Community

Sheriff's deputies believe a mountain lion is to blame for the

Leaping good year!: Looking great at the age of 8, Janeen Patterson (actually 32 years old) celebrated her birthday Wednesday night at Tasso’s. She was born on Leap Year 1980.

Manuel Austin’s first trip to a San Francisco 49ers game in more than seven years didn’t go as planned. Now, with his head still aching from what he says was a vicious, alcohol-fueled attack at the hands of fellow red-and-gold-clad fans, it will be much longer than that before he sets foot in an NFL stadium again.

Nestled in the heart of Downtown Gilroy, the La Ofrenda Festival—Gilroy’s second annual Día de Muertos Festival & Wellness Fair from1-7pm Nov. 2—will be an extraordinary event and is more than just a day of festivities; it’s an immersive experience that embraces the essence...

Attendance was light for the first screenings of “Rocky IV” at the newly reopened Granada Theater July 3, but the nonprofit that recently reopened the downtown Morgan Hill venue has no shortage of plans to draw film, art and culture enthusiasts to the theater over the coming months. The Morgan Hill Granada Preservation Society is determined to show that the once thriving movie house can become “Morgan Hill’s cultural center” before the city and other regulatory agencies make a final decision on the former Redevelopment Agency property’s fate, according to the nonprofit’s film advisor Ed Milkow. The volunteer-run organization kicked off this effort just before the Fourth of July with screenings of 1985’s “Rocky IV,” which continued throughout the holiday weekend. The group chose the Sylvester Stallone boxing flick not only because its patriotic themes coincide with the celebration of America’s birthday, but also because it’s a “comeback movie.”“The Granada is kind of like that,” Milkow said. This week, the theater will present screenings of the 2013 international independent art film “Ida.” Future plans include renovating one of the Granada’s two theaters to accommodate a stage for live acts, a dance floor and improved seating, according to MHGPS General Manager Don Wapenski. The live side of the theater will include upgraded sound and lighting as well, and could feature musical acts, comedy shows or even live theater productions. The only currently active theater was recently upgraded with a 9.2-surround sound system and a digital projector, Wapenski said. The theater’s operators plan to keep the venue “fun and festive” with theme and costume events, such as a “zombie night,” where those dressed in costume get special treatment for a showing of a classic zombie movie. “And all the humans come in after the zombies,” Wapenski said. They plan to open the theater for seniors’ events, community and corporate events, screenings of other culturally iconic films and even a “bad movie night,” Wapenski said. Milkow added, “The main thing is we want people to come in and have a blast.” With an integrated audiovisual system that can give audience members or live presenters control of the picture and sound, the venue could even be used for school or other educational presentations, Wapenski explained. Churches could use the Granada on Sundays. “We’d like to support the community like that,” Wapenski said. The MHGPS has a temporary lease on the Granada Theater, which was closed as a full-time movie theater in 2006. The theater and the property on which it sits, including the Downtown Mall and Morgan Hill Cigar Company, is owned by a trust controlled by Santa Clara County and other taxing entities. The Morgan Hill RDA purchased the property in 2008, but it transferred to the trust when the state shut down the RDA in 2012 and forced local agencies to dispose of its property and other assets in a structured manner. The city plans to begin requesting proposals from developers for the Granada and Downtown Mall property later this year. City officials are in the process of marketing the property to a developer who will build a project in accordance with the Downtown Specific Plan—a multi-story development with retail or dining on the ground floor, with residences and offices upstairs. For more information on the MHGPS and to see a schedule of upcoming events, go to morganhillgranada.com.

Those responsible for Casey Tibbs are guarding him like a

‘Tis the season for gift giving! Why do you suppose most every religion expressed in the United States of America in the 21st century—and there are countless religions—all have a season set-aside for “gift giving”?  Could it be that all who frame their lives around...

GILROY

Gordon Kusayanagi, born and raised in Gilroy, killed by crazed

Some very unusual companies are operating in the South Valley,