How she saved the day

De Anza student in right place at right time to prevent planned massacre

Town Crier Exclusive © 2001

Residents petition for women’s spa at First and Main streets

A group of residents is urging the Los Altos City Council to consider adding a woman’s spa to the list of land uses it is currently considering for the city-owned lot on the corner of First and Main streets.

Members of Spa Los Altos launched a petition drive last month asking the council to incorporate the spa into the future development of the Main Street lot. More than 300 members had signed the petition last week, according to spa owners Bruce Cunningham and Rosie Ruiz.

Police search for man who fled accident

Town Crier Staff Report

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a motorist who collided with another vehicle near Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and fled from the accident before police arrived last week.

News Briefs

The Los Altos City Council last month lifted a temporary ban that prohibited Los Altos Hills from running more sewer lines across city boundaries and into Los Altos.

The council created the ban after city officials discovered that Los Altos Hills had allegedly violated a sewer agreement between the cities. The Los Altos Sewer Master Agreement permits Los Altos Hills to have up to 1,100 residential sewer connections within the Los Altos drainage basin. Los Altos Hills allegedly violated that agreement by granting 85 sewage capacity rights above that amount, according to a Los Altos staff report.

Police Report

March 19, 2:37 a.m., El Monte Avenue and Foothill Expressway: Police were told to be on the lookout for a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident.

Traffic signal out

Donor’s $1 million pledge for theater raises ethical questions

An anonymous donor’s offer to give the city of Los Altos $1 million to discard a hotel proposal and instead move forward with plans to build a theater on the city-owned lot at the corner of First and Main streets spurred a critical backlash against theater proponents last week.

Concerns about whether the $1 million donation raised ethical questions for the city council prompted Community Foundation Executive Director Roy Lave to consider asking the anonymous donor to go public with his or her intentions. The Community Foundation is representing the donor, but is not a theater proponent, Lave said.

Rolling blackouts challenge downtown Los Altos during California’s current power shortage

California’s power shortage has twice affected downtown Los Altos with rolling blackouts in the past two months, leaving some businesses temporarily without power Jan. 17 and March 19, while others remain unscathed.

Reactions to the power crisis vary among downtown businesses, with some saying they have taken precautions while still others say they have not. Los Altos City Hall, city police and fire stations, all of which provide essential services during emergency situations, have plans and power backups in place.

MV moving on reservoir plans to meet emergency water needs

Los Altos residents impacted by Miramonte site

Mountain View officials are preparing for emergency water needs in a big way with plans for two reservoir projects.

Signs of a strong community

We have long known that the Los Altos area is a strong community. This is a place where people still greet each other cordially on the streets, where neighbors know neighbors and where residents get involved in the schools and contribute to noble causes.

Two recent examples reinforce this sentiment.

Address privacy but don’t seal windows

The presumption among many NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) folks is that their quality of life should be given priority over those who come after they do.

To wit: A recent proposal for a two-story addition on Colleen Drive has surrounding residents making unreasonable demands. Among them are orders to either remove windows from the second-story design or make windows opaque and seal them shut to preserve neighbors’ privacy.

At a loss for words

Blue Jeans & Jelly Beans

I am getting increasingly worried about the way I speak.

Letters to the Editor

Has anyone thought about the traffic impact a theater would have on the surrounding neighborhoods?

We live on Orange Avenue and already face quite a bit of “short cut” traffic (people exiting off of El Monte onto University at well over the speed limit to avoid the light at Foothill and El Monte) just to reach downtown a few seconds faster. Our neighborhood is full of children and there are a lot of residents that feel uneasy about the traffic situation already.

The battle for local independence

Looking Back, Moving Forward

WAR!

Costume made

Trish Files plays vital role in upcoming LAYT fashion show

Among the hundreds of costumes stored in the Los Altos Youth Theatre’s collection are vintage clothes that span the 20th century.

National Library Week a chance for residents to count local blessings

With the theme of “Your Library,” National Library Week will be celebrated next week in public, corporate, school, college, law and other special libraries around the country.

In all these different types of libraries, professional librarians and their staff work to give users access to books and other forms of information.

