Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Main Street

Mary Ann Cook

Sizzling Seniors plan to kick up their heels

SIZZLERS: The Sizzling Seniors dance group will perform at Live Oak Adult Day Care, located at the First Methodist Church, on May 29 at 10:30 a.m. The senior dancers are an outgrowth of the dance aerobics class offered through the Los Gatos Recreation Department.

Lesley Dinette and Audrey Christianson are two Los Gatans who kick up their heels with the group, and dancing dynamo Bev Meyers of Saratoga is the leader. The Sizzling Seniors also take their act on the road--to schools in an intergenerational program through Santa Clara's rec department. With the semester-long commitment, the seniors not only teach youngsters dances but also help them create arts and crafts. If you'd like to be part of the action, call Meyers at 257-7243.

ART ALERT: The work of several hundred area artists will be on display at the Triton Museum May 30-31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Demos, food and music are included. Also, children's activities will be part of the action Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Triton director George Rivera judged the sculpture, and a three-person jury named award-winners in other media. Ten percent of all sales will be donated to the museum's acquisition fund.

Visual Artists' Association Summit at the Triton is the sponsor, and Marian Gault of Monte Sereno is its president. Los Gatan Jeanne Bock is chairman of the show. Jinda Mulvey and Ron Boddy are Los Gatos Art Association reps, and Linda Spencer represents the Mountain Art Guild. In all, 15 Los Gatans will exhibit.

TITANIC TALES: More local ties to the Titanic--the boat, not the film: Nick Garrett's Aunt Jamila and Uncle Louis were Titanic survivors, and Nick tells the story through his uncle's eyes. Millionaire Col. J.J. Astor grabbed 12-year-old Louis Garrett from the crowd on the ship and plunked him in the last available lifeboat.

When Louis screamed for his sister, she was pushed forward into the lifeboat, too. Louis could never tell the Titanic story without crying, reports Nick. And when Nick and his wife saw the movie, they were impressed not with the accuracy of the film but with that of his uncle's recounting.

POLLING RECORD: Does Mary Foster hold the county record for election-day volunteer work? Could be. She's been at it for 37 years. And she may be leaving her post at the Forbes Mill Museum come June, but her influence and lengthy service to the museum are unforgettable. She calls her years there full of "creative joy." Foster recently underwent balloon surgery for an aneurysm, and the museum staff, along with the rest of us, wishes her a speedy recovery.

MORE ON MUSEUMS: "The Ohlones--Past and Present" is the exhibit at Forbes Mill Museum and was developed in collaboration with and from the perspective of a contemporary Ohlone tribe. Tools, beads, pendants and ritual objects are on display. A reception will be held May 30, 1-4 p.m., and the exhibit runs through Sept. 13.

At the other LG museum, the work of Los Gatos artists Wayne Nooney and Tom Stanton opens May 28. A member of Al Gore's staff bought a Stanton piece as a gift for the vice president. "Air Brush and Art Glass" also includes work by Ali Spivac and Johny Rosenstein of SJSU. Artists' reception is June 7, 1-4 p.m.

ROTARY TARGET: The Los Gatos Rotary is targeting $20,000 to be contributed to the Emergency Housing Consortium Transitional Housing Project in San Martin. The consortium will provide temporary housing and training for 26 homeless families to enable them to find employment. Case managers work closely with the families. Funds for building the facility are already in hand, so the Rotary check will go toward furnishing, fixtures and equipment.

HISTORY REPEATS: Genevieve Wiseley won the Ladies' 18-Hole Group Handicapped Championship at La Rinconada Golf Club one recent wet Tuesday. This is no small feat in itself, but the kicker is that Wiseley won the same tournament 35 years ago. At that time she was president of the group.

She didn't start to play until she was in her early 30s, when the Wiseleys lived in Hong Kong. "It was either take up golf or get a new husband," she laughs about his addiction to the game. Wiseley says she did nothing special to prepare. "I do have new clubs after 25 years. That must have helped." And now she has a new trophy to go with them. Her handicap is 26, but her age is obviously no handicap.

CLUB CLEANUPS: Los Gatos Kiwanians cleaned up Highway 17 earlier this month to the tune of nine bags of trash, the residue of winter's storms. The Lions staged a Walk-a-Dog-Athon last weekend to raise money to help the Lions' pet cause. And the Blind Center on Bascom was spiffed up recently, also thanks to the Lions' way with hammer, paint and nails.

BARBECUE: Don't forget the barbecue May 31 to commemorate retiring teachers and administrators of Los Gatos High School. "Team Los Gatos High School Retirement Barbecue" will be noon-5 p.m. on the high school front lawn. In charge: Alumni Association president Sandy Paulson Moore, 354-1512.

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