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Archives » 2001 » Volume 54 , Issue 41, Published on Wednesday, October 10, 2001NewsHillside visions collide
2 civic associations with different focuses keep LAH residents informed Los Altos Hills is a small, picturesque community with homes on large lots nestled along quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sacs and winding roads. Its homes and home sites command some of the highest real estate prices in California, yet many residents would agree they live there not as an investment, but because they love its rural ambiance and friendly people. Firefighters ignite house as part of training programTwenty-three Mountain View firefighters battled an all-day blaze in an abandoned house on Ferguson Drive last Friday as part of a rare live-burn training program. The last live-burn program conducted in Mountain View was in 1991. Department spokesman Lynn Brown said firefighters rarely have the opportunity to put out huge structural fires. He said medical emergencies account for about 90 percent of all calls. He said about 100 firefighters die nationally each year in fire-related deaths. LAPD launches gun safety programThe Los Altos Police Department is scheduled to give local gun owners complimentary gunlocks beginning Oct. 15 as part of a safety awareness campaign sponsored by Safe Kids. Police said about 20 percent of all Peninsula households have guns, and sales have risen since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Packard Foundation postpones plans to move to new headquartersThe David and Lucile Packard Foundation put on hold its plans to move its operations into a new headquarters building in downtown Los Altos, Richard T. Schlosberg III, the family foundation’s president and CEO, announced Monday. “In light of the recent uncertainty in the financial markets as well as in the world, we have decided to table our facilities plans for the time being,” Scholsberg said. News BriefsLos Altos is moving forward with a plan that would allow city hall to collect traffic impact fees from developers to fund citywide traffic improvements identified in the city’s updated General Plan Circulation Element. Under state law, cities may collect fees from developers to make street improvements for approved projects specifically earmarked for such fees. Los Altos currently levies impact fees on a case-by-case basis and only to address traffic impacts directly attributable to a specific project. Most of these projects include street improvements. LAH carries out customer satisfaction surveyThe Los Altos Hills Planning Department has begun to receive responses to the 1,000 customer satisfaction survey forms it sent about six weeks ago to residents who have recently completed the building permit application process. Planning director Carl Cahill said that thus far, the responses have been few - only two - but he was not concerned. Civil rights group challenges stateA local civil rights coalition is threatening to sue the state of California unless Governor Gray Davis agrees to readjust the new voting boundaries for Santa Clara County that he approved Sept. 28. The Coalition of Asian-Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting claims that the new boundaries fragment the county’s most heavily populated Asian neighborhoods, potentially diluting the voting power of those communities. Neighbors protest lot subdivisionThe battle to preserve the rural character of local neighborhoods spread across Los Altos’ southern boundary last month into the Woodland Acres subdivision in unincorporated Santa Clara County when a property owner submitted building plans to the county that could divide her lot into two, if approved. About 127 neighbors have signed a petition opposing the lot split saying the subdivision’s original conditions prohibit such land divisions. Walgreen’s prepares to move into Los AltosTown Crier Correspondent Downtown Los Altos is one of the next sites Walgreen’s plans to open a store as part of the chain’s massive expansion that includes opening 6,000 more sites by 2010. CommentLetters to the EditorIf there is any doubt as to what is causing the scar on the side of our beautiful foothills, just take a hike on Montebello trail to Black Mountain. About halfway to the summit, approximately three miles, you’ll have a bird’s-eye view of the pile resulting from Hanson Permanente Cement’s dumping of waste material. You’ll see that where the trucks are dumping, the pile and scar keep getting bigger. Of course, dumping of this “unusable” material at this site is far more cost-effective than taking it elsewhere and therefore keeps the price of their cement lower. Unfortunately, it is creating a scar on our hillside that the residents of this community will be forced to live with long after Hanson finishes its mining. OpinionA salve for the soulThe Living Experiment “Oh goodie. We get to be frisked,” I overheard someone say as we waited in a long line to enter a James Taylor concert. Signs informed the concertgoers that increased security measures were in place “in light of recent events” - a euphemism for the horrors of Sept. 11, just weeks before. One by one each person, handbag and backpack was searched on the way into the amphitheater. Los Altos homes: a variety of stylesLooking