History in the making

Organizers’ efforts rewarded: New LA museum building to open Sunday

A new chapter in the annals of Los Altos history begins Sunday with the public grand opening of the new Los Altos History Museum. The project is the culmination of strong grassroots efforts, as Los Altos and Los Altos Hills history enthusiasts have poured funding, know-how and labor into a facility bound to entertain and inform succeeding generations.

El Camino CEO eliminates top management in cost-cutting move

El Camino Hospital CEO Lee Domanico recently eliminated two top administrative positions, saying he believes the move will save money and streamline the organization.

Owen Aurelio, chief operating officer, and Victoria Emmons, vice president of community and corporate health services, will both lose their jobs.

LA may forfeit federal funds under ‘use it or lose it’ policy

Los Altos could lose nearly $300,000 in federal funding earmarked for affordable housing to Santa Clara County at the end of this year unless officials agree on a project in which to invest the money.

Santa Clara each year allocates Community Development Block Grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to cities within the county to address local housing needs. Federal guidelines mandate that each city spend the money within 18 months or give it back. Los Altos has $281,604 in surplus from old grants that it must spend by this summer. The city had earmarked most of that money for six affordable housing units initially planned for the Tree Farm site on El Camino until the non-profit developer pulled out, said Senior Planner Jim Mackenzie.

Police warn residents of ‘roofing scam’

Town Crier Staff Report

Los Altos police are investigating this season’s first report about a possible home-repair scam that occurred Feb. 24.

News Briefs

A PG&E spokeswoman warned the Los Altos City Council earlier this month that despite plans to build 20 new power plants in California, the energy crisis is far from over. The plants will take years to build, she said.

“This is a long process that won’t go away with the signing of a bill,” she said. “Conservation is the only answer in the short term.”

LAHS student discovered with pellet gun

Town Crier Staff Report

Los Altos High School officials and police apprehended a student on campus Monday who allegedly brought a phony gun to the campus.

Neighbors protest low-income housing complex planned for LA

Los Altos may not see its first exclusively affordable-housing complex proposed for South Los Altos.

Fifty neighbors signed a petition last month protesting the residential/commercial development slated for the former parking lot space near Bank of America on Fremont Avenue, saying the complex will detract from the local charm of the neighborhood, reduce the property values of nearby homes and create additional traffic.

Police Report

March 5, 5:08 p.m., El Monte Avenue: Traffic accident.

Accident hit & run

Final vote on sloped lot development before LAH

Thursday’s Los Altos Hills City Council meeting will involve a number of decisions, including the council’s vote on the adoption of an amended ordinance to increase the development and floor areas allowable on constrained or sloped lots within the city’s boundaries.

The final vote on the amended ordinance follows months of public debate.

City could change the way it negotiates

Los Altos

The Los Altos City Council last week decided to keep the doors closed during future labor negotiations, but could toss out ground rules that would keep labor discussions confidential.

Letters to the Editor

Energy anyone?

Having exhausted all the energy-saving tips from Dave MacKenzie’s commentary of February 28, I would like to propose some more serious attempts at energy reduction.

Surprised by energy crisis? So were we

Media Watch

The “power crisis” has become a huge California and Bay Area news story. It also has received recent intense national-international media attention.

The non-sensory age of high technology

The Living Experiment

It’s a virtual world, I reason while playing yet another game of solitaire. You see, there are no cards in my hand; there is no shuffling, no soft tapping noises as I manipulate the deck. There is nothing tactile at all. My solitaire game is of the computer variety, just point and click and an entire game, including the shuffling, begins and ends in a few short minutes. The experience is silent, non-sensory except for the eyes and a single hand on the mouse.

League of Women Voters holding annual fund-raiser

Members of the League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View area are getting ready to hold their annual League-A-Thon fund-raiser to support various programs. The League provides voter education through candidate forums, election hotlines, public meetings on issues and publications such as “Facts for Voters” (available at the Mountain View and Los Altos Public libraries).

A group of about a dozen League members will be telephoning residents for support on March 21. Contributors may mail checks to LWV of Los Altos-Mountain View Area, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos 94022. For more information, call 941-4846.

