Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Thanks for the help when the tire blew

Thank you to Roger and Estevan of Asplundh Tree Service!

After having a nasty blowout at Highway 9 and Saratoga Avenue on June 4th, I pulled into the gas station on the corner. Although this gas station could provide you with all sorts of heart-stopping munchies, they came up a tad short in the service department.

When I asked if there was anyone to help change a tire, I realized that none of the employees spoke English.

I had made the decision that it was about time I learned how to change a tire, that it just might be an empowering event, and was ready to get down to business.

OK, you stick the jack where? In comes Roger and Esteban to the rescue! Let's get something clear, I am not some sweet young thing who caught their eye; this was an act of pure kindness. They would not even consider a cash token. So in gratitude and with much respect I again say, "Thank you Roger and Esteban."

Karen Tomlinson
Monte Sereno

Thanks for checking out 'Reality Check'

On behalf of the "Reality Check" staff, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for the front-page article that you ran in the May 20 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times about our newsletter. Last summer, 'Reality Check' was born from an idea, and this, our first year, has required unending dedication to developing and establishing ourselves as a credible, respectable newsletter.

We had enormous support from all directions--from CASA, the PTSA, parents, administrators at the high school, the Lions Club, and the Los Gatos-Saratoga High School District. It has been extremely pleasing to us to watch our newsletter grow and flourish, and again, we thank you for contributing to our growth and recognizing our hard work.

Francesca Doriss
'Reality Check' staff

Turn on path leads to the diplomatic corps

Last summer, I was financially unable to attend the United States-China Youth Summit with the People to People Ambassadors as originally planned, but my sponsors were kind enough to allow me to learn more about positively impacting the world around me by continuing to support me in a recent endeavor.

As one of 430 participants in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy, I gained special insight on such activities as the development of an international defense policy and military and/or foreign service career and the actual day-to-day experience of individuals already in these fields.

I spent six days with other students from around the country to learn about similar career interests in foreign policy and national security; visited such places as the National War College, where they train the best and brightest from all the armed services to work together, and Quantico, the U.S. Marine Corps headquarters for development, training and education; and heard a wide range of speakers.

I was encouraged by such people as special agents for the U.S. Secret Service and FBI, Navy S.E.A.L.s, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps and the former and current directors of the CIA--just to name a few. I made many friends who will be my future colleagues. One of them will be attending the Air Force Academy in the fall, and her career goal is to fly F-22s; many of my group members are planning to join the ROTC for one of the specific armed services when they enter college.

Here in the Silicon Valley, we are focused more on achieving white-collar professions, forgetting that the rest of the nation may not be like our community. So many opportunities are available to us that may not be the "practical" occupations we are used to, yet it is our responsibility to search for those forks in the road that may take us down a nontraditional path.

I wanted to take this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude to those individuals who helped make my experience like no other: Armon Mills (The Business Journal), the Southern Lumber Company, Don Arnaudo, Michael Destro, Bob Jih, Ted and Jennifer Chang, Bob and Fran Lowry, the Bidermann family, the Panacy family, T-An Cheng, the Swab and Raether families, the Berwald family, L.D. Hirschklau, Sherry Benz, the Burt family, Bill Hoeft, Howard and Masako Shishido and the Cushing family.

I appreciate their community spirit, generous monetary contributions and emotional support. Without them, young leaders such as myself would only have a heart to serve but still lack the wisdom, experience and knowledge to lead effectively and positively.

As an alumnus of this program, my responsibility is to nominate future attendees. I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in a career in the military, foreign service or intelligence sectors of our nation's government and will be a senior or junior in high school next year, to contact me to discuss the possibility of future participation in this program.

Angel Cheng
Los Gatos High School senior
halo47@hotmail.com

Teen center will miss Dru Barth

Dru Barth is retiring from the board and as a co-president of A Place for Teens after eight years of tireless efforts for the teens of our community. It's been very special working with Dru on developing the community teen center now called The Outhouse, a safe and supervised place for teens, with multifaceted, healthy programs for the youth of our community.

Dru has been involved in every part of the project, has given countless hours of her time, her efforts, ideas, and love, and we have learned so much from her.

From the beginning Dru put on groundbreaking ceremonies, board development luncheons, pasta cookoffs and food fests, senior teas and director searches. She has handled some difficult issues with grace and class and tact. She has helped oversee the building construction, the program development, the donated furniture storage, the insurance and some legal issues.

But most of all, Dru has related so wonderfully to all the teens. She has been there for them, worked with them, helped them develop into leaders, and said goodbye to so many of them as they moved on. Each graduating class of the board has moved on taking a part of her energy, her smiles and her warmth.

Dru has been part of our donor open houses during construction of our wonderful building, the fundraising dinner at the Varnis', the Peckler Relay, and the Shazam event. She's written newsletters, stuffed hundreds of envelopes and invitations, held and run meetings, ordered hundreds of personalized donor bricks and plaques, been part of many community events and several special memorials and baked about a million cookies--all for the teens of our community.

She's worked on Blue Jeans Balls, did Price Club runs for the Snack Bar, had T-shirts made, helped set up the Outhouse Commission of teens, worked at our clean-up days, attended Town Council meetings, and then took on a three- year presidency term--not just once, but twice.

And Dru did all this while she taught preschool and aerobics, remodeled her house and re-landscaped her yard, held a wedding at her home and even did some occasional traveling. She even loaned us parts of her family over the year: Her husband, Jim, and sons Steve and Jeremy have contributed so much to the teen center also--being our interim director for several months, establishing our endowment fund and our treasurer's financial system, helping in the snack bar, chaperoning at teen center events, dances and concerts, and helping with anything else that ever needed doing.

How can this community of past and present teens and their families ever thank Dru Barth enough for all she has done? It's impossible, but we hope that as a plaque is placed permanently in the Outhouse, people may recognize all her enthusiasm for A Place for Teens.

And as our gift of an alstromeria plant comes up and blooms each year in her garden, may each flowering stock remind her of another of the many teens she has touched over the years, either on our boards or in the community.

Gladie Rabitz
A Place for Teen Board

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