South Valley Newspapers

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Like most musicians, the members of Mushroom Town’s wind symphony are driven to produce harmonious sounds to delight the ears of young and old alike. They don’t do it for the money, as most of their gigs are unpaid ones, unless some special occasion or arrangement is made in advance. Just because they play for the pure enjoyment of creating light-hearted classical renditions or pops for the masses, doesn’t mean they lack talent. What makes the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony (MHWS) stand apart from other bands is the fact that they welcome youth to be part of the ensemble and play alongside them at concerts. You’ll notice family members performing side by side, moms, dads, their children or siblings at gigs. MHWS is a family-friendly lot in the south valley.

“From the very beginning, the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony mentored middle and high school students who are proficient at playing their instruments. We let them try out,” Tuba player Don Jensen said. MHWS gleans musical talent from within the ranks at schools or from the community. They have more junior high kids trying out instead of high school teens because everyone understands the demanding schedule the poor students must endure throughout the four years.

“We want the kids to enjoy the experience <of playing music> for life and not get burnt out,” Jensen said. He probably knew of potential recruits who put down their clarinet or trumpet for good to pursue sports or something entirely different because they were forced to practice everyday and not have a normal life like most other children their age. Another segment of MHWS is the ringers; these part-time performers are similar to auxiliary help whenever there is a gap in the orchestra. They come in and fill the void where a certain player or section is absent. The ringers aren’t committed full-time to the symphony and are delegated to temporary status, yet these guys are extremely helpful and valuable when drafted for musical duty.

Back in the mid-1980’s south valley residents Steve Potter, who held a Masters in Trumpet, and Jensen decided to form an instrumental band for kicks. At the time, they attended Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church on the corner of Dunne and De Witt avenues and the two formed a part-time orchestral group aptly dubbed The Morgan Hill Wind Symphony (MHWS). Their modest beginnings didn’t deter them from recruiting others in the city to partake in this new adventure, the process was painstakingly slow and the numbers were small. Over the years membership grew and remained steady at fifty-five in the summer and slimmed down to thirty-five in the winter. This pattern repeats itself annually. 

Anyone wishing to be part of this group must know how to read music, play any wind or percussion instrument well, and attend rehearsals. MHWS is strict about rehearsals; they’ve been having them every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the property of the Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church ever since. Because the symphony comprises of volunteers and the outfit being a nonprofit, potential applicants are required to dole out thirty bucks to join the band. This will cover expenses for music, instruments or concert fees for the year.

You may think these are bunch of rank amateurs with little promise but that isn’t the case at all.  Several professional musicians are members too who lovingly share their passion for the classics, including the conductor, Vernon Miyata. He hails from the east bay and is the musical director of San Lorenzo High School. His brother Howard is part of the High Sierra Jazz group that regularly performs at paid gigs. Tom Brozene Sr. another professional, posses a Master’s Degree in Trumpet and mentors the youth like his peers.

Jensen summed up MHWS’s philosophy on their laid-back approach to life and the stressful demand of higher levels of musical complexity. “We don’t want the wind symphony to be a job. We already have jobs. We want to relax when we play.” To get more information on the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony, please go online to www.morganhillwindsymphony.org.

The South Valley is a treasure trove of artistic talent, however most of these gifted individuals or groups are hidden among the bucolic setting and unfortunately are often overlooked by the masses in our cities. Unless the artists themselves advertise and market their wares, whether it is visual expression, dance, music, literary works, or theater, hardly anyone will experience the pleasure of meeting them. My contribution of representing the arts in the south county and beyond via my column hopefully has enlightened, entertained and boost the public awareness of the talent among us. With the recent changes in the paper this will be my last piece for the Arts In Motion series and I choose to honor Morgan Hill artist Tom King.  His simple yet provocative pastel paintings of wild animals, abstracts, landscapes and still lifes captured many an eye with his moody depictions.

King’s rugged exterior belies his gentle thoughtful demeanor and his ability to create living beings on paper in vivid hues in soft pastel. Like most artisans, he unleashed his creative side in grammar school, taking his first art class in junior high, which included clay sculpting, ceramics, wood block carving, paper Mache, and of course drawing.  Later on King took it a step further and enrolled at Central Missouri University, taking commercial art for a year. Down the road the sense of duty prevailed in his heart and he enlisted in the army to help our country fight the Vietnam War. The Mid West native traveled the world and subsequently married Leesa an emergency room nurse and avid runner who he met in Missouri. He is now retired from the military and devotes his time in developing his latest painting or photographic techniques.

