by Mary Pope-Handy, Clair Handy | Dec 26, 2022 | Uncategorized
The Polar Express holiday display is back Los Gatos once again, thanks to the Mac family, the owners of Oak and Willow Construction. They’ve created an impressive front yard winter wonderland with a big dose of Polar Express, a little Whoville, cameo appearances by Snoopy and Charlie Brown, Santa and some reindeer, a Santa Mailbox, decorated trees, snow people, and more.
This is an expansion of last year’s premiere, which featured the locomotive. Now there’s the passenger car that visitors can enter and enjoy, too!

Quick facts on the Polar Express holiday display in Los Gatos
Location:
15596 Flintridge Drive (at the corner with Corcel Court), Los Gatos CA 95032
When:
December evenings, starting at 6 pm, through Dec 31st.
Due to the pandemic, we are avoiding crowds, so stopped by to take a look during daylight hours. It was gorgeous (despite both daylight and the current storm). It must be even more amazing after sunset with all of the holiday lights on.

Click the “more” button to see additional photographs of this fun holiday display.
FAQs
(more…)
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 19, 2022 | Events, Uncategorized
Tomorrow evening you can enjoy some wonderful pizza and support the Los Gatos Youth Theatre! Pizza My Heart will be giving 30% of the proceeds to support the program!
From the LGYT fundraiser chair:
“We here at LGYT are constantly looking for ways to help our families best support our kids on stage and, well, I think we’ve done it again: all your Wednesday evening dining needs are solved!! Pizza My Heart in downtown Los Gatos is helping us fundraise by donating 30% of every purchase that mentions LGYT at the time of purchase back to our organization. Wednesday, 7/20 from 4-9pm is the official timing, but they’re even going to count mentions during the afternoon.”
Here’s to good eating for a good cause! Please participate in the LGYT fundraiser and enjoy some yummy pizza!

Looking to catch a performance?
It is show week for Freaky Friday! Performances are
July 21 7pm Kitt cast
July 22nd 7:00pm Yorkey cast
July 23rd 2:00pm Yorkey cast AND 7:00pm Kitt cast
July 24th 12:00pm Kitt cast AND 5:00pm Yorkey cast
Tickets are on sale @ https://lgyt.seatyourself.biz
marketing@lgyt.net
by Mary Pope-Handy | Jul 10, 2022 | Uncategorized
We were just informed that the Los Gatos Youth Theatre discounted ticket prices for this week only – ticket prices have dropped like a rock for both kids and adults.
The Los Gatos Youth Theatre discount is good for this week only: Thursday-Sunday (July 14-17, 2022).
Bring the family for $10 for each adult $2 for each child (in our previous article about the Los Gatos Youth Theatre, we shared that adults were $20, students $17, and children were $10 each for admission.)
When ordering, just select Mezzanine section. These seats are fantastic, floor level center stage seats. Term just used to designate specific section. Stage extends out into audience to the beginning of Mezzanine section. No order code needed. Purchase tickets at
https://lgyt.net/. Or at the door.
Mask required in the audience.
July 14 at 7:00 PM
July 15 at 7:00 PM
July 16 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
July 17 at 1:00 PM
by Mary Pope-Handy | Feb 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
Until a few months ago, the Los Gatos crime map in use was provided by CrimeReports.com. That site morphed into CityProtect.com, which covers most of Santa Clara County, but not the town of Los Gatos or city of Monte Sereno. What was nice about City Protect is that it included all of San Jose, Campbell, and Saratoga – among other places. So the activity that I wanted to track did not start nor stop at the city limits. Nor do break ins.
New Los Gatos crime map
This morning I phoned the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department (non emergency line) to ask what site we are now using since the Los Gatos and Monte Sereno burglaries, assaults, etc. are no longer showing up on CityProtect. I was told that we are now utilizing a new site, LGPD.CrimeGraphics.com.

At the risk of sounding ungrateful for this tech tool, I will state that it’s not a very good or useful site for most consumers. The major issue is that it will only suggest that the viewer to see 7 days at a time. Want to view 12 weeks of info? You may have to try the search 12 times, 7 days each. With CityProtect, the website’s visitor can see a crime map going back months in one glance by adjusting the filters.
To me, that is a lot more helpful. It’s not that the site won’t permit longer searches, but it seems to get hung up unless what is being sought is only one of the several options.
Missing data in the new Los Gatos crime map
Another issue is that the info is incomplete. I am aware of some incidents within a block of me that do not show up on this new site.
If you’re local, you may be aware that Los Gatos and Cambrian (as well as other locations) have been plagued recently with a gang of 4 burglars who’ve been breaking into homes when the residents are gone, and that they are quick and seem to be after cash and jewelry. It made the news (t.v. station linked above) but has been all over NextDoor and also the RingDoorbell forum. These guys appeared in several backyards but were unsuccessful at getting in, mostly because some of the homes were not as unoccupied as they might have seemed from the street. A few weeks ago we had a small swarm of police cars on my street for an event like that in which they got into 2 backyards but didn’t make it into the house. Those are not on the new Los Gatos crime map website.
Another house within a block of mine was broken into a couple of years ago: the power was cut first and the alarm didn’t go off. That one is not on this site either.
Los Gatos residents who are around the corner from a site where police cars have converged and not on social media sites may be oblivious to the uptick in crime across Los Gatos. It’s imperative that we have reliable and thorough information. I’d like to see it include attempted break ins as well.
It would also be useful to have the data be as interconnected as our communities. But with the current setup, if you want to see what is happening along the border with Saratoga, Campbell, or San Jose, you’ll have to check two sites. Wouldn’t it be better to have all of that info at a glance? It’s not on the ballot, but if it were, I’d cast my vote for getting Los Gatos back onto CityProtect.
Since right now the info is segmented, I would suggest that if you aren’t following the issue of the break ins by that gang of four, you get onto your local NextDoor group so you are informed.
by Mary Pope-Handy | May 29, 2020 | Uncategorized
I’m sad to share that the Chocolate Dream Box closing will take place tomorrow, another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. The shop is open from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. today and tomorrow. Holly, the owner, is letting people in, 2 at a time to keep social distance, to enjoy one last chance to buy her delectable treats.
15557 Union Ave. at Los Gatos-Almaden Rd., Los Gatos (in the Downing Center, corner with Union Avenue).
See related post on this site from a few years back
Chocolate Dream Box – a Los Gatos Treasure!
by Mary Pope-Handy | Dec 10, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a fun evening on December 12, 2019, “Light Up The Night”. The Chamber’s website states:
Join us for a night of shopping, sipping and fun! The stores will stay open until 8:30pm for an evening of shopping. A few stops along the way will have champagne or wine for you to enjoy. Surprises abound throughout the evening! After shopping, the fun continues with a party at The Palms.
Get pricing and details the link below.
Light Up The Night – December 12, 2019 – details and tickets