Los Gatan 1-18-2023

STATE: TOWN HAS MORE WORK TO DO ON HOUSING DOCUMENT

Los Gatos hopes to approve plan by the end of January

Drew Penner, Reporter

While it wasn’t as scathing as it could have been, the long-awaited review from California's top housing agency found Los Gatos’ Draft Housing Element does not pass muster, as its strides toward addressing the income and racial disparities don’t go far enough.

The Housing and Community Development’s assessment noted Los Gatos stands apart from other Silicon Valley municipalities and said it would require more acknowledgement of the community’s affluence and specific details about how it would help address the housing crisis.

In December, the Town Council voted to make a push to get the Housing Element passed by Jan. 31, 2023, by utilizing the minimum density for calculating residential capacity with the understanding that additional sites may need

FEDERAL MONITOR MOVES COUNTY FROM ’SEVERE’ TO ‘MODERATE’ DROUGHT STATE

Local sources say drought emergency remains in effect

Moore, Reporter

With seemingly constant rain storms pummeling the South Bay so far this winter, a federal drought monitoring program recently downgraded most of Santa Clara County from “Severe” to “Moderate” drought. But local water supply authorities warn that residents and property owners should continue to conserve water and behave as though drought conditions will persist through the winter.

“In spite of the recent rain, Santa Clara County remains in a drought emergency,” Valley ➝ Drought, 8

Michael

STAYING DRY These people brought their own impromptu rain shelter to help them get a better look at the Lexington Reservoir just before it cascaded over into its spillway Jan. 15.

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REPRESENTED BUYER

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VOL.2

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ADVERTISING NOTICE

All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Publisher will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertising are available on an equal opportunity basis.

LOS GATOS DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY

Town anticipates lawsuits; workers clocking overtime

Drew Penner, Reporter

Los Gatos Council held a virtual special meeting that lasted only about 15 minutes on Jan. 10 to ratify a state of emergency declared Jan. 4 by Town Manager Laurel Prevetti.

“This was predicated not only on the weather event—the flooding, downed trees, along with the weather event—but it also coincided with the State and the County both issuing emergency proclamations on that same day,” said Assistant Town Manager Arn Andrews. “Since then, the weather has not subsided—nor its effect. And also on January 8, the Biden Administration directed FEMA to make this a federal case and assign a case number for California.”

Los Gatos will be trying to get reimbursed by the federal government of damages, he added.

Councilmember Rob Moore emphasized that he’s supportive of the emergency declaration.

“Are we anticipating the need to procure additional resources, personnel, that sort of thing?” he asked. “I know part of the reason for this is for the Town to

be able to act quickly, but are there any particular things that we’re anticipating?”

Andrews replied to say Los Gatos would be spending more on tree cleanup contractors.

“We do have existing contracts, but this is probably above and beyond what was anticipated, budgetarily,” he said.

“I also know that, in certain instances, overtime might be an item that can be reimbursable. We have been experiencing significant overtime, both in the public safety and the public works (departments)…In addition we do know that there’s private property damage.”

Even though this land doesn’t belong to the Town, Los Gatos can still factor this into its initial damage assessment for a FEMA claim, he noted.

“And there could be liability associated with the Town—associated with some of that private property damage,” he said. “This is not a carte blanche. FEMA actually only gives procurement outside of normal channels, I’m gonna say roughly (over) a 72-hour period. And then they want all entities to quickly revert back to their normal processes of procedures.”

So far, Los Gatos hasn’t had to take too many extraordinary measures, though.

“We haven’t really had to go outside of our normal process and procedures,”

Andrews said. “We’re using vendors that were already vetted through either an RFP process or a sole-source process. And so, I don’t anticipate anything unusual other than we probably will expend funds above and beyond what we anticipated.”

Prevetti commended Town Staff for their winter season preparations.

“Those efforts are definitely paying off,” she said. “And we’re hoping to have minimal damage in our town.”

But she noted a series of storms still lay ahead.

