Local Scene: Tarantula Fest, donate blood, Bell’s Station open soon | Morgan Hill Times | Morgan Hill, San Martin, CA

Newsom appoints Butler to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint a woman to fill the seat of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died Sept. 29.

Laphonza Butler will replace Feinstein, the Governor’s Office confirmed Oct. 1. 

Butler is currently president of Emily’s List, a political action committee that works to elect Democratic women and supports abortion rights.

According to Assemblymember Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, Butler will be California’s first openly LGBTQ senator. 

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.  

Tarantula Fest set for Oct. 7

The 2023 Morgan Hill Tarantula Fest will take place 10am-3pm Oct. 7 at Henry W. Coe State Park, 9000 East Dunne Ave. 

Rub elbows (so to speak) with some of the park’s fuzzy, friendly eight-legged guests of honor. The event is held at the headquarters campground, which has breathtaking views across the ridges and canyons of the backcountry, says the event website at https://coepark.net/fall-tarantula-fest/. 

Food will be available for purchase. Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets for prizes including a day with a ranger in the back country; an upcoming Coit Camp outing; Mother’s Day breakfast at the park; gift certificates for local restaurants; gift baskets and more. 

See live birds of prey and other local wildlife presented by the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC). Tarantulas and other spiders will be on display. Go on a leisurely hike with a volunteer to look for tarantulas in the wild. Learn about some of the animals that live in Coe Park and hold a snake, if you wish. Go on a guided geocache hike to look for hidden treasures.

See the inside of a beehive and find out about these fascinating insects. Make a tarantula memento at the craft table. Listen to music by the Coe Park Jug Band while you enjoy lunch. 

The event is free, although parking at the Coe Park main entrance (located all the way up East Dunne Avenue, about 13 miles from Highway 101) costs $8 per vehicle. 

For more information and to purchase raffle tickets in advance, visit https://henrycoe.net/events/TFEST_2023/. 

Book Sale Oct. 7

The Friends of the Morgan Hill Library will have their quarterly book sale 10am-3pm Oct. 7, at the Morgan Hill Library, 660 West Main Ave. 

All books and media are $1 or less; children’s and teen books are 10 cents each. The bag sale starts at 2 pm: $4 to fill  a standard-size bag or $5 with a reusable library bag. 

The members-only preview sale is 9-10 am before the sale opens to the public. Memberships may be purchased at the door and are valid through December 2024. Members also receive half off any book each month in the Friends Bookstore at the library. For more information, visit friendsmhlibrary.org.

Blood donation opportunity in Morgan Hill

The American Red Cross continues to experience a national blood and platelet shortage and asks the public to book a time to give as soon as possible. 

Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets. 

A blood drive is scheduled on Oct. 10 from 10am to 4pm at Interfaith-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Morgan Hill, 1790 E. Dunne Ave.

To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1.800.733.2767.

Those who come to give will receive a $15 Amazon gift card by email.

Bell’s Station gate to open for limited time at Coe Park

​​For one weekend, Henry W. Coe State Park will open the gate at Bell’s Station on Highway 152 east of Gilroy and allow attendees to drive along Kaiser-Aetna Road to the Dowdy Visitor Center. 

This rare event allows for backpacking, bikepacking, horseback riding, general day use hiking or mountain biking. 

The Bell Station entrance gate will be open from Oct. 13-15 during the hours of 8am to 8pm. 

Shaded tables at Dowdy have views of the expanse of the park, including Tie Down Peak. Bura Bura Peak is a short hike away, with 360-degree views of the park and surrounding areas. 

Fees will be waived if visitors fill out a survey at the event. 

For information, visit coepark.net/dowdy-ranch-open.

Living Above The Influence

The 17th annual Living Above The Influence Community Resource Fair is scheduled for 12-4:30pm Oct. 14 at the Morgan Hill Community & Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. 

Join the free community event to learn about the many resources available to local families and residents, with special guests and speakers, including a welcome message from the Morgan Hill mayor’s office. The event features entertainment, music, folklorico dance performances, free BBQ, a kids zone with a jump house and face painting, and free raffles. 

Everyone is welcome, and registration is not required. 

Bat Fest scheduled for Oct. 21

Saved By Nature will host its third annual Bat Fest fundraiser on Oct. 21 at Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve in Morgan Hill. The event will celebrate local animals of the night with a live bat presentation by Northern California Bats, as well as a live owl, turkey and opossum presentation by the Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center. 

Also featured will be a special guest speaker, food trucks, live music, festival games, arts and crafts, mini-pumpkin patch, REI lounge and booths from community partner organizations, says a press release from San Jose nonprofit Saved By Nature. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs to sit and relax while they enjoy popcorn, cotton candy and their favorite beverages while watching a movie under the night sky. 

A silent auction will feature prizes including a guided fly fishing trip, a three-night stay in a cabin and artwork by local creators. Purchase raffle tickets for camping gear, equipment and gift cards from REI, Los Gatos Bird Watchers, Bass Pro Shop and others. 

Bat Fest will take place from 4-9pm Oct. 21, at 4289 Casa Loma Road, in the meadow and in front of the barn next to Llagas Creek. Tickets cost $25 each for attendees age 16 and up; or $10 for children age 5-15; children age 4 and younger are free. Parking is free. 

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.savedbynature.org/bat-fest. 

Downtown trick-or-treat is Oct. 28

Trick-or-treating in downtown Morgan Hill this year will take place the Saturday before Halloween, rather than on the holiday itself. 

This year’s Halloween festivities are part of the city’s 4th Saturday Downtown Street Series, and are scheduled for Oct. 28. Events include a full day of Halloween fun, with Monterey Road closed to vehicles from 7am-5pm in order to make room for games, activities and trick-or-treating, according to the City of Morgan Hill. Trick-or-treating with downtown vendors and organizations will take place from 2-4pm. A free outdoor screening of the movie “Addams Family” is scheduled for 8pm on East Third Street. 

Additional 4th Saturday festivities planned for Oct. 28 include live performances, food and merchandise vendors and a kids’ area with outdoor games. 

Celebrate National Friends of Library Week

Join the Friends of the Morgan Hill Library 4-5pm Oct. 19 for a Zoom presentation with Dorothy Lazard, former Oakland librarian and public historian. The presentation will take place in the program of the Morgan Hill Library, 660 W. Main Ave. 

In Lazard’s new inspirational memoir, “What You Don’t Know Will Make a Whole New World,” she shares how the library helped her dream during the 1960s and 1970s. 

Books will be available for purchase, and a drawing will be held for a free copy. For more details, visit friendsmhlibrary.org. 

Lazard received the 2023 Oscar Lewis Award for contributions to Western History from the Book Club of California and the Partners in Preservation Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 from the Oakland Heritage Alliance.