As it has for almost 100 years, the Saratoga Foothill Club is hosting its flagship Memorial Day Celebration. The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. in Blaney Plaza, then moves up Oak Street to Madronia Cemetery, the final resting place of over 1,000 veterans with service dating back to the Civil War. Youth organizations and churches place laurel wreaths and American flags on veterans’ graves.
The ceremony brings our community’s families, civic groups and church groups together to thank veterans for their service. The program includes patriotic music and Dr. Gary B. Laine, who will speak on “Greatest Generation, Greatest Inspiration” and share insights from interviews with WWII veterans.
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The Saratoga Foothill Club has just completed a six-year restoration of its Julia Morgan-designed clubhouse that costs a bit more than the $5,000 it took to construct the building. The club raised $36,000 at its recent garage sale that will go toward its operating costs.
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga has been named Saratoga Citizen of the Year and has held leadership positions in our community for decades. She is one of seven recipients of the 2025 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships, “the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, recognizing artistic excellence, lifetime achievement and contributions to traditional arts heritage.”
Iwanaga was honored for preserving and revitalizing the traditional Japanese folk dance of Bon Odori and expanding its reach and popularity. Born in San Jose, she was incarcerated with her family at the Granada Relocation Center in Colorado, where Iwanaga was introduced to classical Japanese dance.
After WWII, she underwent a rigorous testing process in Japan to be certified as a Natori dance master, then returned and became involved with folk dancing through the San Jose Buddhist Church, where Iwanaga’s future father-in-law, Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga, had introduced Bon Odori.
Iwanaga saw Bon Odori as an inclusive art to reach communities, cultures and people outside of the Japanese American population. Today, more than 2,500 dancers from all demographics participate in the the church’s annual Obon Festival, considered the largest such celebration in the United States.
Saratoga Rotary Club President Chuck Swan thanks for community for another successful Rotary Art Show. The final numbers are not in, but the current estimate shows that well over $50,000 was raised, to be given back to worthwhile projects through grants from the Saratoga Rotary Charitable Foundation. www.saratogarotary.org
The summer series “Saratoga Nights” kicks off Thursday, June 5. Music, food, wine, beer and fellowship will take place the first Thursday of the month from June through September. 5-7 p.m. in the Saratoga Village parking lot. www.saratogachamber.org
Jill Hunter of the Saratoga Village Development Council reports a disappointing turnout at a May 15 community meeting at the senior center to discuss Village design guidelines, despite the fact that 241 Saratogans responded to an online survey on the issue.
There were no surprises about what those who did attend like about Saratoga’s downtown: historic buildings, the eclectic nature of the Village, outdoor dining and the two-story height limit.
The Saratoga Fire Protection District is to celebrating 100 years at a June 7 picnic, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Saratoga Fire Station. There will be tours, activities, games, prizes and free lunch. RSVP at bit.ly/43B4uUG.
Let me know if you have social or business news about Saratoga: debby@debbyrice.com.
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