There was Betty McClendon, who taught generations of Saratogans and Los Gatans dance and the finer points of etiquette. She was our "Miss Manners," you might say.

Ms. McClendon was society reporter for the Los Gatos paper and was always tuned into what was going on in the community. She taught dance at the time that Saratoga students went to Los Gatos High so was well known in both towns.

Her generous spirit will continue to endow the community: She left a number of six-figure bequests—a drama scholarship in her name and one designated for the Los Gatos library, where her mother, Hilda McClendon, was children's librarian for five years in the '20s.

Close upon Ms. McClendon's death came that of John Baggerly, whose name was synonymous with the local newspapers, area sports and tales of old-timers in the community. A lifelong journalist, Mr. Baggerly wrote the "Picture from the Past" feature for the Los Gatos Weekly-Times.

Since no one else has his amazing memory, another writer for that column has yet to be found, a metaphor for the fact that no one can take his place.

Lastly, we lost someone seemingly much too young to die—our editor's wife, Randee Sparrer, who died at age 52. Randee was a dedicated teacher at Terrell School who impacted so many lives that the huge church where her memorial was held was overflowing with those who wanted to express their sense of loss.

Terrell has a memorial to her, and the Snack Shack at Pioneer High has been named for her, both testimonials to her dedication to whatever she undertook. The GATE program at Terrell, which she taught, has received more than $4,000 in memory of this exceptional teacher.

She was an innovator and leader in every dimension of education, attests her principal, Sylvia Bickenbach of Saratoga.

These three—their spirit, their sense of humor and the memories of their times with us—linger on, providing some consolation for those irreplaceable losses.

ENGINEER ON BOARD: Saratogan James W. Foley has been named by Gov. Gray Davis to the board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, joining three other Californians. Foley, 55, is deputy director of public works for the city of San Jose. He has also served as the city engineer for Campbell.

Foley is a civil, structural and geotechnical engineer with more than 33 years of experience in construction and project management. He has a master's of science and bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University. The board is charged with safeguarding life, health, property and public welfare by regulating engineering and surveying projects.

CHRISTMAS TREES UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Olive Stocking and Ruth Bauer are dedicated Olympics-goers and workers. They were diligent about doing whatever needed to be done for the Bay Area's bid for the Olympics in 2012. And though San Francisco didn't get the nod, they haven't given up yet.

Their thinking is that if New York doesn't get chosen for the next Olympics, then San Francisco has a good chance in 2020. So they'll start campaigning toward that end once the 2012 site is named. Meanwhile, they'll head off to Helsinki this spring to join in the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg.

For Christmas the inveterate travelers headed to Timberline Lodge in Oregon for the holidays. There's nothing to do in that part of the world but enjoy the scenery and the fireside and be cosseted, they report. People don't often get up high enough to see a timberline, Olive points out, and they wafted in it for several days.

But before they left, they decked out Olive's Russian Hill digs in ho-ho-ho holiday garb, to delight out-of-town friends who had been invited to stay there in their absence.

BEHIND BARS FOR GOOD: Some 129 locals were put behind bars at the Los Gatos Brewing Company recently. Their crime and commonalty was the charge of doing good. 'Twas all a fundraising stunt for MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association), and the payoff was a record for Northern California.

Some $81,000 was raised in one day for treatment and research for the disease. The goal was $50,000.

PARTY TIME: I went to a birthday party for a 5-year-old and one for a 70-year-old on the same day recently and am noting the similarities between the two events.

The differences are obvious: The older group didn't race around the table to wrestle to the ground another guest. No oldster crawled under the dining table with a book. But there were tears at both occasions—for the youngsters, when the aforementioned book was wrested from its owner; for the older crew, when heartfelt tributes to the honoree were offered.

No one at the evening group put pitted olives on all five fingers to wave triumphantly, either, come to think of it.

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