Main Street
Los Gatan's prize-winning boat sails onto state booklet cover
By Mary Ann Cook
TOP SAIL: Larry Brown's boat, Chumash, is not only an award winner in the Children's Holiday Parade, but also a cover girl. These two items were reported earlier, but merit a fuller telling.
The boat is named Chumash after an Indian tribe known for its ship-building skills. The 30-foot Rawsen sailboat was featured on the cover of a booklet produced by the state. Brown had no idea a photograph of his boat adorned the cover until he caught sight of the pamphlet and said, "Hey, that's my boat!" Avid sailors know their own crafts like the back of their hands.
Indeed, Mrs. Brown, Claire, claims that "I'm his second love. Chumash is his first." The picture on the cover shows the boat with the Golden Gate Bridge as backdrop, a regal setting to be sure. The pamphlet is titled "How to Buy a Used Boat."
It was published by the California Department of Boating and Waterways and is part of their consumer-protection guide series. The booklet is available in boating stores. Every year, the Chumash is gussied up to appear in the Children's Holiday Parade as a Los Gatos Yacht Club entry. This project takes place in the Brown's yard. Larry Brown has been an avid sailor for some dozen or more years, and has served in various offices for the Los Gatos Yacht Club, including the top spot of commodore.
RATTLE THOSE TILES: Mah Jongg keeps the brain active, say geriatric experts like Dr. Patrick Fitzsimmons of Los Gatos. Congregation Beth David is helping the cause by sponsoring its second annual Mah Jongg Tournament on Feb. 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
This sounds like a long stretch away, but the deadline to register is Feb. 1; space is limited to 200, and advance registration is required. Participation costs $18, which includes welcoming coffee and lunch. Checks should be payable to Congregation Beth David and sent to Phyllis Zis, 12260 Via Roncole, Saratoga, 95070.
Sponsoring club is the South Bay Mah Jongg Mavens. Mah Jongg, which originated in China, is among the most ancient of games. It is usually played with four people using 144 tiles, which are drawn and discarded until one person has a winning hand.
IRISH DANCERS TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: Sean Collins, 14, of Los Gatos and Thomas Holford, 12, of San Jose won the regional competition in Irish dancing and have qualified for the world championship in April. The two will head for Belfast, Ireland, come spring.
The youngsters won the distinction as soloists at the Western Regional Championships in Seattle. Their teacher, Patricia Kennelly, with 25 years of experience, has produced other international and national champions. The Kennelly studio recently opened in Los Gatos; the number is 408.268.4548.
SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADERS: New officers for the Summit League are: Betty Colwell, president; Molly Swenson, vice president; Carol Parker, recording secretary; Sarah McCollum, corresponding secretary; and Ginny Bowman, treasurer. The league is already planning its biannual holiday house tour for December 2000. There are 45 club members, and the charity to benefit from the tour has yet to be chosen.
LIONS' TALES: The Los Gatos Lions made more than $3,000 in one night for the Silicon Valley Blind Center by hosting the weekly bingo game at the VFW in San Jose. Some 10 to 12 Lions are needed to run the games, and the LG club takes on the duty one night per month.
Fundraising for the blind traditionally has been a chief cause for the Lions. Use of the blind center has increased in recent years. Some 250 people monthly take classes there in computer training, crafts, etc.
In other Lions projects, a recent work party of LGLers built a ramp for Scoutmaster Vic Collord's house in 2 1/2 hours, reports Bill Frey, Lions president. Besides Frey, other workers were Gary Schloh, Tim Musselman, Kevin Johnson, John Lochner and Pat Ferryman. Ferryman is the only non-Lion. Collard underwent back surgery recently and the ramp, which replaced precarious steps, will make his comings and goings easier.
DANSA TRIMBULA: An original work by Saratoga composer Henry Mollicone for saxophone and accordion will be a highlight of the Nova Vista Symphony concert Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. in the Smithwick Theater at Foothill College.
Saxophonist William Trimble and accordionist Anthony Quartuccio will perform "Dansa Trimbula." Mollicone writes for orchestra, ballet and chorus, film, theater and TV, including music for Barnaby Jones and Fantasy Island. He is on the music faculty of Santa Clara University and directs its orchestra. Mollicone's one-act opera, The Face on the Barroom Floor, is one of the most performed contemporary operas in the United States.
HIKING OFF HOLIDAY POUNDS: The next Nature Outings hike is set for Jan. 30 in San Francisco; it will cover Land's End, Crissy Field and the Presidio. Saratogans Jon and Sherry Menard are the leaders (call 408.374.5981). After that, a snowshoeing weekend is scheduled for Feb. 4-6 at Yosemite National Park at the Tenaya Lodge. Cost is $259 per person.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
