Large animals becoming a big nuisance after Anderson Reservoir is drained

Feral Pigs are bothering homeowners around Anderson Reservoir now that it is empty. Photo courtesy City of Morgan Hill

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

Holiday Lake Estates homeowners have seen some unwanted guests recently. At least two herds of wild pigs have been seen running through streets, destroying yards and a meadow in this 500-home hillside community, leaving many residents fearful of letting their children and pets outside.

Some are pointing to the Valley Water District’s draining of Anderson Lake to seismically retrofit the dam as the culprit. They claim it opened the door to as many as 50 uninvited guests each night, who walk across the dry lake, and into this neighborhood.

But Valley Water District officials said they are “not the entity responsible for wild pig management. We have not seen any evidence . . . the lowering of Anderson is causing this issue.”

It’s Open Studios time. View the work of four local artists in their studios. The second Morgan Hill Open Studios event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 5 and 6.

See the oil and cold wax canvases of Janet Vaderhood, the mobile miniature sculptures of John Dorrance, the ag-themed ceramic sculptures of Abriam Alvarez, and the laser engraved art of Iryna Kulchytska. See all 50 participating artists from across the region and their art samples during a free meet-and-greet event from 3 to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Community and Cultural Center.

The Santa Clara County Library District presents the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s new bilingual exhibition Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields/Revolución en los Campos on display at the Gilroy Library from Nov. 5 to Jan. 23.

The exhibition shares the compelling story of the activist and leader, and the farmworker movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It features reproductions of historic and personal photographs with text in English and Spanish. It will detail Huerta’s life from her early influences, through the United Farm Workers’ grape boycotts and landmark agreements with grape-growing conglomerates.

“It is a privilege . . . to host an exhibition from a distinguished organization like the Smithsonian about a remarkable woman,” said County Librarian Jennifer Weeks. “At a time when women were expected to only play a domestic role, Huerta and her colleagues sacrificed their own well-being to challenge the system and create a better life for farmworkers.”

For information, visit www.sccld.org/dolores.