“There’s a lot of unknowns, in terms of what the final impact will be to our community,” she said. “But having this proclamation and the resolution by the council will position the Town to make sure that we can flexibly obtain the resources that we need as this event continues to unfold.”

Council will receive a report within 60 days about the state of emergency, Andrews said.

Mayor Maria Ristow said she took refuge at the library earlier that day.

“The Town Manager has taken a very strong leadership role here,” she said. “I appreciate the way that you and your entire team have worked together here.

“We are in very good hands.”

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NEW

tives or proposed referendums; investment practices; seeking investment or lack of seeking investment to promote affordability and inclusion; information about redlining/greenlining, restrictive covenants and other discriminatory practices; land use related lawsuits; local land use initiatives; demographic trends, or other information that complements the state and federal data.”

HCD did not make anyone available for an interview with the Los Gatan. However, Megan Kirkeby, the agency’s deputy director of housing policy, sent a statement.

“Numerous legislative changes this cycle—including the obligation to affirmatively further Fair Housing means more than ever,” she said. “Through their housing element, local governments must address the legacy of issues that have brought us to this point in the housing crisis. It’s a long road but a worthy one.”

TOWN TO UPDATE PUBLIC DURING MEETING

Housing, from page 1

to be selected to comply with HCD guidelines.

And on Jan. 11, the Planning Commission made a recommendation to the Town Council to adopt the Housing Element.

The following day, the findings letter from HCD appeared in the Town’s inbox.

Despite the fact that it heaped a bucketload of extra work on their plate in one fell swoop, staff was generally upbeat about the message.

“HCD determined that the Town’s Draft Housing Element addresses many statutory requirements but identified revisions necessary to comply with State Housing Element law,” said Associate Planner Jocelyn Shoopman. “Town staff and the Housing Element Update Consultant are in the process of reviewing and evaluating the letter.”

In the letter, HCD said Los Gatos must go a little more in-depth about regional patterns and trends.

“This is particularly important since the Town appears far different from the rest of the region,” it said. “The analysis should address all components of the assessment of fair hous-

ing (e.g., segregation and integration, disparities in access to opportunity) and should focus on race, income, and overall access to opportunity).”

It went on to ask for fleshed-out information on what the State refers to as Racial Concentration of Affluence as well as incomes in town.

“The element briefly mentions incomes in the Town compared to the region and notes it is safe to speculate the Town has neighborhoods that are RCAAs; however, the entire Town is a RCAA and the element should incorporate this information.”

Under the section titled “Disproportionate Housing Needs, Including Displacement Risk,” HCD said Los Gatos needs to zoom-out a bit when describing housing in the plan.

“The element includes some information on cost burden and overcrowding but should also discuss local patterns of housing conditions,” it reads. “For example, the element should discuss areas of the Town where proportions of housing units needing rehabilitation may be higher than other areas and may utilize local knowledge such as qualitative information from code enforcement staff.”

HCD also keyed-in on the extent to which the draft is in line with the federal Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing program.

“The element must include data on the location of regional housing need allocation (RHNA) sites by income group relative to all fair housing components,” the letter states. “The analysis should address the number of units by income group and location, any isolation of the RHNA by income group, magnitude of the impact on existing concentrations of socio-economic characteristics and discuss how the sites improve fair housing conditions.”

According to HCD, while the element includes some general background on exclusionary practices, the State officials were expecting to find Los Gatos had shared a little bit more.

“It should relate these situations to the Town and complement data and mapping with other relevant factors that contribute to fair housing issues in the Town,” the letter states. “For instance, the element can analyze historical land use; zoning and barriers to housing choices such as past denials of affordable housing, local land use initia-

Joel Paulson, the Town’s community development director, and Jennifer Armer, the planning manager, will meet with the citizen group Democracy Tent Jan. 19 at 7pm at the LG Adult Rec Center on Main St., in an open forum, to provide an update to community members.

Lee Fagot, the group’s moderator reminded prospective attendees about the stakes.

