Building on local history

Proponents wonder: Are we moving away from preservation of historic homes?

With all the new homes going up in Los Altos Hills, what exactly is coming down? The question of the preservation and designation of historical sites is one that has been a contentious issue in Palo Alto recently and has been confronted repeatedly within Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Committee looks to ban wood-burning fireplaces in Los Altos

Los Altos could be the next Bay Area city to place a ban on wood-burning fireplaces. The city’s Environmental Committee could ask the city council as early as this fall to pass a wood-smoke ordinance that would outlaw residents from installing wood-burning fireplaces in their homes. Palo Alto, Los Gatos and San Jose have already passed similar laws.

“(Wood smoke) is that big of a problem in Los Altos and the whole Bay Area,” said committee member Penny Lave. “It’s time to do something.”

Public Works Director Bruce Bane leaves his 31-year post with Los Altos

Settling neighborhood battles over barking dogs and overgrown lawns doesn’t typically fall under a public works director’s job description. Nevertheless, Bruce Bane made it part of his daily grind over the past three decades as Los Altos public works director to fix storm drains as well as settle neighborhood issues. Bane said the sheer variety of his work is what he most enjoyed about working in Los Altos.

Bane, 60, retired from his 31-year post at City Hall July 2.

Police suspect driver in blue car behind Los Altos burglaries

A man driving a blue car could be responsible for a rash of residential burglaries in Los Altos over the past three weeks, police said.

Police said last Friday that eight Los Altos homes had been burglarized since June 19, including four reported incidents over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. In four incidents, the burglar entered homes through windows after cutting and prying off the screens. The burglar gained access to the other homes through open or unlocked garage doors, according to a police report.

News Briefs

The Los Altos Police Department last month received a $36,678 state grant for the purchase of technology equipment to enhance the department’s crime prevention capabilities. The grant is one-time money from the California Law Enforcement Technology Equipment Purchase Program from the Office of Criminal Justice Planning.

The new software will enable police to perform computerized queries, crime analysis and mapping layouts and to implement an automated photo identification system.

Clarification

One is the current owner of a downtown restaurant. The other operates an interior design business.

Midpeninsula targets 125 acres for burning

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is planning a controlled burn on a 125-acre section of Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, adjacent to Skyline Boulevard, north of Page Mill Road.

The burn is scheduled to take place during a one- or two-day period between July 18-27, depending on weather and fuel conditions and the availability of fire suppression equipment and staff. The preserve will be closed to the public for the duration of the burn. The district will confirm the burn date one day before the event, according to district officials.

Letters to the Editor

You have a big problem if what I read in the paper is even close to true. You need to fix this problem very quickly and you need to fix it correctly. I am referring, of course, to what is a deplorable situation with the Los Altos Police Department.

I’ve lived in Los Altos since 1972. During this time I have encountered our excellent police department on a number of occasions. Sometimes, I had a party that was a little loud and they gently reminded me to keep it down. On another occasion my wife and I were being stalked - somewhat more serious than a loud party. I’ve had a need for assistance in cleaning up a fire hazard in a neighbor’s yard. I’ve also witnessed the police work when a neighbor’s home was broken into on occasion.

A dream of a house

The Living Experiment

I was OK until I saw the limousine. It was parked by the “Sold” sign in front of the house we had unsuccessfully bid upon earlier that same day.

Pages of the Past

In the News: The latest U.S. Government publication titled, “You Can Survive” is made available to all Americans. The booklet contains plans and directions to build a home bomb shelter.

In Los Altos: The extension of Junipero Serra Boulevard through downtown Los Altos came a step closer to reality this week when officials of the Southern Pacific Railroad announced the company would accept Santa Clara County’s bid of $41,000 for the 7-acre strip of land that parallels the railroad tracks along Lincoln Avenue. [Ed. note: This is now Lincoln Park, which parallels Foothill Expressway at the Main Street entrance. This park area was originally set aside by the county to be the extension route of Highway 280 through downtown Los Altos.]

Police Report

July 9, 10:45 p.m., Miramonte post office: A caller reported skateboarders in the parking lot.

July 9, 3:28 p.m., St. Simon’s Church: A caller told police there were teens on go-carts on the playing fields at St. Simon’s School.

July 4 celebration draws huge crowd to Shoup Park

It’s the day we celebrate our independence and count our blessings. It’s Independence Day in small town America, and Los Altos celebrated its “Glorious 4th 2000″ in Shoup Park with a large crowd in patriotic red, white and blue.

The theme - America’s Dream, our past, present and future - featured young keynote speakers who gave thanks for their freedom.

