They meet every Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and Hunter says some eight people respond weekly. So far the GGs have planted flowers in 60 tree wells and many window boxes. Next will come hanging baskets. They're working Blaney Plaza at the moment.

"We plan to go all fall and winter and welcome new volunteers every week," says Hunter, whose number is 408.741.1213. Flags will be waving at the plaza, too, because seasonal flags are being designed by local architect Adam Rockwood. Money from the garage sale will pay for the banners.

Response has been impressive: an estimated 300 people came to the garage sale, held at the home of Laurel Perusa. Donated items came from families and Paperfunalia. Sale workers included Perusa, Loren Cook, Pauline Bruce, Jennifer Taylor, Jill Hunter, Cindy Donahue and John Towler.

Dr. John Marian, chiropractor, made the signs that advertised the garage sale. Marking the goods were Dorothy Marian, Pam Dunnett, Jan Justi and Linda Benenati, as well as Cook, Perusa and Hunter. Lupretta's Deli supplied lunch, gratis. Local businesses often offer refreshments to the gardeners while they're working.

The group would welcome donations of very large clay pots and will arrange for their pickup. Call Hunter at the number above. Hunter, a planning commissioner, buys flowers and mulch with her planning commission stipend, plus uses the donations she gets from merchants to pay for flowers.

Summer Winds donated a substantial quantity of petunias over the Fourth of July weekend, which the group planted at Blaney Plaza. And the city put in a drip system for the tree wells.

SALUTE TO STEINBECK: Three Saratoga Steinbeck aficionados--Sue Mallory, Audry Lynch and Louise Webb--journeyed to Salinas recently for the 25th annual Steinbeck Festival in honor of the famed author. Lynch is the author of two books about Steinbeck (Steinbeck Remembered and With Steinbeck in the Sea of Cortez).

Mallory was founder of a Steinbeck reading group. At the festival, they particularly enjoyed the personal reminiscences of Tom Steinbeck, the surviving son, who talked about how his father hadn't really wanted children. The boys were forbidden to get into a trunk full of books, for one thing. But of course they did, using a flashlight at night, and reading all the books. They were sure a secret was within, hidden from them. Tom now thinks it was his father's wily way of getting the boys interested in reading.

Poetry was held in such high esteem in the household that they had to recite a poem before the condiments would be passed to them at the dinner table. After all that memorization, Tom can still spiel off famed passages of poetry.

HIGH TEA: There's High Tea in the offing Sept. 15, 4-6 p.m., at the Saratoga Senior Center. Volunteers donate all the food and flowers. The tea is a fundraiser and tickets are $15 for senior center members, $18 for non-members. Tickets are on sale at the center or by calling 408.868.1257 before Sept. 2.

NEW OFFICERS: Donna LoCurto is the new chief operating officer of Community Hospital of Los Gatos. Most recently she held that position at Bellflower Medical Center. LoCurto is well versed in the clinical as well as the operational functions of a hospital, having served a variety of roles.

She's been chief of nursing, a supervisor and director of surgical services and has worked at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Southern California and several hospitals in Phoenix. "I was raised in a healthcare family and have always been drawn to a hospital setting," she says. "I am excited about getting involved in the operations side of the hospital business." She received her MHA from Chapman U. and her BS in nursing from Arizona State U.

Another newcomer to Community Hospital is Elizabeth Copeland, who will be director of business development. Copeland served most recently at Watsonville Community Hospital in the same position.

She has carried out business plans for hospitals and medical groups and has also worked in the areas of nutrition, marketing, communications and government/physician relations. Other career stops included Stanford Hospital, Walter Reed, Brooke Army Medical Center and medical facilities in Germany.

IDENTITY THEFT: Identity theft seems to be the major white collar crime wave these days and a two-hour workshop on its prevention, detection and recovery will be given Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-noon, at the Saratoga Library. It's free and the sponsors are at 650.529.1282.

Paul King and Eric Drew, both victims of identity theft, are the presenters.GARDENING GUERRILLAS: These guerrillas, dedicated to improving the aesthetics of Saratoga, held a garage sale recently that netted an amazing $1,553 to be used for the greater gardening glory of the Village. They are called the Village Gardeners, or the Gardening Guerrillas, and are led by Jill Hunter.

