Los Gatan 5-24-2023

TOWN DIVES INTO $56.1M BUDGET DISCUSSIONS

Council halts plan to dip into retirement account by adjusting hiring assumptions

Drew Penner, Reporter

In order to avoid dipping into its retirement account to balance the budget, the Los Gatos Town Council resorted to an “accounting gimmick” where they changed their assumptions about how quickly HR can fill empty positions at Town Hall.

The 2023-24 portion of the five-year fiscal plan comes out to $56.1 million, staff said May 16 at the regularly scheduled meeting.

“The delivery of Town services is highly dependent on recruiting and retaining talent which comprises 64.4% of budgeted General Fund expenditures,” staff said in its report. “Given the high dependence on labor for service delivery, the Town has helped manage salary escalation (and benefits) through the maintenance of lower staffing levels.”

Staff proposed to take $1.6 million out of the Town’s Other Post-Employment Benefits account to pay for the retiree medical expenses.

After a bit of discussion, Council agreed to go with the Finance Commission’s recom➝ Council, 6

LOS GATOS BOYS CROWNED

TRACK CHAMPIONS

Aydon Stefanopoulos, Brennan break records at CCS Championship

Emanuel Lee, Sports Editor

Led by a pair of record-breaking performances from Aydon Stefanopoulos and Wil Brennan, the Los Gatos High boys track and field team won the Central Coast Section Championship at Gilroy High on May 20.

It was the second CCS title in program history, the first coming just four years ago in 2019. This time the Wildcats totaled 61 points to best runner-up Serra by 14 points. Brennan, a senior, won the 400-meter run, anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team and was a part of the 4x100 relay squad that finished in fourth place.

➝ Track, 11

road work p4 : wildfire prevention p8 : upcoming events p15 : ny times crossword puzzle p17

SPEED CITY The Los Gatos High boys track and field team won the Central Coast Section Championships for the second time in program history, the first coming in 2019.

Jonathan Natividad

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SUPERVISORS PUSH FOR ROAD REPAIRS AFTER WINTER STORMS

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recently received a comprehensive report from its Department of Roads and Airports on damage to County-maintained roads from the 2022-23 winter storms. The report included the status of repairs, and the status of contingency plans for the subset of County roads that are closed or have one-way stop controls and serve as evacuation routes, including timelines for repairs.

“This winter we were hit by a series of devastating storms,” County Supervisor Joe Simitian said. “The storms hit the unincorporated and mountainous areas of the county particularly hard. Roads were undermined, eroded and covered by landslides, which was challenging—and dangerous—for area residents. The Board has since been working hard with County staff to ensure the Roads Department has the tools it needs, including funding and contracting authority, to repair the roads as quickly as possible.”

In January, 10 sites were damaged

and closed. The County moved quickly to evaluate and repair those roads. Additional storms, however, resulted in there now being at least 20 damaged locations. In some cases, the passable roads are restricted to one lane with stop controls until full repairs can be made.

However, four roads have been completely closed since the February/ March damage occurred and are currently the highest priority for repair. They are:

• Old Santa Cruz Highway. Tentative reopening within 90 days of April 18.

• Bear Creek Road. Tentative reopening within 60 days of April 18.

• Aldercroft Heights Road. Road will be continually assessed for safe interim reopening.

• Clayton Road (East San Jose Foothills). Road will be continually assessed for safe interim reopening.

At the April 18 Board of Supervisors meeting, Simitian urged the Roads Department to consider solutions that can safely re-open Aldercroft Heights

Road and Clayton Road on an interim basis and while the repairs move forward.

“We all want our roads to be in good working order, we owe that to our residents,” Simitian said. “In that spirit, I'll continue to encourage the County staff to find ways to expedite their work and still ensure they meet quality and safety standards. We need to get our roads repaired and reopened. ASAP.”

At its May 16 Board meeting, the Board acted on two follow-up proposals: Direct the Roads Department to transfer $10.4 million from the Department’s rainy-day fund to cover the additional costs of road repairs; and direct County Fire to authorize $250,000 to provide, in partnership with other entities, chipping services along public access areas within the District in order to remove trees and branches which have fallen to the ground and pose a fire risk.

Members of the public can receive updates on road closures at countyroads.sccgov.org/roads-traffic-info/ road-closures.

Staff Report

ROAD REPAIR Work is underway to repair Bear Creek Road in Los Gatos that was damaged by the storms that hammered the region earlier this year.

Courtesy of Santa Clara County Roads and Airports Department

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COUNCIL OK’S VACANCY RATE

mendation to add a vacancy rate of 4.6% “to more realistically forecast expected personnel expenses,” which freed up enough to avoid raiding the retirement kitty.

There’s $37.8 million in spending proposed in the first year of the Capital Improvement Program, however this includes $27.6 million in carryover dollars from last year, and just $10.1 million in new funding.

