Walking around downtown Los Gatos on a weekday afternoon, Barry Bakken is stopped by a group of Los Gatos High School students running through the streets as part of their athletic training.

"Hey, Mr. Bakken," says one boy, sweating furiously as he shakes Bakken's hand. The two chat for a few moments and then wave goodbye as the runner goes on his way.

Bakken often finds himself in similar situations whenever he encounters youth in Los Gatos. Some know him because they attend classes or are on sports teams with Bakken's sons, Kyle and Kevin, sophomores at Los Gatos High School. Others recognize him because of his involvement with the New Millennium Foundation, which raises money for classroom facilities and equipment at the school. Still others might know him because they went to Blossom Hill School or Fisher Middle School - where Bakken was active in parent organizations.

In fact, it was because of the quality of Los Gatos schools that Bakken and his wife, Candy, moved to their house just off Shannon Road 15 years ago. "Willow Glen has bussing and Los Gatos has a reputation for great schools, so schools won out," Bakken said.

The neighborhood that the Bakkens moved into is "just incredible," Bakken says, one of roughly 25 neighbors, all extremely close-knit and many equally active in the community. One of Bakken's neighbors is Chris Bearden, founder of contracting firm CB Construction, the company that is rebuilding the sidewalks downtown.

"The population that I see myself the voice of is anybody with kids, anybody that's involved with the schools, anybody that's involved with sports," Bakken said. If he wins a seat in the Los Gatos Town Council election in November, Bakken says, he wants also to be a voice of the business community.

Bakken points to a man he knows who has, since 1995, owned several gas stations in town. "He's probably a top 25 tax contributor to the town, and he's never had anyone from town come out and say, 'Hey, you're doing a good job,' " Bakken said. It's business owners like that, Bakken says, who deserve some recognition, perhaps through an annual town-sponsored event such as a breakfast.

"I think I can take that feeling of how being included benefited me - I think I can take that to the entire town," Bakken said. With that feeling of inclusion, "you'd have a better neighbor; you'd probably have fewer land-use issues," Bakken said.

Bakken also hopes to hold a quarterly picnic at a local park, moving from place to place in town. It'll be a "come-to-meet-your-town-council-and-staff event," Bakken said, so residents "get to know the council in a very nonthreatening manner."

While Bakken commends the current council for the downtown parking management plan that it approved, he says an underground parking structure is necessary, and the sooner the better.

"If it's another five years or 10 years, what's going to cost $8 million now is going to be $10 million, $12 million," Bakken said. "The problem's not going to go away."

Bakken also congratulates the council for its decision to support Los Gatos High School's new swimming pool project. The town had agreed to contribute financially because the school had committed, in writing, to sharing the new facility with community use.

That kind of town and school partnership, Bakken says, should be more common. For example, one of the public's ideas for the new Los Gatos Civic Center is to include some kind of theater. Bakken points out, however, that Los Gatos High School already has a "great theater," albeit in need of renovation and repairs. If the town decided to fund that construction, "instead of a high school theater, we would also have a community theater," Bakken said.

"Our town and our schools are joined at the hip. And they should be," Bakken said.

As for development in town, Bakken says the Sobrato development makes sense for its location, but the town needs to make a list of priority areas. Development applicants for those areas, Bakken says, will have to go through either a special architectural review or meet with town planning staff before the property is purchased. That way applicants will know the hurdles they face, and the town will know that it has sufficiently explained the process to the applicants.

"People will typically spend 2¹/2 years going through the process," Bakken said. "We're an exceptional community that way, and I think we would be doing everybody a service if we were proactive like that."

Proactive is the key word for Bakken. While he was involved with the Los Gatos Elementary Educational Foundation, he came up with a fundraising event to replace the traditional fundraiser, which wasn't making any money. Bakken is also a founding member of the high school's New Millennium Foundation, which raised $250,000 in its first year.

"I'm all for whoever is raising money for these schools," Bakken said.

Bakken says the next month will continue to be a learning process for him as he meets citizens and gains knowledge about town issues.

"The process is as important as the result for me," Bakken said. "By Nov. 6, I'll be a better person, no matter what."

Barry Bakken

Age: 53

Occupation: Does sales for semiconductor companies

Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University, Chico

Community Involvement: Founding member of the Los Gatos High School New Millennium Foundation; coaches for the Los Gatos Little League and various soccer organizations; past activities include serving as president of the Fisher Middle School Dad's Club and president of the Los Gatos Elementary Educational Foundation, and serving on the Blossom Hill School Site Council and the Los Gatos Union School District parcel tax steering committee; plays tennis for the Jewish Community Center league

Family: Wife Candy, twin boys