“The Housing Element, which defines sites and densities for a minimum of 1,993 new housing units to be allowed in Town over the next eight years, at various market rates, is to be in compliance with all the state guidance or forfeit local control,” he said. “There has been some concerns expressed by citizens that these numbers and sites are more than three times prior mandates for the Town and will change the character of the Town. And, with maximum build out at all the sites listed, the number of units could be a multiple of the 1,993. Further, with new legislation now in place, failure to get approval for the Town’s Housing Element on time and within the State’s other requirements, such as numbers within certain affordability levels, would allow developers to build units they choose without town approvals, or even their neighbors input and consideration, called ‘Builder’s Remedy,’ as well as facing fines imposed by the State Attorney General.”

Council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption of the Housing Element on Jan. 30, in hopes of just squeaking the document in on deadline. The meeting starts at 7pm.

HOUSING The North 40 development is shown in northern Los Gatos.

LEXINGTON RESERVOIR HITS CAPACITY

Water spokesperson Matt Keller said.

Keller noted that in 2021, the eastern California Sierra mountains saw record snowfall in December, but the following month was the driest January on record. “It is still too early in the wet season to determine if this rain and snow we’ve received will have a lasting impact,” Keller said last week.

Authorities from Valley Water, the water district that supplies water and flood control for Santa Clara County, won’t have a more definite picture of drought conditions and the impact on the water supply until April or May, Keller said.

“There are many factors in determining if we’re still being impacted by the drought, including our local groundwater levels, water use levels,

reservoir levels, reservoir capacity, snowpack, state reservoir levels and imported water allocations from the state and federal governments,” Keller added.

As of Jan. 16, Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos was at 102% of capacity, according to Valley Water data. The water district reported that the reservoir began spilling as designed on Jan. 15, and will continue to do so over the next few days.

The reservoir has not been full since February 2019, according to Valley Water.

On Jan. 3, after more than a year, the U.S. Drought Monitor moved nearly three-quarters of Santa Clara County’s geography from the category “Severe Drought” to “Moderate Drought.” About 26% of the county

is still experiencing Severe drought, while .57% of the county’s area is in the “Extreme Drought” category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor website.

Before Jan. 3, the entirety of Santa Clara County has been in a Severe drought since before January 2021, according to the website.

Moderate drought is characterized by some damage to crops and pastures, as well as low streams and other waterways, says the Drought Monitor website. Severe drought is indicated by likely crop losses, common water shortages and imposed water use restrictions.

The driest category is “Exceptional Drought,” which is currently not seen anywhere in California, according to the Drought Monitor map.

The U.S. Drought Monitor website is found at droughtmonitor.unl.edu. The site is produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

According to precipitation gauge reports on Valley Water’s website, areas of southern Santa Clara County have received from 20-40 inches of rain so far this winter. The average annual rainfall for South County is about 24 inches. The rainy season ends in May each year.

Valley Water declared a flooding emergency earlier this month due to heavy rains. The agency’s board of directors voted to extend the emergency Jan. 10.

Valley Water continues to urge residents, businesses and property owners to continue to conserve water. The agency’s website offers tips and programs to help people cut their water use at valleywater.org/watersavingsorg.

NIKO TSAKIRIS KEEPS ASCENDING

SJ Quakes midfielder

enters second

season

Emanuel Lee, Sports Editor

All of 17 years old, Niko Tsakiris has enjoyed an auspicious start to his professional soccer career.

After Tsakiris signed a Homegrown contract with the San Jose Earthquakes in January 2022, the Saratoga native didn’t waste any time making an impact. Last season, Tsakiris appeared in 10 matches for the Quakes and played for the U.S. under-20 National Team that won the U20 Concacaf Championship last July in Honduras.

The midfielder scored three goals and had an assist in the tournament.

In a 3-2 loss to the rival LA Galaxy last September, Tsakiris made his first-ever MLS start, connecting on 30 of 34 passes attempted, including five into the opposing final third, per Chris Smith of 90min.com.

