From our February issue
Chris Cismondi and Amanda Springer Cismondi happily announce the birth of their daughter Kayla Marie Cismondi December 3 at 7:58 a.m. She weighed six pounds, fourteen ounces. Her parents grew up in the mountains and are raising their children here. Kayla was welcomed by her big sister Mia Rose Cismondi who is three years old.
Shea Robinson, an LGHS student and a graduate of CTE, was named by San Jose Mercury News to their girls golf first team for the year 2009. Shea is the daughter of Lindsey Anderson.
Brian Gieses-Gardner, who now lives in Los Angeles, attended Lakeside School, Fisher Middle School, and Los Gatos High School. He is currently working as a teacher at the progressive Evergreen School in Santa Monica. Bryan was married on October 24 to Shane Davis-Kapp in a small ceremony with family and friends at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. Shane is a native of Bellingham, Washington, where Bryan attended Western Washington University. Shane is actively pursuing her SAG card in Los Angeles.
Tara Collishaw and Allie Langholff were members of the Girls from the National Championship boat from Los Gatos that finished a close second as the crew of the year in the USA and Abroad. They practice on Lexington Reservoir.
Loma Prieta parents Karen Bercaw, Christiane and Mirko Caballero, Katherine Dorsch, Helen O’Dea, and Russel Willner ran the Big Sur Half Marathon on November 15.
Members of the LGHS wrestling team are Steven Bourque and Jeremy Rea.
Loma Prieta resident Tiana Freiri, a sophomore at St. Lawrence Academy in Santa Clara, recently made the high honor roll with a 3.65 grade point average. In addition to this honor, Tiana also received the coaches’ award for girls varsity tennis. She is a first-year varsity player. She is the daughter of Bridget and Robert Freiri.
At the Los Gatos Children’s and Holiday Parade, members of the Loma Prieta Fire and Rescue team placed first in the Active Fire Engine category and second in the Antique Fire Engine category.
Deanna Devlin was named team co-captain of the LGHS girls basketball team. Other mountain girls on the team were Ellie Moller and Madeline Smedt.
Carson Nestler, a senior, was named to the All-Mercury News water polo team. Among the members of the Los Gatos High School color guard were Whitney Alter, Danielle Ashford, Danielle Beahm, and Marilah Hemminger.
Preston Rind, a tackle for the LGHS varsity football team, was named to the all-league second team, and junior defensive back Andy Heimer was named to the all-league first team defense.
From our January issue
Three Rolling Hills/Lakeside mountain boys (Adrian Lemke, Tony Moller, and Mitchell Schwager) qualified for the National Junior Olympics Cross Country meet in Reno on November 29. The boys “Midget” team (eleven- and twelve-year olds) also won first place as a team. They participated in the national meet December 12 in Reno.
Loma Prieta parents Karen Bercaw, Katherine Dorsch, Helen O’Dea, Russel Willner, Christiane and Killko Caballero ran the Big Sur Half Marathon November 15.
Los Gatos rowers train at Lexington reservoir. Their teams are some of the best in the country. They qualified for The Charles Regatta that draws teams from across the country. Mountain team members include Tara Collishaw, Tara Foley, and Allison Langhoff.
The 4-plus women’s team members, Brittany Johnson, Emily Sullenberger, Tara Foley, Kaity McCullough, and coxswain Shawna Rodgers placed 10th overall. The youth men’s 4-plus team of Adam Rose, Atli Thorketson, David DeSantis, Max Katz, and coxswain Colby Rapson finished 12th. Competing in the youth women’s 8-plus team were Tara Collishaw, Clare Southern, Madeline Raff, Kristin Eline, Amanda Fox, Maraika Robinson, Allison Langhoff, Nicole Wargon, and coxswain Allyn Nielson. The men’s youth 8-plus team consisted of Derek Kita, Kevin Sturm, Vance Callinan, Tom Porter, Alex Leeburg, Conor Moyles, Ross Hastings, Philip Verbus, and coxswain Lucas Orlita. Their performances at the Charles River competition were so good that some of the teams will receive automatic invitations for next year’s regatta.
