Saratoga News

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Nova Vista Symphony to play Mollicone work at Foothill College

'Kathy's White Knight" by Saratoga composer Henry Mollicone will be among the works performed March 24 at Foothill College by the Nova Vista Symphony. The concert will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Smithwick Theater.

Mollicone, an artist-in-residence at Santa Clara University and composer of several operas, wrote "Kathy's White Knight" on commission for the Santa Cruz and Fremont symphonies. One of the themes comes from a melody he composed for his wife, Kathy, on their wedding day.

The afternoon program will also include works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Bartok. Symphony members include Saratogans Harriet Leman and James Hermstad.

Tickets, available at the door, are $10 general admission, $8 for seniors and $5 for students. Children under age 12 will be admitted free. For more information, call 245-3116.

Sanborn Park hosts Conservation Days

The Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation invites the public to celebrate Forest Conservation Days with a stroll through Sanborn County Park on March 16-17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors will take part in guided nature walks through redwood stands and learn about wildlife, forest ecosystems, natural history and the archaeology of the area.

The event is cosponsored by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, the Society of American Foresters, the International Society of Arboriculture and other resource-based professional organizations.

Sanborn County Park is located on Sanborn Road, off State Highway 9, three miles west of Saratoga. A $3 per car entrance fee will be charged.

Plumed Horse chef helps feed the hungry

Saratoga chef A.J. Szenda of the Plumed Horse will be among some of the Bay Area's best chefs donating their talents to help feed hungry people by participating in Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation.

The event will be held March 31 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Hayes Renaissance Conference Center in San Jose. More than 30 restaurants and a dozen wineries will provide their finest dishes and wines to 800 lucky gourmets for $60 per person.

Second Harvest Food Bank will receive 60 percent of the proceeds, with the remainder going to Sacred Heart Community Service and international hunger-relief organizations.

For ticket information, call (800) 955-8278 or 226-3200.

County pioneers open annual essay contest

The California Pioneers of Santa Clara County are accepting entries for their annual historical essay contest. Open to the general public, the contest includes 3,000- to 10,000-word essays on any person, place or event concerning Santa Clara County from its beginning to the recent past. Cash prizes will be awarded, including $500 for first prize, $250 for second prize, and $125 for third prize. The deadline for entries is April 29. Prizes will be awarded at a luncheon June 1. For contest rules, call 578-4485.

Volunteers needed for Project Rachel

Project Rachel, a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of San Jose for women and families touched by abortion, is looking for volunteers to serve as Rachel Companions. Volunteers offer a listening ear to those who need to talk about their abortion experience and the resulting feelings. Training is provided.

"The calls are coming in more often than ever, and we are hard pressed to serve the needs," said Terry Maes, associate for Family Life in the diocesan Office of Pastoral Ministry. "We know if our services were more widely known, the phones would be ringing off the hook!"

For more information, call Maes at 983-0139.