Longtime Music For Minors volunteer Rose Bradley passes on her love of singing to new generations

KOIT radio recently declared Mountain View resident Rose Bradley “America’s Promise Volunteer of the Month.” For 17 years, she has served as a Music For Minors (MFM) docent. Fifteen of those years have been at Springer Elementary School in the Los Altos School District and, simultaneously, five have been at West Valley School in Cupertino. She volunteers for one and one-half hours each week.

“I’m not a professional musician,” she said, “but I love singing and seeing the joy it brings to children.”

MV resident Hacker scales new heights to help in the fight against leukemia

For most Americans, June is a time for rest and relaxation. Many people spend their free time lying on the beach sipping tropical drinks and soaking up rays, far from the stress and pressure of everyday life. Mountain View resident Nanci Hacker is definitely not one of those people.

An outdoors enthusiast, Hacker trained for the June 5 San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon for several months after recovering from a foot injury that had left her crippled during the previous year.

They’re just wild about Harry (Potter, that is)

Flourish and Blotts in Los Altos, Linden Tree at midnight

Where were you at the witching hour Friday night? If you weren’t on State Street in line to get into Linden Tree Children’s Records & Books, you must be a Muggle. Hundreds of wizards were there.

Smiles all around at this year’s festival

In terms of attendance, sales and enthusiasm, this year’s event was “wonderful,” said Kathleen Byrne, executive director of the Los Altos Village Association.

“Attendance was way up,” she said. “I don’t think there was even one (bad) incident,” Byrne said. “The KIDZONE has become a major draw.”

Obon festival honors dead, celebrates the living

The Mountain View Buddhist Temple will celebrate the 48th annual Obon Festival (Kangi-e or the “season of gathering joy”), a mid-summer Buddhist holiday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m., Sunday.

The temple is located at 575 Shoreline Blvd., across from the Bailey Park Shopping Center.

Town of LAH announces summer of recreational opportunities

Horsemanship camp

Westwind Barn, 27210 Altamont Road. This camp will provide an introduction to riding and horsemanship. Horses will be provided. The camp is scheduled 9 a.m. to noon, July 31-Aug. 4, and costs $130. For more information, call Jane Kawasaki at 947-9104.

Library News

Santa Clara County has purchased 50 copies, according to Children’s Librarian Michele Benitez.

“Tell the children to come to the Children’s Reference Librarian, put their name on the Hold list and they can get a copy as soon as one is available,” Benitez said.

Calendar

Los Altos Senior Center, 9-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

Today

Community Briefs

Additional docents are needed to give tours of the History House and promote the enjoyable programs scheduled for the new Los Altos History Museum. Numerous training dates are scheduled throughout the summer.

Docents work one afternoon a month, between noon and 4 p.m., Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday.

Upcoming Events

Rock Back the Clock, a fund-raiser for the Festival of Lights Parade, at Rancho Shopping Center, Los Altos.

Oct. 7

Egan announces fourth quarter honor roll

The following students made Egan Intermediate School’s honor roll for the fourth quarter:

4.0 Honor Roll

Noteworthies

Kristen Lynne Sharpley, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sharpley of Los Altos, has been named to the Beta Texas chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Rice University in Houston.

Melissa C. Roja, daughter of Denny S. and Maria C. Roja of Los Altos Hills graduated last May from Amherst College. She received a bachelor of arts degree in English and psychology.

Teachers put training to work as summer principals

For Trish Langdon, the thought of attending San Jose State University’s Master of Arts program in School Administration and Supervision was a bit daunting. As a single mother of three and a full-time U.S. History teacher at Blach Intermediate School, driving down to the college campus several times a week for two years was a big commitment, and took too much time away from her family and teaching.

So the Los Altos School District decided to bring the program to her, inviting professors to teach the courses on district campuses.

Realtors award scholarships to twenty high school graduates

The Silicon Valley Realtors’ Charitable Foundation recently selected twenty graduating seniors from 17 high schools to receive $1,000 scholarships to the college of their choice. The scholarships were presented to each student at individual school assemblies in June.

Students were selected on the basis of superior academic achievement and community service. This year’s winners were selected from nearly 80 applications submitted by counselors and teachers of participating high schools in the area served by the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.

Bence represents Los Altos teachers at convention

Laura Bence, incoming president of the Los Altos Teachers Association (LATA), joined nearly 10,000 other education employees July 2 at the 138th annual meeting of the National Education Association (NEA), which ran through July 6 in Chicago.

Bence, a kindergarten teacher at Bullis-Purissima School, spent the week voting on issues to place on the NEA’s agenda for the upcoming school year.

Sports On The Side

Chase Lyman of Los Altos Hills was recently named High School Sports Focus’ Male Student/Athlete of the Year in a ceremony held at the Oakland Coliseum. Lyman was also named Male Athlete of the Year for the Central Coast Section by the San Jose Mercury News and Male Athlete of the Year at St.Francis High. Lyman - who will attend U.C. Berkeley in the fall on a football scholarship - competed in football, basketball, and track and field at St. Francis High.

