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Archives » 2002 » Volume 55 , Issue 27, Published on Wednesday, July 3, 2002NewsDemolition crews clear downtown site for Walgreens mid-Dec. groundbreakingDemolition crews last week began clearing space for the new Walgreens drugstore planned for Second Street last week, Project Architect Tom Boyd of Quality Design Concepts said. The Architectural Site & Control Committee earlier this month approved Walgreens’ final design plans to renovate the former 14,988-square-foot McWhorter’s building, with a corner entrance facing Second Street, giving developers the green light to begin demolition on the site. Strangers’ kindness helps Los Altos motorist recover from near fatal auto accident
Ethel Kunnes’ seat belt may have saved her life, but it was the help of strangers that restored her faith in humanity. Now, after more than two weeks of recovering from a nearly fatal car accident, Kunnes has begun the search for the motorists who came to her rescue, so that she can personally say thank you. Strong financial position favors El Camino Hospital as it enters $2.9 million rebuilding phaseEl Camino Hospital’s finances look healthy, said Chief Executive Officer Lee Domanico. The district’s current cash reserves total $196.9 million, approximately $1.6 million higher than the fiscal year 2002 audited. And days cash on hand continues to be significantly above the A+ bond rating criteria, he said. Lame duck council flies away with final victoryWhen it was all said and done, Toni Casey had the last laugh. The Los Altos Hills councilwoman, who has spent more than a decade fighting for property owners’ rights, rallied the lame-duck council in a last act of defiance before the Dec. 5 two-seat changeover. The final votes overcame the nagging drone of protesting preservationists and neighbors last Thursday. Bridging their differences Partners For New Generations expanding program to Los Altos, Mountain View high schools
Khristopher Sandifer was a talented, but unfocused student at Alta Vista High School. He remembers entering into a mentoring program just to humor his counselor. The decision ended up changing his life. Sandifer was 17 when his counselor matched him with adult mentor Alan Price. Both have interests in photography. Their relationship began gradually - first a conversation over pizza, then work on photography projects. A friendship blossomed, as Price became the kind of adult influence Sandifer never had: one who was there to help but never preached, one who met with Sandifer on common, equal ground; one who challenged Sandifer to challenge himself. The legacy of Toni Casey: Good or bad?
She’s hobnobbed with presidents, championed homeowners’ rights and been called everything from a “crusader” of reform to a “self-appointed dictator.” In the eye of every political controversy in town, there was always Toni Casey. The three-time Los Altos Hills mayor and three-term councilwoman, who with her Southern drawl rattled the nation’s fifth richest city for almost 15 years, will step down from council Dec. 5, perhaps to seek bigger battles on the national political scene. New city plan discourages traffic through Los AltosLess traffic, more retail-residential developments and the preservation of the village atmosphere are key elements in a new 20-year blueprint for Los Altos that the city council approved this month. California law requires each city to adopt a long-term General Plan with guidelines and policies to serve as a primary document for development decisions in the following seven areas: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise and safety. Los Altos updated its 1987 plan this month after a year of gathering community feedback. EditorialSchool district has a solid planThe proposal on the table now calls for three schools instead of two under construction next year, Oak, Santa Rita and Loyola, with camp schools at Blach, Egan and Covington. This buys the district time to re-examine their facilities issues in terms of enrollment forecasts and projected costs of operating seven schools. The district board is scheduled to vote on the plan at its Dec. 9 meeting. Continuing with a plan to renovate all schools keeps a promise to the voters under the $95 million bond measure passed in 1998. Even though Loyola and Bullis-Purissima had been targeted as potential closures because of their current facilities problems, it makes sense from four major standpoints to keep them open. LettersLETTERS TO THE EDITORI am writing to provide further background into “Peek Into the Past” regarding the Novice Junior Tennis Tournament in 1962. This was the brainchild of Dick Gould, who was the tennis professional of Fremont Hills Country Club at the time. We all know him now as the premier college tennis coach in the United States, since he has been at Stanford for the past 34 years. He designed this novice tournament, held annually during Easter week, for unranked junior players to give them a chance to work their way toward the finals. This would not have been possible in a sanctioned tournament filled with top-ranked juniors. WeddingsWeddingsSend your wedding and engagement announcements to Richard Billings at the Los Altos Town Crier, 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022. Photos are welcome. If you want your photo returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. For more information, call 948-9000, ext. 318, or e-mail ObituariesTOWN CRIER OBITUARIES FOR NOV. 27He attended Louisiana State University (LSU) where he received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1943. He also attended the University of Maryland and took graduate courses in engineering and mathematics 1947-49. Charles was a member of the LSU staff doing research on the ionosphere and radio propagation 1943-44. He served at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Laboratory, White Oaks, Maryland from 1944-61 as a Systems Engineer and Project Manager for several large anti-submarine warfare ordnance projects. While in Washington, DC, he met his wife, Frances Brand