MUSICAL STARS: Ensconced at The Terraces in Los Gatos are two musical theater stars of the '40s and '50s. They are the husband and wife team of Helena Bliss, 85, and John Tyers, 88. She sang the lead in Song of Norway on Broadway from 1944 to 1946 and then performed that show in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
John held a lot of swashbuckling roles, such as in Vagabond King, and appeared in Broadway shows such as Inside U.S.A. and Can Can. He also sang at the Met in Die Fledermaus. The two starred together on Broadway in 1947 in Gypsy Lady.
Helena also played the lead in several New York City Opera productions in the '40s and in 1951 starred in Kiss Me, Kate in London, her favorite role. Later she performed in road shows such as Pal Joey and Wonderful Town. The Tyers have a second home in Espanola near Santa Fe and make periodic trips there.
SOUTH AMERICAN TRAVELERS: Kathy and Joe Cusick were recent presenters at the Friends of the Los Gatos Public Library's Friday Forum, recounting their travels with Elderhostel—educational journeys as well as adventurous ones.
However, the Cusicks' most recent trip was not Elderhostel-sponsored but a cruise that described a U around South America, starting in Lima and finishing up in Buenos Aires. The tour took in the sights in Peru and Chile, the Falklands and Argentina.
One of the highlights for Joe was cruising the fjords in Tierra del Fuego with 200-foot glaciers coming right down to the water. Using small boats, the travelers could get fairly close to Pius XI, a large tidewater glacier. The glacier is named for the pope who worked for peace between World War I and World War II.
For Kathy, a highlight was the penguin preserve in Argentina. "That was fabulous, walking in among thousands of penguins." The west side of South America is very Hispanic, reports Joe; the east side more European, what with large population influxes from Italy and Germany over the past two centuries.
The Cusicks found Buenos Aires very sophisticated and enjoyed the nightlife there. Their ship: Radisson's Seven Seas Navigator, with 350 sightseers aboard.
POETS READ: Parthenia Hicks of Los Gatos and Mary Lou Taylor of Saratoga are two of the poets who will be reading from their works published in the latest issues of The Montserrat Review. The reading will be April 5, 7 p.m., at the Divine Science Community Center, 1540 Hicks Ave., San Jose.
The sixth and seventh issues of The Montserrat Review will be released simultaneously. The double issues were inspired by the number of strong poetry pieces submitted, said editor Calder Lowe.
SILICON VALLEY CHARITY BALL: The Silicon Valley Charity Ball has ceased its elaborate dine-and-dance format this year and is issuing a simple plea for funds without frou-frou. Donors are asked to submit directly to the foundation the amount of money they would normally spend.
The address is Silicon Valley Charity Ball Foundation, 1922 The Alameda, Suite 209, San Jose, 95126. The phone is 408.260.0594. The need this year is greater than ever, say organizers, and the ball's demise does not mean the foundation's demise.
Nonprofits targeted to receive funds this year are the Emergency Housing Consortium, InnVision, Loaves and Fishes, Next Door Solutions for Violence, RAFT, RotaCare Bay Area Inc., SAVE, and Meals on Wheels. Over the past 16 years the ball has raised $10 million for local nonprofits.
SMALL WORLD TIME: You can't get away from Los Gatans even when you're thousands of miles away from Los Gatos. While walking the beach on the Big Island of western Hawaii near the Four Seasons, I asked directions from a passerby and then heard my name called out questioningly.
Turned out to be Joe and Joanne Rodgers, vacationing nearby. We rendezvoused later at a friend's gated vacation home. Trouble was, the gate was so high tech and temperamental none of us could figure it out, despite repeated instructions and our Silicon Valley backgrounds.
TEATIME: The American Association of University Women Committee on Homeless Women and Children presents its fundraising tea on April 5, 2 to 4 p.m., at Sacred Heart Church in Saratoga. Doors open at 12:45 p.m. for the silent auction action. Tickets are $25 and the contact number is 408.867.0108.
ALUM ALERT: Sandy Spafford Moore—Los Gatos High School class of '63 and president of the LGHS Alumni Association—is urging all alums to set aside the weekend of Sept. 1921 for a gala 115th anniversary celebration for the school. To submit a change of address or notice of classmates who have died, contact Moore at 408.354.1512 or at The Tutoring Company, 160 Los GatosSaratoga Road.
BEAUTY WATCH: The Los Gatos Beautification Committee is urging residents to keep an eye out for beautiful spots nestled in Los Gatos—gardens, display windows, roadside plantings. If you see something that warrants recognition, call Shirley Henderson of the Antiquarian at 408.354.7878. She's the B.C. lookout.
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By Mary Ann Cook