Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Main Street

Mary Ann Cook

LGHS grad earns coaching honors in Oregon

COACH OF YEAR: Oregon's Amateur Baseball Coach of the Year for 1997 was Los Gatos High School grad ('75) Sandee Kensinger. He guided the American Legion Mustangs to a 57-11 record, district title, state and regional crowns and the championship game of the AL World Series, before losing to Stanford, Fla. In eight seasons under Coach Kensinger, the Mustangs have won five state championships, competed in the World Series twice and amassed a 343-108 record.

In his own playing career, Kensinger went through the colt, pony and little leagues, played for LGHS for four years and was all-conference at Southern Oregon College in Ashland. He played semi-pro with the Grants Pass (Oregon) T-Birds.

Kensinger comes from a family of teachers. He teaches P.E. at Hedrick Middle School in Medford, his father Bob taught at Fisher Middle School and his sister, Keri Kensinger, teaches fifth grade at Blossom Hill School. The senior Kensingers are now retired and living in Ennis, Mont., where Bob was just elected to the Town Council, beating out incumbents, even, in this town of 750.

MIDNIGHT SUN MARATHON: Judy Etherington has pledged to raise $2,900 for the Leukemia Society of America by participating in a marathon in Anchorage, Alaska, on June 20. The event is called the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon, and she is one of a team of 10 now in training. A fierce competitor, Etherington intends to complete the 26.2 miles in eight or nine hours.

The Leukemia Society provides trainers, a training schedule, mentors and moral support for those who participate. Andrea Herrera of San Martin, who has had leukemia for eight years, is the honoree for Judy's team. To donate money to leukemia research, call Etherington at 354-1592.

CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK: This Wozniak is 10 years old and climbing. He's Gary Wozniak, who won the all-around title at the 1998 Youth Climbing League Championships in Sacto recently. Gary won in the combined speed and difficulty classes for 10- to 12-year-olds, beating out participants from six Northern California indoor climbing gyms.

A student at Lexington School, Gary is a member of Team Edge of the Pacific Edge climbing gym in Santa Cruz. Last year he won the same event in the 9-and-under division. He plans to compete in the national championships in Denver in August. You may have heard of his dad.

POETIC PLANNER: Mike Abkin and Wes Peyton, retiring from the Planning Commission, were feted recently for their service to the town. Abkin, who had served on the commission some 10 years, composed a poem for the occasion, which was royally received. The most telling stanza goes:

Yes, housing's a problem in crisis today
driving our shopkeepers, teachers and children away
seeking places to live where home prices make sense
and housing's allowed more than zeroly dense.

IN THE LEAD: Los Gatan Brian Ruf plays the lead in All My Sons, the current production of the Bus Barn Theatre in Los Altos. The play runs Thursday-Sunday through April 25. Ruf plays son Chris in the Arthur Miller play. The box office is 650/941-0551.

Ruf is a graduate of UCLA theater arts and studied in New York and Los Angeles. He worked with The Groundlings in Los Angeles and the Manhattan Punch Line in New York. And he's in a short film called Hurdy Gurdy, to be shown at the N.Y. Film Festival this year.

HI, SCHOOL ART: The artwork of LGHS students is on view through April 25 at the LG Museum of Fine Art and Natural Science. One focus of the exhibit is famous pictures reproduced by the students after researching both artist and painting. Scott Downs is art department chairman, and Raphael Aguayo is the ceramics teacher. A reception for the artists will be held April 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

GUEST DAY: Guest Day Tea at the Los Gatos History Club will feature storyteller Brian Conroy. The tea is April 15 at 2 p.m. at the clubhouse on Los Gatos Boulevard.

CATTLE BARON'S TAKE: The figures are in and confirm that the 1997 Cattle Baron's Ball brought in $648,000 for the American Cancer Society, making it the most successful fundraising gala in California. Los Gatan Andrea Thomas was co-chair of the event; Linda Floyd, a Willow Glen interior designer, was her partner.

Some 300 businesses and individuals donated products, services and gifts that were auctioned off, and 159 businesses provided sponsorships to help underwrite the ball. The event has become a model for ACS fundraising in other parts of the country.

ART & FLOWERS: Los Gatos floral designer Lindsay Catterton of the Wild Geranium is part of the Art and Flowers fundraiser for the de Saisset Museum on the Santa Clara University campus April 16-19. Designers will create floral interpretations of artworks from the museum's collection that will be shown along with the artwork that inspired it. Saratoga designers Daniel Della Monica of DDM Designs and Phyllis Shea are also part of the show.

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