‘Outraged’ LAH group vows to overturn town hall designs

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Residents propose referendum, law suit and council recall

Twelve residents take out papers for city council race in November

Mountain View

Eleven potential candidates have collected nomination papers for the city of Mountain View 2002 General Municipal Election. They must be filed by Thursday to appear on the November ballot.

Council gives Walgreen’s project final OK

Los Altos

Controversial entrance to remain at Second Street corner

Day workers to remain on LA streets, judge decides

Los Altos police cannot ticket day laborers for seeking employment along city streets until a pending lawsuit challenging the city’s anti-solicitation ordinance is settled in court, a federal judge decided last Friday.

Judge Jeremy Fogel said the portion of the ordinance relating to restricting day laborers was too broad, according to court documents.

News Briefs

DMV closes doors to public

The Mountain View branch of the Department of Motor Vehicles closed its doors to the public Monday, forcing drivers to use offices in Redwood City or Santa Clara.

Dropped fees mean new life for Moffett museum

A hefty reduction in operation costs has given the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum the break it needed to reopen its doors after financial problems forced it to shut down eight months ago. Museum Director Carol Henderson said she expects the museum to reopen in two to three months.

NASA Ames Research Center agreed last week to waive an annual charge for shared services of fire, police and other infrastructure services for the museum, sparing the museum an estimated $2,500 a month for its portion of the services.

Police Report

July 30, 7:56 a.m., Tydall Street: Caller told police there was a suspicious person.

House arrest

Overflow of angry residents spurs delay of creekside setback law

A decision on the Creekside Protection Ordinance for the city of Los Altos was postponed to another day as residents turned out in force to oppose the proposed law at a Thursday Los Altos Planning Commission meeting.

So many residents attended the public hearing at city hall that many were forced to sit on the floor or to strain their necks from the clogged doorways to hear the discussion.

Modified traffic plan spares residents thousands of dollars

Berry Avenue residents will be spared from coughing up tens of thousands of dollars to make their properties conform to city sidewalk improvements intended to make the street more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.

Los Altos Public Works Director Jim Porter said city staff redesigned the project to match the pathway’s elevation with existing adjacent private properties. A 5-foot dirt buffer in the public right-of-way between the path and private properties will provide engineers enough space to make up any grade difference between the two areas, he said.

Letters to the Editor

What, indeed, is a path? That is a question that has found a new and original definition by the current Pathways Committee in Los Altos Hills.

At a June council meeting, the current chairperson of the committee announced that his goal is to create a total of 60 miles of new paths in Los Altos Hills. This number astonished many members in the audience, and it was difficult to imagine how this could be done.

What this town needs is a little crass

Commentary

Architectural renditions of the proposed new town hall for Los Altos Hills show an impressive structure thrusting skyward over once apricot land. A friend remarked that it “resembled the sort of monument some petty Central American dictator would demand to have erected in his memory.” We have learned a bit about how dictators operate from watching the antics of our mayor this past year. Do you suppose she’ll insist it be named “Casa de Casey?”

MV councilwoman back from Afghanistan, advocates support

When Mountain View City Councilwoman Rosemary Stasek took a two-week break from work in late May to travel, she didn’t exactly pack her suitcases to go to the world’s most sought after tropical destination.

Instead, she joined a reconstruction delegation of 15 Afghan-Americans and traveled to Afghanistan, where she met with officials of the new government and worked to provide assistance in schools and hospitals in Kabul.

Fall course offered for future Los Altos leaders

The eight-month course meets 7-9 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month, starting Sept. 24, through May, except in December.

There is a one-time cost of $50 for incidental expenses.

Out of Africa

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Los Altos resident taught adults how to read

Mountain View senior events

A back care and exercise workshop will be held 12:30 p.m., Thursday.

Movies will be screened 1 p.m., Fridays.

Local artists to ‘Paint the Town - Again’ in September

The successful effort by local artists in 1999 to capture “the look of Los Altos the last year of the 20th century” will be repeated this fall with a new focus: Los Altos on its 50th birthday.

Called “Paint the Town - Again,” the effort will be launched Sept. 14 when dozens of local artists set up their easels throughout town. This time artists will produce images of historic homes, homes and cars of 1952, as well as new and old commercial buildings. Working from photos, they will also include community events, such as the Festival of Lights Parade and Pet Parade.

Wellness and longevity group to meet in Los Altos

Starting Thursday, the Smart Life Forum will move their monthly meetings from Palo Alto to Los Altos.

SLF is a community of people who seek to stay informed about breakthroughs in the new science of optimal wellness and longevity. They try to understand and put to use the explosion of new information and ideas in biochemistry, physiology and medicine.

Noteworthies

David Susman, Evan Dellor and Jane Kim of Los Altos earned bachelor’s degrees from Columbia University, in New York.

