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Archives » 2001 » Volume 54 , Issue 34, Published on Wednesday, August 22, 2001SchoolsSchool board candidates promise to uphold tradition of educational excellenceThree incumbents and one challenger will compete for the three empty seats on the Los Altos School Board this November. The three winners will each serve a four-year term on the five-member board. The election comes during a massive renovation plan that includes upgraded facilities at each of the district’s nine campuses. Locals help W. Bay Titans take 7th at AAU championshipsThe West Bay Titans, a 14-and-under Amateur Athletic Union baseball team with seven Los Altos-area players, placed seventh at the AAU National Baseball Championships, held July 28 through Aug. 4 in Sarasota, Fla. Despite a tournament-opening loss to Central Florida, the Titans bounced back to advance out of the tournament’s 68-team preliminary pool play with wins over Raleigh, N.C., and Southern Nevada. Los Altos residents Chris Coleman, Richard Gorman, Matt Long and Mike Peterson provided key hits and made several outstanding defensive plays in both wins. In the 6-1 win over Raleigh, Mountain View High’s Erik Davis pitched a complete game, allowing only two hits while striking out 11. SportsSports On The SideThe sixth annual El Camino Hospital Heritage Invitational Golf Tournament is set for Monday at the Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club. Proceeds benefit the El Camino Hospital Foundation. There are many sponsorship opportunities available. To register or for more information, call 940-7154. In the swim Bowling takes a dive for her countryHaving just competed in the National Junior Diving Championships, Sara Bowling wasn’t sure she was up for another high-pressure meet like the Junior Pan American Games. But once Bowling donned that U.S. national team uniform, she was sold. MVHS grad rides toward her dreamMany young girls develop fantasies of themselves dressed in classical equestrian outfits, gracefully galloping atop majestic horses to the ovation and amazement of admiring onlookers. For one Los Altos girl, that fantasy came true. But she is certainly not a little girl anymore. St. Francis High standouts play in Calif. State GamesWhen Dana Saign began a series of tryouts in the spring to make the local Pacific Zone girls water polo team, she didn’t expect to make the final cut. “Not at all,” the Mountain View resident said. “You see girls who are so good, you’re not sure how far you’ll go. I just played hard and hoped for the best.” Business BriefsClyde Kendzierski, United California Bank’s treasury and fixed income specialist, has planned a special presentation of the bank’s 2001 Economic Markets Forecast. The event will be held Sept. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at United California Bank, 176 Main Street, in downtown Los Altos. There will be a discussion on small business administration credit lines and commercial mortgage loans. Financial and credit specialists will be available to address questions. OpinionTime spent together: a bike rideBlue Jeans & Jelly Beans I was deep in my phone conversation. Focused inward on plans for the next school year, I didn’t see the green leaves gently waving outside the kitchen window. Weekend with the scouts: a mom’s perspectiveOther Voices I considered myself to be somewhat of an experienced camper. I mean, in college I backpacked for a week in the Sierras, living with only what we had on our backs supplemented with fish we caught as we hiked along. And there were other camping expeditions besides. Looking Back, Moving ForwardLos Altos in 1938 We tend to think that World War II marked the beginning of the end of Los Altos as an orchard community. It’strue that the town’s most dramatic population increases began then, but records show that from its inception, Los Altos had gradual growth every year. The year 1938 saw a significant increase in the previous rate of growth, perhaps in part because the Great Depression was easing up a bit. CommunityKids take their licks at Los Altos History MuseumTown Crier Correspondent You can only lick an ice cream cone so long before you want to see what’s inside the Los Altos History Museum. Library NewsAt the Los Altos Library 754 children signed up for the Summer Reading Club and 460 read ten or more books. At the Woodland Branch Library 217 children signed up and 131 read ten or more books. Community BriefsVolunteers are needed to become music docents in local elementary schools, where music programs have been cut in the primary grades. Music for Minors is accepting applications from volunteers to join a dedicated team who teach music education to children in grades K ñ 3. You donít have to be a trained musician! Extensive training is provided on basic music theory, lesson planning, classroom management, rhythm and movement activities, and a variety of approaches to teaching music. Music for Minors is hosting an information meeting about this exciting volunteer opportunity on Tuesday, August 28 from 9:30 ñ 11:00 a.m at the Hillview