Challenge Camp

Gunn breaks ground on new track

Construction of a new track began last Thursday at Gunn High, with a scheduled completion date of Aug. 25.

The all-weather track will be named after Hal Daner, Gunn’s track coach the past 24 years.

Babayan gets his shot at Olympic team

If shot putter Allen Babayan hopes to make the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team, he will need to uncork the best throw of his life this week.

Babayan, a Los Altos Hills resident, heads to Sacramento Thursday for the week-long U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. If he can finish among the top three competitors in his event, he’s off to Australia in September for the Sydney Games.

Cannon sets team record for saves in San Jose’s first road win

Thanks to Joe Cannon’s team-record 12 saves and Abdul Thompson Conteh’s 34th-minute goal, the San Jose Earthquakes captured their first road victory of the season with a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids last Saturday at Mile High Stadium.

San Jose (5-8-8, 23 points) won its first road game in 12 tries, while Colorado fell to 9-10-2 (29 points) in front of 7,520 fans.

Queens of the court

Local girls help team win national title

It turns out the only thing that could stop the Club Yahoo! under-16 girls volleyball team was hotel security.

Rockies beat Red Sox to claim league title

9-10 All-Stars fall

Town Crier Staff Report

Business Briefs

Los Altos Village Association judges awarded honors for best summer and sailboat-themed window displays last week in the association’s “Sail On To 2000″ contest.

Patt’s Greenhouse took a first-place honor, followed by Calla in second place and Fast Frame in third place. Linden Tree Children’s Records and Books took a fourth-place honor. Honorable mentions were given to Lin’s Toy Cupboard and Los Altos Card and Party.

Some suggestions for the stock market at midyear

Stock Report

e are at the halfway point in 2000 and investors are still searching for a path to prosper on the market. Stocks show little direction as Wall Street fears every economic report. Tech stocks have gone on a deep slide and the Dow has been a disappointment. So where do we go for the rest of 2000?

That’s Italian: A. G. Ferrari opens on Main Street

A. G. Ferrari Foods, a family-owned Italian specialty foods store, is schedueld to open today in downtown Los Altos.

“A. G. Ferrari is a neighborhood store with a family passion for food,” said Paul Ferrari, chief executive officer. “The Bay Area business was started by my grandfather - we’re excited about bringing the tradition to Los Altos.”

New real estate specialists emerge at Coldwell Banker

Paulat has teamed up with a financial team of professionals including a tax advisor, attorney and accountant who can help her clients identify the financial options associated with home selling, buying, rental property, managing capital gains and estate tax implications.

Coldwell Banker also announced that Tashie Zaheer is the newest sales associate.

Don’t let higher rates dampen summer home buying season

Summer heat usually brings a flurry of summertime home sales. But as hot as the housing market has been for the last few years, prospective first-time and move-up buyers may wonder if it’s still a good time to buy. And if the time is right, they may be concerned about rising interest rates and whether they can get a loan.

According to Greg Sayegh, senior vice president of mortgage lending at Washington Mutual, there are many reasons for prospective buyers to stay in the market.

Technology, Internet forge new model for real estate industry, experts agree

As the Internet permeates information-based industries, the real estate industry is faced with changing its business model from an “information monopoly” where realtors are positioned as “information providers,” to a service-oriented model where realtors become “knowledge brokers,” said John Tuccillo, former Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors at the Real Estate Technology Expo and Conference held in San Mateo recently.

Tuccillo’s keynote presentation, “Using Technology in Real Estate - Understanding the Revolution,” outlined a list of recommendations realtors need to consider if they are going to survive the changing business model. As the author of “The Eight New Rules of Real Estate and Click and Close,” as well as a leading business consultant for the industry, Tuccillo has a unique perspective on which trends will shape the future of the real estate industry.

Transactions

Cupertino

21550 Addington Court - D. & G. Cockroft to R. & P. Gopal for $1,400,000.00

Jean on the Job

The corporate officer really is a good guy or gal

Reporters looking for hot stories are always trying to get me to say what spoiled babies our newest emperors are.

Museum presents utilities exhibit

The story of Palo Alto’s city-owned utilities’ birth, growth and present-day operations is the focus of an exhibition at the Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Ave. Palo Alto, through Oct. 15.

Through dioramas, diagrams, interactive exhibits, photos and historic artifacts, the museum presents a view of life before homes were wired, plumbed and centrally-heated.

Obituaries

Jean Frances Shurtleff, a 42-year Los Altos resident, died June 3. A native of Kansas City, Kan., she would have turned 76 on June 8.

