• Best route topic of High Speed Rail meeting Wednesday
• Unique gifts at Gavilan College Holiday Marketplace
• Festival of Trees benefits Rebekah Children’s Services
• Search is on for former cannery workers
• Christmas boutique at St. Mary School
• Morgan Hill City Council adopts ethics policy
• Hilarious, zany ‘Inspecting Carol’ continues
• Hollister Independence Day rally may continue
Best route topic of High Speed Rail meeting Wednesday
San Jose – A meeting to discuss the best route for a high-speed train between San Francisco and the Central Valley will take pace Nov. 30 in San Jose. The meeting will focus on environmental studies of various routes between the areas. The Nov. 30 meeting takes place at San Jose City Hall, Council Wing, Room W120, 200 East Santa Clara Street.
Unique gifts at Gavilan College Holiday Marketplace
Shoppers looking for something special and unique are invited to browse the 4th annual Gavilan College Holiday Marketplace Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, from 10am to 2pm. Money raised from the marketplace will benefit Gavilan College student clubs.
This event is free and open to the public. Campus parking is 75 cents. There will be musical entertainment during the marketplace, and the Gavilan Cafe will be open, offering a variety of food and beverages.
Details: Vendor Applications are still being accepted. Call 489-6445 or go to www.gavilan.edu/pio.
Festival of Trees benefits Rebekah Children’s Services
Gilroy – Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park is known for its world famous Circus Trees, but on Friday, Dec. 2, the non-profit theme park boasts about a different kind of tree – Christmas trees and the spirit of giving. Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park will host the 3rd annual Festival of Trees Premier Dinner and Live Auction benefiting Rebekah Children’s Services.
The $75 per person auction dinner runs 6 to 10:30pm and includes a traditional holiday dinner buffet with savory side dishes and desserts served inside the park’s majestic Snowflake Palace. Guests are encouraged to dress comfortably for an outdoor winter evening that also includes an exclusive stroll through the park’s Holiday Lights display.
There will be no rides in operation during this event.
Details: www.rcskids.org or call 846-2142.
Search is on for former cannery workers
Gilroy – Did you work at the old Gilroy cannery for a summer? A year? A decade? We would like to hear your stories!
As part of a redevelopment project, South County Housing Corporation has launched the Cannery History Project. This project, in conjunction with the Gavilan College History Department, will employ Gavilan students to gather, preserve and share human histories of Gilroy’s cannery community.
SCH has purchased the site in downtown and plans a mixed-use development of approximately 210 residential units and 40,000 square feet of office, food service and retail space. Rather than losing the history when the buildings are replaced, SCH wishes to make known the stories of people who worked at the cannery.
Details: Former cannery workers or their family may contact Leah Halper at 848-4846 or lh*****@****ic.com.
Christmas boutique at St. Mary School
Gilroy – Come and get in the Christmas spirit at the annual St. Mary School Christmas Boutique. On Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9am to 7pm, browse the handcrafts, jewelry, Christmas decorations, art work & clothing offered by artisans and retailers from around the South County area. There will be 35 vendors selling goods. Enjoy music, food, beverages, along with a benefit drawing at Cullen Hall, 7900 Church St.
Details: 842-2827.
Morgan Hill City Council adopts ethics policy
Morgan Hill – In an effort to create a culture of “values-based principles,” city leaders have adopted a new ethics policy that requires officials to demonstrate loyalty to the city and assume responsibility for the best interests of the citizens of Morgan Hill.
The policy applies to all elected and appointed officials and covers the city’s various agencies and commissions. Those who don’t sign on to the policy may be removed from their posts.
“It’s as though we’ve lost sight of ethics as a society,” Mayor Dennis Kennedy said of the need for the policy. “We need to refocus our efforts on working with values-based principles.”
Councilman Greg Sellers said the policy was a good first step, but far short of what the city really needs – a commitment to create an virtuous environment.
The first step was an ethics workshop and signing ceremony attended by a group of about 60 officials and committee members ranging from Police Chief Bruce Cumming to members of the Youth Advisory Committee.
Hilarious, zany ‘Inspecting Carol’ continues
Morgan Hill – South Valley Civic Theatre presents “Inspecting Carol,” a hilarious adult comedy that’s sweeping the nation. Mix together a struggling theater company, a tired production of “A Christmas Carol,” a really bad actor and a visiting inspector from the National Endowment for the Arts and you end up with this zany off-the-wall holiday farce.
Shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm through Dec. 10 with two Sunday matinees at 2pm on Nov. 27 and Dec. 4. Performances are at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse on the corner of Monterey and Dunne avenues.
Tickets are $12 for seniors and students and $15 for adults.
Tickets may be purchased at the Gilroy Visitors Bureau, BookSmart in Morgan Hill and the Morgan Hill Community Center.
Details: 842-SHOW or www.svct.org.
Hollister Independence Day rally may continue
Hollister – In the wake of the City Council vote to terminate the Hollister Independence Rally Committee’s contract to organize Hollister’s annual biker rally, there is still hope that the city’s signature event will continue next year.
“I think we’ll need to take a look at any number of options about how the event can proceed,” City Manager Clint Quilter said Tuesday. On Monday, after weeks of discussion and study, the council voted 3-1 to terminate HIRC’s contract with the city, saying that they couldn’t condone spending at least $300,000 from the city’s general fund each year for a single event. This year the city was stuck with a $360,000 bill for public safety costs, which HIRC won’t be able to reimburse.
Though they canceled HIRC’s contract, council members did say they were open to looking at alternatives, such as a venue change and a new organizer, for an event next year.
