The way of Raye

The muscular man with the bushy white beard has heard it more than once. The warnings usually come from young men working out beside him at the gym, those worried he’s lifting too much weight for his age — and own good.

They obviously don’t know Raye Girouard.

Homecomings and military news

A war photo of a U.S. Marine sitting on an amphibious vehicle in front of a road sign pointing to Baghdad has brought national attention to one Los Altos family. Tim Fennell said strangers from all over the country have been calling his family, offering to mail them the photo of his son Marine Lt. John “Matt” Fennell, 24, ever since The Orange County Register first published it April 2. Matt’s company, Alpha Company, was among those leading the drive to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom when photographer Mark Avery snapped the photo March 31. Matt’s wife, Sandy, an ensign in the Navy also stationed in Iraq, had lost track of her husband’s whereabouts. She asked Avery to send a photo of Matt to her. Newspapers and magazines worldwide have reproduced the photo online and in print.

Fennell said photo captions identified Matt as a Los Altos resident. Using that as a starting point, people tracked down the family’s telephone number.

Prominent Realtor Art Scott found dead

Arthur “Art” Scott, a prominent local real estate agent known for his generosity as well as his salesmanship, was found dead April 28 at Stevens Creek Park outside Cupertino, the victim of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s officers have declared the incident a suicide. According to the sheriff’s report, a park ranger spotted Scott at approximately 7:30 p.m., slumped inside a 2002 white BMW, parked near the boat launch area.

County prepares residents for arrival of ‘Nile’ Virus

Los Altos residents received warnings last week about another virus expected to reach the area by this summer. Health experts predict infected birds will bring the West Nile Virus to California over the next few months.

The mosquito-borne illness was first detected in the United States in 1999 in New York City and was reported in 28 states by the end of 2001. It has continued to move westward.

LETTERS OF MAY 7, 2003

dangerous driving

Standing up for public education in the hills

As a parent with five school age children in four different schools, I have had an excellent opportunity to observe the performance of many of our local schools.

Over the last several decades, as California has slipped to near the bottom in national rankings of per pupil funding and academic achievement, the Los Altos School District has managed to distinguish itself, rising to at or near the top of schools in this generally poorly performing group. It has done so because of the quality of its students, the excellence of their teachers, above average parental involvement, a sound curriculum and sustained, generous financial support from the community.

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 7

long time Mtn. View, CA resident, passed away Saturday, April 26, 2003 of complications associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was born August 1, 1923 in London, KY to Dora Etta (Mason) and William C. Marcum, and was raised in Kentucky and Washington. After graduating from high school, he worked for the FCC, then joined the USCG Merchant Marine, serving as a radio operator in the South Pacific and North Atlantic during World War II. He earned a BSEE degree from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from the University of Santa Clara. He was a member of IEEE and ETA Kappa Nu.

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

Los Altos Historical Commission announces winners of annual Historical Essay Contest

Imagine living in Los Altos 50 years ago when it first became incorporated. For many Los Altos residents this was a reality, while many children can’t fathom it.

In honor of Los Altos’ 50th anniversary last year, the Los Altos Historical Commission’s 19th annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest directed Los Altos students to travel back fifty years and imagine life in a newly consolidated Los Altos.

Los Altos nuns religious about exercise

After years of inactive lifestyles, three nuns from the convent at St. Simon’s Catholic Church in Los Altos decided last year to change their habits — and they weren’t talking about religious garb.

Since September 2002, Sisters Margaret Rose Adams, Osue Chuta and Leo Shirley Cummings have been putting faith into a different kind of devotion: regular exercise.

Carmela Saviano, a ‘mom for all seasons

Mother’s Day, this coming Sunday, is an especially meaningful time for Carmela Saviano. The Los Altos Hills resident has nine children and 46 grand- and great-grandchildren as beautiful fruit on the family tree, with nary a bad apple among them.

A self-styled “Cradle Catholic,” Saviano, 83, graduated from high school with honors and a gold medal in athletics, then “married young.”

