Just Follow the SignsSanta Clara Valley Wine Trail

2014 PHILANTHROPY AWARD RECIPIENTS

LEADERSHIP MORGAN HILLCLASS OF 2014 GRADUATION

IT’S OURS! OUR MORGAN HILL

THE TASTE…A PHOTO ESSAY

VILLA MIRA MONTEHISTORICALLY SPEAKING

FALL 2014

magazine

Plus

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34-37It’s Ours! Our Morgan Hill

The Man Behind the Popular Morgan Hill Facebook Page

16 Celebrating 21 Years of Service The Learning & Loving Center

20 Morgan Hill’s Finest Meet Sharron Daniel

30 2014 Philanthropy Award Recipients Morgan Hill Community Foundation

38 Villa Mira Monte Historically Speaking

50 Flash From The Past Bill Hiland’s Classic British Sports Cars

52 Mark Hoffmann’s Magic Kingdom Creating Fun and Magic

54 Mission Accomplished Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2014

60 Those Who Do John McKay, Man of Few Words, Much Action

26-28Just Follow The SignsSanta Clara Valley Wine Trail

42-45A Blueprint For Morgan HillCharles Weston & Leslie Miles

Be sure to visit our website morganhilltoday.net and/or tell us what you think of our Fall 2014 Issue at facebook.com/morganhilltoday.

Inside This Issue

LOOK WHO CHRISTINE GIUSIANA FOUND ON FACEBOOK: (clockwise) Robin Nielsen, ready to cook some wonderful healthy food; Pamela Meador, enjoying a sunset in Hawaii; John and Vivian Varela; Marian Tankersley and Terri Moriyama enjoying life and some wine at Bubbles; Jim Sergi, Chamber Mixer at Guglielmo Winery; and John Bautista enjoying Giants baseball with his son John IV.

ABOUT THE COVER: Special thanks to Susan Brazelton for her beautiful photograph of autumn fog stretching over a vineyard at sunrise — taken at Clos La Chance Winery.

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 44

J. Chris Mickartz

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5 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

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M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 46

Winning over

Hearths and

Homes Since 1979

www.energy-house.comEmail: info@energy-house.com

8284 Murray Ave. Unit A, Gilroy (408) 842-6570

With a NEW Wood, Pellet or Gas stove or insert from the Energy House!

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Quick Stats

Teri Nelson, RealtorIntero Real Estate Services

of the terms that are used throughout a Real Estate transaction can confuse clients as to its full meaning or what it means to them as a client.

Sales are very brisk but we are not seeing as many multiple

Four Terms That Confuse Clients Many

2014 JULYAUGUSTSEPTEMBER

Active/Pending 75 93 92

Homes Sold 35 45 42

Days On Market 33 55 51

Sale To List Ratio 99.3% 98.9% 99.1%

GOODFAITHESTIMATEOne of the most common misunderstood terms is the good faith estimate that is given to a buyer or a seller for their closing costs on a home. These costs are ESTIMATES that are based on the date the escrow will close and an estimated sales price along with title fees and lender fees where applicable. These can change if home warranty, termite work, needed repairs, closing date changes, or any added negotiation changes happen after the contract is signed. Be aware and prepared to have some extra cash to be sure you can close escrow. Estimates are given as a guideline and though they are close in accuracy they most of the time are not exact.

PRE-APPROVALA lender offers a pre-approval letter to the borrower with the amount that the bank will lend based on the facts that are provided. If any of the information changes in any way while the borrower is getting the loan this can dramatically change the approval. Buying any large item on a credit card or payment plan can actually change the buyer’s ability to qualify for the home. It is best to not make any purchases during escrow. Buy the furniture and appliances or lend your child money after the escrow closes, not just after the bank verifies your statements. The lenders often check bank accounts and credit just before close to be sure things have not changed. Be aware that a job change can also affect your loan. The key is to be conservative and patient until you are in your new home.

THE“COMP”The term comp refers to the comparable sale or listing that is a close match to the home you are selling or purchasing. It is not an exact science so your agent’s knowledge of pricing a home for sale or negotiating the best price for a purchase is paramount. Homes have different locations, upgrades, and schools that can change a price dramatically. Be sure to ask how your agent arrived at the price range for your home. When you are getting a complete market analysis, agents take care in studying all the factors similar to an appraiser to come up with a price range. It is not just one home that sold but a variety of neighborhood homes and conditions. Internet “comps” do not know the variances of neighborhood or upgrades that can change a price immensely. Be sure to ask a great agent for a true determination of price and do not determine your price for buying or selling from internet information alone.

MLSMultiple Listing Services provides current and past listings and sales for everyone to access. This shows homes that are open and gives buyers and sellers a vehicle to see what is available and an estimated price range; where they may see their home selling. It is the agent, however, that has access to the most information on the home and can give you a true evaluation.

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Coalition members (l-r): Don Nguyen, Peggy Woolf, Ron Woolf, Carolyn Carothers, Kiki Nakauchi, Charlene Tai, and Roger Beaulieu.

ANNUAL FALL GIVE AWAYA Gift To Morgan Hill Teachers From The Teacher’s Aid Coalition

Our readers are so fortunate to live in a community with so much heart, where there never seems to be a shortage of places to go, people to see, and organizations to support.

As you will see in the following pages, these past few months have provided an abundance of all of the above. Morgan Hill Today is happy to include as many of these wonderful events and activities, as space allows. We encourage community organizations and businesses to let us know about their efforts to support the community.

We thank them for continuing to make Morgan Hill a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

Morgan Hill CommunityHappenings

The record turnout of some 100 Morgan Hill Unified School District teachers were on hand on September 25th, at P. A. Walsh Elementary School for the Annual Fall Teachers Classroom Supply Giveaway. The event helps teachers with needed classroom supplies that they would otherwise need to purchase with their own funds. The Teacher’s Aid Coalition (TAC) is a non-profit organization affiliated with the Morgan Hill Community Foundation that was organized in 1999 by founder, Jon Hatakeyama to provide classroom supplies for Morgan Hill’s public educators.

Funds for these efforts are raised through the TAC’s popular annual “Chocolate & Wine For Valentines” slated for February 7, 2015 at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center. This event has the support of the Morgan Hill Rotary Club. Anyone who wishes to support our local public school teachers, please attend this fun event. More information can be obtained by contacting TAC President, Roger Beaulieu at robeau339@gmail.com .

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ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVALAt Guglielmo Winery

Guglielmo Winery’s 23rd Annual Harvest Festival was once again a great success! This Festival is so much fun, it sells out well in advance. Once again the Guglielmo brothers, George, Gene and Gary out did themselves in preparing yet another fabulous Santa Maria Steak Dinner with all the trimmings.

The day was highlighted by games of skill, Salami Toss, Botched-Up Bocce Ball, raffles, and of course, fine wine tasting. The evening was capped off with live music and dancing. The ‘Heartbeats’ played to a thrilled crowd of over 400. Needless to say, everyone had a great time. You’ll want to get your tickets early if you’re planning on attending next year.

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Scott Parker & Leah DeLane as Hiram Morgan Hill/Diana Murphy Hill

Roger Knopf, Ruby King, Don Bonino, Janie Knopf

Don & Lucy Walsh

Mike & Erin Monroe Honoree, Vic Puppo

Ron Ward, Ed Acton & Paul Ward

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JUST SHARING A FEW WORDS FROM MAYOR STEVE TATE

“Morgan Hill is a wonderful place to live. I love this city, I cherish its history, enjoy all it has to offer today and very much look forward to the things being planned for the future. I am proud of the leadership roles I have played as a planning com-missioner, a city council member and mayor in shaping today’s and tomorrow’s Morgan Hill.

In my annual State of the City presentation last February, I underscored a strong theme for the year of “staying the course,” meaning completing all the projects and activities we already have underway and not starting any large new initiatives. We need to complete our goals for downtown revitalization, general plan update, preservation planning for the southeast area, and upgrading infrastructure (in-cluding flood control) to the best of our ability.

I have committed and delivered in four terms now, I promise to remain open, honest, respectful and accessible, providing common sense leadership — “staying the course” and making Morgan Hill even better! ”

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FARM TO TABLE Presented By THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY FARM BUREAU

The Santa Clara County Farm Bureau continued its successful Farm to Table Harvest Celebration on Saturday, September 20th at Uesugi Farms Pumpkin Park. The fundraising event brought together farmers, ranch-ers, elected officials, and community members.

The evening began with appetizers paired to local wines and contin-ued with salad and entrées created by the Epicurean Group’s chefs. Each of the eight entrées was paired with a different local wine and included produce from around the Santa Clara County. A steer raised by a local FFA student and purchased at the county fair was used in every entrée dish in a nose-to-tail fashion.

Live Oak & Sobrato FFA Erin Gill & Guests

Peter Aiello & Guests

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The Taste Celebrates 25 Years Of FunThe Taste of Morgan Hill is a great big block party that goes on for two days. This

year was the 25th anniversary of the event and was one of the best ever. Over 125 vendors, displays and information booths lined both sides of Monterey from

Main to almost Fourth. From Fourth to West Dunne over 100 classic cars ruled the road. At the Community & Cultural Center, the South Valley Quilt Association presented the 11th annual Harvest Quilt & Fiber Arts Show.

Near Main, an extended children’s area filled the space. Food booths and a Wine & Beer Pavilion dominated the Third Street area. The Third Street stage hosted music and entertainment throughout the event. A stage on the west side of the intersection of Second

13 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

The Taste Celebrates 25 Years Of Funand Monterey held another stage. More food booths were available on Second Street.

On Saturday evening a large crowd stayed until 10 for the second annual Saturday Night Street Dance with music by Shane Dwight and Entourage.

One of the true mysteries with events like the Taste of Morgan Hill is the transformation of a downtown street on Friday to a vibrant two-day street fair and back to traffic on Monday. Hats off to the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and the 150 volunteers who made this happen.

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W e are continuing our series with a discussion about

lasers and their use in dentistry. Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) technology has been used in various types of medical procedures for decades. Over the past several years, lasers have become a useful method for treating a variety of dental conditions with great success. This includes treating cavities, gum disease, surgical procedures and root canals to name a few. It is important to mention that the lasers used in dentistry come in a variety of types and that there is no one laser that is suitable for every procedure. The two most common types of lasers used are hard-tissue and soft-tissue lasers. The former has the ability to precisely remove tooth structure as well as soft tissue while the latter is primarily used to treat soft tissue.

Aside from the syringe, the one piece of dental equipment that strikes fear in the hearts of many is the dental handpiece, or as many like to call it, the “drill.” What if you could have a cavity prepared and filled without using either a syringe or a handpiece? That is actually possible now with a dental laser. Depending on the size and location of the cavity, the laser is able to remove the decay and often do this without any anesthesia. The dentist has the ability to adjust the parameters of the laser to remove the diseased tooth structure at a rate that does not elicit a pain response from the tooth. Because of the great variety in pain thresholds and body chemistry, it is impossible to say that everyone will be able to be treated without anesthesia, but for most it is possible. This ability to treat decay without anesthesia has been extremely useful in treating children.

Another exciting use for dental la-

sers is the treatment of gum disease. Lasers have the ability to precisely and selectively interact with diseased tissue. Gum disease and periodontal disease (disease of the supporting bone) can often be a frustrating dental condition to treat. The underlying cause of gum disease is bacteria. Bacteria can often be elusive creatures to treat and recur at a very high rate. Typical therapies include more frequent cleanings, deep cleanings and the use of localized medicaments. If the disease has progressed significantly, then surgical intervention may be suggested. Incorporating a laser into the treatment of gum disease can dramatically improve treatment outcome and long-term stability. In addition, lasers are being used as an alternative to traditional gum surgery with great success. One of the reasons for this is how the laser interacts with the bacteria causing the disease. Certain laser wave-lengths actually target and kill harmful bacteria. Also, the laser, through a process called bio-stimulation, can stimulate and bolster the healing process.

Lasers have also become the treatment modality of choice for minor oral surgery procedures. For example, the removal of small growths, the removal of gum tissue for esthetic concerns and the release of a “tongue-tie” to name a few. The use of lasers can be less invasive, often eliminate the need for sutures and result in dramatically shorter healing times.

In conclusion, the technology of lasers has evolved dramatically in medicine and dentistry over the last decade. The use of dental lasers is expanding and becoming more widely used by dentists each year. It is possible that in the future lasers could conceivably replace the dental handpiece. In the hands of a properly trained dentist the laser is an invaluable addition to the dental practice.

Dr. Escobar has been practic-ing dentistry in the Bay Area since 2006. She took over Dr. Palmerlee’s practice when he retired in 2012. She is passionate about providing exceptional oral health care in a patient centered environment. Dr. Escobar par-ticipates in continuing education seminars with other leading clini-cians in exploring new and inno-vative methods and materials for restoring smiles.

Lasers in Dentistry:A Bright Future

By Dr. Jernell Escobar

It’s Your Smile

This is the fourth in a series of articles, which will attempt to address some of the most common questions that are regularly posed to dental practitioners. We hope that the reader will find this to be useful and perhaps find answers to questions they might have regarding dental procedures. We will preface all of these articles by reminding the reader that no armchair diagnosis or advice is a substitute for a trip to a dental professional. Every person’s case is unique and proper diagnosis and treatment planning with a dental professional is essential for optimal case outcome.

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Daisy Arguello joins her classmates twice a week to learn computer skills at the Learning and Loving Education Center in Morgan Hill.

It is not an ordinary classroom. For Arguello and her classmates, the Center not only offers literacy,

computer skills, and job training, but also provides support and a stepping stone to a better life for low-income immigrant women and their children.

“I feel like they are my family,” said Arguello, who is originally from Nicaragua.

The Center celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The non-profit organization has served about 3,000 immigrant women since it opened its doors on March 25, 1994 in the former parish hall of St. Catherine Church on Dunne Avenue in Morgan Hill. Sr. Pat Davis founded the Center to teach reading, writing and life skills to immigrant women while offering free childcare.

After moving three times, the Center is now permanently housed on Church Avenue in Morgan Hill, where it relocated 11 ½ years ago.

Here, more than 150 women from Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy and San Jose - with more enrolling each day - gather to learn pre-literacy and reading, writing, basic math, and comput-er programs like Microsoft Excel and Word. The Center also

offers classes in early childhood education, job skills training, health, parenting, high school equivalency training, sewing, knitting, nutrition, yoga, art, and music. Women also may make appointments to talk with an on-site therapist. The Center, which is partially sponsored by the Sisters of the Presentation, operates on the same calendar as the Morgan Hill Unified School District.

The majority of the women who come to the Center are Spanish speaking and hail from Central America and South America while others have migrated from Cameroon, India, China and the Middle East.

“The Center creates community. Many of these women are isolated at home and don’t know other people. So when they come here they become support for one another,” said Christa Hanson, executive director of the Center.

Education and support are the key to the women’s success, Hanson said. Educating one woman, she said, creates a ripple effect - improving not only her life, but also her family’s life and her community.

“We see education, but we also see empowerment. We are empowering the women to be the best they can be. We try to tap all of their talents,” Hanson said.

The annual cost to each student is $150, but if a woman is unable to pay, she can still attend. No one is left out, Hanson said.

Learning & LovingCenter Celebrates21 Years Of ServiceTHE LEARNING AND LOVING EDUCATION CENTER

WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1994 TO TEACH SKILLS,

FOSTER HOPES, AND PROVIDE DIRECTION TO

ADULT IMMIGRANT WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN

LIVING IN THE SURROUNDING LOW AND EXTREMELY

LOW-INCOME AREAS OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY,

WHICH ARE HOME TO A HIGH CONCENTRATION

OF ISOLATED, MARGINALIZED, ILLITERATE AND

UNDERSERVED WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

By Kelly Barbazette

Christa Hanson, Executive Director

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The Learning and Loving Education Center celebrated with a “Turning 21 — Celebrating our Success” event that was held on Sunday, September 21st, at Mama Mia’s Italian Restaurant.

