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Archives » 2001 » Volume 54 , Issue 39, Published on Wednesday, September 26, 2001NewsLayoffs are personal
How local casualties are confronting endemic downsizing The career of project manager Susan Slakey, 41, was enviable last November. After being in a stable position for four years, she had just left to take a great job as a consultant. The future looked promising. Mtn. View man stabbed to death in store robberyA clerk at a Mountain View video store died last week at the hands of an alleged robber who stabbed him multiple times before stuffing a bag with cash and forcing a second employee outside, according to police. Mountain View police arrested Michael Paul McGrath, 26, just after midnight on Sept. 19 at Blockbuster Video on Grant Road in Mountain View on charges of homicide and armed robbery. El Camino Hospital deemed financially healthy for fiscal year 2000-01External audit shows district has strong balance sheet El Camino Hospital is on solid financial ground, Chief Financial Officer Marla Gularte told the hospital district board of directors at its Sept. 12 meeting. The operating margin increased $15 million in fiscal year 2000-01, bouncing back from a $13.4 million loss the previous year to a $2.5 million gain, and net income increased $18 million. LA police to meet NY victimsAn outpouring of community support for victims of the terrorist attacks in New York City Sept. 11 raised more than $5,400 toward the Los Altos Peace Officer’s Association Disaster Relief Fund within days after police publicly announced the creation of the relief fund to help assist the families of police officers, firefighters and other community members killed or injured during the collapse of New York’s World Trade Center. One Los Altos volunteer police reserve officer donated $600, her entire year’s salary, to the fund. LA police say more residents are reporting ’suspicious circumstances’ callsLos Altos Police reported a higher number of calls from residents concerned about possible “suspicious circumstances” since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washing, D.C., Sept. 11. Police said people are scared; there seems to be a heightened sense of awareness. Robber flees from Wells Fargo Bank BankA suspected bank robber dropped his loot as he made his getaway from a Los Altos bank last week. Los Altos Police said the alleged robber handed a note to a teller last Saturday morning at the Wells Fargo Bank in the Village Court Shopping Center on El Camino Real demanding cash. During his escape, he dropped the bundle of cash in the parking lot, according to a bystander who called to report the unusual incident to police. News BriefsThe Santa Clara County Fire Department is scheduled to hold a ceremony for the opening of the new Cupertino fire station 10 a.m., Oct. 4, at 20215 Stevens Creek Boulevard. Construction of the new station began in June 1999 adjacent to the old station, which was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Police ReportSept. 16, 11:11 a.m., Woodview Terrace: A caller reported her residential mailbox was vandalized sometime during the night. Grand theft LAH Policy Review Committee reports only 10% conformityOver the years, Los Altos Hills residents and the town’s planning staff have said the town’s maze of municipal construction codes, policies and voluntary guidelines can be complex, sometimes vague and even conflicting, and thus vulnerable to subjective decision-making. Mayor Toni Casey made the analysis of these directives for consistency, relevance and conformance with the town’s General Plan one of the top priorities for her 2001-02 term as mayor. Thursday evening at the regular council meeting, Evan Wythe, chairman of the Municipal Code and Policy Review Committee, reported a large majority of current policies and design guidelines don’t match the municipal codes on which, according to city documents, they are based. “Eighty percent don’t match the codes, 10 percent do and 10 percent are ambiguous,” he said. Los Altos fills city’s final department vacancy
Town Crier Staff Report Los Altos City Hall filled its final big department vacancy last week following a year of unprecedented employee turnover. City considers redefining overlay areasTown Crier Staff Report The Los Altos City Council could reverse it earlier decision and change back the boundaries of the controversial neighborhood application to ban two-story homes on a two-block area off of Almond Avenue and develop stricter guidelines for future applications. CommentSaved by magenta paintBlue Jeans & Jelly Beans Seeing my children head back to school this month made me remember my own first year of education. OpinionLetters to the EditorDue to the event of the hijacking and crashing of planes into the Twin Towers and The Pentagon, the whole nation has fallen to pieces. I just want to remind