Gil1828

Page 1

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN

A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times

JULY 13, 2018

State of Repair

Rebuilding Together beneficiary Leonarda Guzman

Rebuilding Together changes South Valley lives

SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Rebuilding Together carries the weight MY FAIR LADY P8 | SARAH’S VINEYARD P12 | WEEKEND IN SONOMA P16

ESTABLISHED 1868

A New SV Media publication

Friday, July 13, 2018

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY

JULY 13, 2018

gilroydispatch.com • Vol. 151, No. 28 • $1

Police in Pursuit helps Special Olympics

Ten fires light up the sky, block 101 A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance

Police in Pursuit transports lives through the joy of sport

Racing for Special Needs

SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE

MY FAIR LADY P8 | SARAH’S VINEYARD P12 | WEEKEND IN SONOMA P16

FIREFIGHTERS BLAME FIVE ON ILLEGAL FIREWORKS Michael Moore Reporter

➝ Fires, 5

Robert Eliason

To say that Gilroy’s firefighters have been busy since July 4 would be an understatement, as the city department responded to 10 fires in less than 24 hours during the Independence Day holiday. The action continued through the holiday weekend, as a Sunday afternoon truck fire spread to nearby vegetation and snarled freeway traffic for hours. Five vegetation fires reported on the Fourth of July were caused by errant illegal fireworks, according to Gilroy Fire EMS Division Chief Jim Wyatt. Perhaps the most dramatic blaze that authorities responded to July 4 was a residential structure fire in which a sheriff ’s deputy cut his hand while breaking a window so he could spray water from a garden hose into the home. That fire started about 9:54pm July 4, in the area of Cedar Court and Westwood

TRAIL GUIDES Park Ranger Blake Weaver and her standard poodle Yeti take a break at Mt. Madonna County Park.

Wet noses find trail DOGS AND BEST BUDS TAKE TO FOREST AT DUSK By Debra Eskinazi Magazine and Features Editor

Taking your dog for a walk can be an adventure. Just ask Blake Weaver, senior ranger with Santa Clara County parks who has been hosting special dog hikes at Mt. Madonna County Park since 2005.

“Dogs are such a big part of many of our lives,” said Weaver. “I am lucky enough to work for Santa Clara County Parks at a park that allows dogs to hike the trails on leash.” More than 15 people and their furry companions showed up at dusk on Saturday, July 7 to take a mountain hike through Mt. Madonna trails with Weaver and her standard poodle Yeti. Not only is getting out for a hike good for hikers and their

pets, but these groups hikes add an element of socialization, said Weaver, who lives in Hollister. “I frequently have puppies join the group for this reason,” she said. Weaver cautioned, however that with such privilege comes the responsibility to ensure the dogs leave a small footprint by minimizing the disruption to other people, other dogs and wildlife and they take care not to harm the environment.

Weaver wants hike participants to be prepared to handle any situation a hiker and dog may encounter, such as an unleashed dog in the park or other potential hazards. “I try and let them discuss, emphasizing staying calm, since panicking and yelling just escalates the situation,” she said. “I give tips and share stories of my experiences.” ➝ Dog Hike, 12

Plans for $1 billion reservoir advance GIANT LAKE, AND DAM AT PACHECO PASS COULD EASE STRAIN FROM FUTURE DROUGHT By Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor

6

58015 02001

0

The Santa Clara Valley Water District is moving forward with plans to build a new Pacheco Pass reservoir in San Benito County, which the district describes as a “game-changer” to ease the

impact of future droughts in the Bay Area. If $485 million in state funds are approved this month, supporters they could raise the rest of the $969 million project budget from federal grants and increased water rates to build the largest reservoir constructed in the Bay Area in the past 20 years. The water district board on June 26 approved a memorandum of understanding between the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Pacheco Pass Water District and San Benito County

Water District and approved an option to buy land with the Pacheco Pass Water District for the massive dam and reservoir project, which has been in the planning stages for a decade. The board last year submitted an application to the California Water Commission for funding of the project under Proposition 1, and final hearings before the commission were held in late June. The commission’s decision on state funding is expected by the end of July. While the Prop. 1 application

is being evaluated by the water commission, the water district said it may seek federal legislative authorization for construction funding from Federal Water Infrastructure Improvements. “The Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project is a modern solution to the age-old challenges of providing a sustainable water supply for our expanding population and businesses,” district staff said in a report. “This project will reduce the frequency and severity ➝ Reservoir, 15


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.