Music For Minors sponsoring Tom Chapin concerts March 25

Music For Minors is a Los Altos-based non-profit group that brings music education to the schools.

Tickets are $11 and $13. For more information, call 941-9130.

Eigsti performance headlines CSMA benefit

All proceeds from this year’s event called “There’s No Place Like Home” will benefit the school’s Financial Aid Program, which provides student scholarships and tuition assistance.

If the event’s title seems familiar, it’s meant to be. As Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” was looking forward to getting home, CSMA is looking forward to moving into a permanent home in the future. The school is currently in the design and planning stages of building a center for arts education at San Antonio Circle in Mountain View.

Jones comes out firing

Secretary of State accuses Gov. Davis of fueling power crisis

Town Crier staff writer

Toulouse-Lautrec short in stature but long on art influence

All About Art

Great movements of art come along because of societal shifts and trends in ideas. The artists mirror these prevailing trends.

Los Altos chickens to the rescue

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Although many still consider our town a semirural area, imagine how it looked with chickens and roosters strutting in the alleys of the village. That’s how it was 50 years ago, with some local residents still keeping chickens in their back yards - and it wasn’t always peace and quiet!

Armstrong dinner raising funds for cancer research

Los Altos Hills cyclist Rick Hyman has a lot in common with two-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Both were afficted and recovered from testicular cancer, one of the leading cancers among young to middle-aged men. Both sought treatment through Dr. Craig Nichols, one of the country’s leading specialists.

Now both are working together through the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise money for cancer research.

Holiday Fund recipients, donors meet to celebrate philanthropic success stories

It is March, but Santa Claus seemed to be in town last Wednesday, as non-profit organizations received monetary gifts from the first-ever Los Altos Town Crier Holiday Fund.

Representatives from the nine agencies located within the Bay Area met at the Town Crier and discussed the goals of their agencies, and how the donations will help to meet those goals.

History House Museum will feature a retail store

Andrew Andoniadis told the 20 volunteers present at the History Museum recently that action speaks larger than words because good customer service enhances the image of any museum.

“A museum is different things to different people, and in-store service will make a customer feel welcome and comfortable,” Andoniadis said. “When a person comes to the museum store he needs to feel important and appreciated, so give him respect.”

Library News

Youngsters can design a picture frame in the Los Altos Library Program Room on Thursday, March 15 from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.

This is the second in a series of crafts programs for school-age children, age 7 and up, held on Thursday afternoons once a month.

Calendar

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

Today

Community Briefs

Charlotte Mayfield of Charlotte’s Blossoms in San Francisco will create “Spring Arrangements with WOW!” at the March 27 meeting of the Garden Club of Los Altos, Creekside Room, Los Altos United Methodist Church.

Mayfield is seldom at a loss for words and her arrangements give “pizzazz” a whole new meaning, club members said. A member of the prestigious American Institute of Floral Designers, she has studied floral design in London and Lyon, France. The program starts at approximately 1:30 p.m. and visitors may attend for a $10 fee.

Los Altos teacher will again hold race to raise funding for Zimbabwe orphans

St. Joseph School Physical Education teacher Ellen Clark did not know much about the country of Zimbabwe before her son Will went to teach English there in 1997. Will Clark volunteered to teach in the town of Murombedcifor one year. His parents visited him for two life-changing weeks.

Zimbabwe is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with 64.24 percent of its 11.3 million people making less than $2 a day, according to the World Fact Book. Zimbabwe also has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world, with 1,500,000 people infected. One quarter of those are adults, leaving 900,000 children orphaned, according to Time Magazine.

Schools Briefs

Music for Minors will present “Rhythm Village: Ethnic-Influenced Music Improvisation for Children,” a March 20 workshop for music educators. Mary Knysh, a professional musician, will teach the session, which will be held 7-9 p.m. at the Hillview Community Center in Los Altos.

Participants will learn various ethnic-influenced music improvisation activities. For example, features will be call-and-response style singing, percussion ensembles, drum language, songs from Africa and the Caribbean, and conducting the village.

Music and memories - a tribute to a fallen classmate

Town Crier Correspondent

Taylor White is one of the many busy seniors on the campus at Los Altos High School overscheduled with the obligations and excitement of his last semester.