When King isn’t painting he is molding or shaping recycled materials into interesting abstract figures. “It helps me to interpret things by which I am influenced though images. This is why I’m doing this after thirty years of putting art on hold,” he said. Customers who purchase his artwork are visibly moved by his portrayal of cats, turkeys or nature working in synergistic harmony.  The influential artist behind King’s works is an oldie but goodie from the 18th Century. “Vermeer is one of my favorite painters for his mastery of light to convey mood,” King said, which explains the luminescence of the animals in his pastel renderings and by contrast the absence of light in his brooding landscapes. The drawings themselves are 3D in quality simply because King is skillful in placing the lights and darks in proper perspective yet arranging them in a stimulating fashion that’s out of the proverbial box.

The Morgan Hill resident has a wide range of style in expressing his ideals, feelings at which point some may not realize the colorful abstract is from the same person who painted the illuminated majestic lion piece. Why abstracts? King replied, “Abstractions are from my sub consciousness. There are no rules.”  These deeply thought out pieces are freeing for King who enjoys painting them and are among his favorites.

As for marketing his work, King is branching out into the community. He is current solo art exhibit and sale will be on for another two weeks at the Buzz Stop (formerly Good Life Café) in downtown Morgan Hill on Monterey Road. His passion for wildlife and domestic animals is such that he is donating 20 percent of the profits from his art sales to the International Humane Society and SPCA. “I sell mostly animal portraitures because of my empathy with them as co-existent beings of our planet. My emotions are expressed in each piece.” Regarding future plans, King said, “I hope to firm up a marketing strategy this year and in five years have my art support me rather than I support it . . . I had much encouragement from family and peers. Leesa continues to be the greatest supporter of my career.”

To find out more about Tom King’s solo exhibit at the Buzz Stop or to purchase any of King’s art please contact the artist at Kingshot2@aol.com or call him at 408-846-5323.

South County is known for its distinctive bedroom communities, bucolic hillsides and agricultural crops such as garlic and mushrooms, for example. What about best-selling authors? San Martin resident Karen Beaumont is a children’s book writer with a New York Times bestselling title to her credit—I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!. She has sold thirteen books to publishing houses such as Harcourt, Harper, Dial and Holt. Her seventh title, Move Over, Rover! Was released by Harcourt this fall. Beaumont is dedicated to writing quality picture books for kids starting from infants to seven years of age. She’s a rare find in our society of someone who loves her career.

How did she find her dream job? Although she always loved writing, she seriously considered pursuing it as a career while studying on the French Riviera on a graduate fellowship. In 1985, she took a course in writing children's books and slowly dabbled in sending out her manuscripts in subsequent years.  “I thought it was easy to write picture books . . . it’s a humbling experience. You can’t be ego-driven. If you’re ego bound you can’t have people slicing your work apart. This is not for the faint of heart,”

Beaumont said, referring to her earlier submissions to publishers and receiving over a hundred rejection slips.

Beaumont sold her first book in 1994.  By 1997, she realized she needed an agent (many publishers do not accept un-agented work).  An editor at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators national conference in Los Angeles told her about a top agent with a tough reputation in New York City. Subsequently she submitted numerous manuscripts to the agency and was finally asked to come to New York for an interview. As a single mother on a limited income, she didn’t have the money to fly back east, so she borrowed $1,000 from her parents.

One thing about Beaumont is that she's tenacious and won't give up on anything once her sights are set on a specific goal. Beaumont endured an 8-hour interview with the owner of the agency, all the while he was probing her to find out if she had what it took to make it as a children’s author. Beaumont added, “He shot holes in my story ideas and wanted to know how I felt about his critical remarks and I didn’t let them bother me. I was determined to make it no matter what. He didn’t indicate that he was signing me on until the very end of the interview." Her eighth book entitled, Who Ate All The Cookie Dough? is coming out in the Spring of 2008.

