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Archives » 2002 » Volume 55 , Issue 15, Published on Wednesday, April 10, 2002NewsIt’s a doggone good life
Despite concerns about dog attacks in other cities, most Los Altos dogs are well-behaved and much-loved A golden retriever, its face contented and its coat gleaming, relaxed recently in front of the Main Street Starbucks Coffee. A small white bucket labeled “Starbucks dog water” was by the animal’s side. The retriever was just one of a dozen or so obviously well-groomed and happy canines seen accompanying their owners in downtown Los Altos that sunny afternoon. Less votes needed to ban 2-story homes in Los AltosCity requires lower percentage of voter support under modified zoning law ewer neighborhood votes are needed to ban two-story homes from certain Los Altos streets under an updated overlay zone ordinance. Roundabout would not safely fit at Berry Avenue, Los Altos city report concludes based on feedbackConsultants The Berry Avenue-Springer Road intersection is not configured in a way that would safely accommodate a proposed 92-foot traffic roundabout, according to a Los Altos city report based on feedback from three consultants. Walgreen’s may have to abandon red trademark sign
The drug store’s illuminated plastic letters are not consistent with the ‘village atmosphere,’ planning staff says of the conceptual plans for 2nd Street algreen’s illuminated red trademark sign may be eliminated from the company’s new Los Altos drug store planned for Second Street if the Planning Commission decides it is incompatible with the village character. Orthodox church members watch in astonishment as building burns
Town Crier Correspondent Fire broke out about 4:45 a.m. Sunday morning at the Antiochian Orthodox Church of the Redeemer, 380 Magdalena Ave., in Los Altos Hills. Council solicits residents’ views on 113-mile pathway systemBy Elizabeth Cloutman When the Los Altos Hills City Council and the Pathways Committee met jointly Thursday, the ongoing division of opinions about the town’s pathway system was in evidence. ‘Moffett Tomorrow’ subject of community forumWhat will the future hold for historic Moffett Field? A “Moffett Tomorrow” community forum, sponsored by three local League of Women Voters chapters, attempts to answer this question. The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, at ALZA Corporation in Mountain View. NASA officials, Moffett’s current landlords, have promised a world-class research park and supporting facilities, to be built in partnership with the University of California at Santa Cruz, San Jose State University, Carnegie-Mellon University and other institutions. News BriefsA team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies is scheduled April 20 to examine the Mountain View Police Department’s policies and procedures. The department must comply with 443 standards in order to maintain accreditation status. The accreditation process is voluntary and recognizes professional excellence. ATF investigates LAH church fire as possible hate crimeAthree-alarm fire gutted a Los Altos Hills church before dawn Sunday. Officials are investigating the possibility that the blaze, which caused an estimated $1 million in damage, may be the result of a hate crime. Many members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church of the Redeemer are of Middle Eastern descent, including some Palestinian-Americans. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were expected to begin an investigation Tuesday after the Town Crier went to press. Police reportApril 2, 12:20 p.m., Oak Avenue: A caller reported scooters were taken from the Oak School bicycle rack. Wire down City extends cable talks, againLos Altos The Los Altos City Council extended cable contract negotiations with AT&T Broadband March 25, one day after four Northern California cities filed a lawsuit against the cable provider for allegedly failing to meet customer standards under its franchise agreements. OpinionPlagiarizing welcomeCommentary There has been a recent spate of well-known writers being accused of plagiarizing. Unfortunately, not one word of the stolen material was mine. Have you any idea how it feels not having your scribbling worthy of plagiarizing? This can soon lead to what is called “writer’s block.” Yes, I know what some of you are saying behind my block: “Take the hint, Buster, and put down that pen for good.” Not quite yet, pal. Letters to the EditorMy question concerns the expanded basic channel offering in Los Altos. We experience discrimination. In other cities in the Bay Area covered by your company the number of channels offered is greater. Cupertino, a short distance away, receives MSNBC, the History Channel, the Travel Channel, Comedy Central and others for the same price we pay. We would like very much to receive these channels. When is it going to happen? Mario Bonicelli andVirginia ShawLos Altos Cereal for breakfast or dinnerThe Living Experiment “Cereal: it’s not just for dinner anymore,” my husband good-naturedly announced one morning as he ate a blend of Crispix, Shredded Wheat and Raisin Bran. Mild panic set in as I realized I had abused the cereal option as a last resort for those dinners when I’ve cooked no dinner. CommunityCSMA presents children’s art showsThursday through June 5, the Community School of Music and Arts will put on a display of thousands of pieces of art at its annual children’s art shows. Fourteen different