Los Gatan June 21 2023

ROWING CLUB

WRAPS UP BIG SEASON WITH SUCCESSFUL COMPETITION

Four boats earn medals at Nationals

Emanuel Lee, Sports Editor

The best kept secret in the local sports scene occurs daily on the Lexington Boathouse and Reservoir, 15 minutes from downtown Los Gatos.

That’s the home base of the Los Gatos Rowing Club, which offers programs for all ages but is known for its outstanding high school talent. LGRC and its Club Varsity High School program had one of its most successful seasons ever in the recently completed 2022-2023 school year, qualifying eight boats to the top A-level finals— four of which came away with medals—at the Youth National Championships June 8-11 in Sarasota, Fla.

“It was a great weekend overall for our club,” LGRC Director Jaime Velez said. “I thought our athletes did an amazing job across the board. Yes, we would’ve loved to have a couple of national champions and one to two more medals, but the amount of work they put in charging down the course and being able to almost ➝ Rowing, 11

LOS GATOS APPROVES BUDGET WITH $30K SURPLUS

Spending from General Fund drops $1.6M

Drew Penner, Reporter

After some juggling on the accounting front, Los Gatos says it’s managed to come up with a budget that boasts a $30,000 surplus.

The Town Council approved the yearly financial plan on June 6. The Town plans to spend slightly more from its General Fund ($54.5 million) than it believes it will see in revenues ($53.2 million) in fiscal year 2023/24. Accounting for all incoming dollars ($71.1 million) as well as money it will take on a

one-time basis from General Fund reserves ($2.4 million), the Town is showing $73.5 million in revenues, compared with $75.6 million in expenditures (including $10.7 million for capital projects).

Los Gatos entered $140,000 more for property taxes than it first

visits los gatos p4 : council briefs p9 : upcoming events p15 : ny times crossword puzzle p17

FANTASTIC 4 The Los Gatos Rowing Club’s men’s youth 4- team of Leo Shetler, Oliver Powell, Kyle Brown and Diego Lasso finished in second place in the National Championships June 11 in Sarasota, Fla.

T H E LISTER & WENSTRAND T E A M

Call Me to Discuss Your Next Move in

Bill Lister

T H E LISTER & WENSTRAND T E A

97 5 L LAG A S RD , M O RGAN HILL

3 Bedrooms | 3 Full Baths | ± 2,655 sq. ft Living Space | ± 2.957 Acre Lot

Offered at $3,449,000

97 5 L LAG A S RD , M O RGAN HILL

3 Bedrooms | 3 Full Baths | ± 2,655 sq. ft Living Space | ± 2.957 Acre Lot

Offered at $3,449,000

3 Bedrooms | 3 Full Baths | ± 2,655 sq. ft Living Space | ± 2.957 Acre

Offered at $3,449,000

Once known as "Take A Chance Ranch" this delightful horse property is centrally located with numerous amenities. The home has been tastefully updated. Chef's kitchen with center island/breakfast bar, granite counters, informal dining area, stainless steel appliances, and pantry. Separate office with barn door. Formal living & dining room with high wood beamed ceiling. Primary suite with fireplace, 2-walk-in closets, stone surfaced bathroom, granite counter, and 2 sinks. 2 other bedrooms & loft with full bath. 3rd full bath on 1st floor. Wood floors throughout. Freshly painted interior. Separate barn with mini kitchen, full bath, high ceilings, slate floors, loft area, huge access door, 2 stalls, hay storage, 4 pastures, 2 paddocks, 1 round pen. Approximately 3 wonderful acres of gorgeous land. Year round stream & mountain views. Outdoor entertaining areas. Fenced yards. Plenty of space for oversized vehicles. Fully fenced property. Close to all major shopping

Once known as "Take A Chance Ranch" this delightful horse property is centrally located with numerous amenities. The home has been tastefully updated. Chef's kitchen with center island/breakfast bar, granite counters, informal dining area, stainless steel appliances, and pantry. Separate office with barn door. Formal living & dining room with high wood beamed ceiling. Primary suite with fireplace, 2-walk-in closets, stone surfaced bathroom, granite counter, and 2 sinks. 2 other bedrooms & loft with full bath. 3rd full bath on 1st floor. Wood floors throughout. Freshly painted interior. Separate barn with mini kitchen, full bath, high ceilings, slate floors, loft area, huge access door, 2 stalls, hay storage, 4 pastures, 2 paddocks, 1 round pen. Approximately 3 wonderful acres of gorgeous land. Year round stream & mountain views. Outdoor entertaining areas. Fenced yards. Plenty of space for oversized vehicles. Fully fenced property. Close to all major shopping.

Once known as "Take A Chance Ranch" this delightful horse property is centrally with numerous amenities. The home has been tastefully updated. Chef's kitchen center island/breakfast bar, granite counters, informal dining area, stainless appliances, and pantry. Separate office with barn door. Formal living & dining room high wood beamed ceiling. Primary suite with fireplace, 2-walk-in closets, stone bathroom, granite counter, and 2 sinks. 2 other bedrooms & loft with full bath. 3rd on 1st floor. Wood floors throughout. Freshly painted interior. Separate barn with kitchen, full bath, high ceilings, slate floors, loft area, huge access door, 2 stalls, hay 4 pastures, 2 paddocks, 1 round pen. Approximately 3 wonderful acres of gorgeous Year round stream & mountain views. Outdoor entertaining areas. Fenced yards. space for oversized vehicles. Fully fenced property. Close to all major shopping

A results oriented approach matched with strong negotiating skills and effective marketing has made The Bill Lister Team a national Real Estate leader.

A results oriented approach matched with strong negotiating skills and effective marketing has made The Bill Lister Team a national Real Estate leader.