Riding with the Roadrunners

Transportation service at El Camino Hospital expands to include personal errands

Through the citizens band radio’s static, a voice breaks through, “Runner Dini to Runner Ben.” Ben Dooley, a volunteer driver for El Camino Hospital’s Roadrunners transportation service, radios back, “This is runner Ben,” to assistant manager Dini Stephens, while he waits in his parked white Dodge van for passenger Elsie Bell to emerge from her Mountain View beauty salon.

Calendar

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

Wednesday

Community Briefs

The Los Altos Village Association and downtown merchants are once again inviting local kids and their parents to celebrate Easter with an annual egg hunt and a host of other fun activities.

Festivities get under way 10 a.m., April 7, with the egg hunt, which takes place in front of stores along Main and State streets.

Carl Reiner captivates Forum with ‘charmed life’

Ball players lose their legs, singers lose their voices, but Carl Reiner proved to the Foothill College Celebrity Forum audience, March 16, that comedians just use aging to add new and funnier material.

“I am getting older. I’m going to speak at random … going to wander around physically and mentally,” Reiner said as he designated an audience member to keep track for him.

Library News

The Los Altos Library will hold both a book discussion and an author lecture April 4.

The Whodunit? mystery readers’ group will discuss “When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes” by Lawrence Block from 10:15-11:30 a.m. in the Group Study Room.

Stanford professor discusses women’s legal history project at Morning Forum

“Being a biographer means always having to say you’re sorry,” Barbara Babcock told the members of the Los Altos Morning Forum on Feb. 6. Babcock was referring to the lengthy process of researching the history of Clara Shortridge Foltz, California’s first woman lawyer.

Babcock, the Robert Crown Professor of Law at Stanford University, is working with students in her Women’s Legal History class to document information on pioneering women lawyers in the United States, and writing a biography of Foltz.

Noteworthies

Blach Intermediate School students, Justin Ko, Ben Chen, Evan Jeng and Prashant Rao, took fifth place in the State Mathcounts competition, March 17, at the University of California at Davis.

Schools Briefs

The Blach, Oak, and Springer PTAs have scheduled a positive coaching workshop, 7- 8:30 p.m., tonight, in the multipurpose room at Blach School, 1120 Covington Road, Los Altos. For parents only, the workshop will feature Jim Thompson of the Positive Coaching Alliance, who will discuss current trends in youth sports and how to encourage positive sportsmanship. For more information, call 961-8818.

Rummage sale at Parents Preschool

Transitional kindergarten faces possible closing

The Los Altos School District’s transitional kindergarten program may be among those on the choppingblock as officials face cuts to balance their 2001-2002 budget.

The program at Loyola School, created to ease students who may not be ready for the normal kindergarten curriculum into the system, will likely be recommended for elimination, said Superintendent Marge Gratiot.

Students helping students with conflicts at St. Nicholas School

The shrill of the bell fills the teeming playground at St. Nicholas School, in Los Altos Hills. Children run in all directions back to their classrooms. Three second-grade girls flag down an eighth-grade student, wearing a bright orange T-shirt with the words “Conflict Manager” across the back.

The orange shirts serve as a beacon on school grounds for those who have a conflict to resolve.

Parents and teachers frustrated, but empathetic after learning disability simulation

The role playing did not end there, as participants were asked to perform a series of tests, part of a learning disability simulation.

The simulation was sponsored by “Parents Helping Parents,” a Santa Clara-based organization that offers support and services for children with special needs and their families. Corelis facilitated the event.

On Deck: the local sports lineup for March 28-April 3

Baseball

Today

Sports On The Side

REI, Recreational Equipment Inc., is putting on a Paddlesports Demo Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, at Shoreline Lake in Mountain View. Paddlers of all abilities are invited to test their skills on the water with canoes and kayaks provided by manufacturers, which will have representatives on hand to lend their knowledge and expertise. Cost is $5 for unlimited test rides; kids under 16 may paddle canoes and tandem kayaks for free with a paying adult. For more information, call REI at (510) 527-7377.