exhibits will be held in conjunction with open houses at 14 local schools, including every public elementary school in Mountain View. El Camino YMCA to host Healthy Kids DayThe El Camino YMCA will host 2002 Healthy Kids Day, a nationwide celebration of family health and fitness, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The free event will be held at Cuesta Park in Mountain View. The 11th annual Healthy Kids Day will emphasize the importance of good health in a fun environment. Community BriefsThe next meeting of the Western Horticultural Society of Palo Alto is scheduled 7:30 p.m., today, at Loyola School, 770 Berry Ave., Los Altos. Bill McNamara will speak on the Quarryhill Botanical Garden. Admission is free. Visitors are welcome. Palo Alto Lions Club celebrates 75 years with a roaring celebration at Trader Vic’sThe Palo Alto Host Lions Club, Palo Alto’s oldest service organization, celebrated its 75th anniversary with a roar last Saturday with a Lion-sized dinner-dance attended by 100 members and guests at Trader Vic’s. The Palo Alto club, the third-oldest chapter in Northern California, is part of the 44,000 chapters in 186 countries and geographical areas and is one of the largest service organizations in the world. More than one-third of its members are from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Helen DeCoursey, classified sales rep a model of humor, ‘openness and honesty’Town Crier Staff Report Helen DeCoursey, a longtime Town Crier employee renowned as much for her sense of humor and loyalty to her church as her unerring efficiency in classified advertising, died April 2 after a short illness. Mrs. DeCoursey of Sunnyvale had just celebrated her 80th birthday. Nominations sought for realtors’ Community Service AwardThe Los Altos-Mountain View District of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors invites you to submit a nomination for its annual Community Service Award. Ideal nominees are selfless volunteers who have served the community over the past year. Nominations are open to the public with the exception that candidates cannot be members of the realtor association. Send nominations to the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, 345 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos 94022. SchoolsCUSD and teachers at ‘impasse’ in negotiationsTown Crier Correspondent The Cupertino Union School District is battling the clock in its contract negotiations with the Cupertino Education Association, the local affiliate of the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association. Summer camp engages Digital KidsWas it only 10 years ago when our parents used the “go to your room!” threat as a disciplinary tactic to get us away from distractions so we could focus on finishing our homework? Try that with your child today and you’re making a big mistake. Personal technology is altering the social behavior of today’s kids. Dubbed the Digital Generation, kids today learn to manipulate VCRs at the age of 3, develop typing skills while playing computer games, talk with friends through virtual chat sites, and send text-messages through their cell phones. The connection to their social and entertainment worlds is right in their wired bedrooms! NoteworthiesElisabeth M. Giammona of Mountain View has been named to the fall semester Dean’s List at Boston University. Natalie S. Wade and Michael A. Zalisk of Los Altos have been named to the fall 2001 semester Dean’s List at Tufts University, in Somerville, Mass. Advice for choosing a college
With acceptance letters coming in the mail, there is a big decision looming over Los Altos high school students - which college to attend? How do students decide? Kristin Joseph, College and Career Center coordinator at Los Altos High School, and Donne Davis, an outreach specialist for Foothill College, offered some advice. Schools BriefsDr. Debra Fischer from the University of California at Berkeley, has scheduled a nontechnical illustrated lecture on the search for systems of planets around other stars, 7-8:30 p.m., today, in Smithwick Theater at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. Admission is free. Visitors must purchase a parking pass for $2. For more information, call 949-7888. Zimbabwe orphan run fund-raiser LASD students receive science and tech awardsAlexandra Armando, “Bridges,” first place; Castro Family Award for Best Physical Science Project; certificate of achievement. Jay Danver, “What Is the Effect of Road Surfaces on Car Control?” first place. Foothill College defends recruiting claimsTown Crier Correspondent It’s all a case of misunderstanding say Foothill College officials. Longtime administrator McNulty named new Loyola School principalLos Altos School District Superintendent Marge Gratiot announced last Friday she has appointed Dave McNulty as the new principal of Loyola School. McNulty, who is currently director of facilities construction for the district, will replace current principal Linda Eckols. Eckols, who has been principal at Loyola for four years, is leaving to be principal at the new Covington elementary school, which opens in August. SportsMountain View swim teams both make waves in road victories over Santa ClaraLast Friday’s swim meet at Santa Clara proved to be business as usual for the Mountain View High girls and a bounce-back effort for the Spartan boys. The Mountain View girls routed the Bruins 134-46 to improve to 4-0 in the SCVAL El Camino Division. The boys - who suffered what Spartans coach Ben Murray called “a heart-breaking loss” to Saratoga the week before - rebounded with a 112-47 victory that upped their division record to 3-1. Sports On The SideRegistration for Mountain View Babe Ruth Seniors is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. the next three Saturdays at McKelvey Ballpark on Miramonte Avenue, one block west of El Camino Real in Mountain View. The summer baseball league is for players ages 16-18. Games begin after the high school season ends and continue through July. For more information, call 966-8027. Get in the swim Paly pitcher dominates Mtn. View