From our December issue
Grandparents Jerry and Jan Villemaire and parents Paul and Laura Villemaire Sanders and big brother August are happy to announce the birth of Olivia Janae Sanders on October 21, in Roseville. Olivia weighed seven pounds, seven ounces and was twenty inches long.
Among the members of the LGHS frosh-soph football team are mountain students Jake Bevans, Jimmy Eisner, Jackson Fondriest, Max Friday, Mitch Homeier, Sean Niemann, Alex Pelkey, and Kevin Tjon.
The LGHS varsity football team members are Wes Bolliger, Andy Heimer, Luke Hollander, Jon Impey, Preston Rind, Evan Stagg, James Thomas, and Gabe Wilds. Earlier in the season Andy Heimer had seven carries for 55 yards, scored four touchdowns, and kicked seven extra-point attempts.
Becca Dobyns is a member of the girls track team. Bryn Taylor is a member of the girls tennis team.
Caroll Knipe recently published a story about her corgis Dutch and Duchess titled Corgi Confessions. Her grandchildren urged her to write the book because she created stories when they were growing up. Her husband, Fritz, took the photos. In addition to writing, Caroll was the first woman president of the Association of California School Administrators. Fritz was a popular principal/superintendent of Lakeside School.
Mountain resident and owner of a fitness studio in the mountains, Kathy Adams, has created Cool Chemo Top clothing for women battling cancer. Her experience with chemotherapy led her to create comfortable clothes for womenwhile dealing with insereted drains. For more information, visit www.confidentclothingcompany.com.
Nicholas Moyer (Nick) wore his homemade Halloween costume that he built with his dad, Vince. Nick loves Harley Davidson motorcycles and wanted to dress as a Harley for Halloween. Nick went trick-or-treating in Summit Woods, where he received many compliments on his creative costume.
From our November issue
David and Mary Billingsley announce the marriage of their daughter Shannon to Cody Mckenzie, son of David and Connie Mckenzie of Salt Lick, Kentucky. Shannon is a graduate of Loma Prieta, CTE, and LGHS. She is currently stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, as a staff sergeant in the USAF while pursuing her nursing degree for commissioning. Cody is in aviation in the USCG stationed at Barber’s Point Air Station, Hawaii. The wedding took place in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, September 15, and the reception will be held in October 2010 in Santa Cruz.
Early in October, San Jose State’s women’s basketball team members held a basketball clinic for Loma Prieta and CTE students interested in improving their basketball skills. Local participants were Tatum Korb, Sam Wilner, Lauren Sanders, Aiden Willner, Jade Notzon-Kidwell, Colton Landaiche, and Lauren Lacey. In the middle row were Daniel Weissman, Dani Matlock, Emily Jarnigan, McKenna Morrison, Kelly Matlock and Brooke Landaiche.
Joey DeSalvo has attained the Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle project was a Smokey Bear sign that watches over Highway 17 at the Alma Fire Station. Joey joined Scouting as a Tiger Cub in the local Cub Scout Pack 501. He has been a member of Troop 353, Troop 501, and most recently Crew 501. Joey is currently attending Cabrillo College. He is also continuing his water-polo career as the starting goalie. He enjoys working at Skyblue Pools in Los Gatos. He plans to continue playing water polo at the varsity level while working on his biology degree.
A full-time student at Texas Christian University, Tom Sutherland uses a video-game simulator instead of driving a car in preparation for the four-hour Monterey sports car championships. Tom developed the multi-screen simulator and driver seat complete with pedals and steering wheel that helps him mentally and physically prepare for the American LeMans series season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Sutherland will co-drive LG Motorsports’ Chevrolet Riley Corvette C6 with Tomy Drissi and Matt Bell in the grand-touring class. Tom qualified last month at Petite LeMans.
