Los Gatans recently have been amazed to see so much big crime-related news of their fair town hit the web. Usually the Los Gatos events of the unsavory variety consists of things like drunk in public, things stolen out of unlocked cars, or personal fights gone physical.
But not so long ago, Los Gatos had a murder - the first in 5 years in this "low crime town".
Then, Lunardi's Market, a favorite grocery store here in town, had thefts from their debit machines in the checkout stands that totalled hundreds of thousands of dollars.
And in the last week or two, there were two bank robberies.
Those are just the major items. Since when did Los Gatos get so much crime?
On the plus side, of course, is that suspects have been apprehended in all but one of the bank robberies - so far. Many thanks to the Los Gatos - Monte Sereno Police for that.
The poor economy is hard on most everyone, so perhaps that explains some of the uptick in Los Gatos crime.
Yesterday's San Jose Mercury (and the Los Gatos Weekly-Times), though, ran a piece about why our fair town continues to attract businesses. The article is "'Quality of life' attracts businesses to Los Gatos".
It is good to be reminded about what's right in town and too easy to dwell on what's wrong. Recently my husband and I spent a Sunday afternoon strolling downtown Los Altos - a lovely town where we'd once considered living. We were amazed that two-thirds of the shops were closed on a perfect summer day. A few interesting places were open, but more often we found that shops that appealled to us were not open. It was a reminder of how vibrant our downtown is. That's just one aspect of the "quality of life" in Los Gatos that can't be beat. Add to that our summer music, Shakespeare, movie nights and so much more, and you have a community that's highly desireable even when things are seeming bleak in many areas of the economy or valley life generally.
Tonight we will have the opportunity to enjoy the Solstice Moon Illusion as the moon rises at 9:02pm or so (sunset at 8:31pm) in the San Jose - Saratoga - Los Gatos area. Apparently because of the solstice, the moon will appear to be unnaturally large at moonrise, according to NASA.
The good folks at the Los Gatos United Soccer League are asking for the help of the townsfolk to help them find their older golf cart, which is used by president of the league, Ed San Juan, for picking up trash cans after soccer games at Fisher. Families and friends of the many players who've enjoyed the field at Fisher (including my family) have appreciated having the cans brought out to the field and the 1991 Yamaha was a good way to transport them on and off the field for the game times.
Last seen Thursday evening, the golf cart was discovered missing on Saturday morning in an area littered with about 20 used, empty beer cans. Police were called to the scene and state that bolt cutters were used to get the golf cart loose.
Description of cart: "It’s a weathered white 1991 Yamaha gas golf cart (nothing fancy), it has a top with a front windshield, and a black flat-bed used for picking up garbage."
To contact the LGUSL about the cart, you may email them via the contacts page of the group's website: http://www.lgusl.org/contacts.htm or contact the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department at 408 354-8600.
It had to happen. The Town of Los Gatos, meaning The Cats, has long been a haven for dogs. Stroll down Main Street, University Avenue or North Santa Cruz Avenue and you'll see water bowls left out for pooches. Or you'll discover places to tether canines near the shops. Dog lovers almost seem to have a magnetic attraction to this corner of Silicon Valley. The irony is not lost on the locals.
So it's no secret: The Cats is really a town for dogs. At Halloween, we always have a dogs in costume parade. There's even talk of creating a dog park in Los Gatos.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the town's mayor, Barbara Spector, has declared May 17th the Dia De Los Perros. The only question I have is this: will it be an annual event? Let's see how the first one goes. Maybe it's true, after all, that the town of Los Gatos is "going to the dogs".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Los Gatos Observer did a nice piece on this event, titled "Los Gatos Goes to the Dogs". Check it out!
Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11th. What can you do to celebrate in Los Gatos?
A lot of folks are led to believe that Mother's Day needs to be a day of buying expensive gifts. But that may not be at all what the mother of the family really wants. So the starting point, I think, is to simply ask what she would like to do to celebrate the day.
Many young mothers are simply tired and could use a day of rest and relaxation. Maybe a massage? There are several places in Los Gatos which offer massages, including the Spa Los Gatos and the Preston-Wynne Spa at the Hotel Los Gatos.