Town Crier Correspondent Aided by a liberal strike zone and a sensational catch in the outfield, Barrett Lonnquist crafted a complete-game three-hitter to lead host Palo Alto High to a 3-1 baseball victory over Mountain View last Saturday. With home-course advantage, locals thrive at jr. golf tourneyNot surprisingly, several local golfers shined at the annual Sean Remen Memorial Junior Golf Tournament March 25. After all, the Junior Golf Association of Northern California event was held at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club - which has a course many of the local players are familiar with. LAHS baseball takes 3rd in tourneyThe Los Altos High baseball team beat Soquel 8-5 last Saturday to claim third place in the Peninsula Easter Classic in Monterey. Derek Fletcher got the win for the Eagles, who went 4-1 in the tourney and are 7-13 overall. St. Simon School eighth-graders net league title
St. Simon School’s eighth-grade girls basketball team concluded its season by winning the Girls Parochial Athletic Conference postseason tournament. St. Simon of Los Altos entered the nine-team tournament as the No. 1 seed, having compiled a 16-0 record. Herrera sisters beat dad’s softball team; Eagles soaring in boys tennisSpring Sports Summary ast week’s softball game between Mountain View and Los Altos highs featured more intrigue than a typical meeting between the two district rivals. As competition heats up, so should Los Altos High track teamsDon’t expect the Los Altos High boys and girls track and field teams to shy away from competition. According to co-head coach Julia Widstrand, more competition will lead to more success for the Eagles. “Both teams will do better at the league meet where there are multiple competitors, as opposed to dual meets when they’re just going against one school,” said Widstrand, who coaches the team with Steve Perry. “I think they could both finish near the top.” BusinessYes, those dividends still matter to your investment portfolioInvestments It wasn’t all that long ago, not even two years, when many investors still put more faith in a company’s story than a company’s earnings. And as several stocks’ prices grew well beyond acceptable P/E ratios, the idea of dividend investing wasn’t thought about much at all. But with the market’s recent volatility, investors started to realize that considering dividends in your investment strategy isn’t such a bad thought after all. Redefining Internet accessCovad Communications was the first to provide consumers and small businesses high-speed access at affordable prices The first independent broadband service provider began Oct. 7, 1996, when three former Intel employees brainstormed at the kitchen table of a Los Altos Hills home. Conflict calms investors confidenceStock Report Although there’s little good news for investors, look for some cautious buying this week. After three weeks of falling prices on the Dow and Nasdaq, the pessimism will cease. Cashin Company realtors move to Los Altos’ Gateway Building in downtown Los AltosTown Crier Correspondent Menlo Park-based Cashin Company is scheduled to move into the highly visible Gateway Building at 496 First St. next month. The downstairs portion of the building was vacated by Coldwell Banker April 1. Business BriefsThe Los Altos Chamber of Commerce’s 14th annual Business EXPO will be held 4-7 p.m., April 25, at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road. The event will feature businesses from all seven Los Altos shopping districts. Admission is $5. Special SectionSchola benefit set for FridayChampagne and music will flow at a concert benefiting the Mountain View-based community chorus Schola Cantorum. The concert, “Make a Joyful Noise,” is scheduled for 8 p.m., Friday, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. The program includes varied vocal works by Bach, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Gilbert & Sullivan and more. Brockway of Los Altos honored as member of 1960 Olympic ski teamBeverly Brockway of Los Altos relived past Olympic glories last month when she and other members of the 1960 Winter Olympics team were honored during the U.S. Alpine Championships and Chevy Truck Return of Champions held at Squaw Valley. “It was a wonderful experience,” said Brockway, 63, a 34-year Los Altos resident. Baking tips1. If your oven temperature is questionable, invest in an oven thermometer. Some ovens might be off by as much as 75 degrees. 