South Valley Magazine Home & Garden March 2021

THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN | MARCH 2021

HOME+GARDEN KITCHEN DESIGN | FIRE SAFETY | WATER-WISE LANDSCAPING

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Thank you Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Hollister for allowing us to take care of your eye health for the past 5 years.

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MARCH 2021

KITCHEN

REAL ESTATE

Lazy Suzan Designs 6

Home sales grow in 2020 18

LANDSCAPING

HOME OF THE MONTH

Komodo Fire Systems 10

Equestrian estate 20 HOME DESIGN

Local resources 22

WATER

Peak irrigation season 14

COMMUNITY

Wildflower Run 24

GARDENING OUT & ABOUT

Buds bursting forth 16

March 2021 calendar 26

Publisher

Design Director

General Manager

Editor

Production Operations Manager

Advertising Account Executives

Dan Pulcrano Erik Chalhoub Contributing Writers

Laura Ness Kate Russell

Kara Brown

Harry Allison

Sean George

Editorial Production Manager

Carrie Bonato Eileen Katis Cynthia Runyon

Katherine Manlapaz

ON THE COVER Courtesy of Bright Designlab

Published by New SV Media Inc., Gilroy, CA Entire contents © 2021. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form prohibited without publisher’s written permission.

7455 Monterey St, Gilroy, CA | Mailing address: P.O. Box 516, Gilroy, CA 95021 | Phone: 408-842-6400

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DREAM KITCHEN Lazy Suzan Designs has been designing kitchens in the local area for more than 15 years.

Kitchen personalization

BY KIMBERLY EWERTZ

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n today’s world, home delivery is not only a convenience—it’s essential, and Gilroy resident and entrepreneur Ann Marie McCauley of Lazy Suzan Designs has provided that convenience to her clients since 2005.

“I felt it would be much lower overhead to do a mobile showroom and I would have more access to the client’s home,” McCauley said,

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adding that with her van outfitted with door styles, cabinets, and different finishes, she delivers her showroom right to their front door.

Although her business model was developed more than 15 years ago, it has turned out to be the ideal fit for today’s current climate of uncertainty.

“In hindsight I had no idea what a good idea this was,” McCauley said, with a smile. “When I ➝8

Courtesy of Lazy Suzan Designs

Designer helps homeowners create the ideal cooking space

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The more you plan upfront, the more likely you are to stay on budget, because the budget is just crucial.

—ANN MARIE MCCAULEY

6 go to a home, we can open every door and window and I wear a mask, so we can be very, very safe.”

Regarding the construction aspect, she explained that the entire part of the house under construction is literally blocked off.

“It’s pretty amazing how efficient and how much we can distance and stay safe,” she said.

McCauley, who attended Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, where she earned a BFA, certainly enjoys the creative aspect of her work, but her primary goal on every job is establishing a connection with her clients.

“I just love going to their house and meeting them and hearing the stories about their life,” McCauley said. “I always feel like I have to create their stage. I used to be a set designer, so people are like the characters, and (my designs) are based on them and their life.

“I go to the house, measure, do the consultation and give an estimate on cabinets. That’s how we get to know each other. If they want to move forward, then we just move forward.”

McCauley’s connection to her clients extends even further, as many times the client is in need of emotional support, which

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has become more evident since the start of the pandemic.

“So, (today), everybody is at home in a remodel,” McCauley said. “You’ve already been with each other for almost a year, and now you have no kitchen. It’s not easy. It is definitely a more emotional process than it used to be, and we’re so directly involved in the process. Everything is harder now, in a different way.”

Over the years McCauley has assembled a team of 30 local contractors, creating a sense of loyalty and comradery amongst her team. This in turn provides an added benefit to her clients.

“Because we’re all continuously working as a team there’s a lot of loyalty, and there’s a lot of loyalty to the clients,” McCauley said. “None of us mark each other’s materials up, everything is purchased directly— that’s how we do business in Gilroy.

