Cleaning up our neighborhoods and streets is part of Bailey’s culture

Owners and staff of Bailey Plumbing regularly pick up trash throughout Morgan Hill. Photo courtesy Bailey Plumbing

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

Each Saturday for a couple of hours, some or all of the owners and employees at Bailey Plumbing, Inc,. volunteer their time picking up trash along city streets throughout the city of Morgan Hill.

As a company, owners James and Joseph Bailey told us that they remind themselves daily of how grateful they are to have a community that supports their business, which is how they make a living and support their families. This is their way of giving back!

By picking up trash, they are setting a good example for others to follow, building trust, and strengthening their sense of community. They understand the interconnectedness of their success and the well-being of the community.

“Cleaning up our neighborhoods and streets is not just a task that we do, but speaks to the core values that we live at our company about taking pride in where we work, giving back, being grateful, and being a positive role model for our co-workers, family and friends,” said James Bailey.

Great job! You are an inspiration to others who may pick up the idea.

Former Morgan Hill resident Kathryn Liebschutz, who — in the wake of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 — asked for and was granted permission to bring her rescue/therapy Boxer/Great Dane mix named Orion to the San Jose Airport to help alleviate travelers’ anxieties about flying again.

At the time, airports across the United States faced unprecedented challenges ensuring the safety and well-being of passengers. They needed more than just logistical support, they needed comfort, understanding, and a way to cope with the heightened stress of air travel.

Orion brought comfort to both passengers and employees and became the first member of the airport’s Therapy Animal Program known up until now as the K9 Crew.

Over the years, the SJC Therapy Animals Program has evolved one paw at a time and has inspired more than 90 airports across the country to integrate therapy animals into their customer experience programs. In March 2017, San Jose Airport took another groundbreaking step in the world of airport therapy animals by introducing the first-ever therapy cat, Mokey. Today they have 44 active therapy animals comprised of 40 dogs, four cats and, coming soon, one rabbit.

After 22 years of volunteer service, they recently announced the renaming of Therapy Animals program from the K9 Crew to “SJC Happy Tails.” The name has a four-fold meaning. It represents the animals, airplane tails, a pun on the travel phrase “Happy Trails” and the countless uplifting tales shared by our passengers who have interacted with the animals.

If you and your furry family member want to join the Happy Tails family, please visit www.flysanjose.com/volunteer#therapy-animal-volunteers for source group contact information. If your organization is interested in becoming a source group, please email [email protected].

Beware the horrors that lurk in the imagination of South Valley’s teens. Gilroy and Morgan Hill libraries are hosting a spine-tingling flash fiction contest for aspiring authors to spin terrifying tales in 100 words or less.

Calling all creative ghouls and goblins age 12-18 to unleash your scariest stories for a chance at frightful glory! Prizes will reward the most shriek-inducing narratives from each city. One bone-chilling champion will rise above all to claim the title of the supreme horror scribe.

But be warned, weird wordsmiths: Your paranormal pages must drip with dread.

“We want stories that make you think afterward,” said Ashley Bembry of Gilroy’s Teen Advisory Board, the group which cooked up the competition.

Member Nour Elali agrees: “Even if it’s short, it should be powerful. It should be scary.”

Will Morgan Hill or Gilroy pen the most hair-raising, nightmare-fueling fiction? The contest is open to all local teens ready to conjure some serious spooks in their stories.

Visit Gilroy Library’s website for details, or find them on Gilroy TAB’s Instagram.

Each library competes against the other to find the best fright-filled fabrications. Prizes go to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for each library, and an overall champion will be crowned. Contestants will be judged on uniqueness and creativity. The best spooky tales will be showcased in Morgan Hill  Life.

The deadline nears. So sharpen those quills — if you dare!