Main Street

Four locals take second in grueling Granny Gear race

By Mary Ann Cook

GRANNY GEAR RACE: David Hokeness, Tim Lyons and Michael Waeiss of Los Gatos and Ken Johnson of San Jose finished second out of 12 teams in the recent Granny Gear 24-Hour Mountain Bike Race in Tahoe. Avid mountain bikers, the four have trained rigorously for the past three years.

They competed in the Men's Veteran Class, completing 17 laps in 24 hours. Each lap was 11.4 miles with 1,200 feet of vertical climbing. Between laps, they fueled-up, rested if they could, and cheered on their teammates. Conquering steep and deep trails is a way of life for the Summit Chuters.

HONORED: Marine Corps veteran Harold Vince was honored in a simple military ceremony on a recent Sunday in Los Gatos. Vince, a veteran of WW II, served on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima, the site of the famous photo of the Marine's raising the flag. Vince was given a copy of the best seller Flag of our Fathers, which is about the Iwo Jima flag raising.

Marine brass took part in the tribute. The ceremony was the idea of Chuck Barkiss, who wanted to honor Vince for serving his country bravely and well.

FRIDAY FORUMS: Friends of the Los Gatos Public Library will present Friday Forums in the library starting Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. when Carolyn Downey talks about her book Voices from the Orchard.

The book is a compilation of personal remembrances when this area was The Valley of Hearts Delight and prune pits, not computer chips, were the focus of most families. The stories are told from the point of view of those who worked the orchards and those who owned them.

The illustrator who sketched the workers throughout the 30s is Margaret O'Keefe: Her drawings were the impetus for producing the book. O'Keefe died before its publication and now part of the proceeds of book sales will be donated to the San Jose Art League in her honor.

The second forum will be on Oct. 20, when Alastair Dallas will talk about his book Los Gatos Observed, a blend of architecture and history. Joining Dallas on the dais (say that fast) will be Pat Dunning, who is a well-versed, Victorian homes devotee.

Dallas is a software engineer who was trained as an architectural designer and he was smitten with the charm of Los Gatos architecture. He learned from fellow Kiwanian Mary Tomasi Dubois that the LG Arts Commission was interested in putting together an architectural history.

So he decided to tackle it. Dubois is credited with being the catalyst for the book and helped in the research. Pat Dunning is a retired IBMer now devoting herself to archeology and history. She is chairman of the LG Museum annual tour of historical homes which will be held on Nov. 4 and 5. Six homes will be on view at that fundraiser.

ROMANCE: Chelsea Clinton's current boyfriend is evidently one Jeremy Kane of Los Gatos whose father, Jeff Kane, won one of the Best of Los Gatos contest in this paper two years ago. The elder Kane was associate minister of Los Gatos Presbyterian Church and the award he won was Best Youth Ministry.

Jeremy was a championship swimmer during his student days at Los Gatos High School and won a swimming scholarship to Stanford. His whole family is very athletic. Father Jeff coaches basketball and tennis and mother Carol is the golf coach for both boys and girl's teams at LGHS.

Younger brother Ben is an outstanding basketball player. Other members of the family are two grown daughters, Jessica and Becca. All this talent, however, is soon headed for Tucson. Jeff is there now, having taken a new job as head pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church. The rest of the family will follow when this school semester is over.

FASHION SHOW 2000: The San Jose Junior League's major fundraiser is its fashion show and many local folks are part of the doings. This year's event is Avenues of Style on Oct. 19 and 20, at the San Jose Fairmont and Nordstrom is the purveyor.

From Los Gatos are committee chairmen Deb Renee Cooley, Trudy Esrey, Jennifer Krach, Caroline Macnab, Marcia Riedle, Stacy D'Amico, Susan Kevorkian, Kris Lamson, Sally May and Dianne Van Voorhis. From Monte Sereno: Laura Brossart, Shauna Garzee, Lisa Duflock and Linda Graham.

Tickets are $70 for either of the luncheons and $150 for the Friday evening black tie gala. The fashion hotline is 408.264.5917, or website: www.jlsj.org.

GOLF RESULTS: The team of Dean Devincenzi, Darin Devincenzi, Leo Hermosa and Chuck Berger won the fourth annual Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce golf tournament at La Rinconada. Chris McMorrow of LGHS won the longest drive contest with 313 yards. Randy Bertao from LG Brewing was the one in charge of the tournament.

Trevor Brannon, Bobby James and McMorrow are members of the LGHS golf team. Dignitaries who teed off included Robert Caret of SJSU.

TOP TOMATOES: Top tomato growers in the Los Gatos Lions in their very unofficial contest: Larry Brown for best tasting; Jeannie Palma for largest; Jim Riley for strangest and Paul Grabeel, a special dumb award for entering two pears in a tomato contest.

Photo: Fourth-graders from Blossom Hill School join in to plant bulbs for spring blooms

More changes coming to Main Street

Home sale listings

Obituary

Picture From the Past

Sports Briefs

Cats run to Firebird meet titles

Wildcats roll to big win over Leigh

Panthers, Cougars claim Pop Warner Football wins

Reyes sisters star for Cats

Soin, Bartels net wins, pace Courtside to title

Volleyball camp for girls

Photo: The Los Gatos Rowing Club wins five gold medals