August 21, 2002     Los Gatos, California Since 1881 Main Street Slow boat to China? Naw, Bingman's takin' a jet By Mary Ann Cook ON THE MOVE: Judy Bingman, technically retired, refuses to stay put. Her saxophone keys are poised and ready to play on the Great Wall of China with the Nuclear Whales, for starters. That'll be a major outpouring by saxophonists from all over the world, set for June 21, 2003. From the U.S. alone, some 500 horn players are expected to participate. The exact spot for the gathering is the Juyong Pass overview, and two other concerts are scheduled in China as well - one at the Huang Pu River Bund, one in Shanghai. Because the sax trip was called off, then later put back on again, Bingman had scheduled a replacement trip. This one is in September, four weeks long, and includes Bali and areas of China, including five days on the Yangtze River. There's also a side trip to Xian to view the terra cotta figures. Accompanying Bingman will be Marilyn Foreman Powell, formerly a teacher at Fisher, who now lives in New Jersey. Neither of the husbands are much for travel. Other destinations Bingman has covered just this year include New York, Hawaii, Tahoe - and, after the China trip, there's the Polar Bear Photo Shoot trip to Churchill in northern Canada. Bingman could be described as a woman of many parts, to put it mildly. She takes award-winning photos during her many travels and creates greeting cards fashioned from them, directs musical youth groups, hikes the high countries and the Sierras, and of course plays the sax. The retired band director of LGHS, she is currently directing the Silicon Valley Summer Band, which is made up of fifth- and sixth-graders. That group will be playing at the Aug. 25 tribute to John Baggerly, and Bingman will be one of the speakers on that occasion. The intrepid traveler is also a cancer survivor. FLEDGLING ARTIST: Alexandra Schwartz, 17, a senior at LGHS, was one of 15 students chosen to participate in the summer art program sponsored by the San Jose Museum of Art called "Studio 110: Empowering Teens through the Arts." Art museum education staff chose students from seven different county high schools based on the strength of their portfolios. In the six-week-long paid apprenticeship program, students got a firsthand look at the professional art world. The fledgling artists also earned $6.75 an hour, which helped alleviate the need for a summer job. Schwartz says, "I am amazed every day that I am paid to draw, paint and be creative. "This is a great program in which we create art, explore different careers in the art world and tour different artists' studios. This program provides a great experience and much practice. It has been my favorite and ultimate job." A display of the students' artwork will be held in September at the museum. MEMORIAL: A memorial for dance guru and longtime Los Gatan Betty McClendon will be held Oct. 6 at the Los Gatos History Club from 3 to 5 p.m. The main organizers of the tribute are Betty's niece, Susan Behnke, plus Joanne Rodgers and Patti Hughes. The commemorative is being held the day before what would have been Ms. McClendon's 89th birthday. BALLET CAMP: Ballet student Christine Herrera, a senior at LGHS, spent five weeks this summer at the Bossov Ballet Theatre Summer Camp in Pittsfield, Maine. Andrei Bossov, the artistic director of the theater, was a principal dancer, choreographer and director of the Kirov Ballet Company, and taught at the Vaganova Academy, considered by many to be the finest ballet school in the world. A production of Don Quixote was the culmination of the summer camp. Herrera, who studies at Western Ballet School in Mountain View, is the daughter of George and Denise Herrera of Los Gatos. HOLE IN ONE: Bruce McCombs shot a hole in one at Rancho Cañada in Carmel Valley and won for his daughter Allyson, 19, a $35,000 SUV. The event was a Buick Scramble, and McCombs' feat was on the third hole, west course, using a 4 iron for the 170 yards. It was his first hole in one, but it didn't seem to faze him, since he later sank a 60-foot putt. Yikes! Allyson, a student at West Valley College, was working as a church camp counselor when she got the news. Her career goal: to be a teacher. Shopping for a car had been on the McCombs' agenda. But a new Buick certainly hadn't been on that agenda. McCombs is the owner of Pacific Waterbed at Saratoga and Stevens Creek. WHEN IS A HOUSE NOT A HOME? WHEN IT'S A SHOWCASE: A house doesn't have to be a Victorian to be on the Historic Homes Tour. Any residence more than 70 years old will qualify, and the committee is eager for likely candidates. The tour is scheduled for Nov. 2 and 3 this year. The home tour is the chief fundraiser for the Los Gatos Museum Association. Homeowners receive a history of their home, prepared by architectural historian Pat Dunning, and a year's membership to the association. Docent hostesses present the homes. Lucille Hogan at 408.866.4758 and Pat Dunning at 408.997.9183 are the ones to call. DISCOVERY SHOP: The American Cancer Society's Discovery Shop, 39 E. Main Street, will be holding a jewelry and accessories extravaganza sale Aug. 23, 24, 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Got a tip? My email is maryanncook@earthlink.net.