Morgan Hill Pride

2017

pRIDE

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PrOGRESS A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE MORGAN HILL TIMES

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morganhilltimes.com

ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Robert Eliason

FAMILY BUSINESS Johnson Lumber owner Mike Johnson stands on the stairwell to his upstairs Tennant Ave. office

with photographs on the wall of the various store locations and transformations over the years.

Lumber of Love JOHNSON FAMILY BUSINESS PART OF MH SINCE 1980 Scott Forstner Reporter

When Mike Johnson first started out as a full-time outside salesman for his father’s business, Johnson Lumber Company, in 1989, he couldn’t figure out why prospective clients would run away from him when he walked up to a construction site.

Dressed in khakis and a buttoned-up shirt, Johnson—fresh out of San Jose State University— would drive around Gilroy and farther south to towns such as Hollister and Salinas, look for ongoing construction and stop over to try to make his sales pitch to the onsite builder on behalf of Johnson Lumber.

There was just one problem: nobody would talk to him.

“Guys would literally be running from me. I would go to these job sites and guys would just not talk to me,” recalled Johnson, who eventually caught up to one of them long enough to learn that they thought he was a building inspector by the way he dressed.

“I’ve been wearing shorts ever since,” said Johnson, who now sits as the owner and chief executive officer for Johnson Lumber, the company he inherited from his father, Keith Johnson, after his passing in 1995.

Although he’s now at the top of the corporate ladder, Mike Johnson—who has led the expansion of Johnson Lumber throughout the region over the last decade—passes all the credit to his current and former employees who helped groom him into the lumber leader he is today.

“All the spokes have to work right. If we all do our part, the wheel rolls pretty good,” said Johnson, 51, who employs 200 workers between the Morgan Hill Johnson Lumber/Ace Hardware store (located on Tennant Avenue) and his two Ace Hardware locations in Hollister and Salinas. “We’re successful because of our people. I have a ton of people who have been here a long time.”

His parents, Keith and Marilyn Johnson, started the lumber company in 1980, which they ran out of a former location on Railroad Avenue. Mike started working parttime at the lumber yard until after high school, when he was a student at SJSU. Earning his keep, Johnson—born and raised in Aptos—did everything from picking weeds to driving the delivery truck and forklift to pretty much whatever was asked of him at that time.

“It was a great job for a college kid,” said Johnson, who became a full-time sales employee at his dad’s Johnson Lumber in 1989. “Working in all these different areas, I really know the lumber business.”

The family business first expanded when it moved its Morgan Hill lumberyard Dec. 7, 1992 from from Railroad to Tennant, where it was formerly Scarborough Lumber.

In doing so, and inheriting an Ace Hardware store in the process, Mike planned to focus on the hardware while his dad continued in lumber.

However, tragedy struck in 1995 when Keith Johnson became ill and passed away.

“I went into survival mode. Failure wasn’t gonna be an option,” said Mike Johnson, who was thrust into running both sides of the business.

I have people with me who were here when my dad was still around and they helped me every step of the way —MIKE JOHNSON

“I had a great headstart with my dad teaching me...I have people with me who were here when my dad was still around and they helped me every step of the way.”

Expanding the family business

With support from many, Johnson went to work and, in 1997, he opened an Ace Hardware in Hollister (expanded to 10,000 square feet in 2015) and then another hardware store in Salinas in 2001. Morgan Hill remains the only lumber yard within the Johnson family, which remodeled the office retail warehouse from its original 7,500 square feet to 28,000 square feet. Not stopping there, he then opened the Garden Center next-door in 2006 while also expanding the lumber yard to 10 acres, making it the largest south of San Francisco.

However, Johnson was hit hard two years later, between 2008-2010, when the recession hit and new construction all but seized. Johnson saw a 50 percent decline in sales. But like he said, failure was not an option.

“We spent that time fine-tuning our business plan and what we wanted to do when we came out,” Johnson explained. “Now, all of our stores are super high-performing and top in the region.”

Detailing the business without giving specific numbers, Johnson said 80 to 90 percent of lumber sold is for new home construction, mostly single family custom homes and north of Morgan Hill along the I-280 corridor. The company makes 30 to 40 deliveries of lumber per day, Johnson revealed.

Grooming the next generation

Now more than two decades in since taking over the business, Johnson is a father of three adult children—two sons, Brett, 27, and Adam, 25, as well as one daughter, Kaeli, 23. His oldest boy, Brett, joined the family business five years ago after graduating from Santa Clara University.

“I’m just so happy we’re starting that third generation,” said Johnson of having his son on staff. “He’s a super kid. He’s got a little sawdust in his veins.” ➝ Johnson Lumber, 8

Native leader looks to future in Morgan Hill CITY’S NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER IS EXCITED FOR THINGS TO COME Caitlin Robinett Jachimowicz, 33, is the newest member of the Morgan Hill City Council. Her colleagues appointed her to fill a vacant seat in February, for a term that will expire at the end of 2018.

Jachimowicz lives in the newly created east Morgan Hill council “District D.” She is married to Joshua Jachimowicz. The couple has a 2-year-old daughter “with another on the way,” she said. She grew up in Morgan Hill and graduated from Live Oak

High School. Caitlin and her husband are lawyers who met while they were attending Santa Clara University School of Law. Both are practicing attorneys.

Jachimowicz is a lifelong musician and an avid dancer who taught swing and salsa in college. She enjoys gardening and spending time outside with her family.

“I love to travel, but the more I do, the more I’m convinced that our little corner of the world is the best on Earth,” she said.

She agreed to answer a few questions from the Times about her experience as a councilmember so far, and her ideas on how to address some of the city’s biggest challenges. ➝ Jachimowicz, 6

MORGAN HILL AT A GLANCE Population: About 44,000 Racial diversity: 65 percent white; 33 percent Hispanic; 10 percent Asian; 6 percent mixed; 1 percent African American; 15 percent “Other” Land area: 13 square miles Licensed businesses: 2,961 (includes 1,143 outside the city limits that conduct business within Morgan Hill) • 419 business licenses issued by City Hall during fiscal year 2016-17 38: Median age $92,487: Average adjusted gross income, 2011 47: Percent of households that earn more than $100,000 a year 3.06: Average household size

*Numbers data throughout this section is compiled from a variety of sources, including the 2010 U.S. Census, Morgan Hill city staff and city planning documents, including the General Plan 2035 Update and the Economic Blueprint.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Robert Eliason

REGIONAL SUPPLIER Lusamerica general manager Tony Silva stands near one of

the company’s delivery vans that dons its newest brands, Monterey Bay Seafood.

Fishy family business MH-BASED, IMMIGRANT OWNED LUSAMERICA SUPPLIES SEAFOOD THROUGHOUT NORCAL Scott Forstner Reporter

More than 40 years ago, Ana Frederico, an unassuming entrepreneur, borrowed $1,000 from her parents. Her husband, Fernando Frederico, used it as seed money to start their own specialty foods importing business.

