Published in the March 30 – April 12, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Robert Airoldi
Robert Airoldi
We received a letter from Morgan Hill resident Debbie Tawney expressing her thanks to many local organizations and people who stepped up to help more than 150 people living in the Thousand Trails Campgrounds after rain inundated their homes March 13.
The water at Uvas Dam had risen so high that it was spilling and the level in the creek that runs through the park had risen so high it was covering the bridges needed to get in and out of the park. Firefighters evacuated the residents, many of whom had little notice to gather our belongings.
“The (California Department of Forestry) and the Red Cross jumped right in to try and take care of us,” she told us. “Even the San Martin Animal Shelter was incredible in the way that they took all of our animals and lovingly housed them for whatever length of time that we needed.”
The evacuees were later moved to the Presbyterian Church, which accommodated them. Debbie and her husband looked for a hotel room for themselves and three children. The Microtel Hotel on Condit Road helped out and immediately made the family feel welcome. During their three-day stay at the hotel, they received phone calls from both Morgan Hill Unified School District as well as the California Federation of Teachers to see how they were doing and to let them know they were there if they needed anything.
“The CDF, Red Cross, Presbyterian Church, San Martin Animal Shelter, Microtel Hotel, Morgan Hill Unified School District and Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers all were incredible,” she said. Morgan Hill is such a wonderful place to live. Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support and concern.”
It’s great to see a community take care of their own.
• • •
A part of Morgan Hill is growing in space. Proof came Jan. 16 when Expedition 46 Commander Scott Kelly shared photographs of a blooming zinnia flower aboard the International Space Station. The seeds for that flower came from Morgan Hill’s Sakata Seeds, an independent breeder of premium bedding plants, pot crops and cut flowers. Kelly wrote, “Yes, there are other life forms in space! #SpaceFlower #YearInSpace.”
This flowering crop experiment began Nov. 16, 2015. The challenging process of growing the zinnias provided an exceptional opportunity for scientists on Earth to better understand how plants grow in microgravity, and for astronauts to practice doing what they’ll be tasked with on a deep space mission: autonomous gardening. In late December, Kelly noticed the plants weren’t doing so well and told the ground team it might be better if astronauts aboard the space station were the ones to decide when to water.
A care guide gave basic guidelines while putting judgment capabilities into the hands of the astronaut who had the plants right in front of him. Rather than pages and pages of detailed procedures that most science operations follow, the care guide was a one-page, streamlined resource to support Kelly as an autonomous gardener. Soon, the flowers were on the rebound, and Jan. 12, pictures showed the first peeks of petals beginning to sprout on a few buds.
What an awesome accomplishment both here and in space!
• • •
Congratulations to Martin Murphy Middle School student Emily Munoz who won the Santa Clara County National History Day Competition with her exhibit “The Polio Vaccine: Exploring Unconventional Techniques for a Cure.” This will allow Emily to now compete on the state level at William Jessup University in Rocklin in May.
The National History Day Competition provides students with an opportunity to enhance critical thinking, research and writing skills by exploring local, state, national and world history. After analyzing and interpreting sources and drawing conclusions about topic’s significance in history, students present their work in original papers, websites, exhibits, performances, or documents in a group or as an individual. Competitions are held at the school, county, state and national levels.
Way to go, Emily!
• • •
The Rotary of Morgan Hill’s Outstanding Student Achievement Recognition Program honored eight exemplary young men and women from secondary schools for their academic performance, individual leadership, commitment to the community and overall commitment to excellence.
Each of these students was selected by their principals or teachers and are great scholars or students leaders who strive to make our community a better place. These students selflessly give of their time to help those in need in our area or have preserved in their education and life in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
“We are exceptionally proud of all of these young men and women who showcase positive leadership among their peers, and we know they will go on to achieve amazing things in life,” said Superintendent Steve Betando.
Each student also had the opportunity to identify a quote that reflected their philosophy for personal success:
Katie Meager, an 8th grader from St. Catherine’s School chose an anonymous writer’s quote, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
Jodi Rodriguez, an 8th grader from Britton Middle School, found Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy for success an excellent guide, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life — think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
Jaylene Baltazar, an 8th grader from Martin Murphy Middle School, values Albert Einstein’s quote, “Try not to become the person of success, but rather try to become the person of value.”
Ben Millward, a senior from Oakwood School, identified with Oscar Wilde’s quote, “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.”
Samantha Sadoff, a senior at Live Oak High School, named a proverb that reflected her thoughts about success, “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.”
Arthur Rodriguez, a senior at Ann Sobrato High School, reflected on Truman Capote’s quote when thinking of his philosophy for success, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
Jerry Juarez, a senior at Central High School, believes in John Wooden’s philosophy as attributing to his success, “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.”
Ana Barocio, achieving graduation at Community Adult School, likes the philosophy in Winston Churchill’s quote for achieving success, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
Congratulations to all eight students for their accomplishments.
