May 12, 2004     Saratoga, California Since 1955
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Saratoga Sampler
Ray, Klock new Saratoga Arts Commission members

Mary Ann Cook By Mary Ann Cook

NEWEST ACs: Bob Ray and Judith Klock are the newest appointees to the Saratoga Arts Commission. Ray is a triple threat: radio voice, digital artist and TV producer. He owns Creative Services Inc., a Saratoga ad agency now in its 29th year.

When he worked in the Boston market in his early days, he had to change his name. He became Tom Mitchell, because his real name was too close to those of radio giants Bob and Ray. The comedic team was held in near-reverence, particularly in the Boston area.

After moving across the country, Ray did the morning show on KLIV and later was operations manager at KSFO. He still does voice-overs for the ads he produces and gives motivational speeches. Trained as an actor, he has also appeared in regional theater through the years.

He cites the villainous role in Wait Until Dark in Palo Alto as a particular favorite.

Judith Klock is an artist who took up painting after 35 years at Lockheed. Her paintings have won prizes through the years, the poster contest for Celebrate Saratoga! for one. For another, Klock won $200 in prize money in the Lyndon Plaza poster contest a few years back.

Last summer she spent a week painting at Giverney, Monet's home, with an art group—and toured southern France to boot. She exhibited in the former El Paseo Gallery, has been president of the Los Gatos Art Association and was active on the Los Gatos Museums board.

At Lockheed she was assistant to the director of the Lockheed Management Association, a morale-building training ground for managers. The organization provided a chance for the entire Lockheed hierarchy to mingle both socially and in community-service projects.

CELEBRATING 101: Here's a Saratogan who celebrated her 101st birthday last month. She's Laura Hancock and she lives in the independent-living section of the Saratoga Retirement Home (Oddfellows). Hancock is rebounding from a fall, learning new ways of functioning on her own.

Helping her regain skills and adapt to new methods are Julie Groves, an occupational therapist, and Jim Liukkonen, a physical therapist. Both are part of Community Home Health, an outreach of Community Hospital of Los Gatos.

Grove shows Hancock how to adapt to new ways of doing things. Liukkonen helps the centenarian regain strength, flexibility and balance with exercising. Hancock now has adopted different methods of accomplishing chores she was doing before the fall—getting her own snacks from the refrigerator and going for daily walks.

Physical therapists deal with muscle; occupational therapists with method. The Community Home Health number is 408.866.3863.

Hancock was involved with one of the first Welcome Wagons in the nation when she lived in Cape Cod. Her daughter, Marylee Siegel, lives nearby.

AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Saratogans Jim Eller and Lori and Mike Fox Jr. were part of a Silicon Valley contingent that went to Washington, D.C., recently to consult with legislators about the importance of unsticking the stuck transportation bill and axing the death tax.

They also toured the White House grounds and met the president, who was just alighting from Marine I (the helicopter brigade). "It was an impressive sight," said Mike about the three helicopters landing. The president stood in the drizzling rain for perhaps 10 minutes, talking to the group.

"He's very charismatic, very friendly, seemed to enjoy himself," said Mike. Even the Democrats in the group found him so. The group was composed mainly of San Jose Chamber of Commerce members; Mike is past chairman of that body.

Others making the trek were Pat Dando, SJ vice mayor, and David Cohen, SVCN publisher, the only one who took pictures of the presidential event. The Rose Garden, incidentally, was a tulip garden that day.

MEMORIAL DAY: Saratoga's traditional Memorial Day Service will begin at 9:30 a.m. May 31 with the placing of the wreath at the Memorial Arch. A program at Madronia Cemetery will follow at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to join the walk up Oak Street.

Lt. Col. Charles Ingalls, commander of the 129th Rescue Wing of the Air National Guard at Moffett, will be the speaker. Scouts, 4-H Club members and other children will take part—making laurel sprays and placing flags on the graves of veterans of all of America's wars since the Civil War.

Veterans' graves number more than 800 at Madronia. The Saratoga Foothill Club coordinates the observance. Co-Chairmen are Frances Banakas at 408.867.5634 and Ann Monroe at abmonroe1@comcast.net. The annual observance has been held since the '20s.

THEIR 60TH: Raul and Elsie Caceres celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with family reunions in Sacramento and Las Vegas recently. Raul, consul general emeritus, is a retired Honduran diplomat. Elsie worked for 20 years for the Cupertino School District.

Both Caceres are active community volunteers—at Kaiser Clinic in Campbell.

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