Building , the downtown was extended beyond Second Street , and these twostory structures helped to give the downtown more of a sense of presence . There ’ s been a lot of care taken by the many people involved to create a look and feel that encourages people to spend time here .”
Partners in Life
Weston and Miles bought their current home in Western Morgan Hill in 1989 , where they raised their two daughters , Alicia and Madeline , along with three Border Collies and two cats . The house has a wonderful layout and aesthetic design touches you ’ d expect from this couple , complete with mature oaks and eucalyptus trees and a view of El Toro from the master bedroom .
“ Family life has always been important to us ,” said Miles . “ Having our offices and our home in Morgan Hill made it easier for us to maintain a work-life balance . We were never more than a few minutes from the girls ’ schools , which gave us an opportunity to be involved when they were young , and never more than a few minutes from the office or the various places we had to be for meetings in the community .”
Daughter Alicia works in finance while her husband , Sam Carlson , is a civil engineer . The two recently moved to Morgan Hill and Carlson has joined the team at Weston Miles Architects .
“ Alicia and Sam love Morgan Hill and they ’ re quickly finding ways to engage with the community ,” said Miles .
According to Weston , his son-in-law brings to the firm “ a nice new dimension as we branch out into residential development projects .” Weston Miles plans to break ground soon on Barley Place , a new 30-unit residential project located next to the Granary .
“ We ’ ve begun referring to the area as the Granary District ,” said Weston with a smile . “ It has a unique architectural style and personality , and we ’ re hoping the city and the community will adopt the name too .”
The couple ’ s younger daughter , Madeline , works as a project manager at Tesla Motors , where they say she enjoys the business and is learning a lot . The way Weston sees it , Tesla is turning out more environmentally-friendly cars , and “ green cars , like green buildings , have got to be a good thing .”
Partners in Community
During their 33 years of marriage and close to 30 years in business together , Weston and Miles have always made time for community life . This has included volunteering time on the Morgan Hill Planning Commission , with the Rotary Club and the Downtown Association as well as the Morgan Hill and the Gilroy Chambers of Commerce .
Weston has been instrumental in the evolution of Morgan Hill ’ s popular Freedom Fest held annually over the Fourth of July weekend , including three years as President of the all-volunteer organization . Still an avid runner , he is also a member of the South Valley Running Club . Miles has been active in a variety of organizations including the American Association of University Women ( AAUW ).
Currently , Weston teaches a master ’ s class on Sustainable Construction as part of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Program at San Jose State University .
“ Sustainable building design and construction is evolving rapidly and becoming more accessible , which is a good thing for communities like Morgan Hill ,” said Weston .
When asked about his history of heroism , Weston doesn ’ t say much , but his wife is quick to share his story .
During the Vietnam War , Weston was stationed in the Mekong Delta . He was working on a construction project when a building burst into flames next-door to a USO hall where many were gathered inside . He maneuvered a ten-ton forklift to lift the burning structure away from the USO building , saving the people inside from what might otherwise have been a major disaster . He received the Soldier ’ s Medal , a noncombat award from the military for his bravery .
Back home after the war , Weston helped saved the life of a Morgan Hill father of five who was trapped in an overturned car following an accident on Uvas Road .
“ That was before the days of cell phones so there was no dialing 9-1-1 for help ,” said Miles . “ Charles ’ military training as a medic kicked in . He immediately enlisted help from two other bystanders and rescued the man from the car just before it exploded into flames .”
The story appeared in the Morgan Hill Times and caught the attention of the Carnegie Foundation in Pennsylvania . The Foundation sent a representative to Morgan Hill to interview Weston , and later presented him with the Carnegie Medal . The medal is awarded to citizens who have risked their lives in order to save the lives of others .
Over the years , Weston and Miles have been generous with their time and talent , and they show no sign of slowing down any time soon . Together they have created a wonderful blueprint for living , working and enjoying life in Morgan Hill . It ’ ll be fun to see what they do next .
F A L L 2 0 1 4 M O R G A N H I L L T O D A Y
45