It was a performance like that and in the Concacaf Championship that has Tsakiris’ stock on the rise. Major League Soccer (MLS) has one of the shortest off-seasons out of any of the major U.S. pro sports leagues, but Tsakiris was able to get refreshed mentally and physically in preparation for his second season.

The 5-foot-7, 154-pounder talked about the state of his development and goals for the upcoming season after a Jan. 12 practice.

“I’m still looking to get my first goal in the league, but it’s a long way,” he said. “We’ve got a long season and hopefully it will come. [Last year] was great. For it to be kind of a first step in my career, I think it was really helpful. And with the group we have a lot of experience on the team which helped me grow as a player each and everyday. So, taking that into this year, [I’m] still developing and I’m still young but just to get more experience this year will be helpful. I think I've matured a lot more now as a person and as a player, and looking forward to the season and how it goes.”

The Quakes play their 2023 season-opener on the road against Atlanta United FC on Feb. 25, followed by

their home-opener March 4 against Vancouver at PayPal Park. Tsakiris is active and moves well off the ball and loves creating opportunities for himself and his teammates as the 10, or an attacking midfielder.

He’s expected to take an expanded role with San Jose this season, but isn’t looking too far ahead.

“You want to take it day by day and don’t want to get ahead of yourself,” he said. “But it would be amazing to get some more minutes this year and play a little more to help the team as much as I can. If I'm part of the plan, great. If not, I’m helping the team as much as I can on and off the field.”

Because of his busy schedule and the start of his pro career, Tsakiris ended up finishing his high school course work through an online program connected to Los Gatos High. Tsakiris played soccer for a recreation team until he was 8 or 9 before making the move to the more competitive club game.

His career and development can only be described as meteoric since that point. Among some of the key points in his journey, Tsakiris played for De Anza Force SC before moving to Florida and joining the IMG Academy at 10. He returned to the Bay Area in 2017 to play for the Quakes Academy.

By late 2021, Tsakiris and San Jose were working on a contract, and things became official in early 2022. Tsakiris was 16 at the time of his signing and the 10th player out of the Quakes Academy to sign with the big club.

Although Tsakiris has yet to get a goal in MLS play, he did score in one of his two appearances in the U.S. Open cup against Bay Cities FC last April. San Jose finished dead last in the Western Conference last season, totaling just 35 points and finishing with a negative-17 goal differential.

Among the 28 teams in the MLS, only one other squad had a worse goal differential and two others had a lower point total. But the Quakes have a new coach in Luchi Gonzalez and optimism tends to run high for most teams before the start of the season.

“It’s been a great couple of days, new change, new faces in staff and in the team,” Tsakiris said. “So it’s been good to see a new way to play. We’re excited for the season for sure.”

ON THE RUN Saratoga native Niko Tsakiris came on strong in his first season with the San Jose Earthquakes last year. The 17-year-old midfielder appeared in 10 matches and also played for the U.S. U20 men’s national team.

ISI Photos

LOS GATOS TAKES CONTROL IN TITLE RACE

Basketball teams both 4-0 in league play

Emanuel Lee, Sports Editor

The Los Gatos High boys and girls basketball teams are in the pole position in their respective quests to win Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division titles. Both teams are off to 4-0 starts in league play and in sole possession of first place. The Wildcats “hosted” a doubleheader against Palo Alto on Jan. 4 in a pair of games that was supposed to be played at Helm Gym. However, due to a power outage at the school because of the recent storms, the contests had to be moved to Saratoga High.

The girls team played first and came away with an impressive 55-44 win, and the boys team followed immediately afterward and looked strong in a 60-41 victory over the Vikings. Palo Alto is a perennial contender to win the De Anza, so any time Los Gatos can beat them, it has implications in deciding which team wins the championship.

The Los Gatos girls trailed 24-19 at halftime before dominating the second half, outscoring Palo Alto 36-20 in the final 16 minutes to win going away. It was a complete team effort as five players scored eight points or more, led by Casey Brennan’s 14 points.

