By Electric car at town hall

The Los Altos Recreation Department will be one of 380 recreation agencies statewide to add an electric car to its inventory this year.

The National Park Service, California Parks and Recreation Society and DaimlerChrysler Company recently donated a Global Electric Motors (GEM) vehicle to Los Altos as part of a statewide giveaway program.

Los Altos was selected from among 750 applicants.

The electric vehicle is street legal and may carry a 900-pound payload. A standard 110-volt outlet will recharge the vehicle.

The city plans to use the vehicle during a one-year trial period to supervise offsite programs and to transport supplies. If successful, the city could consider adding more electric vehicles for garbage pickup, parking enforcement, and inspection services.

The GEM costs $4,000 fully loaded. A lightweight truck costs between $13,000 and $16,500. The Los Altos City Council earmarked $1,500 for vehicle maintenance.

Peninsula

Rabid bat discovered

Los Altos

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department issued a countywide warning last week to residents who may have recently handled a bat.

County officials discoverd a bat with rabies Oct. 6 at a business complex at 33 S. Park Victoria Drive in Milpitas. No human contact with the bat had been reported earlier this week, officials said. Because bats frequently lick their fur, a person who handles a rabid bat can contract rabies from the bat’s saliva if it comes in contact with a cut or open sore, officials said.

Anyone in the Los Altos area who has handled a bat in the past week should call Palo Alto Animal Control at 496-5971.

-Town Crier Staff Report