THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
MARCH 29, 2019
Triplets inspire mom to break three world records
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
RULE OF THREE Runner who holds two world records wants a third for her other triplet P2
CRUSH P5 | CALENDAR P8 | GETTING OUT P13
INJURED TEEN SEEKS $950K FROM CITY P2 | SCHOOLS OPPOSE CANNABIS IN MORGAN HILL P4 | SOBRATO SWIMMING UPDATE P17
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
MARCH 29, 2019
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Triplets inspire mom to break three world records
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
RULE OF THREE Local runner pushes the limits—and her triplets—in bid for world record P2
CRUSH P5 | CALENDAR P8 | GETTING OUT P13
$1 • Friday, March 29, 2019 • Vol. 126, No. 13 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
Finally! An answer to flooding in Morgan Hill WATER DISTRICT TO START CONSTRUCTION ON LLAGAS CREEK PROJECT Jaqueline McCool Reporter
LAKESIDE RIDE Anderson Lake Park provides a great route for families at weekend ride. To see more photos, turn to page 12 and visit morganhilltimes.com.
Bikes head for hills Anderson Lake County Park provides the setting and the challenge for dozens of intrepid bicyclists of all ages on March 24, in a special eightmile family fun ride sponsored by Bike Therapy, located at 17450 Depot St.
Bikes and cyclists of all sizes took advantage of a rare break in weather to enjoy the ride. Bike Therapy hosts rides every Saturday morning, plus clinics. For more information, visit ridemorganhill.com.
Robert Eliason
➝ Llagas Creek, 14
Robert Eliason
It’s a sight that’s familiar to Morgan Hill residents— a heavy rain that causes Llagas Creek to rise, threatening to fill downtown streets with muddy creek water, and flood homes and businesses. After 50 years of planning and wishful thinking, the Santa Clara Valley Water District—now officially Valley Water— is finally ready to break ground on the Llagas Creek flood protection project. A 15-year long parcel tax, the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, was passed in 2012 and helped fund the Llagas project. The total cost of the project is about $184 million. The funding comes from the following sources, according to district staff: $54.4 million from the parcel tax, $3 million provided from the City of Morgan Hill, $17.3 million from the district’s Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Fund, $37.1 million from the Safe Clean Water Fund, $32 million from the California Department of Water Resources State Subventions Program and $40 million from the district’s Watershed and Stream Stewardship division. The water district said
RIDE WITH MOM Bikes of all sizes participated in weekend ride.
Voices, MHUSD settle $125K squabble CHARTER HAS THREE YEARS TO SPEND MONEY OR RETURN IT Scott Forstner Reporter
Voices-Morgan Hill charter school leaders must spend $125,000 earmarked for facilities upgrades by Jan. 20, 2022 or return the funds to Morgan Hill Unified School District, per an amended agreement between the two parties. MHUSD’s board of education unanimously ratified
the new terms to the alternative facilities use agreement at a March 19 meeting. “I think the good news is that we reached a mutually agreeable conclusion,” said MHUSD Board President Mary Patterson. “The (prior) agreement was interpreted differently by both parties. It was not specific as to when the $125,000 in leiu payment had to be spent.” In May 2016, MHUSD and Voices worked out an alternative facilities agreement that included the $125,000 one-time, lumpsum payment from the district. The deal was also dependent on the charter’s
Mary Patterson dismissal of a complaint challenging the district’s denial of facilities for 201516 and willingness to waive all rights to facilities for three years to 2017-18. Voices’ Morgan Hill charter school operates within MHUSD
boundaries but is authorized through the Santa Clara County Office of Education. It originally ran its school out of the Advent Lutheran Church on Murphy Avenue before moving into the former Silicon Valley Flex Academy building at 610 Jarvis Drive. “We are grateful that the (MHUSD) board was willing to have discussions to amend the agreement in a manner we both thought was fair,” said Marie Moore, a spokesperson for Voices. “Nothing has changed from the original agreement about how and when Voices intends to use the money.”
In that original agreement, MHUSD gave Voices the $125,000 to purchase a portable classroom for the Advent site to accommodate its increased enrollment. However, Voices never bought the portable and instead opted to move its school to the larger facility. Staff from Voices and MHUSD met in December 2018 to review the areas of concern and mutually decided to amend the agreement to clarify the timeline for the expenditure of the lump sum payment, according to district staff. ➝Voices, 11