By Sara Ballenger
The High School Performing Arts Facilities Fund Committee has scheduled a public hard-hat tour of the two new 350-seat performing arts facilities, Eagle Theater at Los Altos High and Spartan Theater at Mountain View High, 1-3 p.m., Sunday.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the community to see how the theaters are laid out and really get a feeling for what it’s all about,” said John Moss, chairman of the committee. “The property owners are paying for all of this construction and this is a chance to find out where all the money is going.”
The $58 million bond measure passed in 1995 provided the funding for the identical performing arts centers.
The Facilities Fund Committee has been raising an additional $550 thousand for curtains, stage lights, acoustics, projectors, sound equipment and other items to fully outfit the theaters, Moss said.
The Packard Foundation donated $275 thousand. The Los Altos Community Foundation and the Mountain View-Los Altos High School Foundation donated $10,000 each. About $150 thousand has come in through public donations.
However, the committee still needs to raise the balance to meet the total need. Each donor of $1,000 or more will be recognized on the permanent donor wall, duplicated at each theater, Moss said.
Committee member Tatiana Granoff hopes that the public will be inspired after taking the hard-hat tour.
“Getting inside that construction fence and being on the quad and seeing the theater will be an experience,” she said. “It’s exciting. The performing arts programs deserve this. This is something that the community has supported financially and will be a community benefit, since theaters will be available for community use when not being used by the schools.”
Tours will rotate on a half-hour basis. Light refreshments will be served and entertainment will be provided by students. Admission is free and no reservations are required.
For more information, call Los Altos High School at 960-8811 or Mountain View High School at 940-4600.
Send tax-deductible donations to: High School Performing Arts Facilities Fund, 171 Main St., No. 242, Los Altos, CA 94022.
