Council hears annexation request from residents

The Los Altos Hills City Council considered a plea from residents of West Loyola Drive last week to have their neighborhood - in the unincorporated San Antonio Hills area - annexed to the town.

Last week’s request is among numerous attempts by annexation proponents over the years to move county-controlled properties into either Los Altos or Los Altos Hills. This push for annexation was sparked by Santa Clara County’s practice of not providing the area with access to public sewer systems. West Loyola residents have instead relied on individual, private party septic systems, which have been gradually failing and in need of replacement for years.

Traffic relief: LA hires full-time engineer

Los Altos City Hall plans to dedicate 40 hours more each week to city traffic woes with a new full-time traffic engineer. The city hired Tom Ho March 3 to fill the traffic engineering position vacant for the past year since Dave Donahue retired. Donahue, who agreed to work with the city part time until a new engineer came on board, plans to continue through the summer to finalize some projects.

Ho worked in the San Jose Public Works, Engineering and Environmental Services departments over the past 30 years. He is a civil engineering graduate from San Jose State University with a professional engineer’s license.

Los Altos School District approves attendance boundary changes

Along with the shuffling of schools has come the shuffling of attendance boundaries in the Los Altos School District.

The district had to redraw its boundaries after the decision to close Bullis-Purissima School and open Covington School, in efforts to equalize the number of students at each school in line with grade progressions.

Hospital to undergo operation

“Just Minutes Away,” reads 1957 campaign literature for a new hospital in the Mountain View-Los Altos area. The hospital approved by voters that year was El Camino Hospital, of course. The public hospital went on to earn a reputation for high-quality patient care and accountability to the community.

Despite a financial crisis in the mid-1990s due to a near-disastrous stint with an integrated delivery system, the hospital has honored the public’s trust with strong service and solid finances since its opening in 1961.

Neighbors lose electricity after teen crashes into power pole

Hundreds of Los Altos residents lost power after a high school student lost control of her Ford truck and sheared the base of a power pole on the 100 block of Almond Avenue near Frederick Court last Tuesday morning.

The crash brought residents from nearby homes out into the street to see the power pole leaning against another pole that appeared to have temporarily blocked it from falling.

A local call for military support

Los Altos City employees Greg Asley and Mike Beard put on a patriotic display for local commuters on Highway 85 at the Homestead Road overpass in Cupertino Monday, waving the U.S. flag during a two-man rally in support of the military that appeared to draw more support than disdain.

Both former U.S. Marines said they wanted to show their support for those willing to risk their lives for the United States as part of their job in the military.

New LAH council off to good start

Kerr and Warshawsky, both elected in a landslide last November, are keeping campaign promises to undertake a more democratic process for choosing a design for town hall. This is because the previous council had come up with a mission-style design that suited council members fine, but not the residents.

Many citizens took issue with the design and cost involved. In addition, it appeared that, while town committees were in on the process early on, residents at large were left out.

LETTERS OF MARCH 12, 2003

outweigh NIMBY-ism

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 12

of Los Altos, CA passed away at home on February 28, 2003, after a long battle with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (genetic emphysema). He was 78. Richard was the son of Etta May Smith, a columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, and Warren Smith, Sr., a retail credit service manager.

Richard, a San Jose native, was raised in Willow Glen and attended Los Gatos High School (Class of 1942). He also attended San Jose State and the University of Chicago. During WWII, he served as a signal man for the U.S. Navy Liberty Ships. After service he entered hotel management working in hotels on the east, including The Greenbrier in West Virginia where he met his lovely wife Betty. He began his insurance career in San Jose in 1951 as an agent and then manager with the New York Life Insurance Company. For the past twenty years he operated Richard S. Smith Insurance Associates in Los Altos. He retired in 1992.

Weddings

Send your wedding, engagement or anniversary 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

Manager brings good cheer, energy while raising funds in the fight against cancer

At first glance, you might mistake the Discovery Shop for a thrift shop. A closer look reveals a quality resale shop, established by the American Cancer Society, which not only offers terrific values on “gently-used” clothing, furniture and other merchandise, but something far beyond the shopping experience. The Discovery Shop offers cancer patients and families information and events, as well as emotional support, and an informal gathering place for its patrons.

During March, the Discovery Shop supports the American Cancer Society’s programs, including Colon Cancer Awareness, Cover the Uninsured, Daffodil Days and Relay for Life. Upcoming events at the shop include: a promotion around the Academy Awards during the weekend of March 22; the shop’s sixth annual silent auction, slated for June; and the annual fashion show, traditionally a standing room only event, scheduled for November.

Forum speaker says controlling biological weapons urgent

Dr. Christopher Chyba told the March 4 Morning Forum audience that although humans have been using biological materials against their enemies for centuries, the next 20 years are crucial in controlling the use of infectious and contagious agents by terrorists and rogue governments.

Chyba said that Koch and Pasteur’s discovery of the germ theory of disease was a huge benefit for humanity, but on the darker side of the equation, it opened the door to the development of disease as a weapon.

Bullis Charter School discouraged by LASD response

The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees met in a special study session with their attorneys, Janet Mueller and Mattie Scott of Miller, Brown & Dannis, to discuss the district’s legal obligations to a charter school.

Efforts have been under way by some Bullis-Purissima School parents to start a charter school, since the district’s Feb. 10 decision to close the K-6 school in Los Altos Hills beginning with the 2003-04 school year. Bullis Charter School hopes to submit its charter this week.

Dave McNulty will serve as principal at new Covington School

Bullis-Purissima School Principal Dave McNulty is looking forward to the challenge of building a new school and community as principal of Covington School next year.

McNulty is a familiar face to the majority of the Bullis student body, who will also move to the K-6 school on Covington Road in Los Altos.

Almond special day class builds a castle of dreams

The general contracting company of Rudolph and Sletten Inc. has built the Monterey Bay Aquarium and El Camino Hospital just to name a few. And now Karen Rudolph can add a castle for the Almond School silent auction to the list.

Rudolph, who has a student in Almond’s special day class of students with special needs in first through third grades, volunteered the services of her company and donated the materials to make the playhouse.

Panthers claim title with 2nd-half push

Blending an abundance of talent on the court with a little dose of coaching wisdom in the locker room, the Pinewood School girls basketball team wore down St. Francis High 70-51 last Saturday to claim its sixth consecutive Central Coast Section championship.

After leading by only six points over the fired-up Lancers at halftime, Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler told his players to ratchet up their intensity to start the second half.

Reaching new depth

Never mind that the Los Altos High boys tennis team is without its two best singles players from a year ago.

Eagles coach Cuong Duong contends this season’s squad is deeper and better than its predecessor, which reached the Central Coast Section Division II semifinals.

Business is brisk for specialized executive search firm in Los Altos

Although the Labor Department reported the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 5.8 percent last week, a Los Altos firm is enjoying an excellent year in the labor market, because it is in a specialized field.

Located in downtown Los Altos, The Bauman Group, a retained executive search firm, works exclusively in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device field. The group specializes in clinical development.

Body and soul

Finger foods, fruit salads, ginger cookies and barbecue are just as much a part of the ministry as Bible studies at the Los Altos United Methodist Church.

It is one of the few local churches that operates a professional food services department dedicated to catering church and community events. It is part of the National Association of Church Food Service, an organization that provides certification.