From Sobrato to SVACA, it was an interesting year for Los Gatos and Monte Sereno.

The town council meetings went live on the KCAT cable channel; Music in the Plaza became Music in the Park with a move from the town plaza to the civic center; and the Los Gatos Community Foundation threw a big bash in Oak Meadow Park for the unveiling of the Lyndon Bandstand, topped by the Lyndon cupola.

The high school is getting a new pool, and the fundraising efforts for the Theater Improvement Project began in hopes of improving the facility at the school. The "Alive ... and Loving Life" program got up and running following a townwide workshop that addressed issues facing youths, and local resident Robin Flury started a campaign against high school teacher Erin Schwartz's posting of a picture on her classroom wall of the American flag being burned.

There were some changes in leadership around Los Gatos and Monte Sereno. After a year of leading the town, Mayor Sandy Decker moved back to her role as councilwoman as she passed the gavel on to Vice Mayor Steve Glickman. Moments after he became Mayor Glickman, the council selected fellow member Mike Wasserman as the new vice mayor. In Monte Sereno, David Baxter passed the mayor's title on to Erin Garner and Curtis Wright was named the vice mayor.

— Dick Sparrer

January

For the most part, downtown merchants reported decreases to their bottom line for the holiday season, despite marketing efforts by the town and the Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce to lure in people. Reasons cited for the decrease ranged from heavy rainstorms to a shortened holiday shopping season and a down economy.

Despite a majority support from neighbors, the Los Gatos Planning Commission denied Wedgewood Avenue resident Mark Medalie's request for a variance to keep two illegal carport canopies up on his driveway. Medalie had erected them to prevent errant golf balls from the nearby La Rinconada Country Club from hitting his cars. The commission, which normally approves variance requests only in unique situations, noted that golf balls were also landing on the properties of Medalie's neighbors. Rather than approve the variance, the commission called for a review of the country club's conditional-use permit.

Two Los Gatos High School graduates became heroes when they pulled a woman out of her car minutes before the overturned vehicle exploded. The two students, Josh Inmn, 18, and Nick Russell, 19, were driving to Colorado when the car in front of them ran off Highway 108 near the Twain Harte exit and rolled down a hillside. The teenagers later learned from police that the woman they had pulled to safety would survive.

Forrest Avenue property owner Dory Marhamat convinced the town in a 3-2 vote to allow him to demolish a home and replace it with two condominiums, thus reversing the decision of the planning commission. The plans were to build two-story condominiums on 9,500 square feet of land. As a condition of approval, Marhamat was required to plant trees on the southeast corner of the lot to screen the occupant of the condominium from the adjacent neighbor.

A Los Gatos Union School District board member, Tom O'Donnell, retired from the board after 22 years of service. The district's future building site at Raymond J. Fisher Middle School was named in O'Donnell's honor.

The Los Gatos Town Council passed an emergency resolution stating it would join other cities in urging the state Legislature to reject Gov. Gray Davis' proposal to shift vehicle license fee revenues away from municipal governments. Reports indicated that a state takeaway of VLF revenues would reduce the town's general fund by 7 percent and potentially threaten its level of police, fire, emergency medical and health-care services. A financial analysis conducted by the town suggested that the governor's proposed budget would cause the town to lose more than half a million dollars for the 2002­03 fiscal year and more than $1.1 million for the 2003­04 year.

February

The former Ferrari of Los Gatos auto dealership cut ties with its distributor and changed its name to Bentley of Silicon Valley. Owner Marc Chase promised customers that the business would continue to maintain its inventory of used Ferraris, service such vehicles and deliver back-ordered new Ferraris, though it would not take orders for new Ferraris.

The Los Gatos Town Council went live for the first time with the airing of its meeting on KCAT, Community Access Channel 15. Plans to broadcast the meetings to the 10,000 households in Los Gatos and Monte Sereno with access to the cable station had been going on for two years prior. The agreement with KCAT called for live broadcasts, plus reruns as the station's program schedule permitted. The television station provides the town with two free copies of each taping, which individuals can check out from the Los Gatos Library.