Fernando would purchase fish and other seafood, package it himself and deliver it to customers in the Central Valley three times a week.

Neither of them knew it then, but they were onto something big— bigger than they could have ever imagined.

Today, the married couple are founders and owners of Lusamerica Fish, a full fledged fresh and frozen seafood processing and distribution company based here in Morgan Hill.

“Only in America,” repeated Ana, an immigrant from Portuguese Mozambique, who started Lusamerica with Fernando in 1975.

“Our goal is, ‘If it swims, we got it’—and somewhere along the line we will get it, in a sustainable way,” said Fernando, emphasizing the sustainability of the various seafood products handled at Lusamerica.

Family is of just as much importance to the Fredericos, who employ several relatives at the Morgan Hill headquarters located at 16480 Railroad Ave., where they’ve been for more than 10 years.

“We are proud to be

here,” said Ana’s brother, Tony Silva, the company’s general manager.

“We chose Morgan Hill, first of all because it is beautiful here. And the city really made it as easy to work with as any city we were looking at and even more so.”

Before moving into their current operations, they gutted and customized the former Napa Auto Parts building into a refrigerated warehouse where they could process and distribute their products.

“It’s a labor of love, not for the company and the employees, but for the people in Morgan Hill,” added Silva, detailing that Lusamerica seafood is stocked at all of the Safeway grocery stores and Costco warehouses in Northern California. “When you go to the grocery store here in Morgan Hill, most likely the products you’re buying are from Lusamerica.”

The fish business is big business

Silva worked in the research and development of microprocessors in the high tech industry for 13 years before joining the family fish outfit. “I thought I’d spend my life in high tech,” he said.

His sister and brother-in-law’s growing seafood business changed all that.

The family-owned and family-run company, with many employees considered extended family with more than 20 years loyal to the business, processes in excess of 350,000 pounds of antibiotic-free salmon per week, according to Silva. The retail-oriented operation runs 24 hoursseven days a week. They have 250 employees

in Morgan Hill alone (mostly all are residents of South County) and 385 company-wide with two other locations, a processing facility in Fife, Washington and a distribution facility in Vernon, Calif.

“Anything that swims, we carry,” noted Silva, again reiterating if it’s not sustainable then they don’t carry it. “The seafood industry is very global. We get fish from all over the world.”

Mostly all the salmon Lusamerica gets is flown in from Norway on British Airway freight planes “loaded to the grills.” When Lusamerica receives the product from one of its fleet of 50 trucks, the fish are partially processed, so the trucks are unloaded and workers finish the processing at the Morgan Hill plant. They butcher it down to portions, vacuum package it and make sure it is retail ready, even with prices already labeled for stores. There are all types of salmon products, from stuffed to seasoned to ceviche. They even have an onsite test ➝ Lusamerica, 4

BY THE NUMBERS 350,000: Pounds of salmon processed per week 250: Lusamerica employees in Morgan Hill 385: Employees company-wide with two other locations, a processing facility in Fife, Washington and a distribution facility in Vernon, Calif.

Our goal is, ‘If it swims, we got it’— and somewhere along the line we will get it, in a sustainable way —FERNANDO FREDERICO

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

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PRIDE & PROGRESS

Pharmaceuticals

Aluminum

GMOs Mercury

Glyphosate/ RoundUp

MSG Lead EMF Radiation

Fluoride

BPA

Nickel

TOXINS ARE EVERYWHERE

Find out how to create a non-toxic home and environment to ensure optimal health even in times of illness

LIVEAWARE EXPO

SEPTEMBER 30 & OCTOBER 1, 2017

HYATT REGENCY, SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT Register TODAY for the LiveAware Expo: Living Healthy in a Toxic World www.liveaware.com/register Use Code “LiveAware15” = 15% Discount online today #LiveAware

#GetToxinsOut

Learn from 20+ top speakers and many exhibitors how to reduce toxins in your life, home & body, and understand how to support the body’s immune system in an ever increasing toxic world.

Millions of people in the US, with many of them in California, are concerned with some of the toxins going into their bodies, but many who are not yet aware about all of them, how to strengthen their immune system and #GetToxinsOut of their bodies and their environment. We have a growing number of children who are chronically ill – currently 1 in 2. In response we have created the LiveAware Expo: Living Healthy in a Toxic World (www.liveaware.com) with the premise to bring people in who are non-toxic in some way (eat organic, use nontoxic cleaners, etc.) but want to learn more about how minimize toxins in their environment, learn about illness basics and how to build a healthy immune system.

Sessions include: The Dirt Cure: How Getting Dirty Keeps Kids Healthy (October 1, 1PM), Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein, MD. We’ve thought sanitizing our lives was going to make children healthy. Yet since we’ve gotten cleaner, chronic diseases as well as allergies and asthma, have skyrocketed. Join Dr. Maya ShetreatKlein, author of The Dirt Cure, to hear the science of how germs can make us stronger, and discover easy, practical ways to strengthen the immune systems in the process.

Living in the Age of Aluminum (September 30th at 1pm) and Living Safely (and Healthily) in the Aluminum Age (Keynote Dinner Speaker September 30th at 7pm), Dr Chris Exley, PhD. The myriad of ways humans are exposed to aluminum in everyday life, including some of the latest results on where aluminum is found and specifically in brain tissue in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism. Dr Chris Exley will discuss his research into non-invasive mechanisms to protect the body from the potential toxicity of aluminum.

The Dangers of Wi-Fi and Other EMFs, Plus Creating a Healthier Home (September 30 at 9:15AM), Liz Menkes. What kinds of manmade electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can be found in your home?

Why should you be concerned about wireless technologies and other EMFs? What are the symptoms of overexposure to EMFs? What does the science say about the health effects? Liz Menkes will share about this, plus simple things you can do to keep yourself and your family safer.

Bringing Up Baby (September 30 at 2:15PM), Sally Fallon Morrell. From conception through pregnancy and weaning, Sally Fallon Morrell will provide practical advice for ensuring optimal health in your child, through the return of nutrient-dense foods to the diet of children and adults.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Robert Eliason

LOYAL CREW From left, Jonathan Frederico and Tony Silva along with Lusamerica owners Fernando and Ana Frederico stand in front of their Railroad Avenue processing plan in Morgan Hill. Jonathan is the owner’s son and works in the purchasing department, while Silva is Ana’s brother and the company’s general manager.

Lusamerica one of city’s largest employers Lusamerica, 2 even have an onsite test kitchen to try new recipes.

Once everything is packaged and the purchasing orders are finalized, one of three different sized delivery trucks (a big semi, a medium delivery truck and a smaller delivery van) are loaded up. Those trucks can go anywhere in Northern California from Eureka-McKinleyville to Chico-Redding to Reno-Sparks-Tahoe.

