Vases and teapots were the main output of this prolific potter's work and a black matte finish her signature sign-off. The diminutive 80-something-year-old taught ceramics through Sunnyvale Adult Education for 20 years. Ms. B was described as "a 90-pound bundle of creative energy."

When one of the members of the gallery expressed an interest in pottery, Jackie showed up two days later with a 20-pound bag of clay, clay tools and a promise to fire the completed pieces in her own kiln, said one of the people commemorating her at a memorial in Felton.

"Working with clay has kept me sane and focused," she wrote, referring to crises in her own life. "I have felt deprived when I have had to be away from it for any length of time."

Ms. Butts was the one who oversaw the installation of all the 3-D pieces in the gallery's monthly show. Her pots, which somehow manage to be both classic and contemporary, are in literally thousands of homes. A reception for the retrospective show will be June 5, 4-7 p.m., at the gallery.

FOR VETS: A scholarship fund for veterans was started last fall by Saratogan Steven Hayes Young, author of Sandlot Stories; Gary Lamit, an instructor at De Anza College; and Dennis Wahler, who teaches in the business department at San José City College. These three wanted to support veterans in pursuit of an education.

The first winner of the $2,000 scholarship is Cory McCarthy, a student at De Anza who is earning exemplary grades. He intends to transfer to a four-year school to study to become a history teacher.

McCarthy was a medic who was wounded while fighting in Iraq. He received the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor for selflessness in combat. Even though his hand was injured in an explosion and bleeding badly, he continued to treat the wounded. He talked another soldier through the process of treating his own wound, walking him through each step.

McCarthy has undergone multiple surgeries and extensive skin and bone grafts on his hand and will need further surgeries. He is also winning a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. The veteran's ultimate goal is to teach Celtic studies at the university level.

The scholarship website is www.scholarshipsforveterans.org. Young's book about how baseball is played in different countries, Sandlot Stories, was sent overseas to soldiers through a group called Operation: Mom, www.operationmom.org.

"While we enjoy our sandlot memories and creating new ones, may we never forget the real stories of the Cory McCarthys," Young says.

FAN CLUB FOR DELIA: Sandy Torres sent me this message: "I came across this blog. Glad to know that there is something about Ms. [Delia] Gallagher out there." Gallagher is the Vatican consultant for CNN who figured prominently on TV news recently and whose parents live in Saratoga.

The blog extols Gallagher as the most literate of commentators, using "who" and "whom" correctly, for one thing. Here's the blog site in case you, too, are a fan of Gallagher's: deliagallagherfan
club.blogspot.com.

ON DEATH MARCH: Navy ROTC Cadet Matthew L. Weidert, Saratoga High '03, was one of 3,500 to participate in the 16th annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range. N.M. Weidert is a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is the son of Stephanie C. Weidert.

The 26.2-mile trek is a fittingly grueling one--through cliffs and crevasses in high desert terrain at elevations of 4,100-5,300 feet. The march honors Bataan veterans and survivors who were forced on the infamous World War II Death March from the Bataan Peninsula in April 1942, after the Japanese invaded the Philippines. Those who survived ended up in Japanese prison camps.

YOGA WORKSHOP: Vasanthi Bhat leads a two-hour workshop for all ages on The Healing Power of Hatha Yoga May 21 at 10 a.m. in the Saratoga Community Center. Even a few minutes of yoga a day can produce substantial benefits, says the internationally known teacher.

Bhat will teach techniques to help maintain health and prevent and heal stress-related ailments. People who have trouble sitting on the floor will be taught how to practice chair yoga. Cost is $20 for adults; $10 for children and seniors. Participants should bring a mat. A light lunch is included. The phone is 408.257.8418.

RECOGNIZED AS TOPS: Westmont High School won a California Distinguished School recognition award recently and Los Gatos High received an honorable mention. Westmont Principal Owen Hege cited students, teachers and excellent programs such as the senior projects for the commendation.

Got a tip for Saratoga Sampler? Send email to maryanncook@earthlink.net.