The Theater Improvement Project at Los Gatos High School began, under the direction of Diana Pleasant, the school's performing arts chairwoman. The new improvements, estimated at between $1 million and $2 million, would fund upgrades such as deepening the orchestra pit, updating sound and lighting, replacing seats and constructing an entry lobby. With those changes, Pleasant said she envisioned the theater as a facility to serve the entire Los Gatos community.

The community learned that County Superior Court Judge William Danser had written a letter to the Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department in an attempt to get two parking tickets issued to his personal vehicle dismissed. Danser had submitted the order on official letterhead and had requested the dismissals after the allowable time for appeals had expired. Following that news, community members praised police Chief Scott Seaman for not honoring that request—a decision that the police chief said he made because the department was "directed to do something that wasn't proper." At the same time, Danser himself said, "I don't think what's happened is [Seaman's] fault. If anything, it's my fault. I take full responsibility for it."

Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn, D-Saratoga, announced her intention to run for the state Senate and represent District 15, which includes a small part of Santa Clara County. Health-care affordability and accessibility, funding for K­12 education and addressing domestic violence are key issues for Cohn.

While the state was not expected to announce its budget for several months, the Los Gatos Union School District had to make funding decisions based on those unknown figures regardless. At a district board meeting, staff proposed program and personnel cuts for the 2003­04 fiscal year. School districts statewide faced a March deadline to give employees a "pink slip," or notification that they may not be rehired the following school year. LGUSD had to make its program and staff cuts based on budgetary assumptions. And according to Linda Latasa, assistant superintendent of business for the district, Gov. Gray Davis proposed to cut state-funded school programs anywhere from 3.66 percent to 10.82 percent.

Los Gatos High School held a rally in protest of Gov. Gray Davis' proposed education budget cuts, encouraging students to get involved. Students were urged to write letters to local legislators and remind them that the proposed cuts also impact community colleges.

March

An updated report on Los Gatos' fiscal health suggested a reduction in town revenue of $1.5 million, which forced the town to make across-the-board departmental cuts. Each department was asked to shave 6 percent off its operating budget, but the parks and public works department managed to cut costs by 18 percent due to unfilled vacancies and hiring freezes. Turning to overtime reductions, staff restructuring and perhaps voluntary reduced workweeks and furloughs, the town balanced its budget without dipping into its $3.7 million economic uncertainty reserve fund.

The unanimous decision by the Los Gatos Town Council to permanently relocate Music in the Park to the civic center began making headlines when several people in the community expressed outrage at how the decision was made. Town officials maintained that citizens had the opportunity to speak at several public meetings and that agendas for these meetings were posted. The arts commission, which had recommended to the council that it permanently relocate MIP, said survey findings indicated a preference to keep the concert series at the civic center.

The town of Los Gatos held a community workshop to address the need for better communication between adults and youths and the need to make youth activities more readily available. The four-hour workshop at Los Gatos High School was attended by several hundred kids and adults, who broke off into groups to brainstorm project ideas. The workshop was organized by some 40-odd people who started the "Alive ... and Loving Life" initiative in response to the tragic death of then Los Gatos High senior Eric Quesada, who was killed over Thanksgiving weekend the year before when the drunken teenage driver of the car he was in crashed into a telephone pole off Hicks Road.

Jason Allen Hemmes, 45, was arrested and charged with lewd conduct and sexual battery of a 15-year-old girl for whose soccer team he was the assistant coach. After the news broke, detectives received a call from a woman claiming that her teenage daughter had also received an "inappropriate email" from Hemmes. In subsequent weeks, Hemmes' charges were changed to two counts of child molestation with a 14- or 15-year-old and one count of molestation with a girl under 14 during a church camping trip. The former assistant coach, who was suspended and banned from the Los Gatos United Soccer League, was free after posting $60,000 bail.

The ax fell on teachers of the Los Gatos­Saratoga Joint Union High School District. Eleven teaching positions were cited for elimination from the two high schools in the district, effective in June. In addition, almost two administrative positions were to be cut from the two high school campuses. The district planned to send official termination notices to those staff members by mid-March, as required by law. Many of those to be laid off were temporary personnel.