Jacqueline Vayntrub of Los Altos Hills and Nicole Barrett, Laurel Frame, Kathryn Jorgensen, Andreas Riter, Kimberly Ross, Ryan Stern and Chi-Hwa Ting of Los Altos have been named to the spring quarter 2002 Dean’s Honors List at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Schools Briefs

The Los Altos Art Docents will be starting a new training session in September. The art docents are trained volunteers who teach art appreciation and hands-on art projects in the six Los Altos elementary schools. An art background is not necessary, only a love of art and a willingness to share that love with children.

For more information, call Carole Elliott Heimforth at 941-4800, or look for the art docent table on campus the first day of school.

Egan, Almond receive awards for meeting API performance goals

Egan Junior High and Almond Elementary schools will have $13,000 extra to spend this coming school year.

The schools were recipients of the Governor’s Performance Awards for meeting their 5 percent growth target on the Academic Performance Index during the 2001-02 school year. Governor Gray Davis announced the awards July 29.

Sports On The Side

Mountain View Babe Ruth, which also serves Los Altos and Sunnyvale, will hold sign-ups for its fall youth baseball leagues from noon to 1 p.m., Saturday, at McKelvey Ballpark on Miramonte Avenue. The leagues, for ages 12-17, start in September and run through October. Teams play two games a week. Cost: $50-$100. For more information, call 966-8027.

Get fit

Pony team eliminated in regional

The Los Altos-Mountain View Pony Division All-Stars bowed out of the PONY Baseball Regional Tournament last Sunday in Santa Clara.

The team of 13- and 14-year-olds went 2-2 in the tournament, which featured top teams from all over Northern California, to finish fourth.

MV resident writes guide for women golfers

The premier edition of “Fore Women Golfers Discount Golf & Leisure Guide,” published by Mountain View resident Rosiland Bivings, was released in July.

The book contains green fee discounts at California and Nevada golf courses, along with savings discounts specifically targeted at women golfers and consumers.

LA resident has a blast playing for Xplosion

By Pete Borello

For Los Altos resident Daniela Roark, playing point guard on the East Bay Xplosion must be like approaching the buffet table at a Las Vegas hotel. There are so many options to choose from.

St. Francis tennis player nominated for CIF award

Rohin Das, who in May wrapped up his final season on the St. Francis High boys tennis team, was among 20 finalists for the spring California Interscholastic Federation Spirit of Sport Award.

Patti Viri of Westmoor High (Daly City) and Jonathan Schram of Francis Parker High (San Diego) were the girls and boys winners, respectively.

Titans place 2nd in AAU National Baseball Tournament

The West Bay Titans finished as the runner-up in the 15-and-under division of the Amateur Athletic Union National Baseball Tournament, which concluded last Friday in Kingsport, Tenn.

The Titans, with players from Los Altos, Mountain View and St. Francis highs, posted a 7-3 record in the weeklong event.

Good times for Covington

Several members of swim club set personal records at league meet

The Covington Swim Team’s whirlwind season came to a satisfying end July 27 at the West Bay Swim League Championships.

Believe it or not, milkman still delivers - and prospers

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Childhood memories can go a long way. They gave direction to Michal Jozef Grycz. The boy who grew up in Palo Alto and attended St. Francis High School now goes by “Michal the Milkman,” delivering dairy goods to clients in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Chamber of commerce golf tournament to be held Aug. 19

Putting and chipping contests, with $5,000 in prizes, are being sponsored by American Express Tax & Business Services and Jim Flynn State Farm Insurance. A Mini Cooper donated by Allison BMW and a Rolex watch donated by Gleim Jewelers are the hole-in-one prizes. A silent auction will be held during a cocktail reception following the tournament. Funds raised by this event are used to support chamber and community programs.

Nominations being accepted for MV chamber awards

This will be the eighth year in which the Celebration of Leaders Awards will be presented. In addition to outstanding volunteers, the chamber award categories include: Outstanding Business (up to 50 employees), Outstanding Business (50-plus employees), Outstanding Organization and Outstanding Business Person.

The Celebration of Leaders Awards will be presented at 6 p.m., Nov. 21 at the Crowne Plaza Cabana.

Transactions

19627 Amherst Drive - Song Trust to J. & V. Wang for $763,000.00

20647 Celeste Circle - B. Harvey to F. Yeh for $426,000.00

Duarte steals the show in ‘Be Aggressive’

Theater review

Plays reach local theaters in three ways. If not developed locally, they are honed and proven big-time efforts that filter down, or they are regionally developed originals hoping to pass through on the way up.

Add eye exams to back-to-school checklist

Your child’s eyes

“Thorough eye exams for school-age children are important because vision changes can occur without you or your child noticing,” said Dr. Jeff Smith, vice president of professional services at Pearle Vision. “Most common eye problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, amblyopia (lazy eye) and astigmatism can be successfully treated when caught early.”

Time management can reduce stresses of student life throughout the year

Town Crier Editorial Intern

As the lazy summer months near their end, students returning to school will once again need to plan out their busy schedules to balance their academic studies with part-time working hours, club meetings and athletics practice.