Guests enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner buffet while bidding on Si-lent Auction items. Local wineries were on hand for tasting and special performances by the South Valley Suzuki Music Foundation and Corazon Mexicano Folkloric Dance were presented.

In turn, they ask the women to attend 75 percent of the classes in which they have enrolled, but will be flexible due to illness or other extenuating circumstances.

Students may bring their babies into the classrooms or drop them off at the Center’s daycare and preschool just steps away at no additional cost. The preschool provides social preparedness and kindergarten readiness for children ages 2 to 5. Sixty-seven children are currently enrolled while more are on a wait list.

Ninety percent of the women who attend classes at the Center are below the poverty line and the remaining women are barely above it. Some women can’t read and write in their own language while others are highly trained professionals who have not found opportunities here.

Meeting other women from all over the world but with similar circumstances opens their eyes to other cultures and people and support from one another, Hanson said. Last year, 10 women went onto Gavilan College’s satellite campus in Morgan Hill.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Sr. Pat, who stepped down as Center director in 2012. “The ESL is key and the computer skills are key, but the biggest joy for me is loving and watching the women’s growth and the sparkle inside of them, and building their self esteem.”

All of the women over the years have touched her heart, she said, including a group of women from Ethiopia and Somalia, who came

to the Center having never read a book or held a pencil. She said six women went on to start their own business in 2002.

“Where I see this now and where it’s going is that the women themselves caught the message. They had it in their hearts to do their best for their children. And now their children are out of college and have degrees and I know that it makes those women’s hearts soar,” Sr. Pat said.

The Center employs nine part-time employees and one full-time employee. Volunteers and donations are the lifeblood of the Center. All of the teachers are volunteers and most are retired credentialed teachers. Seven out of the nine teachers started out as students at the Center. The Center relies on 40 regular volunteers and students from Gavilan College, San Jose State University and Santa Clara University.

“The wonderful volunteer base we have is amazing. We couldn’t exist without them,” Hanson said.

Computers, supplies and furniture are donated. Older computers are given to students to use at home. Hanson points out a lending library for the women and their children. Some 1,700 books were donated and a high school student set up the donated bookshelves and lending program for her Girl Scout Gold Award. The United Way painted the entire interior of the building a year ago and a local plumber outfitted the preschool with a sink.

“The local community is very, very generous,” Hanson said.To take a tour of the Learning and Loving Education Center or

Yolanda Perez & Paula Perez Laura Escoto, Vivian Varela & Cecelia Ponzini Christa Hanson

Linda Withrow & Sharon RuggieroLori Franke Sister Stephanie Still &Sister Paula Baker

Mayor Steve Tate, Rene Spring, George Chiala, Martha Artiles, Mario Banuelos

Maria Alarcon & Bertha Munoz

Suzuki String Players

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Simple Steps for Propagating Succulents

Brought to you by Garden Accents 11155 Lena Avenue • 408.846.4555 • garden-accents.net

IT’S TIME TOo Take advantage of the rains and

over seed your lawn.

o Fall is a great time to plant perennials and trees.

o Fertilize your lawn and garden before Thanksgiving.

o Cut back on your water. Shorter days and cooler weather. Visit www.garden-accents.net under Turf Tips and watch the “water audit” video.

o Plant your cool season veggies like broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower, carrots, spinach and peas.

o Prune your trees during their dormant season.

By Maria Leedeman

Succulents are really popular right now and there are ways to increase the number of plants you have without breaking the bank. Through propagation you can turn a single plant into two or more of the same. It is a way to recycle broken off pieces, as well as prunings/cuttings. Propagation is one of the most rewarding activities in the garden. It’s fun and new plants are great to share with friends.

• When succulents such as some Echeverias and Graptopetalum outgrow their pots or spread beyond their allot-ted space in beds and borders, you can prune them and use the cuttings to start new plants. The vast majority of succulents start readily from cuttings or offsets (small plants that are attached to the parent plant).

• Begin by cutting a rosette from the mother plant, leaving a couple inches of stem attached. You can use a knife or a garden pruner.

• Next, gently remove the lowest leaves and save them. You can propagate them as well. Nothing goes to waste when it comes to succulents.

• To get a higher yield of healthy rooted plants from your cuttings and detached leaves, set the cuttings and leaves aside in a dry, protected place, out of direct sun, until the cut end dries and seals, forming a callus (three days to a week).

• Plant the healed rosette in a nursery pot (larger cuttings can go into soil-filled nurs-ery pots) filled with loose, well-draining potting soil or succulent mix. It could take a couple of weeks for it to develop roots.

• Water regularly, letting soil dry out between watering, as succulents don’t like to sit in water because they could rot.

• Smaller leaf cuttings or loose/fallen leaves can be rooted in a plastic nursery flat or any shallow tray that drains, filled with a good potting soil mix.

• Insert smaller leaf cuttings into the soil-filled flat and lay the loose leaves on top of the soil, allowing them to develop roots. Keep them out of direct sunlight as well and mist them lightly every 7-10 days. Once they have rooted you can transplant them to containers where you want to grow them.

Once your propagated cuttings and leaves have a functioning root system, they are now an independent plant that you can pot up, plant in your garden, or start the whole propagation process again. ENJOY!

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Morgan Hill ’s

By J0-Anne Daniels

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Sharron Daniel

BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS & PROMOTING SAFETY

During the work week, you’ll

find Sharron Daniel on the job

in the Finance Shared Services

Department at eBay. On nights and week-

ends, she volunteers her time as President of

Community Law Enforcement Foundation

(CLEF), a non-profit organization that

supports the Morgan Hill Police Department

with funding for equipment, services and

training not covered under the city budget.

Daniel is a California native who grew

up in Menlo Park and attended California

State University, Chico where she earned her

Business Management degree. She moved

to the Morgan Hill-Gilroy area in the 1990s

before purchasing a home in Morgan Hill in

2003 where she resides today.

According to Daniel, she came to be

involved with CLEF largely because of

close friendships with people in local law

enforcement. The CLEF project that most

inspired her was a fundraising campaign to

reinstate the Morgan Hill Police Department’s

canine unit. A successful campaign led

to the adoption of the first dog into the

program in 2009. In the spring of 2014,

the police department brought a specially-

trained German Shepherd named Soni on

board to assist the department in suspect

apprehensions and narcotics searches.

Daniel is also a graduate of Leadership

Morgan Hill, another non-profit organization

that provides a nine-month program focused

on leadership skills development and

community engagement. As a participant

in Leadership Morgan Hill, Daniel met and

befriended other residents interested in

getting involved in community and learning

how to effect change at the local, county and

state level. As a graduate, she helps incoming

Leadership Morgan Hill classes during the

program’s Public Safety Day.

Daniel has leveraged her leadership

training at CLEF, having served in every

board-level post before taking on the role

of President this year. For the past three

years, CLEF has organized the Cops and

Robbers Ball gala event and raised more

than $175,000 for the Morgan Hill Police

Department. These funds have enabled the

department to obtain items such as license

plate readers and equip their patrol cars with

automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

CLEF also participates in the Police

Night Out in August, a national event that

connects the community with its police

officers to learn about public safety. Morgan

Hill celebrated this year’s event with an

ice cream social. CLEF also provides free

child I.D. kits to the community. The kits

help parents take and store their children’s

fingerprints and include tips to keep kids

safe.

CLEF members will also be on hand on

November 1st of this year when the Morgan

Hill Police Department hosts its annual

Public Safety Day Open House. During the

event, the police department will provide

community members with a tour of its

facilities. Joining police officers at the event

will be representatives from the Santa Clara

County Sheriff’s Department, the California

Highway Patrol, Morgan Hill Fire and

Cal Fire.

In Daniel’s experience, police departments

are often under-appreciated, and the Public

Safety Day is a chance for Morgan Hill

residents to learn the many ways that our

police officers serve the community. “They

are there when we need them,” Daniel said.

In addition to supporting the canine unit,

CLEF donates money for police department

community outreach programs. The annual

gala fundraiser, the Cops and Robbers

Ball, will be held on April 25, 2015 with a

catered dinner, dancing and a silent auction.

The CLEF board also aims to become self-

funded and establish an endowment fund.

The all-volunteer organization welcomes

community members to get involved in any

way they can.

Clearly Daniel enjoys a full life, balancing

her work at eBay with volunteer organizations

that help enrich the community. At home

she enjoys spending time with Jaspar, her

adopted dog, and a foster dog named Blaze.

As a supporter of the Thulani Program,

which supports the rescue of abandoned and

terminally ill or elderly German Shepherds,

Daniel fosters dogs with no chance of

adoption and provides them with hospice-

type care in a nurturing environment.

No matter how busy Sharron Daniel is,

she has a friendly smile for everyone she

meets, especially when she’s with her dogs

at their agility training classes or out on the

trails at Harvey Bear County Park.

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Winterizing Your HomeBy David Domenichini

Living in California has its

perks and one of those perks

is not having extreme weather

conditions. This year has been

a dry one, so you may not be

thinking about how to prepare

for winter. However, winter is just

around the corner and we never

know what Mother Nature has in

store for us. Now is the time to

start thinking about winterizing

your home.

Here are our top six things you can do to prepare for the winter months ahead:Plug Hidden LeaksCold air can enter your home in many ways. About 30 percent of the cold air that leaks into your home is through holes where pipes, vents, or electrical conduits run through walls, ceilings, and floors. Start by checking under the sinks in your bathroom and kitchen, as well as in the basement for gaps around pipes. An insulating foam sealant should be applied to fill these gaps, or caulking can also be used for smaller areas. This not only helps minimize air loss, but also helps keep critters out. Wrap Pipes To Prevent FreezingOn those really cold evenings or early mornings, there is a possibility of water freezing in your plumbing pipes. The pressure can cause these pipes to burst, which can be extremely costly to fix. Wrapping pipes with foam insulation is a quick and inexpensive fix to help avoid this nightmare. Have Your Furnace InspectedOut of sight, out of mind, right? No one is thinking about the furnace when it’s sunny and 90 degrees outside, but you’ll be glad you did when you need to warm up your home. Schedule to have a professional check to make sure the fan belt is running correctly. They can also apply oil to the bearings and vacuum out dust and debris. Now is also the time to replace the filter. It’s also a good idea to have a couple on hand so you can replace them before they become clogged. Make Your Windows AirtightAir leaking through windows in your home can mean almost literally “money out the window.” If you have an older home with single-paned windows, consider replacing with new dual-pane windows. At a minimum, consider applying caulking around the window frames and weather-stripping between the sash and the window frame to help prevent air leaks. Add InsulationMany homes don’t have insulation in the attic. It is recommended to have a depth of 12 inches of insulation to keep the heat from escaping the home. There are options now that are eco-friendly, help prevent mildew, discourage pests and can impede fire. Good insulation can help your home feel more comfortable by stabilizing temperature and helping reduce exterior noises.Repair Ductwork Ductwork that is not well-connected and insulated can lead to a significant amount of lost heat and wasted money. Ducts can be found in the attic, basement and crawlspaces. Repairing any pinches and gaps will help keep the heated air flowing at full capacity into the home.

D. R. Domenichini Construction was named Morgan Hill Business of the Year in 2012 and recently voted (2014) Best Contractor in Morgan Hill by the Morgan Hill Times. The owner David Domenichini, resides in the

Morgan Hill area and brings nearly 20 years of experience to his family-owned and operated business. Follow them on Facebook for weekly project updates, hints and tips, giveaways and more.  You can also visit their website at  www.drdcon.com, or call 408.691.3282.

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 424

408-779-73891645 San Pedro Avenue

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25 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

For information, call Affordable Solar Roofs at (408) 779-3333, or visit affordablesolar-roofs.com. Serving the community since 1995.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Solar energy is currently generating enough

clean, reliable and affordable electricity to effectively power three million American homes every day. Additionally, the solar industry is creating thousands of new jobs nationwide, while pumping nearly $15 billion a year into the U.S. economy. The U.S. installed 1,330 megawatts of solar PV in the first quarter of 2014, up 79% over Q1 2013, and the second-largest quarter for solar installations in the history of the market. First quarter 2014 was the first time residential solar PV installations exceeded non-residential (commercial) installations nationally.

Most Americans realize the utility infrastructure is relatively unstable and in dire need of upgrading. As the population continues to grow, even greater demands will be placed on the grid, potentially creating more black-outs, brown-outs, and uncertainty among customers and utilities alike. Utility companies will continue to increase rates to keep up with the problems and demands on the grid, and homeowners and businesses will be paying for these higher rates now, and with increasing frequency, over their life time. Due to the rising cost of energy, and the precipitant drop in solar costs over the past three to five years, solar installs are skyrocketing in America.

Owning Solar Is Very Affordable Initially, most “affordable solar” was obtained through leasing programs, where financial institutions own the solar panels, keeps the tax credit and other incentives, and warrantees the equipment for the length of the lease. Typical leases have annual increases (escalation fees) that are less than the annual increase in electricity, potentially saving money over time. When the lease contract expires, generally in 20 to 25 years, a homeowner can request the leasing entity to remove the solar panels, or they can purchase them at a reasonable fair market value price.

In the case involving a sale of home, the lease would have to be either assumed by the new buyer with the permission of the lessor, or paid off by the seller.

There is a much more attractive financial option available to owning solar!

Financial Partners offer actual ownership options that require no money down, yet entitles homeowners to keep all tax credits and incentives for themselves! The manufacturer or lender further warranties the materials and labor of the Solar install for the life of the 20-year loan. The home-owner will realize increased savings with no escalation fees, meaning more money saved year after year, along with a full warranty included on labor and materials for no additional cost! This is virtually un-heard of in the marketplace! In addition, when the house goes up for sale, solar can increase the value of the home, as well as reduce the time the house is on the mar-ket, according to real estate professionals and appraisers.

Advantages of SolarIncreases The Value Of Your Home According to the Appraisal Institute, a solar panel, or roof integrated solar system reduces annual operating costs and increases the market value of your property to future buyers.

Decreases The Marketing Time For Single-Family Homes Additional Appraisal Institute studies show that the time a house with solar is listed for sale is dramatically reduced compared to those properties which do not have solar.

Makes Financial Sense So what, primarily, should homeowners consider before installing solar panels?

First, homeowners need to select a solar company that does solar the way it should be done. The comfort level of your home

and long-term energy needs should always be part of the conversation. Unfortunately, most solar companies will collect your energy bills for 12 months and de-sign the system based on your current energy usage only. Astute solar/energy management companies will help analyze why utility bills are so high in the first place, offer suggestions to reduce energy consumption in simple and inexpensive ways, then design an appropriately sized system to produce clean energy with solar. Most times, these systems will end up being smaller and less expensive than originally planned systems.

Alternatively, a building performance certified analyst can be hired to conduct this “proper” type of energy evaluation, for a cost ranging from $350-$1,000, depending on the level of detail. Very few, if any, solar companies will include this in their value proposition to their customers.

Solar Energy Use Skyrocketing In America

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27 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Napa Valley has several wine trails: Heritage,

Silverado and Highway 29. Some believe the

trails have contributed to the status of Napa

wines. South County, Gilroy, San Martin and

Morgan Hill hope that the newly open Santa

Clara Valley Wine Trail will contribute to the prosperity of the local

wine industry.