Residents concerned over Blach traffic

Town Crier Correspondent

The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees faced a roomful of Blach Junior High-area residents last week concerned about the possibility of increased traffic resulting from Blach renovations and a “camp school” on the campus.

Almond students learn importance of clean teeth, thanks to Foothill program

Town Crier Correspondent

In a program run by the Dental Health Center at Foothill College, each student at Almond School in Los Altos was presented with a toothbrush, toothpaste and information on tooth decay March 6.

Boys Basketball Playoffs

OT win over Hayward sends Lancers to state

Few teams reach the state championship game with records that include as many as 10 losses.

On Deck: the local sports lineup for March 14-20

Basketball

Friday

Sports On The Side

Stanford Covington Racing Aquatics placed third last month at a meet in Arizona that included 70 teams and 1,200 swimmers. SCRA’s Brooke Bishop, a Los Altos resident, tallied the most points in the girls 13-14 age division. The Mountain View High freshman set three meet records and was on three record-setting relays. Teammate Melanie Tansuwan of Los Altos had the second-best point total among 11-12 girls. Tansuwan is a seventh-grader at Pinewood School. SCRA is coached by Scott Shea.

MV Rec leagues

Poor-shooting Pinewood eliminated in NorCal final

Town Crier Correspondent

Girls Basketball Playoffs

Menace takes third in CYSA State Cup

The MVLA Menace, an under-12 girls Select/Class 1 soccer team last month placed third in the 2001 California Youth Soccer Association-North State Cup Tournament.

The tournament began in January with 43 teams drawn from all nine CYSA-N districts, each competing to advance to the finals in Clovis on March 4.

Eagles squeak by Paly in extra innings

Spring Sports Summary

Boys Tennis

Owls shoot themselves out of state tourney

Foothill Roundup

Swimming

Two Super Bowl coaches to speak at local football clinic

Two Super Bowl coaches and three college coaches will be featured at this year’s Calcagno’s Consulting Services and Association’s annual Football Clinic of Champions.

Each speaker will give a 50-minute presentation at the clinic on Saturday, March 24, at Mountain View High School, 3535 Truman Ave.

Scared investors flee high tech; NASDAQ’s a mess

Stock Report

On March 10, 2000, the Nasdaq composite index was at an all-time high of 5,048.62, Last Friday it closed at 2,052.78, a 59 percent loss. Monday morning it opened ugly again. Down another 90 points It’s like a continuous Arctic downdraft.

Rick Glaze

Buggy whips and cell phones for sale

Remember Shirley Temple being loaded into a horse driven buggy and whisked off screaming “grandfather, grandfather”? The buggy lurched forward and carried Shirley to a large house in the city with servants and the virtual horn of plenty.

Why natural gas prices rise

Many Americans may give a warm welcome to an explanation for the recent increase in heating costs.

Natural gas, experts explain, like other commodities, is subject to price fluctuations related to supply and demand. A combination of factors has caused demand to skyrocket over the last several months. Meanwhile, supply is running dangerously low in some regions. The result? Higher prices.

Cal Water increases dividend to stockholders

Town Crier Correspondent

California Water Service, supplier of the water needs of Los Altos and part of Los Altos Hills, issued their year end report showing a decline in income.

Steve Zeller

Changing jobs? Don’t forget about your 401(k) plan - know your options

Changing jobs can be stressful. You have to get used to new responsibilities and new surroundings. One of the last things on your mind is what to do with your 401(k) from your previous employer. But improper handling of your 401(k) distribution can be a costly mistake.

Jean on the Job

Are these good times or bad? Check your watch

We are entering turbulent times. The morning newspaper will warn of disaster, the afternoon television will claim that Alan Greenspan says we are not in an economic downturn, and by nightfall the radio will announce more layoffs and company endings.

Mountain View’s Castro Street Le Boulanger looks to improve with remodel, new services

Le Boulanger, Inc., one of the area’s more popular bread bakeries, is reenergizing its Mountain View location with a new look.

The Mountain View bakery/café, which debuted on Feb. 11, 1991, will receive a facelift to include new furniture, multi-colored tiles, and a new coffee and beverage service. The new look will also include cream and burgundy paint on the interior walls with black complements.