Back, Moving Forward One of the fantastic aspects of our village is the architectural diversity. In “old” Los Altos there is a wide range of styles, which began developing in the very early part of the 20th century. CommunityRealtor shows giving from the heart doesn’t need big-time planningChin Hsu, a Los Altos agent with Alain Pinel Realtors, aptly demonstrated how effective Americans can be when they are mobilized to support fellow citizens in need. The Friday before the Chinese Moon Festival, held the weekend of Sept. 29 in Cupertino, Hsu came up with an idea to raise funds for the relief of the New York firefighters. Halloween horse show at Westwind BarnWestwind Barn in Los Altos Hills has scheduled its 9th annual Halloween Horse Show, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 21. Young riders and their mounts can race in games like the Apple Bob Relay, the Gobble-And-Go Race and Musical Pumpkins. The show will also feature the hair-raising Phantom Gambler Stakes, where whoever clears the highest and spookiest jumps earns the most points. Packard awards $100,000 to Environmental VolunteersEnvironmental Volunteers (EV), a Palo Alto-based non-profit organization whose mission is to provide hands-on natural science education to schoolchildren, has received a $100,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The organization, celebrating its 30th anniversary, teaches more than 10,000 K-8 grade students in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties each year and provides professional development for teachers throughout California. Submit your scary stories for special Halloween issueFor the second straight year, the Town Crier is featuring a collection of Halloween stories from you. We received great stories last year and expect them to be even better in 2001. We are awarding first-, second and third-place honors to the authors. First-place winners will receive a prize. Here are the guidelines: Stories should be no longer than approximately 400 words. Subject matter is wide open, and while the story doesn’t have to be scary, it shouldn’t be gory or in bad taste. Seniors NewsThe Los Altos Senior Center is located in the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call 948-7483. The Mountain View Senior Center is located at 266 Escuela Ave. For more information, call 903-6330. Library NewsThe Los Altos main library will hold a book discussion on “English Creek” by Ivan Doig from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Oct. 17, in the small conference room. All interested adults and teens are welcome to attend. To celebrate Teen Read Week, October 14-20, the Los Altos Library will display award-winning teen books. “Make Reading a Hobbit” is the theme this year. Community BriefsThe DeAnza Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will meet at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 17, at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. John Hixson, a rhododendron grower in Watsonville, will discuss “How to grow Rhododendrons,” their cultures and some “do-gooders” in our area. He will also talk on “sudden oak death” as it relates to rhododendrons. In addition, there will be a plant raffle, silent auction and refreshments. For more information, call 851-1313 or 941-1674. Los Altos Follies spoofs dot-coms, power crisisTown Crier Correspondent “You say ‘eether’ and I say ‘eyether,’ you say ‘hotel’ and I say ‘movies’ - Let’s call the whole thing off.” That’s not the way Ira Gershwin wrote the song, but it’s the way it will be sung at the eighth annual Los Altos Follies this Friday and Saturday at the Bus Barn Theater. French art comes to Main StreetGaleries Gerard d’Eygalieres opening marks change for high-tech couple For many, France is synonymous with art. Now, a new downtown gallery brings original French art to Los Altos. On Sept. 22, San Jose residents Pascal and Patricia Le Menn - themselves natives of France - opened Galeries Gerard d’Eygalieres at 164 Main St. League schedules forum for November candidatesThe League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area has scheduled a forum for candidates running in the Nov. 6 election, 7-9 p.m., Oct. 17, in the Los Altos Library Program Room, 13 S. San Antonio Road. Marcia Allen will moderate the program, which is divided into three distinct sections: Los Altos City Council, Los Altos School District Board, and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. There are two seats up for election for city council. Incumbents King Lear and John Moss are on the ballot; but because no one is challenging them, they will be elected. Lear and Moss will appear at the forum 7-7:30 p.m. to discuss issues of interest to the community, including Measure A and the Transit Occupancy Tax, also on the November ballot. Political commentator Clift tells Morning Forum terrorist war ‘can only be managed’Eleanor Clift wears many hats, one of which is as a reporter on the White House and presidential politics for Newsweek magazine. In this capacity, she is thoughtful and takes time to be precise and accurate. Her other life is as a panelist on the syndicated McLaughlin Group. In an address to the Morning Forum of Los Altos last Tuesday, she called it “the granddaddy of combative TV shows.” Ex-teacher recalls struggle of living in Silicon