The trail is about 28 miles long and loops around Morgan Hill,

San Martin and Gilroy. There are at least 28 wineries on or near the

trail. The signs are a joint venture of Santa Clara County and the cit-

ies of Morgan Hill and Gilroy. The trail is a loop — travelers can start

at any point — Main Street, Butterfield, Watsonville Road, Hecker

Pass Highway, New Avenue, Foothill, Hill — and loop back.

Right Top (l-r): Guglielmo Winery was the location of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting in honor of the Wine Trail. In attendance were (l-r) Gary, George and Gene Guglielmo, John Horner, President/CEO of the Chamber, City Councilwoman Marilyn Librers, and County Supervisor Mike Wasserman

Right: (l-r) Dr. Jon Hatakeyama; Kat Filice (Articlate Solutions); Gilroy Mayor Don Gage; Morgan Hill Councilwoman Marilyn Librers; Greg Richtarek, President of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley; County Supervisor Mike Wasserman; Mike Sampognaro (Morgan Hill Cellars); and Morgan Hill Chamber President/CEO John Horner at the official unveiling of the Wine Trail signage also at Guglielmo Winery.

The Santa Clara County Wine TrailA little over two years ago, the idea of a local wine trail was born. Championed by the Association of Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, represented by Mike Sampagnaro, Dr. Jon Hatakeyama, Morgan Hill local, and Supervisor Mike Wasserman the plan became a reality. Signage was funded and installed by the County of Santa Clara, and the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy. The Gilroy Welcome Center and the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce provided additional project support.

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 428

South County wineries are a varied lot. Clos

la Chance and Guglielmo are large operations;

Paradise Valley is a small operation with only two

acres. Many are family owned like Morgan Hill

Cellars, Aver, Hecker Pass, Fortino, Solis, Martin

Ranch and Light Heart. Others have owners with

high tech backgrounds such as Kirigin, Satori,

Jason-Stephens, Sarah’s and Sunlit Oaks. Some

have elegant settings like Castillo and Clos La

Chance; others are more rustic like Ross and Mar-

tin Ranch. Some have longevity like Hecker Pass,

Rapazzini, and Tom Kruse. Some are quiet like

Chateau Marie Antoinette, J. Dowd and Monte

Verde; others are community-gathering places

like Fortino, Guglielmo and Satori. At least one,

Uvas Creek has closed and been incorporated into

Sycamore Creek. Most have a tasting room but

Mann Cellars does not…yet! At least two are also

part of the Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards: Mar-

tin Ranch and Fernwood. EmmaLilly specializes

in magnum and larger bottles. Light Heart also

offers mead. At least two have local tasting rooms

as well as second sites: Fernwood in Los Gatos

and Creekview in San Jose.

— There, I think we mentioned all of the local

wineries! There is something for everyone and

according to sources there are a few more winer-

ies in the process of getting bonded and plan on

opening in the near future. Many wineries have

meeting rooms, recreational offerings, picnic

grounds, wedding facilities, entertainment and

food pairings. Most have active wine clubs —

During the Wine Trail opening ceremonies,

dignitaries touted the local wineries many award

winning wines. A quick review of the 2014 San

Francisco Chronicle Wine Tasting Competition

showed 57 awards for local wineries.

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Photos provided by the Morgan Hill Community Foundation

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5 6 7 8

10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21

23 24 25 26

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31 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Photos provided by the Morgan Hill Community Foundation

1 ANA ESPINOLA

2 BETTY BEACH

3 COLLEEN GRZAN

4 BERNIE MULLIGAN

5 KAMI PACHECO

6 LAURA GONZALEZ-ESCOTO

7 LINDA CUNNINGHAM

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 432

Vice-Chair and Chairperson.  She is also an active member of Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter (FOSMAS), and currently serves as secretary. Her e-mail, softon4legs, openly announces her care and concern for animals. Nominated by Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group.

Tracy Newquist joined Rotary in 2004 and immediately engaged in giving back. Recognizing early on that she wanted to impact the youth in our community, she headed Rotary’s annual holiday Gallery of Trees youth scholarship project and helped with the Rotary Interact clubs at the high schools. She held the Membership Director position on the Rotary Board for two years and played a key role in launching the club’s leading fundraiser, Dazzle, which she has chaired for the past 5 years, raising over $186,000. Currently she is Co-Chair of the Rotary Scholarship Committee and holds the officer position of Treasurer on the club’s Endowment Board. Nominated by the Morgan Hill Rotary Club.

Nancy Domnauer has lived, worked and volunteered in Morgan Hill for twenty years. Nancy has volunteered for the Youth Action Council (YAC) for almost ten years. Nancy helps coordinate the annual YAC Senior Citizens Ball - an event that she brought to Morgan Hill after suggesting the idea to city employees. She enjoys volunteering with the teens of Morgan Hill and working alongside her two sons who also served on YAC. Nancy is an instructor who teaches Kinder Class, Zen Doodling, and Craft-a-Palooza. She is married to Mark whom she met in third grade. Nominated by the Morgan Hill Youth Action Council.

Dave Reisenauer brings 25 years of non-profit leadership to Morgan Hill, including 11 years with the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. He has also worked with regional homeless shelter programs, high school and college mentoring programs, and with the United Way. A graduate of Santa Clara University’s Engineering Management Master’s program, Dave has over 25 years of engineering and technical management experience. He has worked for IBM, Hitachi and is currently working

at NVIDIA as the Senior Director of IT planning and business operations. Dave and his family have been members of the Morgan Hill community for 15 years. Nominated by Morgan Hill Community Foundation.

Lisa Pampuch is a long-time advocate for libraries in general, and for the Morgan Hill Library in particular. As a columnist and editorial board member for the Morgan Hill Times and Gilroy Dispatch newspapers, she wrote columns and argued in favor of library funding. As a volunteer and past president of the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library and co-founder and vice-president of the Morgan Hill Library Foundation, she raised funds to benefit the Morgan Hill Library. She still believes, as she wrote in a 2005 news-paper column, that libraries are “the best bargain in government.” Nominated by Morgan Hill Library.

Originally from Rhode Island, Melissa Santos moved to California 10 years ago. Looking to establish roots in South County, she has been active in supporting causes that are dear to her heart. These include El Toro Youth Center, Gilroy’s Relay for Life and Unravel Pediatric Cancer. She has recently been appointed co-chair of The Edward Boss Prado Foundation’s Advisory Council. Melissa is the Training Director at Community Solutions, and privately consults in leadership and organizational development. Nominated by Edward Boss Prado Foundation.

Nadia Ahmed is a rising Senior at Oakwood High School and has been actively involved with YAC, now serving as president. She holds leadership roles in her school, including vice-president of Oakwood High School’s Student Council, a High School Ambassador and in multiple clubs. Earlier this year she received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her numerous hours of community service for the City of Morgan Hill. Nadia enjoys art and dance and plans to major in Astronomy. Nominated by Morgan Hill Youth Action Council.

Nancy Lastra’s service is a result of her love and strength which she attributes to coming from our Lord. She adores the people from the Centennial Recreation Senior Center; claiming that “there is never a dull moment.“ Her greatest joy is when someone comes up and asks her a question or they just want say “hi.” She can feel the love and caring from the staff and seniors. Nominated by Mt. Madonna YMCA.

Nasreen Ahmed has been a resident of Morgan Hill since 1994 and lives with her husband and 2 children. She was a city employee for 3 years and also served as an ambassador to the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce for a year. Nasreen owns a floral business in town and specializes in wedding flowers. She truly believes that the success of the community lies in the hands of the youth. With support from teachers, parents and mentors their lives are shaped towards success. Nominated by Morgan Hill Youth Action Council.

Valerie Chambliss joined the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library about six years ago and quickly become involved as a book sorter. She then went on to serve on the board as secretary (two years) and president (two years) and continues to assist with sorting books and book sales. She also willingly helps out wherever needed: organizing Friends’ participation in Art a la Carte, coordinating a sale table at the Historical Society Holiday Boutique, and assisting with library programs for kids. She never—or hardly ever—says no!Nominated by the Friends of Morgan Hill Library.

Janis Wagner Truelsen moved to Morgan Hill in 2010. She joined the Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group a year later because the dog park community had become such an integral part of her dog, Chopper’s social life. In 2014, the MHDOG had raised $25,000 and constructed two permanent shade structures for the Morgan Hill Dog Park and boasts 400 members. Janis was born

8 TRACY NEWQUIST

9 NANCY DOMNAUER

10 DAVID REISENAUER

11 LISA PAMPUCH

12 MELISSA A. SANTOS

13 NADIA AHMED

14 NANCY LASTRA

15 NASREEN AHMED

16 VALERIE CHAMBLISS

17 JANIS WAGNER-TRELSEN

33 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

in New Jersey and moved to California in 1989. While living in London, she studied and is a graduate of the Inchbald School of Interior Design, fulfilling a life-time passion. Janis continues to practice interior design. Nominated by Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group.

Born in Liverpool, England, Jullian Dent moved to the United States in 1991. She notes that “this country has been very good to my family.” Once moving to Morgan Hill and later San Martin, she is aware of the strong sense of community and volunteering spirit that exists in the community. She began volunteering at her girls’ school and St. John’s Episcopal Church and realized what an impact just a few people could make in a volunteer organization. “I cannot describe the generosity of heart and soul that comes from their volunteering spirit,” she says. Nominated by Community Solutions.

Carmen Guerrero is from Mexico and has lived in the USA for 22 years. She has been married 22 years, and has two children. Her son studies at UC Davis and her daughter studies at UCLA. She likes to help as much as she can. Currently, she volunteers at the Learning and Loving Education Center, welcoming students and visitors, making calls, answering the phone, making copies, doing the cleaning and anything else the Center needs. Nominated by the Learning and Loving Education Center.

Pat Jamison is a 14- year veteran of teaching youth to ride horses. After retiring from the corporate world of software, Pat turned her energies to helping others. She became a certified PATH Therapeutic riding instructor and found her new calling working with “One Step Closer.” Pat believes equine therapeutic riding provides children a powerful means to exploit their strengths. She appreciates how children and horses continue to teach her how to treat others. Pat loves the opportunity to work with horses, but, perhaps more importantly, with some of the most amazing children that she has ever met. Nominated by One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding.

Teri Hennessy has been an integral part of the Living History Field Trip Program (half-day sessions for 3-5th graders) at Villa Mira Monte, since its inception in 2009.  Starting as a volunteer, her masterful knack for keeping things organized and on track, soon elevated her to “administrative coordinator.” She is always ready to lend a hand, offer a new idea, or do the hard work needed to keep the program running smoothly. For many years, Teri also serves as a monthly docent, greeting visitors for tours at Villa Mira Monte, and volunteers to help at Historical Society events. Nominated by the Morgan Hill Historical Society.

Retired chemical engineer Susan Oldham-Fritts is an avid STEM (science, technol-ogy, engineering, and math) advocate. Susan leads Girls Engaged in Math and Science (GEMS), AAUW-Morgan Hill’s STEM enrichment program for local teen-age girls. She is also active in Tech Trek Camp Curie, a week-long AAUW STEM camp at Stanford University. Susan does additional youth outreach activities for the American Chemical Society, the Santa Clara Valley Science and Engineering Fair Association, and the Morgan Hill Historical Society. Nominated by American Association of University Women.

Emily Shem-Tov is a long-time friend of the Morgan Hill Library and even used to work as a Reference Librarian in the Library’s old building. She was a member of the Beyond Books Committee raising money for the new library, served on the Morgan Hill Library, Culture and Arts Commission for two terms, was the co-founder and president of the Morgan Hill Library Foundation, and co-chaired seven annual Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest fundraisers for the library. She regularly takes her daughters to the library. Nominated by Morgan Hill Library.

You may know Jona Denz-Hamelton from her long-time radio show on 94.5 KBAY. She’s lived in our MHUSD for the past 23 years with husband, Alan and their two sons, who both attended Morgan Hill

Unified schools. Being an active parent got Jona involved with local community volunteering, which turned into hosting several local events annually, including Philanthropy Night!  Dr. Jon Hatakeyama encouraged Jona to become a board member of a couple of local non-profits, one being the Teachers Aid Coalition. Since 2008, Jona’s been a part of this impressive group that supports local teachers with semi-annual classroom-supply giveaways. Nominated by Teacher’s Aide Coalition.

Kathy Carrera was born and raised in California. She has lived in South County for the past 25 years and started a business, Carrera Backflow Specialists, here in 1991. She is a single mom with four adult children. She currently lives in San Martin and enjoys the beach, reading, RVing, theater, and concerts. She also enjoys being part of the community of Morgan Hill. “This is a community that cares!”she notes. Nominated by Edward Boss Prado Foundation.

Chris Freitas and his wife Ninette became foster parents in 2005 to a sibling set of three, and signed all the kids up to play basketball at the Mount Madonna YMCA. Chris’ oldest daughters team needed a coach, and he tried. After his first year, and attendance with the Positive Coaching Alliance put on by the YMCA, Chris came back and began teaching that “winning isn’t everything,” and that citizenship, responsibility, and effort say more about an individual than any score board. Nominated by Mt. Madonna YMCA.   Congratulations to all

of this year’s honorees. Thank you for all you do to make Morgan Hill such a wonderful place to live, work and play.

18 JULLIAN DENT

19 CARMEN GUERRERO

20 PAT JAMISON

21 TERI HENNESSY

25 KATHY CARRERA

22 SUSAN OLDHAM-FRITTS

23 EMILY SHEM-TOV

26 CHRIS FREITAS

17 JANIS WAGNER-TRELSEN

24 JONA DENZ-HAMELTON

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It’s Ours! O

ur Morgan H

ill

35 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Special

thanks to the

photographers

who posted

these amazing

photos on

the site.

Photographed by: Anderson Lake Dabmar Stulich • Barn Ken McCain • Valley Mist Marcus Six • Bike Guy Kerr • Deer Malar Sampathkumar

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39 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Circa 1892By Mike Monroe

One of my favorite depictions of Villa Mira Monte in Morgan Hill is a sketch from an August 1892 edition of the San Jose Mercury News. The drawing by an unknown

artist is featured in a book by Beth Wyman entitled “Hiram Morgan Hill.” The orientation of the sketch views the backside of the ranch property looking southwest from the railroad tracks with El Toro Mountain prominently, and accurately, portrayed in the backround. It certainly was and still is a pretty view.

There is much to enjoy in this drawing - the orchard trees in neat rows, the majestic oak trees on either side of the home, and the tall windmill adjacent to the delightfully designed water tank house. Hiram Morgan Hill and his bride Diana Murphy Hill built their country home between 1884 and 1886 after their marriage in 1882. The scene reminds me of how abundant the under-ground water basins were at the time. Sink a shallow well, employ the steady southerly breezes to spin the blades of the windmill, hold the water in a redwood tank and quench the property with a gravity fed water supply. I can still hear the windmill turn and zephyrs rustling through the trees.

Historians have given significant credit to the windmill in the development of the American West along with the invention of barbed wire. Daniel Halladay of Connecticut in 1854 designed what is more accurately described as a wind engine or pump. Windmills had been around for centuries with the purpose of grinding grains but it was Halladay who engineered a gear box and crankshaft that converted the rotary motion of the blades into reciprocating strokes that drove a pump cylinder. The tower featured a large number of blades so that the rate of spin was slow, which allowed considerable torque to be generated in low wind conditions. A self-regulating gear controlled the rotation in times of high winds. And the tower would automatically pivot to face changing wind directions.

In early California, the windmill was an integral part of the

domestic water system for many farm and ranch operations. The wells were initially hand-dug so they were not too deep, and in the Santa Clara Valley artesian wells were commonplace because of the high water table that existed at the time. During the late 1800’s, steel blades and towers replaced the early redwood construction. At their peak in the 1930’s, it is estimated that several hundred thousand windmills were in use in California. The windmill was an important tool that improved the quality of life for farm families. Not only did a steady source of good water become available but the tiring work of pumping water by hand was done away with and gains in farm productivity were realized.