Mrs. Shurtleff spent most of her childhood in St. Paul, Minn. She graduated magna cum laude from St. Catherine College in 1945. She joined TWA as a hostess and was assigned to the newly established overseas routes to Europe. Fulfilling a dream to visit Europe, she frequently flew to London, Paris, Lisbon, Rome and Cairo. On one of these flights, she met her husband, Merrill A. Shurtleff, a TWA pilot.

Births

A daughter was born April 10 to Rhett and Robin Livengood of Los Altos.

A son was born April 13 to Iris and Jacob Avidan of Los Altos.

Engagement

Jodie Dupre and Steve Kwan announce their engagement to be married March 31, 2001 at the Los Altos First Baptist Church.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Julie and Jim Dupre of Los Altos. She graduated from Mountain View High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.

George Estill, second mayor of Los Altos, played vital role in incorporation

George Hunt Estill, who served as the second mayor of Los Altos, died July 7. A native of Nebraska, he was 86.

Mr. Estill was actively involved in the early development of the city of Los Altos. He took part in original campaign to incorporate the city of Los Altos, and when the city elected its first city council, he served and was subsequently elected the second mayor.

Miss Los Altos Anita Ng, crowned Miss California, sets sights on conquering America

When Stanford senior Anita Ng entered the Miss Los Altos pageant in February, she had never been in a beauty pageant.

“I was all set to enter UCSF medical school next fall and I had a job marketing beauty products for Proctor and Gamble in New York this summer,” the 22-year-old human biology major said. “But then I won the pageant at the Foothill College venue on Feb. 11 and all of a sudden my life changed.”

Bridging the communication gap for seniors

Pilgrim Haven provides ESL program for its employees

Residents of the Pilgrim Haven retirement community in Los Altos are offering their mostly-Spanish-speaking aides a gift that will last a lifetime - a command of English.

Community Services Agency proves a lifesaver for seniors

The idea of retirement generally conjures images of a carefree life with little worry or concern among workers. When people struggle 40 hours a week for most of their lives, they often regard their twilight years like a starving man in the desert would anticipate just one glass of cool water.

However, by the time many people are financially capable of retiring, their bodies are physically worn, and they are usually more prone to illness. For this reason, The Community Services Agency of Mountain View has developed programs such as Senior Case Management that are designed to assess the living conditions of elderly families in order to make sure they are safe.

Senior Center News

Aug. 6: 2 p.m., Bingo Sunday. Ten free rounds will be played. For the first nine rounds the prize will be $1 per round. The grand prize 10th round pays $5.

Aug. 13: 2 p.m., the Fabulous Flappers, a senior women’s dance troupe of 11 dancers, will perform favorite vintage dances. Cost is $1. Refreshments served.

Local seniors ‘Hike for Health’ on area trails

Each week more than 40 rugged individuals lace up their hiking boots and hit the Bay Area open space preserves. With their walking sticks in hand, they “Hike for Health,” to build their stamina and improve their physical fitness.

The average age of the hikers who meet each week at the Los Altos Senior Center is in the high 70s. Some are in their 90s.

Information for seniors

Calling directory assistance is expensive. The cost of calling (area code) 555-1212 is now approaching $1.60 and up for many carriers.

To find a phone number, call a friend or use the Internet. One free directory service is at www.anywho.com.

New caregiver service for seniors available

There is a new service available that provides a much needed non-medical services for mature citizens and their families - Home Instead Senior Care.

Cindy Glazer, community coordinator for Home Instead, said seniors are living longer, and when they become incapacitated, they want to remain in their homes.

Senior Briefs

In August, Avenidas is scheduled to hold Summer Camp 2000, a healthy week of fun, fitness and personal growth for men and women over 50 of all fitness levels.

This year the camp will feature interactive seminars on health, nutrition and wellness, exercise classes and exposure to a wide breadth of fitness approaches.

Los Altos resident Dick Duhring reaches out to the world through ‘Neighbors’

Profile

Extending beyond Main Street and Foothill Expressway, 32-year Los Altos resident Dick Duhring, 77, fosters a base for international communication as a local supporter of World Neighbors since 1961.

Griffith to headline Summer Symphony

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Nanci Griffith will be the featured artist at the Children’s Health Council’s annual Summer Symphony, set for 6 p.m., Sunday, at Stanford University’s Frost Amphitheater.

The Summer Symphony is in its 41st year and benefits CHC programs and services.

‘This Day and Age’ opens this weekend at Bus Barn

Bus Barn Stage Company’s production of Nagle Jackson’s “This Day and Age” previews Thursday, opens Friday and runs through Aug. 12 at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

Directed by Linda Piccone, “This Day and Age” is a comedy centering around a mother named Marjorie and how she handles her grown children who want to move back into the family’s beautiful and gracious home in Connecticut. Her children say they want to take care of “difficulties” for her now that she is a widow.