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ERIK CHALHOUB

nearly $18,000 to transform the San Juan School tennis courts into pickleball courts, with the help of $5,000 from the San Juan Bautista City Council.

In Hollister, three pickleball courts are stationed at Dunne Park.

In 2021, the City of Gilroy allowed pickleball athletes to temporarily convert the tennis courts at Sunrise Park for their use. The courts remain open for pickleball use for limited hours, and city officials are currently analyzing ways to bring permanent courts to the city.

Gilroy resident and active pickleball player Steve Ellemberg, a former tennis player, said in an earlier interview that he turned to pickleball when osteoarthritis in both of his hips limited his mobility and prevented him from playing tennis.

The sport attracts players of all ages, and has proven to be a valuable social experience for older residents who may be suffering from isolation, he added.

Fellow Gilroy pickleball player Bruce Serpa said many players from South Santa Clara County and San Benito County travel to tournaments around the country, and perform well.

“Gilroy is starting to get a good name for pickleball,” he said. “We’re right in the heart of all the talented players.”

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COURTESY OF J WINSTON WINERY

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First Harvest

J Winston owner honors family with venture

BY LAURA NESS

FIRST HAUL John Bannister of J Winston Winery recently celebrated his first harvest on his Live Oak Avenue property.

J

ohn Bannister of BCH Construction in Morgan Hill remembers watching his grandfather crush grapes and tuck the wine barrels under the porch at the family home in the Central Valley on the E&J Gallo ranch where they worked as farm laborers.

His family hails from Madeira, Portugal, where both his grandfather and great-grandfather were winemakers. When his grandparents emigrated in 1934, they wound up working for the Gallo family, taking care of their cattle and horses.

Bannister grew up in San Jose, and loved visiting his grandparents on the ranch.

“The wine was thick, like syrup—they didn’t have the science back then,” recalled Bannister, who »»

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COURTESY OF J WINSTON WINERY

STRONG HARVEST The property yielded five-and-a-half tons of grapes.

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«« now lives in Morgan Hill, and has had his own

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construction business since he was 26. “They lived a long time. My grandmother would have kept going at 99, but she missed my grandfather.”

While at Santa Teresa High School, Bannister was working in construction after classes ended for the day.

“I wasn’t a great student, but they offered work experience for credit, so I basically got paid to graduate,” he said.

He went immediately to work on foundations and framing after high school, and ended up renting in Menlo Park from a finish carpenter who had just moved from Steamboat Springs.

“He built beautiful cabinetry and bookshelves,” Bannister said. “I worked for free for him just to learn, and it led to a $35 per hour job. He moved back to Colorado, and I took my contractor’s test at 25. I got into building houses because I got tired of doing concrete and framing, and found that many general contractors don’t know how to build a whole house.”

He’s built plenty, and along the way, ran into Jerry and Steve Lohr, who were also building houses, as well as growing their winery business.

“I blame Steve for the idea of getting into wine!”

Bannister joked.

For a while, Bannister, an avid rodeo rider, remained in Menlo Park and kept his horses in Woodside. As the South Bay became built up, he found himself traveling to Gilroy and Hollister where his subcontractors lived.

“We rodeoed and cowboyed together,” he said.

“Being down here opened my eyes to all this open space.”

He moved to South County in 2004.

At age 49, Bannister figured it was time to make some wine, so in 2013, he acquired some fruit from various sources, including from C.G. D’Arie in Plymouth, plus vineyards in Lodi. He made some Zinfandel and Chardonnay, and it turned out well.

In 2015, he moved the operation to what was then The Stomping Grounds in Gilroy (now AFS), where he made wine with a friend until 2018. After that, for almost a year, his brand J Winston’s tasting room relocated to downtown Morgan Hill.

In 2019, he acquired 10.5 acres on Live Oak Avenue in Morgan Hill, and in 2020, planted some twoyear-old “uber vines” of Cabernet Sauvignon with

the assistance of Nick Dorcich. Much of the fruit he sources for his wine portfolio comes from vineyards Dorcich works with, although Bannister also gets some Pinot Noir from Arroyo Seco, Chardonnay from Besson and Zinfandel from Santa Clara, San Benito and Paicines.

The wines are all made with the guidance of Tim Lee at ASF in Gilroy.

This year was Bannister’s first harvest off the property and he was pretty stoked about the quality.

For a 2.5-acre property, a yield of five-and-a-half tons is a good first year haul.

