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vol . I, no. 6 : october 13-19, 2021 : losgatan.com

new mask criteria p 2 : north 40’s first resident p 4 : local scene p 12 : calendar of events p 18 Robert Eliason

CHILDREN’S PARADE IS A ‘NO’ IN 2021 Holiday Promenade is a ‘go’

DA extraditing Shannon O’Connor from Idaho

Judy Peterson, Reporter

The 2021 Los Gatos Children’s Christmas/Holidays Parade will not be held this year due to Covid-19 but the traditional Holiday Tree Lighting is going ahead, along with a holiday Promenade. The first parade was held in 1956. It’s always been a “rain or shine” event—but obviously, no one anticipated a pandemic. The cancellation was announced in a letter posted on the LGS Recreation website. Parade organizers from the rec center, the town and Lions club all signed the letter that says, “The parade is about children and it is our collective responsibility to protect those that participate with family and friends, march with local groups and schools, and observe. In an abundance of caution and care for this community, it will not be possible (to) hold the parade with current and anticipated health and safety guidelines.” The downtown parade attracts an estimated 15,000 participants and onlookers. It’s the town’s biggest holiday tradition and is always held on the first Saturday of December. ➝ Parade, 6

PROSECUTOR SAYS WOMAN HOSTED DRINKING PARTIES FOR TEENS Drew Penner, Reporter

NIFTY LEFTY Ella Ralston prepares to unleash a shot in the Wildcats’ 12-8 win over Mountain View on Oct. 5. Los Gatos has scored double-digit goals in all but two of its 18 matches this season. For the full story, turn to page 11.

A Los Gatos woman threw drunken parties for teenagers where she encouraged sex acts, sometimes non-consensual, and sometimes while she watched, according to charges filed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office on Oct. 12. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said 47-year-old Shannon Marie O’Connor held gatherings where teenagers—mostly aged 14 and 15—would get drunk while she encouraged an underaged girl to perform oral sex on a boy and coached at least one boy to digitally penetrate an intoxicated minor. “It took a lot of brave children to come forward and to untangle this deeply disturbing case,” Rosen said in a release. “As a parent, I’m shocked. As the DA, I’m determined to hold those adults who endanger children fully accountable to the law and our community.” O’Connor, who currently lives in Eagle, Idaho and also goes by Shannon Bruga, bought vodka and Fireball whiskey, provided condoms and told teens to keep ➝ DA, 8

NEWS

VOL.1 NO.6 Dan Pulcrano Executive Editor and Publisher Lee May General Manager Erik Chalhoub Managing Editor

Phaedra Strecher Production Manager Katie Lauer Drew Penner Reporters Emanuel Lee Juan Reyes Sports writers Judy Peterson Contributor Serenity Polizzi Carrie Bonato Account Executives Marie Hicks Subscriptions

WEEKLYS Stephen Buel Director of Strategic Initiatives Mike Lyon Digital Media Harry Allison Production Director Sonia Chavez Accounts Receivables Warren Giancaterino Information Technology

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

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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.

Santa Clara County’s Covid-19 hospitalizations decreasing

Judy Peterson/File photo

Lori Lieneke Advertising Director

HEALTH OFFICERS ANNOUNCE NEW INDOOR MASK CRITERIA Eli Walsh, Reporter

Health officials across nine Bay Area jurisdictions announced their criteria Oct. 7 to eventually lift the region's requirement to wear a mask indoors regardless of vaccination status. The health officers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties and the City of Berkeley initially issued the mandate Aug. 3 amid a wave of new Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the highly contagious Delta variant. On Oct. 7, the health officers argued that the wave is now receding, and a plan to transition away from the mandate in the coming weeks is necessary. Each county as well as Berkeley will lift the mandate respectively when it has reached the moderate or yellow tier of Covid-19 transmission as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for at least three weeks; when its Covid-19 hospitalizations are “low and stable,” as determined by local health officials; and when 80% of each jurisdiction's total population is fully vaccinated or eight weeks have passed since federal authorization of the Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. As of Oct. 7, none of the eight counties are in the moderate transmission tier. In addition, none have reached 80% vaccination among their full populations, although Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties have crested 70 percent. “Indoor masking has helped to lower case counts, hospitalizations and Covid-19 deaths, so we don't want to remove this important layer of Covid prevention too hastily,” Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said in a statement. “These regional metrics will help keep our community safe, and ensure that our case rates

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Attendees wear masks while participating in Tai Chi classes at the Live Oak senior center. Health officials expect the indoor mask requirement to extend at least through the end of the year.

are low and stable, our hospitals are in good shape and vaccination rates are robust.” Beginning Oct. 15, San Francisco will allow those in indoor settings with fewer than 100 people like offices, gyms and indoor college classes to forgo a face covering if everyone can verify that they are fully vaccinated. Health officers in Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties both noted that their Covid-19 hospitalizations have receded enough to be considered “low and stable,” but said their respective transmission and vaccination rates will likely keep mask requirements in place through most of the year, if not into early 2022. Federal health regulators are also not expected to consider emergency use authorization data for children ages 5-11 until the end of October, at the earliest.

Cody said Santa Clara County has no plans to follow San Francisco’s lead for relatively small indoor gatherings, noting that the county has not even mandated proof of vaccination for certain activities like indoor dining. “We have always sought to have rules that are as simple as possible, as easy as possible for the public to understand,” Cody said. “So here in Santa Clara County as well as most jurisdictions in the Bay Area, we will keep our requirement for indoor masking, regardless of vaccination status, until we meet these metrics that we've adopted across the Bay Area.” Some indoor masking requirements will remain in place under state and federal guidance even after the regional masking orders are fully lifted, including in K-12 schools, health care settings and while using public transit. Copyright © 2021 Bay City News, Inc.