Representatives from Santa Clara Valley Water District met with Los Gatos residents to discuss a $15 million project to restore an old pipe at Lexington Reservoir. Residents who used the reservoir for recreational sports on a regular basis asked to be notified in advance should the project move forward. And one person suggested allowing students and researchers from San José State University explore the land below the reservoir once it is drained of water.

In a first-ever partnership with Silicon Valley Habitat for Humanity, the town of Los Gatos held a groundbreaking ceremony to commence work on an affordable-housing project on Charles Street. Atobrehan and Frewoini Kelete, who emigrated from Ethiopia, had lived in San Jose and Gilroy before settling in Los Gatos about 15 years ago. In return for agreeing to put in 500 hours toward the actual construction of the house, the Keletes were able to enter into a 30-year interest-free loan. The Keletes were among 40 families who applied for this three-bedroom house.

James "Jim" F. Boccardo, a top attorney, banker, developer and philanthropist, died in his sleep at age 91. Some of his notable accomplishments included handling precedent-setting cases as a trial and personal injury lawyer, contracting with the federal government to produce gun carriages during World War II and providing generously for San José State University, his alma mater. Boccardo also donated a building to a local homeless shelter program.

Joining more than 40 other local governments, the Los Gatos Town Council unanimously passed a resolution to uphold freedom, privacy and the right to due process of individuals. The resolution was in response to the USA Patriot Act II, which would allow the U.S. Justice Department to conduct searches or listen in on individuals with less court oversight and to collect DNA samples from convicted or suspected terrorists.

Impassioned staff and students lobbied for West Valley­Mission Community College District officials to save jobs and programs, but to no avail. The district's board of trustees made the decision to give layoff notices to more than 92 full-time academic staff members and six classified staff members at West Valley College.

Barbara Nesbet—attorney, Monte Sereno City Council member and the city's former mayor—announced her intention to run for the 21st Assembly District seat, currently occupied by Joe Simitian, which will open up in November 2004.

Los Gatos­Monte Sereno police learned that bones found off Los Gatos Creek Trail in 1995 were indeed those of Russell Jordan, a Los Gatos High School student who went missing 21 years ago. Advanced technology allowed the FBI to finally make a positive identification. Since confirming the remains were Jordan's, police have classified the case as a homicide.

April

Following a townwide workshop that addressed issues facing youths, members of the "Alive ... and Loving Life" group continued the momentum by holding topic-specific meetings. The topics were: cops and kids, parents and caring adults, teens and school, youth commission and passion to be alive and loving life.

Los Gatos resident Robin Flury flooded email boxes of Los Gatos High School parents and alumni, trying to garner support against what she believed was an unpatriotic display. She was protesting a photograph of a U.S. flag burning that a teacher put on the wall of her social studies classroom. The teacher, Erin Schwartz, said that the picture was from a peace march that she encountered in San Francisco, and was surrounded by newspaper articles, a graphic of a flag and other war photographs and did not appear to be of a flag being burned.

Efforts to show support of U.S. troops fighting overseas became more evident. Vietnam War veteran Dodie Gaines and postal employee Art Guzman teamed up to distribute patriotic pins and bumper stickers. The town of Los Gatos started flying three American flags at the town plaza at the end of March.

A Raymond J. Fisher Middle School student pulled a prank by calling an AT&T operator and reporting a bomb on campus. The operator notified Los Gatos police, who in turned called school administrators. After students and faculty were evacuated from classrooms, police conducted a search and found nothing. The next day, the school principal made a public announcement, asking students for help in locating the prankster. Once the student was identified, administrators took proper action, including doling out a suspension of up to five days.

May

Construction work along Santa Cruz Avenue that called for a partial closure of the street left downtown merchants pleading with town officials to postpone implementing a color-coded parking system until all street work is complete. Merchants testified at a council meeting that the street work, combined with a sagging economy, had devastated their businesses. The plan prohibited someone from moving their car to another parking space within the same colored zone once their time was up for the remainder of the day. In following months, the town council decided to postpone enforcing new colored zones.