Colette (Froehlich) Phelps, seen last summer as Martha in Theatre in the Mountains’ production of The Secret Garden, has been selected to perform in CMTSJ’s production of Oliver. Cast in the role of Nancy, she will appear with her husband, James Phelps, who has been cast as Bill Sykes. The show runs the first two weekends in December at the Montgomery Theater. For ticket information, go to www.cmtsj.org.
LGHS senior Sophia Rumasuglia will dance the roles of Snow Queen and Arabian princess with Ballet San Jose’s principal dancer Maximo Calano in San Jose Dance Theater’s production of The Nutcracker. Loma Prieta second-grader Mia Fong will perform the roles of lead soldier and cookie. The performances will he held December 4 to 6, at the Center for Performing Arts in downtown San Jose. For more information, go to www.sigt.org.
The Mountain Mermaids team participated in the Mermaid triathlon and dualthon in late September at State Beach in Aptos. Participants swam .25 mile in the ocean, bicycled 11 miles, and ran 2.5 miles. Team members were Chandler Lougée, Maya Sweedler, Karen Rajczi, Laurie Boswell, Katie and Kyra Jeffrey, Marissa Rajczi, Kisa and Siena McKenzie, and Carmen Harris.
A Young Ambassador
From Redwood Estates
Nolan Cordle
“It looks like new,” I said, admiring the cleaning job that Nick Brodine performed on my nine-year- old Audi. Nick informed me that he could also do clean-up jobs to earn extra money in the next nine months. He is one of forty seventh- and eighth-grade students from San Jose to Monterey, and the only one in the Santa Cruz Mountains, selected as a student ambassador by the People-to-People organization.
Next summer, forty students, accompanied by carefully selected educators, will embark on a 19-day learning visit to England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. They will meet people, perform community service, and exchange ideas.
This important journey and great honor for Nick Brodine will cost about $7,000. Nick is seeking sponsorships and is happy to provide an educational presentation of the cultural experiences gained from his trip. He is also willing to wash cars and do odd jobs. If you need work done, or ihave any ideas that can help Nick earn funds, call him at 408-353-2226, or email nbrodine@comcast.net.
New Mountain Chiropractor
Brenda Taylor
My family and I live in the Los Gatos mountain community. As an avid hiker and Lakeside school mom of two, I have witnessed the need in our area for health and wellness care that is closer to home, as well as for commuters along Highway 17. I am a graduate of the distinguished Palmer College of Chiropractic West, hold a degree in health education, and have fifteen years of experience teaching movement and yoga, and working with the body.
I have opened Balanced Chiropractic as a place of wellness for the entire family. My wisest patient was ninety-eight, and my most youthful a newborn. You will find my office to be unique, even when compared with other chiropractors. I offer state-of-the-art, evidence-based spinal rehabilitation in a serene atmosphere of mountain peace and relaxation.
Balanced Chiropractic is located on Highway 17 at the mountain’s summit on the second floor of the Summit Properties building, 23111 Highway 17.
To learn more, visit www.BalancedChiropractic.org, email BrendaTaylorDC@email.com, or call
408-859-2225.
Los Gatos Water Polo
Mountain Kids Rule the Pool
Twenty-eight mountain students are on the Los Gatos High School water polo teams. They outnumber the town students.
So far this year the Wildcat teams are off to a great start. The girls varsity team has five mountain girls in the starting lineup: co-captains Carson Nestler and Kelly Davis, Kelsey Shyba, Stephanie Soucy, and Halle Nestler. Their record is 7-3 overall and 5-1 in league. Other varsity players include Megan Donovan and Madison Young.
JV Girls are 12-4 overall and 6-0 in league with standout mountain players Sarah O’Donnell, Meri Meighan, Kaley Korfike, and Chelsea Charbonneau. They have freshmen and sophomore support from Shelby Glenn, Julia Shuman, Christina Chiocchi, Morgan Gassmann, Mara Miljevich, Danielle Devonport, Julia Bjorge, and Danielle Magnin.