Ana’s son, Jonathan Frederico, who works in Lusamerica’s purchasing and selling department, makes sure those orders are frequent and accurate.

“I grew up in the fish business,” said Jonathan, who started by folding and making the delivery boxes, then packaging the product to making deliveries before earning his current duties. “I looked up to all my family members and this was something I always wanted to do. It’s in my blood.”

The business of “buying and selling dead fish,” as Jonathan puts it, has been good to all of them.

Ana said she sticks with the administrative side of the business, while Fernando was off to a big purchasing/sales conference call on this particular Tuesday afternoon.

“We are from humble beginnings and we are still a humble company,” Silva stressed. “We all do everything.”

Food a big part of local industry

Lusamerica is one of a handful of food processing manufactures in town, which also includes Kettle Cuisine, Talamo Foods, Ozuna Foods, Tony’s Kitchen, Patty’s Pantry and Lawson’s Bakery.

Food processing is one of three niches within the local manufacturing sector along with computer components and recreational equipment, according to Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez.

Altogether, they make up 22 percent of the workforce in Morgan Hill.

“We love Lusamerica,”

Ramirez said. “We are excited about the work that they do. We believe they are happy in Morgan Hill, and we want to help them continue to grow and succeed.”

Lusamerica contributes to the more than 500 local food processing jobs that cover about a quarter-million square feet of industry space in Morgan Hill, according to Ramirez.

“Manufacturing is a very important industry for us,” Ramirez said.

“In general, we are very proud of our manufacturing roots in the city.

They provide great jobs and are a great partner.”

FOOD PROCESSING IN MORGAN HILL In addition to Lusamerica, the following food processing companies make Morgan Hill their home, according to city staff: • Kettle Cuisine: wholesale frozen and refrigerated soup maker. Located at 18675 Madrone Parkway.

• Ozuna Foods: tortilla factory, 180 Cochrane Circle.

• Talamo Foods: wholesale cheese producer.

Located at 18675 Madrone Parkway.

• Lawson’s Bakery: a sit-down bakery, restaurant and coffee shop. Located at 15862 Monterey Road.

• Toni’s Kitchen: maker of high-performance protein meals. Located at 16840 Joleen Way. • Patti’s Pantry: gluten-free bakery serving a wide variety of baked goods. Located at 435 Vineyard Town Center.

Total food processing jobs in Morgan Hill: 503 Total square footage of commercial space occupied by food processing companies: 252,642

Celebrate Manufacturing Day in Morgan Hill Oct. 6 Scott Forstner Reporter

With 22 percent of the local workforce dedicated to the trade, the City of Morgan Hill has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to celebrate National Manufacturing Day Oct. 6 with a series of events.

The kickoff breakfast is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. at Golden State Assembly, located at 18220 Butterfield Blvd.

“This day is designed to expand the knowledge about and improve the perception of manufacturing careers and to appreciate the value of this industry in our economy,” according to Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez.

A panel of local manufacturers from Anritsu, Creative Manufacturing Solutions, Kettle Cuisine and Golden State Assembly will discuss the local manufacturing ecosystem

along with highlighting careers in the manufacturing sector. The panel will cover food, computer components and precision machining manufacturing.

Students, parents, educators, civic leaders, manufacturers and community members are encouraged to attend.

Registration is free and

required at morganhillca.gov/mfg2017.

Following the panel discussion, three manufacturers will be providing factory tours throughout the day. Those tours are: • 10:30 a.m. at Golden State Assembly, 18220 Butterfield Blvd.

• 1:20 p.m. Creative Manufacturing

TOP EMPLOYERS IN MORGAN HILL • Morgan Hill Unified School District: 716 jobs • Anritsu (Testing and measurement devices): 477 • Specialized Bicycle Components: 400 • Paramit (Medical device and instrument manufacturing): 320 • Lusamerica Foods (see more on page 2): 270 • NxEdge MH LLC (Semiconductor manufacturing): 265 • Infineon Technologies (Semiconductor manufacturing): 203 • City of Morgan Hill: 188 • Del Monaco Specialty Foods: 165 • Wal-Mart Supercenter: 158

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

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PRIDE & PROGRESS

CELEBRATING WILDLIFE!

Join the Open Space Authority and the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC) for a free, family friendly educational event! Learn about the baby bobcats that were rescued last year and meet the people who raised them to set them free as healthy, wild adults.

Meet and learn about the birds of WERC up close! Everyone is welcome to join us for arts and crafts and kid friendly activities, while we give thanks to the people who rescue and rehabilitate these amazing animals and return them to Open Space.

Saturday, November 18 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Old Machado School, Morgan Hill Register at: celebratewildlife.eventbrite.com

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Students become the masters 8 FORMER PLAYERS RETURN TO LIVE OAK, SOBRATO AS COACHES

girls team, led them to a share of a CCS title. Fittingly enough, he shared it with his brother.

Finally, Jeff Young was mentored under his former coach Brett Paolucci before taking over the program in 2015.

with a degree in history, with an RETURNING TO THEIR ALMA MATER intention to go back to school to teach.

From Live Oak, coaching at Live Oak Yeung graduated in 2004, and later that year found himself Ryan Gautschi, Water Polo back at the school helping with Jeff Yeung, Basketball his brother’s junior varsity team.

Sarah Porras, Softball/Field Hockey Cheeto Barrera A short time later, he was Tony Vasquez, Soccer Sports Editor Making the move coaching the frosh/soph team.

Their records are on the wall. “The transition was easy, but I That experience was a real trial From Live Oak, coaching at Sobrato Championships they helped to was a little nervous and anxious by fire.

Ronni Gautschi, Water Polo win hang from the rafters of the because I don’t have the normal “I had to learn how to deal with David Letts, (swimming/polo) golf gym. Their photos sit in experience most coaches kids because at that point, I still display cases reserved have,” Yeung said. felt like one of the players, being From Sobrato, coaching at Sobrato for the past greats.

The transition can be a so fresh and new,” Yeung said. “I Cassandra Valenzuela, Cross Country Some are even immorlittle awkward, especially was definitely fiery. I thought it Connor Bleeg, Water Polo (JV) talized in a hall of fame. if you aren’t far removed would be easy, but it’s never easy.

But for eight coaches from being an athlete.

It was definitely good to get my at Live Oak and “It was weird to come feet wet before I took over.” transition was a little easier. wins just twice since 2006.

Sobrato, they are more back at first,” said ValenThe hardest part for Yeung She graduated from Live than just a reminder of zuela, who graduated was trying to figure out how to Enjoying the Oak in 2006 and moved on athletes gone by: They Cassandra from Sobrato in 2011. “It’s get the program back to where it opportunity to San Diego State University.

Valenzuela are coaches. been nice. It allows me was when he played.