We’ve had a lot of success, so I feel like I am just paper and wood without the contractor, they’re just critical.”

In fact, she credits half of her business to referrals by contractors.

“Because of what I do for them,” McCauley said. “I can’t stress enough the value of my team. A lot of competitors don’t have that much of a connection. Where, for me, it’s much more intimate and personal.”

For those considering a kitchen remodel, McCauley recommends their first step should be determining the goals for the house.

“How long are they going to stay? Is resale a factor, because that helps to establish the budget,” she explained. “If you’re going to flip the house in a year, that’s very different than if you’re going to raise a family and stay 15 years. The more you plan upfront, the more likely you are to stay on budget, because the budget is just crucial.”

With McCauley’s more than 25 years of hands-on experience, she’s collected quite a large client base.

Gilroy resident Melanie Troini is just one of McCauley’s satisfied customers. Her kitchen remodel took place more than five years ago and Troini is still excited about how it turned out.

“She made sure it was what I wanted,” Troini said. “She was really very patient and really listened to what I had to say. She really wanted me happy, and I think she feels that way with everybody.”

Michelle Conrotto is another satisfied customer.

“Oh my gosh, she’s just so creative and helped me just literally turn my kitchen around, turned it into a new showplace,” Conrotto said. “It was even in a magazine, South Valley Magazine. She’s just always there for calls, anything that came up that we had a question on, she was there for us.”

Contact McCauley Monday through Saturday at 408.848.5956 to schedule a free consultation, or visit lazysuzandesigns.com.

DESIGN RESOURCES ➝ 22

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Safeguarding homes Growing business working to prevent wildfire destruction

BY ERIK CHALHOUB

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Erik Chalhoub

hawn Sahbari anticipates a time in the near future when the word “Komodo” is used as a verb.

Possible uses include “Have you Komodoed the lawn?” or “Builders Komodoed the home’s sprinkler system.”

That verb refers to Sahbari’s growing business, Komodo Fire Systems, which is developing a line of non-toxic products that can protect homes from advancing wildfires.

It comes at a crucial time when wildfires in California and other parts of the world have been setting records on nearly an annual basis. As such, the products have been generating intense interest from firefighting agencies, municipalities and other industries worldwide.

“I fully envision this as an industry,” Sahbari said. “We are just scratching the surface.” ➝ 12

FIRE RESISTANT Eric Howard, business development manager at Komodo Fire Systems, demonstrates how a coating of the company’s product prevents a piece of cardboard from igniting.

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CREATING A DEFENSE Shawn Sahbari is the president and CEO of Komodo Fire Systems, which develops eco-friendly products to protect property from wildfires.

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Sahbari said the product can last throughout a typical fire season before it needs to be applied again.

The K-300 Wood Shield can be applied to structures that are in the path of a wildfire. The heat of an approaching fire causes the coating to swell, which insulates the structure from the fire, according to Komodo.

Sahbari said the initial goal of the company is to raise awareness of Komodo Fire Systems, as he believes its products can help save lives, property and the environment. It’s a cause that hits home, as Sahbari’s

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For information, visit komodo-fire.com.

Erik Chalhoub

10 Komodo Fire Systems recently moved from Gilroy to a larger facility in Morgan Hill, where it develops and ships its products.

Its K-100 Perimeter Shield, for example, is water-based and free from harmful chemicals, Sahbari said, and is used to coat vegetation around the perimeter of homes, farms and other areas. When the treated areas are exposed to fire or extreme heat, the vegetation or wood forms a carbonchar, which interferes with combustion and prevents fire propagation, the product description explains.

father lost his home in the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa in 2017.

As California wildfires grow in magnitude, Sahbari hopes his company will play a large role in protecting people from the destruction.

“I’m happy if we can even make a dent in it,” he said.

Sahbari is no stranger to creating environmentally friendly products that safeguard others.