When the vines went in on what was a former prune orchard, he transformed the old drying shed into a 4,000-square-foot tasting room area, fully covered and protected from the elements. There is outdoor seating as well, for people to enjoy concerts, and he recently added a wedding area.

As time goes on, he’ll plant more vines—maybe some Touriga and Albarino—and expand the property.

“We are one of the few wineries in South County to have such a big indoor space for when the weather is inclement,” Bannister said. “The only other one is Guglielmo, and theirs is a big tent.”

Those who visit the tasting room can taste Bannister’s 2023 Grenache Rosé from Rolling Hills in Gilroy, 2021 Chardonnay from Besson, 2021 Sauvignon Blanc from Rolling Hills, 2022 Pinot Noir Reserve from Arroyo Seco and several vintages of Zin. Additionally, there are several vintages of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a Meritage, mostly sourced via Dorcich.

The J Winston Tasting Room at 546 Live Oak Ave. in Morgan Hill is open from noon to 6pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Bannister had to quit rodeoing when he started his wine brand.

“It was just too much,” he said. “Having a winery and vineyard takes a lot of hours. I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out. The wine is getting better and better. My grandfather would be smiling.”

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4 Years in a Row!

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GROWING THE GAME The new temporary courts at the Morgan Hill Community Park have been a hit with pickleball players.

ERIK CHALHOUB

DEDICATED ENSEMBLE Singers with the San Benito Oriana Chorale are all volunteers who have been practicing together regularly.

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Tight-Knit Group 16

San Benito Oriana Chorale welcomes singers of all ages

BY ERIK CHALHOUB

F

or nearly 40 years, the San Benito Oriana Chorale has been delighting audiences through a series of spring and winter concerts.

The multigenerational group of nearly 60 range in age from 8 to 89, joined by pianist and Gavilan College instructor Maria Amirkanian, and Director Rachel Romina said she has been with the chorale since 2008, the past five years as director.

“We have an awesome group of people,” she said.

“This has been like my family for 15 years.”

Romina said she enjoys bringing singers of all skill levels together, as well as the challenge of arranging those singers in a way that “they will sound their best.”

“You can create something really beautiful,” she said. “The color and the moods that are created by the human voice are amazing.”

Oriana Chorale was founded in 1986 by local musician Jeanna Balda. Over the years, the group has attracted and retained a lineup of singers who have spent most of their lives practicing their vocal chops »»

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ERIK CHALHOUB

‘RAISING THE BAR’ Members of the San Benito Oriana Chorale practice for their 2023 “Carols and Lullabies” concerts during a November rehearsal at Christ Fellowship in Hollister.

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«« for audiences at their schools, churches and other

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community stages.

At 89, Court Nichols is the longest-tenured member of the group, having performed every year since its inaugural concert.

Nichols said he will “maybe retire” from the group when he turns 90. In an interview when the chorale was preparing for its winter concerts, he said he is looking forward to a return to Mission San Juan Bautista.

“It’s such an historic building,” he said. “What an honor to be able to perform somewhere that’s almost 230 years old.”

Both Nichols and Venturini praised Romina and Amirkanian, with Venturini saying that the director

“whips us into shape” and Nichols noting she “keeps raising the bar.”

Laurie Venturini has been with the chorale since 1997, noting that the group is welcoming to all singers and doesn’t require auditions for prospective members.

Rehearsals for spring 2024 have begun at Christ Fellowship, 2066 San Benito St. in Hollister, meeting Mondays from 6-9pm.

All voices are welcome.

Spring concerts will be held in May. For many, the San Benito Oriana Chorale’s holiday concerts are the kick-off to the Christmas season.

“It sets the tone for a beautiful Christmas season,” Romina said. “This traditionally is the launching pad

of Christmas. It’s going to be phenomenal.”

But for the past several years, that tradition had been lacking something due to the Covid-19 pandemic: a performance at Mission San Juan Bautista. Many people had been asking when the chorale will be back in the mission, said Venturini, noting that it’s typically their most attended concert with more than 200 in the audience.

In 2023, the chorale made its return to the mission, with concerts featuring a variety of holiday pieces in English, Spanish and Latin, from carol singalongs, a performance from Handel’s “Messiah,” lullabies and more.

“It’s become a tradition,” Venturini said. “Our concerts get Christmas started for a lot of people.”

For information, visit orianachorale.org.

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