“ This playhouse was designed so well for theater and music performances and lectures ,” Heather said . “ It ’ s a more intimate , friendly setting than a big hall , and people like the fact that they can meet the performers during intermission .”
Last December , El Toro hosted the T Sisters , a trio of songstress / musicians from Oakland who charmed the audience with a blend of country , folk and rock tunes .
According to attendee John Fletcher of Morgan Hill , “ We first saw the T Sisters at the Aromas Grange , and we love their lively , spirited performances . They write a lot of their own material and it ’ s quite good .”
“ I thoroughly enjoyed this concert ,” Jackie Gomes said . “ It was my first time seeing the T Sisters , but not my first El Toro event . Each sister held her own and their harmony and musicianship were very impressive .”
During intermission , the playhouse lobby was humming with conversations as attendees enjoyed champagne , compliments of Guglielmo Winery , along with coffee from Coffee Guys and gourmet treats from Lawson ’ s Bakery — all served up by volunteers and city staffers .
Among the patrons was local resident , water district exec and amateur actor , John Varela .
“ My wife Vivian and I were invited to attend by Adam Escoto . He ’ s over there pouring the wine ! We ’ re really enjoying this event and looking forward to seeing what this club has lined up for 2018 . We ’ ll definitely be telling friends about it .”
El Toro Social Club has Sunday concerts lined up between April and December 2018 . Ideas for new programming and connections with entertainers are welcomed . Membership is free . Events often feature foods , wines and crafts from local vendors , and event tickets are reasonably priced .
South County Lifelong Learning
Scientists and medical experts tell us that being socially engaged and learning new things helps us keep our brains healthy . And besides that , it ’ s fun .
As 2017 came to a close , South County Lifelong Learning wrapped up a great year of programming by treating attendees to a thought-provoking talk on Astronomy by Bill Hudson , a Gilroy resident , frequent presenter at Fremont Peak Observatory , and self-described “ astro geek .”
He kicked off his presentation by clearing up the ongoing confusion about Pluto ( yes , it really is a planet ). He took the audience back to the dark days of the Spanish Inquisition when Galileo was imprisoned as a heretic because he said the Earth was not , in fact , the center of the universe .
Morgan Hill resident Pat Ryll said , “ I ’ ve been coming to these presentations for about four months , and I love learning . This talk was fantastic , and the hands-on demonstrations helped me better understand just how big the universe is .”
George Shamback agreed . “ There ’ s so much we don ’ t know . It ’ s like peeling
an onion , there ’ s always another layer , more to learn . Astronomy reminds us we can ’ t discount the possibility of other life forms out there . All this isn ’ t just an accident . There ’ s a purpose , an architect of all this .”
Hudson helped attendees grasp the vastness of the Milky Way with a model he called “ the Birdseed Galaxy .” Hint : how many bird seeds does it take to fill a football stadium ? He wrapped up by predicting that “ we ’ ll probably see the first sign of extraterrestrial life in some microscopic form .”
Other 2017 programs touched on far-ranging subjects including : life in a remote Tibetan village , a history of underwear ( you read that right ), a remembrance of columnist Erma Bombeck , aging and the immune system , and a CSI ’ s view of forensics .
Volunteer Donna Weisblatt has been instrumental in putting together the South County Lifelong Learning program . “ We run the program with support from the Morgan Hill Senior Center . It gets people out and encourages social interaction so they don ’ t become isolated . We like to say the secret to life is to keep moving and keep learning .”
Weisblatt said the 2018 program will host a wildlife biologist in February , a woman engineer in April , and Morgan Hill ’ s intrepid hiker and author Ron Erskine will showcase hiking trails and parks later in the year . Presentations are hosted at various venues provided by the City of Morgan Hill and are open to the public .
South County Lifelong Learning
Upcoming Classes
April 19 “ Digital Media : Animation - How Do They Do That ?” Instructor : Phil Williams
April 26
“ My Life as a Green Beret : Unconventional Warfare in Afghanistan ’ s Pech Valley .” Instructor : Ron Fry
May 17 “ Overview of FBI : How It Works in Our Communities .” Instructor : FBI Special Agents
May 24 “ Cyber Security : So You Think You ’ re Too Smart to be Scammed !” Instructor : FBI Special Agents
More information on additional classes : eltorosc . com
The T Sisters ( Photo : Kirk Stauffer )
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN APRIL / MAY 2018 gmhtoday . com
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