continued inside

Summer 2006

Vo lume 10 No.2ara Stephenson has a theoryabout people who take walks:they’re nice folks. Perhaps it’s

the activity that energizes them, orthe fresh air and beautiful scenerythat inspires good conversation.Whatever it is, Stephenson countsherself among the company ofTerraces residents who delight in hitting the trail together every month.

“I just love walking in the woods,” she says.

Like her neighbors, Stephenson enjoys the pleasures

of diverse activities. Whether hiking, traveling together

to such destinations as Yosemite or Las Vegas, taking an

aerobics class, or enjoying the cultural treasures of Bay

Area theaters and museums, Terraces residents relish

the good life in a vibrant community.

That’s what drew Stephenson to The Terraces in 1998

after visiting other locations. “It just seemed more active,”

she says. “It didn’t seem like an old people’s home.”

Once a month Stephenson and her neighbors ven-

ture out onto a local trail. In May they explored Jasper

Ridge, a private biological preserve owned by Stanford

University and familiar to Stephenson. She worked for

18 years at Stanford in the offices of the president and

ombudsman.

Besides the monthly hike, Stephenson heads out

into the neighborhood every morning with a resident

walking group. When she’s not walking, Stephenson

enjoys gardening and playing bridge. She also joins her

neighbors for trips around the Bay Area, including the

opera and symphony. The transportation provided by

The Terraces makes it easy to attend, she says.

Along with many residents, Stephenson subscribes

to the Celebrity Forum Speaker Series at De Anza

Community College, which in recent years featured

such well-known figures as author Thomas Friedman,

astronaut Neil Armstrong, Nobel prizewinner Toni

Morrison, and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

“So I stay very busy and enjoy living at The Terraces

very much,” Stephenson says.

The Terraces of Los Gatos is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the West

SA New Perspective on Living from The Terraces of Los Gatos

Helen Connolley is eagerly awaiting the next oppor-

tunity to subscribe to the Celebrity Forum. She and

husband Earl moved to The Terraces only a year ago.

They met as students at San José State, and both

went into education, Helen as a kindergarten teacher,

Earl as a principal. They retired in 1989. Friends at

church told the couple about The Terraces, so the

Connolleys joined them for an open house. They

toured other communities but found The Terraces to

be a “great place of warmth and welcome,” Helen says.

THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON

She’s discovered there’s plenty to do at The Terraces:

exercise classes, travelogues, educational programs,

holiday festivities, and special community events, such

as the recent piano recital for local students and their

families. At every gathering, refreshments are served

and a spirit of gracious hospitality is palpable.

“Whenever they have a gathering like that, it’s

always a very pleasant experience for everybody,”

Connolley says.

This spring, Connolley and her husband joined

other residents for a cruise along the Columbia River,

retracing the route of the Lewis & Clark expedition.

The Terraces handles all of the arrangements for these

tour packages. Terraces residents have traveled to Las

Vegas and Hawaii. In April, 28 residents enjoyed a

three-day excursion to Yosemite National Park.

“There is a huge demand for

this,” says Pamela Bancroft, market-

ing and community relations director

for The Terraces. She notes that

package travel deals are attractive to

residents, especially because they

know their fellow travelers and are

accompanied by the community’s

activity coordinator who attends to

all the details. “Our activity program

is second to none,” Bancroft adds.

Connolley says one of the benefits of group travel

is that residents can plan ahead by discussing the trip

with each other and asking questions of those who

have been before. Also, single residents can share

rooms, providing an opportunity for neighbors to get

to know each other better.

With all this activity, the Blossom Hill Road com-

munity is surprisingly quiet. So there’s plenty of

privacy if a resident wants that, too. Indeed, residents

get the best of both worlds, Connolley notes – free-

dom and privacy plus an active community that offers

numerous options for engagement.

And you don’t have to worry about the plumbing or

the roof, she adds. “So it’s been a good move for us.”

To learn more about The Terraces activity program or toschedule a community tour, contact the sales office at 408-356-1006.

continued from cover

Terraces residents (left) enjoy a hike onJasper Ridge. Yosemite National Park(below) was another recent destination.

CHOOSING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLEImagining Our Personal Future

by Mary Jane Scott

Th

e V

iew

fro

m I

nsi

de

Imagination is always colored by experience andcircumstance. If we are blessed with love andsecurity as children, we are likely to relate posi-

tively to Robert Louis Stevenson’s childhood verse:“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m surewe should all be as happy as Kings.”

As reality and disappointment become a part of each life, we come to view the world through ourpersonal prisms of expectation and fulfillment.

A whole host of influences and circumstancesaffect our choices. Gradually we develop a personallifestyle and a particular way of viewing the world. Just as Goldilocks invaded The Three Bears’ home and tested their choices of food and home furnishings,we might even imagine a new and different kind ofenvironment for ourselves. It becomes an exercise inimagining our own unknown future.

One of the difficulties of imagining our personalaging process is the inevitability of facing unknownand unexpected change. We all want to hold onto per-sonal control as long as possible. Sometimes it is easi-er to imagine what we don’t want than to focus onlifestyles adopted by our friends and acquaintances.