Nicole Steiner and Claire Galbo

scored 10 points each, and Ella Rabitz and Ashley Childers combined for 17 points. The Wildcats made five 3-pointers and did an excellent job of getting to the free throw line, though it only made 14-of-23 (61%) from the charity stripe.

Steiner was dominant on the glass again, collecting 17 of the team’s 29 rebounds. Galbo and Childers combined for 11 rebounds. Even though the win was key, Los Gatos didn’t have time to rest on its laurels because it played Los Altos High the very next night, cruising to a 47-29 win.

Steiner had 24 points and was ultra-efficient, finishing 7 of 9 from the field and 10 of 14 from

the free throw line. However, the best was yet to come. On Martin Luther King Day, Los Gatos won a non-league showdown with Evergreen Valley in a matchup between two of the section’s top teams.

Steiner had 20 points and 19 rebounds, and Childers scored 15 points as the Wildcats showed their second-half dominance yet again, outscoring Evergreen Valley 24-13. They now have two wins over teams that are known for their press in Palo Alto and Evergreen, which bodes well for the rest of the season.

They’re playing with mental toughness and have been strong with the ball. Meanwhile, the Los Gatos boys had a similar jampacked schedule, playing Los Altos two days after the Palo Alto game and then a tough Gunn team on MLK Day. In what can only be described as a statement game, Los Gatos blew out Palo Alto in a contest many thought would come down to the wire.

The Wildcats had other ideas. Max Houghton scored 18 points, Scotty Brennan 16 and Tommy Ankenbrandt and Nolan Koch had nine points each. The Wildcats shot 45% from the field, and anything close to 50% in a high school game is considered excellent.

They also made five 3-pointers and went 17 of 22 from the free throw line. Koch had nine boards and was one of 10 Los Gatos players to grab a rebound as coach Nick Ward was able to play virtually his entire roster.

The Wildcats could’ve suffered a letdown after such a critical win, but they took care of business with resounding wins over Los Altos and Gunn. facing a bigger Gunn Titans squad, Los Gatos nonetheless displayed its superiority and strength in the second half, outscoring them 28-10 to cruise to victory.

Houghton had 16 points and Brennan eight as the duo delivered another dynamic performance. The Wildcats continue to play well in the second half, a testament to their determination, toughness and resilience.

losgatan.com : january 18-24, 2023

losgatan.com : J anuary 18-24, 2023

INTENSITY The Los Gatos High girls basketball team is pumped during a dominant second half that allowed it to pull away for a 55-44 win over Palo Alto High in a key SCVAL De Anza Division game on Jan. 11.

Jonathan Natividad

SUPERVISORS PUSH FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES IN LOMA PRIETA AREA

Staff Report

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently approved a plan aimed at improving emergency response planning and communication in the Loma Prieta area of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a community that straddles the Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County lines.

Earlier, in November, Supervisor Joe Simitian asked for County Administration and the Office of Emergency Management to return with options for updating emergency response plans and improving communication with residents in the Loma Prieta area. His proposal was co-authored by then-Supervisor Mike Wasserman.

“I’ve been visiting, listening, and learning—learning a lot,” Simitian said. “I know the community is concerned about emergency response. I know having two different counties with responsibility for one community complicates matters. Finally, I know it’s never too early to start getting ready for the next emergency, whether earthquake, rain or fire related. Folks in the Loma Prieta community have a long tradition of self-reliance. But wildfires and other disasters are not going away any time soon. We’ve got to work with the community and our partners in Santa Cruz County to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

The new efforts slated for 2023 include:

• Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County will develop a memorandum of understanding on shared responsibilities.

• In the spring, the two counties will organize a joint community outreach event to provide emergency planning information and an overview of potential services during an emergency event.

• In the late spring, the two counties will conduct a joint Emergency Operations Center to Emergency Operations Center tabletop exercise.

• Prior to the start of fire season, fire jurisdictions and law enforcement will meet to discuss unified command, response, evacuations, evacuation routes and mutual aid policies already in place.

