THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF MORGAN HILL, GILROY & SAN MARTIN
JULY 12, 2019
A supplement to the Gilroy Dispatch & Morgan Hill Times
WALDO HUNT
Waldo hiding in South Valley businesses
SOUTH VALLEY MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Pin-striped adventurer hiding in Morgan Hill P6
CALENDAR OF EVENTS P8 | MAKERS MARKET P13 | REAL ESTATE P19
MORE DETAILS ON FORD STORE SHOOTING P2 | NEW ANIMAL SHELTER P4 | SOBRATO HAS NEW COACH P11
THE LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF SAN BENITO COUNTY
JULY 12, 2019
A supplement to the Hollister Free Lance
Calendar of Events P8 Credo Studio P12 Real Estate P19
SILLY INVENTIONS
Nostalgic musical arrives in Hollister
SAN BENITO MAGAZINE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Classic musical is part of stage company’s 20th anniversary P6
$1 • Friday, July 12, 2019 • Vol. 126, No. 28 • morganhilltimes.com • Serving Morgan Hill since 1894
Authority prefers a downtown route for bullet train RECOMMENDATION LACKS DETAILS ON IMPACT TO DEVELOPED PROPERTIES Jaqueline McCool Reporter
➝ High Speed Rail, 8
Robert Eliason
The California HighSpeed Rail Authority's preferred route for the local section of the bullet train would cut directly through downtown Morgan Hill and could displace numerous homes and businesses. The HSRA staff will recommend to the authority board that the train use the existing Caltrain corridor from Morgan Hill through Gilroy. The HSRA board is scheduled to vote to adopt the recommendation, or a different route alternative, at its Sept. 17 meeting. This alternative would electrify the tracks currently used by Caltrain and run the high-speed rail through the existing Union Pacific Railroad corridor, which would create a high-speed rail
CRUISIN’ A young Independence Day reveler rides in a classic Ford Falcon in the Car Cruise ‘n Show,
which preceded the Fourth of July parade in downtown Morgan Hill
Let freedom ring INDEPENDENCE DAY BRINGS THOUSANDS TO MORGAN HILL As expected, Morgan Hill’s annual Fourth of July festivities brought thousands of visitors to town to enjoy classic scenes of Americana and celebrate patriotism. On July 3, local students performed at the annual Patriotic Sing. Later in the evening, live entertainment took over
the streets of downtown Morgan Hill for the Family Music Fest. On the morning of July 4, the Classic Car Cruise inched along the parade route just before the city’s official Independence Day parade circled its way through downtown Morgan Hill. It was the 143rd annual Morgan Hill Fourth of July parade, and it featured more than 100 floats, bands and other applicants. Before the car cruise and parade was the early morning Freedom 5K foot race.
From the downtown, the fun moved to the Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road in the afternoon and evening of July 4. At the OSC, live bands entertained crowds of patriotic residents and visitors, who picnicked and danced on the grounds before the evening fireworks show. The Independence Day festivities were funded, sponsored and hosted by the non-profit Independence Day Celebrations. More photos on page 10
Morgan Hill’s property values booming COUNTY TOPS $500B FOR FIRST TIME Erik Chalhoub Business Editor
Morgan Hill helped spearhead a record-setting year for property values in Santa Clara County, according
to data released by Assessor Larry Stone on July 2. The annual assessment roll hit $516 billion, a 6.79 percent increase over the prior year, according to Stone. The assessment roll reflects the total net assessed value of all real and business property in the county as of Jan. 1.
Deputy Assessor David Ginsborg said it’s the first time property values in the county have totaled more than a half-trillion dollars. According to Ginsborg, Morgan Hill’s assessed property values weighed in at a little more than $10.2 billion, a roughly 8 percent increase over the previous
year. Morgan Hill experienced one of the highest growths in assessed value compared to other cities in the county, just below Milpitas, Campbell and Mountain View. Neighboring Gilroy also experienced a bump in value, coming in at $9.2 billion, a 6.4 percent increase.
Since the nation began pulling itself out of the Great Recession in 2010, Santa Clara County’s assessment roll has grown 53 percent, more than any time since the hyperinflation period in the early 1980s, according to Stone. Stone attributed the ➝ Property values, 4
We are adding jobs, in spite of record home prices, traffic jams, fears of trade wars and labor force constraints.
—COUNTY ASSESSOR LARRY STONE