Published in the January 18 – January 31, 2017 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

Congratulations to Morgan Hill resident Sharon Winchester, whose Hammered Copper Dog Tag gift was included in the swag bags given to celebrities, select press and media and other VIPs at the recently-held Golden Globes.

In 2013, Winchester started her company that makes handcrafted, unique gifts. A Detroit native, she and her husband moved to Morgan Hill in 2012. “My husband lived here for a few years in the late 1980s and loved it. When he was offered a job at Apple, he knew Morgan Hill was where we should move to and would be a perfect place to raise our two girls,” she said. “He was right!”

The 40-year-old artist said she was blown away when she heard the news.

“It is such an honor to have something I created in the hands of such a diverse, talented, and influential group of people.”

And it’s wonderful to learn we have such talented and successful artists like Winchester practicing their jewelry craft here in the South Valley.

To learn more about The Sleek Kitty visit www.etsy.com/shop/thesleekkitty, or email [email protected].

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Jennifer Carman

Jennifer Carman, the city of Goleta’s planning and environmental review director, has been hired as the new community development director for Morgan Hill. Carman’s priorities will be to lead the facilitation of the Land Development Review process, and provide hands-on assistance to support the comprehensive use of the newly installed electronic permit tracking/licensing system (TRAKit), according to a press release from the city.

Carman said she plans to relocate to the Bay Area and is looking forward to serving the Morgan Hill community. “I am excited to use my local government leadership experience and professional training to help make significant contributions to the long-term success of Morgan Hill,” she said.

City Manager Steve Rymer said she has a wealth of experience that will be valuable for the city council, planning commission, professional team, and community. “We are very excited to have her as a new teammate.” She will begin her new position with the Feb. 13. Welcome to Morgan Hill, Jennifer.

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It sure was a wet early January with all the rain we got. It’s great that the rains added 350 billion gallons of water to California’s reservoirs, filled our local ones, helped replenish the aquifer, and get much of the state out of a five-year drought. But the rains also created and enlarged many of the potholes that dot our local city and county roadways. They were bad before the rains, but some are now so large I see many motorists avoiding them at all costs. Glad Measure B passed and the city will get some funds to begin repairs, but with even more rains coming this winter and spring I can only imagine what they might look like come summer. Don’t get lost in those potholes!

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Noah’s Bistro will hold a fundraiser from 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 2 to raise money for the Britton Middle School Volcano Kids Club, which will visit Costa Rica in April where they will visit the rainforest, explore volcanoes and study the flora and fauna of the rainforest. They will be up close to the unique wildlife, have a chance to meet and talk to volcano scientists and biologists specializing in the wildlife of Costa Rica. Noah’s will donate 10 percent of the proceeds for food sold between 4 and 8 p.m. There will also be a raffle and silent auction with prizes ranging from local restaurant gift certificates to bicycles and helmets.

See you at Noah’s Feb. 2!

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Dan Sullivan

Sunday Minnich, the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras executive director, told us that the festival’s board president Dan Sullivan last week stepped down from the prestigious post after 11 years. Under his leadership, the Mardi Gras raised more than $400,000 in scholarships for high school seniors who reside in the Morgan Hill Unified School District. In 37 years, more than $1 million in scholarship money has been given to local Morgan Hill students thanks to the festival’s fund(gus)-raising endeavors. (Sorry, bad pun.)
Replacing Sullivan is board member Bob Benevento, who has been the festival’s volunteer coordinator since 2011. He recently left the Morgan Hill Unified School District board of trustees when he decided not to seek another term.

Thank you, Dan, for your many years of work as festival president. And the best of luck to you, Bob, as you take on the mantle of leadership.