Qualls. From 1961-63 Charles was the Manager of Program Management at General Precision, Inc. Librascope Division, in Redlands, CA. He was also Manager of Missile Systems Design for the U.S. Air Force program at Aerospace Corp., 1963-65. Charles followed his dream to become part of the Space program in 1965 and moved to Los Altos where he was NASA/AMES Biosatellite Project Manager. Charles led the Biosatellite program which was the first major effort in the U.S. to exploit the excellent opportunity offered by earth-orbital missions to obtain a better understanding of basic biological life in space. His greatest accomplishments include developing the MK 48 torpedo, overseeing the development of the Athena missile, conducting research into the effects weightlessness on living organisms for the space program and sending the first monkey, Bonnie, into earth orbit for research applied to the U.S. Manned-Space program. Charles Biosatellite program was so beneficial to the U.S. Manned-Space program that Biosatellite is now exhibited in the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. Charles completed a distinguished career with NASA and moved back to Washington, DC to serve the Nation on President Nixon’s 1970’s Economic Stabilization Program as a pay board member. In retirement, Charles, became an avid wine maker, wonderful Cajun chef, gardener, a great supporter of his grandchildren and St. Francis High School football. He is survived by his daughters, Ella Mayon and Wendy Wilson, his three grandchildren, Christopher, Michael and Courtney and son in law, Michael Mayon. A memorial was held on November 23, 2002 at the Mayon home. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made, on behalf of Charles, to a charity of your choice. CommunityAuthor discusses secrets of Nixon administrationSyndicated columnist Richard Reeves discussed his book, “President Nixon, Alone in the White House,” Nov. 5 at the Morning Forum of Los Altos. Reeves found accounts of Nixon’s dialogues with him in records from his presidency sealed by the F.B.I. and unopened until recently. Forum focuses on role of citizens in retaining open space
Renowned Bay Area environmentalist Huey Johnson said what the world needs now is a “second wave” of open space stewardship. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and Mary Stegner, wife of the late Stanford University professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner, awarded Johnson, the first Mary and Wallace Stegner Award for Environmental Stewardship Nov. 17 at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. LAHS student travels to New York for Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Los Altos High School junior Marisa Takami is about to embark on the experience of a lifetime. She was invited to participate in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Takami will perform with about 200 other participants from around the country. It started last summer at a dance camp at University of California at Santa Barbara. Takami, who formed the dance team at Los Altos High School and became its captain as a sophomore, was joined by four other girls at the camp. SchoolsClerical error delays LASD board vote on possible campus closure until DecemberA clerical error is to blame for the delay on the decision by the Los Altos School District as to which version of its Citizen’s Advisory Committee’s financial plans to put in place, which in turn decides the configuration of the district’s campuses for the 2003-04 school year. Under the Brown Act, a law that requires public access to meetings, “no action or discussion shall be undertaken on any item not appearing on the posted agenda.” College grading system under scrutiny in the Foothill-De Anza college districtThere is a movement underway at the Foothill-De Anza Community College District to change the grading policy for students and maintain academic integrity. Part of the proposal is to include pluses and minuses with letter grades. The responsibility to change any grading system lies with the District’s board. A group of faculty and students presented their case to the board Nov. 18 for consideration. No action was taken on the proposal, but Chancellor Leo Chavez, who will be replaced by Lois Callahan next month, suggested everybody should find out where they stand. Rosenberg ready to fill open MV-LA board seat
It was an easy choice for Julia Rosenberg when it came to running for an open seat on the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District School Board. She ran unapposed in the Nov. 5 election, and will begin her four year term at the Dec. 9 board meeting. Rosenberg, a mother of two Los Altos High students, has a long history of volunteering in her children’s schools. SportsOwls coach hoping for ‘big time’ season
This season promises to be a bumpy but exciting ride for the Foothill College women’s basketball team. The Owls are short on experience, long on talent. It’s a combination that can take any coach on an emotional roller coaster, including Foothill’s Jody Craig. Bring out the brooms Los Altos, St. Francis both sweep their section semifinal matches
The girls volleyball teams from Los Altos and St. Francis highs made quick work of their respective Central Coast Section semifinal opponents last Thursday, sweeping them in less than an hour. Los Altos whipped Willow Glen 15-4, 15-9, 15-2 in the Division III semifinals at Valley Christian High; St. Francis pounded Piedmont Hills 15-1, 15-7, 15-2 in the Division I semis at Santa Clara High. BusinessLos Altos’ Atelier opens a second shop on Santana Row
Karie Bennett, the owner of Atelier beauty salon on State Street, is opening another location in Santana Row. The new store will open Friday. “This past summer the Aveda Corporation called and presented me with an opportunity I have been working for my whole career,” Bennett said. “I’ve been a hair dresser for more than 20 years and I never dreamed of this chance to reach my goal in life.” |
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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