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 [email protected] 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.