Find it Fast » Archives | Contact Us | Subscribe | Place an Ad | Admin
Inside this week's
|
Archives » 2001 » Volume 54 , Issue 23, Published on Wednesday, June 6, 2001NewsA look back & ahead
Los Altos’ Census data shows little growth; local changes will be ‘evolutionary’ Where do you want to be in the year 2010? If the answer is Los Altos, then picture this. Perhaps you’ll live downtown, above your favorite hair salon and within walking distance of a movie theater and the local hotel. Or maybe you’ll live in your remodeled two-story house on a street lined with sidewalks and bike lanes, where traffic is diverted by a roundabout. Or how about high-density housing off El Camino, near a newly spruced-up shopping center? 2000 Census results - little growth but changeYet while detailed analysis of the age and household living arrangements of residents hasn’t been released for the 2000 numbers, it’s clear that the ethnic makeup of the two towns is shifting and should continue to do so. In 1990 approximately 89 percent of Los Altos was white; that number stood at 80 percent in 2000. Roughly 75 percent of Los Altos Hills is described as white in the 2000 census, a decrease from the 83 percent in 1990. Residents identifying themselves as of Asian or Pacific Islander background represented 10 percent of Los Altos’ population in 1990. That grew to 15.6 percent of the total in the year 2000. In Los Altos Hills, the Asian/Pacific Islander population stood at more than 21 percent of the total number of residents in 2000, jumping 45 percent from 1,163 residents in 1990 to 1,674 last year. Debate over country living will continueProbably the one thing that won’t change in Los Altos Hills between now and 2010 is residents fighting over how and whether to preserve the “country” nature of the town. “The population is changing because people are leaving or retiring and the new families generally are tearing down houses built in the 1950s and putting up houses built for the 21st century,” said Councilwoman Toni Casey. “My vision is essentially to strive to keep the town’s semi-rural countrified character.” LAH council to advance on development of ordinancesThe Los Altos Hills City Council is expected to make a decision Thursday on two ordinance revisions that could possibly reduce the number of applications the city receives for variances to its building code. First, following five months of public debate, the city council is scheduled to decide whether to adopt an ordinance revision that would raise allowed residential floor area from 4,000 to 5,000 square feet and development area from 5,000 to 7,500 square feet on constrained lots and lots requiring a conditional use permit. El Camino and SEIU at loggerheads over closed vs. open shop issue
As El Camino Hospital was in the midst of an accreditation inspection June 30, members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 715, formed a long picket line. The large group - estimated by the union to be about 225-250 people - chanted cheers as they walked the perimeter of the hospital campus in the late afternoon heat. “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now! … Who’s in the street? 715! Who’s going to win? 715!” SEIU members shouted as they walked, holding picket signs aloft. The picket line formed after union members and officials held a spirited rally at the hospital’s main entrance. LAHS in mourning after second suicide in past three monthsTown Crier Staff Writers For the second time in three months, students at Los Altos High school are struggling to deal with the suicide of a classmate. Cory Redington, a 14-year-old freshman, took his life at his home in Los Altos Hills on May 31. Senior center improvements face delayTown Crier Editorial Intern The second phase of renovations at the Los Altos Senior Center could be delayed for a year if the city of Los Altos takes on the project. But center officials, lacking necessary expertise, are recommending the city take on the job. News BriefsThe Los Altos-based Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors last week revised an eight-year ordinance requiring bike helmets on preserves to avoid duplicity with a similar state law. The action resulted from a lawsuit involving a cyclist who was cited on a district preserve in 1999. A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge ruled the ordinance, which did not specify age limits, was invalid because it duplicated part of the state Vehicle Code requiring minors to wear helmets. Police ReportMay 31, 8:22 a.m., Foothill Plaza: Caller reported the theft of a scooter. Medical call CommentHow a missing minus sign turned into a big lossThe Pinhead Chronicles The Mariner space probe launched from Cape Canaveral on July 28, 1962 towards Venus veered off course and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean four minutes after take-off. Inquiries later revealed that a minus sign had been omitted from the instructions fed into the computer. This minus sign cost approximately $6,805,000. “It was a human error,” a launch spokesman explained. OpinionMatters of the heart and heavenA View from the Hills Memorials. Parades. Visits to Military cemeteries. Flowers on graves. Other flowers grow only in the gardens of the heart. Intangible, invisible blossoms that repose in the consciousness like silent prayer. Cherished