Tips for easing your child’s anxiety about the first day of school

For children - and some parents - the summer vacation flies by, and all too soon it’s time to head back to school. As fall approaches, so does back-to-school stress. School children worry about everything from their new teacher to missing the bus or forgetting their lunch. The worrying can be especially bad for children going to school for the first time, or for those moving on to middle or high school.

Parents can help make the transition a fun and exciting experience. Share a story from your school days with your child. Did you go to school one day in second grade without your homework? Did you get teased in middle school? Did you get lost the first day of high school? Sharing these stories will let your children know that you have been through what they’re experiencing and that you’ve lived to joke about it.

New student support center opens in LA

Jennifer Hurwick, a special education teacher, and Lisa Sieber, a mental health counselor, have made helping children their life’s work. So it seemed only natural when the two women began their own business last month, centered around youth in need.

Student Support Strategies in Los Altos offers families and schools a variety of educational and counseling services tailored to each individual student or family.

Help children get their daily quota of fruit and vegetables

Back-to-school time brings many thoughts to mind: new clothes, new notebooks and supplies, new friends, new ideas to learn.

It also presents a new opportunity to make sure children eat healthy and nutritious meals and snacks.

Fall into fashion this coming school year

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Los Altos shops offer fashion tips

Prior planning can prevent a student’s poor performance

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Start your child’s school year off right with some personal tutoring. Soon enough summer will be coming to a close and brushing up on study skills is a great way to pave a smooth path into the new year.

‘Love’ for the coach

Town Crier Editorial Intern

One long success story for tennis legend, LA resident Frank Brennan

Born to haul

Capable of towing 8,500 pounds, the Navigator is a real workhorse

There are times when only a sport-ute will work. In this column, I’ve suggested several new station wagons and hatchbacks that are better than SUVs for most around-town hauling requirements.

Suggestions to help your vehicle survive the summer heat

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence offers these tips to keep your car running in the summer:

Read the owner’s manual and follow the recommended service schedules.

Foothill-De Anza seeks used cars

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District is asking area residents to donate vehicles to the Foothill-De Anza Foundation, which funds programs and services at both community colleges.

Used cars, trucks, RVs, boats and even planes may be donated.

Tips From The Auto Brokers

By Robert Hammer & Stefanie Kelly

If you are like most people, your first thought of acquiring a new vehicle is a happy one: you behind the wheel of that hot new car of your dreams.

Driving Passion

The classics are coming to Monterey

Classic car enthusiasts from all over the world will gather in Monterey Aug. 14-18.

Obituaries

He was native of the town of Ereno, in the Province of Bizkaia, in Spain. A member of the Batallon Aristimuno, on the side of the Republic during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39, he witnessed the Nazi Air Force atrocities in the Basque cities of Durango and Gernika. He actively opposed fascism and the Franco regime and was dedicated to the cause of the Basque people.

After World War II, he came to the United States via Portugal as an exile and worked as a Sheepherder in Utah and Nevada. He later settled in Los Altos and raised his family.

Sara LaBoskey, a star on and off the soccer field

Sara Beth LaBoskey’s beauty went far beyond her good looks, just as her achievements went far beyond good grades and athletic skills. A promising scholar-athlete, she exhibited grace whether scoring goals in her favorite sport, soccer, writing her autobiography or continually putting others ahead of herself.

LaBoskey, a longtime resident of Los Altos, died July 28 after a long battle with a rare form of bone cancer. She was 21.

Service News

He served for more than nine years as a naval aviator. He flew the E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning/command and control aircraft and the T-2C Buckeye training jet, accumulating 3,000 flight hours, nine combat missions and 238 carrier arrested landings.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathaniel K. Roesler, a 2000 graduate of Los Altos High School, recently completed the Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit course at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, Goose Creek, S.C.

Renaissance man Edwin Delfs discovered dinosaur, practiced medicine

Dr. Edwin R. Delfs, longtime resident of Los Altos Hills who pursued careers as an obstetrician-gynecologist and vertebrate paleontologost, died July l5 at Stanford University Hospital of congestive heart failure. He was 68 years old.

Dr. Delfs was a true renaissance man and a great intellect. He was born in Lakewood, Ohio, in l934 and as a youth played piano and trumpet.

Weddings

Send wedding and engagement announcements to Richard Billings at the Los Altos Town Crier, 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022. E-mail announcements to bruceb@latc.com.

Christy Davis and Brian Hunter were married May 18 in Santa Barbara. A reception was held at the Biltmore Hotel.

Small brewers pouring into Mtn. View this weekend

The 14th annual Small Brewers Festival is scheduled for this weekend in downtown Mountain View.

The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, behind the Tied House Brewery on Villa Street. Admission is free.

Bus Barn offers free Shakespeare in park

Bus Barn Stage Company’s free Shakespeare in the Park presentation of “As You Like It” runs this weekend and next at Shoup Park in Los Altos.

Performances are scheduled for 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, and Aug. 17 and 18. Each performance runs three hours.

Buying a used laptop can be a cheaper alternative for students

Town Crier Editorial Intern

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