With a background in the semiconductor industry, Sahbari is well-known in Silicon Valley with the start-up of several companies beginning in the 1980s and holds a number of patents and trademarks.

Green Polymer Systems, a specialty materials business, began in 2001 and its products were developed to create clean energy alternatives. A division, Bear Essentials, offers personal protection equipment including masks, gloves, sanitizers and other products dealing with Covid-19.

Another business he formed, Green Canary, grew quickly earlier in the last decade during a years-long drought in California. The grass-coloring business allows homeowners to turn their brown grass to green, saving water costs and boosting curb appeal.

Sahbari said his businesses are the result of finding solutions to various issues.

“You find a problem and you have to come up with a solution,” he said.

“It’s not going to be found on the shelf.”

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DROUGHT TOLERANT Water consumption can be greatly reduced by choosing plants suitable for the climate.

Planning ahead Planning is the key to a successful water-wise landscape. It is very tempting to go to a garden center and buy plants because they catch your eye, but not knowing where to place them and how much water they need are the beginnings of an unnecessarily highwater using landscape. By planning, costly mistakes can be avoided.

Getting started

Be ready for the peak irrigation season A water-wise landscape reduces consumption and costs BY SHAWN NOVACK

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n San Benito County, the largest use of residential water is for watering landscapes. When a landscape or irrigation system is poorly designed or poorly maintained, or the landscape consists of plants not suited to the dry and often hot local climate, water demand increases as a result of excessive evaporation, leaks and runoff. Water consumption can be greatly reduced with careful planning, good plant selection, efficient irrigation systems, good water management and maintenance practices.

Last year, the state received about half of its average rain and snowfall

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amounts. This year appears to be the same as of the first week of February.

We still have some time left for a few more storms until the rainy season ends, but it’s not looking hopeful.

Since California experiences frequent and sometimes prolonged droughts together with an everincreasing demand, there is a great need for us to use water efficiently.

But this doesn’t mean we have to give up our gardens. We can use water more efficiently and still have colorful, aesthetically pleasing landscapes— including some turf areas for recreation.

First off, contact the Water Resources Association of San Benito County (WRASBC) for a free Home Water Survey. They can check your house for leaks, inspect your irrigation system, make adjustments if needed, provide recommendations and develop an irrigation schedule for you to follow.

The WRASBC has free water efficient landscape plans on their website under the “Rebates/Programs” link. These plans were drawn by a local landscape designer who highlights low water use plants that do well in San Benito County.

The WRASBC also has pamphlets they can mail customers that give steps, ideas and procedures on how to create a water wise garden. All the services offered by the WRASBC are free. Take advantage of their programs to lower your water bill, save water and create a landscape that will take less time to maintain.

To contact the WRASBC, visit wrasbc.org or call 831.637.4378.

Shawn Novack is the Water Conservation Program Manager for the Water Resources Association of San Benito County.

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GARDENING

YOUNG GROWTH A budding flower emerges from a tree branch.

Buds bursting forth Many different types of tender new growth

BY KATE RUSSELL

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uds burst forth every spring, but how much do you really know about these tiny nubs?

You may not notice, but most buds begin forming at the end of a growing season. Generally, trees and shrubs have buds that are covered with protective scales, while most annuals and herbaceous perennials have unprotected “naked” buds. This makes sense because perennial plants need to protect their buds from cold winter temperatures during their dormant phase, while annuals do not.

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Many buds do require a period of cooler temperatures to stimulate their final growth phase. Unfortunately, unseasonably warm temperatures in winter or early spring can trick plants into producing hormones, called auxins, that stimulate budbreak.

Opening too soon increases the chance of frost damage.

The embryonic tissue found inside a bud is made up of meristem cells that can grow into either leafy shoots or flowers. If you look closely at new buds, you will notice that some are narrower and more pointed (leaf buds), while others are more rounded (flower buds), and a few, called mixed buds, are both.

