Counting blessings

Kyle Harrison, now an active toddler, was born two months premature

This will be Kyle Harrison’s second Thanksgiving. At 14 months, Kyle is a chubby, happy boy with bright blue eyes, wispy blond hair and an independent streak. He’s constantly on the move, tossing balls, waving goodbye, playing with a toy Mickey Mouse and squealing with delight. In other words, Kyle is a typical toddler, one of 4,400 babies born at El Camino Hospital last year.

New restaurant, retail shop planned for former Mac’s Tea Room site

Two modern storefronts are expected to replace one of Los Altos’ most notable and notorious landmarks in upcoming months. The Los Altos City Council last week approved plans for a major rehaul of the former Mac’s Tea Room on Main Street.

The facelift includes replacing the historic brick building with contemporary-looking slate and glass storefronts. Developer Paul Bosman plans to convert the building into a restaurant on one half of the property and a shop with upstairs office space on the other half.

Burglar takes $100,000 worth of jewelry

Los Altos Hills

When Los Altos Hills resident Sigrun Corrigan entered the master bedroom of her Normandy Lane home late Nov. 10, after an evening out with her husband, Wilfred, and their daughter, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

Residents cleared for street-front work after new policy

Town Crier Staff Report

The Los Altos City Council last week lifted a yearlong freeze that prohibited residents from improving their street fronts until the city approved a policy regulating paving and landscaping along street shoulders.

News Briefs

Los Altos held the grand opening for its first hotel Nov. 13 behind the Rambus building at 4460 El Camino Real. The 156-room Marriott Residence Inn Palo Alto-Los Altos is one of three hotels that the Los Altos City Council recently approved.

There have been no hotels operating in Los Altos for more than a year, since developers razed the Four Season’s Motor Inn. City officials expect the hotel to bring in about $300,000 in taxes this fiscal year, which ends in June. The Marriott features studios to two-bedroom suites with kitchens.

Police report

Nov. 11, 8:42 a.m., Carvo Court: Police responded to reports of residential burglaries.

Residential alarms

Los Altos woman dies on Flight 587

A new business

Mrs. Williams had just launched her own business and she was about to complete her first business deal.

Process for one-story-only zoning made easier for LA neighborhoods

Town Crier Staff Report

Los Altos residents don’t need a super majority vote anymore to ban two-story homes from their neighborhoods. The Los Altos City Council last week revamped the city’s one-story overlay ordinance to make the process smoother for those applying for the zoning change.

Adobe Creek Watershed project may be delayed one year

LAH council postpones deeding easements to water district

Santa Clara Valley Water District officials say a 10-year Adobe Creek Watershed project construction along West Edith Avenue could be delayed by as much as a year because the Los Altos Hills City Council postponed whether to deed two storm drain easements to the district until Jan. 17.

LA council scheduled to name new mayor

The Los Altos City Council was scheduled to name a new mayor Monday night after the Town Crier’s press deadline.

The mayoral position is a one-year term that rotates among the councilmembers.

Knowing your right from ‘lyft’ and a fear of having to cook

Pinhead Chronicles

The Governor’s Palace in Santa Fe, New Mexico, built by the Spanish in 1609 is the oldest surviving building of non-Indian design in the U.S.

Letters to the Editor

Saving the student murals in the Los Altos School District is an inane idea propagated by a few who consider the murals “works of art.” Copying an artist’s work is NOT art. A true work of art engages the imagination, the emotions, the senses and the creative spirit of the artist. At best, the mural assignment was a lesson in enlarging and perhaps color-mixing. It is not art.

If the “Save the Murals” group wants to preserve this junior high work at $8,000 per mural, let them pay for the removal themselves and not burden the school district with this outrageous expense.

Saying the blessing at Thanksgiving dinner

A Side of Clyde

Thanksgiving is a family event. It’s also a time when children learn to be thankful. When you sit down for the Thanksgiving Day dinner, it’s nice to ask the young adults if they would be kind enough to give the blessing before the family starts to eat. Several years ago, at our Thanksgiving dinner, my grandson bellowed as we sat down, “May I please say the blessing?”

