The year 2020 presents a challenge for all in Morgan Hill

By David Dindak

Photo by Marty Cheek
Bubble’s new owner David Dindak in the ‘vault’ of the downtown wine bar.

Yeah, it’s nearly summer and we’re still in shelter-in-place mode. Who wouldda thunk? However, things are looking up.

According to the Santa Clara County Health Department website, the number of new Covid-19 cases are in decline.  Retailers are now open for curbside service. Increasingly, people are out-and-about running, walking, biking, and enjoying the great weather we’re having . . . and Santa Clara County District 1 Supervisor Mike Wasserman is suggesting ways we can move through the state’s public health orders.

A couple of downtown eateries have re-opened for curbside, take-out and/or delivery.  The current list as I know it are AJ’s, Betto’s, Bubbles & Brew, GVA, House of Siam, Huntington Station, Jonty’s, Ladera Maurizios, Mo’s, My Pizza, Mr. Falafel, Noah’s, Odeum, Opa!, Rosy’s At The Beach, Sinaloa, Tac-Oh, and Trail Dust.  Those open to quench your liquid diet are Kelly’s Brewing Company, The Running Shop and Hops and TenFiveOne Cider Company.

Many of our wineries are open for retail and club pick-up. Our local Santa Clara Winery Association along with 23 others submitted a letter to powers-at-be asking for consideration of reopening before stage 3 with certain conditions. They’re also asking the state to permit bottle purchases without requirement of selling food along with a purchase. Visit www.santaclarawines.com for details.

Many restaurants, retailers, and wineries are offering specials. Call, check their websites, and/or email them for specific details and hours of operation.

Your hair’s gotta be needing some work. Rebecca at Three Red Heads  — [email protected], Cherisse’s Hair Salon — [email protected] and  A Visionary Salon Beauty Salon and Hair Restoration Center at (408) 979-1195 or text (408) 422-7198, are all ready to offer product and consultation. Bike Therapy is open for business and you can order gift cards as well as well as shop online and order gift cards from Maison-A.

Our Realtors and financial institutions are working as well, although in somewhat limited capacity. For sale inventories are relatively low, many sellers are eager to close, and interest rates are inviting. This creates a great opportunity for both sides of the transaction. Plus, with 3-D immersive technology the buyer can “walk through” homes without having to leave their living rooms.

The year 2020 certainly presents a challenge for all. Our downtown is the heart and soul of the community. Downtown businesses go above and beyond on a regular basis in support of large events like the Taste of Morgan Hill and Mushroom Mardi Gras, the latter of which has been cancelled, though no word yet on the Taste. They also come together as a group donating time, talent and funds, to support projects like keeping the Monterey Road twinkle tree lights on, and sponsoring the annual Christmas Tree.

Wine, Art and Music Stroll, our largest fundraiser, is still on the calendar for Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020.  But we’ll see. The final decision for Brew Crawl, our second largest fundraiser, is still on hold and the outlook is not promising.

To assist downtown struggling businesses, the Downtown Association is reaching out to the community via a Support Downtown Morgan Hill venture. Here’s how you can help:

Visit as many restaurants and businesses as often as you can. Post photos showing your support to social media. Go to our website at www.mhdowntown.org, click on SUPPORT DOWNTOWN MH! and find the button to purchase gift cards on-line from your favorite participating restaurants and businesses. You can also click the GoFundMe button and donate to the campaign. Donations of $25 or more earn two entries into our monthly drawing. You may donate gift cards and some other items to the GoFundMe raffles.

Lastly, downtown businesses are not the only establishments struggling to survive SIP.  Please share your dining and shopping experiences across all our community’s businesses, again, visiting as many and often as you can.

On another note, the city is considering, at least temporarily, a lane diet along the downtown corridor as part of the Complete Streets project. The plan is to close one lane in each direction providing opportunity for downtown retail and restaurants to expand the outdoor experience as we enter a “new normal” business recovery.  The Morgan Hill Downtown Association is currently crafting a survey for feedback from the membership.

David Dindak is the 2020 Morgan Hill Downtown Association president and part of Team Bubbles.