Published in the October 24 – November 6, 2018 issue of Morgan Hill Life

Photo by Marty Cheek
Rich Pescatore polishes his 1960 Rolls-Royce.

The 7th Annual British Fall Classic brought car enthusiasts from throughout California to downtown Morgan Hill Oct. 14 to show off their British-built automobiles. Hundreds of people roamed Monterey Road and took a peak into the interiors and engines of the cars as the vehicle owners put elbow grease into polishing the exteriors.

Rich Pescatori drove his 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud from his home in San Luis Obispo and showed off the luxury car in front of Morgan Hill Life’s office.

A member of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club of Northern California, this was the first time he participated in South Valley’s annual car show. The car he brought is unusual because the original owner had the manufacturer include a sunroof on it, he said.

“The first owner was a businessman in New York City,” he said. “I don’t know what business he had, but his office address was on Fifth Avenue, so he must have been doing good.”

The show is sponsored by On The Road Again Classics, a Morgan Hill-based company based which repairs and restores British and classic automobiles. The night before the car show, the company hosts a reception for participants to socialize.

“It’s a very nice event with wine and food for drivers and owners to get together and chat,” said car enthusiast Rachel Hill, who recently left her job at Bank of the West to work for On The Road Again. “Lots of great stories last night.”

British classic sports and saloon cars represented revered marques such as Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Jaguar, MG, Morgan, Triumph, Austin Healey, Lotus, Morris, and others.

“We are having a ball, absolutely having a ball,” Hill said. “This is one of the best shows of the season, and you can see it on the smiles on the faces of the drivers coming in here, it really is amazing. These guys are so happy to talk. The stories that they had last night were just fantastic.”

I look forward to next year’s British Classic.

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Photo courtesy Dawn Bussey
St. Louise staff enjoy a fun photo op by the Gilroy PD SWAT vehicle at this year’s BBQ.

South Valley residents enjoyed a friendly lunch with cops and firefighters in front of St. Louise Regional Hospital at the third annual Community Barbecue Saturday, Oct. 13. There were plenty of tasty hot dogs and hamburgers cooked up by the hospital’s CEO John Hennelly and his team of grill chefs. Kids got to shake hands and get a photo op with first responders and thank them for their service.

“Our first responders are really the essence of our life here in protecting us and our community,” said Faith Protsman, MD, chief of staff at Saint Louise. “We want to thank them. We don’t think they get enough thanks and recognition, and so we want to do something big for them.”

This year’s event was also the first time St. Louise brought in community partners including Gavilan Community College, RotoCare and the Foothill Clinic, which provide free glucose and blood pressure screenings.

Because of the Aug. 31 bankruptcy filing by Verity Health Systems which run St. Louise, this year’s event was completely donated by the employees, said Dawn Bussey.

“We raised some money from the physicians and staff who donated a large amount and the St. Louise Hospital Foundation funded the rest of it,” she said. “So that’s what made the BBQ even more wonderful today. We didn’t want to not do it.”

Thank you, St. Louise staff, for picking up the tab for this year’s hot dogs and burgers