Local mountain resident Harold Hoyt is a Sheriff’s volunteer at the substation on the Loma Prieta School campus. Mr. Hoyt has been serving the local community for 13 years. In 2009, Mr. Hoyt received an award from the Sheriff’s office for ten years of outstanding volunteer service.

Sheriff's volunteer Harold Hoyt at the Sheriff's sub station. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

Hiway17: “Harold, how long has this Sheriff’s substation been here?”

Hoyt: “Well, according to my little plaque over there, it started in 1999. We were originally in the old CT building. After the earthquake they moved us down to the fire station and then after they got everything back going again, they moved us back here.”

Hiway17: “When did you become a volunteer Sheriff here?”

Hoyt: “Like I said. 1999. When it first started as a substation, my wife and I and several others were here. We’re down in numbers at the moment. Some of our previous members passed away.”

Hiway17: “How does one become a Sheriff’s volunteer?”

Hoyt: “Well, you just talk to us and we have a form you can fill out. You fill out this form and send it in, they check you out and make sure you’re… not a felon.”

Hiway17: “No criminal record?”

Hoyt: “No criminal record. That’s one good thing. You get fingerprinted too. And they have training, and this morning I spoke to the sergeant who’s in charge of this area, training for people. We have a turnover in personnel just like most jobs, so you need to have a continuation going. Some people just feel like they’ve had enough. They retire. Some of them, more elderly, they just can’t do it any more. Some times I think I’m getting up in that area.”

Hiway17: “What’s it like being a Sheriff’s volunteer in this community?”

Hoyt: “I’m only speaking for myself. Personally, I enjoy it. People know me, and I don’t know who they are, but I see their faces, and I speak to them. It’s a good feeling. On Friday afternoons, when school gets out, I direct traffic right over here on the intersection by the two schools. I do not go out on the road.”

Hiway17: “You don’t go out on Summit Road?”

Hoyt: “No, I do not. It’s hectic enough right over here. The fact is, I was gone for a couple of weeks in October and November, and when I got back somebody said, I’m glad to see you back.”

Hiway17: “When you’re on duty here, do you drive a squad car?”

Hoyt: “No, we have no vehicle here. It would not actually be a squad car per-say. It would be a volunteer car. We do not carry firearms or anything like that. We strictly write minor reports and assist in other things wherever we can. We have gone down to the Wharf-to-Wharf Race and helped with the traffic. We go to the Santa Cruz County Fair usually in September and assist with the child ID equipment, and at the Firemen’s Barbecue I usually have child ID equipment up here, and at the craft fare in December.”

Hiway17: “Child ID, is that where they fingerprint the children?”

Hoyt: “On the form we print the first and last name, it’s up to the parents for the rest of it. We take a picture, we take the fingerprints and use a Q-Tip for a DNA swab, and on the back of the form is a place for dental records. We hand that to the parents or guardian, and we delete it off our computer. We keep no information.”

Hiway17: “I understand you served in the U.S. Air Force?”

Hoyt: “I did 25 years active duty and seven and a half years active reserve.”

Hiway17: “Were you a pilot?”

Hoyt: “No, no, I maintained the air traffic control radar. I’ve been stationed in Mississippi, Texas, England, Korea and Alaska.”

Hiway17: “Were you in a combat zone?”

Hoyt: “No, the closest I ever got was when I was in Korea, that was during Vietnam.”

Hiway17: “What’s your favorite TV show?”

Hoyt: “I watch TV, but as to my favorite at the present moment, I like the NCIS, CSI and some of the others, you know? Sometimes I get to watching Antique Roadshow or some other documentary.”

Hiway17: “Do you watch the TV series Cops?”

 Hoyt: “No, I don’t. My son does, I believe, since he is a cop.”

Hiway17: “Is he a cop in this community?”

Hoyt: “San Jose. He’s been there about eleven years now.”

Hiway17: “Would you say this community needs more Sheriff’s volunteers?”

Hoyt: “Yes, we do. We’re the only ones up here. We don’t have a sergeant or a regular deputy assigned up here in the office itself. They’re short staffed and we only have four of our volunteers that actually come in and spend time here. We did have five, but I’m not sure if the other one is up to it at the present time, and most of them only spend three or four hours a day. When we first started we had ten people, each of them spent four hours a day. I’m the only one that comes in on Friday, and I’m here from roughly ten o’clock to five o’clock.”

Hiway17: “Is there a volunteer here every day?”

Hoyt: “No. It would be nice if we could. We answer the phone and help people as much as possible. I’ve had people call and they want to report something stolen, back in Chicago or somewhere else, we can’t help them there. It has to be our area. The fact is, we’re in Santa Cruz County. I’ve had people calling from Santa Clara County, they need to call the Santa Clara County office to make their reports.”