#1 in the Los Gatos Office

Voted 2022 Best Real Estate Agent of Los Gatos

Top Producer on the 2011-2022 WSJ List 408.892.9300 cell ister@cbnorcal.com

www.BillLister.com

DRE# 01179611

W W W. BILLLISTER .COM

Bill Lister #1 in the Los Gatos Office Voted 2022 Best Real Estate Agent of Los Gatos Top Producer on the 2011-2022 WSJ List 408.892.9300 cell BLister@cbnorcal.com www.BillLister.com DRE# 01179611

Mike L. Wenstrand

International President’s Premier Team 2019-2022 #1 Small Team 2012-2022 #1 in Los Gatos Office

Top 1% Worldwide 408-387-3885 | Cell MikeWenstrand.com

Mike.Wenstrand@cbnorcal.com

DRE#02068355

A results oriented

Mike L. Wenstrand International President’s Premier Team 2019-2022 #1 Small Team 2012-2022 #1 in Los Gatos Office Top 1% Worldwide 408-387-3885 | Cell MikeWenstrand.com

Mike.Wenstrand@cbnorcal.com DRE#02068355

# 01908304.

WWW.MIKEWENSTRAND.COM

A results oriented approach matched with strong negotiating skills and effective marketing has made The Bill Lister Team a national Real Estate leader.

PEOPLE ARE TALKING…

We have bought 3 homes with Carol -- every experience and all 3 were nothing short of A+. She is a professional that custom tailors every experience to your needs, and gets you past the finish line with tremendous satisfaction. Leaving 3 decades of experience and wisdom aside, Carol’s commitment is unfettered and is complimented with a caring, empathetic and patient personality. That makes her a terrific negotiator and problem solver -- what is unique about Carol is that she makes everyone on both sides of the transaction feel great about the outcome. On a related note, her effectiveness is the same whether it’s at the top or lower end of the market -- you get the A+ professional.

AHMED R. | LOS GATOS, CA

I am sure that there are a number of very fine realtors in the South Bay area, but I have NEVER worked with anyone as professional, smart, honest and kind as Carol Jeans. I would give her a 10 on: skill, knowledge, professionalism, communication, integrity, personality and kindness. Carol sold our home in Los Gatos a few years ago as well as my mother’s condo, just last year. The subs that were needed for my mom’s condo did outstanding work. The stager that she uses is very, very good. She recommended a mover when I asked for one...the best mover I have every used. Louise, her assistant is of the same caliber as Carol. Louise is top-notch! With other realtors I might push back on recommended list price, but not with Carol. She knows the market, and knows the value. With Carol Jeans you get the best real estate agent along with her network of outstanding associates. (from the home inspection all the way to the title company) My husband and I worked for many years in silicon valley in high tech careers. Seldom have we worked with anyone that has it all.

K.C. | LOS GATOS, CA

It is with great pleasure that I write a review of Carol Jeans. Carol sold our home for us. A real estate transaction can sometimes be complicated and stressful. Carol made us feel secure and confident throughout the entire process. We felt we were in good hands the whole time. From the very beginning, Carol demonstrated a high degree of organizational skills and professionalism. She was very thorough in developing the correct price point for our house. The house did need some repairs. We were happy that Carol had access to contractors who did all of the repair work. It saved us a lot of time and effort. Our house was staged, went on the market and within a few weeks we had an offer. There were counter offers and Carol negotiated them to our benefit. Everything went very smoothly. We couldn’t be happier with Carol and her staff. They showed themselves to be very knowledgeable, competent and always acted with the utmost integrity. They communicated well and we felt confident we knew what was going on at all times. We were delighted to work with her. Since then, we have asked her to handle other real estate transactions for us. The results were the same. Great execution and follow-through. If you are going to go with a real estate agent, you might as well go with the best. No question, it’s Carol Jeans.

FRANK R. | SAN JOSE, CA

• Ranked Top 1.5% of Realtors Nationwide, Real Trends 2022

• Top 300 Real Estate Agents California, Real Trends 2022

• Top 100 Most Influential Real Estate Agents in Northern California, Real Estate Executive Magazine

• America’s Best Realtors, Newsweek 2020

• 2018 Joanne Knapp Community Service Award Recipient

• More than $1 billion in sales

• 80% of clients are either repeat clients or referrals

• 30+ years of market knowledge

• Founding Member of Sereno

• Focused on the quality of the client’s experience

• Chair, Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation, Los Gatos

• Board Member, Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation

Dan Pulcrano

Executive Editor & Publisher

Lee May

General Manager

EDITORIAL

editor@losgatan.com

Erik Chalhoub

Managing Editor

Drew Penner Reporter

Emanuel Lee

Sports Editor

Jeffrey P. Blum, Alan Feinberg

Contributors

ADVERTISING

advertising@losgatan.com

Lori Lieneke

Advertising Director

Kate Kauffman

Senior Account Executive

Serenity Polizzi, Eric Bocanegra, Carrie Bonato

Account Executives

PRODUCTION

Sean George

Production Manager

Hon Truong

Graphic Designer

WEEKLYS

Stephen Buel

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Mike Lyon

Digital Media

Sonia Chavez

Accounts Receivables

Warren Giancaterino

Information Technology

LEGAL ADS

legals@losgatan.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

subscriptions@losgatan.com

DEATH NOTICES

Death notices with basic information that are submitted to editor@losgatan.com may be published on a space-available basis only. To place a paid, unedited obituary with a photo, call 707.353.1148 or email LifeTributes@Weeklys.com.

OPINIONS

Commentaries and letters to the editor on our Opinion pages reflect the opinions of the authors. We welcome letters to the editor and commentaries on all topics of local interest. Email your submissions to editor@losgatan.com

Letters must include the writer’s name and hometown (for publication) and phone number (for verification). Submissions may be edited, and will be published as space permits. Letters are limited to 250 words, commentaries to 500 words.

CORRECTIONS

We strive to avoid errors in news and ads. Mistakes sometimes occur. To report errors, call or email; corrections will appear in the next edition and online.

WHO WE ARE

Los Gatan is published Wednesdays by Weeklys. Contents copyright ©2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form prohibited without written permission.

REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING

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.

BIDEN POPS IN TO LOS GATOS FOR FUNDRAISER

A small scattering of people lined Los Gatos Boulevard Monday afternoon in anticipation of President Joe Biden, hoping to catch a glimpse of the POTUS riding through town with his brigade.

Some held signs, while others seemed confused about the street closures and traffic caused by his arrival.