• The Santa Clara County and San-

ta Cruz County Sheriff’s Offices will have a joint substation in the new Community Center on the Loma Prieta Joint Union School District campus.

Given all this, Simitian said he wants to make sure that the Center and Sheriff’s substation are “properly equipped with a generator suitable for providing extended power in the event of an emergency.”

A progress report on these efforts will be presented in May to the County’s Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee (HLUET), where Simitian is a member.

“The advent of electric cars and Zoom meetings has heightened the need for emergency power in times of disaster, outages and extreme climate swings,” said Robin Porter, president of the Loma Prieta Community Foundation. “Our elderly and compromised residents depend on heating and cooling stations during these times. The community emergency response plan depends on emergency power generation to be equipped to handle these needs. We look forward to working with Supervisor Simitian and the County Office of Emergency Management to prepare for these needs.”

POLICE BLOTTER

JAN. 8

• A caller reported a man was yelling for at least 20 minutes on Garden Lane and Los Gatos Boulevard at 3:11am.

• A man was arrested for being in possession of a controlled substance on the 14100 block of Winchester Boulevard at 5:23am.

• An unknown suspect damaged a vehicle after attempting to steal it on W. Parr Avenue.

• A man was arrested for battery, disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer on E. Main Street and Alpine Avenue at 4:54pm.

• A man was arrested for inflicting injury on a cohabitant on the 600 block of N. Santa Cruz Avenue at 11:38pm.

JAN. 9

• A vehicle was reported stolen on Viewfield Road.

• A mailbox was reported stolen on Terrace Court.

• A vehicle was broken into but nothing appeared to have been stolen on Viewfield Road.

• A man sleeping in a lobby on Los Gatos Boulevard refused to leave at 1:22pm.

JAN. 10

• Police and fire officials were busy responding to many downed wires calls across Los Gatos.

• A vehicle was reported stolen on Castlewood Drive.

• A woman who had been discharged from an emergency room on Pollard Road reportedly refused to leave at 11:18pm.

JAN. 11

• A man was arrested for contempt of court on the 800 block of W. Parr Avenue at 8:52am.

JAN. 12

• A person called police to report they were upset over “idiot” drivers speeding on Blossom Hill Road and Union Avenue.

• A caller reported a man was wandering through a neighborhood on Old Adobe Road at 4:23pm, swinging a mop handle.

JAN. 13

• Someone stole a vehicle’s license plate on Mozart Way.

• A phone was reported stolen on N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

JAN. 14

• A vehicle was reported stolen on Blossom Hill Road.

• An unknown suspect stole a vehicle’s catalytic converter on La Chiquita Avenue. More catalytic converters were reported stolen later on Oak Rim Court and Tait Avenue.

• Someone stole an “armful” of stuffed animals from a vehicle on Blossom Hill Road.

• A man was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor on the 16300 block of Blossom Hill Road at 8:07pm.

• A woman was arrested for disorderly conduct on the 300 block of N. Santa Cruz Avenue at 8:41pm.

• A man was arrested for being in possession of unlawful paraphernalia on Esther and Rosswood drives at 11:11pm.

Information is compiled from public records released by the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department.

Folks in the Loma Prieta community have a long tradition of self-reliance. But wildfires and other disasters are not going away any time soon.

Joe Simitian

Electronic Explosion

DANCERS Nick “Neumonic”

Neumann, of Santa Cruz County, delivered the breakbeats and bass while members of The Alchemists Temple threw their hearts and souls into corresponding physical movements. Impressively, dozens of people turned out, despite storms continuing to ravage the region.

GET THE PARTY STARTED

Los Gatos resident Dyligent kicked off Friday night at Charley’s LG—and the Late Night Sessions monthly—with his signature brand of pumpin’ booty house that got the crowd bouncing.

Photos by Drew Penner/Los Gatan

COUPLE VISITS Sanjay and Arika Arora, Fremont residents from India, said they were new to the underground electronic music scene but loved what they were hearing.