Hiway17: “Do the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s meet here with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s?”

Hoyt: “That desk you’re sitting at is actually theirs, but I don’t know if they come up here or not. The deputies could come up here at night because they have access and work on reports. They also have an office in Redwood Estates. Santa Cruz County has one here at the Summit, they’ve got one in Watsonville, one is in Aptos, one down in Live Oak, there’s one in Felton, and they actually have volunteers at the Sheriff’s office itself at the courthouse in Santa Cruz.”

According to Mr. Hoyt, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s volunteers contribute over 1000 hours of work per year.                 

 The Reverend Minister Stephen Glauz- Todrank. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

Skyland Community Church, a member of the United Church of Christ, has been serving the Summit area since 1887. Stephen Glauz- Todrank accepted the position of Reverend Minister of Skyland Church in 1990. The Reverend is a graduate of Harvard Divinity. He lives in the Summit community with his wife, Carolyn.  He is the author of Transforming Christianity: Ten Pathways to a New Reformation.

I have known Stephen for several years; he is my minister and neighbor. He is a humble and highly intelligent individual who cares deeply about his congregation. I met Stephen for this interview in his office on the lower level of Whitaker Hall located next to the sanctuary.

Hiway 17: Stephen, when did you decide to become a Minister?

Glauz-Todrank: Well, I was in Seminary at Harvard Divinity School and while I was there I was planning to become a professor, I was in an MA program, but I just felt the sense of call while I was there. I transferred to the Masters of Divinity, which is the Vocational Degree for Ministry. It was about 1975, something like that.

Hiway 17: How did you become the Minister here, at Skyland Church.

Glauz- Todrank: Well, the United Church of Christ, which Skyland Church is a member. That’s the name of the denomination. The way it works is the church forms a search committee, and it works with the conference minister, who’s from the northern California area, and they put out a message through a denominational magazine that there’s a job opening. I saw the job opening, and I submitted a resume. It was a ten-page resume. The search committee worked through that, and hired me.

Hiway 17: What’s it like to be the minister at Skyland Community Church?

Glauz –Todrank: I really love being the minister here. I’ve been here twenty-one years and one of the things that I like is being part of the community. This is a wonderful church community and I love the people here, and I like being part of the wider mountain community as well, and it has always felt like home to me.

Hiway 17: Have you ever considered televising your services?

Glauz-Todrank: Well, the sermons are available on MP3, we haven’t thought of televising. Anything’s possible.

Hiway 17: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you always want to be a minister?

Glauz-Todrank: Well my dad was a professor, and I thought that’s what I would want to be when I grew up. When I got older, I found that I really wanted to work with people. Not so much from an academic or thought point of view, but more from a heart point of view and a spirit point of view, so that became more important to me.

Hiway 17: What’s your favorite TV show?

Glauz-Todrank: I don’t get any TV, [Laughs].

Hiway 17: If you were granted one wish. What would you wish for?

Glauz-Todrank: That’s a good question. World peace. Harmony among all people on Earth.

Hiway 17: Where do you see Skyland Church in one hundred years?

Glauz-Todrank: I think there will always be a place for people to gather face to face and be in a spiritual community together. I think this church is really evolving and I think society is really evolving and lots more things are done on the Internet and people have made connections with each other all over the world on the Internet. I think there’s always going to be people who want to gather face to face and do what people do, pray together, to sing together, to eat together, to do projects to hopefully make the world a better place. I can imagine Skyland Church being here a hundred years from now and not looking greatly different from Skyland Church today, because I don’t think the Skyland Church of today is much different from how it was a hundred years ago, because this church has been going over a hundred years. I think people have been doing similar kinds of projects all that time. It’s never become a really huge church, it’s never completely died out. It’s always found some people in the community who have a spirit that wants to work together.

Hiway 17: I heard someone once called this church, ‘the little church that could.’ Who came up with that?

Glauz-Todrank: [Laughs] Actually it was one of our seminary student interns who was here and she said this is ‘the little church that could.’ [Laughs] She meant that we’re a small group, and that we do a fair amount due to our size.

The Reverend delivers his weekly sermons every Sunday at ten- thirty AM at Skyland Community Church at 25100 Skyland Road, Los Gatos CA, 95033.