2. Preheat your oven to the correct temperature. If you are using glass Decorating hintsIcing consistency, correct bag position and pressure control are essential when it comes to decorating your cake with icing. If the consistency of your icing isn’t just right, your decorations won’t be right either. Just a few drops of liquid will make a great deal of difference in your results. Stiff icing holds a 3/4-inch peak on the spatula. It is best used for flowers with upright petals - if icing is not stiff enough, your petals will drop. Kisses and rosettes for the top of the wedding cakeCreate seven each of the silver and gold kisses rosette decorations. Arrange rosettes by inserting stems into styrofoam center of bouquet holder, alternating silver and gold rosettes. Decorate with curls of silver ribbon and sprigs of baby’s breath. Creamy buttercream frostingBeat 1 cup, or 2 sticks, of butter or margarine, 1 cup shortening and 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract in the large bowl of a heavy duty mixer until blended. Gradually add 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar, alternating with 1/4 cup milk until well blended. Food BitesResidents may help raise money for Los Altos High School’s Class of 2002 during the Family Night fund-raiser scheduled April 30 at Mikado Japanese Cuisine in downtown Los Altos. Mikado has agreed to contribute 15 percent of each patron’s lunch or dinner bill to Los Altos High School’s senior class when the payment is accompanied with a fund-raising coupon from the school. NutritionA: Nausea and vomiting are not unusual after chemotherapy, especially the first few days. The American Institute for Cancer Research has a booklet with advice on dealing with this problem, like taking small amounts of food and drink at a time, and avoiding food odors by serving food cold or cooking mainly in the microwave. Studies show that ginger fights nausea and aids digestion. Some people chew on candied ginger from the “Oriental Foods” aisle, capsules and ginger tea are also effective. For a free copy of the cancer associations brochure, Nutrition of the Cancer Patient, call (800) 843-8114, ext. 64. Q: Is rice fattening? Start your day the right way: Eat a healthy breakfastIn today’s fast-paced society, millions of Americans don’t get a good start on the day. They either skip breakfast or hurriedly munch a toaster pastry. A good breakfast that includes selections from the grain, fruit, meat and dairy groups can provide great mental and physical benefits for you throughout the day. In addition, breakfast can be a family social time. EngagementBritton Eve Schneider and Matthew Jason Barkoff have announced their engagement to be married May 2003 in Sonoma. A reception is planned at Ramechins Cooking Academy. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Lorin and Barry Schneider of Tiburon. She graduated from Tamalpais High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Arizona. She is an elementary school teacher in Marin. NoteworthiesRaffle tickets are available for the “American Stars Quilt” created by The Crazy Cut Ups Quilt Group. Designed by Mary Bousfield Brown and quilted by Melodee Wade, the quilt honors the Menlo Park Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team (USART). The drawing for the 54.5 inch-by-68-inch quilt will be held July 4 at Shoup Park in Los Altos. All proceeds benefit the Menlo Park Fire Department USART Team which has contributed emergency relief in several major disasters, including the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake; the 1992 hurricane on Kauai, Hawaii; the 1994 Northridge earthquake; the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing; the 1997 flooding in Napa and Marysville; the 1998 floods in Palo Alto and Menlo Park; the 1999 earthquake in Taiwan; the 2001 World Trade Center attack; and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. ObituariesFrederic “Ric” Teague died March 3. He was 72. Mr. Teague’s death marks the end of an unusual, eclectic life that ranged from serving in the Korean War to a profession as a management consultant to leaving it all behind to start a truck repair business in an industrial yard on Homer Avenue. Local authors gather to discuss their latest booksAs part of the Mountain View Library’s Author! Author! series, three authors will discuss their books and publishing experiences 7:30-9 p.m., April 23 at the Mountain View Public Library, 585 Franklin St. Jack Hasling, who taught speech communication at Foothill College for 25 years, will discuss his newly published novel, “Hillview.” The story takes place in the late 1960s at a suburban community college, and is a vivid representation of the events of that decade. Plenty of Broadway vets in TheatreWorks’ ‘Kept’TheatreWorks closes its 32nd season with the world premiere of “Kept,” a new musical from the award-winning authors of Broadway’s “Side Show.” “Kept” previews today through Friday and opens Saturday at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. The musical runs through May 5. Bus Barn does playwright Wasserstein proud in ‘Heidi Chronicles’Theater review Bus Barn Stage Company’s “The Heidi Chronicles” bears the strong mark of playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s desire to present a positive feminine presence. ‘Time Flies’ at Foothill College’s annual One-Act Play Festival in Los Altos HillsFoothill College’s One-Act Play Festival, featuring Foothill Theater Conservatory students, runs Friday through April 21. The students will stage “Time Flies” in the Studio Theater at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills. Written by David Ives, “Time Flies” is the follow-up collection to his award-winning “All in the Timing.” |
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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