THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
JUNE 8, 2018
Angelique Lucero embraces emotion
Light Angel Sings
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Local singer-songwriter gets outside of her comfort zone GUYS AND DOLLS P6 | WINE AUCTION P12 | NATURE CHILD P13
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
JUNE 8, 2018
Wendy Starke’s piano program
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Ivory Keys for Kids
Hollister’s musical rainbow
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE
$1 • Friday, June 8, 2018 • Vol. 124, No. 23 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894THIS ISSUE INSIDE
MH grads set for big day GUYS AND DOLLS P6 | WINE AUCTION P12 | NATURE CHILD P13
MORE THAN 570 STUDENTS EARN THEIR DIPLOMAS Scott Forstner Reporter
Bryce Stoepfel
Morgan Hill graduates from both Live Oak and Ann Sobrato High Schools will be awarded their diplomas at separate June 8 commencement ceremonies on their respective campuses. The Acorns drew a 2 p.m. start time for Friday’s graduation ceremony, which takes place on the football field at the 1505 E. Main Ave. campus. Live Oak’s Class of 2018 consists of 221 graduates. The Acorn co-valedictorians are Cera Huffman and Isaac Muniz, and the 2018 salutatorian is Ashley Cowell. The Bulldogs’ ceremony follows at 6 p.m. the same day on the 401 Burnett Ave. school athletic fields. Sobrato’s 2018 class is estimated at 350 graduates, according to school staff. The Bulldog valedictorian is Tai Nguyen and the 2018 co-salutatorians are Raymond Bui and Amanda Jackson. Central Continuation High School graduation ceremony is scheduled for June 7 at Morgan Hill Downtown Amphitheater. There are about 45 graduates from Central.
ON TO NOVEMBER Robert Rivas speaks on stage in Hollister with his wife Christen Rivas and their daughter Melina after learning he had a solid lead in a five-person race Tuesday night in the race for the 30th Assembly District.
Rivas, Kitchens to face off SAN BENITO’S DEMOCRAT TO BATTLE GOP ROOKIE IN NOVEMBER By Bryce Stoepfel Reporter
Early returns from the four counties in the sprawling 30th Assembly district left no doubt about the front-runner, San Benito County Supervisor Robert Rivas. He will likely face first-time Republican candidate Neil Kitchens in a November runoff, as fellow Democrat and Gilroy City Councilman Peter Leroe-Muñoz trailed late Tuesday.
With 54 percent of partial returns from mostly rural precincts at 11:15pm, the California Secretary of State reported Rivas leading balloting with 44 percent, with Kitchens at 32 percent and Leroe-Muñoz at just 11 percent. “I’m elated, and I’m grateful to the voters of Assembly District 30,” Rivas said election night. “I’m ready to continue in November, to talk about the issues important to the voters in this district and California.” The Rivas campaign, accompanied by mariachi music, food, drinks and a generally festive mood, exuded confidence in the early results. With the Democratic vote
split, Kitchens, a national delegate for the Republican National Committee, emerged as the likely foe for Rivas on the runoff ballot. Kitchens has listed his jobs as a professional forester, rancher, lawyer, criminologist, real estate investor and residential property manager. District 30 includes San Benito County and parts of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, including the cities of Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister, with about a half million residents. The district is currently represented by Anna Caballero, who is running for state senate in the 12th District.
Leroe-Muñoz, is a former San Benito County deputy district attorney who works in San Jose for the tech industry’s Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and ran on a public safety and economic development platform. Two-term Supervisor Rivas was a leader in the successful anti-fracking measure in San Benito County who ran a primary campaign emphasizing diversity and his rural roots, which has been heavy on endorsements, including Caballero, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, and the political arms of the state teachers, nurses and public employee unions.
Smith, Hirokawa head for Nov. runoff Michael Moore Editor
Incumbent Sheriff Laurie Smith and retired Undersheriff John Hirokawa said Tuesday night, with about 41 percent of the total expected ballots counted in the June 5 election, they are both prepared for a November runoff battle for Santa Clara County Sheriff. As of 9pm, neither of the two
frontrunners in the five-person sheriff ’s race received more than 50 percent of the ballots cast— the threshold that would prevent a Nov. 6 tiebreaker. At that time, Smith was in the lead with about 45 percent, or about 57,000 of the votes cast. Hirokawa was in second place as of 9pm with 30 percent of the tallied votes, according to the county registrar’s website. Only 6 percent of the county’s voting precincts had reported results by 9pm Tuesday. Smith, who is vying for her sixth term
as sheriff, said “historically” those percentages don’t change much as the ballot counting continues. “If we don’t win tonight, I’m looking forward to the next five months…I think that people appreciate the work done by the sheriff ’s office,” Smith said while watching the election returns at the home of a supporter. Hirokawa, who hosted an election night watch party at Kyoto Palace in Campbell, was also pleased with the results as of 9pm. “Looking at the percentages with the incumbent at (45
percent), there’s a clear message the voters want a change in the county in regards to their elected sheriff,” said Hirokawa, who has never run for political office before the June 5 election. Rounding out the rest of the field in the sheriff’s race, as of 9pm, were Joe La Jeunesse (12 percent of votes counted), Jose Salcido (8 percent) and Martin Monica (4 percent). For updated results of the June 5 election, visit morganhilltimes.com and the county registrar’s website at sccvote.org.
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SHERIFF LEADS FIELD OF FIVE IN EARLY RETURNS