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Main Street
Wired Lions eschew snail mail for email
By Mary Ann Cook
NOSE KNOWS: Chief fire investigator Bill Hardwicke's dog Dolph is a special breed of cat, even though he's a canine. He's trained to sniff out evidence of arson. He was part of the investigation of the burnings of synagogues in Sacramento recently. Hardwicke works out of the Santa Clara County Fire District's office on Winchester Avenue.
But Dolph had little time to rest on his laurels after that episode, when he was called to the Northwest on another case. No rest for specialists, whether they are those navigating the world on two feet or four feet, obviously.
THE DATING GAME: Sometimes it pays to have your mother (or stepmother) get into the act. At least it did in this case. Mother was playing a round of golf at a Marysville golf course with the chef at Highland Ranch, a guest horse ranch in Mendocino.
They knew each other because they had been Santa Cruz neighbors when he was a youngster. He also knew her stepdaughter, but hadn't seen her for years. They had been neighbors in yet another Santa Cruz neighborhood.
Mother suggested that he might do well to look her daughter up. He took her up on the suggestion. "I always had a crush on her, even when I was 12 or 13," he says. The couple's first date was New Year's Eve at the Highland Ranch. She broke prior plans to go.
That was five years ago and now they're engaged. The chef is Curtis Pieratt, the chef/owner of California Bento's at 151 S. Santa Cruz Ave. It's the grill operation tucked between Fast Frames and the TCI office and offers grilled meats, fish and vegetables, salads and sticky rice.
The rice comes from Colusa, where it is grown by the groom's future in-laws, Ken and Marlene Lytle. The bride is Michele Reesink, and the wedding will probably be next year--at which time even more rice will be needed, the uncooked version for flinging.
WAVE OF FUTURE? Emailing their bulletin to members rather than sending it through the U.S. Postal Service will save the Los Gatos Lions $1,000 a year, member Gloria Le Blanc estimates. Le Blanc is a personal financial officer, whose company is called Los Gatos Securities. Henceforth, unless hard copies are specifically requested, the Lions will eschew snail-mail and stick to email.
In other Lions' news, $2,500 went to the Life Skills program for seventh-graders at Fisher Middle School.
Scholarships given out to LGHS students this year by the Los Gatos Lions totaled $8,100. And $6,000 was presented to elementary and middle schools for the Lions' Quest program. On the fundraising side of the ledger, the annual golf tournament netted $11,300 for Lions' coffers.
New officers include Bill Frey, president; Gary Cayton, first vice president; Jan Morris, second v.p.; Chris Morris, third v.p.; Tim Musselman, secretary, and John Lochner, treasurer.
MUSIC IN THE PLAZA: The Sunday afternoon concerts in front of the post office at Plaza Park continue to delight. Still remaining on the musical menu: Aug. 8--Pacific Standard Time, rhythm & blues; Aug. 15--My Ol' Man's Band, rhythm & blues; Aug. 22--the Terry Summa Orchestra, big band and Broadway show tunes; and Aug. 29-- Mariachi Tapatio/Grupo Folklorico, music and dance of Mexico.
COOLING TREND: Los Gatans Mike Brown and Mike Miletak sell cooling devices such as Misty Mates, Squeeze Breezes, hydracool fans and patio systems. A Misty Mate is worn around the waist or over the shoulder and when pumped emits a cooling spray that greatly lowers the air temperature, it's claimed.
Squeeze Breezes are akin to bottles for dampening clothes for ironing, except that these have a fan attached, and the mist goes on you while you're wearing the clothes. Hydrocool fans can be bought or rented and blast out a mist for barbecue guests.
The home patio system attaches to the water faucet and is placed under the eaves like Christmas lights. This is expected to lower the temperature by 30 degrees. Miletak can be reached at 356-7409.
NATURE OUTINGS: Saratogan Jon Menard and his wife Sherry will lead a day hike to Año Nuevo State Beach on Aug. 15, a five- to seven-mile jaunt viewing elephant seals, dunes and wildflower meadows.
On Aug. 22 the hike will be at the Forest of Nicene Marks in Soquel, a six- to eight-mile trek with creeks, waterfalls and redwoods as part of the package. The Menards' number is 374-5981. The Menards also lead multiday hikes. Coming up: Crater Lake National Park/Mt. Shasta/Castle Crags from Aug. 26 to 30. Hikers will stay at Crater Lake Lodge, and $649 covers lodging, meals and van transportation.
READING AT BORDERS: This correspondent is the featured reader at Borders Books, Music & Cafe on Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m., with a selection of short humor pieces.
FAMED FACES: Kevin Ruf appears in the oft-repeated photo of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his bride Carolyn Bessett Kennedy emerging from the church after their wedding. Ruf is on the right in the photo that recapped the Kennedy tragedy. A close friend of the couple, he is the son of Egon and Kay Ruf of Saratoga.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