The varsity boys, led by co-captain Wes Heeter, rock-solid goalie (and ASB president) Joshua O’Donnell, and Adam Gouldsberry, won first place in the Saint Francis Invitational Tournament and are 10-3 overall. Other varsity players from the mountains include Michael Homer, Justin Rozon, and Doug McLeod. JV boys are second in league, led by Evin Wieser. Connor Sinclair and David Lowe are also key contributors to the team.
Last summer many of the players played in high-level tournaments with their club teams. Two participated in the Junior Olympics, and several boys traveled to Hungary with the West Valley club team.
West Valley, San Jose Water Polo, and Stanford offer programs from beginner to high-level competition. For more information visit www.usawaterpolo.org or talk to the head coach at LGHS, Don Appleton, who also coaches the West Valley club. The game schedule is on the school’s website, www.lghs.net/athletics/index.asp
From our October issue
Major Douglas W. Zimmerman, son of Sally Zimmerman Reed and Bob Reed, has been accepted to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Doug attended Lexington Elementary and Fisher Middle schools. He graduated from the University of Iowa. He worked four years for CNN in Atlanta. He enlisted in the army and was commissioned as an officer. Currently, he is in military intelligence. He has served in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afganistan. Doug is married and has two children.
Gabriel Kleiner graduated in May from U.C. Berkeley with a major in psychology. He is the son of Tim and Diane Kleiner of Highland Way and the brother of Joshua Kleiner. Gabe and Josh attended Mountain Bible Christian School, Baymonte Middle School, and Valley Christian High School.se. Joshua graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2007 and works in the Santa Barbara area as a computer engineer.
On October 6, National Geographic Children’s Books is releasing Martha (Marty) Kendall’s Alive in the Killing Fields: Surviving the Khmer Rouge Genocide. Marty is a longtime mountain resident and author of more than twenty books that range from college texts to children’s picture books. She teaches a world literature course at San Jose City College where Nawuth Keat was one of her students. On the last day of class, he asked her if he could share the story of his life. Nawuth tells of his childhood, his family’s tragedies, constant hunger, and his escape from Cambodia. As painful as the telling of his life was, when Marty asked if he would like to discontinue the interviews, he answered that “...he wanted people to know what happened. “Here is Nawuth’s truth.” For information, see Marty’s website, www.MarthaKendall.com.
From our September issue
Beginning Monday, September 7 through Monday, October 5, mountain photographer Judy Bingman’s wildlife photographs will be featured at Gallery Saratoga, 14435-A Big Basin Way in Saratoga. She loves watching and photographing polar bears, but she said that on her most recent trips, she enjoyed focusing on grizzlies. A reception for Judy at the gallery will he held Sunday, September 13 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Jennie Ann Marie Thomas, daughter of Nannette and Ronald Thomas, was selected as a state finalist in the National American Miss Pageant over the summer. She has participated in several competitions over the last few years.
Two CTE students, Sara Sterry and Joan Yun, participated in a summer program at Stanford University. The program sponsored by the American Association of University Women focuses on studying math, science, and technology. This important program encourages young women to consider careers in math, science, and technology.
Lisa Smith, daughter of TeriAnn and Kerry Smith, graduated magna cum laude June 13, from Santa Clara University. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in political science and history. This fall, she will attend law school at Santa Clara University. She attended Loma Prieta, graduated from CTE in 2001, and graduated from Los Gatos High School in 2005. Her brothers are Clinton and Brady Smith.
Two mountain girls, Lisa Colombo and Kaelyn Rohm, were members of a softball team that earned their participation in a national game sponsored by ASA Western Nationals held in Kaysville, Utah.
Loretta Boyer McClellan, Realtor®, Seres®, and Green, with Coldwell Banker, Saratoga office, has achieved her senior Real Estate Specialist designation. This special education offers the tools and resources to better serve the unique need of 50+ real estate buyers and sellers.