Community Center in Los Altos. Interviews for interested volunteers will take place at the meeting. Los Altos graduate returns from 10-month volunteer programTown Crier Editorial Intern Charlie Paisley had volunteered before, but it paled in comparison to his 10-month service with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), which began Oct. 5, 2000, and ended Aug. 2. During his yearlong break from college, the Los Altos resident traveled throughout the United States helping restore rural areas and make improvements to communities. Los Altos STAR results highest in district’s historyThe Los Altos School District scores keep climbing, according to the 2001 Standardized Testing and Recording (STAR) examination results that the California Department of Education released Aug. 15. On average, students in second through eighth grades scored in the 90th percentile, increasing .8 percent from last year’s score of 89.5 to 90.3. NewsHe keeps rolling along
Town Crier Editorial Intern (Un)retired filmmaker Dave Parker turns his lens to the Model T City, school district to finalize joint-use gyms agreementCity and school officials were expected to finalize a deal Monday for the construction, operation and maintenance of the two joint-use gymnasiums planned for Blach and Egan junior high schools. Under the agreement, the city of Los Altos would lease land at each junior high campus from the Los Altos School District for 100 years. The city would own the gymnasiums, and the school districts would own the land. LAH resident challenges town survey resultsLos Altos Hills resident Tom LeFevre said he plans to challenge the statistical results of a recent town survey that solicited residents’ opinions on various local issues. LeFevre said he believes there hasn’t been enough analysis of the survey results. He suggested that city officials use cross-tabulations to better decipher the study, but then withdrew his scheduled presentation on suggestions for possible cross-tabulations Aug. 2, saying the issue had become too “politicized,” according to Mayor Toni Casey. LA residents organize to stop ‘Packard takeover’‘Save the Village’ fund The group’s first call of order is to stop the Packard Foundation from operating its headquarters in downtown Los Altos. The group plans to solicit funds to hire an attorney for its cause. As of last Friday, the group was in the process of establishing non-profit status under the name “Los Altos Coalition to Save the Village.” News BriefsLocal police will be on the lookout for drunk drivers on Labor Day weekend. Santa Clara County police are scheduled to find and arrest drunk drivers during an “Avoid the 13″ crackdown that runs from 6 p.m., Aug. 31, through midnight, Sept. 3. Santa Clara will join crackdowns in Alameda, San Mateo and Contra Costa counties for a Bay Area-wide effort, featuring nine sobriety checkpoints and 30 departmental DUI teams. St. Nicholas demolishes parish rectoryWrecking crews demolished the 50-year-old rectory at St. Nicholas Church last week to make way for an expanded parish center on the .57-acre site. A pile of rubbish was all that remained of the building on Lincoln Avenue by early afternoon Aug. 14. Police reportAug. 16, 10:09 p.m., North San Antonio Road: A caller reported a snake loose at the bus stop. Juvenile disturbance First and Main site could go back to the drawing boardFuture plans for the corner lot on First and Main streets in downtown Los Altos could go back to the drawing board this October if developer Roxy Rapp doesn’t seal his deal - to build a two-story boutique hotel at the site - with the city within the next six weeks. The Los Altos City Council decided last week that Rapp would have to come back to the city by Oct. 1 with updated hotel plans and a $25,000 non-refundable deposit as a good faith effort to follow through on the project or the city could look at other options for the site. Los Altos mother campaigns for safer parksTown Crier Editorial Intern Los Altos resident Kiersten Ligeti began a crusade last week to make the city’s parks safer after her 4-year-old son Conner lost his balance and fell from a log at Shoup Park, severely bruising his neck. Paramedics carried Conner away on a stretcher, but he was not hospitalized. He is currently in good condition and only suffers from a tender neck. Mtn. View teacher, 24, honored at memorialFamily, friends, students and staff are mourning the loss of Ryan L. Caster, 24, a first-year English teacher at Mountain View High School. Caster died in a motorcycle accident Aug. 5, in Florence, Ore. Caster was traveling on Highway 126 between Florence and Eugene, Ore., when a 68-year-old man, driving a 1998 Buick Park Avenue, allegedly pulled out of a restaurant parking lot, turning on to the highway, directly in front of Caster, Oregon State Police said. CommentLetters to the EditorIt seems to me that our police department is not only unmotivated, but unwilling to go out there and make a change. It is all too often that I see officers just twiddling their thumbs, in a sense, like they’re waiting for crime to come to them. Don’t get