Los Gatos Weekly-Times Billie Jean and friends come to town for cause Mary Ann Cook TENNIS GREATS: A lucky 40 guests (plus SJSU's women's tennis team) were treated to "A Day with Billie Jean King & Friends" sponsored by the Los Gatos Swim and Racquet Club recently. The event benefited the SJSU women's tennis team and featured King, Rosie Casals and Judy Dalton, three of the original nine Virginia Slims Tour members. A tennis clinic and team matches with local pros were featured. Pros lobbing and smashing were Kathy Jordan, Barbara Jordan, Ann Hendricksson, Kate Latham, Elly Hakami, Helle Viragh and Judy Neuman Rakela. Rain forced the action indoors--to the nearby Courtside Club. A catered lunch at LGS&R and a Q&A period followed. At night a dinner party/auction was held at La Rinconada Country Club with Billie Jean King and local pros attending. Bidding on trips to the big four--Wimbledon and the French, Australian and U.S. Opens--helped raise $150,000. The event has raised $350,000 over the past three years. This year's sponsors were Alan and Lori Keesler, Applied Materials and Therma Inc. MONSTER BASH: The annual Johnson Avenue bash was a rousing success, what with an early dinner and Halloween costume parade that drew 125. Part of Johnson Avenue was blocked off until 9 p.m., creating a super-safe setting, chairperson Sharon Litvinoff reports. Later, more than 400 children trooped by to trick-or-treat. But that's a small number compared to trick-or-treaters who rang doorbells on Tait Avenue, where MarLyn (Tinkerbell) Rasmussen goes all out for the holiday. Tait neighbor Valerie Hopkins says she ran out of goodies after handing out 850 pieces of candy, but says another neighbor handed out 1,000 pieces. G'WAN TO GHANA: The Rotary's international program goal is to eradicate polio worldwide and Los Gatan Kailas Chidambaram is part of a contingent in Ghana to oversee the Rotary's health program there. Kailas is a member of the Los Altos Rotary Club and sells heavy equipment, mostly to developing countries. JOIE DE VIVRE: The Junior League's fashion show, titled Joie de Vivre, was a three-parter (two lunches and a dinner show), and two of the sections sold out long before the event. The evening fashion show sold out a full seven weeks before the October fundraiser. Los Gatans serving as models who were not named in an earlier column are Karyn Gramling, Marcia Riedel and Susan Power. From Monte Sereno: Kristie Driscoll, Taryn McCollam, Mary Lean and Pam Killion. From Saratoga: Sue Bozzini, Mary Lacerte (co-chair of the event) and Jennifer Lee. The modeling staff boasted two former Miss U.S.A. contestants: Gramling represented the state of Missouri in 1981 and Wanda Fesnak of Santa Clara represented New Jersey a year later. SHOWCASE SHOWCASED: The Bay Area Showcase Chorus competed in an international competition in Nashville, Tenn. early this month. The 140 Bay Area women are led by Saratogan Pat Levezu and have won five regional chorus championships, an honor that allowed them to compete in five international contests. The chorus was decked out in glitzy blue sequined costumes to create a visual as well as an aural impact. Representing Northern California, the group competed against 26 other choruses. The chorus has been in existence for 42 years and meets Thursday nights in the Oak Room at Hewlett-Packard, Cupertino. It's part of Sweet Adelines International and is open to women age 14 and older. Call Linda Morgan at 354-0922 if you'd like to try it. PETER MAX IN PERSON: Famed designer/artist Peter Max was in town last month to help the cause of Interplast. Ten percent of the sale of his work at Virtual Gallery went to the organization that provides reconstructive surgery, free, to children throughout the world, particularly developing countries. Max and his work were on display at Virtual Gallery, 105 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Interplast is based in Mountain View and was founded by Palo Alto physician Donald R. Laub. To gain an appreciation of the work Interplast does, check out the documentary, A Story of Healing, which followed a volunteer medical team on a 10-day trip to Vietnam--and won an Oscar besides. Medical volunteers provide free surgery to nearly 3,000 children yearly, and Interplast relies solely on private donations. Interplast is at 650/962-1619. WRITING WOES: Publication of a book brings a whole new set of problems. So related children's authors at a recent presentation at the library, part of the library centennial. About the time the writer establishes a working relationship with an editor, that person moves on, and the new house may not be interested in the work. Some of the writer's best words and phrases are struck, and changed to something not nearly so crisp or telling. These and other injustices were cited by kidlit authors. Despite what was on the page, author Joy Hulme read it her way when she read aloud from her books. Makes you wonder why anyone ever has the heart to write for children, but we can be thankful some do and that four of the top-notchers live in our town. [ 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.