The sketch of Villa Mira Monte includes a three-level water storage building next to the windmill with the ground level portion completely enclosed with redwood siding. Oftentimes tank houses were designed to provide additional living quarters for ranch hands or storage for tools and equipment. During the discussions about restoring the the Morgan Hill House in 1988, the idea of re-constructing the windmill and tank house surfaced but did not make the final budget cut. The Morgan Hill Historical Society is currently developing an enhancement plan to landscape and build out upon the rear field that once saw trees full of ripening prunes, apricots and peaches.

Looking from their double back porches you can imagine the beauty of a 5,000-acre oak savanna extending eastward across the valley floor. The springtime wildflowers and grasses with cat-tle grazing lazily across the ranch is sure a pleasant picture. The front of the home has a wrap around veranda which greets visi-tors to this day traveling on the San Jose Road or the El Camino Real, which we now call Monterey Road. From their front yard, we still gaze up at El Toro or Murphy’s Peak and recall Martin Murphy, Sr. riding his horse for the first time to the top of the peak in 1845.

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Martin Murphy, Sr. was the patriarch of the family and, at 60 years of age, brought his grown children and their families to California by wagon train, scaling the escarpments of the Sierra Nevada. The Murphys were immediately thrown into the chaos of California transitioning from Mexican rule to the flood of Americans streaming in to grab a stake in the Gold Rush. Riding into the Planos de los Robles from San Jose, he knew this was where he wanted to settle and purchased the Rancho Ojo de Aqua de la Coche from Juan Hernandez, the holder of the original land grant. This rancho became the basis for the City of Morgan Hill in 1906.

Diana Murphy Hill was Martin’s granddaughter. Her father was Daniel Murphy, who had been very successful in the gold diggings (Murphy’s Camp) and utilized his fortune to acquire vast tracks of land and cattle. Daniel and his brothers established a redwood sawmill and built a new hacienda for their father at the eastern end of San Martin Avenue. Daniel called the San Martin rancho Ivy Farm and it was here that Daniel and his young wife, Maria Fisher Murphy, welcomed Diana’s birth in 1859. Hiram Morgan Hill, he preferred just Morgan Hill, was a Missouri boy who worked in San Francisco and set his sights on young Diana Murphy. They were secretly married in 1882 because her father and mother did not approve of their courtship, especially since she was Irish Catholic and he a southern Baptist. She was twenty-two and he was thirty-three.

Shortly after their marriage, they suffered through the emotional turmoil of Daniel Murphy’s illness and death as well as other family dramas. Diana inherited the original Murphy rancho and she and Morgan started planning their family. The Hills were more accustomed to the city life of San Francisco and yet they did decide to build a country estate, a charming Queen Anne home in between Monterey Road and the railroad tracks. At the time, trains traveling south from San Jose would stop

at Coyote, Madronne, Tennant, Mil’s Switch (San Martin) and Gilroy. The only reason the train would stop near Villa Mira Monte was when the Hills or their friends came for a visit. The conductor would call out Morgan Hill’s Ranch.

In 1884, Diana and Morgan became the proud parents of Diane Murphy-Hill and the young family watched their new get-away home being constructed of local redwood and Douglas fir. It is sad to say that even with their inherited wealth and society aspirations, the family relationships were strained. And in 1892, the property known as Morgan Hill Ranch was contracted to a real estate developer for sub- division. The Hills continued to own the home and 200 acres until 1912 — renting Villa Mira Monte to various families. Two families, the Costas and Walgrens, owned the property for much of the 1900s. For nearly twenty years, the Walgrens operated the Homestead Antique Shop out of the house. When Mrs. Walgren passed way in 1984, the Hills ranch house, in need of much tender loving care, sat vacant and was then deeded to the City of Morgan Hill in 1986. Finally, in 1993, the Morgan Hill Historical Society, with the help of numerous community grants and private donations, purchased Villa Mira Monte and began a restoration project lasting five years.

The Villa Mira Monte property is open for tours and includes the residence of the Hills as well as the transplanted house of the Acton family, which serves as our local museum, and a circular history garden called the Centennial Trail. The Morgan Hill Historical Society owns and maintains Villa Mira Monte and supports the property through an active volunteer group and membership funding. The Society promotes our local history through a variety of events and programs including school field trips and historic home tours. The home of Diana and Morgan Hill is also available for private parties, weddings and business meetings.

Mike Monroe has lived and worked in this area for over 30 years. He is active in the Historical Society, a local businessman, volunteer at local parks, and the sponsor of a natural history program in Morgan Hill.

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Written By Robin Shepherd

Charles Weston and Lesley Miles

A Blueprint For Morgan Hill

43 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Written By Robin Shepherd

To see Morgan Hill

through the eyes of

Charles Weston and

Lesley Miles is to see

something special, whether you look at

the city’s past, present or future.

That is because Weston and Miles are

architects and entrepreneurs whose vision

of Morgan Hill’s unique qualities has

helped to transform some of our most

iconic and historic properties into vital

and productive landmarks of our city.

It’s impossible to tell their story without

weaving personal, career and community

involvement into one unified thread,

because that is how these two people live

their lives.

Partners for the EnvironmentWeston’s early years in Hollywood

included a stint as a child actor with

roles in “Leave it to Beaver” and “My

Three Sons.” By high school, he’d become

immersed in nature and the environment

and his passion for running. Weston

headed to Los Angeles City College,

was drafted and served in Vietnam, and

then attended California Polytechnic

State University-San Luis Obispo where

he studied architecture and structural

engineering.

Miles grew up in Sebastopol, where she

developed an early interest in gardening

and horticulture. She also attended Cal

Poly, and met Weston during a summer

college break when they were both

serving as crew leaders for the Youth

Conservation Corps. They began dating

while working on a Waldorf school

planning and design project at a South

Valley ranch on Willow Springs Road. The

project had been initiated by the ranch

owner and Weston’s architecture professor.

Weston focused on architecture, and Miles

on landscape design – and they would

talk for hours about the integration of the

two disciplines.

“The project never moved into

development,” laughed Miles, “but

Charles and I loved the ranch and decided

to stay there for a while. We launched

our careers, fell in love, got married and

had our first daughter while living at the

ranch. Charles began doing architectural

design for large public works projects

from San Jose to San Luis Obispo. I

started my landscape design business and

tended to the gardens and the goats at the

ranch. Every week I took herbs, tomatoes

and lettuce to the local farmer’s market.”

Looking back on that time, Weston

added, “Those were the days before

computer-aided design, when architects

still drafted by hand. One morning I

was looking through the house for some

architectural drawings I’d prepared for

a big meeting. As it turned out, my

daughter, who was a toddler at the time,

had torn up my drawings. Lesley and I

knew it was time for us to get an office.”

Partners in ArchitectureIn 1985, Weston and Miles rented

an office space in downtown Morgan

Hill. Weston decided to round out his

credential as a professional architect

by obtaining a contractor’s license, and

in 1986 they launched Weston Miles

Architects. Miles received her architect’s

license in 1996. Over the next 29 years,

the firm took on a variety of large school

district and public works projects. They

hired designers from as far away as Spain

and Great Britain as well as local experts

who shared their interest in environmen-

tally-friendly and energy-efficient design

and construction techniques.

“We took our business beyond just

design,” said Weston. “We wanted projects

that allowed us to manage things from

end to end.”

An early project rebuilding a school in

San Jose’s Oak Grove School District was

pivotal for the firm, leading to projects

in more than 15 school districts over the

years. The firm joined the Collaborative

for High Performance Schools (CHPS),

and devoted itself to designing and

building schools that provide a healthy,

comfortable and well-lit environment

for students on campus while also being

energy and resource-efficient.

Among the firm’s commercial projects

in downtown Morgan Hill was the historic

Skeels Building at Monterey and Third

Streets. Established in 1925 as a hotel and

restaurant, its most famous guests may

have been Swedish Crown Prince Gustav

Adolph and his wife, who visited the

following year to dedicate the 106-acre

Sveadal resort in Uvas Canyon.

We had a vision for our business to be more than just design.”

“

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 444

“The building was literally falling

down when we began work on it in the

early 1990s,” said Weston. “Since it was

an historic property we collaborated

with the city and others on the project.

The structural engineer discovered that

the building had had its entire face cut

off when Monterey Street was widened

some years earlier. We had to demolish

it and start over, but we were able to

preserve some of the original wood

moldings, frames and objects of historic

value.

“Working with the Morgan Hill

Historical Society, we designed an

authentic look for the façade. We

developed a mixed-use building

of modern structural design with

apartments above and commercial space

on the ground floor that is occupied

today by the Ladera Grill.”

In 2001, Weston and Miles attended

a USGBC conference that inspired

them toward a new vision for their

business. After the event they enrolled

in an innovative program called

Leadership in Energy & Environmental

Design (LEED), and were among the

first generation of architects to obtain

LEED professional accreditations based

on their knowledge and experience

with sustainable building design and

construction.

They decided to renovate the Granary,

an historic and iconic property along

Morgan Hill’s Depot Street.

According to Weston, “The Isaacson

family had owned the Granary for

many years and along with Sunsweet,

had helped to make Morgan Hill an

agricultural hub for Santa Clara Valley. It

had been closed, mothballed, for about

seven years when we purchased it.

Money was tight and we had to stretch

ourselves. We did the design, got the

building permits, and South Valley Bank

came through with a loan. We were on

our way.

“It was the Granary that allowed us

to pursue our vision to repurpose and

re-use an historic property in a new

and productive way. We designed and

renovated the property to accommodate

our new offices and provide space

other business and retail operations.

The Granary was awarded LEED Gold

Certification…at the time it was only

the 25th building in the entire world to

achieve this distinction.”

The success of the Granary

development opened new doors for

the firm and Weston and Miles gave

tours to people who came from all

over to learn about LEED design and

environmentally-friendly building

practices.

“We even got a chance to do a little

urban orcharding on the property,” said

Miles. “Despite having to work around

an unforgiving base of gravel, we

planted French prune, Blenheim apricot

and fig trees that are flourishing today.”

Weston added, “People stopped by

whose parents and grandparents had

orchards, and gave us great tips on how

to mulch and prune the right way. They

also shared stories about Morgan Hill

history. I only wish I’d recorded them.

We’re always looking for ways to help

keep Morgan Hill history alive.”

“In our work over the years we’ve

touched practically every building

downtown,” explained Miles. “Between

the Cornerstone Building and the Skeels

Charles Weston introduced

Weston Miles Architects’s

“Barley Place” at the Taste

of Morgan Hill in September.

Barley Place is a condo complex

development that is transit-

oriented, sustainable, and

walkable, with valley views.

It is ideally placed in

downtown Morgan Hill.

45 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Building, the downtown was extended

beyond Second Street, and these two-

story structures helped to give the

downtown more of a sense of presence.

There’s been a lot of care taken by the

many people involved to create a look

and feel that encourages people to

spend time here.”

Partners in LifeWeston and Miles bought their current

home in Western Morgan Hill in 1989,

where they raised their two daughters,

Alicia and Madeline, along with three

Border Collies and two cats. The house

has a wonderful layout and aesthetic

design touches you’d expect from this

couple, complete with mature oaks and

eucalyptus trees and a view of El Toro

from the master bedroom.

“Family life has always been

important to us,” said Miles. “Having

our offices and our home in Morgan

Hill made it easier for us to maintain

a work-life balance. We were never

more than a few minutes from the girls’

schools, which gave us an opportunity

to be involved when they were young,

and never more than a few minutes

from the office or the various places

we had to be for meetings in the

community.”

Daughter Alicia works in finance

while her husband, Sam Carlson, is a

civil engineer. The two recently moved

to Morgan Hill and Carlson has joined

the team at Weston Miles Architects.

“Alicia and Sam love Morgan Hill and

they’re quickly finding ways to engage

with the community,” said Miles.

According to Weston, his son-in-law

brings to the firm “a nice new dimension

as we branch out into residential devel-

opment projects.” Weston Miles plans

to break ground soon on Barley Place, a

new 30-unit residential project located

next to the Granary.

“We’ve begun referring to the area as

the Granary District,” said Weston with

a smile. “It has a unique architectural

style and personality, and we’re hoping

the city and the community will adopt

the name too.”

The couple’s younger daughter,

Madeline, works as a project manager at

Tesla Motors, where they say she enjoys

the business and is learning a lot. The

way Weston sees it, Tesla is turning out

more environmentally-friendly cars, and

“green cars, like green buildings, have

got to be a good thing.”

Partners in CommunityDuring their 33 years of marriage and

close to 30 years in business together,

Weston and Miles have always made

time for community life. This has

included volunteering time on the

Morgan Hill Planning Commission, with

the Rotary Club and the Downtown

Association as well as the Morgan Hill

and the Gilroy Chambers of Commerce.

Weston has been instrumental in

the evolution of Morgan Hill’s popular

Freedom Fest held annually over the

Fourth of July weekend, including three

years as President of the all-volunteer

organization. Still an avid runner, he

is also a member of the South Valley

Running Club. Miles has been active

in a variety of organizations including

the American Association of University

Women (AAUW).

Currently, Weston teaches a master’s

class on Sustainable Construction as

part of the Civil and Environmental

Engineering Program at San Jose State

University.

“Sustainable building design and

construction is evolving rapidly and

becoming more accessible, which is a

good thing for communities like Morgan

Hill,” said Weston.

When asked about his history of

heroism, Weston doesn’t say much, but

his wife is quick to share his story.

During the Vietnam War, Weston was

stationed in the Mekong Delta. He was

working on a construction project when

a building burst into flames next-door

to a USO hall where many were gath-

ered inside. He maneuvered a ten-ton

forklift to lift the burning structure

away from the USO building, saving

the people inside from what might

otherwise have been a major disaster.

He received the Soldier’s Medal, a non-

combat award from the military for his

bravery.

Back home after the war, Weston

helped saved the life of a Morgan Hill

father of five who was trapped in an

overturned car following an accident on

Uvas Road.

“That was before the days of cell

phones so there was no dialing 9-1-1

for help,” said Miles. “Charles’ military

training as a medic kicked in. He

immediately enlisted help from two

other bystanders and rescued the man

from the car just before it exploded into

flames.”

The story appeared in the Morgan Hill

Times and caught the attention of the

Carnegie Foundation in Pennsylvania.

The Foundation sent a representative to

Morgan Hill to interview Weston, and

later presented him with the Carnegie

Medal. The medal is awarded to citizens

who have risked their lives in order to

save the lives of others.

Over the years, Weston and Miles

have been generous with their time

and talent, and they show no sign of

slowing down any time soon. Together

they have created a wonderful blueprint

for living, working and enjoying life

in Morgan Hill. It’ll be fun to see what

they do next.

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 446

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47 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Carl Schindler is a 41-year State Farm Insurance agent in Morgan Hill. His agency has been voted #1 in Morgan Hill for the past 5 consecutive years. He specializes in Auto, Homeowner’s, Life & Disability Insurance. Visit StateFarm.com/CarlSchindler or call (408) 779-6969.

Carl Schindler, LUTCF, CSAAgent, State Farm Insurance

ReplacementCost vs.Market Cost

When you purchase a homeowners insurance policy, you’ll make a number of decisions about your coverage. One of the most important is whether to insure your home for its replacement cost or its market value. Understanding each option will help you make an informed choice that safeguards your home and your family’s financial future.