Yes, Virginia, there are blessings

Reflections

Last month I gave myself permission to vent my rage because of the horrors of September 11. Now that we are embroiled in a long war with American troops’ lives at stake, I need to rein in my anger and dwell on the blessings that give us hope.

Stanford law professor Karlan reviews Supreme Court actions at Morning Forum

How hard does the U.S. Supreme Court work? Stanford Law Professor Pamela Karlan, who twice successfully argued voting rights cases before the Supreme Court, told the Morning Forum of Los Altos Nov. 6 the court is working less than it used to. Last term, the court accepted 80 of 5,000 cases compared with the 150 cases it used to review each term.

Karlan explained that the justices think they do better work if they have fewer cases. With few exceptions, the Supreme Court has discretion in what cases it hears, she said, and if four justices agree to take a case, it will be heard.

Gropper selected as torchbearer for Olympics 2002

Editor’s note: Three Los Altos residents, Tracey Gropper, Bobby Liao and Robert Tetzlaff, have been selected to carry the Olympic torch for the 2002 games. The following story is about Tracey Gropper.

For 65 consecutive days next year, relay runners will carry the torch of the Olympic spirit through 46 states covering 13,500 miles. In ancient Greece, runners carried the torch throughout the land to announce a truce or to call athletes to Olympia.

Senior center holds craft faire this weekend

Included in the sale will be holiday decorations and gift ideas such as wooden puzzles, handmade doll clothes for American Girl style dolls, handmade jewelry, wire sculptures, decorated sweatshirts, wooden bird houses, container gardens and handmade sweaters.

Tree, singers shine for annual plaza celebration

The annual tree-lighting celebration will officially ring in, and light up, the holiday season in downtown Los Altos with a celebration scheduled to begin 6 p.m., Friday, at the Community Plaza, corner of Main and State streets.

Music director Michael Morris and the Los Altos United Methodist Church Merry Makers join young singers from Almond School and Mountain View’s Huff School Chorus to perform seasonal favorites. Morris coordinated the program for the 2001 Tree Lighting Ceremony and will join Kay DeVries to perform as this year’s guest soloists.

Town Crier announces 2001 Holiday Fund

Nine organizations have been selected to receive funds. These are small hands-on agencies for whom a dollar makes a difference.

Already, $35,000 has been committed in matching grants to stimulate contributions from Town Crier readers. The Community Foundation Silicon Valley is the fiscal agent for the Fund, making all contributions tax deductible. All administrative and promotion costs are covered by the Town Crier so that 100 percent of all donations are passed through to the needy groups.

German official says country gave $40 million to Sept. 11 victims

Town Crier Correspondent

Keeping with the 2001 international theme of the Los Altos Rotary Club, Walter Leuchs, Deputy Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Thursday, discussed the status of Germany today for the Rotarians.

History Museum features quilts and quilting

Traditional and contemporary quilts on display will include an antique Texas Star, a hand-quilted Double Wedding Ring and millennium quilts, one with a minimum of 2000 pieces of fabric. The museum will also showcase quilts from its own collection, including a memory quilt made by the family of Reverend Landells and his daughter Edith.

A talk and demonstration on “The Magic of Quilting” is scheduled for 1 p.m., Dec. 9.

Community Briefs

Coldwell Banker is beginning its “One Warm Coat” drive for those without warm clothing for the winter ahead. The annual program collects hundreds of garments for those who have a need.

All three Coldwell Banker offices in Los Altos will serve as collection points.

Volunteer service awards luncheon to honor unsung helpers in LA, LAH

The 19th Los Altos and Los Altos Hills Community Volunteer Service Awards luncheon is scheduled Nov. 30, at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos.

The public is invited to attend. .

Madeleine Albright shows Celebrity Forum audience steely courage

Town Crier Correspondent

Madeleine Korbel Albright demonstrated her personal mettle Nov. 9 when she spoke to the Foothill College Celebrity Forum at De Anza College.

Lighting up the holidays

Town Crier Correspondent

Festival of Lights parade this Sunday at 7 p.m.

Miramonte School students ‘adopt’ local park by cleaning it

For students at Miramonte School in Los Altos, helping out is just a walk in the park - literally.