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First buyer at North 40 is relishing her triumphant return to Los Gatos

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She used to live just up the road, but was forced to leave Los Gatos by circumstance. But now, Mary McLean, 55, has returned triumphantly. She played a guessing game with this reporter, during the recent Chamber of Commerce Wine Walk. The rhetorical question: “Who was the first buyer in North 40?” She reveals the answer: “Me!” Mary McLean is a joyful person, just brimming with life. She’s faced hardship. And she’s overcome adversity. The Canadian expat struggled to find her way back to Los Gatos, as she followed the roller coaster ride that was Phase 1 of the North 40 housing development in the northern part of town. But she’s finally arrived. “I feel very comfortable here,” she said. “It’s funny how life can turn around.” The Los Gatan checked with SummerHill Housing Group, and her story checks out. Annabelle Salum, the company’s director of marketing, confirmed McLean was the first of 30 buyers to close before the grand opening, held Saturday. McLean’s lived in Halifax, Montreal, Vancouver and Duncan, British Columbia. She now works as the director of purchasing for a Silicon Valley tech company. A painful divorce caused her to decamp from Los Gatos, first to the Aventino Apartments, then to Campbell. She couldn’t be happier about returning. “I moved in three weeks ago,” she said, adding her 22-year-old son lives with her. “My son is happy, so it’s all good.” She jokes about how her daughter gives her a hard time about how she moved into a place in a development that got a lot of press over the years for having some “affordable” units. She laughs because the $1.6 million price tag isn’t anything to sneeze at.

But, to McLean, it’s definitely worth it. “I feel so happy; I feel like I’m home again,” she said, adding, “My neighbor is so nice.” Last Thursday, McLean opened her door as construction equipment whirred, workers smoothed out concrete and trucks beeped as they reversed. There was her neighbor, Tina Bean, walking her dog. “We’re brand new neighbors,” McLean said. “And we’re fast friends.” They’ve been planning to get together to drink wine, but with all the moving-in and whatnot, they hadn’t quite had the chance yet. Bean’s resided in Los Gatos for two decades, and previously lived off Broadway downtown. And while she may not have been the first to buy into the development, she’s definitely a North 40 early-adopter—along with her daughter. They took possession on Sept. 15. So, given all the scaffolding dressing skeletal units around them, can it possibly feel like a neighborhood yet? “Of course it feels like a neighborhood,” McLean said. “It only takes two people to make a neighborhood.” “That’s right,” Bean affirmed. “And quote me on that,” McLean added, as the two joined in laughter. Bean says it’s proved a beautiful experience so far. For McLean, easy access to cycling trails nearby is a huge plus, so she doesn’t have to drive somewhere to use it. “I can run here,” she said. “I even run on the main road, no problem at all.” Bean says the workers have been courteous. Plus, with the well-insulated building design, she barely hears them. “They’ve been lovely to be around,” she said. “And I don’t hear you at all,” McLean added, loading up for another joke. “I don’t know if you hear me. I hardly ever yell.” McLean never wanted to leave her house in Los Gatos. After her divorce she tried to find a suitable long-term option in town, but it made more

Drew Penner/Los Gatan

Drew Penner, Reporter

WELCOME HOME Canadian expat Mary McLean is thrilled about her new North 40 existence. She was the first person to buy into the development. sense at the time to buy a unit built from scratch in Campbell. “But I always had my eye on this development,” she said, adding North 40 was supposed to be up-and-running even before she moved to Campbell. She recalls attending various community meetings about the North 40 project. “I wanted this place, and I wanted to know what was going on,” she said, adding she kept her mouth shut as controversy frustrated development plans. “It started, and then it died, and then everyone said it was OK.”

Then it died again. “My only hope to get back to Los Gatos was this place,” she said. “Because you can’t buy a place in Los Gatos for under x amount of money, right?” She says she was emailing the developer even before the sales office was open. “Please, can you help me? I’m really interested,” she recalls writing. “I really need to move back.” And she made it. First. “I always knew I was going to come here,” she said. “I really am very, very happy being back.”

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their own satisfaction. Real Estate Agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are Independent Contractor Sales Associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License # 01908304. © ©2021 1 Coldwell RealEstate EstateLLCLLC. All Rights Reserved. is atrademark registeredlicensed trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker EstateOpportunity LLC. An Equal Equal Opportunity Company. Equal HousingBanker Opportunity. EachBrokerage ColdwellOffice Banker Residential Brokerage Office is Owned by a Coldwell Banker Banker Real All Rights Reserved. ColdwelColdwell Banker®Banker® is registered to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Real An Equal Company. Housing Opportunity. Each Coldwell Residential is Owned by a Subsidiary Subsidiary of ©NRT LLC. All rights reserved. This information supplied by Seller and/or other sources. Broker believes this information be correct notOpportunity verified thisCompany. information assumes no legal Each responsibility for its Residential accuracy. Brokerage Buyers investigate 1 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rightswas Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker RealtoEstate LLC. butAnhas Equal Equaland Housing Opportunity. Coldwell Banker Officeshould is Owned by a these issues to of NRT LLC. All rights reserved. This information was supplied by Seller and/or other sources. Broker believes this nformation to be correct but has not verified this information and assumes no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyers should investigate these issues to their own Subsidiary ofReal NRTEstate LLC. AllAgents rights reserved. was supplied by SellerBrokerage and/or other Broker Contractor believes this Sales information to be and correctarebutnot hasemployees not verified ofthisColdwell information and assumes no legal for its accuracy. Buyers should these issues to # 01908304. their own satisfaction. affiliatedThis withinformation Coldwell Banker Residential are sources. Independent Associates Banker Real Estate LLC,responsibility Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRTinvestigate LLC. CalBRE License satisfactiontheir Realown Estate Agents affiliated withAgents Coldwell Banker with Residential are Independent Contractor Sales Associates and are notAssociates employeesand of Coldwell Banker Realof Estate LLC,Banker ColdwellRealBanker Brokerage LC. CalBRE Licenseor#NRT 01908304. satisfaction. Real Estate affiliated ColdwellBrokerage Banker Residential Brokerage are Independent Contractor Sales are not employees Coldwell EstateResidential LLC, Coldwell BankerNRT Residential Brokerage LLC. CalBRE License # 01908304.