our community that we are a great, strong town and we can pull through this crisis together. Before this tragedy I didn’t realize how important fire fighters, search and rescue workers, and even policemen were. I didn’t realize that they are willing to give their lives in order to protect our country and laws. A walk provides a wildlife surpriseLooking Back, Moving Forward Water, bugs and animals. That would have been an appropriate three-word description of our area when the Spanish first arrived. Ours was a vast, wild and wet land in those early days. CommunitySimitian recounts tough year in state AssemblyTown Crier correspondent Last Thursday, the Los Altos Rotary Club heard 21st Assemblyman Joe Simitian share his personal observations on his first year as the assemblyman from the 21st district. Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival to be held Oct. 6-7Everyone in the family may find something to please them at the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce’s 10th annual Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 6 and 7. The event is held every year in the Plaza South parking lot between First and Third streets. More than 160 artisans will display their finest paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, textiles and other decorative holiday items in this year’s fund-raiser for the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. The mystery to writing a hit song: Motown great provides clues at Foothill songwriting conferenceVisitors to the Northern California Songwriters Association’s 21st annual conference Sept. 8-9 were like musical detectives in search of an unsolved mystery: how to write a hit song. Though the odds of scoring a hit are great, that didn’t stop dozens of aspiring songwriters from descending on Foothill College to attend an event offering tips for making it in the music industry. Seminars included such topics as the state of the music industry, how to write a hit melody and how to market your music. Red Cross offers free disaster trainingIn the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the East Coast, the American Red Cross in Palo Alto received several calls from people wanting to go to the East Coast as Red Cross volunteers. “Unfortunately, none of these people had any training,” said Mac McMillian, director of disaster services at the Palo Alto chapter. “For folks who are interested in helping out at disaster locations across the country, I strongly recommend they get trained as Red Cross volunteers,” he said. Library NewsThe Whodunit? mystery readers’ group will discuss “Brat Farrar” by Josephine Tey in the Los Altos Library group study room 10:15-11:30 a.m., Oct. 3. The group welcomes new participants. The Los Altos main library is displaying banned or challenged books for adults, teens and children during Banned Books Week, Sept. 22-29. Free people read freely. Armenian festival to be held SaturdayIn addition to a wide selection of eat-in or take-out Armenian delicacies, there will be entertainment, balloons, face painting, music, a cookbook sale, blood pressure testing and more. Admission is free. For information, call (408) 253-2235 or (408) 737-1815. CalendarLos Altos Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave. Wednesday Community BriefsThe 38th Annual Halloween Window Painting Contest, sponsored by the City of Los Altos Recreation Department, in cooperation with the Los Altos Village Association, will be held Oct. 25-27. The contest is open to all fourth- through eighth-grade students. Applications can be obtained from the Los Altos Recreation Department, 97 Hillview Ave. Completed application forms must be received by 5 p.m., Oct. 17. For full contest details, call 941-0950. Blackouts may be over, but money remains a problem, speaker tells Morning ForumCalifornians may be able to breathe a sigh of relief regarding rolling blackouts, but the cost of power and who will pay for it remain problems that must be resolved, Dr. James Bushnell told the Morning Forum audience Sept. 18. Bushnell, research director at the University of California Energy Institute and a lecturer at UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School, said that “getting through the summer was crucial.” Unusually cool weather and consumer conservation combined to get California through the summer months without an interruption in the power supply. Enough power generation capacity is coming online in the future to avoid the threat of continuing blackouts. Kids with a purpose: Almond 6th graders respond to terrorist attacksAlmond School The sixth-graders of Almond School showed their support Sept. 14 for those whose lives were affected by the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. At recess, a large group of the 10- to 12-year-olds, clad in red, white, and blue, gathered to display their colors. There were all types of shirts with flags on them and many of the students were holding up miniature flags they had brought from home. To show further patriotism, the sixth-graders spent their recess parading across the blacktop singing the national anthem. SchoolsHardy Jones creates a lion mascot for Loyola SchoolTown Crier Correspondent After being a successful orthopedic surgeon sculpturing bones to exact specifications, Los Altos resident Hardy Jones turned to creating interesting creatures from plow discs, faucet handles and railroad yard fittings. Teachers of the Year honored at ceremony
