Tag: morgan hill

Pintello Comedy Theater pros Jayson Stebbins and Denee Lewis Bohnsack get together to bring in playwright Jack Neary’s gentle and funny “First Night,” an amusing bit of witty theater. The two carry the production under the deft direction of Whitney Pintello.

Jerry and Judy Ross never planned to own their own Morgan Hill winery.

Gavilan College board Tuesday voted to change the ASB name to Associated Students of Gavilan College (ASGC), a name that the majority of students chose in a survey in the fall of 2014.

The saga of an 840-pound emerald - believed to be the world’s largest - continued in Los Angeles County Superior Court where Morgan Hill resident Anthony Thomas’ claim to the valuable rock was shut down this week, according to authorities.

The Hollister woman who pleaded no contest to trying to slip sleep-aid medication to toddlers under her care at a Morgan Hill daycare facility was sentenced to six months in Santa Clara County Jail on Monday, according to authorities. 

Deborah Gratz, 59 of Hollister, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kenneth Shapero following a hearing at South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill. She was sentenced to six months in jail followed by four years of formal probation, with a list of conditions for her release during probation, according to Deputy District Attorney Sumerle Davis. 

In May, Gratz pleaded no contest to five counts of attempted child endangerment as part of a plea bargain with the D.A.’s office. 

The misdemeanor charges stem from Gratz’ attempt to put a sleep-aid drug known as Sominex into the sippy-cups of some children under her care at Kiddie Academy daycare in Morgan Hill, authorities said. Gratz had worked at the daycare business since 2007, and has worked in the childcare field for about 20 years. 

The attempted drugging occurred in early March, according to police. Another employee of Kiddie Academy saw Gratz place an unknown substance into the sippy cups of about 10 toddlers between the ages of 1 and 2. 

Staff at Kiddie Academy determined that Gratz had placed the over-the-counter sleep-aid medication in the children’s drinks, police said. The staff fired Gratz and reported the attempted drugging to Morgan Hill police. 

Officers investigated the incident, and arrested Gratz March 11 at her home in Hollister. 

None of the children were harmed by Gratz’ actions, police said. 

Police added that Gratz had a “spotless” record during her career as a daycare professional until the incident at Kiddie Academy was reported. 

Gratz remains out of custody, but she is required to report to South County Courthouse to begin serving her six-month sentence in jail Sept. 27, Davis said.

The 2013 Kihncert - an all-day Rock & Roll concert co-headlined by former Poison frontman Bret Michaels and the Greg Kihn Band - is coming to Morgan Hill in October.

Greg Kihn, the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame inductee and former DJ of KFOX 98.5 FM, announced the news on his website, detailing the Oct. 12 concert date at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center on Condit Road. The concert is scheduled to begin at noon and, with multiple rock bands expected to play, will last until 11 p.m.

“I am pumped about this year’s Kihncert and to continue the tradition of great Rock & Roll with great bands in Morgan Hill,” said Kihn, whose past Kihncerts have included the likes of The Who, Lynyrd Skynrd, Steve Miller Band, Styx, Kansas, Yes, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Paul Rodgers, and Boston.

Tickets will go on sale Friday on www.kihncert.com.

Jeff Dixon, president of the Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance which has contracted with the City to run the Outdoor Sports Complex since July of 2010, confirmed that the Kihncert is close to being finalized, pending final approval from City Hall.

“We are excited that we’re bringing the Kihncert to Morgan Hill,” said Dixon. “We think it’s valuable because of the economic impact, the visibility it brings to the great community we have, and it demonstrates what the Outdoor Sports Complex can be used for.”

Director of Media Matthew Altamirano at Arts Related Technical Training for Entertainment Careers, or ARTTEC, a Morgan Hill-based production company that employs local high school students, is partnering with Kihn to produce the concert in Morgan Hill.

“ARTTEC students are participating in every aspect of production,” said Altamirano, a 2008 Ann Sobrato High School alumnus, detailing that students will have duties such as live audio mixing, concert lighting and video images during the Kihncert. Altamirano said current ARTTEC students as well as any other high school students interested in joining the production team should visit www.arttecusa.com.

The Outdoor Sports Center, which caters to athletic events for soccer, football, rugby, lacrosse and field hockey, sits on 38 acres off Condit Avenue in northeast Morgan Hill. This past summer, the facility hosted the California Youth Soccer Association’s District II Cup, which brought in between 15,000 to 18,000 visitors.

Dixon said the facility has also hosted two non-athletic events: The No Bull Barbecue and the 2013 Morgan Hill Freedom Fest’s Fireworks Show. The Fourth of July show brought in an estimated 25,000 spectators.

“We’ve always entertained the idea of doing an outdoor concert here,” said Dixon. “(The fireworks display) tells us that we can handle a large crowd.”

Dixon added there was no damage to the fields from the fireworks show. The Outdoor Sports Center has hosted five events of 15,000 people and one of 25,000 people, according to Dixon.

Dixon said the Youth Sports Alliance has submitted its special events permit application for city approval.

“We expect based on our experience that we will be able to meet all City requirements to obtain approval,” Dixon said. “We’re committed to making sure Morgan Hill hosts a very successful event.”

The first Kihncert was in 2002 and it has been held at South Bay venues such as the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.

Hollister police officers arrested a 17-year-old male from Morgan Hill Wednesday for the alleged murder of Andres Guzman, 19, of Hollister, Aug. 8. The arrest was made around 1 p.m.

If you’re ready to elevate your running, the Mt. Madonna Challenge may be for you.

The Rotary Club of Morgan Hill welcomed Mary Tillman to the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center on Wednesday.

Our local movie theaters – Gilroy Platinum Theater and Morgan Hill CineLux - are a couple of my favorite places to spend my extra time (and money). There’s just something about sitting in a darkened theater with a group of friends - and strangers - eyes glued to the big screen, laughing or crying or jumping out of our seats.