Business Briefs

Beginning this week, the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) is temporarily changing the method regularly used to treat the water it supplies to the California Water Service Company’s (Cal Water) Los Altos District.

“For a period of approximately two weeks, SCVWD will switch to free chlorine disinfection as part of its annual water distribution system maintenance, Cal Water and SCVWD will be monitoring this supply change to ensure that the water we provide is of the highest quality,” said Ron Richardson, Cal Water’s Los Altos District Manager.

Businesses may be surveyed on First-Main site

While the Los Altos City Council is trying to decide on the best development use of city-owned property at Main and First streets, the downtown business community also plans input on the matter.

Both downtown merchant groups, the Los Altos Village Association and the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, will be conducting a joint survey of downtown businesses to get an idea of what local merchants would like at the .78-acre site.

American Business Women’s Association

Cost is $25. For reservations, contact Robin James at (408) 938-2216. Reservations must be made by the Friday prior to each meeting.

Are you ready to refinance your home?

A growing number of homeowners are expressing an interest in refinancing their home’s mortgage.

While it was once believed that an interest rate reduction of 2 percent was necessary before consumers could benefit from refinancing, some homeowners are realizing savings when rates go down just 1.5 percent.

Transactions

Cupertino

21121 Canyon Oak Way - O’Brien Group to C. Castro-Flores for $272,500.00

What about mortgage rates?

Town Crier Correspondent

Rates have already bottomed out, experts feel

How to get listed on the ‘big board’

Town Crier Correspondent

Back to basics: Defining the big investment options

Travel agents live it up on a Roman holiday

Travel Talk

There were 15 of us travel agents off to see Rome and Florence last year, hosted by Bettoja Hotels. We had two in our group whose last names were Buongiorno and Fortunato, which seemed to bode well for our trip.

Sweet & sour grilled kabobs: quick, colorful and tasty

Sweet & Sour beef kabobs

These kabobs are colorful and festive, and they cook quickly. Just add some corn on the cob, a quick rice dish and a salad, and dinner is served.

Cherry Blossom Festival recipes

The California roll is a combination of cucumber, avocado and cooked crab meat rolled inside of rice and seaweed.

Ingredients:

Up-’scale’ dining in Los Altos?

Town Crier Correspondent

Chris’s Fish & Chips opens on First Street

Cherries & sushi play big part in annual festival

The appearance of the cherry tree pink blossoms this month marks the beginning of spring in Japanese culture - an occasion celebrated with food, art and music during what is called Sakura, or Cherry Blossom Festival.

The celebration began locally about 18 years ago in Cupertino’s Memorial Park, where the city planted 200 cherry trees, a gift from its Japanese sister city, Toyokawa. The festival has gained popularity with each successive year.

La Paulee of San Francisco is best tasting ever

We all have some goals in life that, if we get lucky, we manage to accomplish. My father, who is currently 97 and going strong, wants Willard Scott to announce his 100th birthday on the “Today Show.” Since Willard has gained a considerable amount of weight, Dad is more concerned with Willard making it than he is!

One of my goals was to play third base for the Cubs. My Chicago boyhood idols were Stan Hack and Ron Santo, and I was sure I was not going to accomplish this one. But thanks to the miracle of Fantasy Baseball Camp for adolescent adults, my dream was fulfilled. I played seven games at my favorite position, and Jimmy Piersall told me after a good play that he thought I might have actually played some ball 30 or 40 years ago! I think that was a compliment.

High-fiber diet recommended to fight diverticulosis

Q: What should people with diverticulosis eat? I’ve heard vegetables are good, but that tomatoes and strawberries should be avoided.

A: About half of all Americans age 60 to 80 have diverticulosis, which means they have small pouches bulging from the colon at certain weak spots. According to the National Institutes of Health, diverticulosis is often the result of a low-fiber diet, which leads to constipation and pressure in the colon, forcing the pouches to develop. To prevent diverticulosis, or to stop it from getting worse, eat a high-fiber diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.

Second Harvest collects $4.6 million, 2.2 million pounds of food during drive

The Second Harvest Food Bank’s 2000 Holiday Food Drive raised $4.6 million and 2.2 million pounds of food for the community, $1.1 million and .3 million pounds of food more than last year, according to officials from the non-profit organization.

