By Khalida Sarwari
For Saratoga, 2013 was a productive year, both at the city level and, for many residents, on a personal level. The city progressed with several important projects, such as the Village Streetscape Improvement project, Quarry Park, Quito Bridge, Highway 9 Safety Improvement project, and approval of initiatives such as the comprehensive emergency operations plan.
Saratoga students shone brighter than ever, competing—and in some cases, dominating—at the Intel Science Talent Search and the National Science Bowl, among myriad other tournaments. One Saratoga student was even named one of the smartest teens in the world.
The year was also one of community and philanthropy, as young and old alike rolled up their sleeves to do their bit of good in the world. There were 14-year-old twins Eshna and Divya Narayan, who went on a mission to collect 1,000 books for the African Library Project, and 10-year-old Sam Nash, who raised nearly $30,000 for cystic fibrosis research. The folks who participated in Saratoga’s eighth Relay for Life helped raise more than $60,000 for the American Cancer Society.
In 2013, the city said goodbye to Loran “Butch” Baker, a Santa Cruz police sergeant who grew up in Saratoga; Willys Peck, lawyer, newsman, playwright and unofficial city historian; and most recently, Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine. In April, tragic details emerged about the fate of 15-year-old Saratoga High School student Audrie Pott, who took her own life in September 2012.
Finally, there were disagreements on such issues as the Saratoga Union School District’s new minimum day schedule, the opening of Meza Bar in downtown Saratoga, and proposed cutting of the park management and football programs at West Valley College.
Here is a compilation of some of the things that happened in Saratoga this year.
