Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Main Street

Mary Ann Cook

Jennifer Haworth graduates and graduates and graduates...

GRAD TIME: Maybe those of us who wonder if our offspring or offspring's' offspring will actually make the grade and become a grad shouldn't read the following. But at least one Los Gatan we know never had that worry. She's Joyce Haworth, and her daughter, Jennifer, has at least four degrees and at 31 isn't through yet.

But she needs to work for a while to pay off all those student loans, so at the moment she's in New York starting a two-year clerkship with the chief judge of the International Trade Court. After that she'll probably go on to get yet another degree. She's already talking about it.

So far she has a JD (juris doctorate) from Hastings in San Francisco; a masters in international law from Fletchers School of International Law and Diplomacy at Tufts in Boston; a master's in international education from Harvard; and a bachelor's degree in Spanish literature from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

In between these academic milestones she's taught English in Japan through the Japanese Embassy program, worked for the World Bank in Washington and the U.N. in New York and done a stint as the U.S. Trade rep in Geneva.

Her father, Raymond, now deceased, was also a lawyer and started his own law firm in San Jose, dealing with workmen's compensation. Mother Joyce teaches third grade at Loma Prieta Elementary School. Jennifer is an '84 grad of Los Gatos High School.

RETIREES BASH A SMASH: Speaking of LGHS, the retirement party for nine outgoing faculty and administrators held on the high school lawn was a smashing success, reports LG Alum Association president Sandy Moore. One of the highlights: the presence of the '52 Crown Co. School Bus that Ted Simonson drove when he first came to LG. The bus is now at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, and Tom Shafer Jr. arranged for its visit to the LG reunion, where it was parked in front of the school.

Local businesses donated baskets and artwork, and these items brought in $800 for the alumni association. At least 20 former teachers showed up for the barbecue roast.

Another big hit were the memory books wherein guests signed their remembrances and messages to the outgoing teachers. In back of the table where the signings took place were nine stuffed dummies, made up to look like their live counterparts.

Don't know what happened to the likenesses, but the memory books are at the high school, and those who didn't get to the event can still add their sentiments to the books, which should be at the high school through the summer before they are handed on to the ultimate recipients. Call or write Sandy Moore at the Tutoring Company, or fax your notes to her at 354-1512.

KCAT videoed the entire day for the honorees. Videos are for sale through the alum association for $20 a copy, or call George Sampson at KCAT.

TRACK STARS: Some 18 residents of the Meadows will take part in the Festival of Life walk to support those who have survived cancer and commemorate those who haven't. The fundraiser will take place June 26-27 at the LGHS track from 7 p.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Saturday.

No, those times are not a misprint. People will be literally walking all night to raise money for the fight against cancer. Entry fee is $20, and participants also solicit pledges. Those walkers from the Meadows range in age from 55-90 and hope to walk an average of 2 1/2 miles, which is 10 times around the track. Nancy Castro is Meadows' team captain.

GOING NATIVE: Here's Los Gatos' answer to Johnny Appleseed. She's Mary Keith Osborn, and she convinced her neighbors, Jean and Pat Dubois, to plant wildflowers in their back yard. Osborn is a member of the Native Plant Society, a master gardener and obviously a persuasive talker.

She not only sowed the half-acre with wildflowers, but now she's helping maintain it, weeding out the unwanted. The yard is a riot of color--purple, pink and white, with the bright state flower making punctuation marks throughout.

But the long-awaited hot weather of last week will probably dim the luster. The Dubois are so pleased with the end result that Jean Dubois says he can envision other parts of their yard gradually being converted to native plants, too.

FAITH REWARDED: Tracy Langley won a $1,500 scholarship from the California Retired Teachers Association earlier in her career, so it was heartwarming for that organization to hear of Langley's being named Student Teacher of the Year. "I remember how impressed I was with her enthusiasm when we interviewed her," said Evelyn Ayres, president of the Santa Clara county chapter of CRTA.

FREE OPERA: Los Gatans involved in Opera in the Park on Father's Day at Discovery Park in San Jose included Leonid Grin, conductor; Mimi Carlson, piccolo/flute; Robert Szabo, trombone; and Patricia Strange, principle second violin. Saratogan Byron Tauchi is first violinist. Karen Gabay and Raymond Rodrigues, members of the San Jose Cleveland Ballet, also performed.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]