What Is Replacement Cost? Replacement cost is the cost necessary to repair or replace your entire home. When you insure your home for its replacement value, your insurer will reimburse you for the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home, based on the size and structure of the home that was lost or damaged. The most accurate way to determine the replacement cost of your home is to hire a building contractor or other building professional to produce a detailed estimate. Only the cost of the property’s structure and its associated systems, fixtures, and finishes will be included in the estimate; land value is included in a home’s market value but should not be included in the amount of insurance you buy.

Benefits In the event of a loss, replacement cost coverage will help your family return to their home and usual quality of life with minimal financial interruption. For the best protection, experts recommend that you insure your home for at least 100 percent of its replacement cost.

Risks Replacement value can change over time, so you should review your policy annually to make sure its coverage meets your needs. Inform your insurer if you have upgraded or improved your home, because these alterations may increase your home’s estimated replacement cost. Also, you’ll want to stay informed about changing market conditions in your area. Rising labor, materials, and transportation costs can directly affect your home’s replacement value. For maximum protection, consider a policy that includes an inflation clause that automatically adjusts coverage and premiums to account for changes in construction costs.

What Is Market Value? Market value is the amount that a buyer would pay to purchase your home and its land in its current condition. Unlike your home’s replacement value, its market value is influenced by factors beyond the material and labor costs of repairs or reconstruction, such as proximity to good schools, local crime statistics, and the availability of similar homes. Also, the land itself will be included in the home’s market value, although it will not be covered by the homeowners policy.

Benefits In some cases, market value coverage may be the most practical option. Take the example of an ornate older home. In today’s market, the cost of rebuilding or restoring artisanal woodwork, masonry, and plastering to their original condition may be much higher than the home’s purchase price. Therefore, the replacement policy premiums for the home would be high. (Special policies are available for some historic homes, but these also come at a higher price.) For a cash-strapped homeowner, buying a policy based on market value offers the best chance to recoup at least partial expenses after a loss.

Risks When you insure a typical home for its market value, you are at risk of having incomplete coverage. For example, imagine that a family buys a home for $175,000 and takes out a homeowner’s policy for the same amount. The replacement cost for the home, though, is $225,000. If a fire or other insured event destroys the house, the insurance settlement would be $50,000 less than the actual replacement cost of the home. The family would either have to make up the difference themselves or build a new, less expensive home.

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 448

Get Ready…Get Set … Go …

Winter Hiking With Dr. Jon Hatakeyama

For those who want to avoid the expenditure and time needed to go skiing, but wish to participate in some healthy outdoor activities during the winter months, I suggest you try the great hiking available locally. The following are my suggestions in the order of proximity to Morgan HIll.

GILROY YAMATO HOT SPRINGSDue to the many historic structures located in this one time resort in the 1930s, this park remains off limits to the public except on special occasions. Due to this closure, the wilderness area within the Gilroy Hot Springs remains pristine. This hike has the best combination of historical significance and natural beauty. The mineral waters still flow but bathing is not usually allowed. After the recent earthquake, the springs are running stronger and hotter. The Hot Springs are typically available on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month or by special arrangements. Reservations are required: 408.314.7185 or info@gilroyyamatohotsprings.org

HENRY COE STATE PARK, WILDERNESS AREAThis hike was special . . . We saw no other hikers this day. It is only accessible from the Dowdy Ranch entrance, 6 miles east of Casa de Fruta on Pacheco Pass. Our guide, naturalist, Ron Erskine, unlocked two gates. We embarked on a 10-mile hike through beautiful wild-flower fields, streams, mountain vistas, and rock outcroppings. On large rocks overlooking streams we saw worn small potholes for grinding acorns. Ron warned us when we came upon remains of a deer, that cougars are probably watching us. This is not the Coe Park on Dunne Avenue. This wilderness area, near Highway 152, is only accessible by permit.

TODAY’S UVAS CANYON HIKE . . . A NATURAL HIGHArrived at Uvas Canyon early to avoid the crowds. We traversed the Swedish summer retreat, Sveadal, to reach the start of our trail. The County Park is 13 miles from Morgan Hill. In contrast to the Pinnacles, this place is wet and wild with waterfalls, ladybugs, redwoods, and ferns. In such a dry year, this oasis is sure to dry up in the coming months. Trails are easy with many bridges crossing creeks. There are six miles of trails, side trails and loops. The one-mile Waterfall Loop Trail Guide offers a 27-point self-guided interpretative trail of the flora of Uvas Canyon. A hike in Uvas Canyon is a natural high.

THE PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK HIKEAs a results of ancient volcanoes, earthquakes, and millions of years of erosion, this rare combination of nature’s forces created a spectacular range of rock formations, caves, and lakes. A flashlight required cave and trail hike, there are underground waterfalls seen and heard while ascending rock stairways in the dark! There are several tight squeezes between rock formations. One emerges from the darkness to view the tranquil Bear Gulch Lake. Pinnacles National Park is located 30 miles southeast of Hollister. It is our nation’s newest Park. Pinnacles can be very hot. Bring water and aim for cooler times of the year.

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49 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

It’s Fall and that means football. As assistant

coach on my son’s Pop Warner football

team, it is always exciting to see the team

come together. Each player knowing their job,

perfecting their skill and executing as a team.

With all of the hard work, it wouldn’t be much if

it weren’t for the head coach aligning the team

and bringing it all together.

Anytime you work with a coach, a mentor

or advisor there are benefits. When working

with a financial advisor you receive a number

or powerful benefits. Some benefits, like

investment reviews, rebalancing and ongoing

monitoring of assets, can be quantified and

benefits, like peace of mind, can be harder

to quantify. When working with a fee-based

financial advisor, you are aligned with a

professional who is focused on you, your values

and your success. The benefit this alignment

brings cannot be understated.

A Fiduciary

A fee-based financial advisor is a fiduciary. A

fiduciary is someone who is legally obligated

to look out for your best interests. Doctors

and lawyers are held to this standard, so it

makes sense to require this of the people

handling your money. It’s important to under-

stand that while a fee-based investment

advisor is legally and ethically held to the

fiduciary standard, stockbrokers and advisors

that earn commissions are not. Commission-

earning advisors are only held to a “suitability”

standard, where they have to make sure an

investment is appropriate for your age, risk

tolerance and economic status.

On the other hand, Fiduciaries must not only

make certain that an investment is suitable for

you, they also have to make sure it is in your

best interest. This legal obligation is enforced

by the Securities and Exchange Commission

and supported by a requirement that mandates

full-disclosure of any conflicts of interest.

A Wealth Manager

When you work with a fee-based advisor they

get to know you by asking questions about your

family, your occupations, your money, and your

goals. All of this information is considered in the

investment advice and recommendations they

prepare for you. If your needs reach beyond

the scope of what they provide, your advisor

plays a key role in referring or coordinating with

other specialized professionals like legal, tax,

insurance, mortgage and real estate.

A Behavioral Coach

Once your goals are established and a plan is

implemented, it should be smooth sailing right?

Not necessarily. Sometimes your investments can

be volatile, testing your investment convictions.

It is during these times that you need to avoid

over-reacting and doing something that you may

later regret with your money. The same holds true

when investments are performing exceptionally

well and your expectations change to assume

that the exceptional performance will continue.

Your advisor will keep you calm and focused on

your goals by educating you on your investments

and helping you keep a perspective on the big

picture. Historically, markets have gone up over

time, but rarely do so in a straight line.

A March 2014 study by The Vanguard Group1,

showed that from behavioral coaching alone, it

was estimated that the discipline and guidance

advisors provide as a regulator of market news

could add as much as 1.50% annually to our

long-term results.

The Advisor Advantage

Fee-based advisors provide benefits beyond

investment management. We look after your

best interests, manage your entire situation and

coach you in good and bad times. Like a football

team, all of this combines to help increase the

likelihood of achieving what is most important

to you – your goals.

by Daniel T. Newquist, CFP®, AIF®

Reaching Your Goals… The AdvisorAdvantage

Daniel T. Newquist, CFP®, AIF® is a Princi-pal Wealth Advisor with RNP Advisory Services, Inc., in Morgan Hill with over 18 years experience advising clients on their personal wealth, retirement planning, insurance, and business planning needs. Born and raised in Morgan Hill, Dan is available for private consultations and speaking engagements. Investment advisory services offered through RNP Advisory Services, Inc. – a registered investment advisor.  Securi-ties offered through Foothill Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, an unaffiliated company. Visit his website at www.RNPadvisory.com or call 408-779-0699.

FINANCIALLY

Speaking

1Putting a Value on Your Value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha” This article is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as investment advice.

Always consult your financial or tax-planning professional for guidance with respect to your specific situation.

With Dr. Jon Hatakeyama

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 450

Bill Hiland, owner of On the Road Again, a Morgan Hill business that provides top quality, full service, restoration and painting of

classic British automobiles is also the organizer of three British Fall Classic Automobile shows in Morgan Hill. The most recent show was held in Morgan Hill in September.

Bill has been a sports car enthusiast since high school in the early 1960s and he attributes his love of British classic cars from a combination of his English, Scottish and Irish heritage and his love of sports cars. In his youth, he enjoyed racing sports cars and zipping along the mountains in his sporty MG. Although his friends were partial to hot rods, Bill loved his sports cars. His childhood hero is Sir Sterling Moss who Bill had the opportunity to meet at the Pebble Beach Concours, which he and other car enthusiasts believe is the top automotive event of its kind. In the showroom at his business, Bill proudly displays a photo of himself and his hero taken at Pebble Beach Concours. According to Bill, Moss was the greatest British car driver there ever was. Although Moss is now 86, he still attends the Pebble Beach Concours. The reason Bill reveres Moss is because he raced before cars were built to with-stand a crash in which the driver can walk away. He said when Moss raced, “you were tempting fate.”

As a teenager, Bill loved sailing and racing which he started at the age of seven when he sailed the Calero Reservoir near Almaden. He said with a twinkle in his eye that he learned an important lesson then, “If you go sailing with friends, when you get to the dock,

Bill Hiland’s Classic British Sports Cars … A Flash from the Past

By J0-Anne Daniels

51 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

clean the head.” After high school Bill attended San Jose City College for one year and then joined the Navy where he attended electronics school and gained an understanding of blueprints, schematics and how to build boats. After he served his tour, which included the coast of Vietnam, he returned to school at Foothill College. At the same time he worked at the Ford Motor Company where he watched mechanics build Mustangs. Bill later obtained his yacht broker license and sold boats from San Diego to Marina Del Rey. He also started a sailboat business in Seattle and imported boats from England and Canada; then he became a project manager who built boats from Toronto to Christchurch, New Zealand. Later he designed and managed a company in New Zealand and built the fastest boat that broke the record in the Swifsure Yacht Race, which is very big in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. His philosophy for a good life is,”If you are not having fun, you should work somewhere else.”

His entrepreneurial journey brought him to where he is today rebuilding classic cars. Bill enjoys his business of restoring British classic cars because he says that he can restore an old classic and rekindle fond memories of the past. What he enjoys most is to “take the ugly and create something beautiful like growing orchids in a greenhouse.” The sentiment of restoring cars to their pristine condition and creating happiness of times past inspired him to name his business On the Road Again. Bill remarks that for what some people pay for a new sports car, his company can restore a classic car that was loved

and enable someone to enjoy the thrill of driving it again. According to Bill, it is not that difficult to accomplish.

Three years ago Bill decided to take over the management of the Annual British Fall Classic automobile show because he said he wanted to have fun and also introduce the Morgan Hill community to classic cars. He knows how important cars can be to people; in fact, he knows of people who have made an exhaustive search for the first car they ever owned. In his way, Bill wants to give back to the community that has been good to him because he lives by the motto that “what you give, you get.”

Always full of ideas, Bill has expanded his business and added a car museum. He displays 500 miniature cars in the showroom. They are exact to scale models that are only 10 inches, but are so perfectly made that they even have leather seats and push-button trunk releases. In his showroom, he also displays posters of classic car races signed by famous drivers.

Of all the fabulous classics that he has restored from the Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Jaguar, MG, Morgan, Triumph, Austin Healey, Lotus, Morris, what was Bill’s favorite? Although it is such a difficult decision, Bill confides that his favorite is the Jaguar and another personal favorite is the 1949 MG W Type Saloon built after World War II.

So if you are feeling nostalgic for the days of classic cars and racing with Sir Sterling Moss, then exploring the world of classic British cars might reawaken old memories or create new ones. To quote Bill, “After all is said and done, all that we have are memories – not much else.”

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 452

organ Hill Artist

Mark Hoffmann was born in St. Louis, Missouri and has lived

in Morgan Hill with his family since May of 2004. He began

his art career in his early twenties illustrating children’s books,

painting murals, designing greeting cards, creating graphics for a

publishing company, and limited edition pins for the Hard Rock

Café during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He is often found at

local trade shows and art exhibits when he can break away from

his other job as a letter carrier with the Post Office in San Jose.

Mark has pursued freelance art work throughout his life. As a

self-taught artist, he finds inspiration around the world and has

traveled throughout Europe, Australia and the United States. His

travels have definitely had an impact on his art, but none as much

the as his multiple trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and

Disneyland Paris. Mark is a big Disney fan.

He’s been fortunate to meet many Disney animators such as

Glenn Keane, illustrator of the Little Mermaid and Aladdin;

Andreas Deja who worked on The Lion King and Beauty and

the Beast, and Ken Anderson animator for Snow White and The

Jungle Book. “Their work has been a huge influence on my art,”

said Mark. “I met the Disney Artists at Disney conventions. As

you can imagine it’s hard to get very much one-on-one time.” The

time he did have with them, however, made a lasting impression.

Mark was always fascinated with Disney and Disney’s famous

and unique art style. “I’ve drawn Disney characters for years for

myself mostly, as Disney has such a strong copyright on their

MBy Laura Wrede

53 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

characters. I’ve tried unsuccessfully for many years to work

for Disney, so it pretty much just became a hobby,” said Mark.

Then in 2008 that all changed.

Disney released Vinylmations. Disney encouraged people

to create their own designs on these Mickey Mouse shaped

3D vinyl figures. The very first Vinylmation ever released

was a white, blank three-inch vinyl figure that debuted in

November of 2008 during the Disney World’s annual Festival

of the Masters in Downtown Disney. The first Vinylmation

set, released in December of 2008, included a dozen 3”

figures and six 9” figures all in the shape of Mickey Mouse.

The designs included Figment and Kermit the Frog, Creepy

Wallpaper from The Haunted Mansion, and the Red Balloon

Chaser figure -- a Mickey Mouse figure with a red balloon

head and cloud painted body now selling on some collector

sites for $400 and up.

When Disney released the new Vinalmation series, Mark

had the opportunity to finally fulfill his Disney dream in a

roundabout way. In 2011, a blank Vinalmation was sitting on

his desk. Mark said, “One day I decided to paint Ariel, from

The Little Mermaid on it. I posted it on my Facebook page to

share with friends and a collector saw it and asked if it was

for sale. The thought of selling it never crossed my mind. By

the end of the day and many inquiries later I decided to do

a little research on custom Vinylmations. To my surprise,

there was a huge community of artists painting these 3” and

9” inch figures. I did sell the Ariel with a follow up of Belle,

from Beauty and the Beast; she sold instantly. Before I knew

it, I was making a list of orders.” Mark now has a Facebook

Page, which currently has almost 7,300 followers.

Today these Vinalmaytions are known as Create Your Own

(CYO) Vinylmations, and are sold in 3” and 9” sizes, in a

variety of colors, and even in a glow-in-the-dark version.

Mark just completed a Lilo and Stitch piece that he has

wanted to paint for some time. It wasn’t for a customer; he

made it for himself simply because he’s passionate about all

things Disney (since childhood) and can’t seem to get away

from it. And why try? It is the magical kingdom after all.