But for the frustration of not meet- From there, she played proSobrato High School to give back to my school Live Oak hasn’t been to the ing the expectations he fessional water polo in cross country coach Cassandra and come back to where I was CCS playoffs since 2011-12. It had as a player, Yeung Italy for a time before Valenzuela still has her school coached.” hasn’t had a season above .500 said he was excited to returning to the area records on display in the gym.

Valenzuela didn’t since Yeung left high have the opportunity to to coach at San Benito Sobrato boys golf coach David intend to return until school. coach his alma mater.

High School.

Letts was inducted into the Live her brother told her that “I think I was more “I felt extremely After that Gautschi Oak Hall of Fame two years ago Sobrato didn’t have a frustrated than anything. blessed to have this took over the girls program for water polo. Fellow Sobrato coach for the cross counTimes were different when opportunity at 27, 28 at Live Oak from Haines. coach Ronni Gautschi is due to try team, and it wouldn’t I took over in 06-07. At years old when Then, when the boys job join him for her prowess in the have a program without that time, Sobrato I first took over,” became open at Sobrato, pool. one. had been around Yeung said. David Letts she saw an opportunity to Gautschi’s brother Ryan So she stepped up and already and the “The transition help boost water polo in earned league MVPs and helped found herself in a surreal Connor Bleeg school population (to head coach) Morgan Hill—not just at lead Live Oak to the cusp of a experience. had been split,” he was definitely a lot eas- Live Oak. Central Coast Section champi“It was hard, not recalled. ier. I felt like I was ready Plus, her brother had already onship. He has since taken over being a runner anymore, to figFrom Yeung’s sophfor the responsibility.” started coaching at Live Oak, for his coach, Mack Haines. ure out how to coach the team,” omore year through As a comparison, returning from UC Santa BarSarah Porras, as a freshman, Valenzuela said. “Now I had to his senior campaign in Paolucci stepped down bara where he played. The was central to Live Oak’s 2005 give orders and set up the work- 2004, the Acorns had Tony Vasquez as head coach in 2007. Gautschis coached together for Central Coast Section champi- outs rather than having coaches routinely won 20 games.

When he did, Yeung a year before Ronni moved over onship run. She now coaches do that for me. I think that was When he took over as said he wasn’t given an to Sobrato. her former team as well as field the hardest part—making the an assistant and as the frosh/soph opportunity to apply for the posiShe is joined by Connor Bleeg, hockey. workouts as coach and not a coach, the varsity team was strug- tion, much less even in the run- a 2014 graduate of Sobrato who In soccer, Tony Vasquez runner anymore.” gling to win more than 10 games. ning to take over as head coach. has returned to coach the junior played for Live Oak, and then, She graduated from San Jose Since Yeung joined the coaching For Ronni Gautschi, the varsity girls team. in his first year as coach of the State University this last fall staff, the Acorns have reached 10

Q&A: Caitlin Jachimowicz Jachimowicz, 1

What has your experience been like serving on the council since you were appointed in January?

In what ways has it been different than you expected?

It's been a wonderful experience to be able to serve on the council. I love my hometown so much, and my experience has helped me to appreciate it even more. It's an incredible amount of work, which I expected.

But what I didn't expect is that the work is made that much easier by city staff and community members who have made me feel so welcome and helped get me up to speed. I have had a couple people comment that they were surprised at how quickly I was able to jump into things, but that is a direct reflection of the way I've been supported by the city and community.

The council could very easily be a full time job, and often feels like it, when we are representing our community in the region as a whole.

You are a Morgan Hill native who, like many, moved out of town after high school to pursue educational and career opportunities. What made you and your family decide to return to Morgan Hill?

I really wanted to give my daughter the opportunity to have the kind of childhood that I was fortunate enough to have. Morgan Hill offers a kind of quality of life that is not easy to come by. To convince my husband to move down to Morgan Hill, I used to tell him, "the sky is bigger" here.

And it is. You drive south from San Jose, and the sky opens up to reveal a place that's safer, cleaner, more open and full of a community spirit that is hard to describe to someone who hasn't experienced it.

I grew up walking to school, learning patriotic songs, eating ice cream during the Friday Night Music Series and knowing all my neighbors. I wanted that

for my family, and I also wanted to work to preserve that sense of community.

As a council member, what can you say or do to encourage today’s younger Morgan Hill residents to stay in town, or return after they have completed college and/or explored broader opportunities?

One constant topic of conversation at our council meetings and regional assignments is “affordable housing.” But that term is relative in a place where the median home price is more than $900,000.

We have a housing crisis in the Bay Area, and Morgan Hill is no exception. What I can tell you is that we are trying to balance our controlled growth initiative to keep our community spirit while providing a diversity of housing options— like townhouses, apartments and smaller lots—so that people will be able to try move back home to the community they love.

The entire council, and city staff, is committed to finding affordable housing solutions. We have a lack of 25- to 35-year-olds living here, which is not good for long-term sustainability. We need to do better at providing affordable places for our young people as well as decent job opportunities so they can stay in the city. But of course, we want to try to balance those needs with the quality of life our smaller town provides.

The city has spent about $25 million since 2015 to improve downtown Morgan Hill. How do you feel about the results so far, and how do you see the downtown contributing to the local economy when current ongoing private projects are complete?

I'm very excited about the progress we have made to revitalize downtown. The basic issue is this: many cities get the bulk of their revenue from property taxes. In order to have a vibrant and successful city, we need to come up with alternative revenue sources because we want sustainable growth.

A lot of the opportunities for other revenue sources are interconnected; we can bring in tourists to visit the wineries, and stay in the hotels, but then those tourists need places to eat. We can bring in restaurants, but for the restaurants to be successful, they need to be busy more than just on the weekends.

We can have some high-density housing close to the city center to fill those restaurants and shops, but then we need to be able to provide enough parking for everyone else.

Every one of these issues is being tackled, and discussed regularly. I think we are just beginning to really see the fruits of that labor.

Besides the economic sense it makes, I am very excited to spend more time downtown myself. I think it's just one more way to connect with your neighbors if you can shop and eat locally.

What excites you the most about the future of Morgan Hill as envisioned in the city’s recently adopted Morgan Hill 2035 General Plan Update, voterapproved growth control update and the ongoing Downtown Specific Plan?

HOUSING IN MORGAN HILL Homes: 12,950 Home sales prices: • Median Morgan Hill home sales price June 2017: $860,000 • Median sales price June 2016: $782,000 • Average sales price June 2017: $916,065 • Average sales price May 2017: $868,250

number of jobs available in town grew by only about 3 percent. What is the best thing the city can do to create more jobs in the city limits so new and existing residents can work in Morgan Hill?

Earlier this year, the City Council approved our Economic Blueprint, which focuses on four key industry areas and outlines ways to attract employers to Morgan Hill. I think through that process, we have now announced to employers, companies and businesses out there that we are interested in having them in Morgan Hill and are willing to take steps to ensure that happens.