Biden came to the Bay Area for a series of events geared toward bolstering his climate agenda and preparing for the election campaign ahead. One of these took place in Los Gatos Hills. It was a fundraiser hosted by Kevin Scott, a Microsoft executive, and Reid Hoffman, co-founder of Linkedin. Biden arrived following a visit to Palo Alto and preceding another fundraiser in Atherton.

In Palo Alto, Biden toured the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center, where he announced that $600 million would be directed toward climate initiatives.

The last time he visited the Bay Area in January was to assess storm damage along the coast.

While the latest visit was welcomed by some, others felt it was somewhat unexpected.

Sophia Fenchel is a Los Gatos High School student who lives on Loma Alta Avenue. She only had to step outside her door to witness the president driving through town. Fenchel explained that she’s experienced this kind of event

before, as she witnessed Vice President Kamala Harris passing through the community, last year.

“While I am not big into politics or follow Joe, I do think it is a very interesting experience to get to watch the president drive down your street,” Fenchel said.

However, she added, “it is very annoying that they block off all the streets and that you are unable to leave.”

Such unannounced road closures took place throughout the day and were expected to continue around the San Francisco area throughout the week. The motorcade exited Los Gatos just after 4pm.

LOS GATOS MOTHER, DAUGHTER DIE IN CRASH

Bay City News

A 44-year-old Los Gatos woman and her 12-year-old daughter died in a crash June 14 in Santa Clara, police said.

The crash was reported shortly after 2pm in the area of San Tomas Expressway and Forbes Avenue, where officers arrived to find a white 2021 Tesla Model Y had crashed into a tree, according to Santa Clara Police.

The two people in the Tesla, the mother and daughter, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The iden-

tities of the occupants were still being confirmed, coroner's spokesperson Erica Carter said Tuesday.

The Tesla was seen traveling north on San Tomas Expressway prior to hitting the tree, but investigators have not released any details on what may have caused the crash. Anyone with information is asked to call Traffic Investigator Scott Wilson at 408.615.4764 or an anonymous tip line at 408.615.4847.

Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.

Alia Arafeh, Contributor

BIDEN VISITS The motorcade carrying President Joe Biden turns onto Los Gatos-Saratoga Road after the Monday fundraiser.

POLICE BLOTTER

JUNE 11

• A caller reported they couldn’t concentrate because “very loud music” was playing from a complex on Camino Del Sol at 12:23pm.

JUNE 12

• A person who moved out a week ago on Sunray Drive reportedly left a television, microwave and refrigerator in front of their neighbor’s house.

• A man was arrested for burglary and resisting an officer on the 400 block of Blossom Hill Road at 2:23am.

• A caller reported several children were trying to remove a street sign on Wood Road and S. Santa Cruz Avenue at 3:22pm.

• A man was arrested for violating a court order on the 100 block of Oak Rim Court at 9:35pm.

• A caller reported “eight kids having fun and being loud” at Bachman Park at 10:15pm.

JUNE 13

• An unknown suspect stole items from an unlocked vehicle parked on Roberts Road.

• A business was broken into on Los Gatos Boulevard, but nothing appeared to be stolen.

• A bike and electric scooter were reported stolen on Blossom Hill Road.

JUNE 14

• Someone stole a vehicle’s catalytic converter parked on W. Parr Avenue.

• A stolen vehicle was recovered on N. Santa Cruz Avenue.

JUNE 15

• A group of children were reported for “talking and laughing” at the batting cages on Fisher Avenue at 12:49am.

• A man, who reportedly identi fied himself as the “neighbor hood Black man,” was reported for being aggressive when he ap proached a home’s door on Hill brook Drive at 2:45pm.

• A person reportedly refused to leave a bathroom on Union Avenue.

• A caller thought it was “odd be havior” when they spotted a woman “walking around on the phone and smoking” on Grand view Avenue at 9:13pm.

JUNE 16

• A business was burglarized on Blossom Hill Road.

• A man riding a hoverboard re portedly stopped by a home on Amanda Lane to wash its win dows at 1:02pm.

• A man playing bagpipes on N. Santa Cruz Avenue at 4:03pm was reportedly asking for money.

JUNE 17

• A stolen vehicle was recovered on a creek trail.

• A man reportedly slammed a vehicle’s door on another man on Los Gatos Boulevard at 1:05pm.

• Someone stole a vehicle’s catalytic converter on Kavin Lane.

• A vehicle was vandalized on Victory Lane.

• A caller reported a vehicle was parked by the tennis courts on Granada Way with its lights on so people could play tennis at 9:28pm.

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

TIME FOR SUMMER

WITH THE SYMPHONY

This summer, head to Stanford Live’s Frost Amphitheater for four exciting concerts in the beautiful outdoors.

MONTE SERENO APPOINTS POWELL AS CITY ATTORNEY

Drew Penner, Reporter

Monte Sereno has voted to appoint Kirsten Powell, Scotts Valley’s top legal official, as its new city attorney.

The new post in Silicon Valley, however, doesn’t mean she’s quitting her gig with the Santa Cruz County municipality.

On June 6, Monte Sereno City Council voted unanimously (with Councilmember Burton Craig absent) to engage Logan & Powell, LLP, as part of passing its consent calendar, which is for items that are not expected to raise controversy and can be passed all at once.

Powell previously served in the job from April 2004 to September 2019. She’s been Scotts Valley’s city attorney since 2004, during which she helped shepherd the community through the pandemic, as it dealt with significant staff turnover.

Powell says she’s looking forward to balancing the duties that come with representing both communities again. She started working for the two smaller jurisdictions—in a more junior position—in 1996.

Powell grew up in Saratoga and moved to Los Gatos in 2001, where she now lives and works.

Monte Sereno Mayor Bryan Meke-

chuk touted Powell’s legal knowledge and experience.

“Bringing Kirsten back as the city attorney for Monte Sereno is a huge win for our community,” Mekechuk said in a press release. “Monte Sereno prides itself on exceptional customer service.

Customer service requires a team effort, and Ms. Powell will have office hours at City Hall to enable our staff to help our residents with building plans, zoning and our municipal code.”

