Saratoga News Saratoga Sampler Mary Ann Cook Travel back in time at library went far back SHOW AND TELL: Felicia Pollock gave a travel presentation "Travel Back in Time" at the Saratoga Library last week using her own photographs as graphic illustration. The presentation covered the Pollocks' (Michael and Felicia's) Elderhostel trip to Russia in 1991, a bare two months before that country burst apart. The four-week trip covered Moscow, Kherson, Odessa, Kiev and St. Petersburg with concentration on the Ukraine. At one point in the Moscow subway, avid photographer Felicia stepped aside to take some photos. When she looked up the rest of her group was gone. With no knowledge of Russian and unable to find anyone who spoke English, she amazed herself with her enterprise in finding a taxi to take her to the luncheon locale. The Pollocks brought artifacts to the talk, including dolls in decreasing sizes that nest inside each other. These dolls, though, represented Russian leaders--from Lenin to Yeltsin. The library audience got into the act, too, as Marty and Joe Clevenger shared their present-day impressions, having recently returned from a trip to Russia. And a veteran of World War II described his take on Leningrad immediately after the devastation of war, and his wonder and admiration as the people rebuilt the city. The world is so fascinating, says Felicia, but the eternal question remains. Why is humanity so inhumane to each other? PEACE CORPS BOUND: Not all of us are inhumane, of course. Brent Laffoon of Saratoga is one of the first group of Peace Corps volunteers to head for Mozambique. Laffoon, a recent Dartmouth College grad, will teach English in grades 8-10 and help Mozambique teachers improve their skills. Peace Corps members are being sent to Mozambique, in South Africa, for the first time, because the Mozambique government requested Peace Corps help. Volunteers will have three days of training in Denver and meet with Mozambique ambassador Marcos Namashulua and Peace Corps director Mark Gearan. Further training will be in Mozambique and will include three months of language and cross-cultural training. Laffoon's international interests are obviously far-reaching, since his degree was in Latin American literature, culture and society. He worked on the Dartmouth College radio station, volunteered for the Hartford Sister City Project while in college, and has traveled widely in Central and South America. TRAINING GUIDE PUPPIES: Janie Quicke of Saratoga is a trainer for Guide Dogs for the Blind, centered in San Rafael. How does training a puppy destined to help lead the blind differ from training any puppy? Well, for one thing, guide dogs can never have table food or any food but their own. Food is not offered as a treat for tasks well learned. Only praise and love are given--in full measure. Guide dogs have to behave well in restaurants and on public transit--in all the places they'd be serving as their master's eyes. The puppies spend weekends in other trainers' households, so they can adjust more readily to new situations. To become a puppy trainer call Jacki Dunne, trainer/leader, at 356-6136.LARGER THAN LIFE: One of photographer Luisa Tosi Claeys' flower photographs, "White Rose," was part of the Images of Filoli Art Show held at Filoli this month. Claeys is influenced by the up-close and larger-than-life flowers of Georgia O'Keeffe and has adapted that painter's methods to her own photography. Claeys employs a macro lens on a single-lens reflex camera with 35 mm film. She uses a slow film speed, 50-100, to create a crisp image when the photo is enlarged, say up to 20 x 30 inches. An avid traveler, Claeys has her camera ever at the ready on her travels. Her work has been exhibited at the Mitre Box in Saratoga and at the Saratoga Country Club. PORTRAIT DONATIONS: Portrait painter Maree Lubran will again donate autographed portraits of celebrities to the on-air art auction of KTEH on Nov. 5-8. The portraits are drawn from the cast of the British comedy series Are you Being Served?--Mollie Sugden, John Inman and Frank Thornton. They played Mrs. Slocombe, Mr. Humphreys and Captain Peacock, respectively. The other two portrait contributions are of Pat Morita, TV actor, and Jon Nakamatsu, the 1997 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist. The Frank Thornton portrait also was on display in the Triton Museum of Art's juried preview showing in October. Lubran is past president of both the Los Gatos Art Association and the Saratoga Contemporary Artists. BRANCHING OUT: West Valley Welcomers are beginning new interest groups. Trading gardening secrets and seeds, walking and tennis groups (call Valerie Reiman at 867-0403) are all evolving. Already in place are bridge, book (Nancy MacMorran at 867-0928) and music/tea/poetry groups. Call president Fran Schmidt at 867-7421 to join in. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, October 28, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.