“I’ve just always loved it. I remember watching The

Mickey Mouse Club as a child and every Sunday night

watching Wonderful World of Color. I remember my very

first trip to Disneyland. I get that exact same feeling to this

day every time I visit the park. It truly is magical.” Perhaps

every time he picks up his paintbrush he is transformed to

the gates of the magical kingdom and back to his childhood

– back to that time of simple wonder, joy, and excitement.

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By Laura Wrede

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 454

As we head into the holiday season, it’s a good time to reflect on the events of 2014. For me, it has been a blessed year. Good health, time with family, wonderful work opportunities, and something else. I ventured out of my

comfort zone and got involved in community life. This is a first for me, and I must say I’m glad to have chosen Morgan Hill as my community.

Permit me to dish a little, and I’ll tell you why.

In early 2014, I applied and was accepted into a nine-month leadership program conducted each year by a non-profit organization known as Leadership Morgan Hill (LMH). I became part of a class of about 20 people, all working professionals from a variety of fields including high tech, finance, government, social services, engineering and more. Adding this new layer of activity into our already busy lives was a challenge for many of us, but we learned to work together and we pulled it off.

Each month our class focused on a different aspect of community life. We learned from leaders of local, county and state government as well as the business community, the school district, health and social services, and the non-profit sector. Mayor Steve Tate, Police Chief David Swing, Historical Society President Kathy Sullivan, MHUSD Superintendent Steve Betando, entrepreneur/inventor Mike Cox and many others were incredibly generous with their time and information. They welcomed us into the community and we got to know them on a first-name basis.

During our program we were tasked with a community service project. It was up to us to decide what to do and then get it done before the end of the program. We created a community service video and called it “Meet Morgan Hill,” giving a nod to the slogan coined by community members who are working together helping Morgan Hill promote itself as a tourist destination.

At one point during our project, it looked as if we’d bitten off more than we could chew. Then one by one, various classmates stepped up and took responsibility for fundraising, finding a video production company, writing and editing the video script, coordinating video interviews with community leaders, publicity and event support, and the myriad of details that go into what has become a top-quality video by virtually anyone’s standards.

Along with my classmates, I graduated from the LMH program in September. The LMH board hosted our graduation ceremony on the beautiful grounds of Guglielmo Winery. We were treated to an inspiring keynote delivered by Roberta Gonzales, an Emmy Award-winning CBS TV and Radio Weathercaster and popular Bay Area personality. If only we could bottle her positive outlook and perseverance!

We were all a little misty-eyed during our send-off speech, delivered by our fearless leader, LMH class facilitator Theresa Kiernan. She donned a “Cat in the Hat” style top hat and borrowed some words of wisdom from Dr. Seuss to encourage us in our next steps as Morgan Hill community leaders and supporters. According to Kiernan, our class is really “going places!”

Indeed, this is the case. Members of our class have wasted no time in stepping up to the plate. Some have joined the board of directors of Leadership Morgan Hill, others are taking positions on Morgan Hill City Council Commissions, a number are now members of the Chamber of Commerce, and still others are volunteering with local non-profits including the Wildlife Education and Rescue Center (WERC), Community Solutions, and Morgan Hill Community Foundation (MHCF). There really are countless options to suit all manner of community interests.

If you’re inspired to community leadership and support, LMH is taking applications for the Class of 2015. It’s first come, first served, and class size is limited, so don’t procrastinate. Learn more online at leadershipmorganhill.org.

Our community service video, “Meet Morgan Hill,” debuted at the graduation ceremony and we were gratified that it was well received. That little video has taken on a life of its own in the community, available to any organization that wants to share with others what makes Morgan Hill “a great place to live, work and play.”

Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2014 (BCE)

Mission Accomplished!

55 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

ABOVE: Theresa Kiernan, Class Facilitator provided words of wisdom from Dr. Seuss to graduates and audience at Leadership Morgan Hill Class of 2014 graduation celebration at Guglielmo Winery.

BELOW: The class presented their “Meet Morgan Hill”video designed to help the community promoteitself as a tourist destination.

BELOW RIGHT: 2014 Leadershp Morgan Hill President Rene Spring with Roberta Gonzales, CBS TV and Radio Weathercaster and Liza Garibaldi.

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 456

Leadership

THIS IS AN EXERPT FROM A PRESENTATION MADE BY THERESA KIERNAN,

CLASS FACILITATOR, AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE LEADERSHIP

MORGAN HILL CLASS OF 2014. WE THANK HER FOR SHARING IT WITH

US AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.

Much To Learn From Dr. Seuss

By Theresa Kiernan

With so many great books on leadership you can study and even more excellent examples

of leaders you can aspire to be like, I was overwhelmed with the options for tonight’s presentation. So I went to the top of the list, to the best expert out there…Dr. Seuss! That’s right. Dr. Seuss has some great insights as to how to be the best leader with five very simple lessons of life that every leader can live by.

Lesson Number One

TodayyouareYOU,thatistruerthantrue.ThereisnoonealivewhoisYOUerthanYOU.You are each unique. Your knowledge, talents and experiences have shaped you into who you are today and there is no one else out there like you. Perhaps your talents and your knowledge may be similar but that which really separates you from one another is your life experiences. That is what makes you unique. Honor and cherish your “unique”ness and others will enjoy following you as a leader.

Lesson Number Two

Whyfitinwhenyouwereborntostandout?Perhaps for some of you, you have no problem standing out. Embrace it and allow it to make you the best leader you can be. Trust Dr. Seuss when he says that there is something about each and every one of you that makes you stand out. If you’re wondering how, listen to the words

others use to describe you at your best.Maybe it’s a sense of humor, or your sense of integrity, or your keen ability to relate to others. Whatever it is, that is what others enjoy most about you and makes you stand out. That is why they choose you as a leader.

Lesson Number Three

Youhavebrainsinyourhead.Youhavefeetinyourshoes.Youcansteeryourselfanydirectionyouchoose.As a leader use your head and keep moving forward. I’m confident you’ve heard the words “use your head” before. Most likely during your teen years probably from your parents asking you with such exasperation “when will you ever use your head?” As a leader you need to trust that voice that tells you something may be off or better yet, you’re spot on. And remember using your head doesn’t have to be literal. Trusting your gut is also about “using your head.” The very best leaders trust both their head and their gut. And once you have those two aligned, your feet will follow suit and keep you moving in the right direction…the direction you choose. Lesson Number Four

Bewhoyouareandsaywhatyoufeel,becausethosewhominddon’tmatterandthosewhomatterdon’tmind.This spoke to me about having your inner circle. The people around whom you can

always be “youer than you.” These are the people who matter most to you and who you will turn to when you need an ear, a shoulder or a sounding board as you lead. And it is no secret that you will hear a LOT from those that Don’t MATTER. As a leader everyone isn’t going to agree with you all the time. And some may never agree with you ever, at all. So be sure to know who your personal cheerleaders are and keep them close and let them support you. Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Lesson Number Five

TodayIshallbehave,asifthisisthedayIwillberemembered.Make every day count! As a leader spend every day putting your best foot forward. It may not always be easy. So if you slip, accept it and take responsibility. Rely on your inner circle and look for what didn’t work, how did you play a role in it and what needs to improve. Taking the time to evaluate the situation, including a self-evaluation, helps you to continue to be an excellent example to those who choose to follow you as a leader.

It isn’t amazing to me that these simple life lessons from Dr. Seuss can ring so loudly and clearly as some of the best advice to being the best leader possible.

57 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 458

When you think of the Y, you probably think of a gym with treadmills and weight equipment, where

adults go to sweat and kids play sports on the weekend. You also might think of picking up your child from after school programs or listening to the stories your child tells you about the Y’s outrageously fun summer day camp. But what you might not realize is that for almost 30 years, the Mt. Madonna YMCA has been devoted to strengthening the South Santa Clara County community.

It all began in 1979 with a small group of fathers, who liked to spend weekends with their children celebrating and studying the native tribes of California and camping in the wilderness. John Gerhardt, Gary Silacci, Ron Friis and Henk Marse-lis were all active members in the YMCA Indian Guides, YMCA Indian Princesses (YIGYIP) program. While they loved the experience that YIGYIP offered their fami-lies, they had to commute from Morgan Hill to South Valley YMCA in San Jose to take part in the father/children program.

John, a father of eight who also served as a South Valley YMCA board member and dedicated YMCA fundraiser, started talking to the other Morgan Hill and Gilroy parents in YIGYIP to see if they had an interest in forming a Y closer to home.

His vision came right at the time that South County’s population was exploding. Between 1970 to 1980, the Morgan Hill community had almost tripled from 6,485 to 17,060 residents.

Gary, Ron and Henk enthusiastically endorsed John’s idea, and over time, the four of them would become known as the “Founding Fathers.” Their first move was to create their own Crow Nation of YIGYIP, which was filled with eight families from Morgan Hill and two families from Gilroy. Afterwards, Gerhardt said the group really pushed for their own charter in South County.

“We had every intention of getting approval for our own Y, so we beat the necessary fundraising goal to show how much we were invested in the community,” Gerhardt said. “We also started a Y’s Men group, an auxiliary group that existed to support the Y and raise

Mount Madonna YMCA Building a Stronger South County Community

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Xander Williams, who attends our Child Care After School program in Morgan Hill, at a 49ers youth football day.

59 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

money for programs. Ron chaired the Mt. Madonna YMCA Y’s Men Club.”

By 1986, the charter was complete, and a program executive was hired to begin providing services. However, the branch still didn’t have a name.

“I had been to several Y conferences and met board members from around the country. There was a lot of repetition in names,” continued Gerhardt. “I wanted something that would represent the whole area without being too much Morgan Hill or too much Gilroy. Mt. Madonna Park was one of the places we liked to go camping with the YIGYIP, so I insisted on it as our name because it had a real connection to the area and our group.”

The first Mt. Madonna YMCA office was in downtown Morgan Hill in the Gadway building. “Marilyn and Stan Gadway are still wonderful supporters of the YMCA and helped us get going in Morgan Hill. Marilyn also served on our first Mt. Ma-donna YMCA board of managers. Their support was crucial. As the organization grew, we eventually moved to the Friendly Inn,” Gerhardt said.

From the very beginning, Mt. Madonna YMCA was dedicated to offering quality programs to meet the needs of their community. One of those initial needs was for group exercise classes, and at that time, step aerobics was becoming very popular. “We had to hand-build steps for our classes, and because we didn’t have a facility big enough, we taught our classes out of local churches,” recalls Cheryl Raushnot, a long-time group exercise instructor and wellness coach who has been with Mt. Madonna since it launched group exercise classes in the late 1980s. Raushnot, like Gerhardt, had previously served as a South Valley YMCA member and campaigner.

“I love the Y. My kids grew up Y kids,” Raushnot said. “But what I find most moving about my years with the Y is how many people come to us for very different reasons, and how we’ve grown to meet the diverse needs of our community in order to empower people more and more.”

One of the other community needs during Mt. Madonna’s early years was affordable before and after school child care programs. Mary Hoshiko Haughey,

a Morgan Hill resident who is now the YMCA of Silicon Valley’s Vice President of Operations, Youth Development and Social Responsibility, was the first site director at the first Y child care site at Paradise Valley Elementary School. “Parents were commuting from Morgan Hill to work, and we also had a strong migrant population in the area. These families needed safe and affordable child care in the community. I was happy to be there when the doors opened.”

Since then, Mt. Madonna YMCA has grown exponentially. In partnership with the City of Morgan Hill, the Y operates health and wellness programs at the Centennial Recreation Center, a beautiful community facility. It also operates eight after school and child care facilities in the Morgan Hill Unified School District and partners with Youth Alliance, CAL-SOAP and the Gilroy Unified School District to operate five after school sites in Gilroy. In addition, the Y runs multiple youth sports leagues, a fun- and friend-filled summer day camp, and the organization has opened three wholesale produce markets in the last year, two in Morgan Hill and one in Gilroy.

All of these programs’ needs, except for salaries, are funded entirely by the Mt. Madonna YMCA’s Annual Campaign each February. The Y’s Annual Campaign also allows the organization to provide financial assistance to help ensure that individuals in need are able to participate in Y programs.

While he could go on for hours about the benefits of the Y’s wide array of services, the program that Gerhardt is most proud of is the senior nutrition program with Senior Centers in Gilroy and Morgan Hill, where around 80 senior adults at each site are able to eat a hot, nutritious lunch in wonderfully inviting, social atmospheres. Equally important, no one is turned away from lunch if they are unable to pay.

“We’re the only Y program for seniors like this in the entire area,” he said. “Our partnerships in the community for this program have been very helpful, and I’m proud of the connections I’ve made and the friends I have formed while volunteering for the Y.”

It all began in 1979

with a small group

of fathers, who liked

to spend weekends

with their children

celebrating and

studying the native

tribes of California

and camping in the

wilderness.

By Dana G. Williams

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 460

Those Who Do … John McKay

F lash back to the summer of 2000. For John McKay and his wife Michelle it had been a long hard week at work. Ready to escape the

concrete, traffic congestion and go-go pace of life in Silicon Valley, they hopped into their van and headed south on 101. Their destination is Morgan Hill.

They take the Dunne Avenue exit and within minutes find themselves downtown. Both feel as if they’ve been transported to a different time and place where farms, or-chards and open space still exist, the pace is a little slower and people are friendlier. John and Michelle are surrounded by people dancing in the street, enjoying a local band at the Friday Night Music Series hosted by Morgan Hill’s Chamber of Commerce. It’s a relaxed night out in a small town that feeds their souls.

Flash forward to 2014. John and Michelle have been living in Morgan Hill for 14 years. They not only love it here, but they are fully engaged in Morgan Hill community life.

“Moving here changed our lives for the better,” said John McKay. “Growing up in Mountain View, I had no real sense of community involvement. Moving to Morgan Hill was more than just a new place to call home…for us it was a commitment to community life.”

With a background in commercial con-struction, John was naturally curious about local development plans and projects. It wasn’t long before he began attending city planning meetings, learning about how local government works, and listening to public feedback.

He participated in Chamber of Commerce activities, and joined Leadership Morgan Hill’s Class of 2010. That experience encour-aged McKay to apply for a seat on the city planning commission in 2011.

“The planning commission seemed like a good place to influence change, but there’s a learning curve in terms of land use, resi-dential growth control and other issues,” said McKay. “The thought of taking on a commissioner’s role seemed daunting, but

my involvement with Leadership Morgan Hill convinced me that it was possible.

“Morgan Hill city officials have made an effort to be an open government that seeks community engagement. City officials have done an incredible job helping Morgan Hill through changes in Redevelopment Author-ity (RDA) funding, a serious recession, and more. The Residential Development Control System (RDCS) is a difficult program to work with but we’re seeing a positive end result with good plans and quality homes.”

In 2012, McKay began talking with friends and colleagues about the lack of aware-ness of Morgan Hill’s appeal as a tourism destination. Previous attempts to elevate Morgan Hill above its best-kept-secret status may simply have been ill-timed or under-supported, and therefore failed to gain traction.

“I’d met with people like Adam Fergu-son, Dennis Kennedy, Jeff Dixon and Jon Hatakeyama, all of whom agreed Morgan Hill had the potential to become an impor-tant tourism destination with our wineries, our farms and our parks and open space lands,” said McKay. “But it was our meeting with Edith Ramirez, Morgan Hill’s economic development director, who really moved things from talking to action.”

“Edith spent more than three hours with us in that first meeting,” said McKay, “and she was the critical element in making the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance happen. She connected us with all the right people. A real spirit of cooperation developed. Along with Edith representing the city, I was joined by my fellow board members from the Mor-gan Hill Downtown Association and repre-sentatives from the Chamber of Commerce as well as the local hotels and wineries.