They meet every Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and Hunter says some eight people respond weekly. So far the GGs have planted flowers in 60 tree wells and many window boxes. Next will come hanging baskets. They're working Blaney Plaza at the moment.

"We plan to go all fall and winter and welcome new volunteers every week," says Hunter, whose number is 408.741.1213. Flags will be waving at the plaza, too, because seasonal flags are being designed by local architect Adam Rockwood. Money from the garage sale will pay for the banners.

Response has been impressive: an estimated 300 people came to the garage sale, held at the home of Laurel Perusa. Donated items came from families and Paperfunalia. Sale workers included Perusa, Loren Cook, Pauline Bruce, Jennifer Taylor, Jill Hunter, Cindy Donahue and John Towler.

Dr. John Marian, chiropractor, made the signs that advertised the garage sale. Marking the goods were Dorothy Marian, Pam Dunnett, Jan Justi and Linda Benenati, as well as Cook, Perusa and Hunter. Lupretta's Deli supplied lunch, gratis. Local businesses often offer refreshments to the gardeners while they're working.

The group would welcome donations of very large clay pots and will arrange for their pickup. Call Hunter at the number above. Hunter, a planning commissioner, buys flowers and mulch with her planning commission stipend, plus uses the donations she gets from merchants to pay for flowers.

Summer Winds donated a substantial quantity of petunias over the Fourth of July weekend, which the group planted at Blaney Plaza. And the city put in a drip system for the tree wells.

SALUTE TO STEINBECK: Three Saratoga Steinbeck aficionados--Sue Mallory, Audry Lynch and Louise Webb--journeyed to Salinas recently for the 25th annual Steinbeck Festival in honor of the famed author. Lynch is the author of two books about Steinbeck (Steinbeck Remembered and With Steinbeck in the Sea of Cortez).

Mallory was founder of a Steinbeck reading group. At the festival, they particularly enjoyed the personal reminiscences of Tom Steinbeck, the surviving son, who talked about how his father hadn't really wanted children. The boys were forbidden to get into a trunk full of books, for one thing. But of course they did, using a flashlight at night, and reading all the books. They were sure a secret was within, hidden from them. Tom now thinks it was his father's wily way of getting the boys interested in reading.

Poetry was held in such high esteem in the household that they had to recite a poem before the condiments would be passed to them at the dinner table. After all that memorization, Tom can still spiel off famed passages of poetry.

HIGH TEA: There's High Tea in the offing Sept. 15, 4-6 p.m., at the Saratoga Senior Center. Volunteers donate all the food and flowers. The tea is a fundraiser and tickets are $15 for senior center members, $18 for non-members. Tickets are on sale at the center or by calling 408.868.1257 before Sept. 2.

NEW OFFICERS: Donna LoCurto is the new chief operating officer of Community Hospital of Los Gatos. Most recently she held that position at Bellflower Medical Center. LoCurto is well versed in the clinical as well as the operational functions of a hospital, having served a variety of roles.

She's been chief of nursing, a supervisor and director of surgical services and has worked at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Southern California and several hospitals in Phoenix. "I was raised in a healthcare family and have always been drawn to a hospital setting," she says. "I am excited about getting involved in the operations side of the hospital business." She received her MHA from Chapman U. and her BS in nursing from Arizona State U.

Another newcomer to Community Hospital is Elizabeth Copeland, who will be director of business development. Copeland served most recently at Watsonville Community Hospital in the same position.

She has carried out business plans for hospitals and medical groups and has also worked in the areas of nutrition, marketing, communications and government/physician relations. Other career stops included Stanford Hospital, Walter Reed, Brooke Army Medical Center and medical facilities in Germany.

IDENTITY THEFT: Identity theft seems to be the major white collar crime wave these days and a two-hour workshop on its prevention, detection and recovery will be given Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-noon, at the Saratoga Library. It's free and the sponsors are at 650.529.1282.

Paul King and Eric Drew, both victims of identity theft, are the presenters.

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