Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: South Valley resident named executive director of Green Foothills

Nonprofit helped in the creation of almost 200,000 acres of parks in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties

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By Robert Airoldi

Longtime South Bay environmental advocate Julie Hutcheson has been named the executive director of Green Foothills, a local environmental organization whose work has resulted in the creation of almost 200,000 acres of parks and nature preserves across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

Green Foothills was founded in 1962 by Palo Alto and Los Altos residents to stop the Stanford foothills from being paved over to build factories. The organization has been instrumental in preserving the most iconic landscapes in the South Bay and on the Peninsula including organizing and leading campaigns that preserved Coyote Valley just north of Morgan Hill. Hutcheson took an active role in that campaign.

“I’m honored to lead Green Foothills, which has been a local, vocal, and extremely effective champion for local nature in the South Bay and on the Peninsula for more than 60 years,” Hutcheson said.

Allow me to toot our horn. The South Valley Civic Theatre held its annual awards show Oct. 21, an evening at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse rivaling the Tony’s. Surprising us, we learned Life Media Group received the Outstanding Community Service Award.

SVCT members Marilyn Pifer and Mary Beth Anderson presented the award to publisher Marty Cheek, acknowledging how our two newspapers help get the word out about plays and musicals through our stories, reviews by Camille Bounds, and announcements of auditions.

“As we and other theaters and our entire community recover from COVID shutdown and interruptions, it’s become even more important to draw audiences back to let them know about shows and to have a voice in the community,” Pifer said.

Cheek told the audience:  “My team and I are really honored for this terrific award you gave us tonight. We love supporting local theater because all the shows enhance our community’s quality of life.”

Thank you, SVCT, for bringing so much in wonderful theater arts to the South Valley.

And, readers who love enticing drama, get your tickets for their upcoming play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” which opens Nov. 17 at the Morgan Hill Playhouse.

South Bay Singers, a 50-voice Morgan Hill-based choral group under the leadership of Conductor Kathy Esteves-Bates will present ‘Holiday Songfest 2023,’ a concert of beloved holiday music featuring timeless traditional carols to contemporary seasonal songs in joyous celebration of the holiday season.

Bates highlights the camaraderie that has developed among the choir members. “This group is very special. We have people from all walks of life who set their cares aside for one evening a week to rehearse, with the uplifting goals of reaching performance level and making great friends along the way.”

In addition to serving as conductor of SBS, Bates recently expanded her creative activities with “Rose, A Mother’s Story,” where she portrays matriarch Rose Kennedy recalling the triumphs and tragedies of her life. Upcoming presentations include the Gilroy Library (2 p.m. Nov. 19) and the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center/South County Lifelong Learning Program (2:30 p.m. Jan. 17).

Bates said she can hardly contain her enthusiasm about the local arts community. “We have such wonderful entertainment. Speaking for South Bay Singers, I can humbly say — we’re one of the best!”

The ‘Holiday Songfest 2023 schedule is:

• 3 p.m. Dec. 2, at Advent Lutheran Church, 16870 Murphy Ave., Morgan Hill
• 3 p.m. Dec. 3, at Gilroy Presbyterian Church, 6000 Miller Ave.

Tickets are $25 and available at southbaysingers.com or at the door. Children younger than 10 are free.

Last month, St. Louise Regional Hospital executives, doctors and staff delivered “thank you” packages to 15 law enforcement, fire, and EMS facilities in Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill.

This marks the eighth year SLRH has recognized South County first responders.

Thanks to all of you for doing your best to keep our communities safe and healthy!