Los Gatos Weekly-Times Vintage instruments, guitars make music on Village Lane Frank Stagnaro THE GUITAR GALLERY, located at 359 Village Lane, celebrated its first anniversary in October. The low-profile specialty outlet has gained national recognition in music circles for its products and services, which co-partner Neil Hogan characterizes as "strictly the high-end of handcrafted acoustic guitars and boutique vintage instruments imported from around the world." These include the guitars themselves and small state-of-the-art amplifiers optimally designed to project the sounds of the guitar. The gallery is associated with the Joplin and Sweeney Music Co. founded in 1979 by Neil and Greg Burger. MARIE HOCHMAN'S popular shop, Across the Bridge, is back in business--at least on an ad-hoc basis. Hochman reopened for the Christmas season on Oct. 30 at 214 N. Santa Cruz Ave., site of the recently departed Ten Thousand Villages and only a few doors down from where she used to be. As she has done for the past 20 years, Hochman will feature the highly prized Steinbach nutcracker products until Dec. 31. NEW OWNER: Federal Realty Investment Trust, headquartered in Rockville, Md., became the new owner of the King's Court shopping center at the corner of Blossom Hill and Los Gatos Boulevard, as of Aug. 24. Phyllis O'Shea, Federal's local property manager, says her company is undertaking significant improvements at the site "We're landscaping the area, installing new awnings, and in general enhancing the appearance of the court," she says. Federal Realty is the same company that bought the controlling interest in Old Town and plans a major renovation and expansion of Town and Country Village on Stevens Creek Boulevard. DOING THE DUETS: The Cupertino Development Corp. is behind all that construction activity along the north side of Lark Avenue between Oka and Winchester. The company is building what are called "duet" style homes on the two-acre site. "The units will be look-alike single family units," Cupertino's Larry Guy says. "Each unit will have four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and top-of-the-line kitchens, replete with marble countertops and premium quality fixtures. The master bedrooms will have a fireplace and Jacuzzi tub. All units will have direct access to an open space." If everything goes according to schedule, the homes will be on the market in March of next year. Guy declined to predict a selling price. A good "guestimate" is $400,000 minimum. NOTHING NEW: Matt McCowan, D.C., says the practice of chiropractic is nothing new to Los Gatos. "There are over 50 of us working within town limits," he says. That number includes McCowan, who was born and raised in Los Gatos, attended Bellarmine College Preparatory, Chico State University, and then the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, which he calls the "Harvard of Chiropractic Colleges." He opened his office on Blossom Hill Road across from Noah's Bagels in late August. ON FAST-50 LIST: Red Brick Systems Inc. and SMC Microsystems Inc., both eminently successful high-tech Los Gatos companies, have been selected for this year's Silicon Valley Technology Fast-50 list. Now in its fourth year, the Technology Fast 50, sponsored by Deloitte & Touche LLP and Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network, recognizes the tremendous revenue growth and achievement of those companies that lead the booming technology market and the region's economy. The list is based on the companies' percentage growth in revenues from 1993-97. All of this year's Fast 50 companies grew by 650 percent or more during that time span. Red Brick Systems, ranked 22nd on the list, specializes in warehousing software. SCM, ranked 32nd, manufactures smart card readers and related technology for securing access to digital information and entertainment. TENNIS ANYWHERE serves up this very catchy phrase as its motto: "Serving Winners Everywhere." The tennis specialty store was opened on Oct. 13 in Village Square at 15466 Los Gatos Blvd., Unit 106, by partners Brad Baldinger and Greg Ewald. "We have whatever the beginner or experienced player needs to play tennis," Ewald says. "This includes rackets, shoes, apparel--the full array of tennis goods and equipment." LOS GATOS HONDA has taken over the Anderson truck lot at the corner of Los Gatos Boulevard and Shannon Road. According to general manager Matt Moloci, Honda welcomed the opportunity to sublet from Anderson. "Honda is expanding," he says. "We needed both the office and lot space, and we're happy to have gotten them so close to home." Honda will market company-certified trucks and cars at the new location. THE NOVITIATE WINERY on College Avenue produced well over 100,000 cases of wine a year during its heyday. Thanks to Rob and Diana Jensen's Testarossa Vineyards of Sunnyvale, the vintner's tradition is continuing. About a year and a half ago, the Jensens leased two of the many cellars in the old Jesuit winery. "The cellars we chose fit our needs perfectly," Diana says. "We utilize the original gravity-flow design of the winery to further increase the gentle handling we employ with our wines, which results in superior quality." In an interesting twist of fate, while working out the lease agreement, the Jensens learned that the father of the priest that married them was the architect of the cellars they took over. To learn more about the Testarossa Vineyards and their prize-wining Chardonnay and other wines, call (408) 739-5033 or contact www.testarossa.com. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 11, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.