A steering committee helped raise most of the funds necessary to demolish the existing, outdated and disintegrating swimming pool at Los Gatos High School and reconstruct a replacement. The total goal was less than the original $2.8 million, due to construction bids being lower than expected. And of that amount, the committee had $75,000 left to raise before construction could begin.

Police arrested Sean Viehweg, 38, as a murder suspect in the case of Russell Jordan, whose 1982 disappearance was finally classified as a homicide in March when authorities confirmed that bones found on Los Gatos Creek Trail were his. Viehweg was flown back to California from Oregon, where he was living with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. Viehweg was apparently a friend of Jordan's in high school. A Bay Area man in the same circle of friends came forward with this information only after authorities identified the remains found on the creek trail.

The Los Gatos Lions Club beat out 53 other groups to be named best club in the district, which encompasses Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. The Los Gatos chapter also won top awards in all other categories. Additionally, Chris Morris, then president of the Los Gatos club, was named Lion of the Year, and other club members were named outstanding Lions by the international organization.

In a move they called a "leap of faith," officials of the West Valley­Mission Community College District voted to rescind the last of the 61 layoff notices that they had sent to full-time faculty in March. The decision was the third time the district board had taken back the pink slips after receiving improved budget numbers from the state and identifying other sources of funding for certain staff positions.

The town of Los Gatos came up with two separate budget plans for the 2003­04 fiscal year. The first reflected a $1.4 million (6 percent) reduction to the town's general fund, with cuts made throughout all departments. To accomplish this, the town eliminated positions that were already vacant and asked employees to voluntarily reduce their work hours. The town also prepared a second budget reflecting an additional $1.1 million reduction. This was in case state takeaway of local government funds turned out to be greater than anticipated, but the town did not have to resort to the more dramatic cuts.

The Los Gatos Town Council approved a proposal to adjust fees for town services. A study comparing the town to other municipalities found that Los Gatos provides more services, but that some fees are also higher. The change in fee schedule consisted of a combination of raising fees to applicants, subsidizing costs and decreasing the level of certain services. The new fees would take effect in July.

The Los Gatos Union School District sent layoff notices to certificated staff, including several teachers and an assistant principal. But in a move that upset some in the community, the district also approved the elimination of classified staff, sending layoff notices to 22 people and reducing the hours of others.

Former Los Gatos soccer coach Jason Hemmes, 45, was taken back into custody and had his original bail revoked when authorities learned that he violated a judge's orders by continuing to communicate with a 15-year-old girl he was suspected of molesting. Hemmes was brought back into custody, and his bail was increased to $500,000.

Akeena Solar owner Barry Cinnamon asked the Los Gatos Planning Commission to allow him to keep the 18 solar panels he had installed on the rooftop of his company without having them screened. The town had approved his request to install solar panels in late 2002, with the condition that all panels be screened. When the town later learned that some of the panels were visible from street level, Cinnamon had to return before the planning commission. Commissioners noted that a simple solution would be to lay the panels flat instead of at a 30-degree angle, but Cinnamon said this would reduce the panel's efficiency by 11 percent. Cinnamon then asked that his panels be screened with additional solar panels, but town officials refused that request as well.

June

The second Leadership Los Gatos class graduated after 10 months of participation in the program. With 22 participants this year, class members rode along in police cars, met with town officials and toured various facilities in Los Gatos to gain a wider perspective of issues confronting the community and areas where they can lend their skills. The graduation ceremony was held at the Toll House Hotel, where San Jose Mercury News columnist Leigh Weimers was the featured speaker.

After about half a year of enforcing the timed limit parking in the downtown olive colored parking zone, the town of Los Gatos decided to make adjustments to the area. Specifically, it removed two 90-minute parking signs on Villa Avenue behind the Soda Works Plaza and increased the time limit along E. Main Street from one hour to two hours.

In a move that Los Gatos officials heralded as the town doing its part to provide affordable housing, representatives of two housing associations decried it as an illegal form of rent control. Forced to update town policies on secondary units to reflect changes in state law, town staff took the opportunity to suggest that all future granny units must be charged at below market price to help meet the state's affordable housing needs. The town council then approved setting new secondary units at 80 percent of the market value, with only Councilwoman Diane McNutt dissenting.

Monte Sereno City Councilwoman Barbara Nesbet's resolution "relating to the protection of civil rights and liberties of Monte Sereno residents" barely squeaked by, with a 3-2 vote in favor of approval. The resolution affirmed fundamental human rights in reaction to the USA Patriot Act, put in place shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

July

The town of Los Gatos was featured in the 2003 Best Small-Business Practices publication for its economic vitality program, along with 27 other cities nationwide. The journal, published once every two years by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Partner America, was presented at a U.S. mayors conference.

The teenage driver responsible for the death of Los Gatos High School senior Eric Quesada was sentenced to finish out a year in juvenile hall, followed by 18 months at a rehabilitation camp. He was also to stay on probation until age 21. The driver admitted to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and drunken driving.

The first Community Emergency Response Team program for Los Gatos and Monte Sereno kicked off with training and hands-on instruction about topics such as disaster preparedness, basic medical aid, light search and rescue and putting out small fires. The program was led by 11 instructors and six administrative support staff members, who volunteered their time and experience to the CERT program. They came from backgrounds as firefighters, search and rescue team members, emergency medical technicians, American Red Cross instructors and Disaster Aid Response Team members.

Teri Hope, founder and owner of the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company since 1982, was chosen by the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce as the first business/professional person of the year award. The coffeehouse is one of the most popular businesses on Main Street.

Two police motorcycles and three police cars crowded the small, normally quiet backyard used as a parking lot for the offices of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, 245 Almendra Ave. Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department vehicles surrounded a rusty white van occupying a stolen automated teller machine. The ATM, containing more than $20,000, was stolen from West Valley College in Saratoga by a male driver, who was taken into custody by authorities.

August

Two Sunset Idea Houses were chosen in Los Gatos, and nearby residents and design addicts flocked to the homes for tours. Although Sunset magazine has worked on 10 Idea Houses since the inception of the program in 1998, this was the first time two neighboring houses were built and decorated simultaneously. To tackle the project, Sunset looked to Mark De Mattei's company, De Mattei Construction Inc. of San Jose, which has worked on several other projects for the magazine.

After convincing the town last year to allow the largest development project in Los Gatos to be built, in August, Sobrato Development Companies wanted to scale back its office buildings while increasing the number of apartment units by 160. Under the new plans, Sobrato will build 295 apartments and 120,000 square feet of office space on its 12.3-acre parcel of land on Winchester Boulevard near Highway 85. With this change, the company would also increase the number of apartments it rents at below market price to low-income tenants.

Known for embracing community activism and consistently throwing open the doors of the hotel she runs to the town, it came as no surprise to many that Toll House Hotel general manager Marie Tallman was named among the "most influential women in business" by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, an award introduced this year.

With no experience in politics, Stephen Knapp, a 31-year-old Los Gatos resident, announced his decision to run for governor of California. Knapp, the son of a former Los Gatos town manager and current Cupertino City Manager David Knapp, admitted he had much to learn about large-scale government, but viewed his lack of a political background as a plus.

Los Gatos resident and assistant soccer coach Jason Allen Hemmes, 45, pled "no contest," which is the equivalent of guilty, to three felony counts of lewd conduct with a minor and one misdemeanor for child molestation. Hemmes was arrested in March after having a relationship with a 15-year-old girl on his team in the Los Gatos United Soccer League.

Ryan Opray, 31, was picked to compete in the CBS television series Survivor. Starting in September, he competed against 15 other castaways in an attempt to survive the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama. Opray, a 1990 graduate of Los Gatos High School, had the chance to win $1 million, but was kicked off midway through the show.

September

Local law enforcement agents destroyed thousands of marijuana plants, conducting three drug busts in the nearby hillsides and other parts of the county. Crews from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with an organization called the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, spent hours walking through dense forestry, destroying thousands of close-to-mature marijuana plants in the secluded hillsides of Saratoga, Los Gatos and the eastern portion of Santa Clara County. The two-day operation yielded a grand total of more than 6,000 plants ranging from 4 to 7 ¹/2 feet in height.

Reforming the public school system, reviving Silicon Valley's economy and refocusing the state government's attention away from partisanship to effective policy-making were the promises of Los Gatos resident Steve Poizner, who announced his intention to run for the state's 21st Assembly District. The district, which encompasses Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, is currently served by Assemblyman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto). Simitian's term will be up in 2004.

After more than a decade of toil, the fruits of the Los Gatos Community Foundation's labor were realized with the Lyndon Bandstand Celebration at Oak Meadow Park. Decked in full Southern regalia, members of the Los Gatos Community Foundation and town of Los Gatos dignitaries joined to honor those who participated in the fundraising, building, and inspiration for the bandstand.

More than 300 volunteers and members of the community participated in a celebration as Silicon Valley Habitat for Humanity handed over the key to a newly built home to a deserving family in Los Gatos. The festivities recognized the efforts poured into building the three-bedroom house at 25 Charles St. by Atobrehan and Frewoini ("Winnie") Kelete, their four children and hundreds of Habitat volunteers. The town blocked off the small residential street that day to accommodate the crowd. The house, which took about six months to build, marks the first Habitat home in Los Gatos. A number of civic organizations and businesses in town contributed money, raised funds or collected items to help furnish the home.

The third annual Los Gatos High School Alumni Reunion Weekend took place, co-hosted by the Los Gatos Alumni Association and the New Millennium Foundation. An alumni football game, a sock hop and a breakfast at the school, along with tours of the campus, were just a few highlights. The main event, though, as always, was the special auction hosted by the New Millennium Foundation at the Opera House. The event raises thousands of dollars each year for the high school, and this year was no exception.

October

The city of Cupertino decided to join Sunnyvale in taking flight, leaving five agencies remaining in the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority to consider whether to stay in the organization. Early cost estimates provided by SVACA suggested that Los Gatos was advised to kick in $286,000 annually for the next 15 years to remain in the organization. According to the town's finance director, Stephen Conway, this would cover the cost of animal field services and the repayment on a 15-year loan for SVACA to build its new animal shelter.

Merchants along Santa Cruz Avenue asked the town council for temporary relief after two years of street work in downtown Los Gatos. Merchants suggested halting work until 2005, at which point construction might resume, with employees working 16 to 24 hours each day. Town staff appeared receptive to the idea, but noted that such a move would not happen without nearby residents being talked to, and that the town council would have the final say in the matter.

More than six years after erecting the first of two carport canopies to prevent his cars from being hit by errant golf balls, Wedgewood Avenue resident Mark Medalie had to take them down for fear that allowing the illegal structures to remain would set a precedent, decided the Los Gatos Town Council.

A moratorium preventing new spas, salons, nail places and other "personal-service" businesses from opening in downtown Los Gatos streets was extended until August of 2004. The extension granted the town additional time to draft regulations regarding personal-service businesses—work that will most likely be done through the general plan committee.

Police released a drawing of a man suspected of trying to assault a woman walking the Los Gatos Creek Trail with her baby and advised trail users to be on the alert. The suspect reportedly jumped out of bushes on the trail just north of Highway 85.

It was a hearing to review plans for a development project, but it looked more like a gathering of soccer fans. In the longest public hearing of the year—lasting four hours—coaches, parents and kids who are enrolled in soccer programs packed the council chamber during a Los Gatos Planning Commission meeting to plea for Sobrato Development Companies to make space for a soccer field.

Santa Clara County Judge William Danser and former Los Gatos police Det. Randy Bishop both pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing justice by allegedly fixing traffic tickets for people they knew. Santa Cruz County Judge William Kelsay set the next hearing for Dec. 15.

West Valley College President Dr. Marchelle Fox, 63, announced plans to retire from her position, effective at the end of the semester, Dec. 31. She left Saratoga to return to her hometown of San Diego. Fox was the first female to lead the 12,500-student campus, and at eight years in the position has the longest tenure.

The same merchants who complained about the seemingly never-ending work to upgrade streets in downtown Los Gatos cheered a recent town council decision to extend the project another year. This was because the extension allows for a one-year stoppage of all work from March 2004 to March 2005, giving merchants a chance to "breathe" and win back customers who fled the construction scene.