Photo courtesy of Don Wolf

Doug Beattie (November 9, 1939 – January 13, 2012)
Doug first joined the Los Gatos Kiwanis in August 1966. An irrepressible Cardinals fan, I always assumed that he had attended Stanford. He worked with optics and cameras in Los Gatos in the 1970s. (You don’t know how little you know about your friends until they suddenly pass.) He re-joined the Kiwanis club in May 1993, and he served ably as the club’s treasurer for most of the subsequent years. In this role, Doug attended monthly board meetings, wrote scholarship checks to worthy students, and handled the accounting for the annual Fiesta de Artes event each August.
Doug provided a calm, steady voice and reliably sound advice to his friends, and he had a great sense of humor and a wry wit. He will be sorely missed.

A memorial for Doug was held Tuesday, January 17, at 1 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, 16575 Shannon Road.

Gabriel Benjamin striking what he calls the raja hanumanasana pose on the beach. Photo by Chris Bratt.

There are many kinds of Yoga practiced in the U.S. today. Three kinds seem to be very popular. These include Bikram, Hatha and Kundalini Yoga. Bikram Yoga’s namesake is Bikram Choudhury. Bikram teaches his craft at the Bikram College of India in Los Angeles. Bikram studios must be kept at 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 70% humidity so that students can perform the twenty- six postures. Bikram states in his book, Beginning Yoga Class, “These twenty-six poses are meant to systematically move fresh, oxygenated blood to each organ and fiber of your body, and to restore all the systems to healthy working order.” This practice improves flexibility and helps detoxify the body. It does not emphasize the spiritual. I once tried Bikram Yoga. It seemed too hot for me and I would prefer to practice another form of Yoga without the heat.

Hatha Yoga is a slower paced class with stretching asanas (poses) and
breathing exercises. It is relaxed and meditative. I really like Hatha Yoga
because it seems to be a good fit for me because it increases my flexibility and is meditative. It has a physical aspect and a spiritual aspect. Supermodel Christy Turlington, in her book Living Yoga, stated, “It is a system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India”. Through Hatha Yoga, the practitioner tries to achieve balance between his body and his mind. This involves using asanas and combining this with pranayama that is a kind of breath control.

The spiritual energy in Yoga is called Kundalini, which is located in the sacrum of the spine. By practicing certain physical exercises along with breath control, the Kundalini will travel up the spine and open seven chakras on the way until it reaches the seventh chakra (at the top of the head) and unites with Ultimate Reality.

Kundalini Yoga is “a physical, mental and spiritual discipline for developing
strength, awareness, character and consciousness”, said Christy Turlington. This kind of Yoga has an emphasis on the spiritual awareness of the practitioner and requires speaking the truth, compassion and serving others. This is an advanced form of Yoga.

Lotus flowers have long been associated with yoga

Yoga is being used to treat patients who have suffered severe trauma. Peter A.
Levine, Ph.D., is a psychologist who has 35 years experience in treating patients
for stress and trauma. In writing about the positive effects of Yoga to treat his
patients, he said, “This should be of no surprise when we realize that a common
denominator of all traumas is an alienation and disconnection from the body and
a reduced capacity to be present in the here and now.” He also said, “I
have seen various kinds of body interventions work dramatically – but none more
so than the physical practices of Yoga.” He added, “I have spent most of my
adult life studying Yoga. And I have come to see that it can be a particularly
healing intervention for those tormented by the unhealed effects of trauma.” In addition to treating patients suffering from physical trauma, Yoga is being used
to treat returning soldiers who are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Thich Nhat Hanh, the world-renowned Zen Buddhist Monk said, “If you have
mindfullness, you have love and understanding, you see more deeply, and you can heal the wounds of your own mind. For when you touch deep understanding
and love, you are healed.” This is how Yoga helps.

Some Yoga practices emphasize the spiritual more than others and there is a
wide array of practices available to the average person today. Some people
don’t want a spiritual practice if they already have one, say, a Catholic or
Protestant believer. These people take Yoga classes the way they take any
exercise class, it’s just exercise. But according to ancient practice, the entire
purpose of Yoga is spiritual in nature and the asanas really just represent a
small portion of a Yoga practice. One could say that Yoga is a spiritual practice
with a physical aspect rather than Yoga is a physical practice with a spiritual aspect. In my opinion, either way, it’s a good thing and each person has to determine what he or she needs in their lives and what is to be gained.

A person will change with the practice of Yoga and then their practice will evolve
as they evolve, as will their spiritual goals evolve. Ancient Yoga has had profound effect on the modern world and has changed us and benefited us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Local Realtor Cassie Maas, pictured below second from left, was honored as the 2012 Chair of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, Los Gatos/Saratoga District. The gala, in celebration of the passing of the gavel, took place on December 8th at the Toll House Hotel in Los Gatos. It was preceded by a cocktail party and was followed by a dinner.

