Short Takes Short Takes (January 19, 2005)

Party time

No one is more excited about attending President Bush's inauguration than Atherton councilman Charles Marsala. And Mr. Marsala, a Republican, is going as the guest of Democratic Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.

"I think she does a very good job at keeping tabs on council members in her district," says Mr. Marsala, who has worked with Ms. Eshoo on several occasions.

Mr. Marsala flies to Washington January 18 and has a whole string of parties to attend. He has seated tickets for the swearing-in ceremony and plans to attend an inaugural ball that evening.

"It's been a dream of mine," says Mr. Marsala of attending the inauguration. "I think it will be one of the big events of my life, right up there with the junior prom and college graduation night."
Every drop helps

Aneesha and Karina Gupta of Atherton hope to raise $1,000 for the Red Cross' tsunami-relief fund by encouraging other kids to donate money. The two girls, ages 6 and 9, have pledged a month of their allowance money to the effort, as have many of their friends, says their mom, Ena Gupta. They call their initiative "Kids to kids," because so many tsunami victims are children, and they've raised $500 so far, she says. Call 561-9504.
Doses of Dickens

Modern readers have the chance to read a lesser-known novel by Charles Dickens the way Victorian fans originally experienced it -- in short, weekly installments. Participants in Discovering Dickens, a Stanford University-based community reading project, sign up to receive newsprint facsimiles of 'Hard Times" or download installments from http://dickens.stanford.edu. The project kicks off later this month, and a reading by Marco Barricelli of the American Conservatory Theater is set for 7:30 p.m. Monday, January 31, at the Kresge Auditorium. Admission is free.

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