LASD Superintendent answers questions about charter schools and the district

The League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View area directed the following questions to Los Altos School District Superintendent Marge Gratiot in regard to Bullis Charter School. The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees was scheduled to make a decision to either grant or deny the charter at its May 5 meeting, after the Town Crier deadline. Look for an update in our May 14 issue and online at www.losaltos online.com.

The district has until May 11 to make a decision.

MV-LAUHSD prioritizes budget cuts

The Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District has made the difficult decsion of adopting a budget reduction priority list, as the Board of Trustees attempts to cut $2.5 million for the 2003-04 school year. The board will adopt its budget by June 23.

Superintendent Rich Fischer said that he and the board know that the first round of cuts must be made, along with some second round cuts, and it is not yet certain if the third level of cuts will be necessary.

Leading attention deficit author to lecture on positive course for children

The way Dr. Edward Hallowell sees it, many parents are missing the point of childhood. The pressure put on children to succeed often puts them on the road to a lifestyle that results in career burnout by age 35.

The acclaimed psychiatrist, who scored with his 1994 bestseller “Driven to Distraction,” will be speaking Tuesday at Hyatt Rickeys Hotel in Palo Alto on the heels of a new book, “The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy.”

Spartans edge Los Altos in softball; MV swim teams set league records

The Mountain View High softball team got even with rival Los Altos last week, eking out a 1-0 road win.

The Spartans, who lost to the Eagles earlier in the year, scored on a double by Ashlee Choi in the fourth inning of the SCVAL De Anza Division game April 29.

Los Altos recovers from slump by winning two games in a row

It wasn’t that long ago that the Los Altos High baseball team was on a fast track to division dominance with a perfect 9-0 record.

Then it hit a little speed bump and lost three SCVAL El Camino Division games in a row, including back-to-back setbacks to its two closest pursuers on April 26 and 28.

St. Francis boys golf team on course to win another title

The St. Francis High boys golf team has learned that being the class of the Central Coast Section gets you out of class.

Since playoff matches start early in the day, the further the Lancers advance, the more classes they will miss.

Chadwick’s of London open fifth store in downtown Los Altos

Those frilly, lacy, feminine necessities we used to call unmentionables years ago, are back at 322 Main St. Chadwick’s of London calls them lingerie.

Michael and Shelly Chadwick opened their fifth Chadwick’s of London store last week in the location where Lamourette opened, then closed because of family commitments.

Don’t let the stock market euphoria overwhelm you

Investors were unfazed by the jump in unemployment figures last week and the market zoomed, bringing optimism back. The Nasdaq composite index posted its best finish in 10 months and the Dow closed at its highest since mid-January.

Companies have generated earnings by not hiring or firing, and not buying new equipment. They aren’t showing real revenue or growth, but investors seem happy with the results. Of the 30 issues that make up the Dow industrials, 28 were higher.

Rain lets up for opening day of the Los Altos downtown farmers market

Some of the best ingredients for home-cooked meals can be found in farmers markets.

Wanda Whitaker left her hair salon Thursday and picked up tomatoes, asparagus and salmon from the Los Altos Farmers Market for her dinner. “I’m so glad it didn’t rain or we would have gone hungry,” she said.

20 years of great Texas barbecue

A lot of oak and hickory wood has turned to ashes at Armadillo Willy’s over the last 20 years; and during that time, a lot of barbecue ribs were voted the best available by reader polls.

Los Altos resident John Berwald, founder and chief executive officer, opened the first Armadillo Willy’s resteraunt in Cupertino July 1, 1983. From that first 1,200-square-foot location on Highway 9, he has expanded to nine locations.

A classic Italian villa

In 1994, the Town of Los Altos Hills designated the Shumate house an historic landmark.

This year the annual Los Altos History House Tour May 9 and 10 will feature this unique estate where Dr. Thomas E. Shumate built the mansion in 1916 for $10,000.