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Archives » 2000 » Volume 53 , Issue 31, Published on Wednesday, August 2, 2000NewsHousing frenzy still on
Inventory less, but local properties remain hot during summer months Welcome to the Los Altos area, where house buyers are mostly affluent and real estate for-sale signs are few. While other parts of the country are seeing housing prices cool, local properties, though fewer are available during the summer months, remain relatively hot. Brush fire threatens LAH home
Crews from both the Santa Clara County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry (CDF), including a CDF air tanker, responded to the brush fire because it was located in an area designated as a “mutual-threat zone,” which falls under both departments’ jurisdictions. There are about 240 mutual threat zones in California, including two in Los Altos Hills. Most of Los Altos Hills falls in one of the two zones. The fire burned about two acres before firefighters extinguished it. No homes were damaged. Mountain View council approves 6-story office building for downtownWhat is now an empty parking lot on the corner of Castro and California streets in Mountain View will be a six-story office building on its completion estimated for January 2002. At their July 25 meeting, Mountain View councilmembers unanimously approved plans for the 150,000-square-foot building. News BriefsLos Altos city officials agreed to relocate one of the child-care centers that will be displaced by the reopening of Covington School to a city-owned park in south Los Altos. The Los Altos City Council agreed last week to lease two rooms at Grant Park to Stepping Stones Preschool for $4,390 a month or $43,900 each school year. The increased revenues will go into the city’s recreation budget. Residents planning outside audit to evaluate, improve role of city managerA half dozen Los Altos residents launched a campaign last week to raise funds for an outside audit of City Manager Phil Rose, accusing city councilmembers of ignoring concerns about Rose’s ability to manage employees. The call for a citizen-funded audit comes after months of prolonged labor negotiations, talk of alleged low morale among city employees and a high number of city vacancies. Search for new hospital chief is on at El CaminoThe El Camino Hospital District board of directors July 12 agreed on a 2000-2001 fiscal year budget, then turned its attention toward Richard Warren’s successor as the hospital’s chief administrator. The budget estimate, presented by CFO Marla Gularte, projects a total expenditure of approximately $184 million. This includes all operating costs, non-operating costs and costs of capital for the District, Hospital and Foundation. Last year’s expenses were a little more than $182 million. Los Altos hires headhunter to fill staffing holesThe Los Altos City Council recruited a headhunter to fill an overwhelming number of employee vacancies at city hall July 25. William Avery & Associates will begin searching for candidates to fill all vacant city positions this month, beginning with the police department, which City Manager Phil Rose said councilmembers planned to put at the top of the recruitment priority list they are compiling. CommentA man called RickA View from the Hills I knew Rick War only superficially. When my glasses slid to the floor with the magazine I’d been reading in the tub and didn’t break but fell apart I knew a trip to Rick’s Village Optical Service on Main Street was the only way they could be put right again. OpinionLetters to the EditorMy wife and I have lived in Los Altos since 1973 and have seen a tremendous increase in auto and pedestrian traffic in the village. I’m usually against additional traffic stop signs, signals etc. but I think the time has arrived when we should seriously consider installing 4-way stop signs at the corners of Main and Second streets, and Main and Third streets for the safety of pedestrians and auto drivers. I heard awhile back that someone said that this would cause a backup towards First Street. I don’t believe that would happen. Temporary stop signs should be placed at these two intersections and traffic flow studied. It’s time to bite the bullet. Bob JonesLos Altos Re-examine LAH noise ordinanceLos Altos Hills more or less crossed the line from quasi-rural enclave to full-fledged suburbia when councilmembers set possible precedent at their last meeting effectively banning any noisy animals (other than people, that is), subject to neighbor complaints. The situation arose from a dispute over a rooster, appropriately named Flap, whose early-morning crowing drove one neighbor to call town hall and the sheriff’s office for some relief. The town declared