Main Street

Mexico honors the Wolfs for good works

By Mary Ann Cook

HONORS: Don and Anita Wolf were one of three couples recently honored by the Mexican government for their work in that country with the Flying Doctors. Don is a pilot and Anita a nurse, and they have worked with Los Medicos Voladores, Inc. for the past 25 years.

The Wolfs fly down about once a month to help on projects in different areas of Mexico. They aid in construction projects, as well as offering their time and talents to health services. Since they are active in the Los Gatos Presbyterian Church, which maintains a "daughter" church in Mexico near Ensenada, they helped build the pastor's house there.

Wolf and Anita are active Kiwanians. They owned Wolf Computer on Santa Cruz Avenue, which they sold. Also honored for their Flying Doctors' work were Bill and Linda Anderson of Santa Cruz and Milt and Rosie Camp of San Jose.

Other Los Gatos members of Flying Doctors are Tim Coughlin, Jack Chamberlain, Ray Clark, Mary Diefegard, Tracy Miller, Tony Nespole, Jim Ratcliff and Ken Stafford. Members may be doctors, dentists, nurses, clergymen, medical technicians or pilots.

TURNAROUND TIME: A homeless woman gave birth to a healthy baby one early morning outdoors in Los Gatos a few weeks ago. Besides giving birth to a new life, the woman seems to have turned her life completely around. She's been drug-free for three years and now has a job and a place to live.

The job and place to live are thanks to Jo Greiner, advocate for the homeless as the coordinator of St. Luke's Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen. A cadre of others helped her, too, including members of St. Luke's and the Los Gatos Interfaith Outreach.

A Porterville developer who does a lot of work in Los Gatos, met and kept track of the expectant mother through the months. After the birth, he offered her a job, a place to live (a mobile home in Porterville) and training in new skills.

She is particularly adept at tile work, Greiner reports. The woman's first month's rent was donated by church members, and baby clothing and supplies were furnished by others.

PULITZER: Lynn Delgado's brother, C. K. Williams, won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry for his book Repair. Williams lives in Paris most of the year, teaches at Princeton in the spring semester and writes and gives readings the rest of the year.

A family reunion is planned in Princeton for early May, and Lynn and Bob Delgado will be there to help celebrate this momentous honor. Williams is the author of 15 books; the most recent is Misgivings. His work is described as "packed to the gills with novelistic detail."

YACHTERS: Dawn Riley was the first woman to manage an America's Cup team when she led America True, the San Francisco Yacht Club's Challenge for 2000. She'll speak in Los Gatos on May 9, at 8 p.m., along with official photographer for America True, Tom Zinn, son of LaVonne and Robert Zinn of Saratoga.

It's sponsored by the Los Gatos Yacht Club, and a limited number of reserved seats are available from Ted Miller, 408. 353.8602 or Leo Feltz, 408.356.0541. Cost is $8. Dawn Riley is a member of the International Speakers Association and a motivational speaker, as well as being awash with a plethora of sea stories.

VOLUNTEERS RECOGNIZED: A half-million cookies. That's the estimated number Rita Lynott has baked weekly for the past 26 years volunteering at the Convent of the Holy Names. With similar dedication, Florence Powell maintains a garden near the chapel entrance.

Powell has devoted an estimated 8,000 hours over the past 20 years, commuting from the East Bay. She and Sister Therese Cecile started the garden together. Therese Cecile taught the Powell daughters the violin, Suzuki style--even took the youngsters to Japan to meet Mr. Suzuki himself.

Today one of the daughters is a professional violinist, playing with a Scandinavian symphony. Sister Therese Cecile has since died, but Powell continues their work. It's a Japanese garden, of course, to echo the Suzuki training.

Lynott bakes up one of six cookies recipes at the convent every Tuesday. Angie Carrillo, convent publicist, said her husband thought they were so good, he wanted her to go into business with the cookie-baker.

Volunteers serve as chauffeurs for the retired sisters, work in the office and hold fundraisers, such as the Strawberry Luncheon on May 25. For tickets, call Sister Kathryn Ondreyco at 395-2868. An orientation will be held on May 9, at 9:30 a.m. at the convent for prospective volunteers. Call 408.354.1730 x337.

OPEN STUDIOS: Five Los Gatos artists will display their work at Harwood Studios during Open Studios 2000 on April 29 and 30. They are Elke Groves, watercolor; Polly Hughes, pastels, colored pencil; Moira McFadden, drawings, acrylics, pastels, watercolors; Dennis DeRyke, oils; and Susan Grant, drawings.

The studio is at 108 Harwood Court. Call 408.356.9256, for more information.

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