Where a bud develops on a stem determines what we call it. Terminal buds are found at the end (apex) of a stem. Some familiar terminal buds include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and

head lettuce, while broccoli and globe artichoke are lateral flower buds.

Lateral, or axillary buds emerge on the sides of the stem, usually where a leaf is connected to a stem, called the axis.

There may be more than one axillary bud at a location. This is where most of the flower buds emerge. With time, luck, and pollination, these flower buds ultimately become fruits and nuts for our table.

There’s a third type of bud that shows up in places other than the leaf axis or the stem apex. These rouges are called adventitious buds; they can be found along internodes, on leaf blades, at fresh pruning cuts, and even on roots.

Buds are also classified by the way they grow, or their morphology. Buds can be scaly, covered, hairy, or naked.

Being tender new growth, buds are susceptible to a large number of pests and diseases. These pests include budworms, cutworms, Eriophyid mites, citrus bud mites, weevils, thrips and dryberry mites. Shot hole disease can also attack buds. Dormant sprays, Bordeaux mixtures, and fixed copper treatments can protect buds from many of these pests and diseases, when applied correctly. Sticky barriers can also be used to block crawling pests from ever reaching your buds.

Take a closer look at your plants today—can you tell if the buds will become leaves or flowers?

Kate Russell is a UCCE Master Gardener in Santa Clara County. For more information, visit mgsantaclara. ucanr.edu or call 408.282.3105 between 9:30am-12:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Due to concerns regarding public safety and Covid-19, we regret to announce that there will be no public Spring Garden Market plant sale this year.

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HOUSING DEMAND The 2020 gains in South Valley residential real estate sales were primarily driven by new homes coming online at the Glen Loma Ranch development in Gilroy.

Strength of the market San Benito, South Valley home sales grow in 2020 amid pandemic

BY ERIK CHALHOUB

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espite a pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns that crippled the economy, home sales across the state, including in San Benito County and Santa Clara County’s South Valley, grew in 2020 compared to the previous year.

According to end-of-year statistics

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recently released by the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors, 543 single-family homes sold in Gilroy throughout 2020, compared to 512 in 2019. The average days on market was slashed by eight days to 33 total, indicating that buyers were grabbing homes at a much quicker pace even during the stay-at-home orders, which affected the way real estate agents sold and showed homes.

A total of 547 single-family homes sold in Morgan Hill in 2020, an increase of 90 over the previous year, according to the SCCAOR. According to MLSListings data, closed sales in San Benito County increased by 4.3 percent in 2020, and the median sales price rose to its highest level at $675.000.

MLSListings Partner Economist Elliot Eisenberg noted this may be reflective of some intra-region movement if buyers are moving from the more expensive areas to more affordable San Benito County.

Closed sales in the county rose by double digits for the second quarter in a row.

“You should see price appreciation like this in the summer, not around the holidays,” Eisenberg said.

“Clearly, we are seeing a tempering of seasonality and I don’t see this changing until perhaps next fall as vaccination rates rise and we go back to a normal school schedule.”

The California Association of Realtors released its 2020 numbers statewide on Jan. 15, showing ➝ 20

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FOR RESIDENTS OF MONTEREY, SANTA CRUZ, AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES

WWW.MBARD.ORG/WOOD-STOVE-CHANGE-OUT-PROGRAM

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REAL ESTATE

according to the California Association of Realtors.

The statewide median home price for the entire year was $659,380, an increase of 11.3 percent from $592,230 in 2019.

Gilroy’s median sales price rose significantly in 2020 to $850,000, an increase of nearly $70,000 over the previous year, SCCAOR data shows. Morgan Hill’s median sales price rose by $50,000 to $1,075,000.

“Home prices, which usually peak during the summer, were unseasonably strong in December,” said CAR Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. “The imbalance between supply and demand continues to fuel home price gains as would-be home sellers remain reluctant to list their homes during the pandemic, contributing to a more than 40 percent year-over-year decline in active listings for the seventh straight month.”