Other moms may want to spend their time with their families and do a little shopping on Mother's Day. It's easy to relax at the Farmer's Market at the Town Plaza (at North Santa Cruz and Main) and then shop along Main Street, University Avenue, and North Santa Cruz Avenue. Take a stroll through the flower shop, Bunches, on N. Santa Cruz, while you're there. If the kids need a bite to eat, there's no shortage of possibilities downtown. The Diner of Los Gatos (on Highway 9) is always a good bet for children, but so are several other places downtown. Or if they get a little restless, a trip to Oak Meadow Park and Vasona Lake County Park can help them expend a little excess energy.
As a Realtor, I've noticed that Mother's Day is not a bad time to hold an open house. It seems that a whole lot of women in Silicon Valley enjoy looking at homes when given a chance. So husbands, I'd suggest plotting out a few homes to show her too, if that's something she'd enjoy! (It is easy enough to see what is open by doing a search at www.MLSListings.com and check the small box that says to display only the open homes.)
What if your mother or mother in law is far away? Flowers are usually good, but so are current photos of grandkids, if there are some. My husband seldom told his parents of his accomplishments, and I found that when I wrote or told them of his successes, it made them very happy. Grandparents love to hear those stories, so take a little time and write an old-fashioned letter and tell them about milestones and accomplishments, whether it's a first tooth or first step or if it's their grandchild being accepted into college. They want to hear this stuff!
As for me, I'm fairly well spoiled on a regular basis as my husband loves to cook. Last year I told the family I wanted to go to Half Moon Bay and visit a haunted restaurant for brunch and take some photos. They humored me, but wish I didn't enjoy visiting spooky places so much. This year I think I'll pass on the haunted spots and see about doing a hike or a walk in Los Gatos with cameras in hand and shoot some pics of the kids and the sights. Los Gatos is full of scenic spots, so now the only choice is where in town to go. We have a few days to figure that part out.
Los Gatos, the land of pricey real estate, is also the home to pricey and classic automobiles. There are several high-end dealerships in downtown, as locals know..
Recently, though, it was owners who met in Los Gatos, not dealers. The Northern California Corvette Association gathered at the cabana of Belwood of Los Gatos last weekend, and what a pretty site it was!
This event was “Legends bag stuffing” hosted by Greg and Leta Reynolds, and it will be on the group's website soon.
Neal Golding, the group's historian (and the photographer of these beautiful pics), tells me that the club is always looking for new members, and invites those interested to please visit their website.
I
If you live in Los Gatos, Campbell, or nearby parts of Silicon Valley, you are probably familiar with the good work done by Eastfield Ming Quong, or EMQ, in its children & family services. Next weekend is their big fundraiser, The Great Silicon Valley Caper. This is a tremendous opportunity to support addiction prevention work and services to kids and families here in Silicon Valley. Please visit their website at www.GreatSiliconValleyCaper.org to learn more.
And if you can't swing the caper, there are other ways to help kids and families in need. Local shops which support the nonprofit include The Happy Dragon Thrift Shop in Los Gatos (245 W Main St., Los Gatos, CA 95030 tel (408) 354-4072) and The Butter Paddle in Saratoga.
A blog about Los Gatos real estate, homes, houses, condos, townhomes, housing market, neightborhoods, history, events, businesses, parks, schools, photos, issues, and lifestyle.
Mary Pope-Handy
Realtor, CRS, ABR, SRES, E-PRO
Luxor Real Estate Group
Mailing Address for Mary: PO Box 440 Los Gatos, CA 95031-0440
877 397-5391 (office/toll-free)
Los Gatans recently have been amazed to see so much big crime-related news of their fair town hit the web. Usually the Los Gatos events of the unsavory variety consists of things like drunk in public, things stolen out of unlocked cars, or personal fights gone physical. 
It had to happen. The Town of Los Gatos, meaning The Cats, has long been a haven for dogs. Stroll down Main Street, University Avenue or North Santa Cruz Avenue and you'll see water bowls left out for pooches. Or you'll discover places to tether canines near the shops. Dog lovers almost seem to have a magnetic attraction to this corner of Silicon Valley. The irony is not lost on the locals..jpg)
A lot of folks are led to believe that Mother's Day needs to be a day of buying expensive gifts. But that may not be at all what the mother of the family really wants. So the starting point, I think, is to simply ask what she would like to do to celebrate the day. 
Los Gatos, the land of pricey real estate, is also the home to pricey and classic automobiles. There are several high-end dealerships in downtown, as locals know.. 
RSS Blog Feed