Third through eighth-graders participate in the “Adopt-A-Park” program, run by the city of Los Altos. The program encourages volunteers to help maintain the 12 parks in Los Altos.

Noteworthies

Martin Roland, a Mountain View High School graduate and student at California State University at Chico, has received the Lt. Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award, a $2,000 scholarship.

Kirsty Nygren, a 1999 graduate of Los Altos High School, has transferred from the University of California at Santa Cruz to the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she has been awarded the Regents Scholarship for her academic achievements.

Schools Briefs

The local Special Education Advisory Committee (SELPA 1CAC) is looking for new members interested in making a difference in the special education community in our public schools. The group consists of parents and administrators who work on a wide range of issues related to special-needs students. Meetings are 9-11 a.m., the first Monday of the month. For more information, call Patty Hurley, 949-1926.

Egan Junior High Holiday Faire

High school youth learn the ropes of life through challenging course

Students at Alta Vista High School are willing to go out on a limb, or a high rope for that matter.

Sixty-five students from the continuation school in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District participated in “Leap Ahead Leadership Training and High Ropes Course,” put on by the Challenge Learning Center on the grounds of Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, Nov. 14.

Loyola students organize Thanksgiving food drive to benefit needy

Students at Loyola School in Los Altos are in the giving spirit. The student council organized a schoolwide Thanksgiving food drive Oct. 28-Nov. 2.

“We took a unique approach this year,” said Principal Linda Eckols. “Every grade was given a part of the (traditional Thanksgiving) meal to bring in and our sixth-graders were asked to bring in $1, to go towards turkey certificates from Safeway.”

On Deck: the local sports lineup for Nov. 21-27

Football

Friday

Sports On The Side

Mountain View resident Robyn Kizer, riding a 3-year-old horse named “R Springtime LUV,” won the U.S. National Top Ten award in the Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure Futurity class at the annual U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. The U.S. National, held Oct. 9-27 in Albuquerque, N.M., is considered one of the most prestigious North American championships for Arabian show horses. Kizer has been riding and competing for more than 30 years.

Los Altos alum games

Los Altos boys lose CCS final to Menlo

Prep Water Polo Playoffs

St. Francis girls win second-straight section championship

Foothill football team earns bowl bid; Owls soccer team upsets San Francisco

Foothill College Sports Roundup

A day after routing Shasta 45-7, the Foothill College football team learned it has qualified for yet another Kiwanis Silicon Valley Bowl.

Menlo beats Pinewood for CCS girls tennis crown

A confident Corinne Mansourian said Menlo would need to play really well to beat her Pinewood School girls in the Central Coast Section team championship.

That’s exactly what the Knights did, beating the Panthers 6-1 Nov. 14 at Courtside Club in Los Gatos.

Los Altos swept by Presentation in CCS final

Prep Volleyball Playoffs

Lancers beat Bruins for Division II title

Pioneer puts the clamps on Spartans ground game

The Mountain View High football team’s high-octane offense fell flat last Friday in a 14-7 loss to Pioneer in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division IV playoffs.

The loss ended the Spartans’ season at 8-3 and continued their postseason futility.

St. Francis proves no match for Los Gatos, falls 35-7 in CCS opening round

Town Crier Correspondent

The St. Francis High football team endured its share of highs and lows in 2001.

St. Francis claims its first field hockey title

St. Francis High coach Kathy Lincoln couldn’t settle on just one play that separated her team from host Los Gatos in last Saturday’s Central Coast Section field hockey championship.

Lincoln said the top-seeded Lancers (13-1-3) made several critical plays that led to the 3-2 victory and the first title in team history.

New bar at Maltby’s inspires ‘Cheers’

Town Crier Correspondent

Family atmosphere remains intact, but addition helps business

Don’t celebrate yet! Some investors think bear market is still alive

Stock Report

ook for stocks to trade a little higher this week because of improving corporate profits, military successes and consumers’ holiday buying. But don’t celebrate yet.

Cal Water files for annual rate increases starting at 14.6 percent

California Water Service, supplier of water service to Los Altos and parts of Los Altos Hills, has filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to increase water rates by 14.2 percent in 2002, 4.6 percent in 2003, 4.0 percent in 2004 and 3.9 percent in 2005.