She was set to reprise her role on June 10—the date Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, resigned.

Monte Sereno will look to Powell to help it work on its municipal codes, housing regulations and its Accessory Dwelling Unit policy. She’ll also be called upon to represent the City in legal proceedings and will be paid a $7,500 per month retainer.

“I am honored to return as the city attorney for Monte Sereno,” said Powell, in a release. “I’m looking forward to working with the City Council and staff to provide responsive legal services to the City and its residents.”

Monte Sereno is still on the hunt for a full-time city engineer to replace Interim City Engineer Don Wimberly.

Mekechuk said the new opportunity for Powell came because their outgoing attorneys, who are based in Oakland, wanted to start charging 10 hours a month of travel time to attend in-person meetings.

“I was like, ‘That’s a hard no,’” he said. “Fortunately, Kirsten was agreeable to coming back.”

Powell says she stepped away to focus on raising her family. But now that two of her children are off to college, she can devote time to Monte Sereno once more.

ROADWORK INCLUDED IN BUDGET

Budget, from page 1

estimated, a little over $800,000 additional from the Educational Realignment Augmentation Fund monies and more than $300,000 extra in hotel taxes.

Los Gatos Director of Finance Gitta Ungvari said Covid-19 funds from the Biden Administration were being moved to the General Fund, after some of the regulations about how to handle the dollars were loosened.

“We are fully going to expend the ARPA funds,” she said.

Mayor Maria Ristow said the only thing that wasn’t being approved was the part about wages, because that section of the report wasn’t properly noticed.

“The staff report contains the salary schedules, but because of a glitch with the agenda, those items were not listed,” she said. “So, we can discuss it tonight, but we can’t vote on the salary schedules until our meeting on June 20.”

Councilmember Rob Moore said, despite having studied the financial documents, he still wasn’t clear about whether the Town was in the red or the black.

“Surplus is mentioned a few different times in here, in a few different ways,” he commented. “Did we end up with a surplus, and if so, what is that number?”

Ungvari gave him the rundown.

“So, if you’re asking if we are ending up (with) a surplus for Fiscal Year 2022-23, we anticipate that we are going to end up with a surplus, but we don’t know exactly until we close the fiscal year,” she said. “But, during the budget time we anticipated around $700,000 (is) what I believe.”

And she addressed the upcoming year, too—reminding him of how Council had directed staff to assume it would hire fewer people, which would free up enough money to balance the budget, if barely.

“If you are asking about the proposed budget, the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget has a very tiny surplus, just because the movement what happened during the Council meeting, about building in the 4.6% vacancy factor,” she said. “It created probably a $30,000 surplus.”

Local resident Lee Fagot said he was happy to see around $47 million for items like roadwork, noting, “—which is good that we’re focusing on safety.”

In fact, he said it was his highest priority.

“However, we’ve had three fatalities on Blossom Hill Road over the last three-and-a-half years or so,” he said, adding he lives in the area and hears screeching tires and loud exhaust systems as cars race up and down the route, frequently. “I also travel Blossom Hill Road probably 3-4 times a week to visit my grandchildren. The speeders on that road are scary as heck. And I believe what we could be doing is a little more police enforcement of the traffic, and that we can help reduce that damage to the citizens.”

Fagot said he’d also like to see the Town take more action to get drivers to slow down.

Parks and Public Works Director Nicolle Burnham said the Town is embarking on some traffic calming measures along the street this summer—including near Blossom Hill Elementary School.

The staff report also included a table Council members said they found helpful, which outlined what Los Gatos did with the $7.2 million gift it got from the feds to keep the community alive during the pandemic.

It showed the Town’s spent $6.4 million on everything from rent waivers, to destination marketing, to parklets, to direct grants, to Promenade street parties, and still has $866,281 left.

Council will decide, later this summer, whether to splurge on one big ticket item or divvy the relief cash up among different groups, before the deadline.

The current budget includes onetime financial infusions and rent forgiveness to community groups like Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation, KCAT, for homeless service providers and to New Museum Los Gatos.

Councilmember Matthew Hudes said he was disappointed Los Gatos didn’t handle the American Rescue Plan Act dollars in a separate fund, the way Saratoga did, even though staff worked with the same money manager.

Ungvari said everything was earmarked correctly and staff has been tracking the flow from Washington to Los Gatos diligently.

Councilmember Rob Rennie made the motion to approve the budget, with Hudes seconding it.

It was approved unanimously.

APPOINTMENT Monte Sereno City Council voted unanimously June 6 to add Kirsten Powell (left) back onto its municipal roster as its top legal officer.

Drew Penner/Los Gatan

Lucy Wedemeyer Broker

lucy@serenogroup.com

408-891-6861

DRE# 00640875

Keith Andry Associate/Broker

408-891-4151

keith@serenogroup.com

DRE# 01470

Extraordinary marketing expertise fueled with contagious enthusiasm de�nes Lucy Wedemeyer as a “RockStar” Real Estate Broker She’s one of the most recognized and highly respected Realtors in the Bay Area, consistently awarded Top 1% distinction Keith Andry with a BS in Finance joined his Award-Winning Mother-in-Law in 2000.

As founding members of SERENO, they’ve curated an extensive network of professionals as an integral part of enhancing clients properties for market. Both exude unsurpassed pro-active visions as Brokers and Certi�ed Negotiation Experts; re�ective of 90% referral business as they strive to exceed expectations to accomplish client’s goals and dreams.

SHOULD PICKLEBALL ENTHUSIASTS GET TO PLAY FOR FREE IN LOS GATOS?

Council considers whether to give LGS Rec a break on activity fees to help seniors

Drew Penner, Reporter

At the June 6 Council meeting, Councilmember Rob Moore outed himself—as a pickleball player.

This was in response to a bid by Los Gatos-Saratoga Community Education and Recreation (LGS Rec) to avoid having to pay $4 a person to use Town facilities for the sport, to make things easier on seniors struggling to balance their budget.

“I like pickleball,” Moore said, “and I’m less than 55.”