Sports camp signups

Los Altos golf team is on the upswing after three-win week

Spring Sports Summary

Track & Field

Barnekoffs lead Tomahawks at tournament

The Palo Alto Tomahawks - a lacrosse club with players from Los Altos, Mountain View, Gunn and Homestead highs - had a strong showing at the annual Golden Gate Lacrosse Tournament, held March 17-18 at Stanford University.

Considered the premier event for high school lacrosse in Northern California, the tournament featured 16 boys and four girls varsity teams from throughout California, plus squads from Washington, Oregon, Texas, Canada and Japan.

Seniors setting the tone for Spartans

Boys Tennis Roundup

Lancers skunk Serra

Little Leaguers celebrate MV’s opening day

More than 300 players participated in Mountain View Little League’s opening day ceremonies March 17 at the newly refurbished McKelvey Park.

The players - from T-Ball, Pioneer, Minors and Major divisions, respectively - were introduced to the crowd wearing their full uniforms.

Youth is on their side

Prep Softball Report

LAHS softball team filled with young talent

Local teams winning in baseball

Town Crier Correspondent

Prep Baseball Wrap Up

Hills resident Sereni wins Junior Sportsman Award at hunter/jumper horse show

Los Altos Hills resident Matthew Sereni, 16, has been selected this year’s winner of the Potcreek Farm Junior Sportsman Award at the Indio Desert Circuit.

The circuit is a six-week hunter/jumper horse show in Indio.

Taxes and gifting to minors: What you need to know

We all want the best for our children and grandchildren. And sometimes that means giving them more than words of encouragement.

If you’re thinking about giving a monetary gift to your children or grandchildren - perhaps as an investment toward their college education or first home purchase - you should be aware that gifts to custodial accounts are considered complete. They can’t be taken back and you may want to familiarize yourself with the tax rules regarding gifting. Once a gift is made to a minor, many people are unsure of the tax implications on a child’s income-producing property, such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

AAUW sponsors financial workshops for women and girls

The Los Altos-Mountain View branch of the American Association of University Women will present four weekly workshops in April focusing on “Financial Savvy for Women & Girls.”

“Making the Most of Your Money,” a financial planning workshop for women of all ages, will kick off the series 5:30-7 p.m., April 4.

Good teams are hard to find

Jean on the Job

When we invited companies to nominate their teams for an award this March, we learned the awful truth: There are very few good teams. Most teams feel they are not good enough. They believe that they didn’t meet their goals. Or they think they did not work well together. We have been collecting team information for the past six months. Here are some of our startling discoveries:

Tips for organizing your finances throughout the year

Syndicate

Tax time is right around the corner and chances are many are finding themselves scrambling at the eleventh hour to locate important financial documents. But tax time doesn’t have to be burdensome if you plan ahead and stay organized all year long. There are simple ways to stay on top of personal finances that don’t take up valuable time and can help make filing taxes easier.

Business Briefs

The Los Altos Chamber of Commerce’s 13th annual Business EXPO 2001 is scheduled 4-7 p.m., April 26, at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road.

The event will feature Los Altos retailers, restaurants, professionals and services coming together to exhibit under one roof.

Local investor sells loan shares on hard assets

Business Profile

Investors can receive monthly checks through this Los Altos-based firm

Stock investors suffering from ‘Mad Dow disease’

Stock Report

nce the “new economy” stocks became infected and crashed, the stock market went from a slow correction to a free fall frenzy last week. Even the economic doctor, Alan Greenspan, couldn’t help with his 50-basis-points interest rate reduction.

How to choose a money manager

You wouldn’t entrust your health to someone who didn’t have a good track record and the necessary credentials and experience. The same care with which you choose a health professional should also apply to another important area of your life: your investment portfolio.

If your investment portfolio has grown too large to manage by yourself, you may have decided to delegate the responsibility to a professional money manager. But where do you start?

Getting your computer to recognize a zip disk

We are introducing a new weekly column where we offer solutions to your personal computer problems. We welcome your questions, no matter how challenging.

Q: I have a Mac Power PC setup (6500/250), which includes an internal zip drive. However, every time I put in a zip disk, my computer does not recognize it. What can I do?

