I know I've brought this up before, but I associate dropping "grammar" from a school designation with the overall deterioration of the language (e.g., substituting "like" and "go" for the verb "say"). As to the school itself, the biggest thing going now is the upcoming series of sesquicentennial events, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the school's establishment in the Sons of Temperance Hall on the site of the present school.

I don't need any reminders of my dotage, but it hits me kind of hard to reflect on the fact that my association with the school—as pupil, faculty spouse, taxpayer and general supporter—spans exactly one-half of that commemorative period; in other words, 75 years.

As to the appearance factor, I especially appreciate the fact that the main entrance looks exactly as it did in 1929 when I started first grade in the kindergarten-less grammar school. There have been many changes and additions to the building, but it appears that all have been made with the basic design in mind. I like that.

That basic design was seriously threatened almost 35 years ago when, because of structural deficiencies that made the building vulnerable to earthquakes, it appeared that the building might have to be razed and a new one constructed. However, community sentiment prevailed and the building was strengthened to meet the standards of the prevailing Field Act.

It's worth noting that the building, dating back to the vintage year of my birth, 1923, was one of four schools erected at about the same time. All were built in the same modified mission style; the others were in Los Gatos, Campbell and Cupertino. Saratoga is the only one surviving as a school. The Los Gatos school is now Old Town shopping center, Campbell's survives in highly modified form as offices, and Cupertino's has long since been scrapped.

Still in the grammar-school vein, I'm interested to see an invitation to a "Witchy-Walk-A-Bout" on Oct. 30, sponsored by the Saratoga Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce and Village merchants. It's an afternoon function, 2 to 4 p.m., and things apparently start at the Chamber office, 14485 Big Basin Way. People are to come dressed in costume and various events are planned.

This reminds me of the Halloween parties during my last two years at grammar school. These were schoolwide events where the kids came in costume, played games and had refreshments. The highlight was when we all paraded through town, going down Third Street to Big Basin Way, on up Saratoga­Los Gatos Road and then back to school.

It was the school's way of curbing Halloween vandalism, which, though not prevalent, was not unheard of. The usual Halloween gambit for grammar school kids was to go around ringing doorbells and then scampering off. I don't know when the trick-or-treat custom began, but I don't remember it in my pre-adolescent years. Halloween was mainly doorbell-ringing.

I suppose old age has something to do with it, but I tend to get thinking about anniversaries, especially centennials. There are a couple that easily come to mind. One involves the building housing the Saratoga Historical Museum. There's a hitch here, though, because I haven't seen any authoritative account as to whether it was built in 1904 or 1905. That's where "circa" comes in, and it's hard to envision a circa centennial.

The other is easier to pin down. That was the arrival of the first trolley cars on the San Jose­Los Gatos Interurban Railway Co., later the Peninsular Railway. The trolley line connected towns in the central Santa Clara Valley and ran up to South Palo Alto. The actual anniversary has passed, though, because the service started in March 1904 and lasted 29 years, almost to the day.

As an old rail fan and trolley buff who remembers riding the Peninsular cars, I probably should have tried to do something about it. The way things are going, though, I may be around for the sesquicentennial.