the rooster a noise violator and ordered rooster owner Cheryl Breetwor to fix the problem in 30 days - leaving her no realistic choice other than getting rid of it. Pages of the PastIn the News: The first garbage collection service in the United States begins in Jasper, Indiana. In Los Altos: The son of the owner of Bob’s Shoe Service in the Village encountered a belligerent two-year-old rooster that lives out in the back of the stores on State Street. The fighting bird attempted to make birdseed of the seven year old boy. This made Bob and his son quite unhappy, although the medical outcome of the attack seems to be only to the young lad’s pride. CommunityLocal carrier closes his mailbag after 40 yearsDennis Griffin joined the U.S. Postal Service when Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead’s dog Daisy chased the mailman in the funnies. Now Griffin is retiring after 40 years of U.S. Postal Service and only one association with canine teeth. Griffin worked out of the Los Altos Main Post Office and on July 25, he covered his carrier route in Los Altos Hills for the last time. Library NewsThe Summer Reading Club awards parties will be held Aug. 9 at the Los Altos Library Program Room. Children who have read at least 10 books will earn a free paperback book. Children whose last names start with A-E are invited to attend a party at 1 p.m.; F-L at 2 p.m.; M-R at 3 p.m.; and S-Z at 4 p.m. The reading club programs are for children ages 5 and up. For more information, call 948-7683, ext. 3525. CalendarLos Altos Senior Center, 9-3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. Wednesday Community BriefsLos Altos Hills Pathways Committee invites everyone to mark their calendar for a hike along the town pathways beginning 10 a.m., Aug. 12. The walk will start at Bullis School, 25890 Fremont Road, and will include local trails nearby. Enjoy the opportunity to explore school routes and see our beautiful community from a new perspective. Parents and children are especially invited to join in the walk. Composting workshop set Upcoming EventsRock Back the Clock, a fund-raiser for the Festival of Lights Parade, at Rancho Shopping Center, Los Altos. Oct. 7 Police ReportJuly 30, 3:31 p.m., Los Altos High School: A caller told police there were juveniles playing with remote toys in the construction site at Los Altos High School. Accident Scaled down Egan construction scheduled to begin this monthDespite several setbacks, including a lawsuit and budget overruns, construction at Egan Intermediate School is scheduled to begin within the next few weeks. On the recommendation of Dave McNulty, the director of facilities construction for the Los Altos School District, board members in a unanimous vote awarded the construction bid to Specific Engineering for $9.4 million July 24. Students benefit from MVLA foundation awardTo celebrate the Mountain View/Los Altos Education Foundation’s most successful year to date, Treasurer Donna Oehlberg finished the 1999-2000 school year by presenting Superintendent Rich Fischer of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District a check for $175,000. Parents, members of the business community and other district supporters rallied behind the Foundation to make this a banner year for fund raising. SchoolsNoteworthiesMatthew Alan Earhart, son of Joan and Alan Earhart of Los Altos, graduated from the Hyde School, an independent charter-based school in Bath, Maine. He received the Excellence in Studio award, and plans to attend University of the Redlands in the fall. Underground now rumbles with games, equipment
The sounds of air hockey pucks crashing across a table and a television turned up to its highest volume could shatter the eardrums of anyone entering the Underground, the Los Altos Recreation Department’s teen center. But that’s exactly what one mother wants. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated $10,000 to the Underground for Robert Acosta, Los Altos’ recreation coordinator, to spend on whatever he wished. When picking up her child one afternoon, she noticed that the center could use some new supplies. Los Altos 9-10 All-Stars capture section crownTown Crier Staff Report The Los Altos 9-10 All-Stars claimed the Section 5 Little League championship last Thursday with a 13-10 win over Aptos at Steve Carli Field in Santa Clara. Fun rules in annual all-star football gameThe 26th annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game didn’t go as well as the North would have liked, as the team fell 16-8 to the South at Spartan Stadium in San Jose. However, North players Brian McClenahan and Jose DeAnda didn’t lose any sleep over the outcome. SportsSports On The SideLast week’s story on the local high schools’ spring sports award winners mistakenly omitted two Los Altos High athletes. Jon Wong was voted MVP of the boys tennis team and Jeanette Hayman was named MVP of the girls diving team. The Town Crier regrets the omissions. On the run Local swimmers making one last splash in Covington PoolThis marks the last summer for Covington Pool, the only public swimming pool in Los Altos. The pool will be demolished in January in preparation for the re-opening of Covington School in the fall of 2002, according to Kathy Englar, co-director of Swimmers Promoting Los Altos Aquatics, Safety and Health (SPLASH). Kournikova, Seles fall in semifinals
