THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
MARCH 1, 2019
The legacy of Pintello Comedy Theater
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
LAUGHS FOR LIFE Pintello Comedy Theater makes a habit of laughter P2
SPRING PASSPORT P10 | BLACK ROCK FALLS P13
TARIFFS HELP CHRISTOPHER RANCH P2 | PERFORMANCE FOODS HIRING P2 | PRINCIPAL MOVES ON P4
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1868
MARCH 1, 2019
San Juan BakeryFriday, and Grocer draws a crowd A New SV Media publication March 1, 2019 A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE gilroydispatch.com • Vol. 152, No. 9 • $1
ENCHANTED BAKED GOODS San Juan’s small-town bakery P2
SPRING PASSPORT P10 | BLACK ROCK FALLS P13
DA clears police in ‘18 death VIDEO FROM BODY CAMERA SHOWS SCENE AT DEATH OF STEVIE JUAREZ Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Almost one year after Steven Juarez died in Gilroy police custody, the district attorney’s office has concluded that officers acted lawfully in detaining and using force on the 42-year-old local man, while acknowledging that force contributed to his death. The county medical examiner’s office found that Juarez died from “severe drug intoxication complicated by his exertion to escape arrest and the police officers’ less lethal efforts to detain him,” reads a Feb. 22 report compiled by Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney Brian Welch. The report describes Juarez as a “methamphetamine-high man who was terrifying
INSIDE ONE YEAR LATER Monica Juarez, sister of Steven Juarez, lights a candle and says a prayer Feb. 25 at a makeshift memorial in front of the house in east Gilroy where “Stevie” died after a struggle with seven Gilroy police officers Feb. 25, 2018. His friends and family held a vigil and demonstration at the site.
Family vigil P8 Police records P10 Medical report P10
residents with his bizarre behavior” the night of his death Feb. 25, 2018. The DA’s 43-page report on Juarez’s death includes details of interviews with officers and
ONLINE GilroyDispatch.com Complete DA report 3-min. arrest video
witnesses of the Feb. 25 incident. It was released with body camera footage from one of the officers who responded to the disturbance report. The footage, taken from
Cpl. Kenneth Ellsworth’s body camera, depicts graphic images of violence and profanity. At one point Juarez yells, “Please help me!” Juarez, known to friends and family as “Stevie,” died
after a struggle with Gilroy police officers who used a variety of force techniques—including Tasers and a carotid hold—to detain him. The incident occurred at about 10pm on
the 7400 block of Chestnut Street in Old Gilroy. A “terrified” woman who lives on the street called 911 to report that ➝ Juarez, 8
Atty. general’s bid to block sale rejected Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
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A U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles rejected a bid by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to block the purchase of two failing Verity Health System hospitals by Santa Clara County. The Feb. 22 ruling cleared the way for the county to close its $235 million purchase of Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy and O’Connor Hospital in San Jose, plus the DePaul Urgent Care Center in Morgan Hill this week. County officials said they expected to close the deal Feb. 28, when a court-approved purchase agreement expired, and take ownership on March 1. “We are pleased that the district court denied the stay, which
will allow the county to complete its purchase of the hospitals,” said County Counsel James Williams. “We will now be able to keep these hospitals open to ensure access to healthcare for the residents of Santa Clara County.” The federal court decision ended nearly two months of anxiety for patients, staff and community leaders, especially in southern Santa Clara County, where for more than 100,000 people Saint Louise is the only local option for many healthcare services. Becerra had appealed a bankruptcy court’s December approval of the sale to U.S. District Court, and sought a stay of the sale, pending resolution of the appeal. If successful, Becerra’s effort would have voided the county’s
Jeff Smith
Xavier Becerra
purchase agreement and forced the two hospitals to close. There were no other purchase offers. “The public interest factors weigh against the stay,” U.S. District Court Judge R. Gary Klausner wrote in his six-page
opinion. “A stay may result in the cancellation of the sale, which could in turn lead to a closure of both hospitals. “The bankruptcy [court] did not abuse its discretion when it ➝ Saint Louise, 4
DISCOVER A PERSONAL HEALTH NETWORK YOU ’LL CLICK WITH Visit Valley Health Center Gilroy scvmc.org/VHCGilroy County of Santa Clara
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