Outstanding teachers from the county were recognized as “Santa Clara County Teachers of the Year 2001″ at the 32nd Annual Santa Clara County Teacher Recognition Day, “Parade of Champions,” Sept. 24. The event, at the San Jose Repertory Theater, was sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Among the 29 teachers honored at the ceremony were Suzanne E. Williams, a biology and integrated science teacher at Los Altos High School from the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, and Linda Kirk, a sixth-grade teacher at Almond School from the Los Altos School District. Schools BriefsA garage sale to benefit Mountain View High School’s music program is scheduled 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at the Truman and Bryant avenues parking lot. Donations are welcome; drop off 5-9 p.m., Friday. For more information, call 964-5881. MVHS band says thanks Foothill College offers academic options to students called to military dutyThe current world crisis with terrorism is affecting college students who are being called to active duty from the military reserves or who are re-enlisting veterans. Utilizing a policy first instituted during Desert Storm in 1991, Foothill College is offering three options to those students called up before completing the academic semester. “We’re here to help them in any way we can,” said Carmela Xuereb, the Foothill College Veterans Assistance and Services Office program coordinator. They’re already under enough pressure without our adding pressure.” Sports On The SideEntries are being accepted for the 14th annual City of Palo Alto Men’s and Women’s Senior Golf Tournament. The event is set for Tuesday at the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. Entry fee is $65, which includes green fees, prizes, awards and a buffet luncheon. For an entry form and more information, call Palo Alto Recreation at 463-4920. Victory celebration SportsLancers still perfect in golfTown Crier Staff Report he St. Francis High girls golf team improved to 4-0 with a commanding 139-151 win over Los Gatos last Thursday at Shoreline Golf Links in Mountain View. Los Altos field hockey team ready to make a run at CCS
As Gerri Baldwin described players on the Los Altos High field hockey team, one word kept coming up: “awesome.” The Eagles coach couldn’t help but gush about her team, which returns four all-league players and features two promising newcomers. Lancers get off to great startPrep Volleyball Summary he St. Francis High girls volleyball team finally opened its season last week - more than two weeks after other area teams - and already appear to be in midseason form. More local athletes playing fall sports in collegeChris Garcia - Emory University. Christian Hansen - BYU-Idaho (formerly Ricks College). What do the inane reality TV shows have to do with business?Jean on the Job New television shows like “Fear Factor,” “Race,” “Survivor” and “Big Brother” are popping up every day. Our company was even called to send a counselor for one show that will be produced overseas in a new format. Why are the networks unleashing so many programs where often raw and primal emotions are thrown in our faces? BusinessBusiness BriefsSteven M. Block is scheduled to speak on “Living Nightmares: Facing the Growing Threat of Biological Weapons” at the Technology and Society Committee luncheon, 11:45 a.m., Oct. 2, at the Golden Wok Restaurant, 895 Villa St. in Mountain View. Block is a biophysicist who holds a joint appointment in the biological sciences and applied physics departments at Stanford University and a senior fellow at Stanford’s Institute for International Studies. He will discuss the increasing threat of bioweapons, brought about by recent advances in medicine and biology, and the limited progress towards international treaties seeking to ban their development. Lunch is $7.50 for members, $8.50 for nonmembers. For information, call Bob Kirby, 969-7215. No one likes the ‘R’ word, but let’s face the factsStock Report While most economists believe the United States is heading into a recession, the evidence is there. The stock market suffered its worst week since the Depression, airline layoffs have reached 100,000, hotel rooms are empty and people are waiting for the other shoe to drop. Silicon Valley Association of Realtors reach