Passing the gavel to Cassie Maas, 2012 Chair, Los Gatos/Saratoga District. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

In attendance (and pictured above) were Chairs representing the past ten years, with several past Chairs absent. Doug Evans (far left), manager of Coldwell Banker, Los Gatos was the 2011 Chair. Also pictured above is Bill Rehbock (third from left), Ian Macrae (fourth from left), David Tonna, Dennis Byron, and Jeff Barnett (far right), and John Tripp, a local mountain resident, (second from right). Each past Chair took the gavel and ceremoniously tapped it before passing it down the line where it was handed off to Ms. Maas in recognition of her upcoming year as Chair.

Upon accepting this honor, Ms. Maas said, “I’m the only one wearing a dress up here, because it’s been a long time since a woman has had this position.” This comment was greeted with loud cheers and applause. She also said, “I was originally licensed in 1977. I ended up working for Jeff Barnett of Alain Pinel Realtors, and Jeff was very involved in real estate and he encouraged all of us to get involved and he was actually the very first person to set me on this road. I really appreciate this opportunity and I really appreciate the support that I’ve been given from the beginning. I look forward to this coming year.”

Karen Trolan, Chair Elect, and Cassie Maas, Chair, 2012 SILVAR, Los Gatos/Saratoga District. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

Ms. Maas also acknowledged Karen Trolan who will be the Chair-Elect for 2012.  Ms. Maas also expressed her appreciation for her Broker, Dennis Byron, who has supported and encouraged her.

Ms. Maas is a second-generation Realtor with Luxor Real Estate Group, in Los Gatos. She is a long-time Los Gatos resident and mother of two. She is an inaugural graduate of the Bay Area Real Estate Leadership Academy and was co-founder and Vice President of Smartphones Technologies.

John Tripp and Cassie Maas, local mountain residents with Paul Cardus, SILVAR Executive Officer. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

Ms. Maas will be responsible for conducting over 40 meetings this coming year.  She will also represent local homeowner’s interests and Los Gatos and Saratoga Realtors at the California Association of Realtors (CAR) meetings as a CAR Director.

This year’s attendees included Paul Hume, founder of Alain Pinel Realtors, his wife Helga and his children who have assumed ownership of Alain Pinel Realtors. Jeff Barnett, Managing Broker of the Los Gatos office and Carol Burnett, Managing Broker of the Saratoga Alain Pinel office were also in attendance.

Cassie Maas talking to Paul Hulme and his family at the gala. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

Other attendees included past Presidents of SILVAR, and Suzanne Yost, 2012 President of SILVAR. If you want to learn more about SILVAR, visit their site at www.SILVAR.org.

This cheerful and energetic small-town parade manifests the spirit of Christmas in true Los Gatos style.  Under sunny skies, I found a parking spot on Bachman Street, about 90 minutes before the 11 o’clock start of the parade. I was hoping to shoot some pictures and interview some participants. As I walked down a side street, I came across a group of men standing around a table sipping Bloody Marys. A man wearing a tan vest stood behind the table. He introduced himself as Todd, pictured right, and offered me a Bloody Mary. He explained that he was a volunteer with the Adventure Princesses Organization.

Tod, pictured right, with Adventure Princesses Organization. Photo by Anthony Petrillo.

Todd said,“It’s a YMCA father-daughter organization, where every month we meet together at someone’s house, and we do crafts and things. The girls learn skills, speaking in front of people, building their confidence; we sing songs, tell stories; and every month, there’s an event with a whole bunch of tribes. Its part of a nation, called the El Gato Nation. This is the December event, the Holiday Parade. So we make Bloody Mary’s for this event. And we’ve had years of contests to see who makes the best Bloody Mary. I’m a former bartender, so I have a recipe that I have created for this”.  He added, “The girls will ride down the street on their scooters and will throw out candy canes and interact with the crowd, and have some fun”.

I thanked Todd for the interview, and walked down the street.
On another block, I saw a group of firemen standing around a decorated fire truck. Alex Leman, Captain of the Loma Prieta Volunteer Fire and Rescue was with a group of firefighters, waiting for the parade to start. He told me,  “We bring our water tender down.  We’ve been doing this for about twenty years now, and the local Indian Princess and Indian Guide groups on the hill come down. They usually decorate the water tender, and then we have them ride up on top. So it’s a great opportunity for all the kids to experience the parade together and do some decorating, it’s just a fantastic time for the daughters and the sons and their fathers. It’s an opportunity for the kids to build memories.”  I thanked him for his time and continued on.