She has plenty to do in the meanwhile including book signings, author presentations at schools, and completing various other writing projects. “The extraneous activities in the business take a lot of energy. I’d rather be writing the next book,” Beaumont said, her azure eyes sparkled knowingly. “I have friends that I'm sure think I don’t work . . . I’m at Starbucks writing or somewhere else. They don’t see when I’m hunkered down at my home writing at all hours of the night or non-stop through the weekend.” Unlike traditional full-time jobs, Beaumont has the flexibility to move her hours around.

Becoming a professional author requires persistence, confidence, skill and talent. The industry is brutally honest with what they expect from writers and it’s a business like anything else so the prospective author should learn the basics in the field and keep pressing on no matter what happens. Beaumont emphasized her point further, “At a reading, I asked children if they would keep knocking on doors for trick or treating if the first five or six houses didn’t respond. How many would keep going? Not many raised their hands. I then said what if the seventh house had the bag of candy? You missed out because you gave up too soon.”

She may at times feel discouraged. However, she knows what she desires and doggedly pursues her dreams. She works hard at the business aspects of the craft and constantly digs into her creativity for a fresh story in rhyme for her young fans. When she’s not snuggled up on the couch with her pad of paper and her faithful cat Jake by her side, she’s writing at Starbucks, teaching night classes at the Adult school in Morgan Hill or working at her friend’s shop, Lady Jane's Antiques. Beaumont is scheduled to read and sign books at Barnes and Noble in Gilroy on November 14 and December 5 at 10:00 a.m.

Like most musicians, the members of Mushroom Town’s wind symphony are driven to produce harmonious sounds to delight the ears of young and old alike. They don’t do it for the money, as most of their gigs are unpaid ones, unless some special occasion or arrangement is made in advance. Just because they play for the pure enjoyment of creating light-hearted classical renditions or pops for the masses, doesn’t mean they lack talent. What makes the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony (MHWS) stand apart from other bands is the fact that they welcome youth to be part of the ensemble and play alongside them at concerts. You’ll notice family members performing side by side, moms, dads, their children or siblings at gigs. MHWS is a family-friendly lot in the south valley.

“From the very beginning, the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony mentored middle and high school students who are proficient at playing their instruments. We let them try out,” Tuba player Don Jensen said. MHWS gleans musical talent from within the ranks at schools or from the community. They have more junior high kids trying out instead of high school teens because everyone understands the demanding schedule the poor students must endure throughout the four years.

“We want the kids to enjoy the experience <of playing music> for life and not get burnt out,” Jensen said. He probably knew of potential recruits who put down their clarinet or trumpet for good to pursue sports or something entirely different because they were forced to practice everyday and not have a normal life like most other children their age. Another segment of MHWS is the ringers; these part-time performers are similar to auxiliary help whenever there is a gap in the orchestra. They come in and fill the void where a certain player or section is absent. The ringers aren’t committed full-time to the symphony and are delegated to temporary status, yet these guys are extremely helpful and valuable when drafted for musical duty.

Back in the mid-1980’s south valley residents Steve Potter, who held a Masters in Trumpet, and Jensen decided to form an instrumental band for kicks. At the time, they attended Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church on the corner of Dunne and De Witt avenues and the two formed a part-time orchestral group aptly dubbed The Morgan Hill Wind Symphony (MHWS). Their modest beginnings didn’t deter them from recruiting others in the city to partake in this new adventure, the process was painstakingly slow and the numbers were small. Over the years membership grew and remained steady at fifty-five in the summer and slimmed down to thirty-five in the winter. This pattern repeats itself annually. 

Anyone wishing to be part of this group must know how to read music, play any wind or percussion instrument well, and attend rehearsals. MHWS is strict about rehearsals; they’ve been having them every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the property of the Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church ever since. Because the symphony comprises of volunteers and the outfit being a nonprofit, potential applicants are required to dole out thirty bucks to join the band. This will cover expenses for music, instruments or concert fees for the year.

You may think these are bunch of rank amateurs with little promise but that isn’t the case at all.  Several professional musicians are members too who lovingly share their passion for the classics, including the conductor, Vernon Miyata. He hails from the east bay and is the musical director of San Lorenzo High School. His brother Howard is part of the High Sierra Jazz group that regularly performs at paid gigs. Tom Brozene Sr. another professional, posses a Master’s Degree in Trumpet and mentors the youth like his peers.

