Walk down Memory Lane and remember

By Kelly Lochner DeGrange

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In light of the recent articles and letters to the Los Gatos Weekly-Times about conserving the small-town atmosphere and keeping local shop owners in town, I felt compelled to share a speech I wrote earlier this year for Toastmasters International. I hope those of you who have been residents of Los Gatos for many years will appreciate these memories:

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I'd like to take you on a little walk through downtown Los Gatos. Let's walk together down the streets and see this town through three sets of eyes--those of a small child, a rambunctious teenager and a nearly middle-aged adult. I was born in Los Gatos in the winter of 1963. I lived in a house near downtown with my parents, two brothers and two sisters until I moved out on my own to another home in Los Gatos in 1984. Much to my delight, I am fortunate to be a homeowner in this very special town today.

Los Gatos was a wonderful place to grow up. One of my earliest memories is of the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad. Not the one we see now at Oak Meadow Park, but the first one, which was located on the property of Billy Jones himself. It was nestled among the orchards north of downtown Los Gatos on the corner of Winchester Boulevard and Daves Avenue.

I'd like to begin our "walk" downtown on the north end of town at my favorite childhood store, Baskin Robbins Ice Cream. Memories of pink bubble-gum ice cream, small connected chairs with wooden tabletops and, of course, the water fountain--I always had to get some of that cold water!

South of Baskin Robbins between Saratoga Avenue and Main Street is what I always considered the official "downtown" of Los Gatos, and back when I was a child, we did much of our shopping in town. There was the Los Gatos Market with the big butcher counter in the back, and if you were one of the lucky kids who knew the owner, Frank Lazaneo, you could even get a ride on the conveyor belt in the back room! Then there was the five-and-dime store, Sprouse Reitz, across the street from the market that, through the eyes of a child, carried everything in the entire world!

We bought our clothes at Chrislow's Department Store, mom's fancy dresses at Pink Petticoat Lane, our medicine at the Corner Drug Store and, of course, our toys at Village Toys. Near midtown was the Los Gatos theater. Many a Saturday afternoon was spent in this theater--I can still imagine the smell of freshly popped popcorn that would engulf me when I opened the heavy glass door. And, once again, if you were fortunate enough to know the owner, Sam Yablonsky, you might just get a free bag of that popcorn!

My favorite time to be downtown as a small child was for the annual Children's Christmas Parade. I was in the parade a handful of times: as a small child, I twirled a baton with my two sisters in our matching red outfits; another year, I walked the parade with my Bluebird troop; and then there was the year that my dad was mayor and the whole family got to ride in a car and wave at the spectators (much to my 15-year-old sister's embarrassment). The highlight of the parade was always at the end, when Santa would go by in his sleigh and toss candy to all of us kids on the curbside. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized this Santa was another good friend of the family, Floyd "Bus" Benson.

As the years flew by, I grew up and my town began to change. The Billy Jones railroad moved into Oak Meadow Park; the orchards started to disappear under homes; and the Los Gatos Market stepped aside for Alpha Beta. The highlight for me at this pre-teen age was when Pedro's came to town. Thinking we were very grown up, we would pack eight to 10 girls into a booth and order Cokes and flour tortillas--I'm sure the waitresses loved us!

My father was active in town politics during this time, so again I was fortunate to get a few breaks now and then--like the time my friend and I were caught smoking in the alley behind Safeway by Officer John Jennings. Much to my chagrin, that was the first of several encounters with Officer Jennings!

It was about this time that Los Gatos began to make the shift from small, functional, middle-class town to charming, upper middle-class town. I made my final appearance in the parade as a small-flag girl with the Los Gatos High School Marching Band. There was another kind of parade that began to happen in town during my teen years--we called it "cruising."

My mother drove a four-door Cadillac sedan. When I turned 16 and received my driver's license, I would load as many girls as I could into that car, and we would cruise "the strip" every chance we had, just hoping to be seen or to see someone we knew. Having a driver's license meant I needed a car, so I marched into Baskin Robbins and got my very first job.

There were a few other "firsts" during this time period, like sneaking out of my parents house to meet friends at the Los Gatos theater for midnight movies, including Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same and Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? Smoking cigarettes in the tiny bathroom at the theater, flirting with the boys and winding down afterwards with a brownie sundae at Sambo's was typical.

Turning 21 in Los Gatos was a ticket to the nightlife not available to the young (or those without a fake ID). My friends and I would start the night out with a margarita at Pedro's, cross the street for a "Chill-um" at C.B. Hannegan's, stop in for a Kamikaze at the Black Watch and then be on our way for hours of dancing at Mountain Charley's.

Interestingly, the Black Watch has had some significance in my life! As a child, we used to walk by and peek inside this dark, mysterious establishment where my parents and their friends hung out. At 21, I hung out at "The Watch" (the older folks moved on to the Los Gatos Lodge for fun), and my friends and I would spend many a weekend night playing dice. This is also where I met my husband, Paul.

Today, you might see me "cruising" town in my minivan with my daughters as we make our way to Oak Meadow Park to ride the train or to find just the right spot to sit and watch the parade. Chrislow's is no longer in town, so shopping for the kids' clothes is usually done out of town. I buy groceries on the other side of town now, next to the newer Baskin Robbins, where my daughters continue the tradition of drinking the cool water from the fountain.

The theater remains, although now it houses two small screens. Much to my delight, when I do get a chance to take in a movie, it's still in my town. My tolerance for alcohol is not what it used to be, so partying on the strip usually includes a romantic dinner for two and, yes, we still frequent the Black Watch, but just for a beer.

How do I see downtown Los Gatos in the future? I see my daughters marching in the Children's Holiday Parade, enjoying walks through town, maybe taking their first job at a nice shop in town (their favorite store is Diddam's) and, of course, cruising--but probably not in the minivan!

It's been a joy sharing my walk through town of old, present and future and, in closing, I hope that many things about Los Gatos will never change--that it will always be a small, cozy town making many wonderful memories for generations to come.

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