“By the spring, we held our first communi-ty forum on tourism and we had a great turn-out. We realized that a little branding was needed to help build awareness of Morgan Hill as a destination. It was Cinda Meister who proposed the simple yet appropriate slogan, ‘Meet Morgan Hill’, which instantly caught on.” Meister and her husband Brad

Jones own BookSmart, one of Morgan Hill’s most popular downtown businesses.

“If it weren’t for the great collaboration among community members and support from the city, I think we would have aban-doned the idea, and people wouldn’t be talking about Morgan Hill as a destination. But today, it’s become a normal part of ev-eryday conversation. We continued to build momentum, with local wineries, restaurants and community organizations putting to-gether a variety of ‘wine and dine’ events and fundraisers.

“Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman provided support at the county level. That helped us earn the official desig-nation of the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail, followed by the installation of the wine trail signs this summer.

“We received great coverage from the media. Along with the local newspapers and magazines, we captured attention from network TV, reporters in Sacramento, and Sunset Magazine. And this is just the beginning.”

McKay smiles broadly when asked about next steps. In his view, Morgan Hill has a bigger story to tell. An inviting down-town with a playhouse and a history mu-seum. Great restaurants and wineries. Agri-tourism. Parks and open space lands with endless trails for hikers and cyclists to explore. Recreation facilities for soccer, swimming and other sports that can sup-port local as well as regional competition. He has also served as Chair of the Down-town Association’s Placemaking Committee, which recently held a Symposium providing community members with a series of op-portunities to learn about plans for Morgan Hill’s downtown development and provide ideas and feedback.

“I had been interested in the idea of cre-ating ‘parklets’, or interactive settings along Monterey Road downtown. The goal was to show the community how we could adapt sections of Monterey to make it a welcoming and safe streetscape where people could mingle with family and friends, browse the

By Robin Shepherd

61 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

shops, catch a movie and grab a bite to eat.“Edith Ramirez and I had talked about

the idea of parklets earlier, and once again, she helped the Placemaking Committee to make this happen. I was delighted that passersby stopped and asked us questions literally as we built the parklets. It’s been a great learning experience for all of us.”

McKay also manages to find time to con-tribute a column in the Morgan Hill Times.

“I am involved in a number of organiza-tions and attend a lot of meetings that many people in town don’t have time to attend. I do a lot of listening, and there are many productive efforts happening in Morgan Hill. We are fortunate to have community members willing to give their time and money to improve things. The column gives me an opportunity to share positive stories

about what makes this such a great little city to live in.”

McKay says the Tourism Alliance contin-ues to move forward with its vision, includ-ing a collaboration with the Morgan Hill Cycling Alliance on a plan to provide an im-proved riding experience for cyclists.

Clearly, McKay has other ideas percolat-ing, and he has found Morgan Hill to be a place where new ideas are welcomed. He is quick to mention names of the many people that he says make Morgan Hill such a strong community, and more self-effacing when it comes to his own role.

“I’m a master of the obvious,” said McK-ay. “Often, it’s a matter of listening to peo-ple, learning how things work and who can get them done, and starting the conversa-tion. Then it comes down to working with

people who can play well together and who will see things through…and we’ve got those kinds of people in Morgan Hill.”

McKay and his wife Michelle also support Morgan Hill’s Wildlife Education and Res-cue Center (WERC) and the city’s Commu-nity Law Enforcement Foundation (CLEF). Michelle is a long-time employee of Silicon Valley Bank, where she is a senior global treasury advisor and manager. She is also a board member with the Morgan Hill Com-munity Foundation.

When the McKay’s aren’t engaged in work and community activities, they like to take an occasional cruise on their mo-torcycles, do a little local wine tasting with friends, or take off with their dogs in their van for a road trip to parts unknown.

By Robin Shepherd

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 462

Hana McElroy in the orchard at Charter School of Morgan Hill.

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63 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

Garden Club announces EduGrow Planting-to-Learn program grants

Paradise Valley Elementary School used grant money to purchase new topsoil for their gardens.

From left to right: Janet McElroy, Fleurs; Christel Morley, ELD/Literacy and Intervention Facilitator, Rod Kelley Elementary; Donna Dicker, Fleurs; Luis Carrillo, Principal, and Laura Leon, first grade teacher, Rod Kelley Elementary.

SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFIT YOUTH GROUPS ARE INVITED TO APPLY FOR “SEED MONEY”

South Valley Fleurs Garden Club has announced a call for grant applications for their EduGrow-Planting to Learn program. The Garden Club supports education in horticulture by offering

grants to elementary, middle and high school teachers who wish to include gardening in their curriculum. This year, the program has expanded to include non-profit youth groups such as Scouts, 4H and FFA. Schools and youth groups in Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista are invited to submit grant applications.

Over the last 4 years, EduGrow “seed money” has been granted to 6 local elementary schools, where funds were used to create school gardens, build raised bed planting boxes, repair and replace tools and irrigation systems, and purchase seeds, plants, top soil and amendments for existing gardens.

“We believe that Planting to Learn programs are an easy way to implement science standards and help children connect with their food and their environment,” said Louise Helland, Co-Chair of the EduGrow program. “It is gratifying to know that children are picking and eating the pumpkins and carrots they grew themselves, in gardens improved through EduGrow grants. These programs also help build community and have a multiplying effect by engaging schools, students, parents and local retailers in the process of funding and maintaining the projects.”

The EduGrow program also includes, on request, consultations, lessons and hands-on demonstrations presented to schools and youth groups. “Fleurs Garden Club members possess a wealth of gardening experience and information,” said Betsy Ding, program co-chair. “An important element of the EduGrow program is sharing our collective knowledge with the next generation of gardeners.”

The deadline for grant applications is January 15, 2015. For more information, or to request a grant application form, contact Donna Dicker at drmbd@garlic.com or call 408.776.7867.

ABOUT SOUTH VALLEY FLEURSSouth Valley Fleurs Garden Club is made up of a group of gardeners in the South Santa Clara County / San Benito County area. It is an active club that maintains several public gardens in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Hollister. The club also supports education in horticulture by offering grants to youth groups and school teachers who wish to include gardening in their curriculum.

P. A. Walsh students working in gardens.

Children are invited to pot a plant and take it home at the annual plant sale held each year in April.

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M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 464

Create Good Debt

Chances are you already have

enough equity in your home

to pay for renovations. But

before you increase your debt,

consider whether it’s good debt or bad debt.

While bad debt is used to make a purchase

that depreciates, good debt is used to make

an investment that rises in value.

In the case of renovations, bad debt would

fund improvements that have no value to

future buyers. Whereas good debt would

add convenience and pleasure today, while

increasing your home’s value tomorrow. By

opting for good debt, the interest you pay on

your equity loan can be more than covered by

the increase in resale value.

Improvements to kitchens, bathrooms and

outdoor living space offer the highest return

on investment. Here are a couple of things to

keep in mind:

• In general, the more recent the

improvement, the higher the return

on investment.

• The most appealing kitchens have an

open plan with island, and an efficient

triangle between the refrigerator, stove

and sink.

• Adding a deck increases the apparent

floor space of your home. Make outdoor

and indoor space blend seamlessly by

using French doors and indoor-style

light fixtures and furnishings.

By renovating strategically, your improve-

ments can pay for themselves, plus create a

healthy profit! For a detailed FREE report on

“9 Secrets to Make Your Home Reno Pay For

Itself – Even If You Have Less Than Perfect

Credit” call us today at: 408-426-5875.

As the Retail Sales Area Manager for W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital, LLC, Penny is responsible for implementing the strategies that go behind managing the day-to-day facilitation of both Sales and Operations in the Bay Area. Penny and her husband Scott have raised their three boys in Morgan Hill and understand the wonderful community that we live in.

www.wjbradley.com320 Digital Drive Morgan Hill, CA 95037

Penny Doubek Retail Sales Area Manager The Doubek TeamW.J. Bradley Mortgage

Capital, LLC

NMLS# 203281

© 2014 W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital, LLC. 6465 Greenwood Plaza Blvd, Suite 500, Centennial, CO 80111 Phone #303-825-5670. NMLS ID 3233. Trade/service marks are the property of W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital, LLC. This is not a commitment to lend. Restrictions apply. All rights reserved. Some products may not be available in all states. WJB is not acting on behalf of or at the direction of HUD/FHA or the federal government. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act RML No. 4131002; NMLS consumer access: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/EntityDetails.aspx/COMPANY/3233.This material is for informative purposes only and is not to be taken as credit advice or counsel.

Renovate Your Home

65 F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y

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INTRODUCINGTHE 2015 HONDA FIT

1 7 1 0 0 L a u r e l R o a d I M o r g a n H i l l , C A 9 5 0 3 7 I 4 0 8 - 5 0 0 - 3 0 0 0 I H o n d a o f M o r g a n H i l l . c o m

How much can you fit in a Fit?

(Keep an eye out for the all new redesigned 2015 Honda Fit.)

M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y F A L L 2 0 1 466

Are you inspired by color but unable to choose the right one for your home? You’re not alone, most of my client’s fall

into this category. There are many factors to consider when choosing color for your home or office.

Let’s start at the beginning, the basics if you will. There are warm colors and there are cool colors. Residents of Alaska and other cold States might want to use warm colors since their winters are long and cold and conversely, residents of the hot southern states may want to use cool colors.

The Effects of ColorCool colors are greens, blue-greens and blues; the coolness of water whether still or flowing in a water display. Cool colors suggest effectiveness, however they can be refreshing as well. Cool colors appear further away; a wall will appear to recede. The more saturated the color is, the more intense it is. For instance, new parents might want to paint their new son’s room blue; so in this case they would use a much muted blue; a “tint” of blue. A “tint” is a color mixed with white, a “tone” is a color mixed with grey and a “shade” is a color mixed with black. A highly saturated blue or shade of blue would be too cool!

Warm colors are yellows, oranges & reds. They exude warmth and are inspirational and they have great emotional impact. Some people associate it with the first hint of fall each year. Warm colors are soothing and make you feel good. They make you want to explore new things and rise to greater heights. Physically and mentally they seem to give you a glow and warm inviting feeling. In the cooler states this is a welcome respite when coming in from the cold weather.

Some of the effects of colors are well known and accepted by most people. Color has known psychological effects and can be visceral to some. When color enters through our eyes, it directly affects our mood, pro-ductivity, and may have a powerful effect on our self-esteem. It is important to know

Carol Carr has been an interior designer since 1981, as ‘Carol Spence Interior Design’, ASID, CID. Carol specializes in making your home comfortable, an extension of your personality and lifestyle. Her design philosophy is “Every room should be usable and comfortable — a balance between visual response and physical comfort.” Carol can be reached at 408.779.4189.

COLOR YOUR H OME BEAUTIFUthat not all societies share our perception of those influences on our emotions. One must separate the psychological from the symbolic. White and black are good examples. In our western society, black is considered serious, dramatic and sometimes sad. It is the traditional color of mourning. White is associated with purity, peace and optimism. It’s unthink-able to attend a funeral in white. It’s rare that a bride would choose a black dress (though current wedding trends reflect black as the color choice for brides-maids’ attire). We are convinced that it is not in the “nature” of those colors. However, in some Asian countries, it is white, not black that is the color of mourning. There is some overlapping in the properties different cultures attribute to certain colors. Interestingly, Feng Shui, the traditional Chinese philosophy that distinguishes between good and evil, influences interprets colors much in the same way as the majority of Western color specialists.

The Perception of ColorThe perception of color is affected more by lighting than anything else. It’s not just the amount but the type of light. High levels of fluorescent light in a room can cast a cool light on warm tones making them appear drab. Conversely, low levels of incandescent lighting can make the room appear darker. The identical distortions are especially noticeable on neutral and muted colors.

The quantity of light is important in any room. High levels of light make saturated colors seem more vivid. The underlying hues of darker colors may also be more apparent. Low levels of light make vivid colors seem more muted and darker.

The Truth about Paint ChipsTrust them but not too much. Tiny squares of color are never a good indica-tor of how a color will look in a room, so here’s what you need to do. Buy sample

By Carol Carr

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2

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jars of the paint you’re interested in using then paint a good-sized swatch (not patch) directly onto the wall or on a board or other stiff material that can be moved around. Give yourself at least 24 hours to view the color swatch(s) before deciding. You want to see the color(s) in all shades of lighting during the course of a full day.

When you do choose a good paint color from a small sample, it’s a good idea to test several shades of this color to help you find just the right one. Incidentally all 3 colors can be used, the lighter hues on the darkest areas and the darker on the best lighted area.

The fact that most colors intensify when applied to a large area is an undisputed fact. Do remember this, once you return the furniture, etc back into the room, the paint on the wall will absorb a lot of the colors of the furniture which will tend to mute the intense appearance prior to moving it into the room.

The other factor to consider is the natural light that enters the room. Ascer-tain whether it’s morning or afternoon sun exposure or somewhere in between; and don’t forget to see how it looks in the evening when the sun has gone down. It will make a difference.

ABOUT PAINT FINISHESDo select the best finish in the highest quality paint. These top quality paints resist yellowing, are more durable and have superior adhesion and superb coverage. Be sure to use primer where it’s needed, this is a must. The finish defines the surface effect.

Matte and Flat Finishes These have no shine which makes them ideal for hiding minor surface imperfections. On the plus side I like the finish; it alludes to a velvet finish in certain brands of paint.

Eggshell Eggshell is easier to clean than matte finishes and creates a soft glow.

Satin or Semi-Gloss FinishesThese finishes work well on architec-tural details, and are easy to clean. They are the very best finish to use in kitch-ens and baths and on doors and trim because they can be easily cleaned.

Gloss Finish If you want shiny and scrubbable, this is the finish for you. The only caveat is, don’t use them on walls with any imperfections.

FOUR MISTAKES TO AVOID

Choosing a carpet in the store with fluorescent lights. Solution: Bring the sample home to see how it looks in your room(s).

Assumption that a color can make a room appear either larger or smaller. Solution: Colors alone don’t make a room look smaller. Light colors combined with dark colors do, however. It’s high contrast col-ors that seem to make a room feel smaller. A space feels larger when there is less contrast. Light colors do create a more open feeling in the room. Don’t use too many colors in a room, it will appear disorderly and uncomfortable.

Focusing on current color trends.Solution: Even though the color forecasters are trying to read the moods of people and note trends, it’s not the way to discern what is good or bad for you. The colors in your home need to reflect your personal preferences and fit with your lifestyle. Color trends change often. Consider your budget. How often can you afford to re-do your home?

COLOR YOUR H OME BEAUTIFUIgnoring the subtlety of color.Solution: Carefully examine the color. For instance, is it a tomato red or a blue red? Place the fabric sample next to the paint color. Remember this: The darker the color the less likelihood of its clashing. A deep dark saturated red will be more likely to match a wider range of reds. Note: Beige or grey does not mean neutral. Every color has a neutral hue.

4

“Whatever color you choose for what-ever room, keep in mind, rooms should not be put together for show, but to nourish one’s well being.”

Albert Hadley, Interior Designer

Remember, the right color(s) for you will always make you smile!

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2014 has been a very good year for Morgan Hill’s Chamber of Commerce. Our major events including the “Celebrate Morgan Hill”

awards ceremonies, “Rock the Mock” high school student coaching program, “Friday Night Music” free community concert series and Fall’s capstone “Taste of Morgan Hill” festival were all extremely successful both from a community building standpoint and as financial endeavors. We often say that no organization should be focused primarily on the money, but every organization must be thoughtful and effective in managing its finances in order to succeed. Our deepest appreciation and gratitude goes out to the sponsors, volunteers and participants who came together to make these events happen.

