Los Altos Town Crier » 2000 » April

Model trains forever

Bob Brown celebrates 25 years with successful magazine, undertakes ambitious exhibit

At age 12, Bob Brown picked up a model railroading magazine and has been interested in the hobby ever since.

Councilman Johnson opts against LAH re-election bid

Longtime Los Altos Hills Councilman Robert Johnson announced last week he will not seek another term in the November election.

“Now that I have made up my mind to not run for re-election this fall, I decided to make the announcement early so any potential candidates can prepare to make their decision knowing two incumbents will not be running this fall,” Johnson said.

League of Women Voters offers two meetings on health care

“The Battle for America’s Health Care” is the theme for two meetings sponsored by the Los Altos-Mountain View League of Women Voters in cooperation with the El Camino Hospital and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

Topics for discussion include Medicare HMOs, prescription drugs for seniors, patient protection under managed care, universal access and the uninsured.

Los Altos neighborhood rallies around family in wake of dad’s untimely death in accident

Neighbors are making all the difference for a Mountain View mother of two who has to carry on without her husband after his untimely death more than a week and a half ago.

“I couldn’t do without them,” Janis Zinn said. “We have had other tragedies on our street and I’m not the first, but the way neighbors rallied behind me is unbelievable.

Employees call on Teamsters union

Los Altos city employees in the Public Works Maintenance Department overwhelmingly agreed last week to call on the Teamsters union to represent them.

Nineteen out of the department’s 21 employees voted to join the Teamsters union, Local 350, during an election April 10, ending the department’s 9-year membership with the Los Altos Public Employees Association.

News Briefs

A Mountain View woman is offering a reward for anyone who may have found her 2.5-carat diamond ring. She said she lost the diamond ring on the morning of March 16 at the service counter at Lozano’s Car Wash in Mountain View.

The woman said she had taken the ring from finger while at the car wash that morning because her hand was swollen. She placed the ring on the counter while paying for her car to be washed and forgot to grab it when she went into the business’ waiting area, she said.

Los Altos council agrees to swap land use with school district for minipark pools

The Los Altos City Council agreed April 12 to swap a 26,000-square-foot parcel of land at its Municipal Service Center for an equal portion of land at the Los Altos School District’s Covington minipark. The city and school district agreement does not include a swap in land ownership, but in land leases for the next 99 years.

Under the arrangement, the school district will relocate its current maintenance operations and buildings from the Covington School campus to the city’s municipal center when Covington is reopened as an elementary school in 2002.

Tiny Tots resignations add to city staff drain

The number of city hall vacancies continues to grow in Los Altos. Two more positions opened up in the recreation department last month with the retirement of Claudia Meyer, director of the city-run Tiny Tots preschool program, and Tiny Tots teacher Ann Slocum.

The city began advertising for the two positions last week. Both employees plan to leave in June, according to Meyer.

School board opts to rebuild Bullis

The Los Altos School District revised its original plan for construction at Bullis-Purissima Elementary School in Los Altos Hills at its April 10 meeting. Upon staff recommendations, the board members voted to spend an additional $1.325 million to essentially rebuild the campus.

Construction at Bullis is part of the district’s Measure H bond-funded plan to renovate the eight existing campuses and re-open Covington as its ninth school in fall of 2002.

Comment

My memory bank

Reflections

Human beings are different from computers. We have a living brain and we have memory. Unlike a computer, our memory does fade and we can’t always pull it up again. There are times when I struggle to walk the streets of the past only to have them elude me though I walked them hundreds of times before. I have read in some medical journal that if a surgeon touches some part of the brain, old memories pop up again. Maybe so, but I don’t want to be awake when a surgeon is messing with my brain.

Opinion

Letters to the Editor

We, the McMahon family, are shocked and saddened about the closing of Mac’s Tea Room. Walter E. McMahon (Mac) was my father-in-law and the grandfather of my children.

We have always felt a deep connection and thought that part of him would always be there at Mac’s Tea Room.

Is a preoccupation with time wasteful?

Media Watch

Time is money, as recent stock market rapid-fire gyrations have more than reinforced for many.

Save The Date

Mayfest activities, including the Kiwanis Pet Parade and Rotary Fine Art in the Park, downtown Los Altos.

July 8 and 9

Community

Police Report

April 12, 3:25 a.m., Holly Avenue: Police received a barking dog complaint.

Auto burglary

Morning Forum scholar dispels myths about Tibet

Orville Schell, dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley, doesn’t exactly mute complaints about his Tibetan experience. He told the April 4 audience at Morning Forum of Los Altos that the mountains of Tibet were “odd, arid, cold, with terrible food, populated by nomads whose lives are almost dedicated to the yak.”

Schell, considered one of the foremost experts on Asia, has just completed a book, “Virtual Tibet,” attempting to explain why the West views Tibet as a place of purity and spirituality, while China considers Tibet a place to exile wrongdoers, a filthy, feudal country enslaved by religion.

Pages of the Past

In the News: The FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” program began.

In Los Altos: The first Board of Trustees of the Los Altos Foundation was formed when 25 local residents signed the Foundation’s Articles of Incorporation. Hagen & Bell opened its doors as the newest automobile dealer in Los Altos. Located at First and Lyell streets, it sold Mercury and Lincolns. The owners were Jack Allison and Herb Sutton.

Cantor supporters offer next generation ‘A Line Safari’ art adventure at Cantor

The Next Generation of the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts committee invite the public, and particularly families with young kids, to explore “Adventures in Art: A Line Safari” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 30, at the museum. The Cantor center is located on the Stanford University campus at Lomita Drive and Museum Way.

The family art day festivities will include an art hunt, storytelling, and entertainment for preschool- and elementary-age children. Cantor Arts Center supporters invite parents and children to explore and discover the ways in which artists use lines in painting, sculpture, pottery, and textiles.

Longtime contributors Lave, Mandle are precedent-setting CSA recipients

Roy Lave and John Mandle of Los Altos have been selected as this year’s recipients of the Los Altos-Mountain View District of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors’ Community Service Award.

“Choosing two separate winners for our 37th annual Community Service Award is unprecedented, but both are equally deserving in their own right and choosing one over the other would be to diminish the accomplishments of the other,” said award committee chairwoman Lissi Bedford of Seville Contempo Fine Homes and Estates in Los Altos.

Winners announced in Margaret Thompson historical essay contest

A new group of essay winners have been announced in the Los Altos Historical Commission’s annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest.

In this 16th year, the year 2000 theme was “Recreation Remembered” with the emphasis on toys, books and games from the past. Students were asked to represent a newspaper reporter and interview an older friend, neighbor or family member why the item was important to them.

Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival set for April 29, 30

The 17th annual Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival will be celebrated from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 29 and 30, at Memorial Park on Stevens Creek Boulevard, across from De Anza College. The festival is held in honor of Cupertino’s sister city, Toyokawa, Japan, and its gift of 200 cherry blossom trees.

The festival features Japanese entertainment, arts and crafts, cultural exhibits and demonstrations, foods and beverages, and a special area for children’s activities and hands-on crafts.

Calendar

Community Health Awareness Council, 3:30 p.m., 711 Church St., Mountain View.

Los Altos Architectural and Site Control Committee, 4 p.m., City Hall, 1 N. San Antonio Road.

Community Briefs

Congresswoman Anna Eshoo will speak on recent and pending legislation affecting older adults at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, at the next Los Altos Senior Coordinating Council meeting. The meeting will be in the Hal Brady Room at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave.

Lunch is scheduled for noon. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunches. The business meeting is set to begin at 12:15 p.m.

Bridge to a good time

Enthusiasts enjoy complexities of classic card game

“In all the talk about the important events, the important people, the important inventions of the century, not once has anyone mentioned the game of the century,” said Los Altos Hills resident Mary van Tamelen. “It’s the game that involves great logic, social skills, teamwork, focus, and concentration. It’s a game millions of people play, all over the world. And it’s a game just invented during this century - 75 years ago, exactly.”

Adult ed celebrates children’s week

The Mountain View-Los Altos Adult Education Department celebrated children last week by honoring the adults who care for them.

The celebration was part of the annual Week of the Young Child, established in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

MV-LA board appoints new LAHS principal

The Board of Trustees of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District has appointed George Perez as principal of Los Altos High School, beginning with the 2000-2001 school year.

For the past six years, Perez has served as the principal of Santa Cruz High School. His background includes teaching math and Spanish and serving as a guidance counselor, principal and assistant superintendent.

Schools

LASD announces registration for 2000 summer school classes

The Los Altos School District will offer classes this year at Loyola Elementary School and Blach Intermediate School beginning Monday June 26th, and ending Friday, July 21, 2000. School will not be in session July 4th, in observance of Independence Day.

This summer’s enrichment program will feature a wide variety of learning opportunities and challenges for all students entering grades 2-7 this fall. Primary classes include: Extending Mathematics, Creative Dramatics, Outdoor Educational Activities, Multicultural Experience, Poetry, Tech Exploration, and Visual Arts.

Schools Briefs

Members of the Morgan Center for autistic children will be holding an informational meeting 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Graham Middle School in Mountain View regarding attempts to relocate to the Cooper School campus in the Mountain View School District.

Faced with leaving their 20-year home at the Covington School site in the Los Altos School District, Morgan Center supporters are working to find a nearby site to accommodate 82 children and 64 employees.

FH swimmers prevail; softball team falls

Softball team trounced

Town Crier Staff Report

Eagles on the rise in El Camino Division

Prep Baseball Report

When Los Altos High baseball coach Sandy Wihtol arrived four years ago, he found a baseball diamond and a program that needed major adjustments.

Sports

Los Altos High goes into spring break on a roll

Boys Tennis Update

St. Francis stops Aptos

On Deck:

Baseball

Today

Sports On The Side

Five players on this past season’s Foothill College football team have signed letters of intent to play at four-year schools in the fall. The group includes center Bill Berg (San Jose State), quarterback Travis Cole (Minnesota), cornerback William Darnell (Syracuse), offensive lineman Anthony Kiel (Idaho) and defensive lineman Danny Masaniai (Arizona State).

Playing polo

Rehrmann, St. Francis make waves in WCAL

Prep Swimming Summary

MV girls win again

Eagles rally for 2-1 win over Wilcox

Prep Sports Roundup

Track and field

Inkster wins Longs tourney

More than 50 family members and friends gathered in Lincoln last weekend to cheer on pro golfer Juli Inkster in the Longs Drugs Challenge, held at Twelve Bridges Golf Club.

Her fans didn’t leave disappointed, as the Los Altos resident won the LPGA Tour event for the second straight year.

Local boys help Blades win hockey championship

Tyler Gloski and Tom Blake, two 11-year-old boys who are neighbors in Los Altos, are having a memorable season as members of the San Jose Blades Squirt A ice hockey team.

In February, the Blades won the championship of the Squirt AA Division at the Pike’s Peak President’s Day Hockey Tournament in Colorado Springs. The tournament is considered the largest amateur hockey tournament in the U.S., featuring 100 teams from 23 states and four Canadian provinces. The Squirt AA Division is the highest level of play for 11-year-olds.

LA grad Chung sets 4 Vassar swim records at state meet

Town Crier Staff Report

Here’s an update on some former high school athletes from the area who are excelling at the college level:

NASA campaign observes significant Arctic ozone loss

According to NASA, there was a 60 percent loss of ozone at 60,000 feet in the Arctic sky near the North pole last winter. It was also one of the coldest on record. A team of international scientists declared the ozone loss is one of the worst measured at that altitude in the Arctic.

The finding raises the question of whether or not climate change may delay recovery of the Earth’s life-shielding ozone layer.

Jean on the Job

E-mails, the hit-and-run form of communication, far from ideal

We love them. We hate them. The system has changed our communication in the world. And it is still painful.

Business

Business Briefs

David H. Walworth will be the speaker at the bi-weekly luncheon of the Technology & Society Committee which will be held 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Golden Wok Restaurant, 895 Villa St., Mountain View.

His talk, titled “Personal Rapid Transit,” will describe the concept of personal rapid transit, a system of fixed guideways spaced at half-mile intervals using three passenger vehicles that automatically take you to your requested destination. Walworth plans to elaborate on the details of such a system, describe real-world examples and explain why we don’t have it now and when we will be likely to get it.

Local financial advisory firm calm in a troubled market

Sullivan & Serwitz’s March letter to clients observed that neophyte investors were tripping over themselves to throw money at the advancing stock market. In fear of missing the next move, these investors have created one of the most pronounced speculative bubbles seen in many years, according to the newsletter.

“Our clients are conditioned to expect opportunities that are always manifest with a decline in the stock market” said Marshall Serwitz, co-owner of Sullivan & Serwitz. “We assist our clients to maintain their focus on their goals and not the stock market. That’s only a tool to meet your goals.”

Analysts say stock sell-off may cool the economy and cause recession

Looking back from our record highs March 10, we are now in bear territory. Out of the 50 Town Crier stocks, 48 were negative for the week, and for the first time this year, the index is losing money. The bleeding may continue this week.

The stock market will continue to decline until investors’ morale improves. Stocks have been reeling since Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan promised to keep pounding away with interest rate hikes until the economy stays within the Fed’s prescribed goal lines.

Questions and answers about sun control screens and shades

Too much sunlight and too much heat can become problems as spring moves into summer. Everyone seems to have at least a room or two which become uncomfortable when the weather heats up. Here are ideas for enjoying the season’s light and heat, but on your own terms.

Will sun control screens or shades darken my room too much? No. Depending on the screening fabric that you choose, there are openness factors of 5-70 percent and lighter colors that transmit more light. Open areas omit light of full intensity. Light is not tinted in volume, allowing good lighting with reduced glare.

Transactions

Los Altos

1190 Buckingham Drive - Lee Trust to M. Song for $1,300,000.00

Examining the Mind-set of Silicon Valley’s successful ventures

Silicon Valley’s success at creating new products and new companies has attracted venture capital investment from around the world. It’s the home for more than 10,000 high-tech companies and America’s leading exporter of manufactured goods, yet it’s smaller than the state of Rhode Island.

The basics of Elton B. Sherwin Jr.’s new book “The Silicon Valley Way” can be found in most Business 101 courses. But Sherwin presents the principles of business in a simple way so venture capitalists can capture the essence of what start-up entrepreneurs need to understand.

Book Beat

A first edition, printed in 1878, of “Under the Window: Pictures and Rhymes for Children,” the book that made Kate Greenaway famous, is for sale at the Antiquarian Archive on State Street. Owner Dave Ogle said that usually copies of this book, if available at all, are “in ruins. But this is a very nice copy. John Ruskin saw this edition and praised it, and that was the beginning of Kate Greenaway’s success.” The collector-quality book is $350.

From 3-5 p.m. on Monday, children’s author Tomie de Paola will be signing books at The Linden Tree Children’s Records and Books on State Street. “It will be a great treat to meet him,” said Linda Ronberg, co-owner with husband Dennis of The Linden Tree.

People

Weddings & Engagements

Lisa Sharpley and Filip Vanacht were married July 10, 1999 at Valley Presbyterian Church, Portola Valley.

The bride is the daughter of Daniel and Cheryl Sharpley of Los Altos. She graduated from Los Altos High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. She is employed at Navigant Consulting, Menlo Park.

Obituaries

Yuriy Eyngorin died March 28. A native of Georgia, he was 66.

Mr. Eyngorin was a self-employed painter. He is survived by his wife, Klara Eyngorin; children, Alex Eyngorin and Irina Eyngorin, both of Mountain View; and four grandchildren.

Lillian M. Desarmo, 100, lived life to its fullest

Lillian M. Desarmo died in Mountain View April 8. A native of Idaho, she was 100 years old and a survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Featured on the front page of the Town Crier just three weeks before her death, Desarmo radiated good humor and optimism. She prepared her own oatmeal for breakfast, loved her longtime Los Altos garden and was especially fond of her cat, Baby, who slept on her bed. Baby was the last of a long line of Desarmo cats.

Special Section

Open houses coming back in style as real estate market changes

In a robust market, when houses virtually sell themselves, is there any need for the traditional open house?

“There is a definite need for a buyer to see, feel and touch the house he is interested in,” said Gary Wheeler, vice president, manager of Alain Pinel Realtors. “When a house is on the market, it’s the best way for a lot of buyers to see the property.”

Having a plan for getting your plans approved

Dealing with the city of Los Altos for your remodeling or rebuilding plans can either be a breeze or a bother, depending on your approach.

Planning Commissioner Penny Lave, a former Los Altos mayor, advised making an appointment to see a city planner as a prospective applicant’s first step.

The shifting real estate scene

Stock market doldrums changing the way home purchases are made

After a needed correction in an overvalued stock market, prospective home buyers and sellers are wondering what the future holds for the Los Altos and Los Altos Hills real estate market.

A buyer’s first impression can leave a lasting impact

Getting your home ready to sell can be a monumental chore even if it’s in good shape, but a well presented home can make the difference in the number of bids offered on the property.

“Buyers’ first impressions are especially important to an investor because there has been little inventory and purchases were made out of necessity,” said George Monaco, manager of Coldwell Banker Gateway office in Los Altos.

Housing affordability fell in February

Sharpest decline since 1989

The ability to purchase a home in California is becoming more difficult by the day. The California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) reported April 6 that home affordability in California fell to 32 percent.

Spiritual Life

Therapist, mentor, and quarterback to speak at Breakfast

The power of personal prayer will be the focus of the sixth annual Los Altos Community Prayer Breakfast, scheduled for 7-9 a.m., Friday, at Hyatt Rickeys at Palo Alto.

Featured will be Normajean Hinders, a psychotherapist, speaker, and author; Jim Stump, a spiritual mentor to male athletes at Stanford University; and Steve Stenstrom, a former Stanford and 49er quarterback.

Minister takes Christianity seriously, not literally

“Why do people become occupied with trivial problems like whether the Resurrection is real?” said Jim Burklo, Protestant campus minister at Stanford University.

He went on, “Let’s concentrate on the hard part - loving God and loving our neighbor.”

Jesuit priest helps with workplace stress, transitions

Father William J. Byron, S.J., expert on bringing spirituality into the workplace, recently led a retreat called “Sunday into Monday” at El Retiro, the Jesuit Retreat Center.

Byron is Distinguished Professor of Management at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and Rector of the Georgetown Jesuit Community. From 1982 to 1992 he served as president of the Catholic University of America. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics.

Stepping Out

Los Altan featured in TheatreWorks show

TheatreWorks’ latest production, “The Cripple of Inishmaan,” features longtime Los Altos resident Barbara Richmond, who plays the part of a drunken grandmother.

Richmond describes “Inishmaan,” a Northern California premiere playing through May 7, as “a very sad tale filled with humor.”

‘Inventions’ exhibit opens in Palo Alto

If you lived through most of the last century you might be able to answer the following not-so-trivial questions:

What invention created a new social class in the United States?

Books

New books on life’s beginning and end

Los Altos readers and parents-to-be are invited to meet Sunnyvale author Henci Goer at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Heintzelman’s Bookstore on State Street in Los Altos. She will be signing copies of her new book, “The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth “(The Berkeley Publishing Group, New York, NY, 1999; $14.95), a comprehensive look at current research data on cesareans, induction of labor, epidurals, IVs, home births and many other birth-related topics.

Goer’s book offers an unusual approach, because she presents current research data on birthing topics, usually available only in medical journals. Here they are readably summarized for the layperson and compiled in just one volume.

Your Health

Home medical guide on the Net proves a reliable source

“The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Complete Home Medical Guide” is a useful family health handbook, covering a wide range of medical and health areas in a well-organized, easy-to-read format. Now for the first time, this full text book is available for free on the Internet at cpmcnet.columbia.edu/texts/guide/, and it is well worth bookmarking or adding to your favorite list.

While the online version doesn’t allow the reader to flip through the pages just to browse, its organization is easily perceived by the user. In addition to the six broad subject headings: “Using Your Healthcare System,” “New Approaches to Wellness,” “Symptoms and Diagnoses,” “First Aid and Safety,” “Treatment and Prevention of Disease,” “Drugs and Their Use,” the site can be searched by using their search tool or through the pull-down chapter listing guide.

Warning signs

Psychologist says it’s important to spot potential violence among students early

Dr. David Fenstermaker believes in prioritizing the issues that young people face in today’s society.

On Call

Depression in the elderly shouldn’t be over-looked

“Years ago, my father told me that old age isn’t for sissies,and now I know what he meant,” sighed Marjorie, a 77-year-old widow, as she sat in her primary care physician’s office.

Health Briefs

The Arthritis Foundation invites people with empty, unused prescription bottles to send them to Washington, D.C. The organization then plans to present the bottles to Congress on Arthritis Action Day, May 18, as part of the “Message in a Bottle” campaign.

Organizers designed the campaign to bring attention to the issue of access to medication.