Not everyone would choose a vigorous daily walk-ing plan, but some might find a weekly hike in thehills very appealing.

In the advertising world, we often refer to choicesas Marketing. In the world of envisioning the future,we are more apt to emphasize a wide variety of choic-es that lead to active and healthy living in a safe andsupportive environment.

Residents of The Terraces of Los Gatos enjoymany opportunities for cultural events. The sympho-ny, theater, opera and Celebrity Forums are but a fewthat are ongoing. Our own bus provides door-to-doortransportation for these events as well as day trips andshort-term excursions.

At the same time, a variety of “in-house” programsare offered on a regular basis. Our creative dining serv-ices provide exemplary fare for all holidays and specialevents.

If your “imagined future” includes independent liv-ing in a beautiful setting, you may want to consider TheTerraces of Los Gatos, where almost anything is possible.You will likely be enjoying friends and neighbors of

stimulating backgrounds and interesting histories.While The Terraces offers the fullest gamut of activitiesfor your participation, you might find yourself alternate-ly choosing a very active or more quiet lifestyle.

As we continue to imagine our own future, wecan leave Goldilocks and The Three Bears to their owndevices. Using the wisdom we’ve gained by under-standing our own preferences, we can maintain thecontrol we desire as we plan ahead and complete thewriting of our own Life Story.

Mary Jane Scott is the author of a bookon grief. She attended seminary, workedas a grief counselor, and is currently apastoral visitor for the SunnyvalePresbyterian Church. She moved to TheTerraces of Los Gatos in May of 2004.

Festival Celebrates Vintners’ Bounty

September always marks the start of a season of celebra-tion at The Terraces of Los Gatos. It’s harvest time, whichmeans the bounty of local vintners returns to the commu-

nity with the annual Wine-Tasting and Culinary Festival.

This year’s festival will be held Friday, Sept. 15, from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Fountain Courtyard.

The festival is a complimentary event for residents andwait-list depositors. They’ll enjoy the offerings of 34 winemakers,including Thomas Fogarty, Toadhollow, Bear Ridge, Kenwood,and others. Lunardi’s Market, a neighbor of The Terraces, willdonate all the wines.

In addition to great wine and food,wait-list depositors will have an opportu-nity to tour resident apartments to getreacquainted with the space and pick uptips on moving in and decorating.

The festival is co-sponsored by the Advisory Board of The Terraces and the Marketing Department.

“We’re always thrilled when September comes around,”says Pamela Bancroft, director of marketing and community relations. “The festival is one of those trademark Terraces events that underscores the quality and spirit of our community.”

To RSVP for the festival, please call Lynn Burns at 408-356-1006 ext. 122

or send an e-mail to lburns@abhow.com by Sept. 8.

It’s not hard to find examples of exemplary com-

munity service among Los Gatos and Monte Sereno

seniors. Indeed, that’s what makes the selection of the

annual Seniors of Distinction award so challenging.

“We are blessed with extremely talented seniors

who are passionate about giving back to the community,”

says Pamela Bancroft, marketing and community rela-

tions director for The Terraces and also a member of

the award selection committee.

Now in its 10th year, Seniors of Distinction is

co-sponsored by The Terraces and the Los Gatos

Weekly-Times. This year’s recipient and honorable-

mention winners were honored with a champagne

reception June 2 attended by Los Gatos council mem-

bers Barbara Spector, Joe Pirzynski, Mike Wasserman

and Mayor Diane McNutt and Monte Sereno Mayor

Mark Brodsky plus previous award winners.

Retired architect Ray Cobb was named the Senior

of Distinction. And Margaret Howell, Kathy Cusick and

Dr. Gerald Friedland were honorable-mention winners.

A Rotary Club and Los Gatos Methodist Church

volunteer, Cobb won the top honor for his initiative in

forming a sister-city effort with Pascagoula, Miss.,

which is rebuilding following last year’s Hurricane

Katrina. Cobb helped raise thousands of dollars and

recruited many volunteers to assist the city.

“The feeling of community is foremost. When

you have that feeling, it is a blessing,” Cobb told the

Los Gatos Weekly-Times.

The three honorable-mention winners all have

ties to The Terraces. Margaret Howell and Dr. Gerald

Friedland are residents. Kathy Cusick and her hus-

band are on the waitlist.

Howell was honored for her volunteer efforts in

several areas. She helps Happy Dragon, a Los Gatos

thrift store that benefits Eastfield Ming Quong children.

Over several years, she read for more than 3,000

hours to produce story tapes for the blind. She has

also given her time to the Cub Scouts, Campfire Girls

and the PTA.

Friedland, nominated by members at Congregation

Shir Hadash, volunteers at the congregation as well as

Stanford University, where he taught for many years.

In his honor, the Stanford-affiliated Veterans Affairs

Medical Center opened the Friedland Learning Center

to train students and residents in radiology.

“We feel Gerald is an exemplary example of dedi-

cation to his field and caring for the thriving good

health and welfare of his fellow man,” Bryna Wallace

of Congregation Shir Hadash wrote in the nomination.

