'PAINTED LADIES of the Boulevard" is the eye-catching name the Los Gatos Museum Association is giving its 1996 Historic Homes Tour, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 16-17. The selected homes will also be designated as "Bellringers Revisited." Los Gatos Victorians a century old or older were awarded Bellringer plaques a few years ago. Last year's tour of notable Victorians was a highly successful fundraiser for the museum, and prospects are for another popular tour.
The tour committee, by the way, is looking for owners of attractive Victorians who are willing to open their houses to visitors for the two days. If you'd like to invite tour visitors in for a look, phone Forbes Mill Museum, 395-7375, or Los Gatos Museum, 354-2646.
As she did for last year's Home Tour, Los Gatos artist Susan Jaekel has agreed to lend her talents to illustrate printed programs and other tour material. Jaekel has done award-winning work for the U.S. Air Force.
Information on making reservations for the tour will appear in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times.
TO ADD to the laurels she has already garnered, Olympic skating star Peggy Fleming was one of four Bay Area sports figures inducted into the San Jose Hall of Fame Oct. 8 in a ceremony and dinner at the San Jose Arena. The 1968 Olympic gold medalist, who lives with her family in Los Gatos, practiced skating in San Jose as a youngster before going on to success and fame. Others honored were the late John Hanna, Bellarmine football coach; San Jose State University boxing coach Julius Menendez; and Yosh Uchida, coach of SJSU judo teams.
IT MAY not have been quite of Olympic caliber, but Los Gatos Lions and Rotary clubs played their annual baseball game at Balser Field Oct. 8, with the Rotarians winning 15-12. A barbecue followed with Rotary hosting this time.
FRIENDS OF the Los Gatos Library announce that their fall book sale will take place Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers lobby. An earlier sale only for Friends' members will take place there Oct. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Recent improvements to make the library more inviting included a new rug, chairs and children's reference desks. The changes were made possible by a $36,000 grant from the Valley Foundation and $20,000 raised by Friends of the Library.
Trompe l'oeil muralist John Pugh, who can fool the eye into believing what isn't there, has his work recognized with the opening of the new Cafe Trompe L'Oeil in San Jose. "It's quite a thrill for me to see my artwork be the focal point for a cafe with [this] theme," he says. The mural he's painting in the new cafe depicts a French cafe in which paintings and sculptures mirror its life.
EACH YEAR, Intel Corp. of Santa Clara sponsors a Volunteer Matching Grant program in which employees earn money for K-12 schools through volunteer activities. For 1995-96, Daves Avenue School is the beneficiary of 102 hours put in by a Los Gatos couple, Alex and Carol Granas. Intel Foundation awards $500 for every 100 volunteer hours employees contribute.
A SALE of hot dogs Sept. 7-8 at Lunardi's Market to benefit the Live Oak Senior Nutrition Center did very well, bringing in $1,000 the first day for a total of $1,425, chairwoman Jean Goldthwaite reports. "Lunardi's did a great job of promoting us," she said.
COMMODORE Robert Field Stockton was one of the colorful characters that abounded in California history. Martha Stockton Alderson, a Los Gatos writer who has completed two novels based on the facts about her ancestor, made that clear during slide-show talks Oct. 6 at Forbes Mill Museum and Oct. 9 at the History Club. Stockton, a naval officer in the War of 1812, came to California after attempts to bring Texas into the Union. He was involved with John C. Fremont in political and military struggles that led to the Bear Flag Revolt and California's entry into the Union. In Monterey, he had appointed himself territorial governor, a position disputed by President James Polk and Polk's choice for the post, Gen. Phil Kearny.
Alderson made use of material gathered by her father, plus her own research. She has acquired an agent for her writing. She chose a fictional form, she said, in order to bring in a wider choice of characters.
SPEAKER FOR a meeting of Aglow International Nov. 5 will be Kathie Williams, who is with Banana Office Systems in Menlo Park. Williams will talk on how a turn to Christianity made a difference in her family life. The inspirationally oriented group meets at the Villa Felice restaurant for breakfast at 9:30 a.m. Phone 448-6619 to make reservations.
GENERAL manager of the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency, Peter Cipolla, speaking at the Los Gatos Rotary Club, told how the agency split with the county two years ago to become an independent agency. Reorganization took two years to work out problems with buses, shelters and employee complaints. There are 2,000 employees and 450 buses. The agency plans to acquire 120 new buses, improve security and make other improvements, Cipolla told the club.
A SARATOGA High School English teacher for many years, Judith Lyn Sutton, was fifth-place winner in the Spring 1997 Awards of Poetic Excellence, a contest sponsored by Sparrowgrass Poetry Forum of Sistersville, W. Va., in which several thousand poets of the United States and Canada competed.
FAMOUS nutcracker carver Herr Christian Steinbach returns to Los Gatos Nov. 9 for a champagne reception at Across the Bridge, 210 N. Santa Cruz Ave. He'll sign his nutcrackers, a hot item among collectors. Call 395-2001.
WITH the general election coming up Nov. 5, it's time to study those voter pamphlets!
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, October 16, 1996.
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