The revelation was part of a discussion about whether to waive some use and maintenance fees for LGS Rec, which won hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent reductions over the course of the pandemic.

LGS Rec is being charged $3.36 per hour in “park use fees,” to access Blossom Hill Park, Creekside Park, La Rinconada Park and Oak Meadow Park. That’s less than the $5.43 per hour Los Gatos Little League pays, and far below the $11.58 per hour Los Gatos United Soccer pays—not to mention the $23.12 per hour Red Hawks Lacrosse is required to fork over.

But the organization gets the most use out of the facilities, as the other three groups use fewer than 2,000 hours each a year.

Of the 4,607 hours LGS Rec spends in Los Gatos facilities annually, 671 of these are for pickleball (about 15%).

Approximately 4,300 people partake in the LGS Rec programs in question, compared to 350 Los Gatos United Soccer players, 200 Little Leaguers and 125 Red Hawks Lacrosse members.

The projected facility fees per group recommended by staff came out to $17,200 for LGS Rec, $1,400 for Los Gatos United, $800 for Los Gatos Little League and $500 for Red Hawks Lacrosse.

Speaking during public comment, Nancy Rollett, LGS Rec’s executive

director, said giving pickleball players a break is a way to improve the quality of life for seniors, since no one really plays pickleball—at least during their sessions—who is younger.

“In our experience, pickleball players are always over the age of 55,” she said. “We have a mechanism…as part of our enrollment and payment processing that we can affirm that, provide reports on it.”

Plus, Rollett said, the amount the Town would collect from pickleball enthusiasts ($2,254) would be really insignificant.

Moore probed about why the organization isn’t charging participants who play the sport.

“What is the constraint that you’re not able to charge for these programs?” he asked.

“It’s a software system constraint,” Rollett replied. “It’s simply that we don’t have a mechanism within our enrollment software system to specifically allocate a dollar amount towards a specific program that is used to assess a facility fee.”

That’s because the app was designed for recreation departments that don’t have to pay for the use of facilities, she said.

Rollett claimed creating a workaround would be prohibitively expensive.

Mayor Maria Ristow pushed back on this line of argument, saying when she plays volleyball through LGS Rec, they’re able to take her money.

Rollett said that’s different, because that activity is organized through one of the local school districts.

Like Moore, Ristow also struggled to come to terms with the idea that younger people won’t choose to play the paddle-and-ball activity alongside their older adult friends, neighbors and family members.

“I don’t know,” she mulled. “Based on the people I know who play pickleball, it’s not exclusively a senior program. And I don’t think it’s restricted to seniors.”

Moore said there are more youthful players than one might think.

“One of my best friends is an avid pickleball player, and he’s my age,”

he said. “I think that this is a really nominal fee. And we’ve already given Los Gatos-Saratoga Rec hundreds of thousands of dollars. And so, I think we can expect them to pay this $2,200…It’s funny that we’re having this conversation about such a small dollar amount.”

Vice Mayor Mayor Badame said she was supportive of giving LGC Rec a reduction.

Moore made the motion to adopt the Annual Park Use Fees as recommended by Town Staff (including the 671 hours for pickleball). The mayor seconded it.

The vote was 4-1 with Badame dissenting.

Moore also made the motion to approve staff’s recommendation on the Annual Facility Maintenance Fee (including the $4 per person charge, as suggested by staff).

The mayor seconded it and the motion passed unanimously.

The vote to execute the overall agreement with LGS Rec was also unanimous.

PICK UP THE PADDLE Pickleball is growing in popularity in Los Gatos.

TOWN HALL BACKED-UP DUE TO STORM DAMAGE, STAFFING CHALLENGES

A $675,000 contract with St. Francis Electric grows to $953,948

Drew Penner, Reporter Library battery project delayed

Prime Electric LLC has been given an extra year to install a battery storage system at the library.

At its June 6 meeting, Council voted to move the deadline to June 30, 2024. Staff reported manufacturing and delivery slowdowns, as well as a sluggish Santa Clara County Fire Department review process, were to blame.

Prime Electric is putting in a 125-kilowatt “ELM Microgrid” Battery Storage System with 330 kilowatt-hour energy storage that could later be expanded to 440 kilowatt-hour capacity.

It’s designed to provide 100% backup for the Town facility in a power outage.

The project has a budget of $543,000.

Pacific Water Art wins $46,495 extension for Plaza Park fountain contract

Pacific Water Art, the company that built the Town Plaza Park fountain 22 years ago, was awarded another $46,495 for its maintenance, June 6. The fountain filtration system was completed in 2009 for $330,356, including design services and materials. Staff said the extension would allow for “continuity of service” and maximize savings.

“The contract language provides

for cancellation should the need arise during the contract term and ties the work to the budget appropriated by the Town Council annually,” staff reported.

“To accommodate the potential impacts of inflation on the service, the contract allows for annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index.”

However, the Town says an extension was in the cards because the attention of Town staff has been focused elsewhere— specifically on recovering from intense winter weather.

“Due to the extreme storms experienced this year and the damage to the many trees, streets, and sidewalks still outstanding, resources have been shifted to prioritize those efforts and a new Request for Proposals for the fountain maintenance and repair was not able to be issued,” staff said in its report. St. Francis Electric, Inc. wins $53,381 more for signal and streetlight work

Los Gatos relies on a network of consultants and contractors to keep its utility and transportation networks humming.

In September 2020, Council OK’d a five-year agreement with St. Francis Electric, Inc. to maintain traffic signals and streetlights, and to help identify underground infrastructure before various digging projects can proceed.

The total contract amount was set at $675,000—up to $135,000 a year.

On Aug. 3, 2021, Council increased the 2020/21 maximum by $8,567, because so many underground jobs con-

nected to various developments, and the Town’s capital program, had come in.

Then, in March 2022, Council allowed an increase of $67,000 for 2021/22, to cover cost overruns, and added $50,000 a year on to the base amount.

That brought the total agreement up to $900,567.

