Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Main Street

Mary Ann Cook

The town's copy cats keep on publishing

LITERARY LIGHTS: Children's author Joy Hulme says Los Gatos writers could accurately be called "Copy Cats," and she has a point. Here's good news about several copy cats.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG 'UNS: Joan Cottle, who has illustrated several children's books, vowed she'd author a book this year, and now she's done just that.

It's called Emily's Shoes, and Grolier Press is the publisher. This time it's her words as well as drawings. Cottle has also recently sold three stories to Scott Forsman-Addison Wesley for use in their new teaching phonics series. Her stories are "No Nap for Ned," "Silly Things and Fun Facts" and the "Quake! My Quilt!" and they will be part of the Reading 2,000 series.

GOTHIC: Former Los Gatan Paulette Crain, who now lives in New Orleans, is the author of a gothic mystery called DeLore's Confession, published by Oak Tree Publishing of Claremont, Calif. Crain and family lived here 13 years, and she taught aerobics at Move-It. The book can be ordered through The Intrepid Group Inc., 1331 Fort Collins, Colo. 80524; or phone 970/493-3793.

ALASKA CRUISE: 'Twas quite a trip the Sister City group of Saratoga took to Alaska. OK, OK, we know nothing in Alaska is really a Sister City, but the group has sponsored many trips to the Orient and this adventure seemed too tempting to pass up.

Ed Porter, president of Sister City, and wife Chickie led it, and it was arranged by Travel Advisors of Los Gatos, whose owners, Ed and Betty Stahl, found it so appealing they signed on, too.

Others who answered the siren call of the Holland American were Saratogans Don and Jan Morgan, Dorothy and Roger Erskine, Marjorie and George Bunyard, Louise and Ian Webb; Lyn and Bruce Defiebre, Lavawn Whiting and former Saratogan Marion Card. Others who joined in were Barclay Slade of Monte Sereno, Betty Colwell, Marcia and Donald Newhall of Los Gatos.

Trip highlights included the beautiful wildflowers and breathtaking mountain glaciers, learning the history of the totem pole, panning for gold, watching championship race dogs, eyeing a moose up close and personal, and a killer whale who was close but fortunately not personal.

The word "dazzling" was heard a lot aboard ship. In Fairbanks, Louise Webb caught up with former Saratogan Debbie DeBrock, now Amber Gaul, who lives in and loves Fairbanks. Her parents are Lois and Steve DeBrock.

"Our group had the best seats in the dining room, next to the windows," says Ed Porter. They could watch the glories of the Alaskan world drift by fully lit, no matter what the clock read. Sunset wasn't until 12:20 p.m. and the sun rose at 3:30 a.m., so it was never totally dark, what with sunset afterglow and predawn glimmers.

MEMORIAL BENCH: Her many friends are planning to commemorate the life of Julie Rogers with a memorial bench at the San Jose Museum of Art. Rogers, who died recently, was a docent for Let's Look at Art, the outreach program for school kids sponsored by the museum.

Rogers was a psychologist and wrote a book called Understanding People, How to be Your Own Shrink. (Lucia Callis has a copy.) Rogers served as a counselor at the Pain Clinic at O'Connor Hospital, taught at a high school in Santa Clara, and loved music, art and dance.

She piloted a plane, went marlin fishing and taught ballet. Overriding all her other qualities was an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. On the quiet, she and her husband Al helped many students get a higher education.

She did so much for so many, was an embodiment of her book title. Humor, wit and words were her thing as well. Truly a renaissance woman is the way she's described by friends, who feel a wrenching void. They want to commemorate "a life well lived." To contribute send a check to the SJ Museum of Art, earmarking it for the Rogers bench.

THE HIGH LIFE: Betty Wolf, a Realtor at Century 21 Contempo is embarking on what may prove to be the adventure of her life. She and boyfriend Al Estabrook, along with others, are off on an African safari she arranged. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is part of the demanding package.

Classic Ambassador Tours is the name of her company and second job, wherein she hand-tailors trips for groups. "We'll be walking for 70 miles, and 35 of them are straight up," she says. Only 40 percent of the 1,000 who try the trek yearly make it to the top, according to National Geographic..

PURE PIGMENT: A reception for the artists exhibiting at the Los Gatos Museum takes place Aug. 2, 1-4 p.m. Pastels from Mary Ann Henderson, Pat Suggs and Claire Verbiest and bronze sculptures of Nancy Bowman are on display. Gallery hours are Wed.-Sun., noon-4 p.m.

REUNION: Don't forget Saratoga Grammar School reunion Aug. 1 at Wildwood Park. Tours of the school begin at 10 a.m. and the picnic starts at noon. Cost is $10. Call Patti Reschar 356-8660 or Dorothy Stamper 867-3752 for reservations.

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