Joshua O’Donnell, son of Earle and Joanne O’Donnell, successfully ran for president of ASB at LGHS 2009. His goal was to add value to the ASB card that each student uses. He met with LGHS administrators and also talked with Los Gatos mayor Mike Wassermann. Joshua proposed a new program called Friends of Los Gatos High School. The students will be given discounts at member stores in Los Gatos. The LGHS website lists 22 businesses participating in the Friends of Los Gatos High School program.
Summit Veterinary Hospital
Welcome Our New Veterinarian
Dr. Sullenberger will be with us four days a week, seeing patients, treating sick pets, and performing surgeries. She is an enthusiastic young doctor who brings many hours of experience and enthusiasm to our staff.
Dr. Sullenberger attended UC Santa Cruz, where she majored in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. After graduation, she attended Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, where heavy emphasis was placed on hands-on participation in the learning process. She spent two years in clinical rotation in the major branches of veterinary medicine.
The majority of her time was spent working with small animals, so with her expertise we hope to add birds and pocket pets to our list of clients. Some of her volunteer activities included work at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, the Marine Mammal Center, and Long Marine Lab.
Dr. Sullenberger lives with her husband in Santa Cruz. She surfs, plays volleyball and softball, and knits.
From our August issue
Local Girl Scout Troop 11004 members helped save a mare and foal in cooperation with Aptos Pregnant Mare Rescue. The Scouts are Alison Hill, Emily McCord, Alex Scott, Marion Wellington, and Jordi Wiseman. They hosted a ponyfest at Hummer Ranch attended by a hundred children and their families. The Scouts raised $900 that was used to adopt a mare and her ten-month foal.
LGHS varsity volleyball team completed a successful season. Team members who earned spots on the All-Mercury News Spring Sports were Trevor Rowell, first team, and Jeff Barnett, second team. Individual honors went to Jeff Barnett as sophomore of the year. Honorable-mention awards went to Beau Barren, setter, and Storm Slivkoff, opposites.
Leah Toeniskoetter, daughter of Charles and Linda Toeniskoetter, is a long-distance bicyclist. She organized a group of 24 cyclists to participate in the 27th Annual Death Ride of 129 miles through the Sierras. They rode with about 3,000 other cyclists. This is Leah’s fourth ride. She and her team members hope to raise $18,000 for the Valley Medical Center Foundation and Turning Wheels for Kids. The latter donates about 2000 bicycles to children every December.
C.T. English School students participated in the Silicon Valley championships for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in track and field events. Among the eighth- grade boys Grant Maruya placed fourth in the long jump. The eighth-grade 400 relay team placed fifth. Summer Vance placed fifth in the 60-meter hurdles. The seventh- grade girls individual results featured Alexandria Gallizzoli, fourth in the shot put. Among the sixth-grade boys Drake Smedt was first in the long jump. Among the sixth-grade girls Caice Lanovaz won the long jump (13.5.25) and was fourth in the 100-meter dash. Kathryn Farley placed fourth in the shot put and first in the discus. Serena Dudas placed first in the 60-meter hurdles.
Kristina Irvin, chiropractor and long-distance runner, completed her tenth Western States 100-mile run from Squaw Valley to Auburn. She is the tenth woman in 35 years to accomplish this feat. Kristina finished in a time of 29:50 on a very hot day.
Jared McClellan, son of Steven and Loretta McClellan, was inducted into the LGHS Japanese Honor Society.
Barbara Harriman of Coldwell Banker has earned the California Association of Realtors’® Graduate, Realtor® Institute GRI real estate designation. The GRI is recognized by real -estate professionals as the most advanced and comprehensive training program for real-estate agents.
The Los Gatos Rowing Club trains on Lexington Reservoir. Among the rowers are Tara Collishaw and Allie Langhoff. The lightweight girls team has won the national title for the third straight year.
Grant and Barbara Bishop are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Elizabeth to Kevin Cunningham, son of Bruce and Debby Cunningham of Los Gatos. Elizabeth and Kevin are graduates of C.T. English and Los Gatos High School. Elizabeth works in finance in Los Gatos; Kevin works for CalFire. Their wedding will be this fall. They plan to live in the Santa Cruz Mountains. |