“The service needs and resulting costs each fiscal year depend on the number of traffic signal and streetlight repair and maintenance calls and (Underground Service Alert) requests,” staff wrote in its report. “The budget for response repair and maintenance services has been exhausted for this fiscal year, with pending invoices that need to be paid. The Town encountered numerous traffic signal repair issues during this current fiscal year due to the excessive winter storms and traffic crashes that damaged equipment; more funds are needed to replace and maintain traffic signal cabinets, conduits, wiring and poles for the remainder of the fiscal year.”

Council voted to add an additional $53,381 on to the contract, through a June 6 consent motion, bringing the total value of the agreement with the San Leandro-based company to $953,948. Facing staffing issues, Town extends Kier + Wright’s term as Acting Surveyor

Civil engineer and land surveyor Kier + Wright Civil Engineers and Surveyors, Inc. was responsible for planning and site development for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Berkeley, topographic studies and expansion

plans for the Adobe World Headquarters building, and utility design and mapping for the Carlysle high-rise project in downtown San Jose—among other achievements.

As Los Gatos’ Parks and Public Works Department currently doesn’t have a Town Surveyor, it’s been relying on Kier + Wright to provide consulting services to fill in the gaps.

Town Engineer Gary Heap explained to Council in a May 22 report why these duties are so key.

“Several complicated and sometimes invalid requests for lot line adjustments and map approvals come from developers looking to create new developable lots in the Town,” he wrote. “These requests require review by an experienced survey consultant with extensive knowledge in the field of historical chain of title review to verify the validity of these requests.”

Plus, California’s Subdivision Map Act Law says Los Gatos must use a licensed surveyor for reviews of development maps and similar documents.

Kier + Wright, which has 12 registered surveyors on staff, has been handling Acting Surveyor duties since 2018, but that contract was set to end June 30, Heap noted.

He explained Los Gatos hasn’t been able to get around to sending out a Request for Qualifications to get a fresh contract going, because of low staffing levels at Town Hall, and asked for an extension to the current agreement.

Council voted, on consent June 6, to push the end-date to June 30, 2024.

LOS GATOS ROWERS EARN HIGH MARKS

Rowing, from page 1

pull it off, from my standpoint I’m very proud of everything they accomplished.”

The program had three silver medalist boats: the men’s youth—which is 19-and-under and U18 combined—4x Quad (with coxswain), the men’s youth 4- (without coxswain) and the women’s 4-. The men’s 4x quad featured Miles Kramer, Ian Moss, Alberto Lasso and Jonas Thieme.

The first three all are recent Los Gatos High graduates and Thieme is a Bellarmine grad. Kramer (Syracuse), Lasso (Harvard) and Thieme (Dartmouth) are expected to row in college. The men’s 4- had Leonard Shetler, Oliver Powell, Kyle Brown and Diego Lasso, the latter two incoming Los Gatos High seniors.

Shetler is an incoming senior at Saratoga High and Powell (Bellarmine) was the only graduated senior of the quartet, and he’s expected to row at Georgetown. The women’s youth 4- featured Annika Sivi, Brynna Ruf, Julia Kiplinger and Sarah Drabkin.

Kiplinger (Los Gatos) and Ruf (Mit-

ty) are recent graduates and expected to row in college—Kiplinger at the University of Portland—while Sivi and Drabkin are incoming Los Gatos seniors. The men’s U16 Coxed quad team of Liam Austin, Cameron De-

graff, Cameron Brown, Nicholas McKinnon and Simon Stokes took home a bronze medal.

The women’s youth 4x boat of Ashley Olson, Eleonora Fasoli, Lucy Boillet and Uma Kasik finished in fourth

place. Lindsay Bader, an incoming St. Francis High junior, took fifth place in the women’s U17 single.

The women’s U15 coxed quad of Sophia Juarez, Rylan Clevenger, Lexi Pirooz, Lena Vantress and Natalie Dischler took sixth place. The women’s U16 coxed quad boat of Aretha Liu, Jenna Yoder, Ines Madson, Julia Valencia and Mariana Teh finished in eighth place.

The men’s U17 quad of James Tiglao, Cormac Nolan, Rushil Ramachandran and Tanav Shankar placed 27th, while the women’s U17 coxed four of Emerson Adams, Harriet Cheetham, Scarlett Coke, Alexandra Buchowski and Kyra Cherlopalle finished 31st. Taj Chunawala served as a spare.

Velez deflected attention and credited coaches Channing Walker and Matt Pinschmidt for guiding the high school rowers to continued development and success.

“Channing and Matt are the ones really driving the youth program,” Velez said. “They’re the head coaches but we have an amazing coaching staff for high schoolers all across the board.”

The athletes train year-round to qualify for Nationals, the premier event for high school rowing. Los Gatos reached Nationals after a strong showing in the Southwest Regional Championships, which is one of the strongest regions in the country despite rowing still being an East Coast-dominated sport.

The Southwest Region features competitors from California, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii. LGRC draws athletes from 30 different high schools including Bellarmine, Mitty, St. Francis, Notre Dame, Westmont and Leigh.

Velez said there are 120 high school rowers in the program, another 120 adults and approximately 50 middle schoolers. In a typical year, LGRC has a handful of graduating seniors who end up rowing in college.

Rowers tend to latch onto the sport after growing up with a different sport. According to Velez, rowing’s appeal revolves around how far an athlete can advance by simply having an indefatigable work ethic.

“Rowing really rewards people who put in the work and stay the course in training,” he said. “You think about ball sports and at some point people that have the natural ability kind of take over. Our athletes train five to six times a week year-round. For the most part, they’re training all the time and the number of hours they devote to the sport is remarkable.”

WELL DONE LGRC’s men’s youth 4x squad took silver in the National Championships June 11 in Sarasota, Fla. From left to right are Rick Ruddell, Miles Kramer, Ian Moss, Alberto Lasso, Jonas Thieme, Kieran Edwards and Channing Walker.

HIGH ACHIEVERS The Los Gatos Rowing Club’s women’s youth 4- (without coxswain) team of Julia Kiplinger, Brynna Ruf, Annika Sivi and Sarah Drabkin won silver in the National Championships June 11 in Sarasota, Fla.