Executive Director Dave Sandretto said the success of this year’s drive will enable the company to expand food distribution programs throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Make Irish buttermilk scones for Patty’s Day

Servings: 6

Calories: 211 per serving

Free booklet on how to eat smart and stay fit

It may be easier than you realize to make good nutrition and physical fitness part of your daily lifestyle. Health-conscious recipes, snack suggestions and wholesome eating facts are just some of the useful information in a free brochure called Eat Smart, Stay Fit.

The booklet provides the following tips:

Food Bites

The Los Altos-based Harman Management Corporation, which represents Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants, recently earned the 2000 KFC National Council and Advertising Cooperative Sales Performance Award for posting the largest single restaurant sales increase in its region.

The chicken restaurant chain, based in Kentucky, was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952 under the name Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Potatoes, kale combine fine

Town Crier Staff Report

Mention Irish cooking and potatoes are bound to fill most people’s thoughts. Baked, mashed, boiled, steamed or fried, potatoes are a key staple in Irish cooking. Few people would probably guess, however, that potatoes have also earned high marks in the United States. Studies show that Americans consume more than 5 billion pounds of french fries every year and spend nearly $4 billion on potato chips.

Eating tips for later years

There’s encouraging news for older people whose senses of taste and smell have diminished. It’s now possible to counteract some of these losses through the creative use of flavorful food ingredients.

In fact, according to some experts, maximizing food flavor calls for more imagination than culinary skill. Here are some ways to help make meals more appetizing:

Engagements

Elizabeth Rossin and Andrus Laats have announced their engagement to be married July 28 in San Diego.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Rossin of Los Altos Hills. She graduated from Mountain View High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s degree from Duke University. She is employed at Porter Novelli, San Diego.

Births

Son and daughter twins were born on Sept. 12 to Nancy Blachman and David Desjardins of Mountain View.

Son and daughter twins were born Sept. 12 to Kelly and Philip Mahoney of Los Altos.

Obituaries

Karen Postel died March 4 at her Mountain View home. She was 65.

Mrs. Postel taught in the Fremont Union High School District for more than 25 years, sharing her passion for books by teaching and reading literature to students.

CSMA’s next free concert features classical piano duo

The Community School of Music and Arts continues its free SGI Family Concert Series at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, with the classical piano duo of Mark Anderson and Tamriko Siprashvili.

The concert series, which runs monthly through July, is held at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, SecondStage, 500 Castro St., Mountain View.

PYT leaps into ‘Jumping Frog’ Saturday in Mtn. View

Peninsula Youth Theatre, 2500 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View, presents a benefit performance of Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” at 7 p.m., Saturday.

The cast then will take the show, adapted by PYT education director Kristin Walter and choreographed by David Rodoni, on a tour of three towns in Calaveras County March 22 and 23.

PA Children’s Theatre opening ‘Edwina’

The Palo Alto Children’s Theatre this week stages the West Coast premiere of “Dear Edwina.”

The musical opens at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, at the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road. Additional performances are scheduled for 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., Friday, and 2:30 p.m., Saturday.

Foothill Orchestra will be in the ‘Pink’ Saturday in the hills

Foothill Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Michael Gibson, presents “Amadeus vs. The Pink Panther” at 8 p.m., Saturday, at Foothill College’s Smithwick Theater.

Gibson will lead the orchestra in Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony No, 25 in G Minor,” a piece featured in the film “Amadeus.”

Travel Briefs

Agents at All Horizons Rancho Travel in the Rancho Shopping Center advise travelers planning a vacation this summer or fall in England or Europe to make reservations now if your choice of travel is by train.

Travelers can now make reservations with the Rail Europe Agency by handling the ticketing locally. It is no longer necessary to call the Rail Europe offices in the east and wait for your tickets by mail.

Spring into skiing with hot bargains in the High Sierra

Ski Report

Warm sunshine, crunchy corn snow and hot bargains are the features of spring skiing in the High Sierra for the next couple of months. Due to recent storms, most ski resorts will have ample snow coverage throughout April and most areas are offering package prices and special events to lure skiers up for that last Spring Fling.