Fire is on top of the news and our minds. Our local Saratoga fire engine, part of the Santa Clara Fire Department, was sent to help fight the Los Angeles wildfires and was mentioned on a national news broadcast.
Our fire department is here to keep us safe. Check their website for tips on keeping your home safe and how to be fire-ready. I plan to host a neighborhood meeting to discuss evacuation routes and other safety issues. www.sccfd.org
Joe Long is among those who have worked to keep Saratoga fire-safe over the years. Long’s father was a Saratoga Fire District commissioner from 1951-1976, and following in his father’s footsteps, Long was elected to the Saratoga Fire District Board of Commissioners in 2001.
“I’ve seen the fire department grow from a small-town volunteer organization to a professional, full-service department,” Long says. “I became involved at age 14, helping around the station. When I was old enough, I became a volunteer firefighter and then in 2001 a commissioner. I’m immensely proud of the those who serve us.”
Saratogans can express their appreciation for firefighters and other public servants with a Love Note for Valentine’s Day. Love Notes will be appearing in windows up and down Big Basin. Write a note to whomever you love and post it in the window of a Village business Feb. 1-14. Then take a walk through the Village to read the other notes. They will make you smile.
Bollywood will rock the Saratoga Foothill Club on Friday, Feb. 2, starting at 4 p.m. As part of the club’s public event series, attendees can join in celebrating ethnic dance, culture and creativity. Led by Starz Dance Academy’s Akshay Savale, there will be interactive performances to get the audience involved. Event chair Judy Goldman says, “Akshay’s going to get everyone moving, and I can’t wait to see for myself why Bollywood dance is so popular.” Tickets are $13.50 on Eventbrite.com and $15 at the door; students are admitted for free. www.saratogafoothillclub.com
It’s not a pleasant title, but “Urinetown” was a hit on Broadway, winning three Tony Awards, and the South Bay Musical Theater is bringing it to Saratoga. The show is “set in a world where water is scarce, and all citizens must now pay a fee for ‘the privilege to pee’ at one of the public facilities controlled by a selfish tycoon.” “Urinetown” runs Jan. 25-Feb. 15 at the Saratoga Civic Center theater. www.southbaymt.com
When it comes to student theater, www.saratogatheatrearts.org lists upcoming productions from Saratoga Union School District, Saratoga High School and West Valley College’s Performing Arts Department. The website also has links to ticket sales.
You can learn a lot of interesting and little-known facts about the city at the Saratoga Historical Foundation. Saratogan Florence Russell Cunningham established the Foundation in 1962 to collect and preserve the city’s history. At her death, she willed her collection of local memorabilia and money from her estate to establish the Saratoga Historical Foundation Museum, which opened in 1976. www.saratogahistory.com
Meredith Lee, the new executive director of Hakone Estate and Gardens, says she’s looking forward to continuing the work of her predecessor, Shozo Kagoshima. “I feel privileged to build upon Shozo’s legacy and lead Hakone into its next chapter,” she adds. “A focus will be on restoring the koi pond. We also have a Lunar New Year Celebration on Feb. 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a much-loved lion dance and other exciting programs.” www.hakone.com
If you have business or social news about Saratoga, please let me know: debby@debbyrice.com.