LOCAL SCENE

FEMA DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER OPENS IN LOS GATOS

County of Santa Clara officials urge community members who have been impacted by the January storms to apply for federal disaster assistance. The application period is open now until July 25, to provide affected community members an opportunity to seek financial assistance for disaster-related costs.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) amended its Major Disaster Declaration on May 25 to include Santa Clara County for the Individual Assistance Program, which includes temporary emergency housing or money for home repairs of primary residences and help with medical, dental, personal property, transportation, and moving-and-storage expenses that are disaster-related.

“Since the storms began, the County and our partners have been working to get as much assistance as possible to help community members who were impacted,” said Darrell Ray, deputy director of the Office of Emergency Management. “If you were affected by this disaster, be sure to apply now. There are a number of locations available to help walk residents through the process of getting the resources they need.”

To provide on-site assistance, the County has set up a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at The Pavilion at Redwood Estates, 21450 Madrone Drive in Los Gatos, where officials from FEMA and several state agencies will be available to help residents with registration. The DRC is open daily through June 27 from 9am to 6pm, and June 28 from 9am to noon. To apply for individual assistance, community members will need to bring with them the following documentation:

• Personal information (address, Social Security number, contact information, etc.)

• Household income

• Insurance information

• Bank account information (to deposit funds into your account)

Santa Clara County residents can apply for disaster assistance 24 hours a day, Monday to Sunday, by calling FEMA at 800.621.3362. For re-

lay service, such as a videophone, Innocaption, or CapTel, call TTY 800.462.7585 and provide FEMA with the specific number assigned to that service during registration. For recovery information, visit PrepareSCC.org/Recovery.

HIGHWAY 9 CLOSURE BEGINS SOON FOR BRIDGE WORK

Beginning June 22, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will perform a full closure of Highway 9 Big Basin Way, at Sanborn Road, to begin the installation of a temporary bridge for the Saratoga Creek Bridge Rehabilitation project.

The closure is needed to install a temporary bridge adjacent to the existing Saratoga Creek Bridge. The temporary bridge will allow the high-

way to remain open during the rehabilitation of Saratoga Creek Bridge.

According to Caltrans, the road closure is taking place now to keep pace with an accelerated schedule to complete the overall project by the end of the year and reduce the duration of impact to traffic and the community. The overall goal of the project is to safely rehabilitate the Saratoga Creek Bridge so it can continue to provide connectivity to Highway 9 in the event of an earthquake.

The project is scheduled to be complete in December.

The full lane closure on Highway 9 at Sanborn Road (no access between Sanborn and Pierce Road) will run from June 22 at 9pm to June 26 at 7am. Detours will be in place.

CHP will be on site and emergency vehicles will be granted access.

➝ tinyurl.com/2fbxufj7.

COUNTY’S MEDASSIST PROGRAM REACHES MILESTONE

Santa Clara County’s MedAssist program helps combat high prescription drug costs for qualifying residents who have been diagnosed with diabetes, asthma or severe allergies. More than 1,000 individuals have now enrolled in the program and are receiving grants for the high out-of-pocket costs of prescription medications like anti-diabetics (including insulin), asthma inhalers, and epinephrine auto-injectors (EpiPen).

The County hit the 1,000 mark last week.

“If you use an EpiPen, an asthma inhaler, or medications to treat diabetes, you need the meds. They’re not ‘nice’ to have; they’re ‘must’ haves. They’re

ROAD WORK Detours will be in place while crews install a temporary bridge on Highway 9 adjacent to the Saratoga Creek Bridge.

LOCAL STUDENTS HONORED AT UNIVERSITIES

Local Scene, from page 12

life essential,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, chair of the County’s Health and Hospital Committee, who proposed the program. “But they cost too much. MedAssist was specifically designed to ensure that folks who need these life-saving medications can afford them.”

“It’s a tremendous milestone,” he added. “We’ve launched a program unlike any other. And it’s already pushing down the cost for more than 1,000 local residents. I’m hoping more and more folks access the help we’ve made available.”

In Santa Clara County, there are nearly 120,000 adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes, more than 250,000 adults and children with asthma, and more than 20,000 individuals who are prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors for allergic reactions.

MedAssist provides eligible residents with a monthly grant to offset paid medical expenses, prescriptions, co-pays, or health insurance premiums based on their annual gross household income.

The eligibility criteria for this program are:

• Resident of Santa Clara County.

• Must have valid prescription for asthma inhaler, diabetes medication or epinephrine auto-injector.

• Must have household out-ofpocket health care expense in the previous calendar year.

• Maximum annual gross household income limits.

“MedAssist helps offset high outof-pocket medical expenses,” Simitian said. “I encourage people to apply. The program is designed to help folks in the so called ‘missing middle’—people who may make a pretty good income but are just getting slammed by these high-cost drugs. Our goal here is to keep you well and cut your costs.”

Apply online at GetMedAssist.com or call 408.970.2001 for information.

LOS GATOS STUDENTS HONORED AT UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

The University of Mississippi announced two Los Gatos students were named to the Spring 2023 Dean’s Honor Roll list.

The following students made the list:

• Gabriel Gallmann, majoring in Sport and Recreation Administration.

• Bayley Roberts, majoring in Public Health and Health Sciences.

The Dean's Honor Roll is reserved for students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50-3.74. In order to be eligible for honor roll designation, a student must have completed at least 12 graded hours for the semester and may not be on academic probation during the semester.

LOCAL STUDENTS RECOGNIZED AT RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

Three local students have made the Dean's Honor List for the Spring 2023 semester at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.:

• Alice Bibaud of Los Gatos, studying Computer Science

• Helena Rozas of Los Gatos, studying Computer Science

• Chengyu Zhang of Monte Sereno, studying Computer Science

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Dean's Honor List is compiled at the end of each semester to recognize undergraduate students who have completed 12 or more credit hours with a 3.5 grade point average or better for that term.

SHAPING THE FUTURE

Michael and Genii of Magic Time Productions helped us kick-off the second annual HUEmankind FEST 2023 on June 4 with a thrilling magic show offering lots of fun and entertainment for families. Our fun educational stations kept participants fully engaged, allowing for a variety of creative expressions with the help of our amazing curriculum specialist, facilitators and helpers. The imagination station activities helped us see through the minds of the young ones and the future they want to shape positively!

