THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
SEPTEMBER 21, 2018
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
PASSPORT PERKS P17 ALADDIN JR. P8
Mountain habitats & wild cats
Mountain lions roam these parts
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
When lions and humans cross paths P4
DIOCESE TALKS HIGH SCHOOL PLANS P4 | HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH HAS STARTED P9 | COUNTY NEEDS ELECTION VOLUNTEERS P13
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
SEPTEMBER 21, 2018
Cliques & Crowds San Benito Stage’s ‘13: The Musical’
SBSC performance addresses teen life
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
P4
ALADDIN JR. P8 | PASSPORT PERKS P17
$1 • Friday, September 21, 2018 • Vol. 124, No. 38 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
LOCAL SCENE Candidate forum Sept. 27 The American Association of University Women, Morgan Hill chapter will host a forum for candidates for local offices to answer questions from the public and meet the voters. The forum will take place Sept. 27 at Morgan Hill Council Chambers, 17555 Peak Ave. The forum will start at 6pm with a meet-and-greet, with intros and questions/answers starting at 6:30pm. Invited to the forum are candidates for Morgan Hill Mayor and City Councilmembers, State Assembly District 30 and Santa Clara County Sheriff. A separate forum for candidates for local school district offices will take place Oct. 8, and will also be hosted by the local AAUW chapter.
Big Cats
➝ Local Scene, 9
Robert Eliason
The Peninsula Open Space Trust will host a screening of the documentary film “The Cat That Changed America” 6:30 to 9:30pm Thursday, Sept. 20 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. The film tells the story of P22, a mountain lion in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, and a $50 million effort to create a safe wildlife crossing across two of the busiest freeways in America. The film screening will be an opportunity to reflect on similar local efforts to improve crossing for wildlife. POST will provide free pizza and lemonade for the community as this incredible story is told. The screening of the film will be followed by a panel of biologists, conservation planners and wildlife trackers who will talk about the South Bay efforts to protect wildlife and implement wildlife corridors that enable animals to move between protected spaces. To register, visit https:// openspacetrust.org/event/ the-cat-that-changed-america.
GYPSY TRICKS Brian Howard lights up the stage during the Broon show fire eating demonstration on the Romany Stage, Saturday, Sept. 15 at the Northern California Renaissance Faire.
Medieval Faire returns By Debra Eskinazi Magazine and Features Editor
Nearly 10,000 people were transported to the past when the Northern California Renaissance Faire kicked off its six-weekend extravaganza on Saturday, Sept. 15. Visitors to Casa de Fruta, about 14 miles east of Gilroy and 12 miles north of Hollister on Highway 152, discovered medieval worldclass jousting tournaments, court jesters, buxom wenches wielding ales, fair maidens, men in kilts,
warriors, brave knights and fireeating performers. Frances Larose, director of marketing for the Northern California Renaissance Faire, said the hope is to grow the Faire even more and bring in more families. “That is why we have added a sixth weekend, Halloween Fantasy,” said Larose. “It is geared to local families and friends.” Renaissance Faire visitors were entertained with theatrical and musical performances on
six busy stages, a tournament of horses and even giant turkey legs in a royal food court. “Our knights are dashing and fearless,” said Larose. “They entertain audiences with a full contact joust, featuring shattering lances and riveting sword fighting.” With so many things to do, Larose recommended that visitors pick up a schedule at the front gate, plan out their day and even stop in the Belrose Costume
shop for some festival-appropriate attire. “Besides the games we have fire eating, with revelry, dancing, glass blowing and amazing artisans with hand crafted wear,” said Larose. Visit the Northern California Renaissance Faire weekends through Oct. 21. Visitors can receive a $5 discount for the second and third weekends when buying online at norcalrenfaire. com. Use the code: Renaissance.
Candidates take a stance on growth COUNCIL MAY GAIN ‘SMART GROWTH’ SEATS By Jaqueline McCool Reporter
Morgan Hill Councilmember Rene Spring has consistently voted against development projects that he says threaten the agricultural integrity of the city. It’s “smart growth,” he said.
He has often been no incumbents running in the minority, most for Mayor in Districts D recently opposing a Sept. or B—offers Spring the 5 decision to seek opportunity to approval of a progain more “smart posed annexation growth” allies. of land to pave Julie the way for conHutcheson is runstruction of a prining in District vate Catholic high D against John school. Mckay and former But the councilmember November elec- Julie Makrai Marilyn Librers. tion—with the Hutcheson Spring is acting as city’s first disHutcheson’s camtrict representatives and paign manager and said
the two have been friends for many years, and she said she is against the revised southeast Morgan Hill annexation. Spring said growth is a big issue on voters’ minds and believes his campaign for city council in 2016, running on a 1-percent growth platform, put pressure on the council to lower the rate of growth. Although Spring would still like the current 2 percent annual growth rate
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to be lower, he credits his campaign for changing popular opinion. “If someone like Julie Hutcheson would’ve been on the council, we would have won that vote,” said Spring. Hutcheson has a long history of advocating for environmental issues in Morgan Hill. Hutcheson advocated for an update to the city’s growth control measure, which has ➝ Growth Candidates, 14