As I made my way through the growing crowd of holiday and shoppers, the parade began to unfold.  Walking down Santa Cruz Avenue, I watched vintage cars slowly make their way down the street. The crowd cheered as Los Gatos Mayor Steve Rice waved to the crowd with a smile. The floats continued to pass as I struggled through the dense crowd.  It was estimated that 20,000 spectators attended this event.  When I got to the Los Gatos Brewing Company, I walked inside and ordered a Mocha Frappachino. Watching through the large street side windows, I watched the fire truck lumber on, followed by the creeping police cars with the sirens wailing. The black-clad Los Gatos High School Marching Band strode smartly down the street, playing a Christmas tune.  After about 200 organizations, the finale was Santa Claus riding in a red sleigh, trailered behind a car. Santa waved, and the crowd cheered watching old Saint Nick disappear around the corner. This was a fun way to celebrate the coming holiday, with a parade, a Bloody Mary and a festive crowd.

BNL1 hand crew makes quick work of the snags and polishes up the line as well. Photo by Alex Leman

I share your concerns about the future of CSA 48 (County Fire). In light of the fact that some of the largest and most devastating fires in our county’s history have occurred in the CSA 48 area, the loss of year-round support from even one of the County Fire stations is deeply troubling. Given the existing high-risk conditions that are projected to continue into the future, we can expect that destructive fires will almost certainly occur again here, so it’s critical that we retain the ability to respond rapidly to such a threat. In non-fire related medical emergencies, County Fire is often the first responder, which can make a life-saving difference. Unfortunately, the on-going budget crisis is forcing the County to make some tough decisions, and even essential services such as County Fire are not immune from the across-the-board cuts being made.

County Fire is suffering from declining tax revenues and rising costs. While the County continues to struggle to recover from the effects of the global financial crisis, County Fire has also had to absorb the financial impacts of changes to industry safety standards and regulatory requirements, as well as equipment repairs and/or replacements. As you know, an attempt to offset that burden through a parcel tax initiative was defeated, so County Fire has had to draw down its reserves and tighten its operating budget to remain solvent. Today those reserves are nearly depleted. By next year, County Fire will be out of money.

The County will be looking at all of its options over the coming year and it is my hope that we will be able to make appropriate changes to County Fire that will preserve the stations and services to the greatest extent possible.

As this issue moves forward, I encourage you to keep in touch!

Mark Stone can be reached at mark.stone@co.santa-cruz.ca.us Please thank him for his hard work on our behalf.

Debris on the road from the wind storm

UPDATED 2:25pm on 12/1/11

High winds are forecasted for tonight and through to the morning in our community. Winds from 40 to 70 mph are expected with potential gusts to 80 mph. That means it is time to take your umbrellas down, pick up stuff that might fly around and secure the rest. The high winds are also a danger because of the possibility of falling branches, falling trees and potential power outages. So batten down the hatches and let’s hope this high wind passes quickly and without incident.

Santa Cruz Sentinel has provided a map of the outages and as you can see, it’s not good. If you want to call and find out the status, you can call the PG&E outage line at 1-800-743-5002. Unfortunately, it isn’t looking good. Downed wires are creating such havoc that the teams are overwhelmed. It may be quite a time after the winds die down before we get power restored. If you haven’t already read this article, now is a good a time as any.

Photo by Larry McVoy

Do you live in Unincorporated Santa Cruz County? If you do then you very likely will soon lose your local fire and EMT fire station! It is not widely known that due to budget issues, the county is strongly considering closing five county fire/EMT stations serving the residences in the unincorporated part of the county. The Burrell, Corralitos, Saratoga Summit, Big Creek and Fall Creek (Bonny Doon) stations will be affected as the special fund, called CSA48 runs out. This would mean that response to emergencies will come from further away and from responders who are not as familiar with your area. This could also lower the value of your property, increase or eliminate your ability to get fire insurance and will jeopardize the safety of your family. Residents in the area are organizing to convince the county supervisors that service must be continued.

The group called “Friends of CSA48” is meeting at 6 PM on Thursday Nov. 10th in the “Dance Room” of the Loma Prieta Community Center, 23800 Summit Road, Los Gatos 95033. This center is at the Loma Prieta Elementary School on Summit Road.

Photo by Larry McVoy

At this meeting we will focus on creating a plan to get as many residents as possible informed about this issue. We will organize residents to create a strong presence at the County Supervisors meeting on Dec 13th. We need to get residents to contact the Supervisors, attend the meeting on the 13th and identify groups, email aliases, and organizations that we can contact to spread the word.

To get more information and to keep yourself informed on this issue email Walt Brown, waltinusa@yahoo.com and ask to be put on our email distribution. Please feel free to attend the meeting this Thursday. Your support and presence at these meetings can make a huge difference.