Los Gatos Weekly-Times
Columns
Ruskin honors 'Wiggsy' as Woman of the Year
By Dick Sparrer
WOMAN OF YEAR: Wiggsy Sivertsen of Los Gatos was named Woman of the Year for the 21st Assembly District in ceremonies in the state capitol last week, nominated by Assemblyman Ira Ruskin. She was honored for her fight for civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks.
By founding a pioneering civil rights organization, working on commissions to prevent domestic violence and counseling students at SJSU, "Wiggsy has made a monumental difference in our community," Ruskin said.
Sivertsen is director of counseling services and a visiting professor in sociology at SJSU. She's worked there 38 years. A graduate of SJSU, she received her master's from Tulane University in social work. Sivertsen has dedicated herself to educating the public about those who are discriminated against and fighting for their rights.
In 1968, this community activist was fired from her job as program coordinator at a community center because she is a lesbian. She was a founder of the elections committee (BAYMEC) that advocates for LGBT people in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
In addition, Sivertsen serves on the Santa Clara County AIDS/KS Foundation board. She is past chairwoman of the county Commission on the Status of Women, and is public relations chairwoman of San Jose's domestic violence committee.
DANCE THROUGH TIME: Indian dance with a Western slant is what Alexandria D'Souza Dance/Music Guild is all about. It's a family affair. Alexandria, 16, and her mother Ruth Alexander are the dancers. Alexander, 7, plays the Indian drum for background music, and father Daniel sometimes serves as emcee.
The group presents one paid and one free concert each month. Unlike other classical Indian dance groups, this one tailors itself to a Western audience, employing Western and gospel music in English to serve as accompaniment, as well as Indian music.
It's a way to bridge the gap between the two cultures. Alexandria is a junior at LGHS and has been training and performing since she was 5. Five years ago she and her mother became professional dancers by graduating from an Arangetram ceremony, which literally means "ascending the stage."
Their presentations run the gamut from classical Indian to Bollywood type dance numbers. Indeed, Dancing Through Time is the title of one of their performance pieces. The family performs for senior groups, churches and schools, waiving their fees for the smaller venues.
The family performed in a Cape Town, South Africa, church at Christmastime to much acclaim.
SPEEDSTER: Dominique "Nikka" van den Dries, a sixth-grader at Harker School, recently began racing bicycles, following a family pattern. Her great-grandfather competed in bicycle racing in the 1908 Olympics. And her dad, Gregory, is an avid amateur cyclist.
She had to earn the money for her road bike--$1,000--which she managed to save up. Nikka placed second the first time she raced competitively at the Cherry Pie Criterium in Napa, with a cherry pie the prize.
The next time out, Nikka won first in junior girls 14-and-under at the Snelling Road Race. This win brought an invitation to the nationals in Pennsylvania this summer.
Nikka trains with her dad through the week and practices every Sunday with the Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club or at the San Jose Velodrome. Laura is her mother and Chloe, 8, younger sister. Nikka is a vegetarian and an environmentalist and wants to become an astronaut.
Somewhere in the family rests a gold medal, but whether it was won by his grandfather in the Olympics or in the World Games, Gregory doesn't know.
DEDICATED: Kelley and Jeff Fredericks are dedicated to raising money for the Arthritis Foundation and awareness of the disease itself. Their daughter Lindsey, 7, has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, diagnosed at age 3, and the Fredericks have been actively involved ever since.
To this end, Kelley, along with four other families, has staged yard sales over the past couple of years, raising $2,100 in the most recent endeavor, nearly twice last year's total. Jeff is on the board of the Arthritis Foundation. The Arthritis Walk is scheduled for May 5 in San Jose's St. James Park, and Lindsey's Playgroup Pals will be walking. To join, the website is www.arthritis.org. Lindsey is in remission now, but her form of the disease is very debilitating and the next siege could hit any time. That's the insidious pattern. Arthritis doesn't attack just the elderly, Kelley reminds us. Other Fredericks are Lauren, 9, and Derek, a student at Chico State.
TOTALLY MOD: Los Gatans Alexandra Karr and Alex Prather and Saratogan Max Venuti are in Thoroughly Modern Millie, playing through March 18 at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts. The theater number is 650.988.8798.
Want to talk? Give me a call at 408.354.3110, ext. 31, or drop me a note to dsparrer@community-newspapers.com.