Cusick volunteers for civic, education, and

church organizations. She says she followed the lead

of her mother in volunteering. Now she’s inspiring

her eight children and 14 grandchildren.

“My mother was a volunteer,” Cusick told the

newspaper. “After I got married, it seemed natural to

volunteer; it was something that I felt I wanted to do.”

Bancroft is always impressed by the contribu-

tions of the award winners. The 10th year of celebrat-

ing such service was especially gratifying.

“Every year I am floored by the generosity of

these seniors,” Bancroft says. “They could do any-

thing they want in retirement, but they choose to give

back to our community.”

Seniors Saluted forVolunteer Service

2006 Senior ofDistinction RayCobb flanked byLos Gatos MayorDiane McNuttand MonteSereno MayorMark Brodsky.

Photo by Zachery Beecher/Used by Permission of Los Gatos Weekly-Times

The Terraces of Los Gatos’ rep-

utation for excellence is a big

draw for new residents. The

same is true for members of the

Board of Advisors.

Dr. Don Allari, a Los Gatos pedia-

trician, lives within walking distance

of The Terraces. And he has many

friends or parents of friends who live

at the community. So he was quite

familiar with The

Terraces, and

already impressed

with its mission,

when the invita-

tion came to serve

on the board.

Allari was

co-founder of

Ramblc Pediatric Medical Group in

San Jose, the first pure pediatric med-

ical group in the Silicon Valley. And

he served on the clinical faculty at

Stanford University.

Since retiring from full-time clini-

cal practice in 1998, Allari has stayed

busy volunteering through Rotaplast,

a Rotary International-funded project

that provides services to children with

burns and congenital deformities

such as cleft palate.

Allari has traveled to Latin

America and the Philippines with

teams of plastic surgeons, nurses, and

other medical professionals. The

teams range in size from 20 to 40

members, and they bring all of their

own essential equipment.

Over a two-week period, the vol-

unteers put in long hours, but Allari

is grateful for the work. “It’s changed

my life,” he says.

Attorney Tom O’Donnell has lived

in Los Gatos for 34 years. When he

retired from the school board after 22

years – the longest trustee term ever

served – he told a reporter, “I’m look-

ing for something new to do in the

community. I just don’t know what it

is yet.”

He found his next project soon

after – a seat on The Terraces board.

O’Donnell already knew about The

Terraces and was friends with mem-

bers of the board. So the invitation to

serve was easy to accept, he says.

At age 68, O’Donnell says he res-

onates with the community’s mission.

And being able to

assist people near

his age has “particu-

lar appeal.”

An attorney of

counsel with Ferrari

Ottoboni in San

Jose, O’Donnell now

serves on the Los

Gatos Planning Commission. He

is also a regent for his alma mater,

St. Mary’s College in Moraga.

One of O’Donnell’s fondest mem-

ories was awarding a St. Mary’s diplo-

ma to his daughter Loretta in 1990 –

the second diploma he had given her.

The first was in elementary school.

Los Gatos students and families

will remember O’Donnell for years to

come. The Los Gatos Union School

District offices now bear his name –

the Thomas P. O’Donnell District

Office at 17010 Roberts Road.

Community’s Reputation Draws Advisors

Donald Allari, MD pediatrician

The Rev. Lamar Allenpastor for seniors at CalvaryBaptist Church

Pamela Bancroftelected staff/board member;director of sales, marketingand community relations

Pamela Bondeliecommunity volunteer

Clayton Bruntzretired insurance broker

The Rev. Mark Burnhamsenior pastor, PresbyterianChurch of Los Gatos

Deal Christiansenretired owner of Chrislow's Dept.store, Los Gatos

Carl CilkerV.P., Cilker Orchards

Daniel P. DooreCEO of Bay Area Pain Center

Terry Duryeafinancial management consultant

Dr. Bobbye Gorenbergretired San José State Universityprofessor

Thomas O’Donnellattorney

Emmy Reynoldsresident representative

Allen Slutmanretired IBM and Siemens Rolmexecutive

Leigh Weimersretired columnist, SJMN andauthor

I N S I D E T H E B O A R D O F A D V I S O R S

Tom O’Donnell

Dr. Don Allari

The Terraces of Los Gatos

Board ofAdvisors

Th e Te r r a c e s o f L o s G a t o s

800 Blossom Hill RoadLos Gatos, CA 95032408.356.1006

The mission of TheTerraces of Los Gatosis to create a quality envi-

ronment of recognized

value for its residents

in a Continuing Care

Retirement Community

setting which is respon-

sive to their desire for

an independent lifestyle,

and supplemental care

as may be required

during their lifetime.

State of California License #430708817

INSIDE An Inside PerspectiveMary Jane Scott imagines a future with interesting

neighbors, engaging activities, and plenty of choices.

Seniors of DistinctionLos Gatos and Monte Sereno salute area seniors for

their volunteer service.

Community-Focused LeadersThe Terraces' fine reputation drew Dr. Don Allari and

Tom O'Donnell to serve on the community's board.

…

WWW.Discover more about The Terraces at www.theterracesoflosgatos.com.