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PARADE MAY BE CANCELLED, BUT HOLIDAY CELEBRATION STILL ON TAP Parade, from page 1 Contributed

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FESTIVE Los Gatos in Lights returns for the 2021 holiday season, with installations like this flume sculpture and a brightly lit giant star going up right after Thanksgiving. “We’ll keep adding to the display through Dec. 4 and we have several new installations coming,” said Chamber Executive Director Catherine Somers. Horse drawn carriage rides return to town Dec. 9-23.

The good news is that the traditional Tree Lighting ceremony will be held Dec. 3 at the Town Plaza. “The event is hosted by the town and we are determining appropriate, associated activities for families and attendees to stay Covid safe,” Assistant Town Manager Arn Andrews said in an email. Instead of the parade, a holiday-themed Promenade is scheduled for Dec. 4 from 2-9pm. The event will mirror last summer’s Promenades, with N. Santa Cruz Avenue closed to vehicle traffic from Bachman Avenue to Main Street. “It will really be a celebration of our retail merchants and community spirit,” said Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Catherine Somers. “Santa will be making an appearance. Unfortunately, he can’t have personal visits because of safety restrictions, so we’re looking for creative ways for him

to interact with children. The rec center is also planning to have giveaways for kids.” A European-style arts and crafts fair is on tap, too, for the Promenade. “The summer Promenades were so successful that it seemed logical to bring it back for the holidays,” Somers said. “People can shop, sip and stroll, and listen to live music.” Beer, wine and hot chocolate will be for sale during the Promenade. Los Gatos Jewelry owner Tom Tilney, who has worked every parade Saturday since 1989, hopes the Promenade will be good for business. “It will give people a chance to shop the town and familiarize themselves with what’s available,” he said. “Things are coming back, so I just hired a fulltime employee for the holidays.” Black Cat Hats co-owner Janet Dashiell said her business partner “loves the parade,” because families

come early to buy warm gloves and Santa hats. Dashiell, however, takes a different view. “What I don’t like is salons and restaurants don’t do much business on parade day because it’s not a time when people are going to go to a store that doesn’t cater to families,” Dashiell said. “It’s mid-afternoon by the time the parade is cleaned up on what is an important day for retailers. So, the Promenade is a great idea because you’re inspiring people to share fun, and dip in and out of stores.” Sponsors are also hoping to attract traditional parade entertainers, including the Los Gatos High School Marching Band and the Fisher Middle School Choir. Dancers from Los Gatos Ballet will perform excerpts from the Nutcracker. More fun for kids starts Dec. 11, with LGS Recreation hosting Breakfast

with Santa, the Super Secret Workshop and Zoom Storytimes with Santa. “We are also offering our Gingerbread House, Ice Village: Sugar Cube Cottages and Igloo events, where families may participate in a holiday tradition with as much candy and decorations you can imagine and also without all the sugary mess at home,” LGS Recreation’s Emily Sprugasci said in an email. Some Santa activities are already waitlisted, so Sprugasci encouraged families to sign up early at lgsrecreation.org. Sprugasci and Promenade organizers stressed that safety is uppermost this holiday season. “We want to stress that while the Promenade will have elements of the parade, we’re carefully planning safety features that will ensure everyone feels comfortable,” Somers said.

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WOMAN ALSO ACCUSED OF DEFRAUDING FORMER EMPLOYER DA, from page 1 things secret from their parents (even when one passed out in their own vomit), according to the “statement of facts” filed by the DA’s office. If convicted of the charges, which include felony child abuse and sexual assault, O’Connor would face incarceration. O’Connor also faces felony fraud charges for making more than $120,000 in unauthorized charges on a company card she was given as an administrative assistant for Aruba Networks, the Santa Clara subsidiary of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, authorities said. An Aruba Networks spokesperson confirmed that O’Connor no longer works for the company, but declined to comment further, citing privacy rules. “As a matter of policy, we encourage team members to report misconduct via confidential channels and we investigate any allegations or suspicions of inappropriate activity thoroughly,” the spokesperson said. “If substantiated, we take action, which may include termination of employment and/or referral to law enforcement.” The new charges stem from events that date back to 2020 and carried on until earlier this year, prosecutors said. “At one party at her home, O’Connor handed a underaged teenager a condom and pushed him into a room with an intoxicated minor,” according to the release, which continued, “During a New Year’s Eve party at her home with about five 14-year-olds, the defendant watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed.” The DA’s office also alleged she brought a drunk teen into a bedroom at her home where an intoxicated 14-year-old girl was lying in the bed. Afterwards, according to prosecutors, the girl confronted O’Connor. “Why did you leave me in there with him?” she said, according to the DA's office. “Like, why did you, like, do that? Like, you knew, like, what he was going to do to me.” O’Connor would even Snapchat or text children to leave their homes in the middle of the night and drink alcohol she provided at her home, according to prosecutors. And one teenager was knocked unconscious after she let a child drive

