Main Street

Anniversary culminates with beach belly dancing

By Mary Ann Cook

ALOHA ANNIVERSARY: The Hastings--Eleanor and Bill--decided to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in grand style. They would take all their progeny and mates to Hawaii for a week. That added up to 26 people, but it would be OK, because they would be rolling in dough: their Glenridge area house was for sale.

Well, the house hasn't sold, but the Hastings went anyway, with their seven children and 12 grandchildren. Plus spouses, of course. The group stayed at the Kiahuna Plantation on the Island of Kauai, southern section, and each family had a separate condo. Six vehicles were rented.

Most of the group went their own way during the day, but all convened at night. Each of the Hastings' kids hosted a dinner each night--barbecuing at the condo or dining at restaurants. And wasn't it foresighted of the Hastings to produce a week's worth of children?

At the last barbecue of the week on the island, daughter-in-law Maya, fresh from living in Morocco, started belly dancing. And that started the whole gang dancing on the beach--a wonderful wrap-up to a wonderful week.

Eleanor and Bill met at U.C.-Berkeley. Both were political science majors, had classes together, but didn't start dating until their senior year. "I made the move," admits Eleanor. "I sat down next to him in class and we started talking." They were married a year later.

Bill worked for Ford Motor Co., and now runs his own business--Norcal Financial Services and Equipment Leasing. Eleanor worked at the library for 22 years. The Hastings children, all of whom went through LGHS, include Molly Flammer, Elizabeth McNamara, Meg Grubb, and Reid, Tom, Dan and David Hastings. The last two are twins.

ME TOO: This item strikes a respondent chord for me, since I'm just back from southwestern Maui, too. My generous-hearted daughter, Amy Thompson, won a Mystery Sound contest sponsored by radio station KARA last summer.

She spent her winnings by taking her husband, three children and myself to Hawaii, living the gilded life for a week of fine grazing and lazing--plus snorkeling, hiking and golfing. (And massages to counteract all that.) The goofiest part is the sound Amy identified: the noise a stapler makes when it changes function.

She's an eighth grade teacher at Union Middle School and one of her students had shown her how to move that metal plate to create a horizontal stapling action. She somehow pulled that esoterica out of the air to give the right answer. Then spent the rest of the summer answering contests.

JUNIOR WORKSHOP: The California Writers Club will host the Jack London Writers Camp for Kids in the Independent Home Study building on Summit Road on Sept. 29 for children ages 8-15. Workshops will include comedy writing, character development, nonfiction and poetry.

All will not be literary: A hike on the Redwood Trail off Summit Road will also be on the agenda. A writing sample needs to be submitted by Sept. 15. Los Gatans Jana McBurney, president of the local California Writers Club, and Martha Alderson are organizers of the event. For more details, call 408.353.1961.

SHARK ART ATTACK: Joel Wyrick is the idea man behind the public art project made up of decorated and wittily named fiberglass sharks in downtown San Jose. Wyrick has a Los Gatos connection because he owned the Waves restaurant and nightclub in Old Town for a number of years.

Waves Smokehouse and Saloon has since moved to Post Street in downtown San Jose, where presumably one of the art sharks will be stationed. Each shark is decorated by an artist, and then is put on display in various locales--chiefly around the San Jose Museum of Art.

There are three sharks in Willow Glen and a few near the airport. The project is based on the highly successful display of cows in Chicago a couple of years back. (Which in turn was based on a similar fine-art feat in Switzerland even earlier.)

Cincinnati celebrated arty fiberglass pigs last summer, as did another Midwest city--St. Louis? The 100 or so San Jose sharks will be a public art attraction until November, then will be auctioned off to private owners with the money raised going to charities.

SYMPHONY GALA: Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be a featured performer at the San Jose Symphony Gala Sept. 8 at the Flint Center. Theme of the evening is The Silk Road, epitomizing cultural exchange and multicultural harmony. Maestro Leonid Grin will lead the San Jose Symphony.

Tickets are $330 per person and include premium seating for the concert. The gala kicks off with cocktails at 5 p.m., followed by dinner, concert, dessert, dancing and a live auction. Premium tickets are available for $600 and include photographs with Yo-Yo Ma.

Tickets for the concert only are $60, $85 and $100. Gala goers are encouraged to dress in costumes representing a country along The Silk Road.

MISHEARD: Apologies to the Duff Thrasher family for missing Mr. Thrasher's correct first name.

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