Published in the August 20 – September 2, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Robert Airoldi
The race for the four seats on the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees got a lot more crowded. Because current Board Member Claudia Rossi is running for the county’s education board, and Morgan Hill Board President Don Moody and Vice-President Shelle Thomas decided not to run for re-election, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters extended the filing date for those interested in getting on the school board. Five more candidates threw their hats in the ring, bringing the number to nine. In order of their filing, here are the names of school board candidates voters will consider at the ballot box Nov. 4: David Gerard, Donna Foster Ruebusch, Stephen F. Klem, Ron Woolf (the only incumbent), Gino Borgioli, Janine Moreno, Ann Horner, Armando Benavides, and Brenda Cayme.
To learn more about these nine as well as the four candidates for City Council, attend the public forum that Morgan Hill Life will co-sponsor with the local branch of the American Association of University Women at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Council Chambers.
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In recent years, there’s been debate about building a hiking trail on El Toro, the iconic mountain west of downtown Morgan Hill. Morgan Hill Life encourages residents to attend the special Parks and Recreation Commission meeting at 7 p.m. Sept. 4 at the City Hall Council Chambers to learn about what city staff propose as an “access strategy” for the trail system and give their input to the PRC members.
The strategy proposes that a main trail-head be located at the West Hills Community Church on DeWitt Avenue, with potential neighborhood access points located at the end of Dunne, Alkire, Via Grande and Main avenues. The primary access is intended to attract people using vehicles to reach the trails, and the neighborhood access is intended for local residents and to guarantee connectivity with local streets, said City Associate Engineer David Gittleson.
Interested in reading the draft? Then go to the city of Morgan Hill’s El Toro webpage on Aug. 22 when the Access Strategy draft will be posted. The webpage can be found at www.morganhill.ca.gov/index.aspx?NID=1054
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Morgan Hill Life went hog wild for the members of the Morgan Hill Future Farmers of America after learning about their ag efforts at this summer’s Santa Clara County Fair’s livestock show and auction. The chapter received blue ribbons in swine, lamb and goat divisions.
Chapter president Alexis Budde, a 17-year-old senior at Live Oak High School, presented her 81-pound goat Dori and the animal won FFA Grand Champion and Supreme Champion and Advanced Market Showmanship.
In showing her lamb Sass, 17-year-old Live Oak High School senior Marissa Smith won the FFA Grand Champion and Supreme Champion Market Lamb as well as Advanced Lamb Showmanship. The FFA chapter’s vice president also came in top place in the Advanced Swine Market Hog Showmanship and Advanced Beef Showmanship.
Photo courtesy Gavilan College
Ron Hannon, dean of kinesiology and athletics, and Nikki Dequin, Gavilan Rams softball coach and Coast Conference Coach of the Year, with Paige Miguel, Gavilan’s Student Athlete of the Year.
Live Oak junior Jacob Milos, age 17, won with his 256-pound pig (conveniently named “Pig”) the FFA Grand Champion Market Hog judging and freshman Geno Beltran did Morgan Hill proud by receiving the FFA Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog.
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Drum roll please. The 2013-14 Gavilan College Student-Athlete of the Year Award is … Paige Miguel, the pitcher of the women’s softball team.
The award was presented by Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit BBQ in Gilroy. Paige had a cumulative grade point average of 3.19 for the academic year, posting a 3.7 GPA during the spring semester, a personal best. She was recognized as a President’s Scholar during the spring term.