The next and most important step is to work on our telecommunications capability in Morgan Hill. Faster and more reliable internet will help bring businesses and jobs to Morgan Hill, but also is just something that is sorely needed for our current residents.

What excites me the most is that we have a clear vision for the future.

And, I think that vision is a beautiful update to that idyllic community I grew up in. We are still going to be a small city with large, open spaces, safety for our neighbors and pride in our comA recurring munity. But we are going headache for many to continue to improve the Morgan Hill and quality of life for the people Bay Area residents who live here. in general is traffic My daughter, Penelcongestion. Has this ope, will still sing patrihad a notable impact otic songs on the Fourth on the local economy of July Parade, and Caitlin Robinett that you have been attend the Mushroom Jachimowicz able to discern?

Mardi Gras. But those Yes. Traffic is a huge special events won't be the only problem for us. As I have said reason for her to visit downbefore, it's a safety issue, an istown. My hope is that the downsue for our quality of life and town will be just as vibrant and of course it impacts our local successful the rest of the year. economy.

There are plenty of people livData show that while ing in south San Jose who would Morgan Hill’s population love to go to dinner at Odeum or of working residents grew Ladera Grill (both in downtown by more than 30 percent Morgan Hill) on a Friday night,

from 2002 to 2013, the

JOBS IN MORGAN HILL Working residents, 2014: 17,777 Available jobs in Morgan Hill: 12,442 Jobs-to-working residents ratio: 70 percent While the number of available jobs increased to 15,723 in 2015, the ratio of jobs to working residents has declined steadily from 105 percent in 2008 to 70 percent in 2014, according to the U.S. Census.

Percentage of residents who work in the city they live in: • Morgan Hill: 28 • Gilroy: 35 • Santa Clara County: 38 Jobs to housing ratio, 2010: • Morgan Hill: 1.42 • Santa Clara County: 1.53 • Nine-county region: 1.3

but aren't willing to sit in traffic to do so.

The larger issue is that the Bay Area has outgrown our freeway system and does not have the support of an adequate public transit system. But what we can focus on locally is bringing more jobs to Morgan Hill, to help keep people off the roads.

These economic issues are interconnected. Focusing on jobs and our telecommunications capability will help the economy and help relieve the traffic congestion. Those things will not fix the problem completely, but we can nudge the needle in the right direction.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

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PRIDE & PROGRESS

Fall Harvest is In!

Saturdays, 9AM - 1PM

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PRIDE & PROGRESS

Family business dedicated to community Johnson, 1 All three of his children have worked part-time in some capacity at the family business.

Brett helps with inventory control in the purchasing and sales department at Johnson Lumber, and he’s just as excited to be working with his father as Mike is to have him aboard.

“It can’t get any better than working with family.

You just have that support and everything you need to be successful,” said Brett as he walked out onto the lumber yard with his pops on a breezy spring afternoon. “It’s one of those things where everything is a little more personal because it’s family. You take a little more pride in what you do. You want to be perfect or as close to perfect as you can be.”

Giving back to community

Making Johnson Lumber a perfect match with Morgan

Hill and a successful business for close to 40 years, Mike Johnson stressed giving back to the local community. In 2011, Johnson was named the recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award for his philanthropic contributions to the local community. He has continued his giving ways as a generous supporter of churches, schools, youth sports, scouting and many other nonprofit organizations.

Johnson Lumber continues to sponsor and support countless fundraisers and community events.

“We’ve asked the community to support us so we support this community. When you have the opportunity to help out, I think you should. That’s something my dad started and taught me about,” Mike Johnson said. “I’m really proud of the Morgan Hill community. I moved here in 1990 and raised my kids here. It’s a great community.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Robert Eliason

Jobs per acre in Morgan Hill, by land use type: • Retail: 29 • Office/R&D/Industrial: 26 • Hotel: 10 Net revenues per acre, by land use type: • Single family residential: $47 • Multi-family residential: $-5 • Retail: $35,127 • Office/R&D/Industrial: $4,482 6.2 million: Square feet of Industrial, R&D and manufacturing space in the city limits 247: Acres of vacant industrial land

IN THE FAMILY Johnson Lumber owner Mike Johnson, left, and his son Brett,

who works with his dad, stand in the lumber yard on Tennant Avenue.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

PRIDE & PROGRESS

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Bringing the past to the future

Robert Eliason

UNDER CONSTRUCTION The new Barley Place 16-unit condominium project at the corner of Depot Street and

East Main Avenue is almost complete. Residents are expected to start moving in by November.

DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD OFFERS LITTLE REASON TO LEAVE Michael Moore Editor

With half a dozen new residential and commercial projects in various stages of completion in downtown Morgan Hill, The Granary District on Depot Street is shaping up to become the neighborhood’s hippest “district within a district,” according to the developer.

Residents are expected to start moving into 16 new

condominium units at Barley Place, located at the corner of Depot Street and East Main Avenue, by the end of November, according to Sam Carlson, project manager for developer Weston Miles Architects. All 16 units are already sold.

Those new residents won’t have to walk or ride their bicycles far to enjoy a variety of eating and entertainment options outside their door. Barley Place is just one aspect of Weston Miles’ Granary District, a mixeduse, multi-structure complex of offices, restaurants, a retail store, a beauty salon and a craft beer establishment—all within a one-block radius.

Carlson explained that while the vision for Barley Place started out about three-and-ahalf years ago with a plan for 30 high-density residential units, the effort evolved into the current combination of projects characterized by sheet-metal siding and weathered wood trim that recalls the agricultural, early-industrial era when Morgan Hill became a city.

“We whittled our plan down to 16 units. We decided the mix of residential and commercial tenants really made sense for each other,” Carlson said during a recent tour of the Barley Place condos, where contractors were hanging drywall inside.

“Barley Place became this extension of the Granary District, to make it a place where you would want to live,” Carlson added.

The newest commercial establishment at the Granary District is The Grapevine restaurant and wine bar, where owner Valerie Evans is planning a grand opening Oct. 7.

The Grapevine is just next door—tucked into a relaxing, sun-soaked plaza off the edge of Depot Street—to Running Shop and Hops, which opened just over a year ago. The Running Shop and Hops has become a bustling craft beer haven, with more than 80 beers—mostly

microbrews made in California—on tap.

Paul and Renee Rakitin, the owners of the shop, have had so much success slinging beer that they expanded into an attached space, formerly occupied by their retail running shoe and apparel store, with a variety of games and social space for their brew customers.

Just across the plaza, adjacent to the Depot Street sidewalk, is Bike Therapy, Morgan Hill’s newest bicycle retail shop.