The elephant in the room was that, as the pandemic begins to fade into memory, Los Gatos continues to deal with economic pain.

“The loss of previously projected future growth in revenues in conjunction with increasing expenses continues to illustrate persistent deficits in future years,” is how Town Manager Laurel Prevetti put it in her May 11 report. “The deficits are on the order of approximately $2.8-$4 million per year and can currently be resolved through a combination of expenditure controls and the use of one-time funds.”

Prevetti says the budget positions the organization for continued “excellence in service delivery” for community members.

“However, in the event pre-pandemic revenue growth projections do not return and/or new revenue sources are not identified, the current projected deficits may need to be addressed through service delivery reductions or service outsourcing,” she wrote. “If this occurs, the Council will need continued input from the community to identify acceptable organizational changes and service levels.”

Councilmember Matthew Hudes asked Prevetti how well the Town has been doing in becoming more efficient, which was a direction from Council from last year.

Prevetti said staff has been doing a great job of streamlining operations, but added that hasn’t been adding capacity,

because more work keeps falling onto the shoulders of local officials, including due to unfunded State mandates.

Hudes made the motion to accept the new vacancy rate. It passed 3-2 with Mayor Maria Ristow and Councilmember Rob Moore in opposition.

Moore requested that several Los Gatos commissions receive a small discretionary budget, in order to show support for the work they do.

Prevetti noted the Youth Commission and the Arts Commission both have some of that kind of funding already.

“We would just need to know what the dollar amount that you're interested in (is),” she said.

Moore was ready with his numbers— having calculated that empowering Los Gatos’ “project-based” agencies with $2,500 each would only cost the Town around $10,000 a year.

Rennie seconded the motion, noting it wouldn’t throw the budget into the red again, since doing the vacancy rate financial maneuver was expected to create $1.66 million.

However the Town only had to find $1.6 million to cover the OPEB pension, meaning it still had $60,000 remaining.

“He used 10 of it,” Rennie said. “I don’t see a problem.”

Ristow asked staff if that was an accurate assessment.

Finance Director Gitta Ungvari confirmed that to be the case.

“OK, let’s not go on a feeding frenzy on the rest,” Ristow added.

This motion passed unanimously.

Vice Mayor Mary Badame asked whether Council should be concerned about the low balance in the liability insurance pot.

Town Attorney Gabrielle Whelan said it’s an area the Town is monitoring.

“I will say that the Town’s insurance costs have risen quite a bit,” she said. “In fact they’ve tripled.”

She added that the Town is also factoring in storm damage claims that could come in as people pick up the pieces from the atmospheric rivers that hammered the region over the winter.

“My concern is that we might not have any fund balances in fiscal 2025,” Badame said. “That would be alarming.”

Ungvari said the premiums went up not necessarily because of anything Los Gatos did, but because of claims filed from across the pool of policy holders.

“This program should be self-recovery,” she said. “In the future that means we will have to charge more for the user…so we have to increase the rates.”

Council, from page 1

BUDGET TALKS Town officials are searching for ways to increase revenues in order to avoid service reductions.

Drew Penner/Los Gatan

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MOUNTAINS OFFER TESTING GROUND FOR NEW WILDFIRE PREVENTION PHILOSOPHY

Silicon Valley developing tools to assist with vegetation management

Drew Penner, Reporter

While meeting in the scorching heat at Trinity Bible Church in Felton on a recent Friday afternoon, a group was awaiting a tour of Fall Creek where they’d receive a history lesson about the complex interplay between tan oaks, Douglas fir and coast redwoods over the centuries—and about the technology that could guide their growth in the years to come.

Joe Christy, founder and president of the Bonny Doon Fire Safe Council, was eager to see the results of a fuel break project launched in 2017 and carried out by inmates. Now, a higher-tech version is underway on the landscape, which was scorched by the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.

“I want to see what it looks like now,” he said.

This was just one of several nature outings organized as part of the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force’s first Central Coast meeting, to help attendees get a better

grasp of the problems they’re trying to tackle.

This particular tour would provide a prime example of the complex interplay that’s sprung up between the worlds of environmentalism, industry, federal oversight, state directives and municipal priorities.

Foresters are being tapped by government to manicure, at-scale, millions of acres of dense, sprawling forest across California to ward off wildfire.

Environmentalists want to preserve the ecology, but some have come to believe that in an era where the CZU Fire—along with the state’s other fires that year—released as many greenhouse gasses as the total emission reductions in California since 2003 (per a UCLA/University of Chicago study in the journal Environmental Pollution), sometimes cutting down a tree can do as much to protect the atmosphere as planting one.

And State Parks is happy to see technological improvements and grants from nonprofits focused in some areas, so it can deploy its troops to other, more critical, pins on the map. For example, Parks wouldn’t have picked the Fall Creek truck trail as its top priority.