Charley’s LG welcomes local DJs

CALENDAR

For more events, visit the online calendar at losgatan.com/events-calendar

HIGHWAY 17 WILDLIFE

CROSSING UPDATE

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District will host two community meetings regarding the Highway 17 Wildlife and Trail Crossing Project. The wildlife undercrossing and separate regional multi-use trail overcrossing of Highway 17 is proposed near Lexington Reservoir, south of the Town of Los Gatos. The in-person meeting will be held Jan. 24 at 6pm at the Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center, 208 E. Main St. The virtual meeting is scheduled for Jan. 31 at 6pm.

➝ openspace.org/what-we-do/ projects/highway-17-wildlife-andtrail-crossings.

PENINSULA SYMPHONY

Two-time Grammy nominee and Avery Fisher career grant recipient violinist Jennifer Frautschi will join the Peninsula Symphony on stage, led by guest conductor Lara Webber, at the Heritage Theatre, 1 W. Campbell Ave., on Jan. 21 at 8pm.

➝ peninsulasymphony.org/jennifer.

FANDANGO IN CONCERT

The Los Gatos Concert Association will welcome Fandango on Jan. 22 at 2:30pm at the Los Gatos High School Theatre, 20 High School Court. Fandango performs a mix of Latin, Spanish, Balkan, and classical sounds founded by four multi-award-winning, globe-trotting virtuosi who hail from Spain, France, Bosnia and Taiwan.

➝ lgcca.org.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

The Chinese celebration of Lunar New Year includes lion dance, Tai Chi, Chinese dance, Chinese costume show, children's costume parade, and Shaolin. The event will be held Jan. 29 from 11am to 3pm at 21000 Big Basin Way in Saratoga. Food and beverage will be available for purchase. ➝ bit.ly/3IRyVwd.

MYSTERY LOVER’S BOOK CLUB

The Los Gatos Library’s Mystery Lover’s Book Club meets the first Wednesday of every month. The next meeting is Feb. 1 at 5pm in person and on Zoom. The club will discuss “Ophie's Ghost” by Justina Ireland. ➝ losgatosca.libcal.com/ event/9775155.

TERRA FIRMA ART EXHIBIT

New Museum Los Gatos presents “Terra Firma,” an art exhibition about our relationship to the land, on view through March 19. “Terra Firma,” a group show organized by guest curator Marianne K. McGrath, brings together work by 15 artists, working in diverse media including drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, installation and sound.

➝ numulosgatos.org.

LIVE JAZZ MUSIC

Live jazz performances at the Tasting House, 368 Village Lane, take place Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9pm, and Sundays from 11am-2pm.

ENTERTAINMENT AT GARDINO’S

Gardino’s, 51 N. Santa Cruz Ave., features entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, along with Sunday afternoons.

➝ bit.ly/3OSvPHS.

ONGOING

Los Gatos Farmers Market

The Los Gatos Certified Farmers’ Market offers seasonal fruits and vegetables from Santa Clara County yearround. More than 40 local farmers and food producers sell their wares Sundays from 9am to 1pm at Town Park Plaza on Main Street and N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

➝ cafarmersmkts.com/losgatosfarmers-market.

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LIVES

Sylvia Rucker

February 8, 1943 - January 6, 2023

It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Sylvia Rucker.

Sylvia Bogsch Rucker died peacefully at home in Los Gatos, Ca, January 6, 2023. She was born in Budapest, Hungary, February 8, 1943.

She spent her life spreading warmth, intellect, and beauty through her love, intelligence, and artwork. Her life was broad, joyous, and filled with friends. She was vibrant, vivid, vivacious.

Sylvia was born in Budapest. When she was five, she and her family escaped Hungary’s oppressive regime—crossing the border to Austria in foot. From there they made their way to Paris, where Sylvia acquired her lifelong love of the French language and French culture. And already after her first year in school there, she was at the head of her class.

