TRIBAL TALK: Tribal leaders Joe Mondragon and Irene Zwierlein will be featured speakers at a reception at the Forbes Mill History Museum April 27, 14 p.m., to coincide with the Native American display at the museum, on view 'til Aug. 5.
They will focus on the book Bridges Between Two Worlds: The Life of Ascencion Solorsano De Cervantes, written by Mondragon. De Cervantes was a traditional Mutsun Ohlone doctor who was a healer and a living bridge between the two cultures in the Mission San Juan Bautista community.
They will discuss how Native Americans keep their traditions alive amid change and the challenges of living within another culture. They will also describe how they assist at excavation sites to identify Native American artifacts and remains. The impetus for the exhibit was the rediscovery of Native American artifacts in the museum collection.
Local Native Americans were located: both an Apache, Bill Kalogeros, and a Yaqui, Paul Rubio, live in Los Gatos. Mondragon, a Mutsun Ohlone, lives in Pacific Grove; Zwierlein, also Mutsun, lives in Woodside. Ray Darrow, a Miwuk who lives in Monte Sereno, is a photographer and helped research the objects.
Items donated decades ago have been researched and reevaluated in light of the present, and their significance reinterpreted—for instance, how powwows help integrate multi-tribal gatherings and how baskets and other artifacts are concrete expressions of the stories of the people who made them.
The exhibit curator is Jade Bradbury. She and Pat Dunning will briefly discuss the process of mounting "Honoring Our Past, Respecting Our Traditions." Items from private collectors were specially borrowed for the show.
The history museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon4 p.m. Admission is free, but a $1 donation is requested. The phone number is 408.395.7375.
REAL LIFE ECHOES REEL LIFE: If you watch the BBC program As Time Goes By you may appreciate this item. Gay Hayward Arnott and George Payne were Los Gatos High School sweethearts circa the World War II years. Then George went off to military school in the East, and Gay wanted to travel after college so took a job with the State Department.
Their paths diverged, obviously. He was given a newspaper in Carson City, Nev., as a graduation present. Meanwhile, Gay married an RAF pilot, Donald Arnott, who ultimately retired as a brigadier general. During that career, they lived all over the world, most recently in Cypress. She, now widowed, is a pianist for the Cypress and visiting ballet companies.
Fast forward to Gay, back in town last year for a visit, being reintroduced to George by mutual friend Bunty Libante. The Hayward-Payne spark is reignited, and they've been in touch ever since—or, as much in touch as anyone can be when one lives in Cypress and one in Los Gatos.
The Hayward name may be familiar to old-timers, since Gay's father, Charles Hayward, was musical director for both the high school and elementary schools in the '40s.
George's father, also George Payne, was well-known, too. He held the title of racing commissioner, among other posts. The family home on Glen Una was called Hook of Holland, and it was used during the war years to provide R & R for servicemen.
The present George Payne worked at U.S. Steel and Lockheed after his Nevada newspaper days, moved back here in '63, retired, and has been widowed for a number of years.
BLOOMING BEAUTY: The town's beautification committee cited these businesses for their outstanding spring floral bounty: Del Martinez's Del's Antiques; The Tutoring Place, owned by Pearl Rosenthal; and Beth Smith's Cornerstone Shopping Center at Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill.
Others commended were Campo di Bocce, owned by Tom Albanese; Out of the Envelope, owned by Karen Williams; Diane Ogilvie's Hotel Los Gatos; Courtside; Willow Street Pizza; Purrsnickety; Michael McBride's Sweet Peas; and Shirley Henderson's Antiquarium for her window display.
COMMUNITY CONCERT: Renowned pianist Luba Sindler performs classical favorites at 2:30 p.m. April 27 at the Los Gatos High School auditorium. Tickets are $20, $5 for students. For more information, call Ray Strong at 408.377.1106.
PREMIERE: The premiere of Monte Serenan Lee Actor's Symphony No. 1 will be presented April 26 at 8 p.m. at Gunn High School's Spangenberg Theater in Palo Alto by the Palo Alto Philharmonic Orchestra. Tickets will be available at the door or at www.paphil.com.
The symphony is written in the grand tradition in three movements. Actor describes it as lyrical but with a modern flavor. Also on the program: violinist Livia Sohn performs The Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch, and sections from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, performed by the orchestra.
GLOSSY: Dustin Wallace of Portfolio Salon has won the national competition Project Glossy for the second year in a row. His work was published in the April magazine put out by contest sponsor Goldwell Haircoloring Systems. Kerry Sherhart is the owner of Portfolio.
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By Mary Ann Cook