There are many factors that combine to make Los Gatos such a special place to live—the quaint downtown, the outstanding schools, the mild climate and the beautiful setting, just to name a few.
But it's much more than just the environment that makes Los Gatos so special—it's the people, too. And town dignitaries proved it once again over the July 4th weekend.
While many residents were taking advantage of the long weekend to get out of town for a few days, local leaders stuck around to participate in a couple of events that contribute to the unique character that is Los Gatos.
Sandy Decker could have taken off for a mini-vacation, but instead the mayor stayed in town to participate in the Los Gatos Town Follies on Thursday night and to preside over the Fourth of July celebration on Friday. Vice Mayor Steve Glickman and Councilmen Mike Wasserman and Joe Pirzynski were here, too, participating in both activities.
The July 4th celebration is one of those events that is so representative of a small town, and Los Gatos does it right. The family event was well attended again this year with activities for young and old alike on the Civic Center lawn and on the front lawn of the high school.
The Town Follies, though, is a new event for Los Gatos. It was the brainchild of Diana Pleasant, the head of the performing arts department at Los Gatos High School. It was her idea to put on a variety show featuring town leaders as a fundraiser for the high school's Theatre Improvement Project. The TIP goal is to raise $600,000 by the year's end to begin needed improvements on what is now Prestiss Brown Auditorium.
So Pleasant and assistant director K.T. Peterson set out to recruit a cast of characters to fill the evening's program, and they turned to those folks with the busiest schedules—the town council and other civic leaders.
There wasn't a large turnout for the Follies. It could have been the poor timing—the eve of the Fourth of July—or it could have been the high price tag for the tickets—$25 to $50.
But while the crowd may have been small, the commitment of those who donated their time and efforts to make the show a success was great. In this town, though, such a display of support should come as no surprise.
From Decker and the council to Los GatosMonte Sereno Police Chief Scott Seaman; from high school Superintendent Cindy Ranii and Principal Trudy McCulloch to teachers Scott Downs and Ralph Aguayo; from Joanne Rodgers, Gayle Countryman Jones and Barry Bakken of the New Millennium Foundation to former Mayor John Lochner ... the list goes on. Everyone was pitching in to make the show, and the fundraiser, a hit. Believe it or not, some of them even had talent!
But talent or not, large crowd or not, big fundraiser or not, the evening was a success—because the spirit that is Los Gatos was there for all to see on that well-used high school stage.