Jensen summed up MHWS’s philosophy on their laid-back approach to life and the stressful demand of higher levels of musical complexity. “We don’t want the wind symphony to be a job. We already have jobs. We want to relax when we play.” To get more information on the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony, please go online to www.morganhillwindsymphony.org.

Visual artist Marie Christine Briot-Connolly, a French resident in California, continually leaves an indelible impression in the South Valley with her colorful paintings of the area for several years now. In 2005, the Parisian entered Morgan Hill’s Centennial Poster Art contest and blew the competition away with her vibrant depiction of a sultry August afternoon along the main drag of the city’s downtown. Her award-winning piece demonstrates plainly that she’s an accomplished artist. Briot-Connolly studied Arts in France and Interior Design in the Dublin Institute of Design in Ireland. She pursued her passion for modern literature, which led to a Masters degree in American Literature. This explains why she can speak English fluently despite being on US soil for only a short time. She emigrated from Europe over four years ago, following her husband Peter Connolly, an Irish native. The transition was interesting, as expected for anyone who is diving into an unfamiliar culture. However, she tackled the chore of integrating into the American mainstream with noticeable results.

Not only are her rich representations of the California coastline or the South Valley hanging at various restaurants, public venues or at an exhibition, but also many of her pieces are in the homes of private collectors. How Briot-Connolly got here is by old-fashioned hard work, perseverance and believing in herself that she can pull it off by marketing her stuff to the community. Everyone who ever thought of jumping into visual art knows the road to success is tough, requiring years of training and practice. You keep on learning and creating and practicing until you stop being a painter. There aren’t any shortcuts in this business. Anyone should seriously consider the cost of becoming a professional painter, sculptor or animator before launching into the profession. Whether it is full time or part-time artist.

Learn from Briot-Connolly, she throws herself into everything she does,

Including painting. “I have passion and I’m intense about my work. I’m

intense and passionate about everything I do,” she said. Whenever stormy clouds might gather in the world around her, she finds solace in her creativity and infuses her French personality into each vivid emotional piece, sharing her love of beauty to everyone. She isn’t afraid of color and jumps right into a task always painting something new and not allowing herself to rest in yesterday’s achievements. Briot-Connolly spends long days in her studio, just like any typical full-time job. She has focus and diligence; two key ingredients in success.

Her next body of work is morphing into what she calls French Classical

 Style, subtle pastels and elegant forms inspired from France’s 18th Century, a different path from her whimsical imagery. Not only has her art evolved into another mode altogether but increased in size as well. “I’m going back to more

classical avenues in my paintings—creating a series of murals on canvas . . . 

to open deep perspectives and larger windows in the viewer’s home,” Briot-Connolly said, referring to an eight feet by six Tuscan commissioned piece, she’s working on at the moment. There will be more larger than life paintings from this charming Parisian in the near future.

And when she isn’t in her studio painting, she is out in the community

motivating people to explore the arts through the nonprofit art group Valle Del Sur Art Guild and the Morgan Hill Library Art and Culture Commission. The other love of her life is passing down the knowledge she gained over the years to others in the South Valley who wish to pick up the brush and paint. Although Briot-Connolly is happily fashioning masterpieces and instructing folks here, she still longs for her cherished French and Irish university students. Despite this, she is now dedicating more time to her own art.  Briot-Connolly offers three painting workshops in Morgan Hill throughout the year; her next workshop will be at Karen’s Art Zone in downtown Morgan Hill on September 14th, 15th and 16th.

If you would like to pick up valuable skills from this award-winning artist and add them to your artistic tool chest then sign up today by contacting Karen Hegglin of Karen’s Art Zone at 408-779-7871 or Marie Christine Briot-Connolly at MarieChristine123@Yahoo.com.

Saturday’s meeting with civic, industrial and nonprofit groups was the capstone event for the community conversations series at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center. Consultant Viewpoint Learning Inc., and city officials gathered the public’s views on how money should be spent per fiscal year for Morgan Hill. These discussions began in February where people expressed their opinions in a myriad of ways of how to deal with the 1.5 million-dollar budget deficit. On April 29th, thirty leaders, including Mayor Kennedy and all five council members, poured over the same issues that the public had discussed. The diverse groups were split up in three segments and met in different rooms. Three members of Viewpoint Learning, Inc., were on hand. They had trained some of the city staff to facilitate the meetings and were also present as consultants.