Shannon O’Connor

her SUV in the Los Gatos High School parking lot, with two teens hanging onto the back of it, the DA’s office said. O’Connor and Robert Amaral owned the East Los Gatos residence in question at 120 Arroyo Del Rancho Road up to 2013. It sits in a shaded hillside residential neighborhood off of Kennedy and Shannon roads, with homes that have water features and are advertised for their modern-tech luxury design. According to county records, Amaral transferred ownership of the property to the AF Trust UDT, which lists both Robert H. Amaral and Shannon M. O’Connor as trustees, on May 30, 2013. In December, Amaral was named the chief revenue officer of SlashNext, a Pleasanton firm that provides anti-phishing solutions. According to the DA’s filings, the alleged illegal activities occurred while Amaral was absent, and the O’Connor took steps to conceal the drinking from him. Amaral is known in the tech world for bringing four companies to IPO, and his resume includes LiveAction, CliQr, ArcSight, Support.com, Marimba, Tivoli Systems and Sun Microsystems. The property, which is located in the Santa Rosa Heights neighborhood, was valued at $3,299,178 for the 2021 assessment year, a clerk in the public service department of the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office said. Neither Amaral nor SlashNext immediately replied to the Los Gatan’s emails seeking comment. The property is currently listed with Coldwell Banker Realty for $4.7 million. Prosecutors said they are seeking to extradite O’Connor, who also goes by Shannon Bruga, from Eagle, Idaho, where she now lives.

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Emanuel Lee, Reporter

A 1-0 loss to Mitty High on Oct. 6 did little to dampen the spirits of the Los Gatos High field hockey team. After all, the Wildcats will see the Monarchs again at least one other time in the regular season and quite possibly a third time in the Central Coast Section tournament. Los Gatos, Mitty and St. Francis are widely considered the top three teams in the section, so any time the teams play each other the result can go either way. Mitty just happened to prevail against the Wildcats in their latest matchup. Los Gatos coach Henry Reyes wasn’t too disappointed given his team had a big edge in short corners and a small advantage in time of possession. More often than not, a team that controls those two categories will come out on top. “We had some great opportunities to put the ball in, but it just didn’t happen,” Reyes said. “We didn’t take advantage of our opportunities and made a couple of mistakes defensively resulting in the ball heading into the cage. But we’ll see both Mitty and St. Francis at our house and we’ll proceed from there.” Since the Wildcats have one of the most potent offenses in the state, even a powerhouse team like Mitty will pack things in on the defensive end. Reyes said the Monarchs sometimes had 10 players inside the 25-yard line whenever Los Gatos crossed midfield, making things particularly tough to score, let alone get a shot on goal.

“If you can imagine the entire team concentrated in that space, it was very tough to score,” he said. “They had a very stingy defense. We did anticipate that would happen from their previous opponent they played.” Los Gatos rebounded nicely from the Mitty loss, defeating Los Altos 4-0 two days later. The Wildcats boast one of the largest rosters in the section. They have 33 players on the varsity team and 30 on the junior varsity squad, a testament to the popularity of the sport in Los Gatos. Reyes said he “probably used 25 different kids” in the Mitty match, adding the defense has been strong all season. Captain Madi McDonough, Maddie Holloway, Maia DeWinter and Rachel Henricksen form a solid defender corps along with the very last line of defense in top goalie Katya Vrijen. “The defense has stood out quite a bit and generally done really well,” Reyes said. Los Gatos has been sharp offensively as well, with Natasha Evenden leading the way in goals scored. Evenden unleashes shots at a prodigious rate, which puts opponents on their toes. Jiwoo Hong has also played tremendous on offense and Sam Elliott has been strong in the midfield. Field hockey is unique from the other sports in the CCS in that Los Gatos and Los Altos—two traditional schools in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League—compete against West Catholic League schools Mitty, St. Francis, Presentation and St. Ignatius in the SCVAL De Anza Division. The way the teams finish in the final standings in the De Anza Division are seeded the same way—one through six—in the CCS tournament.

PLAYMAKER Natasha Evenden surveys the field as teammate Sam Elliott looks on in the Wildcats’ 1-0 loss to Mitty on Oct. 6. Los Gatos remains on track to compete for league and CCS titles.

