When the prospective groom surprised the dancer with a diamond she was so excited with the news that they drove to Brentwood--a 90-minute drive each way--to share the news with her folks. The pair were introduced a year ago through mutual friend Beth Ann Namey, a ballet company colleague.

Rawson, who grew up in Saratoga, has been a dancer with Ballet San Jose for the past 14 years, making her debut in 1991. She is probably best known for her performance in the role of Maria in Dennis Nahat's Nutcracker each year.

Rawson also had a solo in Martha Graham's Frontier and was a featured dancer in Cannonade and Quicksilver in last week's spring production at the Center for the Performing Arts.

STRIKING PAYDIRT AT THE BANK: The Bank, which has the distinction of being one of Saratoga's few bars, has been good to Saratoga artist Karen Garappolo, who painted a picture of that historic building that hung on the Art Wall at the library November­December.

Now that same "lucidly composed" painting has been chosen as a headliner, or star, by Silicon Valley Open Studios. As such, it was one of the select group of paintings exhibited at the gala opening of the Open Studios event at the San Jose Museum of Art last week.

Another star selected was Michelle Waters of Los Gatos, whose works use sardonic humor to further her ecology concerns. Besides being an artist, Waters is a dedicated environmentalist whose paintings depict lions armed with acetylene torches and grizzly bears with jackhammers ready to lay waste to mankind's industrial complex.

OTHER ENGAGEMENTS: The Bank has also played its part in engagement stories. Saratogans Sally and John Sucow, who have been married for decades and have daughters in their 20s, first caught each other's eye when they were sipping at The Bank some years back.

The name worked out well for them, since they could then tell their very respectable, respective parents that they had first met at the bank.

WHITHER THE ART WALL?: If the Saratoga Arts Commission is suspended, what will become of the Art Wall in the Saratoga Library? The artists have already been selected for future shows up to February 2006. The artwork is changed every two months.

The commission juried 74 submitted pieces of art this year in February. And they found the quality so high that the seven commissioners eyeballing the works decided they should feature three artists in each exhibit, rather than focusing on solo shows. But now, if the commission is told to fold for the year, who's going to oversee the hangings? The librarians' time is already stretched thin.

STATE CHANCELLOR CALLS: State Community College Chancellor Mark Drummond paid West Valley College a rare visit last week to tour the campus and take a look at its programs. The chancellor is making a broad sweep--visiting all 110 community colleges up and down the state.

An economic development presentation was made by three staff members who head grant-funded programs--Jennifer Oliver of the Center for Excellence; David Esmaili of Advanced Transportation Technology; and Brittany Whiting of the Center for International Trade and Development.

The Center for Excellence trains students and instructors for jobs that will be needed in the future; ATT encourages alternative means of transportation; and the trade program helps people set up and maintain international trade companies.

Drummond also heard about two programs unique to West Valley--interior design and parks management. The campus tour was led by President Phil Hartley.

INSIDE THE VORTEX: Despite all the recent rain, artist Chris Drury is finishing up his outdoor project at Montalvo. Redwood Vortex is a 60-foot-high dome woven around a redwood tree in the trail behind the gallery and made of local saplings. "It's looking pretty spectacular," says Michele Rowe-Shields, visual arts director.

The inverted basket covers the trail, so viewers can walk through and experience the architecture both inside and out. Drury's Fingerprint Mural, in the gallery, has 24 individual fingerprints enlarged to 5 x 5 feet each and painted directly on the gallery wall.

FOR REHAB: The Soroptimists club raised $13,000 though its yearly fashion show. The money will be used for scholarships and charities. The club donates to the Saratoga Senior Center, but its major contribution goes to support House on the Hill, a substance abuse rehabilitation residence for women with children. The women learn parenting skills.

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