But because the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County has been managing the new fuel break project, it’s allowed Parks workers to fan out across the county to carry out other work, including burning about 1,000 piles of brush.

Tim Hyland, senior environmental scientist at California State Parks, says it’s “heartbreaking” when you have to rip out growth to ward off fire, but adds that recent regeneration hints at good things to come for the latest vegetation management push.

“That makes me think that this is going to look even better,” he said, as his pickup wound its way up the mountain. It turns out it’s cheaper to “treat” a landscape using heavy equipment than it is to pay a crew of laborers. On this plot, Markit! Forestry Management brought one particular machine because its rubber wheels can navigate the steep and uneven terrain, while other track-based vehicles likely would’ve gotten bogged down.

Because there’s already a road inplace, and the ridgeline provides a slope that machine operators can handle, it makes sense to dispatch heavy equipment here to grind up logs and get rid

of unnecessary flammable material, so State Parks can concentrate its efforts elsewhere, says Bradley G. Christiansen, VP of operations for Markit!.

“We’re better off doing areas like this,” he says. “Your dollars go further.”

Angie Richman, the RCD’s forest health program specialist, agrees.

“The price was pretty reasonable,” she says, noting the crews treat about 5-6 acres a day and nesting surveys, paid for by State Parks, are carried out once a week.

Make no mistake, this is precision work.

Unlink the slash-and-burn monoculture approach of years gone by, here arborists assess whether trees should be allowed to continue to lean (for example, if they’re unlikely to fall on the trail), and biologists advise on the perimeter to leave in place around a clump of tall trees to encourage birds to return.

Hyland says they have yet to identify any marbled murrelet by sight or sound. But he’s hopeful that will change soon.

Christiansen says in order to accomplish the dual goals of increased wildfire hardening and more agile understory control, they’ve partnered with Earth Force Technologies.

The San Francisco start-up is supported by around $10 million in seed funding including from Alley Robotics Ventures, Bold Capital Partners and GETTY, a private equity firm.

It’s testing equipment here in the hills above the main San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District tri-campus that looks quite similar to what you might’ve seen on the top of a self-driving vehicle in San Francisco.

Justin Dawe, the company’s CEO, says inventing new tech to help keep people safe from wildfire is personal. After all, his aunt and uncle live down the hill in Ben Lomond. The CZU fire crept within a mile of their home.

And their vice president of operations, Rikard Grunnan—who was also on the tour—owns 20 acres of private forest land nearby. He was at self-driving car company Waymo until last year, but says the 2020 fires were a real wake-up call that inspired him to throw his lot in with Earth Force.

The company’s gear, which includes LIDAR, a GPS tracker and camera equipment, has already come in handy, says Christiansen.

In one case they were alerted to an operator that had accidentally veered into land owned by another forestry company, and were able to correct course before causing too much damage.

Another time, they’d been having trouble wrangling a payment from Cal

NEW TECHNOLOGIES Justin Dawe (left), CEO of Earth Force Technologies, leads a tour of a forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains recently.

Drew Penner/Los Gatan

Information is compiled from public records released by the Los Gatos-

Department.

• Someone smashed the window of a vehicle parked on Los Gatos Boulevard and stole a laptop and other items from inside.

• An unknown suspect stole merchandise from a store on Los Gatos Boulevard.

• A man on a hoverboard was reportedly knocking on doors on Forest Hill Drive at 12:07pm.

Monte Sereno Police

TAKEUCHI IS A HIGH FLYER

LGHS senior lands at U of A

Emanuel Lee, Sports Editor

The last month and a half can only be described as a whirlwind for Los Gatos High senior Sophie Takeuchi. In early April, she was considering three great options for college: Clemson, Penn State and a university in Paris, France. That’s when an opportunity of a lifetime came in the form of a tryout with the University of Arizona competitive cheerleading team.

Takeuchi jumped make that flew for the chance to earn a spot on the team. From April 28-30, Arizona held tryouts for the 2023-2024 season and Takeuchi passed with flying colors. Like all sports, cheerleading has positions and Takeuchi happens to be a flyer.

That means she is one of the few cheerleaders who gets lifted and thrown during various stunts in a routine. Flyers are typically smaller than the other positions and have to perform acrobatic flips and twists in the air, and because of that garner a lot of the crowd’s attention.

They also have to trust in their bases and spotters to catch and protect them, which gives them the confidence to perform their moves without hesitation. That dynamic is why Takeuchi loved her time on the Los Gatos sideline cheer and competitive teams her senior year.

“One thing I love about cheer is you have to trust your team and the community you’re in,” she said. “Having that much trust in each other makes you so close to them and makes you best friends [because of everything that’s involved within the sport].”