City Attorney, Janet Kern seemed pleased with how things were turning out. “This is a very good way to get the community to face the issues and make hard choices,” She said. Although, the process of gathering information from residents was time-consuming, it was worth it.

“We get to participate and we’re excited to get input from the community,” Council member, Greg Sellers said. Overall the mood at Saturday’s meeting was optimistic. It was evident the policy makers were glad to hear what people had to say.

The city of Morgan Hill spends $15 million per year. Over 80% of that is for police and fire. The city only takes in $13.5 million, leaving a $1.5 million shortfall. Because the city has already cut everything it can without obvious loss of services, the city asked its residents what was important to them. Over 330 residents participated, and their demographics closely matched the voting population. Almost all of them were willing to accept a tax increase to maintain the existing services. Very few wanted police or fire service reduced to save money. Since 80% of the budget is spent on police and fire, increasing revenue is the only alternative. Two thirds of them supported a tax on development, and over half wanted more retail development to bring in sales taxes. A third of the participants were willing to accept higher taxes yet, mostly for enhanced police services.

Jack Dilles, Director of Finance, felt the series were fruitful in terms of the staff hearing what the general consensus on the budget is so far. And what’s the outcome of these roundtable talks?  “The council will have an all-day workshop on May 19th to see what common ground people have,” Dilles said. On that day, the deliberations with the council will begin on making decisions based on research gathered from the meetings.

Besides Morgan Hill, the only other city in the bay area to host community conversations is Menlo Park. Hopefully, that won’t always be the case, thanks to our south valley municipality leading the way. Community conversations aren’t strictly limited to fiscal topics and can cover gridlock issues such as traffic, growth and education.

Mayor Gavin Newsom shared the stage with the 11 elderly survivors, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, recording artist Tim Murphy, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, Police Chief Heather Fong, Annemarie Conroy, Executive Director of Office of Emergency Services, and many other dignitaries. A huge clock nearby announced 5 a.m.; everyone watched it with apprehension, knowing that a hundred years ago the earth shook violently at precisely 5:12 a.m. sending shock waves of destruction throughout Northern California.

Murphy sang the National Anthem to the throngs in the crisp morning air while people jostled to get a better view.  Organizer, Taren Sapienza, gave her opening remarks and introduced her special guests. Ten seconds before the black hands reached the 12-minute mark, everyone chimed in as they counted down the seconds much like a typical New Year’s Eve party.

Rumblings broke forth at the appointed time, but not from the earth.  Thousands of voices rocked the streets with their cheers as the clock read 12 after 5. The mood at the celebration was light-hearted and not foreboding. But this is San Francisco and anything goes. A moment of silence then followed, commemorating those who lost their lives during the massive shaker and fire.  A wreath was placed respectfully on the fountain.

People strained to see the raising of the ladder by the San Francisco Fire Department. Ringing of the church bells and sirens added to the cacophony as everyone watched with admiration as firefighters raced down the street in vintage fire trucks with riders decked out in period costume for the show.

Mayor Gavin Newsom then greeted everyone on national television, proudly speaking of how San Francisco built itself from the ashes. The words San Francisco Rising, with the image of the Phoenix ascending above the Golden Gate Bridge on an enormous billboard behind him summed it up best.

He then interviewed the survivors one-by-one on bended knee with hilarious, unpredictable results. When he asked the youngest of the survivors, Norma Norwood, 99 the question, “How are you?” Norwood quipped, “Cold . . . I have Gavin Newsom here to keep me warm.” The crowd applauded and the Mayor was caught off guard but quickly recovered. Norwood continued, “I was the best of the earthquake. I was conceived and born inside a tent in Golden Gate Park. My parents had to snuggle to keep warm and when you snuggle you have a baby.” She then added, “I was raised by prostitutes . . . I was called the earthquake baby but when I was 17 I didn’t want to be called that anymore.”

The eldest of the group, Chrissie Mortensen 109, shared her memories of the temblor and ensuing fire on that fateful morning in 1906, “I remember the smell of smoke and seeing a cow running down California Street with its tail in the air.”  Another survivor, Harold Hamrol, 103 told everyone the secret of longevity by working at a job for at least two days a week. The charming Hamrol, attired in a dapper Navy Blue suit, works part-time at Adronicos’ grocery store in town.  Donna and Chuck Huggins wrapped up the tribute at Lotta’s Fountain, leading the sleep-deprived but happy bunch with a heartfelt rendition of San Francisco based on the 1936 movie classic with the same name.

