TRAFFIC SAFETY: Daves Avenue School has a vigorous traffic safety campaign under way that is gaining more and more advocates. In the Walking Buddies program, students are encouraged to walk, cycle, scooter or carpool to school with the hope that the practice will become a habit.
On a designated day each month participants are added up, and the tally this month showed 71 percent of the school participating, "exceeding anyone's expectations," said parent enthusiast Grace Fleming. The best record was racked up by Jayne Clark's third- and fourth-graders at 100 percent—for both the past two months.
Nancy Ringsted's fifth-graders have an enviable record, too—93 percent. Those high rankings are recognized at a Friday flag-raising ceremony, with a policeman handing out the awards. One parent, Donna Fox, bicycles 1.5 miles each day with four children.
Her 1-year-old rides in a baby seat on mother's bike. Her kindergarten-age daughter and second-grade son ride their own bicycles, accompanied by the son's friend. Others instrumental in promoting the program are Carol Braham, coordinator for the Contest Day, and Principal Susan von Felten.
Two safety assemblies have been led by police officer Dave Fishback, and newly painted lines have helped ease drop-offs at the Poppy Lane parking lot.
CRAFTY CATHRYN: Los Gatan Cathryn Yoshimoto's porcelain work will be on display at the Celebration of Craftswomen show Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason, San Francisco.
Yoshimoto creates clay vases, bowls and platters, all hand-thrown with crystalline glazes and bronzing.
IN ON TIME: Here's a remodeling company dedicated to getting the work done on time and on budget. Timeline Design is a Los Gatos remodeling company that has been named the 22nd fastest-growing private business in Silicon Valley by the San Jose Business Journal.
CEO Matthew Harrigan started Timeline Design in 1990 and registered $2.4 million in sales last year. It's in the top 1 percent of remodeling companies in the United States. The secrets of its success include flowcharts and constant communication with clients.
Because the company provides design and construction services, budgets can be more realistic, Harrigan feels. He was named regional contractor of the year in '99 by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and was the local chapter's president. Timeline Design has won six national design awards.
LOOKING FOR A FRIEND: A woman called the Friends of the Los Gatos Public Library message line recently and said she was new in town and looking for a friend. She was Spanish-speaking and her English halting, so the Friends' representative who answered the phone, Kathy Smith, searched for an appropriate answer.
She called Pam at the Los GatosSaratoga Department of Community Education and Recreation, who promised to find the woman a Spanish speaker who might well become a friend. If the word Friends is part of your title, you'd better be ready to live up to that calling is the Los Gatos Friends line of thinking.
WARM BLANKETS, COLD STRAYS: Is there someone at the Eureka building who collects blankets for stray animals? If so, Virginia Halmos of the Meadows would like to donate some warm covers for the cause. Her email is gyomber@juno.com.
GOURMET ALERT: A question for those gourmets out there who may be whipping up purple potatoes for Thanksgiving: How do you know where the rotten places are in the purple spud, since the color is much the same? It's a tricky call, dealing with the latest in the culinary canon.
SUCCESS STORY: The Loma Prieta Education Foundation (LBEF) raised an impressive $40,000 at its fall fundraiser, held at Patti and Bill Hughes' mountain home. That amount was a 43 percent jump from last year's efforts. Lydia Dobyns, LPEF president, credited the success to 200 volunteers and 400 auction donations.
She called it 1,350 individual acts of kindness: "The outpouring of support was phenomenal." This money, added to the $43,000 brought in by the pledge drive, will produce a record total for LPEF and bring them ever closer to the $100,000 that is their goal for the school year.
In other school foundation news, the Los Gatos High School New Millennium Foundation will hold a $50-a-head fundraiser at the grand opening of Kuleto Restaurant in the brand-new Hotel Los Gatos on Dec. 3, 5:30 to 9 p.m.
CITING SITES: Gaining repeated praise for their decorating work these days are two Los Gatos businesses on either side of town. One is Del's (Del Martinez) Antiques at 6 University Ave., where the red flowers in planter boxes complement the lush, red velvet decorations in the window.
The other is Miller's Floors in the Nob Hill Shopping Center on the east side of town. In the window there kitsch and fairy tales hold forth: wildlife proffering rug samples, plus Betty Boop antique dolls. The display changes monthly. The owners are Ray and Edila Lewis.
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By Mary Ann Cook