THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
NOVEMBER 30, 2018
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
WINTER THEATER P6 FITZGERALD RESERVE P8
Apricot cookbook celebrates regional orchards
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Fragrant Fruits New cookbook celebrates local agriculture
VETS HALL NEEDS REPAIRS P2 | CELEBRATING JUQUILA P8 | GAVILAN TRUSTEE HAS VISION P 10
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1868
NOVEMBER 30, 2018
WINTER THEATER P6 FITZGERALD RESERVE P8
Apricot cookbook regional orchards Friday,celebrates November 30, 2018
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE gilroydispatch.com • Vol. 151, No. 48 • $1
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
A New SV Media publication Fragrant Fruits New cookbook celebrates local agriculture
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Feds see Central Coast as source of romaine illness NEW LABELS TO IDENTIFY SOURCE OF LETTUCE, ALLOW SALES FROM SOCAL, FLORIDA, AZ By Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
Barry Holtzclaw
Lettuce growers along the Central Coast, including San Benito County, were in the crosshairs of federal investigators Monday, Nov. 26, less than a week after the government warned consumers, grocers and restaurants nationwide to destroy all romaine lettuce. In a statement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday, “Based on further discussions with the leafy greens industry and with agricultural authorities, we have begun to narrow the location in which we believe the contaminated romaine in the current outbreak was grown. “At the time of the outbreak, the vast majority of the romaine on the market was being grown in the Central Coast region of California.” As of Nov. 26, an outbreak of E.coli has resulted in 43 people becoming ill in 12 states, including 10 in Southern California, the FDA reported. The last reported illness onset date was Oct. 31, and an additional 22 people in Canada have become ill, according to health authorities.
JOY OF GIVING Cindy Einhorn of Gilroy is one of dozens of volunteers for St. Joseph’s Family Center.
Center feeds hundreds NEEDY FAMILIES GET FOOD HELP YEAR-ROUND IN GILROY By Debra Eskinazi Magazine and Features Editor
Nearly 900 fortunate families were gifted a complete turkey dinner during St. Joseph’s Thanksgiving turkey drive last week. David Cox, executive director at St. Joseph’s Family Center, said the center worked with local schools including Gavilan College to sign people up in the weeks preceding the drive. The food baskets were distributed on Tuesday, Nov. 20. “We plan approximately two to three months in advance
of the distribution, coordinating donations, volunteers, facility space,” said Cox. The packages were robust and consisted of all kinds of traditional Thanksgiving food items including stuffing, cranberries, fresh vegetables, fruit, flour, vegetable oil, rice, beans, milk and tortillas. Cox said St. Joseph’s offers another traditional holiday distribution before Christmas, for which he said eligible families can sign up until Dec. 16. “The needs of those we serve are year-round, so technically, we are always doing drives, seeking donations, volunteer and financial support,” said Cox. For more information about St. Joseph’s community work, visit stjosephsgilroy.org.Photo
VISITING VOLUNTEERS Carey Taylor, left, and Kalley Crawford help pre-Thanksgiving food pantry as volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ missionary program.
➝ Romaine, 16
Outlets kick off shopping season LONG HOURS, LONG LINES FOR THOUSANDS Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
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stores, and the number of shoppers who come every day, the outlets are like a small city. It was a long Thanksgiving night for many outlet store employees. whose stores opened at 6pm and stayed open until 2am. The overnight hours are no longer a new occurrence. In the last five years, the retail industry has needed to adapt to give shoppers what they want. According to Fulmer, the Nike, Adidas, Lululemon and North Face stores often have lines of shoppers waiting at the doors before the stores open, but long lines of campers waiting ➝ Black Friday, 4
Barry Holtzclaw
Get ready, get set, shop. The Christmas shopping season is on, and on Black Friday, Nov. 23, the "National Day of Shopping," thousands of bargain hunters descended on the Gilroy Premium Outlets to kick off their holiday shopping. While consumers are increasingly doing their Christmas shopping online, the National Retail Federation projects that 50 percent of shoppers still go to discount and department stores. Jim Fulmer,
operations director at the Gilroy Premium Outlets, was ready for the rush. “This time of year is always a busy season for us at Gilroy Premium Outlets,” Fulmer said. “The property is a hub for holiday shoppers; the diversity of offerings from numerous retailers means there’s something for every type of shopper.” The Gilroy Premium Outlets, which was bought by Simon Property Group in 2009, sprawls across 54 acres with 577,000 square feet of retail space and 860,000 square feet for 2,927 parking spaces. Given the size, the variety offered from 145 different
RAINY DAY Additional parking was added at Gilroy Premium Outlets Nov. 23.