Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Main Street

Mary Ann Cook

Coffee ambassador gives Arab princess a hand

WOMEN SIPPERS: Teri Hope, she of the Los Gatos Roasting Company, went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently to help the princess, Arij Al Saud, open up two coffee shops. One shop is exclusively for women, one a stand-up bar for both genders. Heretofore, only men have been allowed in Arab coffees shops.

"It's the most unique place I've ever visited," Hope says about her week-long visit. "Other places I've been, you can see other influences at work in the culture, but there there is such a purity of culture: everyone dressed alike, the women all in black, including veil, men in white with red and white checkered hats. No sign of a tourist anywhere, everyone with a uniform lifestyle." Hope was presented with a veil and long black robe upon her arrival at her hotel. The veil was redolent of sandalwood and incense, making it "almost a pleasure to wear."

One high point: dinner with the princess on the palace grounds, which was held in a red wool worsted tent the size of a basketball court and lush with Persian carpets. There were only seven at the dinner party, but 25 platters of food were presented. "The food was fabulous, particularly an incredible dessert of custard, filo dough and ground pistachios." Hope was put in touch with the princess through John and Jason Aragi, close friends of the princess', who knew she wanted help. The senior Aragis are longtime customers of Hope's. And thus began an exchange of correspondences. Roastmaster Tim McKinney went with her on the trek, since husband Jan Hutchins was in production with his TV show.

SENIOR DINNER: The annual Thanksgiving Dinner for seniors will be Nov. 22, noon-2 p.m. at the Neighborhood Center. Dinner is prepared for 250 people, says volunteer coordinator Sue Hamilton, even though the number varies from 160 to 250. Anything left over will be sent to a San Jose soup kitchen. Middle and high school students from the St. Mary's youth group and Saratoga High CSF students will help serve.

The dinner is free, but donations for St. Luke's Holiday Food Bank are appreciated. Canned goods such as chili, tuna and applesauce are especially welcome. Chris Benson of C.B. Hannegan's will again be cooking the turkeys and mashed potatoes; Cafe Marcella does the sweet potatoes; Dale's Produce supplies the salad fixings; and Icing on the Cake, desserts. The 12 turkeys are being donated by Andy Pavicich of the Los Gatos Brewing Company.

BACK OF THE HEAD: Monte Serenan David Herberg is musical director of South Pacific, the current offering of the West Valley Light Opera Company playing through Dec. 6 at the Saratoga Civic Theater. Performances Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Herberg is an electrical engineer at Tandem, but the electricity he creates at night is done with music.

Daughter Lauren, 10, has a speaking part, and his wife, Elisa, plays the clarinet and helps backstage. The Herbergs met at Stanford, both members of the Stanford Marching Band--renegades then, too, Elisa reports. Theatergoers know the back of David Herberg's head, since he's directed several Sunnyvale musicals.

MURAL COMPLETE: The mural at Peterson Middle School in Sunnyvale has the theme "One Earth, One People, One Spirit" and is the work of Los Gatan John Espinola. Very realistic, the mural looks like it's coming out of a monument. Three panels depict children planting flowers; a quad scene with teachers and youngsters eating lunch; and a basketball scene. "I think I really tied it in to the school," the artist says, "and the kids are proud of it." Espinola also painted the school mascot, a pirate's face, on another wall, and other examples of his work are to be found at George Brown's Fitness Center and Campo di Bocce.

HOSTESS WITH MOSTEST: Odette Morrow, director of marketing at the Los Gatos Lodge, won the second annual Spartan Hospitality Industry Award, to be presented at a dinner this week by the hospitality management office at SJSU. It was Odette's idea to have such a program instituted at the school, and she says it is awesome to have it in place. She has been in the hotel industry for 30 years, and for years there was no trained pool to draw on for hotel management. "And this is Silicon Valley!" She serves on the executive board of the SJSU program.

The award is given for service to the community, not just achievements in professional life, says Kate Sullivan, director of the SJSU program. And Odette has been active in church, hospital and leadership roles in the community, as well as being the godmother of the Spartan hospitality program.

CALLING SCOUTMASTERS: Troop #501 will celebrate its 80th anniversary soon and wants photos of scoutmasters from the '20s on. The photos will be duplicated and the originals returned, assures Don Arnaudo at 354-4017. Photos are needed of M.C. Whiteman, G. Becker, C.L. Stapp, O. Matheny, E.A. Bither, E.A. Thatcher, R.R. Robinson, R.D. Brown, L.W. Wyle, Harley Filer, H.L. Beard, Don Hebard, C. Mortimore, W. Vowels and James Upchurch.

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