San Franciscans Mark Tweedie, 42 and his friend Leo Carew III, 39, always attend the major events in the City and were thrilled to be part of the 1906 earthquake and fire commemoration. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Tweedie said and disclosed information behind the destructive blaze that raged for three days in the beloved port city. “My grandmother Edna G. Steele (formerly Barney) was the youngest of five and was born in 1912, her older siblings told stories of how the family had to stay in tents in Golden Gate Park. They moved from upper Market Street,” he said. “People were torching their homes to collect insurance because the insurance companies didn’t cover earthquake damage . . . that’s what burnt San Francisco to the ground.”

The sun’s rays peeked over the horizon, casting a luminous turquoise hue in the morning sky. OES Annemarie Conroy’s invitation rang out to the thousands, her words painting the celebratory attitude of a city that overcame the worst. “Go out and have some fun! The bars open at 6. Raise a toast to the incredible city of San Francisco!”

Imagine if dead bodies were found partially buried in the backyards throughout the south valley neighborhoods—even on your property.  The grisly discovery would cause a panic, but has anyone ever blinked an eye regarding the barrage of botanical murders and assaults taking place in our gardens every day?

Solving these cases require basic knowledge in horticulture and being keenly observant of what’s happening in peoples’ yards. If Rosemary Rosales wants to create award-winning fruit pies for the San Benito County Fair and she walks outside and finds her Elberta peach tree’s leaves shriveling up or the fruit rotting, she’d want to know why.

That’s the job for the garden detective. These sleuths come in the guise of master gardeners and trained professionals in retail nurseries; they are available to help consumers with their botanical woes.

Dennis Roath, a master gardener who works in Morgan Hill, believes in conventional wisdom when it comes to taking care of plants. “Insects seldom kill plants; it’s over watering, neglect, and planting in the wrong location,” he said. He recommends bringing infected plants to a reputable nursery for diagnosis and treatment or calling the master gardener hotline.

Unanimous consent among the garden detectives is that most common pests afflicting gardens in the south valley are aphids and snails. Ants are baddies too, according to master gardeners in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties. They harvest aphids like dairy cows and transport them throughout the garden. Judi from Orchard Supply Hardware in Gilroy recommend Tangle-Foot Goo to combat the ants.  This sticky substance traps the insects and keeps them from traveling. She also suggests spraying the tree with non-toxic horticultural oil to kill the aphids.

Randy Linke from Red Roots Garden Company in Morgan Hill talked about snails devouring young plants. He favors snail bait to poison the troublesome mollusks and said to apply sparingly on soil. Stomping on snails is another way for the sheer joy of squishing the offending hordes.

Judi and Joe from Orchard Supply Hardware advise checking the contents of potting soil purchased from nurseries because the dirt may be infected with snail eggs. Fighting off snails or slugs is a major battle for many in this area and it’s best to examine newly bought plants before putting them into the ground.

“A lady came into the store with a type of potting soil with round, gel-like eggs throughout the bag,” Joe said. “OSH gave her two bags of comparable potting soil because we aim for customer satisfaction and want to take good care of them.”

Most customers walk into Paidl Gardens in Hollister with yellow citrus leaves assuming the condition is caused by not using enough fertilizer. The owner, Caryn Paidl, points out the true culprit.  “Scale causes yellowing of the tree leaves. Check the tree bark for little brown bumps, which are Scale. These can weaken plants because they suck out the sap.” Applying Volk Oil directly onto these parasites will drown them. Non-toxic sprays may work too.

Another pest found in the spring is the Spittlebug. These are the larval form of the Leaf Hopper and are encased in a sudsy mass on the stems of plants. Spittlebugs are considered harmless although their dwelling places are grotesque. Spraying them off with water does the trick and is environment friendly.

To catch the criminals in the act, step outside with a flashlight to find the source of the problem. This is true about other pests like Earwigs, slugs or suckling insects. San Juan Bautista’s Jim Sleznick said it best. “Be alert on what’s in your garden . . . get out there and see what’s going on. Look in the early morning or late evening.”