Owned by local resident Doug Hall, Bike Therapy celebrated its opening with a Chamber of ➝ Downtown, 11

Downtown determined to dazzle CITY, DEVELOPERS OFFER UPDATES ON PROJECTS Michael Moore Editor

project proposed by restaurateur Dan McCranie—owner of Ladera Grill just a block away— has also been delayed, but the developer is determined to wait until things are just right before beginning construction.

“There’s a couple issues—I think they’re solvable, but they’re important to me,” McCranie said of his back-and-forth approval process with city staff. “It’s a small footprint, and there’s a lot of things going on, and I need to have it as efficient as possible.”

McCranie declined to say exactly what was holding up the project, but he doesn’t expect it to affect his vision for the site. The three-story project will include a ground-floor art gallery and wine bar, with more gallery space on the second floor and a restaurant with rooftop dining on the third floor. He is now hoping to start construction before this coming winter.

On the east side of downtown, the Sunsweet project with frontage on Third, Depot and Fourth streets is undergoing a “second construction plan check” by city staff, Ramirez said. This fourstory development includes 83 residential units, with an outdoor plaza and office and retail components. Morgan Hill residents Rocke and Glenda Garcia are the developers of that site.

Another former RDA property—previously the site of the BookSmart shopping center— is also under development on Depot Street, between Second and Third streets. The developer, City Ventures, is planning to build a 29-unit housing

Robert Eliason

Despite some recent delays, downtown Morgan Hill continues to proceed toward city officials’ long-term vision as the most visitor-friendly, pedestrian-safe, transit oriented neighborhood in town.

At least five new restaurants, three high-density residential projects, a boutique hotel and a handful of retail establishments are projected to be complete at various times within the next two years, according to city staff and developers. On top of that, three new public parks—sponsored by city funds—are nearing completion that will provide more casual recreational choices.

At the intersection of Third Street and Monterey Road— considered by many city officials as the center of downtown— last winter’s rains significantly delayed the construction of four new restaurants, according to Morgan Hill Economic Development Manager Edith Ramirez.

The restaurants are now projected to be complete by January 2018.

Developers Ken Rodrigues and Don Imwalle acquired the property, formerly the site of Simple Beverages, from the city in 2016, through the Redevelopment Agency liquidation process that started in 2012. The developer struck a deal with the Opa!

Group of restaurants to bring its four signature joints into two new structures on the property: Opa, a Greek restaurant; Mo’s…the Breakfast & Burger Joint; Willard Hicks (steaks and American food); and Tac-Oh!, the group’s fledgling “designer Mexican food.”

The exterior of the two new buildings—about 5,600 and 6,425 square feet, respectively— currently looms over the busy intersection of Monterey Road and Third Street.

Up the street on Monterey Road is the former site of the Downtown Mall, which was demolished by hospitality development guru Frank Leal in late 2016. Leal, who developed the next-door Granada Theater and remodeled it into a happening dinner theater and events venue last year, hopes to have the hotel complete by the fall of 2019, he said earlier this week.

“Just waiting on some final kitchen design and elevator design,” Leal replied to an email from the Times.

The four-story Granada Hotel—a “boutique” lodging accommodation—will consist of a steakhouse, floral shop, market hall and lobby with a wine bar on the first floor. The second floor will house conference and banquet space, a pool and spa.

The third and fourth floor will each house 30 guest rooms.

Leal acquired these properties from the city, also through the RDA wind-down process.

Back on the other side of Monterey Road, at Second Street, the Edes Gallery

PLAY TIME The City of Morgan Hill’s new downtown park on Depot Street is expected to be completed by the end of November, according to city staff. It is one of three new parks under construction in downtown Morgan Hill. Another is located on West Little Llagas Creek on Second Street, and the other is on the hilltop on West Third Street where a city water tank is situated. project with 8,500 square feet of condominium/retail space facing Third Street.

Earth moving crews have been active at the site recently, and Ramirez said the project is currently “under construction.”

New parks under construction Residents and visitors should be able to enjoy three new downtown parks by the end of November, Ramirez said. Construction crews have also been active at these sites throughout the summer.

The parks are located on Depot Street, just across from the Third Street intersection with a wide variety of play equipment scattered

throughout the site that sits along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks; The Hilltop Park and Trail, at the top of the hill at the end of West Third Street; and the Creek Park, located on a small, quiet stretch of West Little Llagas Creek on the west side of downtown, between Second and Third streets.

All of the downtown projects are part of the city’s $25-million-plus plan to revitalize the neighborhood, funded largely by leftover RDA monies. Previous projects include the downtown garage, various street resurfacing efforts on Monterey Road and side streets, utility undergrounding and other improvements.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

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Granary District almost complete Downtown, 10 Commerce ribbon cutting Sept.

14.

On the south side of the original Granary building is Gloss Beauty Lounge. Gloss opened in 2016.

These new businesses and residences add to the offices (including the Morgan Hill Times) and Odeum restaurant that have kept the Granary building busy at 17500 Depot Street since Weston Miles extensively remodeled the former agricultural facility in 2006.

A ‘different’ project for MH

Time for wine Valerie Evans is an industrious entrepreneur who brings her vast experience as a business

‘Great chemistry’ Doug Hall, owner of Bike Therapy, agrees there is “great chemistry” among the different commercial uses of the Granary District.

Michael Moore

The Barley Place residences are mostly single-story “condominium flats,” ranging from 1,200 to 1,400 square feet, each with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Exceptions are four loft units, with three bedrooms and ranging from 2,200 to 2,300 square feet, Carlson explained.

Two of the units have small backyards.

“It’s different from what you typically see in Morgan Hill,” Carlson said. “There aren’t a lot of condos in Morgan Hill.”

Each unit will have two designated parking spaces. A wide range of buyers have signed up to live at Barley Place, from firsttime homeowners to “downsizers” and people who pointedly wanted to live closer to downtown and its easy accessibility.

“They want to be closer to the community center, where expansive yards and things like that are not as important,” Carlson added.

The construction has relied on mostly local subcontractors, he noted.

owner and salesperson to The Grapevine in Morgan Hill. In fact, she previously owned a Grapevine wine bar in Willow Glen, which she sold in 2013.

Also a mortgage broker, Evans first joined that Grapevine as an employee, after the housing market crash of 2007 led her to culinary school in Campbell. She became a certified sommelier, and interned at Grapevine of Willow Glen before she ended up purchasing it.

While she had planned to move out of the area in 2013, those plans changed and she started to miss the Grapevine.

She thus set out on a search for the best location for a new specialty wine bar and artisanal restaurant, which she found in downtown Morgan Hill.

The Grapevine of Morgan Hill will pour a variety of local and regional wines, with some foreign varieties. “Probably about two-thirds of the wines will be from California, with a huge emphasis on Santa Clara Valley, the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Carmel Valley,” Evans said. “The other third (of the wines) will be international.”

The new restaurant will also feature a “smokeless kitchen” and a menu that features artisanal cheeses, small-plate dishes, gourmet grilled cheese sliders and desserts.

