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Theresa Spinler wants civic-minded types to join the ranks of the League of Women Voters Campbell--Campbell needs a few good women--15 to be exact. But according to longtime resident Theresa Spinler, they're hard to find. For the past two years Spinler, a Campbell resident since 1962, has been trying "frantically" to get Campbell women to join the League of Women Voters. She has left flyers everywhere, including the local library and coffee shops, but no one has signed up. "I don't know if they are sitting on their hands or what," she says. "I'm a member of the Los Gatos-Saratoga-Monte Sereno group and all I need are 15 women to become leaders in order for us to become part of this group." Spinler says the name would probably be changed to include the town of Campbell and she emphasizes, "We as women in Campbell would be recognized." The requirements to join are minimal. You need to be of voting age (18 years or older), complete a very simple membership form and pay dues of $50. If that is all you are able to do Spinler says, you have already done a lot. She points out that it is not necessary to come to the meetings if they conflict with a busy schedule. But Spinler underscores "what the league does is phenomenal." It is a nonpartisan organization that works to inform citizens about political issues and candidates. With Campbell in the league, the community would have better access to information on local, state and national contests. In addition to the league, Spinler recently was appointed director of the San Jose Opera Guild. Although she has been an active member of the guild for a number of years, she says her love of music began with her mother, who "was a fantastic singer." As an active member of the guild, one of her goals has been to bring opera to the general public. She was involved in "Opera in the Park" in downtown San Jose and, most recently in Los Gatos, offering "Opera in the Plaza" to "expose people to opera music who would not ordinarily hear or see it." The arts have always been a major part of Spinler's world. Hanging in her home are watercolor portraits of important people in her life, her parents, grandparents and four daughters. She is an accomplished painter, electing to go back to college in the 1970s, earning a bachelor's of art and then a master's of arts in Fine Arts while carrying 15 credits and raising four girls. She has exhibited her work at galleries throughout the Bay Area including The San Jose Museum of Modern Art, The Triton, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the De Saisset. Her husband Jack, a retired fire engineer for the city of San Jose, shares her love for the arts and is also a woodcarver. Together they enjoy ballroom dancing and playing tennis. Spinler's also an avid tap dancer. Even with a full schedule, she has still managed to become a director of the Italian American Heritage Foundation. "This is something that is very important to me," she says. "I was encouraged to join by the chairman for my master's," (a professor at SJSU). He said, 'You're Italian. Why don't you come and see what we are all about.'" Asked where she finds all the time, she replies without hesitation, "Oh, there is time for everything!" Anyone interested in becoming a member of the League of Women Voters may contact Theresa Spinler at 408.559.1889. Moryt Milo [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]