League of Women Voters hosts ‘Great Decisions’ series in Saratoga

‘Great Decisions’ in the making

The Southwest Santa Clara Valley League of Women Voters is participating in “Great Decisions,” a foreign policy association’s program established more than 60 years ago to discuss world affairs.

In 2023 Great Decision meetings will take place on the first and third Friday of the month starting in February, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Saratoga Senior Center, 19655 Allendale Ave. Topics of discussion are energy geopolitics on Feb. 3, war crimes on Feb. 17, China and the U.S. on March 3, economic warfare on March 17, politics in Latin America on April 7, global famine on April 21, Iran and the U.S. on May 5 and climate migration on May 19.

Registration is $41 per person and $46 for couples who are planning to share a workbook. For more information, call Ginger Good at 408-866-1331 or Hana Itani at 408-838-6416.

City hall closures

Saratoga City Hall will be closed Thursday-Friday, Dec. 22-23, and Dec. 26-30 for a holiday furlough. For more information, visit https://www.saratoga.ca.us/calendar.

Lecture on local farms

The Saratoga Historical Foundation presents a Jan. 28 Zoom lecture, “Past and Extant Farms in the Santa Clara Valley” by agriculturist Andy Mariani. The talk covers a brief history of the local farming industry, causes of its rapid decline and profiles of some of the remaining farms, including their survival strategies as they face an increasingly urbanized Silicon Valley.

Educated in both horticultural and behavioral science, Mariani, who grew up in Cupertino, continues to grow specialty fruit on his family’s farm in Morgan Hill and spent a year as Saratoga’s administrative assistant.

The lecture starts at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The meeting ID is 819 8944 2077, and the passcode is 175559.