The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual awards ceremony at a March 25 luncheon that’s open to everyone in the community.
The event honors individuals who reflect the “Character of Los Gatos.” The six local characters who are receiving awards include long-time resident Sue Tuttle.
Tuttle moved to Los Gatos in 1984 and lives near downtown.
She used to exercise regularly at the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center but that ended when the pandemic lockdowns took effect.
So, Tuttle started walking and listening to audiobooks along the way. Before long, she bought a “litter grabber” and began cleaning up other people’s trash.
“When I started walking I noticed a lot of garbage,” Tuttle said. “At first, I found a lot of rubber gloves. I’ll pick up anything that’s not organic—cigarettes, masks—everything except leaves and dog poo, and only if the poo has been sitting there for a few days and it’s in a bag.”
Tuttle usually walks four days a week, sometimes heading past the high school to Highway 9; other times she goes up Main Street to N. Santa Cruz Avenue.
“One day I picked up 30 masks and sometimes I collect multiple bags of litter,” she said.
Tuttle especially enjoys walking on warm days because “it’s always busy” and has even made new acquaintances along her route.
“I know the lululemon and Apple security guards and we wave hi and chat,” she said. “I get thanked by people on the street all the time. I guess the thing that bothers me is there’s a beautiful succulent garden on my route that people steal plants from. One day I came across somebody admiring a plant and I lingered a while to make sure it didn’t get stolen.”
Tuttle is an experienced cleaner-upper: she volunteers with the Los Gatos Community Foundation’s Beautification Committee that promotes monthly community clean-ups; the next clean-up is scheduled for March 5.
In addition to Tuttle, the Chamber awards will recognize Donna Novi, who owns downtown’s popular Pastaria & Market.
“There’s nobody who pivoted better during the pandemic than Donna,” Chamber Executive Director Catherine Somers said. “She wasn’t able to get a PPP loan but kept things going with her family’s help. She takes risks and isn’t afraid of change. She always has a smile on her face and is beloved by the community.”
Birdwatcher owner Lisa Myers is also a Los Gatos character.
“During the pandemic she was running to people’s cars with birdseed and tutorials on how to become a birdwatcher. She gave people the opportunity to explore birds, teaching us that birds themselves are characters,” Somers said.
Resident Rob Stump is being singled out for his wildfire safety effort.
“He single-handedly took it upon himself to build awareness around wildfire safety,” Somers said. “We are so grateful for his work. He’s done all he can to protect the town from potential devastation. He worked tirelessly on behalf of all 30,000 town residents. His altruism is a reflection of his character.”
Ed Stahl of Travel Advisors of Los Gatos is also among the honorees.
An honorary award will be given to interim town attorney Rob Schultz.
“He has such a great sense of humor,” Somers said. “The town really benefited from his humor throughout the pandemic—he really lightened up the situation.”
In addition to the awards ceremony, Mayor Rob Rennie will give an update on town issues and Supervisor Mike Wasserman will introduce attendees to Supervisor Joe Simitian, who will become Los Gatos’ representative when Wasserman is termed out at the end of this year.
The March 25 awards luncheon is from noon-2pm at Loma Brewing Company, 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Tickets are $50. Visit losgatoschamber.com for reservations.
