Main Street

Student athletes persevere despite adversity

By Mary Ann Cook

WEDEMEYER WINNERS: Six students received $5,000 Charlie Wedemeyer Scholarships at the Celebration of Hope dinner recently. The scholarships are annually given to athletes who have overcome some kind of adversity and are now giving back to their communities.

The six are Steven Armstrong of San Jose High Academy; Leonardo Carcamo of Archbishop Mitty; Eric Espino of Gunderson; Trevor Haines of Live Oak; Amber Madsen of Prospect and Lauren Mason of Leland.

An example of the students who are honored: Haines was born with severe health problems and has endured 14 surgeries as a result. He has had kidney abnormalities, spina bifida occulta and severe hearing loss, among other ailments.

Today, however, he is a member of the Gifted and Talented Education program and an honor student, a member of CSF and recipient of a Presidential Academic Award. Beyond all this, he volunteers in his brother's first-grade class, tutoring youngsters in reading. He is a member of the U.S. National Deaf Water Polo Team and will compete in the Deaf World Games in Rome this summer.

Haines will attend UC-Berkeley and credits his dad with showing him that he could do anything he set his mind to, despite his disabilities. Money raised at the annual dinner will support the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach and the Bay Area chapter of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association.

For the newly arrived in town: Charlie Wedemeyer is the LGHS football coach who has been fighting a personal battle against the disease longer than perhaps anyone in history.

CHAMPION BOCCE WIELDER: Andrea Ross, who plies the bocce ball at Campo di Bocce has attained world class status. She's qualified for the World Championships in Italy and will head there in June.

THEATER GROUP ABORNING: Friends of Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival Community Theater have organized and will present their first offering at Oak Meadow Park in summer 2002. Their plan is a summer program of three shows in repertory, on portable stages.

Bruce DeLes Dernier, whose Shakespeare Festival has performed at Saratoga and up north at the Benbow Inn, is an integral part of the new theater group. Other members are Mary Tomasi Dubois, Lucille Hogan, Glenn Shore and Lynne Woodward.

Their first fundraising project will be a Murder Mystery evening at the Mirassou Champagne Cellars on Oct. 27. For more, call 408.226.2398.

SHERIFF RECOGNITION: Lifelong Los Gatan Paul Arnerich was awarded a special recognition from the county Sheriff's Department recently--a new retired police officer card. Arnerich, who is 92, worked for the county Sheriff's Department from '52 to '76 in several different units--patrol, detective and psychiatric. He's lived in the same house his entire life.

MURPHY RETIRES: A retirement party for Kathy Murphy is slated for May 31, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Louise Van Meter School. Murphy is a beloved kindergarten/first-grade teacher who has been with the district for 32 years. Former students and parents are welcome.

The retiring teacher is described as "dedicated, loving and nurturing." Parent Laura Krolak helped organize the tribute.

BALLET FUNDRAISER: "Renaissance in Venice," the annual gala fundraiser for Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, grossed more than $200,000. Kathy Tuttle of Los Gatos was co-chair of the event.

In other ballet news, principal dancer Karen Gabay eloped with Josman Pena, brother of BSJSV dancer Maydee Pena, to Hawaii over winter break. No one knew of the plans, so it was quite a surprise for the company when the bride showed up at rehearsals with wedding photos in hand.

The couple were married on the island of Oahu on the shore of Diamond Head Beach at sunset. The two met in Cleveland four years ago.

GARDEN LUNCHEON: The Los Gatos-Saratoga Pan American Round Table will hold its annual fundraiser, a garden luncheon in Saratoga, on June 2, at noon. The money raised goes to college scholarships, Flying Doctors, Interplast and for aid in natural disasters. The cost is $25.

Call Frances Roberts at 408.354.8265. Pan American Round Table was founded in 1959, and charter members were Frances Beilharz of Los Gatos and Helen Syvertson of Saratoga. The local chapter is one of three in California and the international organization is "devoted to the advancement of friendship among people of the Western Hemisphere."

GOLDEN WINGS: 1st Lt. William Gossen, '92 LGHS grad, received his Wings of Gold and an excellence award in air combat maneuvers in ceremonies held at the Naval Air Station at Kingsville, Texas, recently. His bachelor's degree in aviation is from Louisiana Tech.

His parents are Tish and Dick Gossen of Monte Sereno. Gossen's jet training was in the T-45 Goshawk and he completed his carrier qualifications aboard the USS Eisenhower.

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