“Ideally we want people to come in and dine with us. We hope to be the starting point or ending point of their evening, if they don’t want to dine with us,” Evans said.

The Grapevine will celebrate its grand opening Oct. 7.

WE’RE OPEN Bike Therapy, located at 17500 Depot Street and a part of The Granary District,

celebrated its ribbon cutting Sept. 14.

Hall brings his own vast experience in sales to Morgan Hill with Bike Therapy. He has worked in numerous bike shops over the years, primarily in sales.

Years before he moved to Morgan Hill with his wife Jodi recently, he worked for Fox Clothing, which was local at the time.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Hall said of having his own bike shop. Bike Therapy not only sells a variety of bicycles—including many from local industry behemoth Specialized—the shop also features a full service department and all kinds of supplies and apparel.

He and his staff are eager to become a part of the Morgan Hill community, which he called a “great cycling town.” They want to organize group rides, promote cycling in the local schools and “do a lot of fun events to get more people on bikes.”

Hall and Evans, in separate interviews, equally praised the

City of Morgan Hill’s Economic Development team—consisting of Edith Ramirez and John Lang—for helping them secure their new business locations.

The completion of a vision Charles Weston and Lesley Miles, the married owners of Weston Miles Architects—also located in the original Granary building—moved to Morgan Hill in 1980.

At that time, the downtown was full of dirt lots as well as agricultural and industrial truck traffic, and lacking sidewalks.

But they saw early on that Morgan Hill was going to grow, and the need for a variety of more modern land uses typical of a downtown neighborhood would only increase. The Granary building—an underutilized agricultural building—was threatened with demolition.

“We saw that if we took the

all of downtown and quartered it, and named (the quarters), it would create uniqueness and understanding,” Weston explained. “The Granary District was this quarter where the Granary, the Granary Retail and Barley Place now reside. We wanted to create a destination, with its unique old and new, distinctive architecture which in the case of the Granary was very much agricultural in style.”

Carlson, an experienced civil engineer who is married to Weston and Miles’ daughter Alicia, joined the family business to help bring Barley Place to reality. The result is a modern development that harkens back to the property’s agricultural history.

“If you look closely to the Train Depot and know a bit about the history of the buildings that once were or still here, you will see details from them that acknowledged our past in this relatively new building,” Weston said.

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Bonds help modernize school district Casino Fajardo, 37, is the Director of Construction and Modernization for Morgan Hill Unified School District, heading up the $198 million Measure G capital improvements projects throughout the district. He currently resides in South San Jose (close to Martin Murphy Middle School). He attended Nordstrom Elementary School and Britton Middle School, and graduated from Live Oak High School. He has two young children: CJ, who is currently a kindergartener in MHUSD, and Benji, who will start pre-school in the area shortly.

Just how many projects and how many schools were impacted by the initial $55 million Series A bond issuance of the total $198 million Measure G funds?

What does the district have in store for the $80 million Series B bond issuance that is in the pipeline?

Currently, the facilities plan moving forward identifies Britton Middle School to receive a major overhaul, alongside a sizeable modernization for Nordstrom Elementary School and a new gymnasium with attached performing arts spaces for Jackson Academy of Math and Music.

This series of expenditures will be rounded out with another technology update project toward the end of the $80 million.

Building a brand new Britton Middle School has been long overdue. What are some of the key aspects/details of that project that you’d like to share with the community?

This is quite an amazing project. The entirety of the classroom, administration and quad spaces are being built brand new from the ground up. In addition, we are adding a new student union building,

File photo/HMC Architects

The great news is that all of the district’s schools thus far have been touched by a bond program within this initial expenditure. One of the biggest projects that was applied to all schools was the district-wide technology infrastructure and student device implementation. This was also the largest single project expenditure, totaling well over $14 million.

BRITTON FACELIFT Drawings by HMC Architects show what the Monterey Road

streetscape along Britton Middle School’s campus will look like

new scratch cooking kitchen and a maker space which will support their robotics programs. This campus will be a “Net Zero” campus which means it will generate more energy than it consumes and will be certified through the U.S. Green Building Council to a “Gold” level in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The new classrooms will be spacious, with plenty of natural daylight, solar panels to recoup energy from the sun, a new quad with landscaping and outdoor seating areas for lunch and other events, and a new administration building with support spaces such as a parent center and flex flexible counseling spaces.

Growing up in Morgan Hill yourself and graduating from Live Oak High School, how special has it been to lead these facilities projects and see the district transform?

I have to say that this is truly one of the greatest experiences of my career. When I graduated high school, I worked as a union carpenter improving schools and

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MORGAN HILL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BY THE NUMBERS Enrollment: About 8,700 students Schools: 7 Elementary (K-5): Barrett, El Toro, Los Paseos, Nordstrom, Paradise Valley, P.A. Walsh; 2 Elementary/Middle (K-8) Jackson Academy of Math & Music, San Martin/Gwinn; 2 Middle (6-8) Britton, Martin Murphy, 2 High Schools (9-12) Live Oak, Ann Sobrato; 1 Continuation (9-12) Central; 1 Community Adult School.

2017-18 Adopted Budget: $89,022,922

managing projects across the greater Bay Area to pay for my college tuition. To have a chance to come back to Morgan Hill and support the parents and families of my community and friends is a tremendous feeling. These children are the future of our community, and I’m honored I get to support them directly.

What are some of the improvements/enhancements that stand out for you as far as transforming schools?

I’d have to start with the technology upgrade. It is unfortunate that it can’t be seen from the outside, but the miles of new fiber optics and data infrastructure inside our walls is amazing. The data transfer speeds are so fast, especially when compared to what was existing. Additionally, it is great to see how engaged the children are with the new Chromebooks, display devices, tablets, etc. that were delivered to the various sites.

The new classroom wings that were built at Paradise Valley and San Martin Gwinn Academies are incredible; plenty of natural light, skylights, and quiet HVAC systems. Those buildings are certified through the Collaborative for High Performance Schools, and you can certainly feel the difference when you walk in. I encourage any local parent to ask the principal to take you on a tour of those facilities. They are incredible.

Of all the current completed projects though, I would say the San Martin Gwinn administration building (now located on Llagas Avenue) is probably my favorite. The transformation was incredible, and the impact touched students, parents, staff and the San Martin community This new area has a spacious layout with plenty of parent support spaces. It also includes private areas for meetings, counseling services and a large modern break room for the staff which exits out to their outdoor classrooms and landscaping.

AP+I Design did an amazing job with the color and flow of the new space. The local contractor, DRP Builders, Inc. also provided some very professional work even against the tight time frame of getting the space up and running before school.

Roughly $63 million remains for a Series C bond issuance. Are there any additional projects the district is already eyeing for those funds?