Takeuchi’s Arizona tryout consisted of two parts spread out over two days. The first portion, a grueling five-hour affair, tested her athleticism and skills, including jumps,

stunts and tumbling. Takeuchi had to learn the Arizona fight song and perform a dance routine in front of a panel of judges.

After passing that round, Takeuchi

came back the next day for a series of interviews. Later that same night, April 30, Takeuchi received an email notifying her she had made the team. Overjoyed and excited, Takeu -

chi didn’t wait long to commit to the program, having already toured the Tucson campus.

“I really loved the college when I toured it and I love warm weather so to have summer [basically] yearround is going to be nice,” she said.

Takeuchi credited Los Gatos cheer coach Cecelia Alvarado for jump-starting the process of her landing at U of A. Alvarado recommended Takeuchi to contact the U of A cheer coaches in the first week of April, and by the end of the month, she had gone through tryouts, passed them and committed to the program.

“My coach knew I wanted to cheer in college and she told me about their program,” Takeuchi said. “I liked the school and had committed to the University of Arizona already, so I was really excited when I got the opportunity just to go and try out for them.”

The clincher was Arizona offered her major of physical therapy, which was paramount.

“I was really excited about that because my undergraduate [degree and work] matters a lot for me,” she said.

Takeuchi has a dance and gymnastics background but said “cheering wasn’t my thing” until she started taking cheer classes in middle school.

“I did classes at all star gyms but I wasn’t on all star teams,” she said. “I just wanted to try it out and had done other sports before, but none of them really stuck.”

She took to the sport quickly and made an immediate impact in her freshman season only to have Covid wipe out a big chunk of her sophomore and junior high school season.

Takeuchi said the highlight of her senior season came last September when Los Gatos’ competitive cheer squad won all of its divisions and categories in one of the first meets of the year in Fresno.

“A teammate and I got to compete in a separate portion of the competition where we got to show our jumping and tumbling skills, and both of us got the jump and tumble awards,” she said. “It was the first competition back from Covid so we were all really excited to be there.”

STANDOUT Los Gatos High senior Sophie Takeuchi has earned a spot to compete on the University of Arizona competitive cheer team after an intense, two-day tryout on the U of A campus.

Submitted

Stefanopoulos, the sophomore distance ace, won the 3200 and took second in the 1600, putting on a show in the process.

Not only did Stefanopoulos unleash a devastating kick in both races passing a handful of runners on the back stretch he broke some of the oldest school records as well. Paul Cox held the previous Los Gatos record in the 1600 from 1981, and Scott LaForce previously held the record in the 3200, which was set in 1986.

Stefanopoulos nailed a big PR in the 3200, finishing in 9:00.33. Positioning himself in fourth or fifth near the back of the lead pack for the first six laps of the race, Stefanopoulos started to pick up the pace with 450 meters to go and made his big move with one lap remaining, picking runners off one by one in what can only be described as a devastating kick.

It seemingly came out of nowhere, though it was his strategy all along. It was an impressive performance considering it came roughly an hour after he had used a similar strategy, passing three runners on the final lap, to take second in the 1600 in a PR of 4:10.66.

TEAM HEADS TO STATE MEET

coach, so it was a really good moment and an experience I’ll never forget.”

Brennan and Stefanopoulos are headed to Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High for the CIF State Championships May 26-27. They’ll be joined in Clovis by several other teammates, including the rest of the 4x400 team of Brady Kamali, Jake Bohane and Levi Romero, who finished second to Brennan in the open 400 to qualify for State in that event as well.

The Los Gatos girls also had a standout meet, led by sophomore Nicole Steiner, who finished second in the shot put with a mark of 40 feet, 7 inches. Hannah Slover, the defending state champion in the high jump, also is headed to Clovis after clearing 5-5, the at-large qualifying mark.

Slover did it on her third and final attempt, a performance that doesn’t look impressive on the surface but upon deeper introspection deserves plaudits. That’s because Slover who has a PR of 5-8 has been hindered this season by a left ankle injury she suffered during basketball season.

“At the beginning of [basketball] season, we were getting in such good shape and I was grabbing rim and was

ready [for the upcoming track and field season],” she said. “Then I got a pretty bad sprain, and it’s my sixth one on this [left] ankle, and there’s a little tear in there. So it’s been a really tough season coming back from that, and definitely has limited me in my ability. But I'm really glad I could make it happen and glad to be on the bus to state this year.”

Nicole Steiner also qualified for State for the second straight year after finishing second in the shot put, continuing her rapid ascent in the event. Brennan, a senior, improved on his own school record in the 400, finishing in 48.02 seconds.

“I’m confident in my kick, I leave it to the kick,” Stefanopoulos said. “I go as slow as I can for the first few laps and the last lap, if you’re within 10 meters of me, I’m going to catch you. I know I don’t have the most endurance of everyone here, so I let them take the wind and I usually outkick them within the last lap.”