out to community in special weekWhether picking up trash, boxing canned goods or replacing furnace filters for senior citizens, Silicon Valley Association of Realtor (SILVAR) members and affiliates were hard at work helping others as part of a newly initiated Community Outreach Week held June 23-29. “This effort is a chance for Realtors to provide services in the communities where we work,” said David Barca of Ziprealty.com, who also serves on the SILVAR Board of Directors and came up with the concept as chair of the Community Outreach Committee. “We’re motivated and excited to do something that will make a difference in each of our communities.” Transactions10369 Bonny Drive - Bosch Trust to K. & M. Shin for $737,000.00 20653 Celeste Circle - R. & M. Chinn to Chiang Trust for $407,500.00 Los Altos’ newest optometrist sees eye-to-eye with her patientsTown Crier Correspondent Sandra Bozich strikes out on her own with downtown office How you can helpThe United Way Silicon Valley has established a 9/11 Response Fund to provide immediate assistance for those hurt during the terrorist attacks. The long-term purpose of the fund will be to support public safety personnel hurt or killed in the line of duty. For more information, logon to www.uwsv.org, call (408) 247-1200 or e-mail UW911@uwsv.org. Contributions may be sent to: United Way 9/11 Fund, 1922 The Alameda, San Jose 95126-1430. Special SectionRetired FBI agent cautions against rash judgment, extreme securityWallace Erichsen Jr. would still love to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation even at a time like this. Combating terrorism was one of his specialties. Erichsen, 57, was forced into retirement in April after a 30-plus-year career with the FBI. The 1962 Los Altos High School graduate spent much of his career stationed in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he continues to live today as a private investigator. Local CEOs, high-tech giants join relief effortThe local high-tech community swung into action last week in response to terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Cisco Systems, headed by CEO John Chambers of Los Altos Hills, announced a $6 million donation last week to key relief and support organizations serving the New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., areas. Contrasting outcomes for LAH families after World Trade Center collapseTwo Los Altos Hills families had relatives working in the World Trade Center towers when disaster struck Sept. 11. The difference between relief and heartbreak was a matter of location. Lottie Solomon mourns the loss of her daughter, Naomi, who had the misfortune of being on the 106th floor in the North Tower of the World Trade Center when the first hijacked plane hit it Sept. 11. Naomi was vice president of business development for Callixa, a San Francisco software company. Naomi was attending a business conference. Displays and donations unite Los Altos with national recovery
As the United States prepared to go to war in the Middle East last week, Los Altos residents and businesses flew flags in a unified show of patriotism. Donations poured in from this area to aid relief efforts in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., the scenes of the Sept. 11 terrorist hijacking disasters. “We have checks backed up 10 inches high that we haven’t even entered yet (into the computer),” said Deepa Arora, spokeswoman for the Palo Alto Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. “The response has been too overwhelming to track them (to a specific community).” Yvonne Olson grateful for support of friends, familyLos Altos resident Yvonne Olson talked of the strong support her son, Ted, the U.S. Solicitor General, received from friends and family following the death of his wife, Barbara, in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Barbara Olson, a former congressional investigator, author and CNN commentator, was on American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon. She managed to call her husband twice before the crash, describing her captors and noting that passengers were being herded to the back of the plane. Ted told Barbara about two planes that had already hit the World Trade Center in New York. Being near ‘ground 0′ spurs new appreciation of lifeEditor’s note: Scott Fernqvist, who grew up in Los Altos and interned at the Town Crier, is currently attending New York University. This is his account of the Sept. 11 events. When I left for class on Sept. 11, I never thought to bring a toothbrush or extra socks and underwear. I never stopped to think about whether or not my cell phone was in my backpack, or if my dorm room windows were closed. Why would I? Tuesday began like any other day, with a quick shower and breakfast before hopping onto NYU’s purple and white bus bound for campus. Exterior decks need attention and complete careIn recent