Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Let's get ready to rummage

By Jeff Kearns

It's not junk. It's a unique chance to meet the neighbors, cut down on waste, help the mentally disabled and make a few bucks. On May 9, town officials are hoping to merge hundreds of separate garage sales into the town's first communitywide garage sale.

Community Services Director Regina Falkner, who pitched the proposal to the Town Council and is overseeing the effort, says she hopes to have 200-300 participants. If everything goes well, she says, it may become an annual event.

The project aims to reduce area landfills by reusing materials and diverting them from the trash for use by others or for HOPE Rehabilitation Services, a San Jose-based nonprofit agency that serves the mentally disabled. HOPE operates a scavenging service year-round and sells the items it recovers to help fund its services. Starting at 5 p.m. on the day of the sale, HOPE will collect any unsold items that are left on the curb.

The Community Services Department will be registering each garage sale and creating a database of where sales will be held and what kinds of items will be for sale. Maps and lists will be available in the Neighborhood Center, 208 E. Main St., and the library starting Tuesday, May 5.

The idea was first proposed to the town in a letter from a resident, Falkner says.

Falkner and staffer Hilton Kwong modeled the program after similar projects in Cupertino, Gilroy and Sunnyvale. Kwong looked at the other programs, put together the forms and is coordinating the sale.

Residents of unincorporated areas of the county in and around the town are also invited to participate in the sale.

Call the Community Services Department at 354-6824 to request an information packet, which includes a registration form and tips on how to put together a good garage sale.

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