To help support staff at restaurants providing takeout or delivery, tip the same amount as you would if you were dining in.

Morgan Hill Life file photo Nacho Moya works on one of his sidewalk paintings in downtown Morgan Hill.

By Suman Ganapathy

Suman Ganapathy

As 2021 is now upon us, it is an ideal time to reflect, plan, and look forward with hope and good wishes for the future. We request you to make one of your new year’s resolutions a determination to patronize and support our local downtown businesses, and help with their future, too. Our beautiful and vibrant downtown is the very heart of this beloved city and needs your help.

 What can you do?  Shop in-store or online with our downtown retailers and personal services. Many provide curbside service and pickups to help with safe no-touch shopping. To help support staff at restaurants providing takeout or delivery, you can tip the same amount as you would if you were dining in.

Morgan Hill Life file photo
 A close up of the local wineries painting in front of Noah’s Bistro.

If you don’t need anything right now but would like to support them, retail, salon, or restaurant gift cards to spend through the year are perfect.

 You help in so many ways when you shop local. Shopping in our local economy adds to city revenues that are reinvested right back in our community as essential services. Many of the local businesses are owned by community members — our friends, neighbors, and family members. Local businesses also help and support us throughout the year with donations to our many causes, services, volunteering at local events, and giving back to our community. This is our turn to thank them for all they do, putting their trust in us and investing locally.

Of course, please take all the health and safety precautions for yourself and everyone in our community. Community health depends on working together as a big family of Morgan Hillians.

Don’t forget to check out local artist Nacho Moya who has completed his seven Downtown Streetscapes, eye catching sidewalk paintings that capture the vibrancy of our downtown. The map images on Monterey Road and Depot Street are part of the Morgan Hill Place Branding project, in partnership with the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, Visit Morgan Hill, and Santa Clara Wineries. Look out for these captivating streetscapes in front of Bubbles & Brew Restaurant, Amaré Real Estate/Craft Roots Restaurant, Bike Therapy, Coffee Guys, Mr. Falafel, Granada Hotel, and Royal Clothiers/Murphy Mercantile Store.

 Step into local establishments to pick up a copy of the entire downtown map on which the paintings are based, created by Renee Roberts of Design Factory Graphics. Maps include coupons for local businesses encouraging everyone to Buy Local.

 We don’t know what the year 2021 holds in store for all of us, but we hope we will be able to host all our events that were postponed or cancelled this year whenever it is safe to do so. The Downtown Wine, Art, and Music Stroll, Beer Crawl, and the Safe Trick or Treat. We will also continue with the brand-new tradition of the Car Cruise that we started this year.

 Wishing You a Happy New Year from all of us at the Morgan Hill Downtown Association.

Suman Ganapathy is a Morgan Hill Downtown Association board member. She is also a Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2018 alumnus, President-elect AAUW Morgan Hill, volunteer docent with the San Jose Museum of Art ‘Let’s Look at Art’ program, and Vice-Chair, Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission.