Bingman, former LGHS band director, is an accomplished photographer who travels with camera, seeking wildlife as she goes. Miller is an award-winning acrylic painter. Oversized vegetables moving off the canvas are one of her signature series.

Performing are club members Edie Mathews and Susan Zerwek, and the Los Lupenos dancers, with original Latin music by Nancy Deussen. A silent auction and a raffle are part of the action. Cost is $30.

Reservations can be made through ShaRon Haugen, 4156 Snowbank Court, San Jose, 95135. The phone is 408.238.2340. She's the group's president.

UP & DOWN THE SCALES: The sounds of guitarist Scott Whitney can be heard over the airwaves as performer and composer. But now he can be viewed on TV, not playing a note. Instead, he discusses his weight with KPIX hostess Malou Nablu, part of "Evening Magazine's Get Fit with Malou."

Whitney usually shows up the fourth Wednesday of each month, with his next appearance Jan. 21, 7 p.m. This Channel 5 segment tracks the weight loss of four contestants over a year, and Whitney was one of the four, winnowed down from a whopping 800 applicants.

So, how did he get the nod? His comic touches, for one. When he teased the hostess on one of the audition days—he said he guessed she weighed about as much as his thigh. "Naming myself FatDad helped me stand out."

He also mentioned that he used his stomach as a resting place for the TV remote, which, though convenient, was "a clear sign something needed to be done." Also, the show was seeking "an everyday kinda guy that folks could relate to," he conjectures, someone not terribly overweight.

Whitney's goal is 30 pounds and he's already lost 16. The day of final reckoning is in October. "Prior to the show, my eating habits were no breakfast, late lunch, large dinner, then grazing the rest of the evening. Exercise consisted of walking to the refrigerator during the grazing portion of the evening."

Those habits have been drastically revised, needless to say. Breakfast is now mandatory, with a milkshake snack late morning, reasonably sized lunch and dinner, no grazing. Since 24 Hour Fitness is one of the sponsors of the segment, part of the agreement is to work with a personal trainer three days a week, work alone two more days.

Whitney uses the fitness center on Camden off Leigh. The Whitneys—including wife Melissa and teenagers Heather and Savannah—moved here in 2001. Scott, a full-time musician, says that the vibe of LG is solidly behind artists. He's sold more than 34,500 CDs to people in nearly every state in the union, and they always seem impressed when Los Gatos is mentioned.

FOR THOSE WITH ADD: Los Gatos psychologist Mark Steinberg has co-authored a new book called ADD: The 20-Hour Solution. The book was written to help those with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder understand the condition and their options.

The Steinberg solution is to use an EEG, a machine that measures brainwaves, to help patients reprogram electrical patterns in the brain. The machine generates a neurological feedback that helps patients learn to control their mental and emotional states, according to Steinberg.

The process takes about 20 hours, spread over half-hour sessions. ADD patients have imbalances and inconsistencies in the brain and nervous system that result in lack of concentration. They can't sort out and effectively deal with different stimuli, such as excitement, inhibition, and relaxation.

Thus, ADD and ADHD sufferers have trouble focusing and behaving appropriately. Hyperactivity, distractibility, anger, mood swings, and destructive behavior are greatly reduced or eliminated with EEG treatment, Steinberg says.

The book reveals how and why neurofeedback works, what parents can do and how to find help. Steinberg has appeared nationally on TV and radio. His phone is 408.356.1002 and his website is www.marksteinberg.com.

PENNY SALE: The first annual Old Fashioned Penny Sale sponsored by Live Oak Senior Nutrition will be Jan. 29, 11:30 a.m.­1:30 p.m., in the Methodist Church Social Hall. Lunch reservations are required 24 hours in advance—at 408.354.0707. Cost is $2 for those over 60, $5 for others.

Tickets for prizes are one cent each, purchased at the door. Bidders place tickets in containers in front of the prize wanted. Donations for the sale (no clothing) will be accepted until Jan. 26. Live Oak celebrates 30 years in Los Gatos; Deborah Kranefuss is director.

Got a tip for Main Street? Send email to maryanncook@earthlink.net.