For those of you who are stumped please call the University of California Cooperative Extension of Santa Clara County Master Gardener Hotline for questions at 408-299-2638 or go online at www.mastergardeners.org.

What keeps a priceless piece of art intact for decades? Finding an answer to this challenge is the quest of any artist, gallery or museum. Art institutions know how to preserve their investments by protecting them from the harmful effects of the sun and the environment. However, the average consumer may not; therefore, it is a matter of educating the public to protect their art pieces. You may wish for the Picasso hanging your living room wall to outlast your grandchildren. It can, too—thanks to technology’s latest trend in protective art ware.

Several galleries and framing shops in the South Valley face the decision of how to preserve photographs and paintings from a variety of ways. For example, Mission Gallery in San Juan Bautista switched over to Museum glass from Conservation Clear for hanging art in the gallery. Even though both Museum and Conservation filter out ultra-violet rays (about 95-97%), there are a couple of stark contrasts between the two. When you visit the gallery, gaze at the artwork on the walls and see if there is any glare on the panes from the lighting in the room, Museum glass is less reflective. However, don’t confuse this product with non-glare glass, which leaves the image distorted when viewing from far away.

Another difference between them is pricing. Behind this is the time-consuming melting process under stringent conditions. Each process is closely monitored to insure the absence of bubbles and imperfections found in standard glass. Let’s say you want to prevent your prized watercolor from fading from sunlight or becoming damaged by fluorescent lighting. The bill for a 9x12 sheet of Conservation glass will be $10. Museum Glass will cost $43 for the same size. The frugal-minded consumer may wish to go with Conservation Clear. Museum is an excellent choice for anyone who wants the anti-reflective qualities. 

Mission Gallery owners, Piper Jaramillo and Boykin Sellers, believe in presenting the conservation package in the best fashion possible. This includes the frame, glass, backing, acid-free matting, hinge tape, and plastic corners to prevent the art from touching the glass. High-end packaging along with well-executed artwork gives the piece more value. Piper Jaramillo explained how some artists have harmed their work by using poorly packaged frames or not using the proper preservation techniques.

What are these framing techniques? Artists and photographers want to preserve their award-winning work so they have the frame shop/gallery select the museum grade matting and back board (acid/Lignin free) and mount the art with removable hinges or Mylar corners. If it is pastel work, then separators may be placed between the mat and the backing board to allow dislodged flakes to fall behind the mat.

Mission Gallery, Leedo Gallery in Gilroy, and the Art Scene in Morgan Hill avoid framing with products that contain wood pulp or Lignin because these contain acid, which discolor, burn and damage photographs and paintings. Using proper mat, backboard, and hinging tape enables the professional to remove the artwork from the frame without damaging the piece. This is what is known in the industry as reversible mounting technique.

As expected these framing techniques will cost the consumer because of the laborious efforts custom-fitting the print or artwork into the frame and conservation “sandwich.” Again, there are choices and if the would be shopper has something in mind for that special Erte or family heirloom, then going the cheap route by buying pre-made frames with standard glass won’t work.

Another interesting item to add to the preservation mix is non-glass alternatives. These aren’t heavy as glass and they don’t shatter. The downside is acrylic pieces may bend or warp and collect lint, hair or fur like Velcro and they scratch easily due to their soft surfaces. If the consumer wants the kind with scratching resistant coating then he or she must shell out more money for the privilege. The same goes for the clear, 95% UV protection type.

Leedo Gallery & Frame uses Conservation Clear for their inventory and framing purposes. They use a variety of Plexiglas products too and will be more than happy to explain the benefits to consumers. Charles Clark, owner of Leedo Gallery & Frame, understands most artists or consumers are budget-conscious these days. However, he’ll use Museum Glass if a customer requests it. Prices in the framing industry will continue to go down and eventually most people will be able to enjoy the high-end qualities of Museum Glass.

For more information on framing techniques or what type of glass to use please contact the following: San Juan Bautista’s Mission Gallery at www.missiongalleryart.com or call Piper Jaramillo at 831-623-2960. For those in Gilroy, check out Leedo Gallery at www.leedoart.com or by phone 408-842-8118. The Art Scene in Morgan Hill offers framing services; call Stacy at 408-779-4306.