YACHTSMEN: Bill Turpin of Los Gatos won second overall in the four-day Big Boat series at St. Francis Yacht Club. In day one of the series, he and his yacht, Alta Vita, won a first and a second and tied for first overall in points. His boat is in the Transpac 52 class, and this is the first time the Transpacs have raced as a one-design class.
With new sails, new tuning and the stalwart crew of Jay Crum, Jeff Thorpe, Ian Klitza and Ty Pyne, plus sailmaker Fuzz Foster, Turpin was primed to eclipse his competitors. Sy Kleiman of Saratoga raced his boat, Swiftsure II, to a fourth place in the series, racing in the Americap II Class A category.
ON THEIR TOES: Three Los Gatos youngsters will perform in the Moscow Ballet production of The Great Russian Nutcracker at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. The chosen three are Rose Hage, 10, of Loma Prieta Elementary, Hannah Hage, 12, of C.T. English, and Emily Dobey, 10, of Loma Prieta Independent Home School.
Moscow Ballet soloist Svetlana Todinova did the selecting. The production, a Russian take on the ballet classic, features 50 Russian artists, 300 costumes and sets inspired by traditional Russian art. The company is visiting 75 cities for the production. Tickets are available by calling TicketMaster at 408.998.8497 or the box office at 831.420.5260.
SCUMBAG ADDENDUM: The SCUMBAGS, the winning Murphys Grape Stomp team, have their own cheerleaders: the La De Dahs, red-hatted ladies of "un certain age," as the French would say. Scum sponsor Bruce Ricks of Rick's Realty Services in Murphys enlisted the Red Hat Society's support.
This is the second year the Red Hats have urged on the team, wearing handmade cheerleading outfits with an S for SCUMBAGS sewn on the front. Red Hats must all be over 60 to qualify for participation in the organization.
On another SCUMBAG fashion note, Brian Royston stomps in his lucky Teva sandals. Last year he used a new pair because he had misplaced his old, and the team came in second. Fortunately, this year he found the old ones. Kyle Park, team swabber, is the other SCUMBAG, and the name stands for Santa Clara University M.B.A. Graduate.
GOBLIN ALERT: Halloween decorations on houses and businesses in Los Gatos will be judged soon by the ever-watchful eyes of the Chamber of Commerce's Beautification Committee. The ones that frighten the committee the most will be announced here after the judging.
Another item on the committee's plate is the annual Bloomathon on Oct. 27, when spring bulbs are planted in the Santa Cruz Avenue planters and other pockets of town. Volunteers will meet at 1:30 p.m. at Town Plaza Park, in front of the post office.
Sorely needed are those strong enough to wield a pickax. Shirley Henderson (408.354.7878) is the contact.
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN: Chris Tedford and wife Christine Adams Tedford remember the delight they felt as schoolchildren when they were read to by their Van Meter teacher Miss Kath. Now the Tedfords' third-grade daughter Katie is sharing that very same experience.
This time Miss Kath—Karen Kath to be exact—is holding forth at Blossom Hill School. "You can't believe how she reads out loud," Christine had told Katie. "How she inspires the kids to read, just as she inspired us."
Sounds like full-circle time. Next up for the stirring Kath renditions: Jamie Tedford, now a first-grader.
MEMOIR-WRITING CLASS: A memoir-writing class called "Life Stories," held on Mondays, 13 p.m., at the Unitarian Church on Blossom Hill Road, is receiving rave reviews from members. The class is taught by Sheila Dunec (650.324.9937).
Suggested ways to jog memories include: writing in story form about one's birth, describing family recipes and remedies; and tracing one's ancestors' arrival in America.
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE: The new officers of the Assistance League of Los GatosSaratoga are Jan Ehrhardt, president; Sally Burke, secretary; Liz Iverson, vice president, membership; Carole DeSantis, vice president, philanthropy; Kathy Duryea, vice president, fundraising; Linda Krain, chair, education; Kristine Burke, treasurer; Cynthia Snelham, chair, public relations; and Chrystie Desoto, parliamentarian.
The league's good works focus on clothing for needy children, encouragement for hospitalized children and programs for older adults.
SECOND CHANCE: Second Chance Week runs through Oct. 25. Area residents are encouraged to donate slightly used children's and adult sweaters, jackets, coats, wool scarves, mittens, shoes, blankets, sheets, towels and crib sheets to the senior center in the Los Gatos Neighborhood Center, 208 E. Main St., from 9 a.m. to noon. Donations go to InnVision and the Emergency Housing Consortium.
Got a tip? My email is
maryanncook@earthlink.net.
By Mary Ann Cook