‘The defense has stood out quite a bit and generally done really well.’ Los Gatos Coach Henry Reyes

Robert Eliason

STAYING THE COURSE

SPORTS

SHAPING UP TO BE A DREAM TEAM? Robert Eliason

Los Gatos girls water polo team ruling the pool Emanuel Lee, Reporter

RULE THE POOL Mackenzie Lindholm is part of a powerhouse Los Gatos High girls water polo team that entered the week at 16-2 after going a perfect 4-0 to win in its own Tessa Joy Tournament. come out and do their job. They're such mature kids and it’s been a lot of fun dealing with how they approach water polo. They do it with a real professional attitude, with no ego, no better than you mentality.” Though King and Holland have played superbly, Appleton said the team’s improved up the middle defense has been hugely impactful in its success. He credits assistant Kenny Delp as doing a great job coaching up the center position players like Maily Isaacs, Zoe Frangieh and Lily van Putten. “On paper, Kenny is an assistant coach, but we’re both kind of run-

ning the show,” Appleton said. “He’s been with me seven seasons and was the former head coach at Mitty. He’s been working with our centers quite a bit and they’re coming along nicely. They’re earning a lot of exclusions and starting to play a little more physically because they’re in better shape from the beginning of the season. They’re learning how to play a lot tougher and a lot of that has to do with Kenny. Individually, the girls are starting to recognize situations a lot faster which is making life a lot easier.” Freshman sensation Karly Frangieh is the team’s top goal scorer, and her older sister Zoe along with Maily

Isaacs and Mackenzie Lindholm have found the cage plenty of times as well. In a 12-5 win over Menlo School in the Tessa Joy Tournament championship match, Isaacs had four goals and Julia Ernsting had three. Los Gatos was held in check offensively in its only two losses to Acalanes and Castilleja, and Appleton is optimistic that area of the team’s game will grow in time for the Central Coast Section playoffs. “It comes down to the day,” he said. “I think we have the ability to beat anybody on any given day, but it’s about putting it all together and performing that matters.”

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Los Gatos High girls water polo coach Don Appleton knows it’s not every year a person in his position inherits a team free of drama and egos. That’s why he’s been effusive in his praise for the players as they’ve been a joy to coach from the start of summer conditioning to its current standing of first place in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League’s De Anza Division. “I’m loving it,” he said. “We’re coaching athletic kids, but they’re also fun kids to be around. Practices have been a good time, sitting around tournaments have been a good time. We’re playing well and getting better, which is always a top goal. But we’re enjoying our time together and what we have, which is really what it’s all about right now after the long break not being able to play (due to Covid).” Los Gatos entered the week at 16-2 after going a perfect 4-0 to win its own Tessa Joy Tournament. Although the team has been prolific scoring goals—it has put up double-digit goals in all but two of its matches—it’s the defense that starts the counter attacks and breakaway goals. “It starts with the incredible kids in the cage,” Appleton said, referring to the top goalie combination of Jackie King and Lucy Holland. “We’re a defense first kind of team. They hold down our defense, and obviously when you have players like that you want to rely on them or you’re not doing your job.” King is committed to Stanford and Holland with UC Davis, which makes for quite a dynamic of having two Division I commits playing the same position. The duo have split time in the cage, and Appleton has been pleased with how the standouts have supported each other as they usually rotate halves for playing time. “Jackie and Lucy have been as consistent as they come, and you can tell in our goals against stat,” he said. “They approach every game like it’s a new game. Doesn't matter if they’re feeling good or feeling bad, our goalies

Courtesy of New Museum Los Gatos

LIONS CLUB ‘WHITE CANE DAYS’ FUNDRAISER RUNS THROUGH OCTOBER

LOCAL SCENE

The Los Gatos Lions Club is raising money for programs for the visually impaired, with club members fundraising at the Town Plaza bus shelter, Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street, throughout October on Sundays from 9am to 1pm. Club members will be available to talk about the work they do with San Jose’s Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They’re also collecting used eyeglasses to refurbish and distribute to needy individuals. To donate online, visit e-clubhouse. org/sites/losgatos/page-8.php and select “White Cane Days.”

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OBJECTS FROM TOWN’S HISTORY ON DISPLAY

Los Gatos History Project: Uncovering Untold Stories will be on view in NUMU’s History Hall beginning Oct. 15, with a preview event on Oct. 14. The Los Gatos History Project team, led by guest curator Allison Railo, have been developing an exhibit that will tell a unique story of Los Gatos, as well as the story of New Museum Los Gatos’ collection. Uncovering Untold Stories, the first exhibition to come out of the project, is NUMU’s effort to catalog and dive deeper into its permanent collection. “I’ve found it particularly interesting to think about the individuals whose hands have touched these pieces—the time and toil and desire to make something meaningful or beautiful that all of us can relate to,” Railo said. Exhibit organizers hope visitors will gain a better understanding of museum collecting, and a greater appreciation for the complexities of Los Gatos history. The Los Gatos History Project is made possible in part by a grant from the County of Santa Clara’s Historic Grant Program, the Town of Los Gatos and the Los Gatos Community Foundation.

HISTORY Uncovering Untold Stories, shown here as a work in progress, opens Oct. 15.

An exhibition walkthrough with Railo will take place Oct. 14 from 5:30-6:30pm. NUMU is located at 106 East Main St. For information, visit numulosgatos.org/lghp

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DRILL SET FOR NOV. 3 The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has partnered with San Jose Water to host an emergency preparedness, drive-thru water distribution exercise at Los Gatos Calvary Church, 16330 Los Gatos Blvd., on Nov. 3 from 10am to noon. This drill is a Community Point of Distributing (CPOD) exercise so

the community can experience how a commodity would be distributed in a disaster. Each vehicle that drives through the line will receive free water and a reusable water bag. The exercise should take less than 15 minutes per vehicle. To register, visit bit.ly/3mw7awe

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED In honor of World Teacher Day (Oct. 5), the Santa Clara County Office of Education announced the 2021 County Teachers of the Year, which includes two from Los Gatos. Wendy Ottinger of Los Gatos Union School District and Marcy Cooper of Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High

School District were among the honorees. “We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of teachers across Santa Clara County for their ingenuity and perseverance over the past year and a half,” said County Superintendent of Schools Mary Ann Dewan. “We are thrilled to be able to honor the achievements of educators who have gone above and beyond, despite the many challenges we all faced during this pandemic.” The educators will be honored at the 51st annual Santa Clara County Teacher Recognition Celebration on Oct. 28 at the Corinthian Grand Ballroom in San Jose.