memories of those who no longer dwell among us on the physical plane - yet are held within the fibre of our beings where they continue to exist, eternally vital, eternally remembered, eternally loved. Letters to the EditorIn regards to the hotel/theater debate, I once again notice in letters and articles on the subject, that the word “village” keeps coming up. I moved to Los Altos in 1971 and back then thought it was amusing that the Town Crier and various residents described Los Altos as a “village”. Maybe in the early days of J. Gilbert Smith Los Altos was a village, but today, no way. Other VoicesBy Kirk and Kathryn Hanson, Chuck and Nan Geschke The following is an open letter to the Los Altos City Council: Los Altos in the 1930s, Part IIPages of the Past SERVICES AND UTILITIES: The Chamber of Commerce also kept contribution records for the Los Altos Volunteer Fire Department’s equipment fund. Minimal Police services were provided by the County Sheriff. PG&E and Bell Telephone services were available. There were a few small, local water companies, but most people relied on their own wells. Orchards near Adobe Creek used its water for irrigation. Septic tanks and privies took care of sewage. CommunityHome food garden tour features back yards from Los Altos, LAHThe five home gardens will emphasize different organic techniques, such as composting, mulching, non-toxic pest control and companion planting. One gardener will show how he changed older landscaping to create a food garden, choosing appropriate locations for vegetable beds and selecting new fruit trees. Another will demonstrate use of a compost starter made of microorganisms such as yeast and beneficial bacteria. Organized by the Valley of Hearts Delight project, the tour begins at 9 a.m or 1:30 p.m at the Foundation for Global Community, 222 High St., Palo Alto. Participants will carpool to the sites, and will receive a resource packet to help them get started growing food organically. 17th California County antique show set for SundayItems for sale at the show will include furniture, quilts, folk art, hooked rugs, samplers, baskets, woodenware, stoneware, paintings, plus pewter, brass and iron. As a bonus, artisans will demonstrate making reproductions of early American deocrative arts. The Los Altos History Museum, which sponsors the show, will be open during the event, and customers can also tour the museum and enjoy live folk music. Tickets are $6, covering admission to both the show and the museum. For more information, logon to: www.californiacountryshow.com. Library NewsThe Los Altos main library will hold a book discussion on “Daisy Miller” by Henry James 7:30-9 p.m., June 13, in the small conference room. The discussion is part of the “Summer Shorts” series of discussions of short books. Other titles for discussion this summer are: “Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury, July 18; “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, Aug. 15. Community BriefsKatie Wong will discuss “Exotic Edibles for the Bay Area” at the Tuesday meeting of the Garden Club of Los Altos, Creekside Room, Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Ave. Wong is a member of California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc., the largest amateur fruit growing organization in the world with a primary focus on semitropical fruits and uncommon fruits and vegetables. Local volunteers reach out to elderly Chinese Americans facing mental illness
Older adults can become clinically depressed as they face the special challenges of aging - loss of health and loved ones, and the resulting changes in their daily lives. Elderly Chinese Americans may find dealing with depression especially difficult - not only because of limited English skills, but also because their culture considers talking about mental health a taboo. “Chinese elders typically don’t seek help for depression and other mental disorders,” said Sandy Chen Stokes, a nurse and geriatric specialist at El Camino Hospital’s Older Adult Transitions (OATS), an outpatient counseling service. “If you admit to having a mental illness, it must mean you’re crazy … You go along with what your culture tells you: tough it out or let time heal the problem … They don’t know depression can be treated … (Some) end up as an inpatient or in a locked facility.” Rancho flips flapjacks to help schoolsTown Crier Correspondent Kevin Sawyer is a dentist, Maureen Jones is a travel agent, and Steve Blach runs a restaurant. But last Saturday morning they put on aprons and poured or flipped pancakes for 3,500 hungry parents and their kids. Art league joins fray to help cancer-stricken girl
Town Crier Editorial Intern Drawing and cats are considered therapeutic, but 7-year-old Pauline Duprat’s drawings of cats are also raising community awareness about her illness, a rare malignant pediatric cancer called neuroblastoma. Schools BriefsSpace is still available in the Los Altos Summer School Enrichment Programs for students grades 2-7. Summer school begins June 25 and ends July 20. Registration forms are available at the Los Altos School District office, 201 Covington Road. For more information, call 941-4010. Gunn art displayed in council chambers SchoolsMVHS mosaic calls for ‘peace, love and unity’ in wake of school violence