For the year as a whole, all major regions except the Far North surpassed their 2019 sales levels, according to CAR data. The Central Coast was the strongest market among all regions, with annual sales increasing 5.5 percent from 2019.

The California Association of Realtors collected information from more than 90 local realtor associations and multiple listing services statewide.

Nexthome Four Corners Real Estate Group

that home sales grew by 3.5 percent in 2020.

“It’s a testament to the strength of the market that even after the pandemic effectively shut down the spring home-buying season in 2020, the market still was able to recover the substantial sales lost in the first half of the year and even top 2019’s levels,” said CAR President Dave Walsh. “With mortgage rates expected to stay near the lowest in history, demand for homeownership will continue to be strong, so home sales should remain elevated into the first half of 2021, as motivated buyers take advantage of the increased purchasing power.”

After dipping below $700,000 the previous month, California’s median home price bounced back above that benchmark and set another record high in December. The statewide median home price rose 2.7 percent on a month-tomonth basis to $717,930 in December, up from November’s $698,890.

Home prices continued to gain on a year-over-year basis with the statewide median price surging 16.8 percent from $614,880 recorded last December.

The double-digit increase from last year was the fifth in a row, and the monthto-month gain was higher than the long-run average of 0.8 percent observed between 1979 and 2019,

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HOME OF THE MONTH

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MCMAHON ROAD This Hollister home has a gated front courtyard.

Large, upgraded equestrian estate Barn, pastures, entertainment patio and more at San Benito County home

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tree-lined driveway leads to this five-acre equestrian estate located in the Spring Grove area of North San Benito County.

Located at 221 McMahon Road in Hollister, the 2,216-squarefoot home includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

A gated front courtyard leads to the residence, which features a recently updated gourmet kitchen, a formal dining space and living room, as well as a media room.

Outside, the property has a five-stall barn for horses with covered paddocks. The barn has received a number of upgrades, such as automatic waterers, inside and outside wash racks, cooling fans and an automatic fly spray system. Other equine amenities include a 60-foot round pen, a computerized horse walker and fenced pastures.

The backyard is equipped with an in-ground pool and patio.

The home, built in 1978, is listed at $1,335,000

by Nexthome Four Corners Real Estate Group.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/5hcg93xa.

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You’ve Come to the Right Place.

66 1st Street, Suite A, Gilroy, CA 95020 | (408) 847-8880 | informed-choices.org

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LOCAL DESIGN RESOURCES

DESIGN MATTERS designmatters.design Julie Cavanaugh and her team at Design Matters recently opened a location in Morgan Hill. The showroom at The Granary on Depot Street showcases its custom cabinetry displays, kitchen designs, tile, plumbing and appliances, flooring, furniture, lighting and more.

The firm provides interior design, space planning, kitchen and bath design, and other services.

GILROY FLOORING AND HOME DESIGN gilroyflooringandhomedesign.com

ONE-OF-A-KIND Bright Designlab specializes in planning modern kitchens, and recently designed a project in Gilroy. For information, visit brightdesignlab.com.

KB DESIGN AND DÉCOR facebook.com/KBDesignDecor Krissy Berger established her design business in 2016, which serves San Benito, South Santa Clara and Monterey counties. The daughter of a contractor, Berger said she was exposed to the design world at a young age. kb Design and Décor offers space planning, room design, custom builds and other services.

“I find so much joy in transforming a space using simple techniques like paint, furniture and accessories and even more joy in the total transformation of a space through remodeling and designing a home from the ground up,” she wrote on the business’ Facebook page.

CREATIVE CABINETRY Neal Nelson, the founder of Gilroybased Creative Cabinetry, said he was inspired to start his business while on

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CREATIVE KITCHENS & BATHS

lonardoswoodworking.com LoNardo’s Woodworking by Design, Inc. is a custom cabinet manufacturer based in Gilroy. Frank LoNardo has been in the cabinetry business since 1988, but his family’s expertise in woodworking extends to more than 80 years.