Transactions

Cupertino

20607 Cedarbrook Terrace - M. Wheatley to J. Baley for $600,000.00

Maintenance tips can help keep a dream home alive

For many Americans, their homes represent the investment of a lifetime. Every year, however, disasters pose a serious threat to that investment. By conducting annual preventative maintenance, homeowners can protect the value of their home and the safety of their families.

Incorporating preventative maintenance as part of an annual routine can help consumers protect their investment against damage from a variety of sources, including potential hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities encourages homeowners to take preventative actions as part of their spring-cleaning.

Fiorina to speak at Stanford’s commencement

Stanford News Servcie

Carleton (Carly) S. Fiorina, chairman and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard Co. and a 1976 graduate of Stanford, has been chosen to deliver this year’s commencement address, June 17. Stanford’s four senior class presidents in consultation with President John Hennessy selected Fiorina to address a generation whose lives have been changed and challenged by technology as never before.

Award-winning musical theater and a tribute to sister

Strictly Candids

SNIPS AND SNAILS AND PUPPY DOG TAILS: Recently, Mady Kahn’s lovely home was the setting for a delicious catered luncheon. “Showers of blue” baby gifts were given to Hilary and Paul Grenier and their soon-to-be baby, Rand Grenier. Proud grandma Lindsay Rand can’t wait to hold her new grandson! Hilary was born and raised in Los Altos and now resides in Auburn.

Obituaries

Veronica Catherine Smith, a former Los Altos Hills resident, died March 1. A native of Pennsylvania, she was 82.

Mrs. Smith studied at Rollins College in Florida, completing her nursing training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She worked as a Registered Nurse and nursing instructor.

Births

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

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

Anniversary

Jack and Esther Forbes, longtime Los Altos Hills residents, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Oct. 14.

The family gathered at Hugo’s Restaurant, Ricky’s Hyatt House, Palo Alto, to celebrate this special occasion.

Engagement

Laura K. DeLong and David Haseldon have announced their engagement to be married April 21 at St. Lawrence The Martyr Catholic Church, Santa Clara.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Sue and Jim DeLong of Los Altos Hills. She graduated from Mountain View High School and has earned a bachelor of science degree in political science from the University of Colorado, and a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State. She is employed as a neonatal intensive care nurse at Stanford University Hospital.

California Youth Symphony continues to amaze

Concert review

California Youth Symphony’s two March concerts, held at the Flint Center in Cupertino and the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, reconfirmed for this reviewer that it is the Peninsula’s best symphony.

Peninsula Ballet Theatre dances its way into Mtn. View

The Peninsula Ballet Theatre will unveil three premieres this weekend in Mountain View as part of its spring program, “Faustian Fantasies.”

Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m., Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.

Adams to talk movie palaces

Art Adams will provide a nostalgic tour through the history and lore of American movie palaces at 7:30 p.m., today, at the Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Ave., Palo Alto.

Adams will explain how the movie palaces came to be, some of their most interesting features and the role they played in the development of the motion picture industry.

Domiatta Collections brings grand European furniture to familiar cottage on First Street

Town Crier Correspondent

Business Profile

Los Altos gardeners garner tips from Sunset veteran Dick Dunmire

Town Crier Correspondent

What’s hot and what’s not in Los Altos gardens was the topic addressed by veteran Sunset Magazine book editor and author Dick Dunmire last month. Speaking at the annual meeting of the San Antonio Hills Homeowners Organization held at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club, he shared his decades of experience and observation of the local gardening scene.

Foothill Men’s Garden Club sale - just too good to miss

Town Crier Correspondent

Roominations

Home Briefs

Barrie Coate, a well-known Bay Area arborist and horticultural consultant will present “Selecting Appropriate Trees for the Home Garden” 9:30-11 a.m., Saturday, at the Lucie Stern Community Center, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance and may be ordered by sending a check to: Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto 94301. The program is presented by the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden; Canopy: Trees for Palo Alto; and the City of Palo Alto Public Works Department.

The importance of fungi

‘Right to rebuild’

Town Crier Correspondent

It’s the neighborhood that counts for Jo and Steve Pomeroy

No place like home for energy solutions, says Mountain View architect Bill Maston

Town Crier Correspondent

Business Profile