POLICE BLOTTER

• Police were unable to find a man who was reportedly sitting on top of a fence and shining a flashlight at vehicles as they passed through Knowles Drive and S. Winchester Boulevard at 12:16am. • Someone stole a catalytic converter from a vehicle parked in a lot at the corner of Union Avenue and Los Gatos Almaden Road. • A vehicle was reported stolen on the 15400 block of Los Gatos Boulevard. • A man was arrested for being in possession of a controlled substance and unlawful paraphernalia on the 100 block of Dover Court at 8:09am. • Police received a report of a man on the Blossom Hill Road at Highway 17 overpass spraying vehicles with a water gun at 6:22pm.

OCT. 4

• Power lines reportedly went down on Canon Drive and Sky Oaks Way at 9:16am. • A vehicle was reported stolen on Ellenwood Avenue. • Police assisted a driver whose vehicle broke down on the railroad tracks on Winchester Boulevard. • No injuries were reported in a vehicle collision on Camden Avenue at 5:43pm.

OCT. 5

• A school was vandalized with graffiti on Fisher Avenue. • Someone TP’d a house on Central Avenue overnight. • A pedestrian suffered injuries after being struck by a vehicle on Placer Oaks Road and Izorah Way at 8:36am. • Police responded to a report of a battery on the 500 block of University Avenue at 11:48am. • Police were unable to find a man who was reportedly urinating

near a business on Los Gatos Boulevard at 1:38pm.

OCT. 6

• A woman was arrested for battery on the 500 block of W. Parr Avenue at 8:39am. • Petty theft was reported at Vasona Park at 4:06pm. • A man wearing all black and carrying suitcases reportedly began taking photos of women inside a store on Andrews Street and University Avenue at 4:08pm. • A man was arrested for disorderly conduct on Highways 9 and 17 at 11:31pm.

OCT. 7

• Two motorcycles were reported stolen from a yard on La Rinconada Drive. • A vehicle was burglarized on Villa Avenue. • Someone smashed the windows of a vehicle parked on Alberto Way. • A phone and wallet were stolen from a vehicle parked on the 14700 block of Los Gatos Boulevard. • No injuries were reported after a vehicle hit two parked vehicles and a wall on Wood Road and S. Santa Cruz Avenue at 12:18pm. • A vehicle was reported stolen on Winchester Boulevard as well as Alberto Way and Los Gatos Saratoga Road. • A man was arrested for indecent exposure on the 15000 block of Los Gatos Boulevard at 5:38pm.

OCT. 9

• A man was arrested for disorderly conduct on the 100 block of N. Santa Cruz Avenue at 3:02am. Information is compiled from public records released by the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department.

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OCT. 3

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VOTING OPEN FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT’S MEASURE B Parcel tax requires two-thirds approval Staff Report

Voting has begun in the Nov. 2 Los Gatos Union School District Measure B Special Election, with ballots being mailed out to active registered voters this past week. Measure B is a parcel tax that will require a two-thirds vote to pass. The expiring $290 parcel tax was approved by voters in 2013. Now, the school district is proposing to add $45 to the tax, bringing the total to $335 per parcel, per year. In-person early voting at the Registrar of Voters Office, 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2 in San Jose, is now available. The last day to request a replacement Vote by Mail Ballot is Oct. 26. Vote Centers will be available starting Oct. 23.

OFFICIAL BALLOT DROP BOXES ARE AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN LOS GATOS AND MONTE SERENO: • Los Gatos Town Hall, outside Town Clerk Office, 110 East Main St. • Monte Sereno City Hall, outside City Clerk Office, 18041 SaratogaLos Gatos Road, Monte Sereno

Voting has begun in the Nov. 2 Los Gatos Union School District Measure B Special Election

THERE ARE TWO 11-DAY VOTE CENTER LOCATIONS IN LOS GATOS, STARTING OCT. 23: • Blossom Hill Elementary School, Multipurpose Room, 16400 Blossom Hill Road • The Pavilion at Redwood Estates, Community Room, 21450 Madrone Drive Ballots may be returned until 8pm at the Registrar of Voters’ Office, at any Official Drop Box, or mailed at any Post Office or mailbox as long as it is postmarked on or before Nov. 2 and received by the Registrar of Voters Office by Nov. 9. For information, visit sccvote.org or call 408.299.8683

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File photo

VOTING BEGINS A ballot drop box for the Nov. 2 election is located at the Los Gatos Town Hall.

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ANALYSIS

TOWN COUNCIL DISRUPTIONS ARE PART OF A TREND

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Katie Lauer, Reporter

Gilroy Councilmember Rebeca Armendariz reflects back on the intimidation she’s endured during decades living in the garlic capital, including fielding hate mail sent to her home while running for elected office and discovering loosened lug nuts on her family’s truck. When she was the lone councilmember to speak up in September against a time capsule’s lack of diversity on the occasion of the city’s 150th anniversary, she faced calls to resign and interruptions. Events she once viewed as an alarming wave of incivility have now become a swell of hostility, which the lifelong activist isn’t entirely sure the community will ride out. “Before President Trump, there was a level of decorum we could expect from our leaders. There was a level of impartiality, and it’s gone,” Armendariz says. “There is an element of shamelessness, to be honest, that folks are exhibiting that I've never seen before. Trump removed the shame from being a bigot, and so we're seeing that spill over into our city halls.” Those conflicts have played out in Los Gatos’ Town Council chambers, which has seen several meetings plunged into chaos by maskless attendees, shouting matches and 20-year resident Cyndi Sheehan making threatening, personal attacks against Mayor Marico Sayoc’s family—promptly followed by her livid husband storming the meeting prior to police intervention. Sayoc politely declined an interview, as her family was “still healing from Tuesday, and it’s still too raw to discuss.” The way Americans communicate and perceive each other—often at first glance—has noticeably changed the election of former President Donald Trump.