me wrong, there are some outstanding officers such as Brent Butler and Officer Nguyen, but I feel that there are some officers who feel that their job is to wear the uniform and sit in the car until the day is over. There is such a struggle to hire more police in this city but maybe what we really need is for our officers to do some work for a change. Your HealtheBooks on childhood asthma provide practical informationOne in six children will be treated for asthma, a condition that accounts for more emergency room visits than any other childhood illness. Surveys indicate that asthma is becoming more common. More people are having more severe attacks, and not surprisingly, hospitalization rates have also increased. I can see clearly nowNew techniques for cataract surgery Just 50 years ago, having cataract surgery meant general anesthesia, a five-day stay in the hospital, a high risk of infection and wearing thick corrective glasses for the rest of your life. HRT may not reduce risk of heart diseaseThe Corner Pharmacist Due to the announcement made last month by the American Heart Association, this column will address hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and cardiovascular disease in women. Parents should be pro-choice; grandparents pro-funKeys to Parenting Q. Just how important are my communication skills with my children? I have been criticized for having some dictator-like qualities. I parent like my parents: what the parent says is the rule and there is no discussion or back talk from the kids! We all turned out all right. Health BriefsThe Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) issued a status report last week on contracts with health insurance companies for 2002. PAMF includes the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and Camino Medical Group, and is an affiliate of Sutter Health. Both medical groups have HMO and PPO contracts in place for 2002 with Aetna, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, Lifeguard and PacifiCare, as well as agreements with other preferred provider organizations and smaller health plans. As of Aug. 14, PAMF had not reached an agreement with Health Net. The medical group’s officials expressed hope that Sutter Health and Health Net would reach an agreement before the current contract expires Dec. 31. Today’s nurses face many challengesExtensive medical knowledge, empathy and inner strength are essential Nursing has always been a challenging profession. Nurses spend long hours tending to the urgent and most intimate needs of patients who are ill, incapacitated or reaching the end of life. BusinessRambus still faces legal woesStockholders have also filed suits While Los Altos-based Rambus Inc. gained a partial victory Aug. 10, when a federal judge threw out part of the fraud case against it, its legal woes continue. Stock market will continue to slip and slide till 2002Stock Report If history is any guide to the stock market, investors should wait until next year before they take the plunge. In other words: take that vacation because the market will continue to go sideways and slide. Community Foundation Silicon Valley grantsEnergy grants - funded by donations from the National Semiconductor Foundation, Dennis and Stacey Barsema, the Skoll Community Fund and an anonymous donor - are still available for nonprofit agencies in southern San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Community Foundation Silicon Valley will provide up to $5,000 for energy efficiency, equipment enhancements and energy audits. Spend now, save later is a poor recipe for retirementTown Crier Corespondent The number of Americans who will be able to retire financially independent will shrink dramatically over the next 25 years, according to financial experts. Stone Grove ornament store leaving Los AltosTown Crier Correspondent Stone Grove, which sells garden ornaments and accessories at 164 Main St., plans to close its doors by the end of this month and return to its original store site in Pleasanton. Property owners leased the Main Street site to the French Academy of Art, which will move in during September. Veterinarian honored for contributions to professionTown Crier Editorial Intern One local veterinarian’s crusade for the improved treatment of animals gained national attention last month. The American Veterinary Medical Association honored Los Altos veterinarian R.L. Collinson July 14 for his contributions to the advancement of veterinary medical organizations. ObituariesKenneth Kehrer died Aug. 2. A native of Idaho, he was 86. He received a bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the University of Idaho. ‘Make It Move’ exhibit comes to History Museum“Make It Move,” an exhibit organized by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, is on display through Sept. 9 at the Los Altos History Museum, 51 S. San Antonio Road. “Make It Move” is an interactive exhibit that encourages hands-on explorations with simple machines. All ages are welcome. |
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. |
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