$1 • Friday, January 26, 2018 • Vol. 124, No. 4 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
The council seeks more information on cannabis businesses MEANWHILE, PROHIBITION REMAINS ON THE BOOKS Michael Moore Editor
➝ Marijuana, 13
Barry Holtzclaw
The majority of the Morgan Hill City Council still isn’t ready to make a decision on whether to legalize marijuana sales, commercial cultivation, deliveries and other activities in the city limits, as authorized by California Proposition 64. And the two voting councilmembers—Mayor Steve Tate and Councilman Rene Spring—who are ready to vote on a long-term local policy couldn’t be more opposed in their views of how much commercial and recreational marijuana activity the city should allow. Tate said at the Jan. HERO DAD Sal Oliveri, at right, with, from left, his son-in-law Duke Polhaupessy, daughter Gina Oliveri Polhaupessy,
and wife Vickie in the kitchen of the family’s Gilroy restaurant.
Sal protected wife, daughter
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
JANUARY 26, 2018
THE
FINAL REEL Poppy Jasper ramps up for its April event
OUT & ABOUT CALENDAR OF EVENTS A section of the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
Inside this issue: Scenes excepted at Poppy Jasper in April
PIZZERIA OWNER STABBED WHEN HE FENDS OFF KNIFE ATTACK AT HIS GILROY BUSINESS Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
This year marks the 40th year in business in Gilroy for Sal Oliveri, owner of Pinocchio’s Pizza. It’s a year he will never forget. The year began with him nearly losing his life defending his family from a knife-wielding
homeless man. In an interview after the Jan. 6 attack, the humble pizza maker, son of Sicilian immigrants, said he is hopeful the year will end better than it started. Sal and his family—former 25-year residents of Morgan Hill—calmly reflected on that day, and described a scene of terror and bloody mayhem. It was during the first Saturday evening dinner rush of the new year at his restaurant at Church and Welburn in Gilroy that a man rushed in waving a large knife. When the man lunged wildly at Sal’s daughter,
Gina Oliveri Polhaupessy, Sal and his son-in-law, Duke Polhaupessy, leaped into action, pushing the man towards the door. They ended up on one of the tables, and the man swung the knife towards Sal’s throat. When Sal raised his arm to block the blow, the assailant slashed it with his knife, then fled the store, as Duke was able to lock the door. Gina was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher throughout the frightening fracas, and the attacker was arrested without incident a blocks away a few minutes later.
“There was blood everywhere,” said Sal. Gina said she at first wondered if her dad had lost his arm in the attack. The wound had cut to the bone in his forearm, Sal said. “It’s scary when there are customers here, and my family—you don’t want to see anything happen,” said Sal. His right arm has a brace and heavy bandage from his bicep to his fingers. He has use of his hand, but more surgeries lie ahead before he knows whether ➝ Pinocchio’s, 17
MH, Gilroy create a new Relay for Life KICKOFF EVENT NEXT WEEK, RELAY RACE SET FOR MAY Scott Forstner Reporter
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With the American Cancer Society pushing for more regional fundraising efforts, local organizers of the annual Relay For Life from Morgan Hill and Gilroy have combined their resources and
developed the inaugural Relay For Life of South County. “Some people go to both Relays, some people bounce between them year over year, so it is nice that we have an opportunity to create a larger Relay community,” said Val Renggli, the marketing chair for the 2018 Relay who is a past lead organizer for the Morgan Hill event. The kickoff event is scheduled from 5pm to
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8pm Feb. 1 at Old City Hall Restaurant, located at 7400 Monterey Road in Gilroy. Attendees will learn about this year’s event and how they can make a difference; meet the event leadership team; and find out what it takes to form or join a team. Separately, the two area Relay events have raised millions of dollars in recent years for cancer research. With their efforts combined,
organizers are looking forward to even more success. “I think it was a wonderful idea to merge with Morgan Hill. The organizational meetings have gone well,” said Sabrina Thomas, this year’s event co-leader who has been involved with the Gilroy Relay for the last three years. This year’s Relay For Life of South County (RelayForLife.org/SouthCountyCA), the ACS’s
largest annual fundraiser that encompasses caring communities throughout the nation raising monies to help with cancer research, will be held from 10am May 19 to 10am May 20 at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex, located at 16500 Condit Road in Morgan Hill. “I’m thrilled that our communities are coming together,” said Renggli of ➝ Relay, 19
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