Bank of the West Classic The singles final of last Sunday’s Bank of the West Classic featured enough power to make PG&E jealous. Los Altos-based West Bay water polo club holds its own in round-robin tourneyLos Altos High’s new pool hosted its first water polo tournament July 22. Host West Bay, a summer club composed mainly of players from Cupertino and Los Altos highs, won two games and tied another in the under-18 division of the round-robin tournament. West Bay started off with a 9-8 victory over the Silicon Valley Splash. Gunn students shoot for high-tech successTitan Computer Services scores major account You’re never too young to be an entrepreneur. Just ask the employees at one of Silicon Valley’s youngest companies, Titan Computer Services. Located in Sunnyvale, the firm is founded and staffed by a group of Gunn High School students. How to make your human nature work for youJean on the Job What is your specific and unique human nature? Are you introverted or extroverted? Are you a quick start, data gatherer, implementor, or follow-through kind of a worker? Do you govern yourself by the book or by your hip? In crises, are you rational or emotional? As a leader or worker, are you strategic or tactical? If you can’t answer the above questions about yourself, you are in trouble and probably are trouble for your friends and colleagues. BusinessTechnology stocks plunge market into a deep freezeStock Report Stocks were clobbered last week with the technology-packed Nasdaq market losing more than 10 percent. News of surprisingly strong U. S. economic growth raised the odds the Federal Reserve will bump up interest rates again Aug. 22. Curtis named EPRIsolutions president and CEOCurtis was chosen after an extensive national search. “His proven experience as an executive leading an engineering services company and his evident energy and vision make him the perfect person to grow the EPRIsolutions business,” said Karl Stahlkopf, the founder and first CEO of the company. Curtis comes to EPRIsolutions from ABB, where his most recent position was General Manager of ABB Energy Information Systems in Santa Clara. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he holds a master’s degree and a degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Cast shines in ‘Old Settler’Theater review “The Old Settler,” based on John Henry Redwood’s knowledge of the black migration to New York during the 1940s, has the ring of old-fashioned dramas in which a family feud forms the basis of the plot. General Motors finds success in producing four solid sports-utility vehiclesAuto Review Back in 1935 when the first Suburban was introduced, it combined the room and versatility of a wagon with the hauling and towing capability of a truck. It is considered the first sports-utility vehicle. On the RoadDMV launches smog fee refund Web pageThe California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently launched a Web page at www.dmv.ca.gov where motorists can check to see if they qualify for a Smog Impact Fee refund. Motorists visiting the DMV Web site can check for eligibility by providing the license plate or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and the first five characters of their last name. Euro Quattro: specializing in German automobiles
Business Profile Tony Dvork has worked on German cars for more than 30 years. Lincoln offering free routine maintenanceLincoln recently became the first domestic luxury manufacturer to announce complimentary maintenance on all its vehicles. The complimentary service is standard on all 2001 model-year Lincolns. The service covers all routine maintenance, from oil changes to wipers to shocks, for the first three years or 36,000 miles. In addition, the basic Lincoln warranty of four years/50,000 miles remains in place. Auto manufacturers want less sulfer in diesel fuelAt a June public hearing in Los Angeles, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers commended the direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule on heavy-duty engines, but called on the EPA to go further in lowering sulfur