Saratoga Sampler

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Chinese dinner proceeds fund scholarships

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By Mary Ann Cook

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RE-ENTRY SCHOLARSHIPS: AAUW has awarded scholarships to two West Valley College re-entry women majoring in math and science and who will complete their studies at a four-year school. The two are Carmel de Bertaut and Laurie Santo.

De Bertaut is a pre-vet major who will go to UC­Davis next fall; and Santo is a nursing major who will finish her work to become a nurse practitioner. The money for the scholarships came from the Chinese New Year's dinner in Saratoga, plus sizable donations.

De Bertaut works for and is a founding board member of the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, where injured and orphaned wildlife are treated and released to their natural habitats. Santo has worked with emotionally disturbed adolescents, is active at ARIS, has extensive art training and is an athlete.

"These two outstanding students epitomize the standards AAUW seeks in its re-entry scholarship recipients," says Ethel Worn, AAUW spokeswoman.

FULBRIGHT WINNER: Jean Stearns, daughter of Frances Stearns and the late Frank Stearns, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach in Czechoslovakia. The scholarship winner teaches English at Valley Junior College in Van Nuys, and Shakespeare is her specialty. She is married to Gerard Coghlan, and she graduated from Los Gatos High School in 1959.

DOCENT HIKER: Bernie Larkin is a dedicated docent for the Midpeninsula Open Space District, leading what she calls "scenic aerobics hikes." She attributes her life-long love of hiking and the out-of-doors to her father. When she was a child in Philadelphia her father would take her on long hikes and would include the neighborhood kids, too.

Now 96, her father is still an exemplary role model. Says Larkin: "Exercise always makes me feel good: it's so refreshing mentally and physically. I love to walk. And the people on the hikes (she leads) are so interesting, so well-traveled, that I learn far more than I give.

"It beats going to a gym. Only once in four years have I had to cancel a hike because of weather. When I decide whether to set out or not, I err on the side of the hike." The hikes she leads are definitely the aerobic type, up and down hills, "hiking for the health of it."

Larkin leads a 5-mile Russian Ridge hike from 10 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. "I try to do something about the history of the area, but we don't stop, except infrequently. It's so rewarding, makes you feel so good, clears your head of troubles. The benefits you get from hiking are absolutely phenomenal."

Larkin is also a volunteer for The Clash, the major league soccer team in San Jose. All her children played soccer--Steve, Susie and Katie, and her husband Jerry was on the Saratoga Soccer Board. She works part-time at Diamonds by Filice, a jewelry store on Big Basin Way. Husband is with XiLinx.

OPERA FOR TEENS: Here's a new group that is dedicated to interesting teens in opera. It's opera put on by teens for teens. The group is called Peninsula Teen Opera, and its director/founder is Allen Cathcart of Redwood City.

PTO goes south this time in a Saratoga appearance May 15 at 8 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Saratoga Avenue. Scenes from Englebert Humperdinck's version of Hansel and Gretel will be on the program, along with a condensed version of Mozart's The Magic Flute and excerpts from other classics.

Ten-week workshops are offered Saturday mornings at First Congregational Church in Redwood City before the performances. Here students learn acting and stage craft, as well as opera training. Some performers in the group are as young as 10.

Cathcart's mission is to reach and teach so that opera remains vital into the 21st century. The performance is free, but a donation is asked.

So far there's no Saratoga/Los Gatos representation in the PTO, but this performance may inspire a change. Berit Wick, Immanuel Lutheran's Parish Education chairman, said she was so moved after hearing PTO in Redwood City that she instituted a performance here.

OUTREACH TO KIDS: The lives of some 12,000 people, mostly youngsters, are enriched yearly by the Outreach program at Montalvo. One reason the program has been so successful is that Lisa Ramirez heads it and has for the past three years.

Whole classrooms are bused to the villa, and visiting artists perform and actively engage the students in the program as much as possible. For instance, well known musicians have led school bands. Visual artists give demonstrations and workshops for the backpack set.

And the program serves seniors and disabled adults, in conjunction with Hope Rehabilitation. Trained art therapists conduct workshops at Hope for six to eight weeks. The resulting artwork is exhibited at Montalvo at the end of the summer.

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