years, outdoor decks have grown in popularity. You can find a variety of styles in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. However, deck owners are busy and neglect the need for regular maintenance. Few house additions are as welcome as an exterior deck, because it invites dawdling, grilling of steaks, conversation and an extra hour with the Sunday paper. However, before the last nail goes in, nature is already hard at work to destroy it. Ten housecleaning suggestions before a Martha Stewart type arrivesA Side of Clyde We have a friend who is a devotee of Martha Stewart. She lives and breathes her television program and also listens to Martha’s radio program. Following the Martha Stewart principle of etiquette, when visiting she always calls in advance and makes an appointment to arrive in 30 minutes. PeopleEngagement, AnniversaryGina Ming Ging Luo and David William Watt have announced their engagement to be married Oct. 6 in Monterey. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Susan Tan Luo of San Francisco and Frank Luo of Pleasant Hill. She is a graduate of Carondelet High School and has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She is self-employed as a consultant to high-tech companies. Local Girl Scouts travel to Costa Rica, get first-hand environmental educationForty members of Girl Scout Troop 321 traveled to Costa Rica this summer, after two years of planning and research. The girls gathered information about the country and possible destinations to create a trip that included a variety of adventure activities, cultural exchanges, visiting and learning about the rain forest, and service activities, such as bringing school supplies and computers to rural schools and helping to move eggs of endangered turtles to locations safe from poachers. Below are two girls’ accounts of the trip. ObituariesDavid Michael Moore died Aug. 21. He was 47. Mr. Moore grew up in the Los Altos area, where he attended local schools. Stepping OutStanford Lively Arts opening new season with a cappella concertStanford Lively Arts opens its 32nd season with Friday’s performance by a cappella vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium at Stanford University. ‘Communicating Doors’ challenges the audienceTheater review Bus Barn Stage Company’s production of “Communicating Doors” offers so much to an audience: challenge, confusion and chaos all mixed in with comedy. Foehringer Dance Project performing this weekendThe Mark Foehringer Dance Project will give the world premiere of its new version of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” this weekend at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. This new work, created by San Francisco choreographer Foehringer, takes its cue from Vivaldi’s own sense of lightheartedness in creating his masterpiece “The Four Seasons.” The premiere will feature eight dancers, and will be accompanied by a live ensemble of musicians. TravelTravel industry in crisisImperative that Congress include agencies in financial relief legislation Travel Talk Your HomeWarm and invitingTown Crier Correspondent Stephen and Louise Pahl’s remodel took full advantage of great views Having unfavorable sleeping partners can bring on itchy noses and eyesTown Crier Correspondent Looking closely at everything he could get his hands on, a little more than 300 years ago the inventor of the microscope discovered little mites living in dust. Because of their very small size, these dust mites are not visible to the naked eye. Creating the great outdoorsGeoland Landscaping designs and constructs custom yards and gardens Business Profile Home BriefsCommon Ground Organic Garden Supply and Education Center has scheduled a variety of Saturday gardening classes, Saturday through Oct. 27, at its store, 559 College Ave. in Palo Alto. Classes cost $17-19. Seniors and low-income participants receive a $3 discount. Registration and advance payment are required. For information, call 493-6072. New plants for old Energy conservation starts in the homeLast year’s soaring energy bills left many homeowners with empty pocketbooks. Protect yourself from skyrocketing bills by making your home more energy efficient. Most homes can become more energy efficient in both the summer and the winter just by adding a little insulation. Cooking with pizzazz: a peek into some innovative kitchensThe “Fabulous Fall Kitchen Tour,” a benefit for Palo Alto’s Avenidas Senior Center is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday. The tour highlights five innovative kitchen remodels in Palo Alto. Work on the first kitchen, the “Greenhouse,” was completed in 2000. Natural and environmentally sustainable materials were used in this effort to transform the traditional kitchen area into the living room. |
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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