Santa on his Magic Ship will visit with children

Photo by Marty Cheek
 Residents admire the Morgan Hill Holiday Tree at the corner of Dunne Avenue and Monterey Road.

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

It’s that magic time of year. The 36th annual Kiwanis Holiday Lights Parade is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 in our downtown. Typically the parade lasts about one hour, traveling down Monterey Road from First to Fifth streets. Organizers expect about 60 units with bands, fire engines, youth groups, dancers, and floats. It ends with Santa and his Magic Ship of Christmas.

After the parade, meet front of the Community and Cultural Center where the famous man with the toys for all the girls and boys and Mayor Mark Turner will light the city tree. After the lighting, Santa on his Magic Ship will visit with children. For details, visit morganhillkiwanis.org.

Put on a warm coat, a Santa hat, and bundle up the kids, and we’ll see you at the parade.

A San Martin resident on vacation got a call from his daughter the morning of Saturday Nov. 4 alerting him that his two pet baby goats were killed. It was determined by an employee of Equine and Livestock Removal Services that the likely culprit was a male juvenile mountain lion, said John Tagliaferri, who lives just off Columbet Avenue about a mile from the eastern foothills.

Three chickens and a neighbor’s cat also were killed.

“I was shocked,” said Tagliaferri, who has lived there for almost 30 years. “I’ve seen skunks, racoons, and foxes, but never a mountain lion.”

Tim Daly, a public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said while not knowing the specifics of this attack, half of California is considered mountain lion habitat.

“It is entirely possible that mountain lions live in that area,” he said.

The attack probably occurred sometime between 3:30 and 9 that morning, Tagliaferri said. The goats were seen on a camera in their pen at 3:30 a.m. and it was at 9 a.m. his daughter found them dead.

It appeared the lion unsuccessfully tried to dig under an enclosure in which he has two baby pigs.

Mountain lions, in particular, are notoriously known for preying on livestock and even injuring or killing pets. If you live in a vacation home or a country home patrolled by mountain lions, you should take precautions, Daly said. This will help to keep your family safe as well as the pets.

For more information, visit www.cdfw.ca.gov.

We got some good news from Lana Wright of Lana’s Dance Studio which took home first place for the best jazz performance, choreographed by former student of 15 years, Josh Escover. The Industry Dance Awards is formed from 12 major dance competitions, and seven conventions held throughout the United States and abroad. Nominees are selected from these venues to represent the best of the best in each genre of dance. This final competition was held in Hollywood last month. “It was a thrill and an honor to represent Morgan Hill and the surrounding cities of so many talented dancers,” Wright told us.

 

 

Since 1957 the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce has hosted the Celebrate Awards, honoring the outstanding people and businesses of Morgan Hill. Every year community members submit nominations in eight categories and a panel comprised of the past five years of recipients reviews the submissions and selects the next year’s honorees.

Award recipients are celebrated throughout the year at various chamber and community functions including the 4th of July Parade, Holiday Lights Parade and Celebrate Awards formal themed dinner. 2023 Celebrate Nomination Forms are OPEN and can be submitted via email or snail mail. See www.morganhillchamber.org/celebrate

Please provide detailed information outlining why you are nominating this candidate. The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Nov. 28

Last month, St. Louise Regional Hospital executives, doctors and staff delivered “thank you” packages to 15 law enforcement, fire, and EMS facilities in Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill.

This marks the eighth year SLRH has recognized South County first responders.

Thanks to all of you for doing your best to keep our communities safe and healthy!

The National Pony Express Association, California Division, will hand-cancel your Christmas Cards with a Commemorative Postal Cancellation stamp and place the cards in the mochila sack to be carried by 11 riders. They will travel the 30 miles of Historical Pony Express Trail from Folsom Museum to the Old Sacramento USPS starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 9. Pony Express member Lyn Fellows has placed a collection chest with Brad Jones at BookSmart in Morgan Hill and with Amy Boucher at Saddles and Treasures in Gilroy. Your Christmas cards must be dropped at one of these two locations by Dec. 5.