Company officials say they are seeking these proposed increases to cover the increased cost of providing water service: the higher costs of power, purchased water, labor and water quality testing.

Transactions

Cupertino

6385 Bollinger Road - Twidwell Trust to J. Moreno for $450,000.00

Attention, Los Altos holiday shoppers: Let the (video) games begin

Tech Talk

This biweekly column offers solutions to personal technology questions from our readers. Neither the author nor this newspaper endorses products or companies mentioned.

Weddings & Engagements

Michele Tracy Taylor and Nathan Greenville Parker were married June 3 at the Thomas Fogarty Winery, Woodside. A reception followed the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Beverly Taylor and the late Sheldon Taylor of Mountain View. She is a graduate of Los Altos High School and received her bachelor’s in science degree in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California, San Diego.

Births

A son, Jake Albert, was born Sept. 28 at El Camino Hospital to Caroline and Neil Stratz of Los Altos. The grandparents are Jackie and Emile Kerba, and Marilyn and Albert Stratz of Los Altos.

A daughter was born Oct. 28 to Candace L. and Troy J. Malesic of Los Altos.

Obituaries

Goodwin Sigurd Rogness III died Nov. 10 in Maryland.

He was the owner of Monticello Homes Inc. in Los Altos Hills until he moved East in 1989.

Spiritual Life Briefs

Christ Episcopal Church, 1040 Border Road, Los Altos, has scheduled a service 10 a.m., Thursday, to offer prayers of thanksgiving and petition for peace. It offers an appropriate way to celebrate our nation’s freedom and bounty before settling in to the turkey dinner and loving time with families and friends.

Methodist church plans holiday fest

Companion on the Journey

Giving thanks for gifts from others - courage, humor, wisdom, strength from others

Unexpected kindness … help on a project … gracious, gentle leadership … a hug when I’m sad … supportive understanding in a hard time … abundant laughter - these gifts I receive from others are what I’m thankful for this season.

Well-written ‘Herbal Bed’ boasts stellar cast

Theater review

Peter Whelan’s “Herbal Bed” is beautifully written in language neither too Shakespearean nor too modern. William Shakespeare’s powerful presence hovers over the play, however, since it centers around his daughter Susanna.

Schola’s ‘Messiah Sing’ set for Sunday in Mtn. View

Schola Cantorum presents its annual “Messiah Sing” at 8 p.m. Sunday, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.

Schola Cantorum music director Gregory Wait will lead the singing audience and full orchestra in Handel’s classic oratorio. Scores will be available for purchase or may be borrowed at the door.

O’Connor to fiddle around Nov. 28

Violinist, fiddler and composer Mark O’Connor is slated to perform at 8 p.m., Nov. 28, in Dinkelspiel Auditorium on the Stanford University campus.

The Grammy Award-winning artist is joined by noted pianist and longtime musical friend John Jarvis. The concert is presented by Stanford Lively Arts.

Health Briefs

Hayes Gladstone, M.D., a professor of dermatology, is scheduled to speak, 7-8:30 p.m., Nov. 28, at Fairfield Auditorium, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto. Gladstone will describe laser facial rejuvenation utilizing various light sources, as well as laser hair removal and its indications and explain what it can and cannot do. The lecture is free, but advance registration is required. To register, call 498-7826.

AARP ‘55 Alive’ mature driving program

Confronting carbon monoxide

El Camino therapist may have spared woman from silent killer

A Sunnyvale woman, nearly 80, knew she had not felt “right” for a month. Even though she was already suffering from chronic lung disease and a heart condition, she complained to her respiratory therapist at El Camino Hospital that she was feeling unusually tired and had a chronic headache.

Appropriate way to celebrate holidays? Talk to your kids

Keys to Parenting

Question: How do I reconcile the horror of 911 with the joy of the holidays? In our family we are, in a sense, very aware of what happened in NYC on Sept. 11 and now on Nov. 11. Although our children see the news and participate in our conversations, NYC is very far away and we did not lose anyone we knew in either tragedy.

Understanding and dealing with diabetes

House Calls

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 16 million people - about 6 percent of the U.S. population - have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. According to recent statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention, the rate of diabetes has increased 76 percent among individuals ages 30 to 39.