Saratoga Sampler

Booker helps make performance center a reality

By Mary Ann Cook

GENEROUS DONOR: This is the season of giving and one stellar example, who has been unsung, is Saratogan Joe Booker, whose generosity occurred a few months back. He donated 1,000 shares of Alteon stock to Saratoga High School.

The money garnered there was to be used for the proposed new performing arts center at the high school. Every time he passed by the high school, Booker thought what a shame it was that Saratoga students didn't have their own performance center: Most concerts, plays, etc., have to be staged at Los Gatos High.

The Bookers have two sons who are both active in school bands--Joel in middle school and Jason in high school. (Carolyn donated money to complete the purchase for Redwood Middle School band uniforms.) Joe is vice president of manufacturing and engineering at Alteon, a young networking company, and knew the shares were about to go public.

Booker has had an outstanding career, with his work being mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, among other publications. He is also on the board of the Children's Discovery Museum. He's a man who likes tough challenges, says his wife Carolyn.

Before his job with Alteon he was with Bay Network, now part of Nortel. Alteon makes the box that directs traffic on websites so that even a flood of incoming calls can be handled expeditiously.

SAN PEDRO PRESENTS: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, is the second presentation at the Theatre on San Pedro in San Jose. The musical will play until Jan. 7, an extension from the original closing date. Saratogan Gary De Mattei is the founder/producing director of this newest local theater.

"It's an intimate work that hits people where they live," says De Mattei, about the response to this production. "Everyday events in musical form--we can laugh at ourselves and it also has poignant moments." The theater, too, is an intimate one, and only seats 200.

Word of mouth is what's drawing 'em in, said a respondent at the box office.

De Mattei has many years in theater, but they were mostly in front of the footlights, before this venture. His partners are his wife Lisa Pontier, who takes care of the costuming and marketing, and Michael Smythe of Los Gatos.

Lisa grew up in Saratoga, daughter of Florence and Louis Pontier. Louis was a dentist in town. Next show coming up for the San Pedro is a little-known Andrew Lloyd Webber musical called Song and Dance, probably coming in March.

TYPICAL STORY?: Have no idea if this is a typical Silicon Valley career path or not, but here 'tis. Early on, Steven Hayes Young was a male model, who started his own agency, then moved into marketing and management for another modeling company, Marnee Jones.

Later Young eased into the marketing side of high-tech, working for a start-up connected with Carnegie-Mellon called Fortek, where he traveled the United States on behalf of a new fighter plane being built. Then to Nike in Oregon and from there to the advanced technology group of Sherpa.

Now he's back in Saratoga with a new start-up. He is vice president and what is blithely termed chief evangelist at ImpactXoft, a software company in San Jose that is developing mechanical design automation technology.

There has always been a wall between the engineering side of product development and the rest of the enterprise, such as manufacturers and suppliers, Young says. Now the web is opening the door, not only for the supply line, but also for the consumer to provide design feedback.

A high point of his current job is introducing Japanese associates to his hometown, with Plumed Horse getting raves. Almost 20 years ago Young invented a novelty toy called the shuttle. It looks a lot like a shuttlecock and it could serve as a metaphor for his career path, with all his multiple launchings.

SIZZLING SENIORS: Several members of Bev Myers dance aerobics class went to the Live Oak Adult Day Care Center recently to see their colleagues perform. The performers are the Sizzling Seniors and they are an offshoot of the aerobics class.

They perform at senior centers and schools. But the Sizzlers had such a small turnout that particular day that those who came merely to watch were pressed into service and onto the stage. The surprised high kickers were Kik Sugai, Kay Fireman, Josie Steinbach and Vivian Taggart. Myers, Taggart and Steinbach are all Saratogans.

PIANO RECITAL: Eighteen of piano teacher Kerstin Stone's pupils gave their November recital recently at the Foothill Club. One youngster, Daniel Lewis, 8, played a piece of his own composition called Magic Power. "I usually have one or two composers," says Stone, nonplused by this creative display.

IT'S A STEAL: Discovery House reminds that fabulous buys and quality clothing for the holidays can be found at the upscale resale store on Main Street in Los Gatos. The shop benefits the American Cancer Society. Designer clothing for a fraction of its original price, for example.

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