An effective Chamber of Commerce, however, is much more than an events management organization. Our efforts in Economic Development this past year have been focused on both tourism and long-term, high-quality job creation. From a tourism perspective, we formed Morgan Hill Presents to bring together organizers of events which have a major tourist draw in order that these organizers can be more productive in the use of their resources. Formal and informal collaboration between these groups has yielded cost savings, operational improvements and enhanced cross-promotional activities. Another major collaboration, this one led by the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley, culminated in the installation of a complete wine trail signage series throughout Southern Santa Clara County. On the other side of the job creation equation, we have been engaged in a joint project to capture and promote the business success stories of larger businesses within Morgan Hill. Going forward, we will be using these success stories to encourage other companies to locate and/or expand in Morgan Hill.

Speaking of which, now is the time when we are very focused on our plans and priorities for the year ahead. If you have an interest in being more involved with the Chamber, email me (john@morganhill.org) and we will find you a way to “plug in.” We are also calling for nominations for 2015’s Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, Business of the Year, Educator of the Year, Student of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. If you know of worthy candidates for this honor, please download and complete a nomination form from morganhill.org.

Thank you for your interest in our community!

ChamberCelebratesGood Year!By John Horner, President /CEOMorgan Hill Chamber of Commerce

Celebrate Morgan Hill

Friday Night Music

Taste Of Morgan Hill

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BUSINESS NEWS

Fifty-five years ago, Mark Scianna’s dad was working for a millworking company when it went out of busi-ness. So, he and a few friends started the Morgan Hill Millwork company. Today, that company produces

high-end furniture and cabinets for billion-dollar companies.Mission Bell specializes in quality architectural woodwork,

millwork and custom casework for Silicon Valley companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and LinkedIn. Everything they build is custom-designed and custom-made.

“It’s whatever an architect can dream of we fulfill those dreams, that’s what makes it exciting, it’s never the same thing,” said Mark Scianna, whose father Leonard Scianna along with his wife Marjorie and two other business partners started the company in 1959. ”Each architect wants his idea to be unique. It makes for an interesting workplace.”

Many of these items combine unique materials and require exacting standards. Large lobby features in office buildings are often unique and challenging due to their size and placement.

The Mission Bell workplace consists of about 190 employees who own 49 percent of the company, which strives to one day make it a 100 percent employee-owned company, according to Scianna.

“We would like this entity to continue on and so starting the employee stock ownership plan and giving it back to the employees who built it into what it is today and carry it on into the future was very appealing,” Scianna said.

When they needed to expand, they moved to a site in Santa Clara, but grew out of that location and moved back to Morgan Hill where there were more opportunities for growth with the number of buildings that suited their needs.

They worked closely with city hall and found it to be responsive and helpful, CEO and President Glenn Ripley said.

“The community is small enough that they can get to know us and come out and understand our line of work and our business,” he said. “They were motivated to work with us to help us solve our business problems and meet our business needs.”

And after moving here they quickly found out Morgan Hill is a community that allows them to service their market in the Bay Area and throughout Northern California and “yet provide a lifestyle to our employees that appeals to them and maintain a work force that we want to have,” Ripley said. “Morgan Hill is a great place to live and work. You don’t have to worry about the kinds of commutes that many folks face. It provides the type of environment conducive to our business.”

And that $40 million business has access to its market and its commercial clients throughout the Bay Area.

“Morgan Hill is positioned well to serve that market and, at the same time, it provides our employees access to affordable housing and the quality of life and lifestyle that appeals to many of our employees,” Ripley said.

And many of those employees – and the company itself – give back to the community. They are involved with local churches, the Boy Scouts, local schools, and they encourage their employees to become involved.

“One of our corporate values is contribution,” Ripley said. “We encourage our employees to be involved not only in life of the business but the life of the community.”

The nature of the work keeps the workforce motivated and excited, he said.

“We produce a product you can touch and see with some pretty high-tech automated machines and somehow it all blends together that I think employees can related to,” he said. And those employees are compensated well. The company pays union wages in and out of shop, so it needs to stay a step ahead of the competition, most of whom are out of state.

“In order to be competitive we need to be more efficient than the competition,” Scianna said.

That need to work together as a team keeps everyone working toward the same goal.

“Whether we’re related by blood or not, each member of our team is an important part of the Mission Bell family,” Ripley said.

Interview by Robert Airoldi of Morgan Hill Life and used by permission.

Mission Bell …A Family Affair

Pavers by Design is an unusual construction company with a tight focus. They specialize in high-quality, long-lasting hardscapes. Owner Bob Traina says the secret to his business is not to cut corners. This is how he gets word of mouth referrals and builds a solid customer base.  It’s very important to him that when he installs a hardscape it stays beautiful and strong for many years. This quality craftsmanship is what brought Guglielmo Winery to Bob when they needed their event area hardscaped. And that’s the sort of business relationship you want.

Pavers by Design installs everything from simple patios to extensive outdoor kitchens to give people more living and entertaining space. Because the company is small, Bob contracts with industry specialists for subcontracting particular areas.  His focus is on making sure the person with the best expertise is working on the job at hand. It’s this attention to detail that keeps customers coming back. If pavers are installed improperly, they don’t last. They shift over time, leaving uneven surfaces and weeds growing in the cracks. Bob makes sure to do all the steps, including compacting the dirt and ensuring a tight lock on every paver, so that his patios last beautifully for years.  

Friday Night Music

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Digital Memories To Create Moments That Matter

Dorie Sugay is the Executive Director of Visiting Angels, a company that provides living-assistance services to seniors and adults-in-need who wish to stay in their own home or receive one-on-one care within a facility.

By Dorie U. Sugay

This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It was written independent of Visiting Angels.

P icture Barbara Streisand singing, “Memories…light the corners of my mind” and think of the

older adult in your life whose memories have been pushed to the corners of their mind by age, cognitive decline or a form of dementia (Alzheimer’s being the most prevalent). Reconstructed memories, it turns out, do create moments that matter, according to the results of studies recently completed.

In 2012, three studies, a collaboration between University of Toronto in Canada, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and ProGevity Neuroscience, were completed. The studies delved into the psychosocial impacts of digital storytelling and lifelogging technologies on older adults with cognitive decline. (Each participant’s life was digitally captured, using pictures, videos, captions and interviews). The researchers followed a very thorough process. The older adults and their families were interviewed at great length; observed, and psychologically tested to measure memory, sense of identity and emotional well-being before and six months after exposure to the biographical displays. The results were highly encouraging.

The study revealed many things. Although the studies did not provide adequate evidence that the memories of the participants improved, it did show that the process of constructing the

digital biography stimulated participant’s memory. When a person experiencing cognitive decline remembers – those are moments that matter. The study allowed the participants to choose between constructing the biography alone or with family members, but personally I think engaging the family members would be more beneficial.

Imagine sitting with your dad and ask-ing him to remember things from his past. If your dad is worried he won’t remember what you want him to; the process can get tense. An interview approach, espe-cially conducted by someone who is not trained to encourage recollection, can be threatening. Ask him to be the tour guide in the journey. Start the digital biography if you can. This will alleviate pressure and the shared experience will be great for bonding and creating more moments that matter!

The study also concluded that the process increased the quality and quantity of communication between the older adult and the family. We live in a world where details are often omitted because we speed through life. Constructing a biography of your parent(s) will fill in the blanks, pro-vide puzzle pieces. When Mom is agitated, why does Dancing with the Stars calm her down? You might learn she was a dancing queen in her day. The more we understand people, the better we communicate with them. The process could very well reveal thoughts never shared and dislodge debris that blocked communication somehow.

AGING with an Attitude{ }

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Does it have to be a digital biography? With the advancement of technology, recording equipment is less expensive – why not? The study contrasted the impact of written biographies with digital biog-raphies and the results were predictable – the follow-up psychological tests revealed that reconstructing the past in digital form brought the memories back with more intensity and clarity, maximizing the im-pact to the participant’s sense of self and well-being. But of course – more of your senses are engaged.

The whole process should be a lot of fun. But if you are dealing with an older adult who very strongly maintains that what she remembers is how it was or has a form of dementia – please choose your battles. Make it a picture of how they want it to be. It does not need to be an accurate, chronological, realistic picture of how it was. This is, after all, for them and for the family to enjoy, not fight about. Remember the goals here – to help them

re-awaken memories and boost self pride as they strengthen or recapture their sense of self, to empower them to keep going or to try new things. If Mom wants to remember you winning the first prize for twirling a baton, so be it.

Don’t upset her by reminding her that your baton flew up in the air and re-shaped someone’s forehead!

Be prepared. Viewing the biography es-pecially the first time can unearth a range of emotions. While many may find joy in reminiscing about the good ol’ days, this can also cause sadness for days gone by. With those facing dementia challenges, it can lead to frustration if your Mom thinks you forgot an important event, or misrepresented a joyous occasion with the wrong choice of pictures. Should that happen, just calmly redirect her and engage her in the search for the cherished photos. Overall, the researchers observed a positive outcome.

Whether you use a digital biography

as a fun way to bond, a great way to showcase that which you love about someone, an excellent way to help a cynical teenager appreci-ate his grandparents, a way to help someone remember how special they are, or you use it to help light the corners of someone’s mind, don’t delay, do it… while you can.

SOURCES:Crete-Nishihata, M., Backer,

R.M., Massumi, M, & Ptak, D, Campigotto, R., Kaufman, L.D. Brickman, A.M., Turner, G.R., Steinerman, J.R., Black, S.E. (2012) Reconstructing the past: Personal memory technologies are not just personal and not just for memory. Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 27, pp. 92-123

Massimi, M., Berry,E., Browne, G., Smyth, G., Watson, P., Baecker, R.M. (2008). Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 18 (5/6), 742-765

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Mount Madonna Goes To WashingtonBy Ward Mailliard

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By Ward Mailliard

We know that the “explicit” curriculum, or content of the classes taught in school

is important. It is measured constantly. The “implicit” curriculum, which is much harder to measure and less heralded, needs more attention, as it is central to the development of our future citizens. The implicit curriculum has to do with the processes employed in teaching our subjects, and the relationships formed within the learning environment. These two aspects are central to the formation of the kind of human being who will one day emerge from school and use the knowledge gained in the classroom according to their sense of values about how human beings should act.

The biannual Washington, D.C. learning journey taken by Mount Madonna School juniors and seniors is part of their two-year social studies class, Values in World Thought. This journey addresses both explicit and implicit learning. Cognitive skills such as research, writing and inquiry are developed, while “soft” skills are also required as students work collaboratively on many levels, from discussing questions that will spark interest, to filming, preparing meals and cleaning up after ourselves. We all share in the successes, failures, joys and challenges. Each student chooses how he or she will engage, and then sees the direct results. Students experience effective processes for accomplishing col-lective goals. They learn to be aware of how they affect, and are affected by, each other. They learn firsthand the importance of relationships in building success.

At the end of the journey, students are asked to share with the community what they have learned. Here are a few examples of what they had to say about their experience.

“It was the late nights, copious amounts of tea and heavy discussions that occurred after we shut down our computers. There was a feeling of pure intrigue and satisfaction when a question that we had spent hours poring over, and tweaking the words so they were just right, was understood perfectly. I couldn’t get enough.” – Renata Massion, 11th

“Of the people we interviewed, a few really impacted me. One was Susannah Welford, president and founder of Running Start. Her interview started a conversation about failure and the judgment we often fear will come from admitting our mistakes. This led to more questions in later interviews about the subject. I found this interesting as I often have trouble admitting my failures because of the judgment that I fear from my parents and teachers. What I learned, is that often admitting your failures will give less push back than letting them be revealed.” – Jenny Turk, 12th

“We discussed the ability to take risks and not be afraid of failure. This was a very relevant piece of advice for me personally, because I tend to get caught up in the idea of perfection, when in reality, failure is the key to producing growth.” – Cassie Caborn, 11th

“Mr. [Dan] Tangherlini, administrator of the General Services Administration, left me feeling like if I could be anywhere near as humble and cooperative as that guy, I could succeed anywhere. I could do

anything. Congressman [George] Miller had a dedication for service that I want to emulate. If I could find that drive to help other people to the extent that he does, goodness knows what I could get done. And if I did it with the integrity and moral groundedness that Hardin Lang, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, has, I’d probably be able to save the world.” – Roger Hooker, 12th

“In D.C., we met with people who are taking on some of the most crucial, complex and difficult issues, and they are changing the world day by day. They recognize their own fortune and are using it to empower others. They made this work and these issues tangible, and helped me realize that, yes, there is an unimaginable amount of suffering all over the world, and no single person could ever dream of fixing it all. But there is always work to be done, and every life that is saved, every positive change made, positively affects us all.” – Talia Speaker, 12th

This journey focused on content, process and relationship and allowed for unpredict-able outcomes. Students learned through experience and learned what they were ready to learn. When the processes of our classrooms are aligned with the goals, and we are in positive relationship with each other, the learning is exponential. It con-firms that the implicit curriculum is worth greater attention if we want to produce caring, empathetic and creative citizens.

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SOURCES:Parents.comWhattoexpect.com

Preschool… setting the tone for a lifetime of academic achievement

Preparing Your Child For Preschool

When Choosing A Preschool

There’s a growing amount of evidence that children who attend a high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with better

pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not.

Amy Flynn, director of the New York City Bank Street Family Center, says, “Ev-ery child should have some sort of group experience before she starts kindergar-ten.” Preschool teaches kids how to be students — how to raise her hand, take turns and share the teacher’s attention. She will also learn how to separate from mom; making for an easier transition to kindergarten.

Kindergarten teachers note that children who are ready to learn are those who come into school with good social and behavior management skills.

You can expect your child to:

• Discover that she is capable and can do things for herself, from small tasks to making decisions.

• Find answers to her questions through experimentation, explora-tion, and conversation.

• Learn letters and numbers through activities such as storytelling, talking about their interests and playing with blocks.

• Strengthen pre-reading skills and learn language by playing rhyming games and telling their stories.

• Improve her ability to be imaginative and to socialize … fostering creative, well-rounded people.

• How to have fun and enjoy learning.

• Adjust your child’s sleep

schedule to allow for time

to get dressed, eat break-

fast, and brush teeth at a

preschooler’s pace.

• Drop some hints about

what she will be doing

at preschool, who will be

there, how the day will be

similiar and different than

their day at home. Make it

sound fun.

• Play school with her stuffed

animals. Read books about

what preschool will be like.

• Drive or walk to the

preschool and show her

where she will be going. If

possible, sneak a peek at

the classroom, meet the

teacher, play in the play-

ground.

• If she has not spent much

time with other children,

arrange some playdates;

preferably with some of her

soon to be classmates.

• Do your homework. Decide on location (close to home or work) and hours (half-day, two to three days per week, full-time).

• Ask for recommendations from other moms.

• Check if the schools you are con-sidering are state-licensed, which ensures the facility meets safety requirements and has adequate staffing.

• Ask about the teacher qualifica-tions, class size and health and safety standards.

• Go online and check out the school you are considering — fees, admission policy, curriculum.

• Visit the schools you are interest-ed in. Spend time in the class-room to observe the teachers.

Be Sure To Ask• Does your child need to be toilet-

trained? Many schools require that a child be out of diapers.

• How are parents involved in the school? Look for an active parent association that plans programs like family picnics, holiday parties, and parent socials.

• How will the teacher let you know about your child’s progress? Parents should be kept informed.

• What does the school do when two children are fighting? You need to agree with the school’s discipline policy.

• What’s the daily routine? You want your child to have a sense of pre-dictability each day — play time, snack, reading, naps.

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