Indeed, Slover overcame adversity to qualify for State for the second year in a row. A UC-Santa Barbara-signee for Division I volleyball, Slover surprised even herself last season after winning a coveted State championship in her first year of track and field competition at the high school level.

“It felt amazing,” she said. “I never went into that season thinking I was capable of that or that was going to be the outcome of the season, but I progressed really quickly and kept improving throughout the season. I jumped 5-8 at Arcadia which was a super, super exciting experience just being there around all the other good jumpers and it kind of let me know, ‘Wow, I can actually do this.’ And at the state meet my whole family was there, my grandpa is my

A productive wide receiver on the football team last fall, Brennan took the race out well and incrementally pulled away to the point where by the time he hit the final straightaway, it was clear no one was going to catch him.

“I wanted to build throughout the race, really push in the first 100 because last week [in the CCS Semis] I didn’t run a great time because I didn’t really push hard at the beginning. So it feels really good to get out there and run the race that I really thought I could run.”

Brennan was on a mission after taking second last year in the 400.

“My goal at the beginning of the year was to win this race,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling. This is a feeling you literally chase all year, this is the meet we’ve been working toward all year.”

And going 1-2 with his close friend Romero?

“It’s awesome,” Brennan said. “Our goal was to go 1-2 at CCS and we made it happen.”

After the 1600, Stefanopoulos said he was expecting to go around 9:05 in the 3200. Well, he went a lot faster in an event he was competing in for just the second time this season. Stefanopoulos said he “knows” he can go 4:07 in the mile at State and sub-9 in the two mile.

Stefanopoulos felt so great after the 3200 which is the last individual event in the CCS Finals before the closing 4x400 relays that he said he was ready to run another race.

Is he in peak condition?

“No, not yet,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard for it this year, but I know I can do more.”

Another great story has been Romero, who is in just his second year of competing in the sport and has made the fastest gains of any of the top CCS runners in the mid-distance events from last year to this year.

Also a football standout, Romero is headed to Cal Poly for track, a remark-

Track, from page 1 ➝ Track, 13

SWIFT SQUAD Los Gatos High senior Wil Brennan anchors the boys 4x400 relay team to a dominating victory in the Central Coast Section Championships May 20 at Gilroy High.

Jonathan Natividad

LOCAL SCENE

SILICON VALLEY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DECREASES TO 2.8%

The unemployment rate in Silicon Valley decreased month-to-month to 2.8% in April for the first time in 2023, following a slight increase from mid-February to mid-March, according to analysis by Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies.

The unemployment rate in the region is at its lowest since December of 2022, when it sat at 2.3%. Overall employment in the region decreased by more than 16,300 workers, while the number of unemployed persons decreased by more than 4,000.

The total labor force in Silicon Valley decreased by more than 20,500 from mid-March to mid-April, the largest month-to-month decrease since the period from March 2020 to April 2020, when it decreased by 55,100 individuals. The total labor force in the region is back down to the level last seen in January of this year (1.5 million) and includes almost 76,200 more individuals than the pandemic low of just under 1.42 million in April 2021.

Overall, employers added just over 21,000 workers between April 2022 and April 2023. The total number of unemployed workers in the region in mid-March was nearly 134,900 lower than the peak (170,000) in April 2020. Total employment in the region is up by 184,200 since April 2020, which reflected the initial job losses associated with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Overall, job growth is plus-14.5% over the last 36 months, or three years. The unemployment rate in Silicon Valley in January was just over 0.4 percentage points higher than it was a year before (April 2022), and 9.4 percentage points lower than April 2020.

The analysis follows the May 19 release from the California Employment Development Department.

“The unemployment rate in Silicon Valley has declined for the first time since November to December of last year, stopping the steady increases month-to-month that were experienced over the first quarter of 2023,”

said Ryan Young, research manager for BW Research, and an affiliated researcher at the institute. “Leisure and Hospitality experienced healthy growth once again, and is now just 8,900 jobs below pre-pandemic levels, which is remarkable as the initial deficit was more than 125,000 during the early stages of the pandemic.”

AUTHOR TO DISCUSS PLANT-BASED DIET

The Plant-Based Advocates Speaker Series continues June 1 from 5-6pm at the Los Gatos Library, 100 Villa Ave. Rachael Brown will discuss her new book, “For Fork’s Sake: A Quick Guide to Healing Yourself and the Planet

Through a Plant-Based Diet.” After being diagnosed with high cholesterol in her late 20s, Brown started exploring the science of nutrition. After eating plant-based for 17 days, her cholesterol dropped 50 points. The event is free to attend.

