$1 • Friday, February 9, 2018 • Vol. 124, No. 6 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
King of Cars is coming to Morgan Hill OPENING DATE IS YET TO BE DETERMINED Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
➝ Towbin, 10
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
FEBRUARY 9, 2018
OU T & AB OU T CA LEN DA EVE NT R OF S
Michael Moore
When Morgan Hill Jeep Dodge Ram and Fiat opens, expect the dealership to showcase the same sort of flash and showmanship as owner and reality TV star Josh Towbin. It wasn’t the glitzy showmanship of San Francisco or San Jose that brought the new dealership here, but the charm of Morgan Hill itself that enchanted Towbin to expand his brand into California. The tax breaks help too. “A good friend of mine who owns a Chrysler dealership in the area told me about Morgan Hill,” Towbin said. “I was up at a NADA conference in San Francisco, so I decided to take a look. I just fell in love with the place. It’s beautiful and I love the feel of it. It reminds me of where I grew up in New Jersey.”
ROSES ARE RED Jerry Ayala shows off some of the floral arrangments available at his shop, Flower Cottage, located on East First Street
in downtown Morgan Hill. Ayala says Valentine’s Day is “one of the busiest” times of the year for the flower and gift shop.
Won’t you bee mine? By Debra Eskinazi Features Editor
Maria Walker is named Educator of the Year
Leadership & Honor A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
Inside this issue: Walking the walk with Maria Walker Barry Holtzclaw
SEEING RED Kathina Szeto, owner of San Benito Bene gift shop in Hollister, sets up her Valentine’s Day display.
Candy hearts, chocolate kisses, the obligatory paper valentine coveted by many a grade school student—when Valentine’s Day rolls around on Feb. 14 few can escape its clutches— ahem, tender embrace. With only five days left to make those reservations or order that gift, the curious lover may be scrambling to find a way to prove their affection. Responsible for guaranteeing the sweetness of honey, people may be interested to know that St. Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeeping. So if you struggle to show your beloved their significance to you—perhaps a simple jar of honey will do.
Gavilan athletic fields get major upgrades NEW VENUE FOR BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, BEACH V-BALL Scott Forstner Reporter
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Nearly $7 million in upgrades to the outdoor athletic facilities at Gavilan College are in full swing. The end result will put the local community college in a league of its own. The multi-faceted
project, which provides a complete overhaul of two existing sports facilities and adds a new sport venue to the school’s athletic cache, has three funding sources: Measure E, a local lease revenue bond and the college’s general fund. With the work having started back in July 17, 2017, the baseball field renovations include two new dugouts for the home and visiting teams as well as a new backstop. The
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adjacent softball field will be equipped with a large scorekeeper building and an ADA accessible bleacher. Both fields will also undergo drainage improvements. In addition, four new outdoor sand volleyball courts with new fencing and gates are in the process of being installed. Spectators will be treated to an athletics field plaza and walkways to both fields. Construction, which was approved by
Gavilan’s Board of Trustees in June 2017 and slated for completion by March 22, will include a new restroom, locker room buildig and outdoor plaza with new landscape and concrete walkways. “It’s going to be huge,” Gavilan Athletic Director Ron Hannon said. “There’s no way to underestimate the impact it’s going to have on these programs’ ability to recruit and ability to stay with modern times that
so many other schools have enjoyed.” The volleyball area fencing and concrete construction work is already in progress with sand and gate hardware to follow, according to Frederick Harris, Gavilan’s vice president of administrative services. Gavilan will be one of only about 30 colleges throughout the state, including 10 in Northern ➝ Gavilan, 10
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