The church was built in 1894 and is the oldest church in Morgan Hill.

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

Photo by Marty Cheek The old carillon as the United Methodist Church.

After a few years hiatus, downtown is full of charming bell music once again. A brand new digital carillon is announcing the top of the hour from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the toll of recorded bells reminiscent of London’s Big Ben. This is followed by a hymn or folk tune.

The United Methodist Church, the white clapboard church on the corner of Monterey Road and Fourth Street, held a dedication ceremony at high noon March 17 to celebrate the return of carillon music. To honor the St. Patrick’s Day, the device’s loud speakers played “Danny Boy.”

The old election device from the 1950s broke several years ago and, because of lack of availability of parts, the church members found it was not repairable. They raised $3,000 to purchase and install a 21st-century digital device that simulates the sound of bells playing.

“Now that the carillon is back, people have been telling us how much they love them playing every hour,” said church member Bill Tindell. “We’re changing the music with the seasons. I think we have more than 200 songs that we can play now. It was really an act of love. A lot of people came together and donated the money and really got it done.”

The church’s pastor, Reverend Dr. Linda Holbrook, commented at the simple ceremony that the church was built in 1894 and is the oldest church in Morgan Hill.

“We’re so happy that our bells are working again because this is a church that is part of Morgan Hill,” she said. “We are part of the community. And we hope that these bells when they ring, everybody in Morgan Hill will know that this church tries to make a difference in this community.”

If you’re downtown during the top of the hour, take a listen to the carillon bells ringing out and enjoy a tune or two.

The Poppy Jasper International Film Festival opens April 6 for eight days of cinematic art and entertainment from filmmakers across the U.S. and around the world. And to encourage South Valley residents to share their artistic talent, festival director Mattie Scariot is inviting movie lovers to create a poster to promote the event.

This is not a contest but a fun way to get creative using the medium of visual art, she stressed. All ages are welcomed, and entries will receive a free ticket to a movie screening.

“When you make a movie, you have to put a poster together, it’s part of promoting a film,” she said. “The art of poster making is just as creative as making a film. So I thought it would be great for artists to do their own version of what a poster for us would look like.”

Anyone can design and submit a poster. The artists can use any medium they wish, including paint or photography.

The festival will put the posters on social media platforms and also is going to print them out on paper so Poppy Jasper guests can see them in a gallery-like setting, she said.

“It’s just a way of engaging the community and promoting local art and getting people excited about being part of the film festival. I don’t want to tell the artists what they should do,” Scariot said. “I want to have them get creative and find their own interpretation of the film festival poster.”

April 1 is the deadline to send the poster to [email protected].

After its longtime pastor Mike Garner died from a heart attack recently, the San Martin Presbyterian Church will find itself starting 1 p.m. Sunday April 3 sharing the services of Rev. Trevor Van Laar, the pastor of the Gilroy Presbyterian Church.

The church congregation has 15 members and among them Morgan Hill resident Chick Spain asked us to let our readers know of its long history in San Martin.

The first service took place Sunday, March 27, 1898 when nine individuals representing three families came together to worship at the San Martin School at Depot and South streets. The historic church is located at 13200 Lincoln Ave. (around the corner from the San Martin Post Office off Llagas Avenue).

“For many years the church enjoyed growth,” Spain said in a letter to us. “However, as the younger generations enjoyed a less formal way to worship, SMPC lost membership. We feel that there are still a few who would enjoy singing the old hymns and order of worship.”

The Stebbins Family 8th annual Diapers and Wipes drive Benefiting Community Solutions is now taking place.

They are accepting donations until the end of April.

Please contact Lisa Stebbins for donation and drop-off information. Call her at (408) 607-3200 or email [email protected].