FESTIVAL CELEBRATING DIVERSITY COMING TO LOS GATOS

AWỌ’s Huemanity Festival will take place at Congregation Shir Hadash, 20 Cherry Blossom Lane in Los Gatos, on June 4 from noon to 7pm. The youth-led festival will offer workshops and interactive celebrations for all ages.

Through music and collective storytelling, the Huemanity Festival aims to bring community members together to recognize their similarities while understanding—and celebrating—their differences.

AWỌ focuses on self-understanding and community kinship across color, class and culture. Organizers hope to expand their commitment to inclusion and representation this year by also addressing the needs of youth with special needs, and encourage their families to join in the celebration.

Scheduled workshops include music therapy, drumming and dance, indigenous bead making, necklace making and other arts-based options. The event will also feature a DJ and magic show, as well as food and drinks.

AWỌ’ is a social justice nonprofit that uses public education and awareness, supported with the arts and culture to bring people together to share, learn and engage with one another to improve self-understanding. ➝ awocenter.org/huemankindfest.

SECHEN GRADUATES FROM HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE

Daniela Sechen of Los Gatos received a bachelor of science degree from Harvey Mudd College on May 14. Sechen completed a joint major in computer science and mathematics and graduated with high distinction and departmental honors in computer science. Sechen attended Westmont High School.

Harvey Mudd College is the liberal arts college specializing in science, engineering and mathematics in Claremont.

LOS GATOS RESIDENT COMPLETES INTENSIVE RESEARCH PROJECT

Alison Gilmour of Los Gatos, a member of the class of 2024 majoring in Interactive Media and Game Development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed

SCIENCE OF NUTRITION Rachael Brown will discuss her new book, “For Fork’s Sake: A Quick Guide to Healing Yourself and the Planet Through a Plant-Based Diet,” at the Los Gatos Library on June 1.

Contribauted

an intense research project titled “Disconnection in the Games Community at WPI.”

At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology that addresses an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of students complete a project at one of the university's 50-plus off-campus project centers, which are located around the world.

A signature element of the undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people's lives.

“The WPI project-based curriculum's focus on global studies brings students out of the classroom and their comfort zones and into the global community to apply their knowledge and to solve problems,” said Professor Kent Rissmiller, professor of Integrative & Global Studies and associate dean of The Global School. “Students are immersed in all aspects of a different culture, from the way people live and work to the values they hold to the foods they eat—all valuable perspectives for surviving and thriving in today's global marketplace. They also learn the meaning and magic of teamwork; make a real and meaningful difference in their host community; and gain a competitive edge for any resume, or graduate or professional school application.”

Local student participates in Boston production

Emerson College student Callie Mayer of Los Gatos participated in the production of “Jelly's Last Jam” on March 31 at the Semel Theater in Boston, Mass.

The musical featured an all-Black cast, which was important to the director and co-executive producer Jasmine Hawkins, and music director and co-executive producer McKennen Campbell.

Written by George C. Wolfe in 1991, “Jelly's Last Jam” follows the story of jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton. The performace begins with a recently deceased Jelly Roll who is conjured by a mysterious being named “Chimney Man” to relive his life. The story shares the joy, celebration, and contributions Black people have given to art.

Mayer is majoring in Theatre and Performance and is a member of the Class of 2026.

Los Gatans recognized by Belmont University

Two Los Gatos residents achieved Dean’s List recognition at Belmont University for the Spring 2023 semester.

They are:

• Henry Beamish

• Sophia Ramacciotti

Eligibility is based on a minimum course load of 12 hours and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.

Belmont University is located in Nashville, Tenn.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

Track, from page 11

able ascent given his top time last year in the 400 was 51.17. However, a year of experience under his belt combined with a great off-season training program with Brennan made the close friends that much faster.

After clocking 50.47 in the season-opening meet this year, Romero went sub-50 every single meet after that, including a PR of 48.20 in the CCS Top 8 Invite at Los Gatos High on April 21. Accordingly, Romero was all smiles after he and Brennan went 1-2 in the CCS Finals.

“I was honored to be here and being able to run this race,” Romero said. “Wil and I put in the work and training constantly, and it’s always been our

dream to be at the highest level and we’re doing great so far. Just a lot of hard work and pushing myself more than my body could take very often, and competing with great teammates.”

Other notable performances came from junior Matthew Gladney, whose remarkable junior season ended with a 14.95 in the 110 hurdles. Talk about ending the year on a torrid streak: Gladney nailed a PR in six of his final eight races.

Kamali cleared 6-1 in the high jump, good for sixth place. Sophie Tau capped a notable running career at Los Gatos with a sixth-place finish in the girls 1600, her 5:00.13 representing her third fastest time ever.

ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGE AUGMENTS SPRING COLOR

Tony Tomeo, Contributor

Spring bloom is the most colorful color in the garden here. It is not the only color, though. Some deciduous foliage will provide color at the opposite end of the year. Bark can add a bit of color, particularly while deciduous trees defoliate for winter. So can colorful fruit. Furthermore, ornamental foliage, both deciduous and evergreen, can contribute color.

