Overflow of fun activities

The usually calm downtown Los Altos will be vibrantly alive this weekend, teeming with thousands of people from all over the Bay Area attending the 24th annual Arts & Wine Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s festival theme is “Good Old Summertime,” with some new features in store for festival-goers such as a Y3K Simulator - a computerized thrill ride in the KIDZONE - and “Volcano Cups.”

Restaurant opening could spur change in ordinance

A new takeout restaurant to be located on First Street has given city staff the incentive to consider altering a zoning ordinance that prohibits takeout services from being located within 150 feet of one another.

The ordinance was adopted in 1998, but many of the downtown restaurants that were established after that, including Jamba Juice, Starbucks, Le Boulanger and Posh Bagel, have not complied with the ordinance. They are all located within 150 feet of one another, according to a city document.

LAH City Council agrees on 2003-04 budget

The Los Altos Hills City Council unanimously approved a budget June 19 for the 2003-04 fiscal year, which began July 1.

The town expects to generate $7.5 million in revenues over the next 12 months, with budgeted expenses estimated at $6.1 million.

LA police arrest gunman wanted for 1998 robbery

A tip from a police informant led to the arrest last week of a Los Altos gunman involved in a bloody, late-night holdup that has remained unsolved for five years. Los Altos Police July 1 charged Bryan Albert Cortez, 31, with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly shooting a 40-year-old man in the abdomen during a robbery July, 6, 1998, at the former Lucky Food Center on Grant Road.

Police said Cortez allegedly ran into Lucky market, put a gun to a store cashier’s head and demanded she give him money from the register. He shot a bookkeeper after the employee tried to intervene, witnesses told police. Cortez fired in the direction of a second witness who tried to write down the license plate number of the getaway car while the gunman sped away with approximately $400.

Preschool lease extension could hurt community recreation programs at Grant Park, residents say

A proposed lease extension for a child-care provider at Grant Park could tie up the Los Altos property from city-operated programs for the next 10 years, say Los Altos residents hoping to bring more recreational activities to the south end of town.

The Los Altos City Council is scheduled to decide this summer whether to give Stepping Stones Preschool a 10-year lease extension that operators have requested for two of the four classrooms at Grant Park when the lease expires this November.

Miramonte Reservoir troubles LA neighbors

Los Altos residents living near Miramonte Reservoir are concerned over the construction of a new 2.3-million-gallon tank slated to be built at the same site.

Miramonte Reservoir, constructed in 1945, is located on Miramonte Avenue in Mountain View, but sits adjacent to a handful of houses on Stanley Avenue in Los Altos.

Union not helping hospital workers

With no new agreement in sight, the union representing approximately 1,000 workers, from janitors to dietitians, continued to hold rallies last week in an effort to win over public support. The big bone of contention seems to be over the hospital’s share of paid health benefits.

Fighting for the workers is their union, SEIU Local 715, which has pulled out all the stops with two large rallies in front of the hospital, signs posted throughout the hospital district, press releases and even a complaint to the labor relations board about El Camino management interfering with union efforts to communicate with workers.

LETTERS OF JULY 9, 2003

for city expenses

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 2

passed away on June 16, 2003 at the age of 71 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A well known dentist in Pal Alto since 1965, Jim was an avid golfer having held memberships at Sharon Heights, Corde Valle and Silver Creek Valley Country Clubs. For Jim, establishing strong and loving bonds with family, both immediate and extended, was a strong part of his life and legacy. He will be missed by all whom he has touched. His most important membership earlier this year was South Valley Christian Church. Jim leaves his loving wife of 40 years, Lillian; son Jason (Mary) Hamada; two wonderful grandchildren, Sabrina and Samantha Hamada; sister, June (Hank) Maruyama; and brother Yukio Hamada.

Weddings

Send your wedding, engagement or anniversary announcements to Avinell Johnson 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. 335, or e-mail

‘Glorious Fourth’ celebration in Los Altos shifts focus to families, fun and games

People entering Los Altos’ Shoup Park on the Fourth of July received a miniature U.S. flag and a “Glorious Fourth” program from two Girl Scouts from Troop 265.

The annual Independence Day picnic featured the traditional hot dogs, patriotic songs, music by Ye Olde Towne Band and some old-fashioned picnic games.

Summer treat: Major films to play at Eagle Theater

Major movies will be shown in Los Altos three days a week, thanks to an agreement that will allow a non-profit group to show films at Los Altos High School.

The Eagle Theater on campus will begin showing major films to the public beginning Saturday, according to James Gibbs, the new theater director.

Plus/minus grading policy confronts the Foothill-De Anza college district

Recommendations by the District Academic Senate to revise the current grading policy to include plus/minus grading raised its head again before the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees. The proposed grading system would allow assigning a plus or a minus value to the standard letter grade based on performance.

After reviewing student input and their own concerns, the board returned the issue to the Academic Senate for further study regarding the consequences of implementation in various areas: uniform application of the policy in both colleges, faculty consistency, academic standards, the effect on student successes and the acceptance of plus/minus grading in technical courses.

Tessa tees off

When Tessa The looks back at the 2003 Junior Golf Association of Northern California/Northern California PGA Championships, the Los Altos resident will probably remember the heat as much as her performance.

“Oh my gosh — the weather was so hot,” she said of a match-play event held June 23-26 at Diablo Grande Golf Course in Patterson, where temperatures surpassed 100 degrees. “At 7 a.m., I was already sweating.”

After strong showing at National, Peterson aims for Olympic Trials

It’s not that he lacks confidence; you don’t become the top diver on the Stanford University men’s team without believing in yourself.

Yet even Adam Peterson admitted he exceeded his own expectations at the recent United States National Diving Championships.

New Loyola market owners seek to focus on good service

Loyola Meats, Fish and Deli at Loyola Corners has new owners in Jesse Sanchez and his wife, Lisa. They are the third owners of the market-deli-caf/ in 32 years. Originally called Tony’s Meats, the market was sold to Tom Andrews in 1972. When Andrews retired it was sold to the Petel brothers. The Sanchez family purchased it from the Petels three months ago.

“I always wanted to buy into a small supermarket. I was working in the semiconductor industry, and when that business dried up I started looking for something to make a living for my family,” Sanchez said. “It was listed on the Web without any pictures, but the profit-and-loss numbers looked great.”

From the farm to your plate

The scent of smoked-simmering brisket drenched in rhubarb barbecue sauce filled the muggy afternoon summer air outside Santa Clara’s Parcel 104 restaurant June 27.

Passers-by sampled brisket sandwiches fresh off the grill while they scouted for fresh organic produce at the restaurant’s farmers market. Parcel 104 is the only restaurant on the Peninsula to sponsor its own farmers market.