When Sylvia was eleven, her family immigrated to Washington DC via ocean liner. She learned English, her fourth language, and became a true American teenager. Sylvia and her brother Henry attended the Maret School in DC, and spent a lot of time with pals in Hot Shoppes restaurants.

Sylvia attended Swarthmore College and met Rudy Rucker there. He was to be her husband for 55 years. Sylvia earned a Bachelor’s degree in French literature, and then attended the University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, and Rutgers, earning two Master's degrees, one in teaching, and one in French literature.

Sylvia and Rudy had three beloved children: Georgia, Rudy Jr, and Isabel. The little family lived in New Jersey, New York, Germany, Virginia—and ultimately in Los Gatos, California, where Rudy and Sylvia spent thirty-seven happy years.

Languages were one of Sylvia’s raisons d’être. She spent most of her career teaching French and English as a Second Language at Evergreen Community College in San Jose, Ca. She taught English to thousands of new immigrants and could relate to being new to a country. She said many times that she loved her career and found deep satisfaction in her work. She also expressed her love of linguistics through much reading, writing, and word-play. (She was known to some as the Great White Shark of Scrabble).

Sylvia was an amazing and loving wife. She was a wonderful mother, and overjoyed to have five grandchildren. She loved to be among family and friends, and she had a warm and generous personality. She welcomed new people with friendly questions and a smile.

She appreciated art and beauty and brought her luminous style to all she created. She painted in her early years, and later she took up quilting, creating bold works with masterful color harmonies. She spent many hours at museums with her beloved Rudy, beginning after their very first meeting, on a bus, in 1964. Together they showed this world to their children—who are all artists.

Sylvia loved to travel above all else—visiting Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe, including Hungary, Scandinavia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Italy.

Beach locales also had great appeal: Tonga, Fiji, Grand Turk, Mexico, Rehoboth, Florida, the Outer Banks, and Hawaii. Over the years, Sylvia and Rudy visited nearly every state in the union.

Her chosen sports were hiking and swimming. Sylvia's parents had access to a chalet in Zermatt, and many summers were spent rambling the Alps around the Matterhorn. Indeed, one of the local peaks was known in the family as Sylvia's Mountain. In California, Sylvia liked walking the hills of Los Gatos and the beaches of Santa Cruz. She had moments of glory as a synchronized swimmer at Swarthmore, and loved to swim in the ocean, Lake Geneva, and the waters of Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Her curiosity never ended, even in her final days she wanted to know the details of everyone’s lives. This special attention made everyone feel loved. Her loving, warm, beautiful spirit will be deeply missed by all.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents, Arpad and Pauline Bogsch. She is survived by her husband Rudy and her three children: Georgia Rucker (Courtney Lasseter), Rudy Rucker Jr. (Penelope Thomas), and Isabel Rucker (Justin Archimede). She leaves five grandchildren: Althea, Desmond, Jasper, Zimry, and Calder—and her brother Henry Bogsch and his family.

The funeral will be at noon on Saturday, February 4, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Los Gatos, California.

Follow this link to admire Sylvia's Quilts: http://www.sylviarucker.com

REAL ESTATE

HOME OF THE WEEK

KNOLL-TOP VIEWS

This Los Gatos home on a knoll-top setting features views of the mountains, canyon and lights.

Located at 17255 Soda Springs Road, the 2,103-square-foot home includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a loft area that could be a fourth bedroom or family room.

The kitchen is equipped with granite counters, a center island with builtin oven range, a breakfast bar and vaulted ceiling. The dining area has a

French door that leads to the deck.

The living room is outfitted with hardwood floors. The main bedroom has two mirror door sliding closets with cedar lining.

The home, built in 1981, had its roof replaced and a water heater installed in 2018.

The home is listed at $1.4 million by Compass. For information, visit bit. ly/3B4yPwn.

SODA SPRINGS ROAD This Los Gatos home has 360-degree views of the surroundings.

INSIDE The living room is equipped with hardwood floors.

To advertise call

Serenity Polizzi 408.200.1323 Eric Bocanegra 408.200.1309

Careful

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