Saratoga News

Saratoga Sampler

Mary Ann Cook

Saratogan's 'No Generation Gap' places second

ART WINNERS: Garey Wood is a painter turned ceramist, and her three-dimensional piece, "No Generation Gap," won second place in the Los Gatos Art Association's current show at the Tait museum. The work depicts an oversized head with two faces: One represents her father, Bill Thompson, 80, and the other her son, Brian Wood, 30. Atop the head is a running shoe. Garey uses the eyes of each to depict their special interests: for her father, the number 3 (he's an accountant and avid churchman) and a bird; for her son, a pumpkin and a leaf.

Brian has a green thumb and has been growing pumpkins all his life, including some up to 150 pounds and a crossbreed called a Monet. A full set of teeth is on his sculpture face because Brian is one of those rarities who have never had a cavity. Children's dentists call on him to appear as a shining example to their patients. Other symbols on the sculpture are a butterfly, representing continual evolvement, and a snake, because that was the household pet when Brian was growing up. He's allergic to fur. His mother even learned to love snakes after her initial fear, having lived closely with them for so many years.

The show was judged by West Valley College art instructor Terry Choy, a veteran of 15 solo shows and 70 group shows of his own work. Choosing the winners is never easy, he says, but prizewinners "stand out because they bring you back to them again and again." The show will hang through October, and the museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

First-place winners of the juried member show are Catherine Politopoulos, Amy Finger, Susan Grant and Cheryl Boud-reault. Second-place winners: Janet Kerr, Judy Anton, Ruth Rainie Condit and Garey Wood. Condit and Wood are Saratogans. Third-place winners: Susan Grant and Maralyn Miller. Mary Ann Henderson of Saratoga won two honorable mentions.

ENCORE for Kayvon Kordestani, who is playing Ethel Toffelmier, one of the Pick-a-Little Ladies, in the American Musical Theatre's production of The Music Man. Kayvon performed the same part in the same play 15 years ago as a student at Saratoga High. Ethel is Marcellus' girlfriend. (Marcellus was played by Buddy Hackett in the movie.) When she isn't on stage, Kayvon is a kindergarten teacher in the Cambrian school district. For the past seven years she has been director/choreographer for the San Jose Children's Musical Theatre and is also a tap-dance teacher at the San Juan School of Dance in San Jose. Her music education degree is from UOP. Other recent onstage appearances include Singing in the Rain for the Pleasanton Playhouse and Kismet and Anything Goes for AMT. Music Man will play Oct. 24-Nov. 9 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts.

CHILE BOUND: Adam Justin Barr, son of Robert and Karie Barr, will be serving a two-year mission in Santiago, Chile, after two months of intensive language and cultural training. A Bellarmine grad and winner of a merit scholarship to BYU, Adam plans a career in medicine. He'll give his public farewell address during services at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Oct. 26 at 12:30 p.m. In Santiago he'll work with the needy poor.

LOTTERY WINNER: Robert Simmons of Saratoga won $75,000 on the "Fantasy 5 Dream Machine," part of The Big Spin TV show that aired Oct. 4. Simmons, a construction superintendent, intends to pay off his mortgage, take a vacation and buy a new car.

BIRTHDAY PARTY: Some 40 neighbors, friends and relatives helped Marie Wark celebrate her 94th birthday at a party at C.B. Hannegan's. Marie, who lives in Los Gatos, was born in Saratoga and was a charter member of the Rebekah Lodge. Her father, Peter Albini, started the first fire department in Saratoga. Marie was a secretary for Standard Life and later worked at Frontier Village and Happy Hollow, managing the parks' fast-food operations. She retired at age 75. Her husband, Walter Wark, was a mechanic for Gateway Garage and Paul Swanson Ford, among others, and their son is Ed Wark, commander of the American Legion Post 503 in Saratoga. The post meets at the Odd Fellows Hall on Oak Street and seeks new members. Marie's party co-hosts were neighbors Nelson and Laura Goldschneider and Glenn and Amy Kelly and their daughter Judith Kelly.

SARATOGANS working on the Dragon Ball to be held Oct. 25 at the San Jose Fairmont include Muriel Kao and Art Tom, on the honoree committee; Pauline and Wilson Fong, raffle committee; and Duane Heinz, exhibit chair. The ball celebrates local Chinese-Americans who helped shape Silicon Valley. The sponsor, the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, is dedicated to furthering the understanding of Chinese and Chinese-American history and culture. Proceeds of the ball will go to the Ng Shing Gung Museum exhibits, including a traveling history exhibit for use by schools and museums. A fashion show of Chinese opera robes, modeled by local community leaders, will be part of the festivities. For tickets at $100 each, call 293-2893.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]