By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
What makes Morgan Hill such a great place to live? There are a lot of reasons, but one was especially evident Halloween night. The Morgan Hill Downtown Association’s Safe Trick or Treat offered families the opportunity to stroll through downtown dressed in costumes while Halloween music blared from the downtown speakers. Watching the droves of people enjoying the beautiful northern California weather while meeting old friends and making new ones reminded me why Morgan Hill is such a unique place. Good job to all the volunteers involved who helped make the fun happen.
Speaking of downtown and all the reasons that make Morgan Hill exceptional, here’s another one. Downtown will now host a Thursday night year-round Farmer’s Market located in the former Simple Beverages parking lot at the corner of Third Street and Monterey Road. The market, which began Halloween night, runs from 3 to 7 p.m. in the winter, with later hours come summer, according to Raquel Crowell, with the MHDA. Interested vendors should contact www.westcoastfarmersmarkets.org.
One of our community’s most important events comes this spring, but it’s time to begin planning. I’d bet everyone of us knows someone or some family impacted by cancer. My mother survived colon cancer a decade ago, and an estimated 40 percent of us will be diagnosed with cancer. Because two-thirds of all cancers are preventable, the 2014 American Cancer Relay for Life is an important fundraising event. Teams are forming now for next year’s event at Community Park. Those interested can visit www.relayforlife.org/morganhillca to sign up or email Valerie Renggli at [email protected] for more information.
Congratulations to Mount Madonna School senior Roger Hooker, who recently was named a Commended Student in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Earning this distinction signifies that a student scored in the top 5 percent of the more than 1.5 million students nationwide who took the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Hooker is one of 18 in the senior class and one of about 34,000 high school seniors across the country commended for their exceptional academic promise.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott has appointed Derek Witmer, 46, of Watsonville, as the Unit Chief of the Santa Clara Unit. Chief Witmer has 28 years of fire service. He began his career as a paid call firefighter with the Salispuedes Fire District in 1985, rising through the ranks to fire captain. In addition to his responsibilities as unit chief, he will also serve as the fire chief for the South Santa Clara County Fire District and the Morgan Hill Fire Department. Congratulations, Chief!
The Britton Bobcat girls softball won its last seven games en-route to the league championship and an 8-1 record. It was the 10th championship in 16 years for the Morgan Hill middle school. The league playoffs were held at Britton. The dominant Bobcat defeated Sierramont 17-3, Bernal 21-5, and Chaboya in the title game, 24-7. Congratulations, Bobcats!
The organizers of the British Fall Classic Car Show presented a check for $5,800 to Community Solutions from the proceeds of the recent car show. Many thanks go to major sponsors Ladera Grill and Heritage Bank.