Ornamental foliage is not the same as deciduous foliage that is colorful only for autumn. The distinction is that it is colorful from the beginning. Generally, it is most colorful while fresh during spring. If both deciduous and colorful for autumn, it changes from one color scheme to another. If evergreen, it may remain more or less colorful throughout the year.

Ornamental foliage of this sort displays various colors and patterns. Variant colors might be yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, pink, bronze, white or gray. They can be variegation such as stripes, margins, blotches, spots, patterns or blushes. Alternatively, they can be monochromatic. Most fade to some degree during the warm and dry weather of summer.

ADDING COLOR Variegation contrasts nicely with darker foliage.

The colors of ornamental foliage are not as vibrant as floral color. They are not intended to attract pollinators.

In fact, most of such color serves no practical purpose. Blue, gray or white foliage mostly originates from high altitudes or harsh desert climates. It reflects a bit of excessive sunlight to avert scorch. Most other ornamental foliage is mere mutation.

In the wild, such mutant foliage is

TECH COMPANIES EYE FORESTRY

Wildfire, from page 8

Fire, who had been questioning if they’d performed the work they were supposed to, until they turned over data collected via the Earth Force platform, he added.

Experts say Silicon Valley has turned its attention to forestry because it’s an industry that hasn’t seen the efficiency gains of other sectors.

Through a fellowship program, Google has even lent out multiple engineers—who attended the task force conference—to help develop a data visualization app meant to be used to streamline planning efforts.

Lisa Lurie, the RCD’s executive director, says the tool could prove useful in helping prioritize various tasks.

“We participated in some early focus groups,” she says, of the software, which is now moving into beta version.

Also represented at the task force gathering was Land Tender, the forest health-focused initial software offering from Vibrant Planet, the Tahoe company backed by former Netflix chief product officer Neil Hunt, Facebook Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and Halogen Ventures. State Parks officials say efficiency is welcome.

generally a disadvantage. White portions of variegated leaves contain less chlorophyll. Consequently, they can not photosynthesize as much as green portions. Such foliage only perpetuates unnaturally within cultivation because it is appealing. Some mutant ornamental foliage can revert to more vigorous greener growth.

Ornamental foliage can be annual, perennial or woody. New Zealand flax,

For example, Hyland told the tour group he can get a burn permit for a regular old brush pile “tomorrow,” but as soon as he brings in a fancy aeration burner—which is cleaner and much safer—getting the paperwork sorted out becomes a nightmare.

Christiansen says he understands Hyland’s frustration. He had one of those box burners and couldn’t even find a buyer for it.

In an interview following the previous day’s all-day workshop at the Cocoanut Grove, down at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Patrick Wright, director of the governor’s Wildfire Task Force, explains removing red tape is one of the reasons they convened the different players.

“If we’re going to tackle the forest

canna, coleus and caladium are the most variably colorful. Coprosma and various pittosporum are a bit more limited. Euonymus, hosta and ivy display white or yellow variegation. Smoke tree, redbud and some maples are surprisingly diverse. Agave blue spruce and some junipers can contribute gray and blue. There are too many options to mention.

Highlight: tree houseleek

This must be one of the sillier horticultural names. Tree houseleek, Aeonium arboreum, is neither a tree nor related to leeks. The biggest cultivars can not stand much more than three feet tall. Above that, their succulent foliage gets too heavy for their fleshy stems and fine roots. They perform well as houseplants only within very sunny situations.

Formerly common tree houseleek, with simple green foliage, is not so common anymore. Almost all popular modern cultivars are variegated or bronzed, with wide foliar rosettes. Variegation ranges from bright lemony yellow to creamy white. Bronze ranges from light brown to very darkly purplish. Foliar rosettes are about four to eight inches wide.

Plumply conical trusses of tiny yellow or chartreuse flowers bloom for spring. They are neither numerous nor brightly colorful, but are weirdly interesting. Fresh spring foliage is most colorful and lush. It can fade and partially shed during arid summer weather. New plants propagate very easily from dragging stems or cuttings of pruning scraps.

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

health crisis, it’s gotta be a collaborative effort,” he says. “We’re not going to be able to scale-up unless we work together.”

Task force co-chair Jennifer Eberlien, a regional forester with the National Forest Service, was riding high after a day of presentations and idea-sharing. But just because she’s optimistic, doesn’t mean the path forward isn’t daunting.

“Our vision is to at least get a million acres treated by 2025 and keep that going,” she says. “You’re prepping that landscape to have fire naturally return.”

The Santa Cruz County get-together was all about solving problems, according to Eberlien.

“We’re here to make lives better,” she said. “We’re here to make the land better.”

