Main Street

Stories from locals make it into print

By Mary Ann Cook

PICK OF THE LIT: Joan Cottle is up to her award-winning ways. Her latest book, Miles Away from Home has been selected by the American Booksellers Association Kids' Pick of the Lists for Spring 2001--no small achievement. Miles is designed for children from 3 to 7.

Published by Harcourt Children's Books, it came out this month. Miles is the family dog who gets into trouble during a beach vacation, then navigates an amazing rescue. Cottle is both author and illustrator of the book, her second wherein she wore both hats.

The Los Gatan has several other children's books to her designing credit, with her background and training in fine arts. This summer she'll be teaching Writing for Children and Advanced Writing for Children at Santa Clara University. On May 12, 2-4 p.m. she'll be signing books at Linden Tree Books in Los Altos.

FAMILY ACT: Here's some other published folks, this time a grandmother/granddaughter combo. They're Betty Auchard and Brianna Mahin-Ayers, both of whom had short stories printed in anthologies recently. Mahin-Ayers is a senior at Leigh High School.

Auchard's story is in Chocolate for a Woman's Blessings; and Brianna's is in Chocolate for a Teen's Soul, both published by Simon & Schuster. They'll read from their stories and sign autographs at the Barnes & Noble in the Pruneyard on May 12, 3-4 p.m. They'll also explain the process of being accepted into the anthologies.

Both are active in the California Writer's Club. Auchard reads every month at Open Mike Night at Borders and Brianna is among the youngest in that statewide organization. They have also been accepted as contributing authors in the next four sequels coming out this year and next.

FRACTURED FOLLIES: It's time for the Fractured Follies to unroll: April 26, at 7 p.m. at the high school. This is the talent show put on by LGHS faculty members, coordinated by English teacher Paris De Soto. Acts to watch out for include art teacher Scott Downs' duet with English teacher Anne Martyn.

(Martyn is the daughter of Ed and Shirley Burke, of Olympics and Los Gatos Athletic Club fame.) Also on the play bill is Russ Leal's band ExtraLarge. Leal is a resource specialist during school hours. Kurt Kroesche, English teacher, will again emcee. Tickets are $10 and the money raised benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

De Soto will also raise money for leukemia by participating in the Half-Ironman triathlon at Lake San Antonio on May 5. She'll swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13 miles. In the San Diego Rock'n Roll Marathon three family members will join her--mother Chrystie De Soto; sister Paige De Soto Moses; and brother-in-law Mike Moses.

BLOOD DRIVE: The Los Gatos Lions and the Stanford Medical School Blood Center are enthused about their successful blood drive last month. Heidi Krueger was the one in charge and some 48 people participated. Another drive will be held in early December.

Because the blood is separated into at least three components, this outflow resulted in improving the quality of life for 99 people, the center estimated. Some of the beneficiaries included baby boys with leukemia; and two baby boys and one baby girl who needed liver transplants.

Others who benefited included those with lupus, cancer, aorta or intestinal problems and car accident victims. Los Gatos Lodge donated the setting; Mountain Mike's contributed pizza to refuel the donors. Krueger herself is close to being a 5-gallon donor, having given blood regularly since her school days.

SINGFEST: The Fun Times Singers will present With a Song In My Heart: The Music of Richard Rodgers and Friends on April 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Campbell Congregational Church, 400 W. Campbell Ave. Tickets at the door are $10, or $5 for seniors and students.

Shirley Garner is the director and local lungs involved are those of Lynda Fox of Saratoga and Sue Heller and Julie Austin of Los Gatos.

TGIT OR F: Those volunteers, who served Village House nobly for many years when the lunchroom benefiting Eastfield Ming Quong was still operating, don't let old habits die. The Thursday Ladies and the Friday Ladies still get together regularly, reports Beverly Rouse, Village House stalwart.

GEOGRAPHY BEE: One of the state qualifiers for the 2001 Geography Bee was Fisher student Daniel Heng. Daniel is an eighth-grader who participated in the state competition in early April. Although he didn't win a berth in the national contest in Washington, he was eighth in the same competition from Massachusetts last year.

CUTATHON: Brent Hatfield, owner of Nu Voux Salon, next to Safeway, will sponsor a Cutathon on May 6, 1-5 p.m., to raise money to help the San Jose Cobras attend a national baseball tournament in Texas on July 13.

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