Local government meetings have transformed from evenings of dull, multi-page presentations laced with bureaucratese to drama-packed nights of unhinged hostility, where both red MAGA hats and rainbows in support of the LGBTQ community alike stoke anger before any dialogue can begin. Political scientists, activists, politicians and residents agree these belief systems are often commingled with legitimate worries about kids, communities, freedoms and belonging—emotions often magnified when involving complex, confusing issues, such as public health mandates. Likewise, public trust is damaged when vaccine advocates use scientific, technical language that ignores emotion-driven concerns. This behavior is increasingly taking over headlines locally and across the country. Dozens of anti-vaccine protesters temporarily shut down a San Jose City Council meeting in August, forcing City Hall to evacuate before councilmembers approved vaccine requirements for events at city-owned facilities—including the SAP Center and San Jose Museum of Art. Now as 2021 nears its end, public commenters like those in Los Gatos, Gilroy and San Jose have escalated their First Amendment rights—using words against groups based on gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. “What else is new these days? It’s very worrisome to me,” says Wiggsy Sivertsen, a longtime LGBTQ activist and Los Gatos resident. Coming from someone who faced threats while fighting for gay rights in Santa Clara County during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, she often thinks about how people “need to pay attention to that kind of cult behavior, because that's really what we've been dealing with here.” Sivertsen believes that Trump gave people permission to vocalize the anger and resentment that festered online and in meetings in recent years. However, she sees one major similarity in the conflicts: a lack of taking time to listen and understanding others’ perspectives.

Drew Penner/Los Gatan

Anger about diversity and inclusion movement has compromised civil discourse

DISRUPTION Cyndi Sheehan gestures toward the Los Gatos Town Council after the mayor called a break in the meeting on Oct. 5.

In order to return to a system that crafts policies and decisions to make quality of life better, Sivertsen says people should take time to recognize politicians as people beyond official titles, be comfortable having uncomfortable conversations and call out fallacies during disagreements—a perspective shaped by years as a professor at San Jose State University. “It comes from a very deep personal feeling on their part, that they don't probably understand,” Sivertsen says. “I believe we have a responsibility in our society to help people come to an understanding of why things are a certain way, and not just attack them as if they were rabid dogs.” “Instead of trying to understand each other, we desperately try to make it look like we have won the argument,” says Étienne Brown, an as-

sistant professor of philosophy who teaches technology ethics at San Jose State University, “From the point of view of public discourse, however, everyone is losing.” Brown fears that feedback loops and echo chambers of misinformation, affirmation and networking on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will continue to “poison the well of public discourse.” He thinks, despite differences, communities should try to rejoin in shared fundamental values in order to “embark on a collective journey of self-government.” “Democracy is more fragile than people think. We need to believe in it for it to function well,” Brown says. “If it dies in our minds, it will die in the real world too.”

EDITORIAL

DA SHOULD DROP CONSPIRACY CHARGES District Attorney Jeff Rosen’s conspiracy case against political supporters of Sheriff Laurie Smith has not gone smoothly. An appeals court in May removed the DA’s office from prosecuting one case, and then the state Supreme Court declined to hear the DA’s appeal. In August, Attorney General Rob Bonta dropped charges against the defendant, a prominent San Jose attorney. A parallel case against Apple security chief Thomas Moyer collapsed in May when Judge Eric Geffon deemed the charges unsupported by evidence. Three executive protection specialists caught redhanded in making illegal campaign contributions and falsifying documents got off light in exchange for guilty pleas and cooperation with Rosen’s office. Despite the failed prosecutions of attorney Christopher Schumb and Apple’s Moyer, the District Attorney continues to press ahead with cases against Undersheriff Rick Sung, Sheriff ’s Captain James Jensen and three other participants in an alleged conspiracy to connect gun permits for Facebook bodyguards to a campaign contribution and offers of equipment donations. Jensen is accused of falsifying documents, which may be clear cut. But the conspiracy and bribery allegations are weaker and depend on proving a quid pro quo rather than the types of conversations that occur all the time between donors with access to public officials. And since a judge and the Attorney General have determined there’s insuf-

ficient evidence, why are other defendants being prosecuted for the same allegations? It’s no secret that Rosen would like to see the sheriff out of office, but that’s a result more appropriately executed by voters or a retirement announcement, since an election is right around the corner. The DA is also facing a contested election. This is not a good backdrop for impartial justice, and prosecutions should not be tainted by electoral politics or interagency feuds. The public wants safe communities, not law enforcement officials spending their time—and public resources—fighting one another. The tangled knot of Santa Clara County political alliances is further complicated by Supervisor Cindy Chavez’s endorsement of Rosen’s reelection campaign. Rosen touting an endorsement from the architect of the county’s political favor machine (who also happens to have been a close ally of a politician who Rosen’s office prosecuted for felony political corruption) raises other issues. Why is Rosen forging a political alliance with Chavez, now a San Jose mayoral candidate and one of the sheriff ’s key allies and enablers? Is there a mayoral endorsement quid pro quo? District Attorney Rosen should either drop the bribery and conspiracy charges—or hand them off to the Attorney General. When it comes to matters like this, the public should not have to read between the lines and wonder whether justice is being served.

