SCUMBAGS: Yes, the SCUMBAGS have done it again—captured first place at the annual Grape Stomp in Murphys. This is the third time they've stomped their way to the top spot in the past four years. They squeezed out 19.2 pounds of juice in a mere five minutes.
Last year they were crushed to come in second, but they've been avenged. The SCUMBAGS are Bryan Royston and Kyle Park and their team name stands for Santa Clara University MBA Graduates. They got interested in the Murphys event because Royston's sister-in-law lives there. (Niece Gia Cizmich was recently crowned homecoming queen at the high school.)
The stomp is becoming a Los Gatos outpost: 10 teams from Los Gatos were announced in the lineup of 96. Park and Royston train arduously for the event: Royston, the stomper, setting his shoes afire periodically so he can savagely stomp the blaze out; and Park, the swabber, dizzying himself with prodigious acts of super-speed collating. In actuality, the pair mountain bike together to keep in top stomp form.
Their success they attribute to teamwork and communication. Royston appraises how their adversaries are doing, spurring Park on to ever-greater feats of speed, scraping the juice through a screen and into buckets.
The two finance execs are currently jobless, victims of the anemic economy: Park's company declared bankruptcy two months ago, and Royston's had a massive layoff four months ago. This may be the perfect time to go on the professional stomp circuit.
The Scums won $200, T-shirts, gift certificates, two Quale ceramic goblets and an accompanying trophy urn. The urn will ultimately hold their ashes, the two declare. Their sponsor, Rick's Realty Service of Murphys, contributed $500 to Feeney Park, the beneficiary of the festival.
The fearsome duo issues a caveat to challengers—to not only top them in juice output, but in donations as well.
CAMP OKIZU: Camp Okizu is a camp in Novato for children who are undergoing cancer treatment. It costs $550 for a one-week session. Los Gatan Max Burt, 9, wanted to raise enough money to send a youngster to camp so he organized a bake sale on one recent Saturday and raised $680.
Max enlisted the help of two compadres at Blossom Hill School—Patrick Shultz and Eric Schnell, who helped their mothers bake such goodies as brownies, cookies, lemon bars, lemon cakes, rocky road candy and chocolate-covered pretzel sticks. Younger brother Brady Burt, 5, helped out, too.
Baking mothers were Kim Burt, Janel Shultz and Christina Schnell; baking grandmothers were Carol Burt and Peggy McCain. Relative Carolyn Moore baked, too. Fathers who pitched in were Dave Burt, Marty Schnell and Alex Shultz, who heads the science department at LGHS.
Dave Burt is finance director of Moore Buick Pontiac GMC on Los Gatos Boulevard. Mother Kim is owner of Little Oak Preschool, a school the Burts started when they couldn't find an appropriate preschool for Max. All the schools they liked were filled up, so they started their own. Now there's a waiting list of 150 for Little Oak.
Grandfather Jim Burt and nephew Bret Moore aided and abetted the project. Max heard about Camp Okizu through the Moore car dealership, which supplied cars for golf tournaments in which the camp was the beneficiary.
The sale itself drew different responses from the boys. Eric was impressed that people often wouldn't accept any change when they handed over money, even though change was due them. Max vows this will be an annual event, but the beneficiary may change—depending on what's going on.
MCCLENDON MEMORIAL: Friends and family gathered at the History Club on a recent Sunday to celebrate the life of dance legend Betty McClendon. It was an afternoon of tears and laughter, as people shared favorite stories of Ms. McC., whose husky laughter bespoke her own pervasive sense of humor.
Joanne Rodgers nearly single-handedly spearheaded the commemoration, which was attended by more than 150 people. Family members spoke, along with longtime friends Ted Simonson, Patti Hughes, Paul Curtis and Va Paunga, Ms. McClendon's caretaker in her final months. The Rodgers—Joanne, Joe and Shannon—shared reminiscences of their beloved friend.
David Garza put together a booklet of McClendon photos for attendees to have as a remembrance. Ms. McClendon's legacy will continue in her generous bequests to LGHS Home & School Club, the Library Foundation, the New Millennium Foundation and the Susan Elizabeth McClendon Scholarship Endowment, to be given to a deserving student in the arts.
NEW STUDIO: Kristin Gerhard, 24, of Los Gatos opened a fitness studio in Sunnyvale a few weeks ago called Lady Circuit, designed for women of all ages. Body strength training and a cardio workout can be accomplished in 30 minutes, Gerhard promises.
PLUM TREE: Plum Tree Care Center on Samaritan Drive hosted an open house recently to celebrate its grand reopening with tours, food and music.
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By Mary Ann Cook