FROM THE VATICAN: With the pope's death and the election of a new pope, news from the Vatican is at the forefront of people's consciousness and one of the people reporting that news is Delia Gallagher, Vatican analyst for CNN. She's the daughter of Deidre and Charlie Gallagher.
Delia is editor of Inside the Vatican, a monthly magazine that is published in several languages. She is a graduate of University of San Francisco and Oxford, where she earned a doctorate in philosophy. In the Vatican press office she caught the eye of Connie Chung and CNN offered her a contract.
Meanwhile, back in Saratoga, her mother owns Gallagher Learning Center in Quito Village, a tutoring company with 10 teachers and 350 students at any given time. Owner Deidre was a teacher in Ireland; she met Bing Crosby while she was still a student--she was seated next to him at an Irish Embassy dinner given at the death of John Kennedy.
Crosby wanted someone to teach his children Spanish and eventually lured Deidre to California to do just that. She taught the Crosby children for four years and met her husband at that time through Crosby neighbors. The Gallaghers have four boys, one girl. Delia is their oldest.
AAUW TEA: The AAUW Committee on Homeless Women and Children raked in an estimated $6,347 at its annual benefit tea earlier this month. Proceeds raised go to the Georgia Travis Drop-In Center and the San Jose Family Shelter, plus emergency needs of women and children.
Charlotte Pizzo, director of women and children's services at the center, is in urgent need of both a teacher for children up to age 5, as well as a coordinator for activities. Both jobs are 20-30 hours a week.
Sharon Kelkenberg, Melva Vollerson and Ermalyn Benkert were co-chairwomen of the event. Patty Weber is the committee chairwoman. Pat Khan's daughter, Haseena, had the winning raffle ticket--the prize a tanzanite/diamond pendant, valued at $650. Some years back Pat held the winning ticket, so winning seems to be a family affair.
Members of Saratoga High's Scholarship Federation served as waiters, introduced themselves, and told what field they intended to pursue. Medicine was mentioned most often, with law, dentistry and biosciences close behind.
Jerry Ashford entertained, singing to his guitar accompaniment. Ashford plays the first Wednesday of each month at Sam's Bar-B-Que on Bascom Avenue in San Jose.
BEST OF SHOW: The open juried show at the Art Museum of Los Gatos drew 429 submissions, the largest ever in its 50-year history. Some 97 were chosen and two Saratogans won honors. Cynthia Riordan won second place in pastels and Mary Ann Henderson won an honorable mention for her pastel landscape.
The show is on view at Tait and Main streets, Los Gatos, through April.
OPEN STUDIOS: These multimedia Saratoga artists will take part in Silicon Valley Open Studios May 14 and 15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.--Starr Davis, Jerry Smith, Mimi Kearns, Lindy Lopez, Maryln Mori, Karen Garappolo, Elaine Revell, and Nacera and Nessa Guerin.
The following weekend, May 21-22, Dawn Hart and Helen Scheel will participate outside of Saratoga. To see images of their work and maps to their studios, the website is www.svopenstudios.org.
Mori calls her paintings of vegetables and fruits a metaphor for humanity. "Just as our lives are in constant transition, so is the life of a vegetable and fruit ... I see them through their stages of new and fresh to old and desiccated. With age, they are better subjects because new colors and lines occur."
The Guerins are a mother/daughter combo and their work is on display at Gallery Blue in Santa Clara. Nessa is beginning early: She's 10.
Lopez collects beads from travels all over the world which she transforms into one-of-a-kind jewelry. Making jewelry for special occasions, such as anniversaries and weddings, is one of her favorite assignments.
FOR THE TRITON: The Triton Museum of Art will mark its 40th anniversary with a gala on May 5, 6-9 p.m. Intel will be named the recipient of the Arts Supporter Award.
Three Saratogans are board members of the Triton: Lori Fox, owner of Chez Vous Catering; J.P. Puette of the Financial Catalyst Group; and Mary Allan of Intero Real Estate. The gala contact is 408.247.3754
CHOCOLATE: Rivers of Chocolate will flow May 1, 1-5 p.m., at the Mountain Winery. Tickets are $75 in advance, $90 at the door. Local purveyors of food and spirits taking part are La Fondue, The Plumed Horse, Sent Sovi, The Basin, Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Savannah Chanelle Vineyards and, of course, the Mountain Winery itself.
Cocoa Bon Fine Chocolates and Testerossa Winery of Los Gatos are also on board. Social Advocates for Youth and EHC LifeBuilders are the sponsors.
LEARN INDIAN DANCE: As part of National Dance Week the Abhinaya Dance Company will offer an open workshop April 29, 7-9 p.m., to introduce the intricate technique of South Indian classical dance. The studio is at 6190 Bollinger Road. The phone is 408.983.0491.
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By Mary Ann Cook