South County Democratic Club
Gilroy – All democrats and Gilroy residents are invited to the next meeting of the South County Democratic Club, where candidates for Gilroy City Council will be seeking endorsements.
The meeting will be held at 10am, Saturday, at the home of Kristine Dillon, 3385 Hecker Pass Highway.
While all candidates will be invited to make presentations, only registered democrats can receive endorsements. Following the meeting – about 12:30pm – members will be treated to a barbecue/picnic.
Details: Mark Moore at 779-1510 or de******@****ic.com. Visit the club’s Web site at www.demsclub.org.
South Valley Symphony season
Gilroy – South Valley Symphony will perform a series of five concerts and also host a jazz concert scheduled for March 18, 2006 at the newly finished theater located at the Ann Sobrato High School theater in Morgan Hill in its 32nd season. A mariachi concert is also tentatively scheduled for May 5 at St. Mary’s church in Gilroy.
Season ticket prices for adults are $90 for the series of seven concerts and also will include a wine and cheese tasting event scheduled for the Pops concert at Bonfante Gardens Friday, June 2 at 7:30pm.
Tickets for seniors age 62 and older are $75 for the season, and for students ages 12 to 18 the price is $50.
Advance payments may be made with checks payable to the South Valley Symphony, Inc. and mailed to P.O. Box 1347, Gilroy, CA 95021. Subscribers will receive their tickets via mail no later than Sept. 25.
Details: Barbara Bottini at 846-9247 or Al Navaroli at 842-3934.
Happy Days are here Saturday in San Martin
San Martin – The third annual San Martin classic car show will be held from 11am to 5pm Saturday, in the San Martin County Park, at the corner of Monterey Road and California Avenue.
The theme of this year’s show is “Happy Days in San Martin.” It features more than 100 classic cars, live music, food and prizes. Admission is $5.
Police officer injured in chase of suspect
Morgan Hill – A police officer was injured while chasing a 25-year-old Morgan Hill man who was eventually arrested.
Adrian L. Gamino was walking along DeWitt Avenue at 7:20pm Friday when officers on patrol in the area stopped him.
When officers learned he was on parole, they conducted a pat-down search, but Gamino then bolted away from officers, according to MHPD Cmdr. Terrie Booten.
“He fled down DeWitt through an open field,” she said. “As officers pursued him, the officer behind him saw he had reached in the front of his pants and was dropping clear plastic baggies on the way.”
The officer bumped his head and nose on the steering wheel when he hit a cement pole at City Hall, Booten said.
Gamino was captured in the quad area between City Hall and the library, Booten said.
He was taken to jail on suspicion of possession of controlled substances for sale and for resisting arrest. He also had outstanding warrants.
Hearing continued in alleged hate crime
Morgan Hill – Two Morgan Hill residents accused of a hate crime for allegedly assaulting a pregnant Morgan Hill woman last month have had their preliminary hearing postponed until Sept. 27. Neither has entered a plea.
Nicole Agriesti, 21, and Charles Peralta, 24, appeared in San Martin Superior Court Tuesday.
The pair, who are reportedly dating, could have faced murder charges if the unborn child of the woman they allegedly attacked outside her Morgan Hill apartment had died. As of Tuesday afternoon, the woman had not miscarried her child.
Agriesti and Peralta are accused of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, with a special hate crime enhancement, after a fight on July 21 in the parking lot of the Cochrane Village Apartments allegedly arising from an argument after the two ran over groceries belonging to the victim.
Xochitl Calderon, 34, was two months pregnant at the time of the attack.
She and witnesses told police Agriesti and Peralta shouted racial epithets at her as they used their fists to hit her repeatedly in the abdomen and arm and kicked her.
Calderon also told police she asked the two suspects to pay for her groceries; Peralta, she said, threw a penny at her and called her a “wetback.” Peralta and Agriesti told police Calderon had instigated the confrontation by kicking the side of their car.
Both are free on $100,000 bail.
