Enchanting fundraiser
One Enchanted Evening, Montalvo Arts Center’s Feb. 9 gala, raised almost $500,000, to support Montalvo’s artistic and educational programming efforts.
The evening’s highlight was a concert by Grammy-winning soprano Rene Fleming in Montalvo’s Carriage House Theatre. Fleming performed selections from Broadway and the Great American Songbook, accompanied by pianist Gerald Martin Moore.
The concert was followed by a live auction, helmed by “auctiontainer” Letitia Frye, and a wine-pairing dinner curated by Le Papillon chef Scott Cooper and Ridge Vineyards winemaker Paul Draper. The Money Band provided after-dinner dance music.
County librarian retires
Nancy Howe, executive director of the Santa Clara County Library District and county librarian, is retiring after a tenure that saw the district ranked the no. 7 library system in the country by the Library Journal. Howe’s last day on the job is Friday, March 27.
Howe has served as county librarian since 2012 and began her career in the library district in 1995 as a substitute librarian. Prior to becoming county librarian, she worked at each of the district’s seven community libraries.
Under her leadership, the library district removed all fees to use the library or open an account; expanded hours and added service seven days a week at each library; initiated passport services at three libraries; and overseen the renewal of a 20-year special tax for funding through 2033.
Howe was recognized in 2018 with the Zoia Horn Award for Intellectual Freedom from the California Library Association for her advocacy around patron privacy.