INSIDE: N Classified Marketplace, page 63 N Puzzles, page 64
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Home Front MILLION DOLLAR HOME RAFFLE ... Deadline for purchasing tickets for the “Multi-Million Dollar Home Raffle,” a fundraiser for InnVision, was extended to Friday, Nov. 20. The top prize is a $3 million home on 2 acres in Los Altos Hills or $1.5 million in cash; second prize is $20,000; third prize is $10,000. Tickets are $150. The Grand Prize drawing will be held Nov. 30 at Santana Row, San Jose. For information, call 877-225-2111 or visit www.LosAltosHillsRaffle.com.
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS ... Sacred Heart School will hold its 15th annual Christmas Boutique, Home for the Holidays, Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 2 to 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the main building, 150 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton. There’s no admission charge for the shopping experience, which includes gifts, home and holiday decor, jewelry and edibles. For information, call 650-322-1866 or visit www.shsschools.org.
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Eden Alvarado, store manager of Williams Cutlery in Town & Country Village, offers the Shun carving set for tackling that Thanksgiving turkey.
Carve that turkey with ease by Royston Sim
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t’s Thanksgiving and that juicy turkey is roasted a perfect golden-brown, ready for carving — but it won’t be easy doing that with a dulled knife. Those who own knives that are in dire need of sharpening can either visit knife-sharpening stores such as Williams Cutlery in Town and Country Village, or purchase sharpening equipment and do it on their own. A sure sign of a dull knife is when a person has to employ significant effort while cutting, Williams Cutlery Store Manager Eden Alvarado said. “The knife should do the work for you,” Alvarado said. “You don’t want to do a sawing action, you want to be able to do nice thin slices with little effort.” Another way to spot a dull edge is to hold up a knife and look at its bevel, the sharpened edge that does the cutting. Glints or light reflecting off the bevel indicates the edge has been ground flat and is dulled, Alvarado said. Williams Cutlery, a tenant at Town and Country Village since the complex opened more than 50 years ago, and other stores along the Peninsula offer professional sharpening. Store manager Alvarado, who’s worked there for six
years, said Williams does its sharpening on-site at the store. Each time he sharpens a new knife, Alvarado will first run the blade along a coarser grinding belt, which takes off metal quickly and sets a new edge. Next, he will run the knife through a paper wheel and then a cloth wheel, with each wheel finer than the one before it. This polishes the bevel and removes burrs, thin bent steel formed during the sharpening process. Williams Cutlery has two designated sharpening days — customers can drop off their knives on Tuesday or Friday and get them back the next day. It usually costs between $5.50 and $8 to sharpen each knife, depending on length of blade, Alvarado said. Alvarado recommends customers bring their knives for professional sharpening every six months to a year, particularly if they do not maintain their knives’ edges on their own and the bevels are flat. “It’s good to have your knives professionally sharpened once in a while even if you do your own sharpening, because it makes the job easier,” Alvarado said. “It’s easier to maintain.” Mollie Stone’s on California Avenue also offers a drop-off knife-sharpening service. Customers may
At Williams Cutlery, store manager Eden Alvarado demonstrates sharpening a knife on a stone. Knives can be dropped off twice a week for sharpening.
Veronica Weber
FINISHING TOUCHES ... The Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula will host “Finishing Touches: A Holiday Tour of Fine Homes” on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tour includes four holiday-decorated homes in west Atherton. Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. The event kicks off with an Opening Night Celebration on Friday, Dec. 4, with a fifth home in Woodside, cocktails, a raffle and more. Tickets are $140, which includes admission to the tour. Last year the tour raised close to $80,000. Proceeds support the Junior League, which offers grants to local nonprofits and League projects, including East Palo Alto Charter School Character Development, First Teachers and Fostering Families. For information,
Veronica Weber
WATER-WISE GARDENING ... Master Gardeners will give a free talk on “Starting or Enlarging a Water-wise Garden” on Tuesday, Nov. 24, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos. A list of water-wise plants will be distributed. For information, call Master Gardeners at 408-282-3105, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit http://mastergardeners.org.
Local stores can help sharpen your blades for Thanksgiving
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