In general, participants enjoyed our concurrent workshops: Music Therapy, Juneteenth Educational Booth, Drum & Dance and Necklace Making. After hearing from Zoey Tagne, our first youth speaker for the day, second grade student at Fisher Middle School, the Los Gatos High School Jazz Band and Director of Bands Ken Nakamoto got us going with the first youth performance. Then our professional Harpist & Storyteller joined by Santa Clara County Poet Laureate, an African Drummer and Dancer, presented a stellar headline performance.

Following this highlight performance were speeches from our other youth speaker, a youth performer (comedy) and a drumming performance led by Director of Drum Troupe Miguel Gonzales and Rocketship Sharks Youth Drum Troupe.

With pride in our selfless volunteers and a formidable AWỌ team, we remain in a celebratory mode and are counting our blessings. This year’s HUEmankind FEST was fun with lots of educational and social engagements for all youth and families. We will return next year!

To support our movement and become a sponsor for our upcoming events, Contact us: 408.601.0364, awocenter.org, or Info@awocenter.org.

Folake Phillips Founder and Executive Director AW

Mild weather inhibits summer growth

Tony Tomeo, Contributor

The weather this year has been a cold hot mess! Both the worst frost since 1990 and the worst storms since 1982 occurred in one winter. Then, cold wintry weather lingered into spring to inhibit spring bloom. Now, cool and mild weather of spring lingers into summer to inhibit summer growth. This particular climate is innately mild, but this is a bit too mild.

Technically, the solstice on June 21 is the beginning of summer. Locally though, summer warmth typically begins about the middle of spring. It typically continues into the middle of autumn. Sometimes, it begins significantly sooner or continues significant-

ly later. This is why the warm growing season here is so extensive. It is also why winter is rather brief.

Unseasonably mild weather obviously has a few distinct advantages. It is comfortable for those who are not so fond of summer warmth. It limits the need to increase irrigation that compensates for aridity and lack of rain. Bloom, although potentially late, stays fresher a bit longer with mild weather. A bit less spring bloom becomes a bit more summer bloom.

Unseasonably mild weather also has a few disadvantages, though. Less gardening work is needed to manage desirable vegetation. However, more gardening work is needed to manage undesirable vegetation. Weeds gener-

ally need less warmth to grow, bloom and seed. Some desirable vegetation is still too complaisant to compete without assistance.

A few other pathogens likewise exploit this unseasonably mild weather. Slugs and snails hide from arid warmth. They must stay within cool and damp situations through midday. Mild weather allows them to stay out later, and emerge earlier. Their favorite vegetation still grows too slowly to recover from their damage. Tropical foliage is most susceptible.

Fungal disease is similarly more problematic with unseasonably mild weather. A primary difference is that fungal pathogens are about as inhibited as vegetation is. They gain an advantage only because soil stays continuously damp longer. Even without automated irrigation, cool soil dries slower than warm soil. Roots consume less moisture while cool. Roots that consume minimal moisture are generally more vulnerable.

Highlight: yarrow

It is endemic to every Californian county except for only Imperial County. It is endemic to every American state except for only Hawaii. Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, gets around! It is also endemic to many temperate climates of Europe and Asia. Apparently, it is not very discriminating in regard to climate or soil. It is as happy at the coast as it is farther inland.

Wild yarrow mostly bloom white or with pink blush. Modern cultivars bloom various hues of yellow, orange, red, pink or pinkish lavender. A few of the most florific modern cultivars are hybrids with other species. Phases of bloom might continue from spring until autumn. Tiny flowers form dense corymbs as broad as five inches, on stems as high as three feet.

Ferny grayish or light green yarrow foliage has a softly fine texture. However, it develops compact and mounded form. Individual leaves are tomentous and as long as six inches. Foliar aroma is variable among cultivars. Some cultivars may be objectionably pungent. Propagation by division of any overgrowth is easiest prior to the end of the rainy season.

GROWS EVERYWHERE Yarrow is a popular American wildflower.

Contributed

Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

CALENDAR

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

SARATOGA SAFETY FAIR

Meet with representatives of Saratoga's public safety organizations during the Saratoga Safety Fair on June 24 from 9-11am in the Saratoga Senior Center at 19655 Allendale Ave. Attendees will have the chance to discuss topics with safety experts, such as crime prevention and wildfire preparedness. No registration is required.

FOURTH OF JULY

The Town of los Gatos presents, “4th of July - Symphony in the Park,” on July 4 from 11am to 3:30pm at Oak Meadow Park, 233 Blossom Hill Road. The event features a performance by the San Jos Wind Symphony at 1pm, a flag raising ceremony, inflatables, food trucks, beer and wine garden, and more.

‘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 Coun ty year-round. 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 Thurs days of the month at noon at Double D's, 354 N. Santa Cruz Ave. First two Thursdays of the month feature guest speakers.

➝ gkiwanisgives.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. Pro gram includes featured guest speakers.

Los Gatos Lions Club

The Los Gatos Lions Club meets ev ery 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-Sara toga 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.

REAL ESTATE HOME OF THE WEEK

BACKYARD ENTERTAINMENT

This Los Gatos home that was built in 1957 was remodeled in 2020.

Located at 17070 Crescent Drive, the 3,460-square-foot home includes five bedrooms and three bathrooms, along with a 318-square-foot bonus room. The extensive remodel of the home included upgrading and replacing much of the electrical, plumbing, audio and visual components, kitchen and all bathrooms, moldings, flooring,

lighting, doors and windows.

The half-acre property features renovated gardens, oak trees, a spa, an entertainment loggia with cooking facilities and more.

A screened-in sitting porch overlooks the backyard that is not included in the square footage.

The home is listed at $5,250,000 by Compass. For information, visit tinyurl. com/hwd99d9w.

Compass

CRESCENT DRIVE This Los Gatos home’s backyard features cooking facilities and sitting areas.

Compass

INSIDE The home was remodeled in 2020.