ValleyJim Kohl followed his passion and became a teacher in Silicon Valley. However, he soon found that his love for teaching was not enough to pay the rent. In his new book, “Noble Poverty: A Teacher’s Life in Silicon Valley,” Kohl chronicles his professional life from a seventh-grade English teacher at Leyva Middle School in San Jose, through his seven-month job search, to the time he landed a job in the high-tech industry. SchoolsPets and prayers commemorate St. Francis of AssisiFour-legged, furry and feathered family pets and favorite stuffed animals were blessed by Father Joseph Haley at the annual Blessing of the Pets, Oct. 4, at St. Nicholas School in Los Altos Hills. “It’s an annual event that is always held on his feast day in honor of St. Francis of Assisi,” said Michelle Sklar, director of development, “the patron saint of all animals.” Back to school reading lists for preschool, kindergarten and first gradeDay care/preschool Little Bunny’s Preschool Countdown MV-LA district names high school theaters after mascotsTown Crier Staff Report Not only will the Los Altos and Mountain View High schools have new performing arts centers, but the theaters will have new names. Schools BriefsAstronomer Dr. Chris Chyba of the SETI Institute and Stanford University has scheduled an illustrated non-technical lecture, “Life in the Universe: Is It Just Around the Corner?” 7 p.m., tonight, at the Smithwick Theater at Foothill College, Los Altos Hills. No science background is required, and the lecture is appropriate for students 13 and older. Admission is free. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors must purchase a parking permit for $2. For more information, call 949-7888. Learning disability symposium Trial high school exit exam gives students time to improveThe Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District was pleased with its performance on the first California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). Delaine Eastin, superintendent of public instruction, released the statewide results Oct. 3. This year’s test scores were compiled from freshmen who took the test on a volunteer basis last March and May. Big splash fetes Fremont pool fund-raisersFriends of the Fremont Pool, a fund-raising group for an Olympic-sized swimming pool in Sunnyvale, held a thank you event Sept. 30 at Chez TJ’s restaurant in Mountain View. The restaurant’s owners, Jenny and George Aviet, Sunnyvale residents and swim enthusiasts, hosted the event. Let the (robot) games begin - students put teamwork to good useTown Crier Editorial Intern The generation that played with Transformers has grown up to become the Los Altos High School Robotics team, now building and driving their own robots. Those skills were in full evidence at Saturday’s second annual California Robot Games at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose. Off-season work paying off for St. FrancisFew players on the St. Francis High field hockey team played the sport during the summer that followed the program’s inaugural season in 1998. The number of Lancers joining a summer league has increased each year since then, with players realizing that’s the time to hone their skills and get in shape for the fall high school season. This past summer you couldn’t keep most of the St. Francis players off the field. SportsSports On The SideThe Los Altos High Pumpkin Patch opens Friday in the parking lot of the school, 201 Almond Ave. Proceeds go toward the Eagles’ athletic programs. Pumpkin patch hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., through Oct. 31. Kicking for a cause Mtn. View remains atop division; Los Altos still winlessTown Crier Correspondent Prep Football Digest Lancers run past RiordanAfter suffering through an arduous non-league schedule that ended with four straight losses, the St. Francis High football team couldn’t wait to play last Friday’s game against Riordan. The Lancers (1-4) saw their West Catholic Athletic League opener as a fresh start in a season that was beginning to bear an eery resemblance to 2000. Tournament seeding motivates St. FrancisPrep Volleyball Summary Having won the Mitty Invitational three seasons running, St. Francis High coach Dave Gambelin was puzzled by the fact his team was seeded No. 2 at this year’s event. Gold Star prevails twice in a dayTalk about a win-win situation. Gold Star Gymnastics of Mountain View sent squads to two different meets on Sept. 9 and won them both. Los Altos girls water polo team ends first half of El Camino season with a splashTown Crier Staff Report The Los Altos High girls water polo team wrapped up the first half of its SCVAL El Camino Division season with a pair of wins last week. Pinewood (10-0) tennis team swinging toward CCS berthEntering this week undefeated, the Pinewood School girls tennis team appears to be on course to make the Central Coast Section playoffs for the second straight year. This season, however, the Panthers don’t expect to make such an early exit. Same game, different rulesJean on the Job I didn’t know how prosaic my book title would be in this new world of ours. Everything is now different: security, patriotism, travel, friendships. Even national grieving is different. When a nation grieved for John F. Kennedy, it was confined, defined and a more simple and