THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
Music moves back to the porch
Front Porch Jams
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Gilroy’s annual Porchfest draws relaxed crowds P2
‘UNRESOLVED ISSUES’ AT CHARTER SCHOOL? P2 | TEEN STABBED IN SOUTH MORGAN HILL P4 | SOBRATO QB IMPROVES AT NEW POSITION P15
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
Warrior Serpent
Montoya connects youth with indigenous heritage
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Hollister’s Noe Montoya helps others reconnect with their roots P4
$1 • Friday, September 14, 2018 • Vol. 124, No. 37 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
Catholic School project gains a new life LAFCO VOTE COULD KILL ANNEXATION PLAN AGAIN Jaqueline McCool Reporter
AT ONE WITH THE RUMINANT Thomas Pierce stays in tabletop position as a Nigerian goat stands on his back. Thomas drove from San Francisco to attend this San Martin class at a home on New Avenue.
Yoga meets goats
By Debra Eskinazi Magazine and Features Editor
Goats gathered on people for an original yoga experience on Saturday, Sept. 8 in San Martin. That’s right. The Original Goat Yoga has finally come to the South Valley. Lainey Morse, founder and CEO of Goat Yoga, said she came up with the idea in 2016. “It’s something that just kind of developed by accident,” she said. Going through a rough patch, Morse said MAMMALS REACH FOR PEACE Lisa Vogel (pictured left) leads the she would spend a lot of time outdoors with yoga class in down(ward) dog as a goat grazes alongside participants. her goats, and eventually she began inviting With its first San Martin event debuting last her friends to join her. month, Goat Yoga includes 30 minutes of A friend and yoga instructor encouraged Goat Yoga followed by Goat Happy Hour. Morse to allow her to host a yoga class and For more information, visit sfbay.goatyoga.net and stay tuned South the rest, as they say, is history. Valley magazine for an upcoming story on the “ORIGINAL Goat Yoga.”
County ag revenues top $316 million NURSERY AND MUSHROOMS ARE LOCAL TOP CROPS Staff report
Agricultural production in Santa Clara county last year grew slightly over 2016, according to the
2017 Santa Clara County Crop Report released Aug. 31. The annual report showed total county production and revenues, based largely in South County, were valued at $316.5 million, a 2 percent increase from 2016. “It is great to see another crop report grow to even higher values than
previous years,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman, who represents Morgan Hill and Gilroy. “I like to think of it as a testament to the county’s commitment to our farming community.” Wasserman credited the continued growth to the county’s effective implementation of the “Valley Ag Plan,” although
crop reports across the state showed increases because of the end of a multi-year drought and excellent growing conditions. The county’s top producers for 2017 were nursery crops ($82,951,000), mushrooms ($74,659,000), lettuce ($17,522,000), spinach ($14,616,000), and bell
peppers ($13,264,000). In 2017, 21 different agricultural commodities grown in Santa Clara County exceeded $1 million in crop value. Commodities that now produce more than $1 million in revenues are cherries, seed crops and timber. Those that fell ➝ Crop Report, 10
Marisa Duran
➝ High School, 12
Marisa Duran
Plans for a new catholic high school for southern Santa Clara County, first proposed 14 years ago, gained new life on Sept. 5, when the Morgan Hill City Councilw revisited a plan to annex the proposed school site southeast of the city. The annexation is considered critical to the success of the project, and the council’s 3-2 vote sends the plan to extend city limits to the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Committee, which effectively has veto power over any proposed annexation. The committee rejected an earlier version two years ago. Undeterred, the Roman Catholic Bishop of San Jose has updated its school plans, and city business and political leaders have scaled back the annexation plan in hopes of making it more attractive to the committee. Continuing population growth in southern Santa Clara County, its growing affluence and growing pains in area public schools are all factors that make a new private high