LIVE OAK ADULT DAY SERVICES REOPENING

On June 1, the reopening reception of the Live Oak Adult Day Services will be held from 4-6pm, with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mayor Maria Ristow at 5pm. The reception, with light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, will be at the Live Oak Los Gatos site, 111 Church St. in Los Gatos.

BLOOD DRIVE

The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Robin Sedgwick and Don Knight of Coldwell Banker Realty, and Stanford Blood Center, is holding a blood drive outside its office, 10 Station Way, on June 2 from 10am to 3pm.

➝ sbcdonor.org/donor/schedules/ drive_schedule/12233.

‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE’ SCREENING BENEFIT

The Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation will host an evening at the CineLux Los Gatos Theatre on July 19 for the premier showing of the new movie “Mission: Impossible.” It will start at 7pm and the cost will be a $50 donation to the Veterans Foundation.

➝ bit.ly/4183sMr.

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.

Campbell Farmers Market

The Downtown Campbell Farmers Market is held Sundays, rain or shine, from 9am to 1pm.

➝ uvfm.org/campbell-sundays.

The Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos

The club meets the first three Thursdays of the month at noon at Double D's, 354 N. Santa Cruz Ave. First two Thursdays of the month feature guest speakers.

➝ lgkiwanisgives.org.

Rotary Club of Los Gatos

The Rotary Club of Los Gatos meets Tuesdays from noon to 1:30pm at Shir Hadash Synagogue, 20 Cherry Blossom Lane. For information, visit losgatosrotary.org.

The Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club

The Club meets every Wednesday morning 7:30-8:30am at Los Gatos Lodge, 50 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road. Program includes featured guest speakers.

Los Gatos Lions Club

The Los Gatos Lions Club meets every Wednesday. A breakfast meeting is held at Moore Buick, 15500 Los Gatos Blvd., at 8am and a noon meeting at Los Gatos Lodge, 50 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road, with a guest speaker. The club has been active since 1946.

Friends of Los Gatos Library Bookstore

The Friends of Los Gatos Library Bookstore is open Wednesday through Sunday from 1-6pm at the library, 110 E. Main St. For information, email friendsoflglib@aol.com.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Town Council

The Los Gatos Town Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7pm. For information, visit losgatosca.gov/16/Town-Council.

Planning Commission

The Los Gatos Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm.

➝ losgatosca.gov/189/PlanningCommission.

Santa Clara County Supervisors

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors meets virtually on Tuesdays at 9am.

➝ bit.ly/3oy2Zmq.

Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

The board meets every other Tuesday at 5pm.

➝ bit.ly/3DaJRi9.

Los Gatos Union School District Board of Trustees

The board meets monthly at either 6:30pm or 4pm.

➝ bit.ly/3oywlRA.

Other Town commissions

The Town of Los Gatos has various committees that serve as advisory bodies for the Town Council.

➝ losgatosca.gov/12/BoardsCommissions-Committees.

GIVE BLOOD The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce is holding a blood drive on June 2.

SUMMIT VIEWS

This Los Gatos home features an elevated setting with mountain views. Located at 24061 Summit Woods Drive, the 2,963-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The home includes redwood interior doors throughout, as well as large windows and vaulted ceilings. The living room is equipped with a wood-burning fireplace, while the

family room has its own gas fireplace with access to a private patio. The three-car garage has an electric vehicle charging station. Also on the nearly one-acre property is a 768-square-foot workshop/barn.

The home, built in 1969, is listed at $2,150,000 by Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno. For information, visit bit.ly/41N4blG.

SUMMIT WOODS This Los Gatos home is surrounded by mountain views.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM IN LOS GATOS

The team that launched the original Los Gatos Weekly has come together once again to give the town the quality of journalism it needs. News about local people, school sports and vital community issues will fill the pages of thislocal publication –and a live web site. Los Gatos deserves real reporting.

Moms, Dads, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncles, Aunts, Brothers & Sisters

Is Someone You Love Graduating In 2023?

Tell your 2023 grad just how proud you are of their accomplishment with a keepsake graduation ad & photo. They will treasure this for a lifetime.

We will run a 1/8 page color ad that includes their graduation photo in Los Gatan’s June 7 Graduation edition.

Cost is $89

Just email us the following information at Serenity@weeklys.com:

1. Graduate’s name & school graduating from

2. Photo (graduation photo or cute family photo of the graduate)

3. Text/Salutation (up to 22 max number of words)

4. Don’t forget to include the names of those extending their good wishes.

5. Please include your name, address & phone number so Serenity Polizzi can call you to confirm how you want the ad to look.

Once we recieve your email Serenity will then contact you to go over the information to refine it for you.

If you have any questions on this, please don’t hesitate to email us your contact phone number at Serenity@weeklys.com, as well.