by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 28, 2023 | Safety, Sidewalks and roads
We’ve had two recent Blossom Hill Road fatalities on the east side of town in an area where part of the street is in San Jose (north side) and part is in Los Gatos (south side). That seems to be complicating the response by the municipalities and the police, unfortunately. Today I wrote about the Blossom Hill Road fatalities on our Belwood Of Los Gatos blog. Below is the lead in. Please click on the link at the bottom to read the whole article.
The east Los Gatos community is shaken by the deaths on Blossom Hill Road this year. They were both close together in time and close together in location.
The media isn’t connecting the stories, even though they are only about .15 of a mile apart. One of them was in Los Gatos and the other in San Jose (Blossom Hill Rd is the dividing line). One was a 2 car accident, the other was an auto hitting people in a crosswalk. Both took place in the first quarter of 2023.
The two recent accidents that caused deaths on Blossom Hill Road:
- On January 8th, 2023 at 9:52 a.m., a 19 year old Palo Alto man was driving his vehicle from Belgatos Road and turning left onto Blossom Hill Rd when he was struck by another vehicle and killed. The other driver was injured, also. I haven’t been able to find an update (whether the other driver was arrested or what).
- On March 26th, a mother, daughter, and dog were legally crossing Blossom Hill Road at Leigh when they were struck by a vehicle driving westbound. The driver did not stop. The mother died, the daughter was injured, and the dog also perished. The driver was identified, in part by the use of Automatic License Plate Reader cameras (discussed in a Belwood Neighborhood Watch meeting recently). That person was arrested and is now behind bars. The name has not been revealed at this point.
I want to add that it seems to be a small miracle that two weeks ago, when we had a multi day power outage, there were no fatalities along this part of Blossom Hill, despite the traffic light being out for days and with no police officer guiding traffic there and no temporary stop signs or orange cones in place. We saw people fly through that intersection as if it didn’t exist.
Please continue reading on the Belwood of Los Gatos website: Deaths on Blossom Hill Road.
Related Reading:
Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project – Blossom Hill Road over Highway 17 (2023, this site)
Improved Traffic Safety at Blossom Hill Road & University Avenue in Los Gatos (2010, this site)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 28, 2023 | Events
“Spring into Green” returns on Sunday, April 23, 2022 at the Town Plaza Park. It will run from 10 am – 1 pm.
Join us to celebrate Keep Los Gatos Beautiful Month, environmental sustainability, and Earth Day! The festivities include environmentally focused exhibitor booths, a tree planting ceremony, the weekly Los Gatos Farmer’s Market, family-friendly activities, live music and more!”
There will be kid friendly events as well as interesting and fun things to do for people of all ages. A tree planting will take place, too.
Full details on Spring into Green on the town’s website:
https://www.losgatosca.gov/2225/Spring-into-Green
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 24, 2023 | Events
Los Gatos High School’s Spring musical is Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical , with shows beginning tonight! It’s OPENING WEEKEND!
7pm tonight, Saturday AND Thursday, March 30 thru Saturday, April 1
About the Los Gatos High School’s Spring musical
This adaptation of the best-selling novel by Rick Riordan is an action-packed, mythical adventure for all ages featuring a thrilling original rock score. Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can’t control, monsters on his trail, and is on a quest to find Zeus’ lightning bolt to prevent a war between the Greek gods. It will be an incredible night of live theater. Come join in the adventure!
When, where, and how much?
All Shows at 7pm
March 24, 25, 30, 31 and April 1
Los Gatos High School Prentiss Brown Theater
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! https://lghstheatre.ticketleap.com/percy/
Student: $12
Seniors (55+): $12
General admission: $15
Reserved Seating: $20
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 22, 2023 | Events, Los Gatos Events
The Los Gatos Spring Wine Walk will take place on Saturday, April 22, 2023 from 1 pm to 4 pm- rain or shine!
Los Gatos Spring Wine Walk Tickets
Tickets went on sale March first. They can sell out fast, so get yours today! Cost is $50 advance, or $55 day of the event – same price as last year.
For more details and info on how to register, please see the Los Gatos Chamber’s website. Cheers!
Buy tickets online here. No refunds for inclement weather.
The location will be
Downtown Los Gatos
N. Santa Cruz Avenue & Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Love Los Gatos events? Here are some other happenings around town:
Los Gatos High School’s Spring Musical (post on this site)
Los Gatos Cat’s Hill Classic annual cycling event
by Mary Pope-Handy | Mar 20, 2023 | Haunted Los Gatos
Where are the better known business or public haunted places in Los Gatos? That’s a good question – and the answer is open to some debate! There are a few spots with a long-standing reputation for being haunted around town.
This is not an endorsement of anyplace, nor a warning. Most of the ghost stories are quite benevolent, and this is “just for fun”. There are haunted residences too, but I’m leaving those out. It would be creepier for the tenants or owners to have people peering in than to have a ghost, at least in most cases.
List of haunted places in Los Gatos
The following list is certainly not exhaustive. These are stories that I have been told about haunted places in Los Gatos or that I’ve researched and read about. I am extremely grateful for the many people who have shared their sightings or experiences with me – thank you, and please keep the stories coming!
(1) The old cemetery area is now covered with shops and restaurants but some of them have had odd sightings over the years. If you aren’t familiar with this tidbit of history, it used to run from Highway 9 or Los Gatos-Saratoga Road to about where Bank of the West is located on North Santa Cruz Avenue and from that road back to where the train tracks used to run (now a very long parking lot) and back to Hwy. 9. In fact, North Santa Cruz Avenue north of Highway 9 used to be called Cemetery Lane. Learn more on a 2007 article I wrote on this blog: Haunted Los Gatos: The Old Cemetery row, I thought it might be a good time to list a few spots for your enjoyment.
(2) The Opera House is another locale with spooky sightings, though the ghost(s) there seem to be pretty well intentioned! Get the scoop at this article on Live in Los Gatos from 2007 also. The Haunted Opera House of Los Gatos. Last sighting that I heard of was in March 2023 on the lower level (in one of the shops).
(3) Coggeshall Mansion – this lovely old Victorian home at 115 North Santa Cruz Avenue has been a restaurant for years (Chart House, Chart’s, Trevise, Palacio, and now The Palms) but before that served as a mortuary and before that, a private residence. When I last wrote about it, it was Trevise (I will update the article at some point). When it was the Chart House, I spoke to several employees about the happenings there and got an earful. Read more: Reincarnation of the Haunted Restaurant
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