dreadful sadness. This grieving is global. It is for people whose names we don’t know, for families not yet identified to us, for a nation wounded without any real knowledge of the final repercussions. It is for grieving about our vulnerability to forces without our values or morals. BusinessThe sounds of energy-efficient silenceQuiet Comfort Engineering offers radiant heating, solar electric systems Amid California’s energy crisis, home and business owners are seeking ways to conserve energy and save money as well. Gunnar Galsgaard and Jeff Bullen said they believe their new business, Los Altos-based Quiet Comfort Engineering, can help. Upswing at hand for some high-tech stocksStock Report he U.S. military strikes against Afghanistan will whipsaw the stock market, but by the end of the week it should temper any major sell-offs. Protect your computer from virusesTech Talk This biweekly column offers solutions to personal technology problems submitted by readers. Neither the author nor this newspaper endorses products or companies mentioned. Transactions10820 Ashbourne Court - L. & K. Safran to M. & K. Bershteyn for $1,010,000.00 1029 Cranberry Drive - F. & M. Meli to I. & M. Liu for $672,000.00 Business BriefsThe Chamber of Commerce Mountain View presented its 2001 Athena Award to Susan Hamilton, executive director of VTF Services, at an Oct. 9 luncheon. The award, created to honor outstanding Mountain View leaders who are Chamber members, is awarded annually to a woman who has achieved a high level of professional excellence in both business and the community. Hamilton is an active Chamber member - both as an Art and Wine Festival volunteer and as a 2001 graduate of Leadership Mountain View. She is also a member of the Mountain View Library Foundation and the Mountain View Kiwanis Club. She is the past president of the Silicon Valley Craftsmen Club, a printing and graphic art professional organization. Cruising in luxury to Italy and Turkey aboard Seabourn proves memorable experienceI recently experienced a luxurious cruise on one of Seabourn Cruise’s 204 passenger ships. My mother and I took a 10-day cruise through the Mediterranean Isles and Byzantium, starting from Civitavecchia, Italy, and ending in Istanbul, Turkey. We were picked up by motor coach at the Hotel Excelsior in Rome, after spending two days as tourists and enjoying the Borghese Gardens and the beautifully renovated Gallery. PeopleWeddingsDenise Pepp and Jonathan Wank were married July 28 at the Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. The bride is the daughter of Arline and Buddy Pepp of Beverly Hills. She is a graduate of Beverly Hills High School and the University of California at Santa Barbara, with a degree in marketing. EngagementsRebecca Knapp and Timothy Snyder have announced their engagement to be married June 29 in the Chapel of St. Mary’s College, Moraga. A reception will follow at Hacienda de los Flores. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Lynn and Kathy Knapp of Morgan Hill. She graduated from Leland High School and will graduate in June from St. Mary’s College with a bachelor’s degree in communications and English. She will enter law school next fall. NoteworthiesIn accepting the position, Dr. Doyle said, “We plan to continue our support of creative, collaborative approaches to complex scientific problems.” Prior to joining the foundation, Dr. Doyle was an academic coordinator with the Science and Health Education Partnership at the University of California, San Francisco, a partnership between the university and the San Francisco public schools to support science education reform. ObituariesJoseph Marion Cobo died Sept. 23 at his Mountain View home. A native of California, he was 70. Mr. Cobo was owner of Schroeder Valve Repair. Spiritual LifeFoothills Congregational celebrates 40 years with a big block partyTown Crier Editorial Intern If you didn’t know it was the 40th anniversary celebration of Foothills Congregational Church, a passerby along Lincoln Avenue on Sept. 30 would have guessed the gathering was a large block party. Like in “Cheers,” everyone knew everyone else by first name. Grief stacked on grief calls for more self-careTransitions For people who had already lost their jobs, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 were one more grief stacked on those they already had. Spiritual Life BriefsIn February, members of Los Altos United Methodist Church will be going to El Salvador, where they will build a house. Hands-On Missions is collecting school supplies that they can take to the children in the community where they will be working. For more information, call Donna Davies at 969-3697. Stepping OutTheatreWorks to hold the ‘Butter’ in Mtn. ViewTheatreWorks presents the Northern California premiere of Rebecca Gilman’s “Spinning Into Butter” today through Nov. 4 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. Preview performances are scheduled for 8 p.m., today through Friday. The opening-night show is 8 p.m., Saturday. Expect the unexpected from ‘Faust’Town Crier Intern Stage director Christopher Harlan plays with philosophical questions of good and evil in West Bay Opera’s upcoming production of “Faust.” |
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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