THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
JULY 6, 2018
Local bookstores work to stay out of a bind
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Bountiful Books Two South Valley bookstores help patrons rediscover the beauty of paper
SPOKING MY MIND P8 | MARTIN RANCH P12 | TIME TRAVEL P16
ESTABLISHED 1868
A New SV Media publication
Friday, July 6, 2018
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
JULY 6, 2018
gilroydispatch.com • Vol. 151, No. 27 • $1
The changing face of Boy Scouts of America
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Winery, shops approved in Gilroy Girls have a new den
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Salute to Equality SPOKING MY MIND P8 | MARTIN RANCH P12 | TIME TRAVEL P16
HECKER PASS NEIGHBORS PROTESTED COMMERCIAL PROJECT By Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
➝ Hecker Pass, 8
Barry Holtzclaw
A divided Gilroy City Council on July 2 narrowly approved an “agri-tourist” commercial development near Hecker Pass Highway (CA 152) and Santa Teresa Boulevard. Four council members—Daniel Harney, Peter Leroe-Muñoz, Fred Tovar and Cat Tucker— rebuffed pleas from Mayor Roland Velasco and a standing-room-only crowd of Heartland neighborhood residents to send the plan back to the drawing boards. Mayor Pro Tem Dion Bracco and Marie Blankley also voted against the project of Hecker Pass Commercial LLC. The 4-3 vote followed a contentious four-hour public hearing, attended by more than 150 people. After the vote, Blankley explained that she actually supported the project, but was concerned that it included two-bedroom as well as one-bedroom “livework” apartments.
BUCKS FOR BROWNS Pop Warner Football’s Gilroy Browns cheerleaders, from left, Rebecca Cortez, Amanda Gil and Michelle Herrera at fireworks stand on 10th St. in Gilroy.
Holiday raises cash FIREWORKS SALES ARE BIG PAYDAY FOR NON-PROFITS IN GILROY Staff report
Gilroy, the only city in Santa Clara County that allowed the sale and use of “safe and sane” fireworks on the holiday weekend, provided a windfall for local non-profits. Fireworks stands seemed to be on every corner, as 16 community
groups bought permits from the city for the sale of the “safe and sane” sparkers. Rebecca Cortez, a volunteer at the Gilroy Browns youth football fireworks stand on 10th Street, said the weekend was the group’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Farther east on 10th, Phil Quast of Gilroy Elks Lodge 1567 said his club’s volunteers were busy all weekend, raising money for various Elks projects, including eyeglasses for kids. Fireworks could be
purchased and used by Gilroy residents only, and purchasers were asked to show proof of residence at the time of purchase. It was not legal to use these “safe and sane” fireworks in any public area, such as city parks, schools or in commercial center parking lots. Also, fireworks purchased in Gilroy couldn’t be taken to any other city or unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. The other participating nonprofits were Apostolic Assembly
Church, Christian School Parents Club, Community Agency for Resources Advocacy and Services (CARAS), El Camino Club, Gavilan College Football Boosters, Gilroy HS Cheerleaders Boosters, Gilroy HS Quarterback Club, Gilroy HS Wrestling, Gilroy Little League Ball Park Fund, Gilroy Police Officers Association, Gilroy Pop Warner Football, South County Baseball Boosters, Stick and Move Boxing and Victory Outreach.
Rally at ICE says ‘Keep families together’ Scott Forstner Reporter
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“It can be seen. It can be heard. The community is here. We are here for families. We are here for immigrants. The children should not be separated from their parents.” These words from Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers
president and local activist Gemma Abels were repeated by hundreds of South County residents in attendance June 30 for the local “Families Belong Together” march. Participants, many with handmade signs denouncing the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy of separating children from their parents while being detained at the border, gathered outside the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center at the Morgan Hill Downtown Amphitheater
before marching to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on Vineyard Court. The march and rally were organized by members of the local grassroots movement, Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ), along with other regional organizations, including Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services (CARAS). “SURJ is about supporting marginalized groups in our community,” explained Jordan Rosenfeld, a lead organizer for
the local group that has demonstrated against immigration and gun control policies on numerous occasions since President Donald Trump took office in 2017. “We will speak out about injustices we see and hopefully send a message to our leaders that we won’t tolerate what we perceive as cruel policy.” Morgan Hill resident Ann Horner was among the crowd of activists at the Saturday morning march. Horner held a sign ➝ March, 4
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MORE THAN 200 IN MARCH TO PROTEST FAMILY SEPARATION OF IMMIGRANTS