While there are many projects identified, we do not have any specific ones targeted at this time. The Board of Education just adopted the new Facilities Master Plan, which we completed over this last year. This plan provides a detailed analysis of the current facilities, educational goals and framework for decision making to determine future projects.

In about two years, district staff will re-analyze the project list against the current state funding and program goals to ensure we maximize the value to the district with the use of those funds.

WELCOME TO DOWNTOWN “The proposed Britton Middle School renovation will offer the entire downtown neighborhood a state of the art facility, capable of engaging existing and many new residents choosing to live and thrive downtown, while adding to the many placemaking initiatives already underway. Downtown, with the addition of this new, modern, ‘model’ campus will leverage great educational and public space with new parks due to open in November, (as well as) trails and amenities. The city with the MHUSD partnership have collectively combined to further the goal of supporting the downtown neighborhood as a family-friendly place.” - Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate (See page 10 of this section for more on the growing downtown)

What do you see as some of the district’s biggest needs in the future as the community continues to grow?

We pride ourselves on our neighborhood schools, so ensuring that the locations of our current and new schools continue to provide the correct balance of capacity and proximity to homes is crucial. Neighborhood schools more easily foster friendships, help to keep communities together in and out of the classroom, and they cut down the cost of transportation for our parents.

Morgan Hill is a rapidly growing city.

Families are moving here for the small town culture, the friendly atmosphere and the schools. It’s important that with all of this new growth, and in alignment with the City’s 2035 plan, that our neighborhood schools remain the central focus of future developments so that we can continue to provide the desired school walkability to our students and families.

MEASURE G Capital improvements bond approved by local voters in Nov. 2012 Total: $198 million Series A: $55 million (already allocated/projects completed) Series B: $80 million (bond issuance in process) Series C: $63,250,000 (scheduled for 2020)

pRIDE HONOR ROLL

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

10 0+ YEARS Gilroy Dispatch 64 West Sixth Street, Gilroy 408.842.6400 gilroydispatch.com 150 YEARS

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CELEBRATING YEARS IN BUSINES S

50+ YEARS

Gilroy Medical Pharmacy 700 W. Sixth Street, Gilroy 408.842.3196 36 YEARS

Habing Family Funeral Home 129 Fourth Street, Gilroy 408.847.4040

Physician’s Skin Solutions 15585 Monterey Road B, Morgan Hill 408.778.4684 physiciansskinsolusions.com 18 YEARS

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McKinnon Lumber E Optometry Group 18181 Butterfield Blvd., Ste. 150, Morgan Hill 408.779.2000 www.eoptometry.com

217 Seventh Street, Hollister 831.637.5767 147 YEARS

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Hollister Free Lance PO Box 516, Gilroy 408.842.6400 sanbenito.com

Recology 1351 Pacheco Pass Hwy., Gilroy 408.842.3358 recology.com

Bertao Real Estate Group 330 Tres Pinos Road, Ste. F2, Hollister 831.637.8400 bertao.com 18 YEARS

62 YEARS

144 YEARS Custom One PO Box 1265, Morgan Hill 408.847.8197 30 YEARS

Morgan Hill Times 17500 Depot Street, Morgan Hill 408.963.0120 morganhilltimes.com

Mission Bell Manufacturing 16100 Jacqueline Ct., Morgan Hill 408.778.2036 58 YEARS

123 YEARS

18 YEARS

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Frank’s Plumbing 305 East Dunne Avenue, Morgan Hill 408.779.3737 52 YEARS

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital 911 Sunset Drive, Hollister 831.637.5711 hazelhawkins.com 110 YEARS

Morgan Hill Cellars 1645 San Pedro Avenue, Morgan Hill 408.779.7389 morganhillcellares.com 104 YEARS

75+ YEARS Rocca’s Market of San Martin 13335 Monterey Road, San Martin 408.683.2330

30+ YEARS Ernie’s Plumbing 7411 Railroad Street, Gilroy 408.847.3274 erniesplumbinginc.com

91 YEARS

San Benito Tire Pros & Automotive 246 Tres Pinos Road, Hollister 831.637.5804 sanbenitotire.com

10+ YEARS The Ford Store 17045 Condit Road, Morgan Hill 408.782.8201

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San Benito Mini Storage 897 Industrial Drive, Hollister 831.636.5470 25 YEARS

40 YEARS

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Johnson Garden Center 520 Tennant Avenue, Ste. C Morgan Hill 408.779.7171 johnson-lumber.com 11 YEARS

Professional Property Management 339 Seventh Street, Hollister 831.637.9273 40 YEARS

Ace Hardware - Hollister 1725 Airline Hwy, Hollister 831.634.1590 acehardware.com 20 YEARS

Mount Madonna School 491 Summit Road, Mount Madonna 408.847.2717 MountMadonnaSchool.org

Medical Pavilion Pharmacy 9460 No Name Uno, Ste. 100, Gilroy 408.842.2001

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Napa Auto Parts 140 Fourth Street, Hollister 831.637.5304 hollisterautoparts.com

Bay Sierra Properties PO Box 1265, Morgan Hill 408.847.8197

Johnson Lumber Ace Hardware 600 Tennant Avenue, Morgan Hill 408.778.1550 johnson-lumber.com 37 YEARS

Rianda Air, Inc 703 McCray Street, Hollister 831.636.3767 riandaair.isoars.com 19 YEARS

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Meineke Car Care Center 190 Welburn Avenue, Gilroy 408.847.2900 meineke.com 5 YEARS

Bear Flag Gallery Mall 207 Third Street, San Juan Bautista 831.623.4285 bearflaggallery.com 4 YEARS

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PRIDE & PROGRESS

SEPTEMBER 29, 2017

Creamed Parmesan Power Greens LOOKING FOR A GREAT SIDE DISH? Enjoy rich and creamy greens, blended with Parmesan cheese and a hint of nutmeg…delicious! Serve it up alongside beef, pork, chicken or fish (anything really).

Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 15 min Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS 1 lb Earthbound Farm Organic Power Greens 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour 3 ⁄4 cups whole or lowfat milk 1 ⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 ⁄4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 ⁄4 cup toasted breadcrumbs (optional) 1 ⁄8 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground Coarse kosher salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS Steam the Power Greens in a steamer basket over boiling water until it wilts, about 1 minute. Transfer the Power Greens to a colander to drain. Let Power Greens cool.

Squeeze out any remaining water in the Power Greens using your hands or wrap the Power Greens in a dish cloth and squeeze.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook for two minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk and cream in a steady stream, continuing to whisk, and cook until the cream sauce thickens, another 2 minutes.

Add the Power Greens to the cream sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and cook until the Power Greens is heated through, about 1 minute.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you are using breadcrumbs, place breadcrumbs in a small skillet and toast until golden brown.

Remove from heat and sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs on top of dish. Serve hot.

Keep up with our food and the farm at EarthboundFarm.com