Despite failing to save himself in the game, Morgan Hill man said, “The way I played, I’m really proud.”

Naseer Muttalif

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

Morgan Hill resident Naseer Muttalif was on the wrong end of a blindside on the Nov. 17 episode of “Survivor 41,” being voted out with a hidden Immunity Idol in his pocket. The sales manager said in a video after the show, that he did not play his idol because he thought the numbers were on his side to pull off a clean vote against Heather Aldret.

“It was a huge blindside,” he admits, adding that he trusted Shan Smith more than he should have. “That was my problem.”

Despite failing to save himself in the game, “The way I played, I’m really proud,” he said. The 36-year-old partly learned English through watching “Survivor,” so it was a major milestone to get to play on the CBS show and make it to the final 10 players.

Photo by Robert Airoldi
Workers remove four Black Locust trees and the brick planter boxes on the corner of Monterey Road and First Street.

Some residents have expressed their concerns to me and on social media about the legalities of replacing four black locust trees in the downtown district with olive trees. The city trees were located on the southwest corner of First Street and Monterey Road and were brought down on Nov. 23.

At the Nov. 17 council meeting, councilmembers approved a request from the owner Frank Leal, who earlier this year purchased the office building at 17485 Monterey Road, to change the trees. A city statement explained the situation to the public.

“The City Council can consider a tree replacement for trees not listed in the Street Tree Master Plan. While olive trees are not listed in the Street Tree Master Plan due to the maintenance requirement to prevent fruiting, the property owner has agreed to the necessary ongoing maintenance.

“The owner is also responsible for the cost associated with removing the existing trees, installing the new olive trees, and modifications to the planters. The owner has further committed to all maintenance, ongoing treatments, and liability relating to the trees.”

The press release also noted that “any of the planters’ decorative pieces and/or benches will be used elsewhere in downtown or saved for replacement as needed in the future.” The removal of the planters was requested by city staff (and not initiated by the developer) as development occurs to support ongoing improvement to the public space.

“The changes will support enhanced aesthetics and provide more space for those using the sidewalks.”

Just in time for the holidays, Morgan Hill businesswoman Julie Lucido has moved her refill shop from her home’s garage to a retail store downtown. The FillerUp Shop refills body care and household cleaning products and sells a wide array of earth-friendly goodies such as reusable straws, bamboo scrub brushes, and produce bags. Located at 125 West Main Ave., the shop is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“I never imagined that my desire to stop wasting and start reusing would be embraced by so many others and evolve into a full-fledged business,” Lucido told us.

Customers bring empty containers and fill them with body care and household cleaning products such as shampoo, lotion, soap, and laundry detergent. Most products are locally sourced, plant based and eco-friendly. The majority of shop items are plant-based and made from natural ingredients without harmful additives, such as parabens.

Since opening during the pandemic, Lucido tracked how many pounds of plastic her customers have kept out of the landfill by refilling containers instead of throwing them in the trash. To date her customers have kept more than a thousand pounds of plastic out of the landfill.

Real estate agents from EXIT Realty Keystone will host Pet Photos with Santa from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 at 16175A Monterey Road. All dogs and their human friends will receive a doggy biscuit bag, people treats, and a photo with Santa emailed to them following the event.

“We are so happy to present our first Pet Photo with Santa event to our wonderful community,” said Margaret Vierra, broker and member of Team Vierra. “We appreciate the support we receive from our clients, and the entire community.”

Call (408) 778-9990 to book a time slot.