CAROLYN Cassady, the wife of Neal Cassady, close friend of On the Road author Jack Kerouac, has been visiting her son John Cassady from her home in London. Carolyn Cassady dropped in on a film being shot in Los Angeles and based on a letter her late husband wrote to Kerouac describing his youth in Denver. Son John lives in San Jose near Los Gatos and is employed by the Caere Corporation, 100 Cooper Court, Los Gatos.
"This letter became quite famous," Carolyn said in a call to the Los Gatos Weekly-Times. "It's pretty sexy, about Neal and two girlfriends in Denver." Part of the letter was lost in Sausalito but enough remained to interest filmmaker Steve Kay. "We had a hard time finding an actor to resemble Neal, who was so big, but found an unknown actor named Thomas Jane."
The Cassady home was in what now is Monte Sereno. Kerouac, whose freewheeling prose inspired a generation of young people to hit the road, was a frequent visitor. In interviews, John Cassady has recalled that poet Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and other San Francisco-based Beats often visited. He also recalled the fast rides his father would take them on, sometimes pulling young John out of elementary school for that purpose.
Carolyn Cassady is author of a bittersweet memoir, Off the Road, in which she recalled Los Gatos days and such memories as dropping in to Mountain Mike's with Beat friends for pizzas after a late party. The film she is overseeing is being made by an independent company and bears the tentative title The Last Time I Committed Suicide.
Neal Cassady died in Mexico in 1968 at age 43; Kerouac died a year later at 47.
YOUNG Los Gatos student artists and writers did well in the Olympiad of the Arts contests. College First Place 3-D winner for the second consecutive year was Los Gatan Glen Leonardis of San Jose State University for his ceramics. The high school visual-arts Best of Show was won by Los Gatans Natalie Stuhlmeuller and Amy White. Los Gatos High School's Douglas Stillinger won in the short-short story category. Villa Montalvo Center for the Arts was the site for the photography exhibit. The visual arts were shown at Triton Museum of the Arts. The contest is open to high school and college students residing in Santa Clara County.
A SHOW scheduled for June 15 and 17 on San Jose public television station KTEH sounds as if it might especially interest folks in this area. Titled "Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires in Silicon Valley," it shows "how youthful amateurs, hippies and self-proclaimed 'nerds' accidentally changed the world." Bob Cringely hosts the program, which touches on such wizards as Microsoft's Bill Gates and Apple Computer founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. The program airs June 15 at 1 p.m. and repeats June 17 at 8 p.m.
ANYONE, adult or child, looking for something fun, informative or creative to do this summer will do well to get hold of the schedule of activities issued by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Department of Community Education and Recreation, 123 East Main St. Sports and day camps for kids, numerous youth programs and adult activities are described. For grownups, a new class Tuesday evenings at Los Gatos High School called "Tapping Your Creative Self" offers clues to better use of personal resources.
AT a breakfast meeting, the Los Gatos Optimist Club, headed by President Dorothy Crawford, presented Capt. Duino Giordano with a plaque in appreciation of his services judging the club's annual oratory contest.
PRESENTED with awards as Seniors of Distinction at The Terraces of Los Gatos May 23 were Bill DuSel, a Terraces resident, and Dr. Ed La Veque of Los Gatos. The awards, commemorating Older Americans Month, cites seniors for contributions to The Terraces and the Los Gatos community.
DuSel is a former vice president and professor in the English Department for 33 years at San Jose State University. A sculptor and musician, he tends two garden beds at The Terraces.
La Veque, a 15-year member and former president of the Los Gatos Lions Club, retired in 1989 after 35 years of active practice. He joined in private practice with Ansten Ness, M.D., on Main Street. He was joined by William Johnson, M.D., and later by James Pellegrin, M.D. In 1960 La Veque began a career in health insurance administration. He is a member of the Terraces advisory board.
THE Byer Center under construction at Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road for Byer Properties of San Francisco is looking for two more tenants, having signed for occupancy Boston Market, Hollywood Video and Crown Books. The bookstore will be moving from 37 N. Santa Cruz Ave.
COLLEEN Weady, owner of VIDA, 48 N. Santa Cruz Ave., has been presenting Saturday fashion shows at the Almaden Country Club for Symphony Showcase 1996. Her final show there is June 8.
KIDS start smoking as a way of expressing rebellion, L. D. Hirschklau said in a talk on substance abuse at Los Gatos Rotary Club. They feel that tobacco won't really hurt them, said Hirschklau, a former president of Community Against Substance Abuse, who is employed by the Saratoga-Los Gatos High School District; she works with students and obtains grants for anti-abuse programs. Hirschklau displayed samples of tobacco and drinking advertising aimed at youth.
WHERE to find office supplies should be no problem in the Los Gatos area. We have McWhorter's, 15466 Los Gatos Blvd.; Staples, 423 N. Santa Cruz Ave.; and Office Depot plans to open this month. Staples will open a new Campbell store. Another large firm, Office Max, is to open on Stevens Creek Boulevard in August.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, June 5, 1996.
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