Published in the November 25 – December 8, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
Congratulations to the Morgan Hill Raiders Junior Midgets. The local football team finished the season with a 32-8 victory over the visiting Santa Clara Lions to claim the Peninsula Pop Warner Division 1 Championship. The win earns them a berth to the National Championships in Orlando, Fla. in early December. The squad finished the season 10-0-1.
In his emotional post- game speech, head coach John Scott — in his eighth year at the helm — praised his players, a supportive parent contingent and the coaching staff for a tremendous season-long effort. Scott said that in his time leading the team, he had “never worked with such a group of smart, dedicated, and hardworking coaching staff, and that he was lucky they let him be a part of this season,” giving special praise to Vince LaGatta and Bill Lara, the team’s respective offensive and defensive coordinators.
The team will host several fundraising events to offset traveling costs. A pasta feed will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday Nov. 28 at M & L Precision, 18665 Madrone Parkway, Morgan Hill. Those interested in donating on a corporate or personal level should contact Ally LaGatta at (408) 607-7457.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, Frank Leal for making the Nov. 8 “Black, White & Bling” gala a special celebration with your incredible generosity in supporting Community Solutions to raise a record $83,000. Leal, local business owners and residents had a fun time generating the money for the nonprofit organization to help survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in southern Santa Clara County.
The evening event was held at the Willow Heights Mansion in west Morgan Hill, which is owned by Leal. The entrepreneur is also the new owner of the Granada Theater in downtown Morgan Hill. He donated a package called “A Casablanca Evening,” which includes a multi-course dinner at the theater for 100 guests with wine pairings, a martini bar and live music.
The winning bidder for the package was Laney Bisbee, president and CEO of Structural Integrity Associates, who pledged $25,000 for the prize. Leal then offered another similar package to the next highest bidder, Janene Towner-Chernoff, branch manager of Guild Mortgage.
Leal is renovating the Granada, which he recently purchased from the city of Morgan Hill. He plans to reopen the 1950s-era theater as a full-time live entertainment venue. With Morgan Hill Life’s office directly across Monterey Road from the Granada, I’ll be watching out my window the transformation of the iconic building set to open as a venue next summer.
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Our good friend former Morgan Hill mayor Dennis Kennedy, 77, this month resigned from the Santa Clara Valley Water District board due to health concerns from a brain tumor. “As my health situation will not improve, I feel that it is in the best interest of the water district and the electorate for me to tender my resignation at this time,” he said in an email.
If you know and love Kennedy as we do, please join us 4 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center for a special ceremony to celebrate his life and leadership by renaming it after him.
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More than 150 P.A. Walsh STEAM Academy students on Wednesday Nov. 18 felt compelled to get to school by 6 a.m. — and moms and dads didn’t hesitate to drive or walk them in the wee morning cold and dark. It wasn’t exactly that the kids were overeager to get into their classrooms.
The families met with the Telemundo-48 TV crew readying themselves for the live broadcast from the elementary school campus. Lucrecia Borchardt, the Spanish-language channel reporter, had the camera on her as students, families, staff and community members assisted with the morning show’s weather reports.
“While the TV audience at home heard local and national news, Lucrecia moved into the school’s new science lab used to support the ‘S’ in STEAM,” Principal Teresa Sermersheim told us. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineeering, Art and Mathematics.
Telemundo TV visited the art lab where students were receiving lessons in making short animated movies. The show’s finale featured migrant pre-school 3- and 4-year-olds singing with the crowd.
Apparently, it’s never too early in the day to begin learning at Walsh STEAM Academy.
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Children in the Morgan Hill Unified School District will get a police escort at Target Tuesday Dec. 8 — and it’s not because of the danger of rowdy shoppers looking for holiday deals (that craziness happens on Black Friday). Each elementary school will pick 10 fourth graders to join an officer for a $100 shopping spree during the Morgan Hill Police Officers’ Association’s inaugural “Shop with a Cop” program.
“This will be a great opportunity for children to get to know a police officer and an opportunity for a police officer to influence a child in a positive way,” Sgt. Carlos Guerrero told us.
Money for the event was raised at the association’s golf tournament held Oct. 23 at Coyote Creek Golf Course. Each child will get 10 minutes to make a selection. They’ll be asked to buy something warm to wear, something for school and a toy or two.
Thanks MHPD for taking care of our young citizens!
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Chris Niemann
Music lovers at the South Valley Symphony’s upcoming Dec. 13 holiday concert at Gavilan College’s Theater will get a chance to pay respect to the victims of the recent acts of terrorism in Paris. Class of 2013 Sobrato High School graduate Christopher Niemann composed a special composition in honor of the people who were gunned down in the attack.
Niemann, 20, felt a compelling need to write a composition as a means of healing in remembrance of those who lost their lives Oct. 13. He sent the 5-minute piece to symphony conductor Anthony Quartucchio to consider adding to the upcoming concert.
“It’s going to be in the holiday spirit of healing in light of a great tragedy,” Quartucchio said. “This was one of those bursts of inspirations that took place in a matter of days. It’s really poignant and personal featuring some solos from the orchestra. For a composer to write something so moving and emotional so quickly is quite impressive.”
