Saratoga News

Saratoga Sampler

Mary Ann Cook

Isabel Allende pleases Villa Montalvo crowd

SELLOUT: "I'm much funnier in Spanish," said novelist Isabel Allende. But Mary Lou Taylor and Pat Compton found that hard to believe when they picked her up for a reading recently. The bestselling author kept them in stitches all the way from her home to Montalvo, where Allende was scheduled to give a workshop and reading the next day. The diminutive writer was full of personal anecdotes. And she thought she was coming to someplace really rustic where she'd need a sleeping bag and a mammoth-sized alarm clock, instead of the fruit, flowers and suite that awaited her. Do residents of Marvelous Marin think of Saratoga as such a backwater?

It was dark when the trio reached the Montalvo gates the night before the reading, but with the aid of a flashlight, the hostesses were able to open the gate--unlike the time when former poet laureate Robert Hass had to climb over the fence when he got there after the Villa was locked.

Allende is one shrewd workshop leader, reports M.L., who audited the session. And later, at the reading, she really packed 'em in: It was a sellout crowd. Allende donated the proceeds from the reading to the artist residency program at the Villa. Long lines formed to get her autograph on Paula, Eva Luna, and House of the Spirits.

Allende, Peruvian born, spent her childhood in Chile, but her family had to flee when her uncle, who was president, was assassinated. Her latest book is called Aphrodite, but it's being published abroad and there's no definite date on when it will be published here, though probably 1998. Aphrodite is full of usable recipes, including aphrodisiacs--basically a novel about sex and food. "What else is there?" as one event-goer commented.

TOUGHEST COP ALIVE: Sounds like a mighty forbidding title, but that's the title Jon Tatro won recently. Tatro, a 1980 grad of Saratoga High, is the son of Judy and Jerry Tatro and is a detective with the Paso Robles Police Department. The title is won for athletic prowess in the California Police Olympics Summer Games, which is made up of eight events: 5K run, shot put, 100-yard dash, 100-meter swim, rope climb, bench press, pull-ups and obstacle course. Whew. The competition lasts five grueling hours, Tatro reported, after which "you really are toast, and your legs are rubber." He won the gold medal with 4,400 points; his nearest competitor had 4,250. Perhaps Tatro's most impressive posting was the rope climb: he shimmied up 20 feet in seven seconds, without using his feet or legs. He trained all year for the event and has a climbing rope in his back yard.

SARATOGA SENIORS play golf weekly--Fridays at 11 a.m.--at Blackberry Farms. The group may get a special blessing from the fact that four retired pastors are part of the package. They are Walt McQuiston, Bob Sherrard, Bill Cozby and Ed Cornell.

I don't know if it helps the group's handicaps any, but the other foursomes probably think twice about dropping strokes from their score cards when the spiritual pipeline is close at hand. Incidentally, Bob's wife, Barbara Sherrard, works as right-hand woman to Olga MacFarlane at the Senior Center, and golfer Harriet Tripp plays with the group and works at the center, too. "They're always up to something," she says about following the retired clergy contingent on the course. "They leave candy for us at certain holes, for instance."

CELEBRATE SARATOGA: The recent street dance, Celebrate the Taste of Saratoga, was a fine example of a community working together to produce a fun and exciting evening for the whole family, says Chamber of Commerce President Pat Andreson. "An event like this really ties the whole community together." Andreson worked at the command center, whose title the other days of the year is Mail Boxes, Etc.

Mail Box owners Judy and Don Coulter worked along with chamber members to keep all the logistics at the event flowing smoothly. The weather was warm, the food scrumptious and the crowd's outpouring of enthusiasm was evidence of the event's success in this, its ninth year. Activities for children were included for the first time, and the balloon man, face painting, games of chance and High Striker all proved popular, producing long lines. Even losing power that day didn't dim the enthusiasm, or the lights, for long. PG&E came to the rescue post haste.

SECOND CHANCE WEEK is Oct. 18- 26, and here are Saratoga sites for reuse or resale items: Echo Shop, 867-3995, and the Second Act, 741-4995, for clothes and small household items. In Los Gatos, there's Brandeis U. books, 867-7642; Curious Book Shoppe, 354-5560; Diana's Hang Ups for bedding, 395-8046; Kid's Trading Co. for clothes, furniture and toys, 395-8046; Operation Exodus for cars in running order and furniture, 356-7576; Sound Techniques for stereo and video equipment, 356-3333; Toner Products Ltd. for cartridge and fax refills, 356-7240. In Campbell, DLK Auctioneers for computers and office equipment, 866-1300; and Ski's Royal Furniture, 378-2075. For free ads for buying, selling or giving away items, call 1-800-553-2962.

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