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Saratoga Sampler
Speed chess players compete in Missouri
By Mary Ann Cook
FLEDGLING EAGLES: Two new Eagle Scouts are Jason Hirotaka Handa, a senior at Saratoga High, and Jason Yuki, a junior at LGHS. For his eagle project, Handa constructed 50 tables for the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. At Saratoga High he earned the Golden State Academic Excellence Awards in algebra and biology.
A community activist, Handa is a cabinet member in the Junior Young Buddhist Associates and volunteered at Lotus preschool in San Jose for five years. He's a member of the varsity volleyball team at Saratoga High, and will head for UC-Santa Cruz this fall. Sharon and Ernest Handa are his parents.
FOOTHILL AWARDS: Saratoga High students Erika Hendel and Jeffrey Chen won scholarships from the Saratoga Foothill Club recently, a club tradition for more than 30 years. Hendel won the Fine Arts Scholarship and Chen was awarded the American Heritage Award for social studies.
Social studies teacher Katherine Woods represented Saratoga High at the awards ceremony at the club.
In other Foothill Club news, officers for 2001-2002 are Mary Grant, president; Marlene Duffin, first vice president; Mary Ann Henderson, second vice president; Diane Stoiber, recording secretary; Marty Clevenger, membership secretary; Aleda Cook, corresponding secretary; and Harriet Rosenberger, treasurer.
JUNIOR ACHIEVERS: Forty-one Saratoga fifth- and sixth-graders were honored recently for their test scores in the Center for Talented Youth, a gifted youth program sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. That's more than half those from Saratoga who took the test--74 in all.
The middle school achievers were honored at a ceremony at San Jose State University in May. Students are invited to take part in the CTY program, if they score in the 97th percentile or higher on standardized school tests. CTY offers advanced tests, called Plus Academic Abilities Assessment.
Students honored at SJSU scored in the top 30 percent of these advanced tests. Eleven students from Los Gatos and three from Monte Sereno also received recognition. Sounds as if Saratoga students streaked through those tougher tests in unprecedented numbers.
CHESS CLUB COMERS: The Argonaut Chess Club is making many of the right moves again. Four students went to the Supernationals Chess Championships in Kansas City, Mo., joining 4,700 other contenders. The four were fifth-graders David Chock and Julianne Freeman; and fourth-graders Sally Freeman and Aaron Garg.
The team won a seventh place K-6 Blitz Team trophy. Blitz is defined as speed chess. When chess players this young win speed-thinking trophies you know you live in a fast-paced part of the country. David won 13th in Bughouse, or partner chess; Julianne won 15th place in a field of 357 contenders.
Aaron won 25th place in a field of 627 players and 13th in Bughouse; Sally won 27th place in Bughouse. Stayton Chock is the coach and fifth-grade teacher Scott Donner started the program two years ago. Today, 80 students--15 percent of the school--are in the chess program.
SPRING CONCERT: The Winchester Orchestra presents Beehoven's Fifth Symphony and two pieces featuring community soloists at its spring concert on June 8, at Bethel Church Auditorium, 1201 Winchester Blvd., San Jose. Guest conductor is Anthony Quartuccio.
Soloists will be cellist Pauline Clark and violinists Gretchen Miescke, Rosemarie Eurgubian, Barbara Rumbsy and Jill Miller playing a Vivaldi concerto, L'Estro Armonico. Robert Goldstein will be the soloist for Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major.
Art by Keith Whitney will be projected onto screens during the concert. There will also be a drawing for prizes. Tickets are $15, general, $10 for students, seniors and children. For more information, call 408.269.1905.
VEDDY VERDI: Terry Lorenzo of Seattle Opera will give a lecture on Verdi at the Foothill Club on June 7, at 10 a.m. San Francisco Opera is presenting three by Verdi this summer: Aida, La Traviata and Simon Boccanegra. The talk is sponsored by the San Jose Opera Guild. For more, call Joy Hulme at 408.741.1331.
PROMOTIONS: Recent promotions in the sheriff's department include Jeff Miles to commander, and Robert Linderman and Luther Pugh to lieutenant. Miles and Linderman are 29-year veterans of the sheriff's office; Pugh has served 22 years. The three are with the West Valley Patrol Division, which serves Saratoga.
SHABBY SHEIK: Discovery Shop will hold a three-day estate sale on June 8, 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1451-A Foxworthy, San Jose. Antiques, collectibles and "shabby sheik" furniture will be on sale. Staffed by volunteers, the shop's proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
TRAIN BUFFS: For train buffs, a history of the South Pacific Coast Railroad, opens on June 6, at Forbes Mill Museum of Regional History in Los Gatos.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