November

Police arrested two people suspected of stealing from 37 members of the Saratoga High School marching band when the group performed at Los Gatos High School in September. Anthony Koelenbeek, 20, and Gina Samaripa, 19, were booked on charges of burglary after police found some of the missing items in their San Jose apartment. A sword, a watch, two guitars and some gift cards were among the missing items that police retrieved from the apartment. None of the roughly 20 cell phones reported stolen were recovered.

"Madame Mayor." That's the title that Sandy Decker, 62, wore with pride all year. But she bid adieu to her role as mayor of the town of Los Gatos to hand over the gavel to one of her fellow council members, Steve Glickman.

Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools continued to shine in the educational excellence spotlight, as demonstrated by the results of the 2003 State Academic Performance Index Growth Report. A cornerstone of California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999, the API is a numeric index or scale ranging from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000. Los Gatos High School, standing in 18th place statewide among comprehensive high schools and 25th place overall with an 832, outscored last year's API by 42 points.

Trader Joe's opened at 15466 Los Gatos Blvd., spreading over 8,000 square feet in the location that once housed McWhorter's Stationers. The market is known for its one-of-a-kind items from around the world and for its organic meats and produce.

Newly elected Mayor Steve Glickman and Vice Mayor Mike Wasserman took over the town council's leadership roles with unanimous support from their fellow council members. In his two-minute acceptance speech, Glickman, who was last year's vice mayor, thanked his colleagues for their confidence in him.

Monte Sereno council members selected the new Monte Sereno mayor, former Vice Mayor Erin Garner, in a unanimous choice. And after a lengthy discussion, Councilman Curtis Wright was selected as the vice mayor.

It was announced that $46,373 was raised from auctioning fiberglass feline Art Cats to art lovers at the Lyndon Bandstand Celebration in September. To celebrate the success of the first-ever Los Gatos Art Cat Project, a special reception was held in November to pay tribute to the project's committee members and dole out a portion of the proceeds to benefit local organizations.

December

People like living in the town of Los Gatos. According to results from a resident satisfaction survey conducted in September, 97 percent of residents polled described Los Gatos as a "good" or "excellent" place to live. However, residents also identified the lack of public parking as one of the leading causes of dissatisfaction. Only three other cities of the roughly 50 in California who conducted such surveys earned resident satisfaction rates greater than 90 percent. Of the 97 percent of people who said Los Gatos is a good place to live, 75 percent rated it as "excellent."

Known for his generous heart and sociable demeanor, longtime Los Gatos resident Frank Lazaneo died Dec. 2. He was 75. Lazaneo operated Frank's Los Gatos Market on 26 N. Santa Cruz Ave. for nearly 30 years. Lazaneo also kept up a prominent profile through his involvement with the Los Gatos Lions Club, of which he was a member for 40 years.

Despite continued opposition from residents, the Los Gatos Town Council unanimously voted to approve the Reservoir Road demolition and landfill project. The ruling overturned an earlier decision by the Los Gatos Planning Commission to bar the plan but provided additional guidelines for the development process. Several council members indicated a need to balance residential and merchant concerns with the rights of the San Jose Water Company, the owners of the reservoir property. The water company was also restricted to using 4,000 cubic square feet of landfill. In a second motion, the council members voted 4-1 to allow the water company to subdivide the 2.6-acre plot into four lots, enabling the water company to sell the sections individually.

As 2003 drew to a close, the town of Los Gatos received a sneak peek at what's in store for the upcoming new fiscal year. For the third year in a row, town staff projected a 6 percent ($1.4 million) budget shortfall for the 2004­05 fiscal year—and up to a 14 percent ($3.1 million) shortfall in a worst-case scenario. Since the town had already made cuts in areas that would least impact services to the public in 2003, actions the town will take next year could have more dire effects on citizens. Should the town apply its second, more drastic plan for balancing the budget, up to 10.25 staff positions would be eliminated, and seasonal and other temporary staff would also be reduced next fiscal year.