LoNardo’s grandfather Gaetano began a business sculpting wood into furniture at the age of 14 in 1926. LoNardo’s Woodworking by Design, Inc. has been serving the Bay Area and nearby regions for more than 30 years.

creativekitchens-bath.com Laura Williams founded Morgan Hillbased Creative Kitchens & Baths in 1996 with an idea to build a firm that would create user-friendly designs incorporating high-quality materials and furniture-grade cabinetry. The firm covers the South Valley area, and offers design services for kitchens, bathrooms and other areas of the home.

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LONARDO’S WOODWORKING

BY DESIGN, INC.

STUDIO 38 DESIGNS, INC. studio38designsinc.com Studio 38 Designs, Inc. is a kitchen and bath showroom and design center featuring smart home solutions based in Morgan Hill. Owned by Gina VarelaDomenichini and David Domenichini, the business is partnered with its sister company, D.R. Domenichini Construction.

Courtesy of Bright Designlab

creativecabinetry.us

a construction job in San Jose in 1994.

He noticed a concrete sidewalk nearby that was stamped with the date of 1957, and admired its quality after decades of use. “I decided that day, I would build a company that would be proud to showcase its work and quality,” he said.

Creative Cabinetry serves homeowners and others throughout the entire Bay Area in reviving old cabinetry and creating new custom quality cabinetry.

Gilroy Flooring and Home Design is a family-owned and -operated business with more than 25 years of installation experience. In addition to flooring, the business offers bathroom and kitchen remodels and custom-made cabinets and countertops. It services the South Valley and San Benito County.

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Wildflower Run adapts to pandemic Registration open for virtual event

BY ELIZABETH MANDEL

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• Participants can join a virtual team, and connect with far-flung friends and family, training and running together. Team members will have bonus opportunities to win prizes.

While many other companies promote virtual runs and present themselves as charitable, just a portion of their proceeds are optionally directed to charity. What makes the AAUW Morgan Hill's Wildflower Run—virtual or not—truly stand out, is that we are an all-volunteer-run event, allowing us to direct 100 percent of proceeds to support community grants, local scholarships and leadership programs for women and girls. Over the years, we have allocated an impressive $600,000 toward our causes. We are especially committed to students' educational success; we provide scholarships for students with financial need as they graduate from high school and continue through to college graduation. (Learn more at aauwmh.org/local-scholarships.) In this pandemic, these students' needs are even more urgent; studies show that over half of socioeconomically disadvantaged college students believe the pandemic will impact their ability to graduate.

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VIRTUAL RUN AAUW Morgan Hill encourages runners to participate in the annual Wildflower Run at any time or location between March 20-28.

Funds to support all these activities are raised through runner registrations, individual donations and corporate sponsorships. Amy Whelan, Sponsors Co-Chair, appreciates the continued loyalty and commitment of local businesses.

“Companies that have supported AAUW for years, and even new sponsors, are generously showing how much they care, how important scholarships are, and their confidence that AAUW delivers on its local grants and programs year after year,” Whelan said. “AAUW is grateful for this support that we’ll be able to pass on to Morgan Hill’s students.”

Come run with us! Enter fun drawings for great prizes, and support your community.

Register now, become a sponsor, or donate at WildflowerRun.org.

Elizabeth Mandel is the AAUW Morgan Hill Wildflower Run Publicity Chair.

Susan Brazelton

on-profit organizations have been forced by the pandemic to re-imagine their fundraising efforts, finding creative and compelling ways to continue helping those in need in their community. AAUW Morgan Hill, organizer of the annual Wildflower Run for almost 40 years, has embraced this challenge and will present an allvolunteer virtual run, March 20-28, enabling them to continue offering scholarships and grants in support of equity for women and girls.