Two tons of ceramic tile was a free gift Mountain View High School art teacher Jim Levett could not refuse. Levett saw the discarded tiles as a perfect opportunity for his students to make a statement -a statement against school violence. “I received a phone call from a parent who worked at the Expo Design Center in East Palo Alto, asking if we could use ceramic tile,” said Levett about the donation. “They had just set up their new store for the grand opening and had a bunch of spare pieces they hadn’t used.” Los Altos graduate, 78, gets degree from living, learning historyBernard Levine of Los Altos prefers writing on his Olympia typewriter, rather than on a computer. In fact he wrote most of his papers that way last quarter while earning his second degree in history from San Jose State University at age 78. Levine graduated May 26, Cum Laude. After retiring in 1986 as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard, Levine first decided to take audit classes at Stanford. The Underground offers new summer hours for active teens grades 7-12The Underground, The Los Altos Recreation Department’s drop-in teen center, kicks off its summer season with a barbecue June 16 for students in grades 7-12. Free hamburgers and hot dogs will be served while they last. NoteworthiesEmily Farray of Portola Valley earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and international studies from Taylor University in Upland, Ind. Austin Moore of Los Altos graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He is currently working as a summer intern at General Motors’ Robotics and Controls Programming in Detroit. Los Altos Kiwanis members go all out for Special Games at De Anza CollegeTown Crier Correspondent Gerry Sorensen, a member of the Los Altos Kiwanis Club, pushed Dustin Aiken Forderer of Los Altos Hills over the wheelchair obstacle course. The Gunn High School student was entered in the Kiwanis Special Games last Friday at De Anza College. Mountain View Open crowns 4 new champsMountain View Open There were no repeat winners at the 33rd Mountain View Open, which crowned new champions in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles over the Memorial Day weekend at the Cuesta Park Tennis Center. SportsSports On The Side“Golfers, Take Care of Your Back,” a free lecture on causes of back pain, how your physical aspect affects your swing and injury prevention ideas, is set for 7-8 p.m. today at Back to Fitness, 3906 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Nancy Chan, Body Balance For Performance physical therapist, will lead the lecture. For more information, call 494-0991 or logon to www.fitgolf.com. Run in the park Italians bringing soccer camp to LAHSCoaches from Italy will come to Los Altos in August to teach American youngsters the finer points of Italian soccer. The coaches are traveling to California for the second consecutive summer to put on the AC Milan Junior Camp. Los Altos Masters make a splash at nationalEighteen members of Los Altos Masters swim club participated in the annual U.S. Masters Swimming National Short Course Championships, May 17-20 at the International Swim Center in Santa Clara. Masters Swimming provides adult swimming fitness and competition opportunities in five-year age groups, starting at 19. The meet was the national culmination of the short course competition season. Los Altos High senior finishes second at state fencing tournament in San FranciscoLos Altos resident Nathan Elchert placed second at the California State High School Fencing Tournament, held May 19 at Lowell High School in San Francisco. The Los Altos High senior lost 15-10 to nationally ranked Derek Schneider of Southern California in the gold medal round of the boys division foil competition. Jones to run at Stanford SaturdayTop track and field competitors from 15 countries, including American sprinter Marion Jones, will vie for Grand Prix points on Saturday at the Peregrine Systems U.S. Open at Stanford University. The competition is one of two International Amateur Athletic Federation Grand Prix I events in the United States this season. More than $90,000 in prize money is available, the most of any meet in the U.S. this season. St. Francis pair misses finals; Gunn’s Graham runs to sixthState Track & Field Championships St. Francis High’s Ian Kenworthy and Kyle Williams were at the finals of the state track and field championships last Saturday in Sacramento, but not in the capacity they had hoped for. BusinessNew two-story office building to replace Lyons’s restaurant
Town Crier Correspondent A new office building planned for the El Camino Corridor in Los Altos means the former Lyon’s Restaurant at 4300 El Camino Real is scheduled to be torn down. Blue chips and tech stocks lose ground againStock Report Negative news on the economy and a continued loss in corporate earnings are driving down the market. Why is high-speed access so slow?Tech Talk This biweekly column offers solutions to personal computer problems submitted by readers. Neither the author nor this newspaper endorses products or companies mentioned. Transactions7591 Kirwin Lane - Leeds Trust to W. & J. Ding for $700,000.00 22630 Oakcrest Court - A. & R. Goren to M. & I. Farley for $1,450,000.00 More unsold homes on market create reduced prices - foreclosures beginning to show upTown Crier Correspondent Welcome to a real buyer’s market if