Better to be right than first Journalists seek to deliver, and society craves, fast information due to the evolution of the internet, social media and the 24-hour news cycle. But at what cost? The Los Gatan's front-page article on the events of the Oct. 5 Town Council meeting was published in haste. The written words showed a lack of research, historical knowledge, and context of the situation that has taken place over the last 18 months. Your

words turned aggressors into the victims and the victims into the aggressors and there were unsubstantiated claims made against a minor in the community. Mr. Pulcrano and Mr. Penner, I am thrilled to have a weekly newspaper that focuses on the Los Gatos community. However, I urge you to take a moment and make sure you have it right. It is better to be right than first. Donna McCurrie Los Gatos

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Courtesy of the Los Gatos Lions Club

CALENDAR

BOOK CLUB Every third Tuesday of the month, the Tuesday Evening Book Club meets to discuss literature. The club will meet on the Civic Center lawn on Oct. 19 at 5pm. → losgatosca.libcal.com/ event/7545873

BLUES JAM Little Lou's BBQ, 2455 S. Winchester Blvd. in Campbell, hosts the Blues Jam on Thursdays from 6-9pm. → littlelousbbq.com/calender

PUBLIC MEETINGS WHITE CANE DAYS The Los Gatos Lions Club is raising money for programs for the visually impaired, with club members fundraising at the Town Plaza bus shelter, Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street, throughout October on Sundays from 9am to 1pm.

LOS GATOS HISTORY PROJECT EXHIBIT

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New Museum Los Gatos, 106 E. Main St., will present its new exhibit, Los Gatos History Project: Uncovering Untold Stories, on Oct. 14 from 5:30-6:30pm. Curator Allison Railo will give a tour of the exhibition, while discussing the exhibit's development process, themes and her own observations about NUMU's collection. Space is limited.

Los Gatan T-shirts Now available for purchase Order online: wklys.co/lgtshirt

To reserve a spot, visit numulosgatos. org/events/lghp-exhibitwalkthrough

THE KIWANIS CLUB OF LOS GATOS The club meets the first three Thursdays of the month at noon at Flights Restaurant, 165 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road #5306. First two Thursdays of the month feature guest speakers.

OUTDOOR STORYTIME The Los Gatos Library hosts storytime outdoors on the Civic Center lawn. Next events are Oct. 15 and 19 at 11am. Adults and children aged 3 and up are encouraged to wear masks. → losgatosca.libcal.com/ event/8366482

BLUE OCEAN ROCKERS Blue Ocean Rockers, performing classic rock ‘n’ roll songs, will perform at Number 1 Broadway, 102 South Santa Cruz Ave. #B (Upstairs), on Oct. 15. Doors open at 7pm, with music starting at 9pm. → number1broadway.com/events/ blue-ocean-rockers.

HACKJAMMERS

Town Council The Los Gatos Town Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the Town Council Chambers, 110 E. Main St. Next meetings: Oct. 19, Nov. 2. → losgatosca.gov/16/Town-Council Planning Commission The Los Gatos Planning Commission meets virtually on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm. Next meetings: Oct. 13, 27. → losgatosca.gov/189/ Planning-Commission 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. Next meeting: Oct. 26. → bit.ly/3DaJRi9 Los Gatos Union School District Board of Trustees The board meets monthly at either 6:30pm or 4pm. Next meetings: Oct. 14, Nov. 18.

HackJammers will perform at Number 1 Broadway, 102 South Santa Cruz Ave. #B (Upstairs), on Oct. 16. Doors open at 7pm, with music starting at 9pm.

→ bit.ly/3oywlRA

→ number1broadway.com/events/ hackjammers-3

→ losgatosca.gov/12/ Boards-Commissions-Committees

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

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A Spooktacular Halloween Dinner

Enjoy a family dinner for 4 with your $100 donation!

Order something good to eat! Baby Back Ribs Mashed Potatoes

To support community programming at KCAT TV & Radio

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Veggie Pot Pie Spaghetti

Chicken Breast

Chicken Wings

Butternut Squash Salad Scalloped Potatoes

Curried Pumpkin & Roasted Cauliflower

Pumpkin & Pecan Pie Popcorn Balls

kcat.org/halloween-dinner Full menu + details online... Order by Oct. 29

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REAL ESTATE

HOME OF THE WEEK

Coldwell Banker Realty

ESTATE WITH NUMEROUS AMENITIES

This Kennedy Estates home has countless amenities, including a climate controlled wine cellar said to have storage for more than 1,000 bottles. Located at 217 Forrester Road in Los Gatos, the 5,877-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The marble entryway leads to the living room with high ceilings, a fire-

place and French doors. The kitchen is outfitted with granite, an island, eating area and butler’s pantry. A separate family room includes a fireplace, wet bar with cherry cabinets, and wine cooler. The main suite features a sitting area and fireplace, as well as a private bathroom and walk-around closet. The home also has two separate garages, one of which has an electric vehicle charger. Built in 1990, the home is listed at $4,488,000 by Coldwell Banker Realty. For information, visit bit.ly/3DtXyce

Coldwell Banker Realty

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FORRESTER ROAD A private gated estate in Los Gatos.

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A I R I E S T

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