Virtual runs offer the flexibility of running or walking with no pressure. Participants in the 38th Annual Wildflower Run can select a 2K, 5K or 10K distance, and choose Walk, Run or Stroller events—at any location or time between March 20 and 28. They will receive the usual swag—a limited edition 2021 T-shirt, adorable bonus baby-tees for tots in stroller events, and coordinated medals for youth (12 and under).

Many of Morgan Hill's Wildflower Run participants enjoy the opportunity to run together at a friendly, local community event. Since that can’t happen this year, we are offering new and unique incentives:

• All participants have numerous opportunities to win great prizes in many categories of entries through prize drawings—from pre-race training to running in costume or with pets. Visit WildflowerRun. org/prizes for specifics.

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O& A GILROY

PAINT’N WITH FRIENDS Tami Brown, owner of Paint'n With Friends Art Studio & Gallery at 7560 Monterey St., Suite 202 in Gilroy, hosts frequent paint parties.

Each party is limited to eight painters, and participants will be seated six feet apart.

No painting experience is necessary. For information, visit paintnwithfriends.com.

PAINT PARTY Nacho Moya, the owner of Moya Art Gallery and Studio in downtown Gilroy, has been hosting frequent live paint parties on his social media channels, showing viewers the step-by-step process on how to paint everything from water lilies, to unicorns and Star Wars characters. For information, visit facebook. com/moyaartgalleryandstudio.

MARIAN FILICE YOUTH PIANO COMPETITION This

homes.sc A digital solution for real estate professionals to attract prospects, sell homes and build listings

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For more information contact Tiffani Petrov 831.761.7314

year’s competition will be entirely virtual on March 6. On the day of the competition, judges will be at the Gavilan College theater adjudicating. A live feed of the competition will be provided for the public online. For information, visit gavilan.edu/academic/ music/piano_comp.php.

MORGAN HILL POPPY JASPER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival will

OUT & ABOUT

run from April 7-20 and will be virtual. PJIFF 2021 will include feature films, short films, panel discussions, and musical performances. Additionally, this year’s festival will host China day on April 10 and Mexico day on April 11. For information, visit pjiff.org.

SAN BENITO COUNTY VIRTUAL WORKSHOP SERIES The San Benito Stage Company’s Virtual Workshop Series continues in March. On Saturdays from March 6-27, the One Act Project workshop, hosted by Abby Chase, is geared toward children and teenagers.

Cost is $50. A virtual paint class, hosted by Allison Barnes, will be held March 20. Cost is $30. For information or to register, visit sanbenitostage. org or visit facebook.com/ SanBenitoStageCompany.

MAKING DIGITAL COLLAGES Illustrator and designer Bryan West will host a virtual workshop on how to make digital collages using photos and graphics. The collages will be created in Adobe Photoshop, experience using Photoshop or graphic design software is a plus, but not required. Registration to enroll in this workshop is $10/ materials are not included. This activity is designed for participants ages 18 and over and will take place on Zoom on March 8 from 6-7:30 pm. For information, visit sanbenitoarts.org.

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As the #1 team in South County we strive to listen to your needs and achieve your real estate goals!

WHY COMPASS Compass is a tech-based real estate brokerage that has quickly grown to become the country’s largest independent brokerage.

Our mission is to create the perfect real estate experience for every one of our clients. Compass provides tools, technology, and support to their agents that will enable us to provide an even higher level of service to our clients as they find a new place to call home.

RECENT SALES

19070 Clayton Ave Moragn Hill $2,000,000 Represented Seller

1566 Llagos Rd Morgan Hill $1,625,000 Represented Buyer

15055 Columbet Dr San Martin $1,280,000 Represented Seller

4831 Redwood Retreat Rd Gilroy | $1,650,000 Represented Seller

10881 Garza Ln Gilroy $1,315,000 Represented Seller

10766 Green Valley Drive Gilroy | $1,900,000 Represented Buyer

GARY PALACIOS The Palacios Group 408.623.5209 | gary.palacios@compass.com DRE 01396802 thepalaciosgroup.com Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate.

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