you’re looking for a house. At the end of last week, there were 127 homes for sale in Los Altos, 47 in Los Altos Hills and more than 80 in Mountain View. EFI, led by Local residents, looks to color our worldFred Rosenzweig, president of Foster City-based Electronics For Imaging (EFI), pictures a world in the not-too-distant future where every printer will print in color. “People think and dream in color,” Rosenzweig said. “No one has black-and-white TV anymore. We imagine a time when no one will have a black-and-white printer.” LA Methodist Tour Choir to play Bon Voyage concertSingers in the Los Altos United Methodist Chancel Tour Choir present their Bon Voyage Concert at 8 p.m., Friday, in the church sanctuary in Los Altos. The church is located at the corner of the Foothill Expressway and Magdalena Avenue. On the RoadAAA issues 10-point plan to curb distracted drivingFollowing the release of a new study on distracted driving, funded by the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, AAA last month announced its plan for addressing the issue of distracted driving. AAA also testified on distracted driving before a House Congressional subcommittee on May 9. Gearing up for the Palo Alto ConcoursIf you enjoy seeing classic cars from the past, mark June 23 on your calendar. That’s the date of the Palo Alto Concours d’ Elegance, considered one of the major concours of the summer. Car care tips for the coming summer driving seasonSummer is traditionally the heaviest driving season. When drivers take to the road, they are often unaware that their vehicles are being exposed to environmental hazards such as the sun, acid rain, dirt, tree sap, tar, air pollution and bird droppings, all of which can wreck havoc on a car’s exterior. Because these forces of nature are often unavoidable, experts say it’s important to wash and wax your car on a regular basis to help protect and maintain the exterior’s natural color. Don’t get caught in the old bait and switchBy Robert Hammer and Stefanie Kelly It’s Sunday morning and you’re scanning the classifieds. For months now, you’ve been thinking about buying a new car. Maybe today you’ll do something about it. Kidney Care seeking carsThe National Kidney Foundation is asking people to donate their used vehicles to the Kidney Car Program. Kidney Cars is a nationwide, fully licensed program. The foundation will arrange a free pick up for your used vehicle or boat and then acknowledge your gift for tax deduction purposes. It may also be a convenient way to make a donation without having to come up with out-of-pocket funds. Donors should consult their tax advisors for details regarding their specific situations. Taking a Sunday drive west of I-280Driving Passions When I was growing up, in the days before every house had a television, the highlight of the weekend often was a Sunday afternoon drive. PeopleTeachers lend a hand and CUSD supporters get into the swingStrictly Candids FORMER TEACHERS “LENDING A HAND”: Jimi Barnholt, Cindy Ford and Susan Nagy of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, are all former school teachers “lending a helping hand” in a classroom for one hour a week. They are special friends of Irene Sasaki, a kindergarten teacher, at Monta Loma School in Mountain View. ObituariesMerrill Hutton “Bill” Mead, a Los Altos resident from 1967 to 1975, died May 7 in Milpitas. A Los Angeles native, he was 75. A Navy veteran, Mr. Mead earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in industrial management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked at NASA Ames from 1947 to 1981, when he retired from his position as deputy director of administration. He also served as director of programs and resources in NASA’s Office of Advanced Research and Technology in 1965. Spiritual LifeStepping OutCYS to perform free concert Saturday at Foothill CollegeThe California Youth Symphony Percussion Ensemble will perform a free concert at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, in the Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. Program highlights include three Puerto Rican songs composed by Morris Lang, performed by guest Soprano Aja Gianola-Bland and accompanied by the lively rhythms and sounds of the Caribbean. Summer Jazz 15 beginning this week at StanfordStanford Shopping Center will swing into summer with Summer Jazz 15. International and local jazz legends will perform everything from swing to samba to straight-ahead jazz from 6-7:30 p.m., Thursdays, starting this week and continuing through Aug. 9. Ballet hopes production is a ‘Beauty’Western Ballet presents “Sleeping Beauty” Friday through Sunday at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. The ballet, set to the famous Tchaikovsky score, is choreographed by Alessandra di Pierro (originated by Marius Petipa), with artistic direction by Mark Foehringer and sets by Peter Crompton. |
In Our OpinionLetters to the Editor
Leo Long earns local honorsIn the April 30 issue of the Town Crier, you were right to congratulate and thank Dick Henning from Foothill College for four decades of service to the community. I met him at Foothill as student body president more years ago than I’ll admit. Great guy. |
Los Altos Guide | Town Crier Archives | Classified | Subscribe | Place an Ad | Contact
2008 © Los Altos Online by Los Altos Town Crier .