content in diesel fuel. According to automakers, near-zero sulfur fuels are needed to enable the introduction of even cleaner, more fuel-efficient technology. Calif. launches new program to retire carsCalifornia launched a new Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) in July that pays $1,000 to consumers who volunteer their vehicles for retirement. Consumers who have received their DMV renewal notice and then failed their biennial Smog Check test can jump-start the process by dialing the Department of Consumer Affairs’ toll-free hotline at 800-952-5210. Refolding a map without using profanityClyde on Cars It’s August and you decide to take a vacation to a place you’ve talked about for years. You purchase a new California map because you remember the condition of the road map from last year’s trip was so bad you threw it away. Local car owners participate in Palo Alto showSeveral Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents entered their classic automobiles in the annual Palo Alto Concourse d’ Elegance car show, held June 25 on the Stanford University campus. Local residents who entered their vehicles in the show are listed below. PeopleObituariesMay Bell Pierce, a former Los Altos resident, died July 15. A native of South Dakota, she was 97. Mrs. Pierce was the widow of William Pierce. She is survived by children, Bill Henry Pierce, Kenneth Lee Pierce and Diane Phillips; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Weddings & EngagementsJulie Eileen Jensen and Nicholas Pugh were married Nov. 21, 1999, at The Wayfarers’ Chapel, Rancho Palos Verdes. The bride is the daughter of Sonja and Stan Jensen of Los Altos Hills. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Stanford University and is employed at Rhythm & Hues Studios, Los Angeles. Spiritual LifeAnne Wall follows her calling, becomes an Episcopal deaconBusy, busy, busy. This is life for the Rev. Anne F. Wall since she was ordained June 3 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. As a deacon in the Episcopal church, the Los Altos resident works for the bishop of the diocese. Wall wears two hats at Stanford Hospital. She is the Episcopal chaplain and the interfaith chaplain for the medical Intensive Care Unit and trauma service. She also serves as a deacon at St. Bede’s Parish on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. Stepping OutLife’s all right in Foothill’s ‘West Side’
Theater review The musical “West Side Story” is steadily becoming as much a classic as its inspiration, the immortal “Romeo and Juliet,” by William Shakespeare. Earth, Wind & Fire coming to Mtn. ViewEarth, Wind & Fire is set to play at 8 p.m., Thursday, at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View. The 15-member unit, led by vocalists Philip Bailey and Maurice White, performs a blend of rhythm and blues, funk, soul, jazz and gospel. Special SectionShaping new careersSunnyvale’s Cogswell College prepares students in a variety of high-tech disciplines Ready for a career change or want to enhance your present one? Cogswell Polytechnical College of Sunnyvale offers a variety of options for returning students in software and electrical engineering. All the coursework is offered in the evening, allowing non-traditional students the flexibility of working full time while attending college. Students strive to become technological masters through San Jose instituteAs we enter the 21st Century, the competition for Silicon Valley’s foremost jobs continues to increase. With that in mind, many prospective applicants are looking for an edge that will make them seem a cut above the other candidates. Since 1988, more than 5,000 students may have found that edge by enrolling in the Masters Institute, a San Jose college that offers an innovative technical curriculum driven by Silicon Valley giants Microsoft, Novell, and Cisco. Variety the spice of class life at De AnzaContinuing education courses range from beauty makeovers to buying stocks cheap De Anza College of Cupertino offers a wealth of classes, times and locations for older adults with exploring minds. Essentially, there are three types of classes available, based on the needs of the student. |
In Our OpinionEditorialWe’ve recently covered the passing of two of this community’s most involved and committed volunteers, Lee Lynch and Billy Russell. They represented an era when people helped out, not so they could get their name on a building, but because it was simply the right thing to do. There’s a new generation of volunteers hard at work right now in this community who are carrying on their legacy. The level of involvement in the recent Los Altos Relay For Life event bears this out. |
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