Hope among the ruins

Petite and unassuming - Laila Petty hardly seems like someone who would capture national intrigue in Afghanistan, but word of the single, American woman who works seven days a week alongside an all-male crew rebuilding schools in a war-torn region has spread from village to village. Though most have never met Petty, her legend is rampant, her name on most villagers’ lips.

Teen candidate stays in school board race despite pressure to drop out

An 18-year-old Los Altos school board candidate received his first lesson in local politics last week after feeling pressure from the district to withdraw his candidacy.

Kevin Bella of Mountain View strongly considered dropping out of the running Aug. 12, after receiving a phone call from Los Altos School District Superintendent Marge Gratiot that afternoon, one day prior to the filing deadline.

Ranger Keith to continue developing city nature programs at LA’s Redwood Grove

Another generation of Los Altos children will have the opportunity to learn about local nature from Ranger Keith. The Los Altos City Council managed to cut through the red tape that has kept the fate of beloved, longtime naturalist Keith Gutierrez in limbo over recent months as the city grappled to reorganize the administration of its nature programs to avoid possible tax and liability issues.

Gutierrez will continue to be the sole developer and program administrator. Staff is negotiating a three-year contract with Gutierrez, not to exceed $240,000 annually, that includes health and retirement benefits and rent-free housing at the preserve. The annual payment includes all camp-related costs.

Residents to see diverse city ballot

Voters will have an eclectic choice of candidates during this November’s Los Altos City Council race. Eight residents have thrown their names into the race for the three available four-year seats, City Clerk Susan Kitchens confirmed after the filing deadline Aug. 13. Jeffrey Martin was the only potential candidate to pull papers, who did not file.

The list of contenders includes the city’s youngest candidate ever; the first candidate in more than 30 years to seek a third, consecutive term; the first African-American; and two people making a second try for a council seat.

Los Altos City Council gives pool campaign giant push forward

The city’s push to bring a public swimming pool to Los Altos hasn’t lost momentum despite recent setbacks from a neighborhood lawsuit.

The lawsuit will postpone the project at least eight more months while the city conducts a court-mandated Environmental Impact Report of the three-pool complex proposed for Rosita Park.

Los Altos LA police and city agree to negotiate a new labor contract one final time

City and police labor negotiations took an expected turn last week during Tuesday’s public portion of the Los Altos City Council meeting.

The council agreed to return to the table with the Los Altos Peace Officers Association a final time to negotiate a new labor contract after Chief Union Negotiator Lou Silver told councilmembers that police were prepared to move closer to the city’s latest offer.

LETTERS OF AUGUST 20, 2003

to R-rated movies

A political lesson learned

There is no argument, especially from her, that she acted inappropriately by calling recent Mountain View High School graduate Kevin Bella about his decision to run for the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees.

That call prompted a wave of public outcry suggesting the superintendent tried to bully Bella out of running for the school board.

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

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 20

longtime resident of Los Altos Hills, died at home with her family on Friday, August 1.

Born in Sonoma, CA, September 9, 1912, she attended schools there and graduated from the University of California in Berkeley. After completing a degree in Librarianship, also at UC Berkeley, she worked in public libraries in Palo Alto and Redwood City until her marriage to William Hatton McAulay. They settled first in San Carlos; the family moved to Woodside in 1956 and finally to Los Altos Hills in 1965.

CSA honors tech contributors at ‘Heroes’ breakfast

Community Services Agency (CSA) of Mountain View and Los Altos has scheduled “Hometown Heroes,” its annual community breakfast, Sept. 5. The breakfast event, sponsored this year by El Camino Hospital, honors the businesses, groups, churches and individuals who have made a substantial community impact by assisting CSA in its mission to serve those in need in our community.

This year’s honorees are Los Altos-based Rambus Inc. and Los Altos Hills resident Jeff Skoll of the Skoll Foundation.

Music For Minors back in harmony

Children need their A-B-Cs and 1-2-3s, but what about a little do-re-mi? Educators understand the power of music in encouraging children’s self-expression and providing a vehicle for sharing cultural heritages, but they often lack the means to bring music into the schools.

For 28 years, Los Altos-based Music For Minors has brought music appreciation and instruction into dozens of Bay Area schools that would otherwise have to do without.

Foothill College raising fees but offering aid

Foothill College students will feel the effects of the state budget crisis when they go to back to school Sept. 22.

With the approval of the state’s budget in August also came a 64 percent increase in student enrollment fees for the state’s community college system, which for Foothill students translates to $18 per semester unit, up from $12.

Garden program helps students learn

Students at Mariano Castro School in Mountain View will be getting down and dirty this fall in the garden at the Mountain View Senior Center.

The K-3 graders will take part in the Generation Connection Literacy in the Garden program sponsored by the Mountain View-Los Altos Adult School.

Swinging for No. 1

The transformation is almost Hulk-like. The mild-mannered 17-year-old with the little-girl voice turns into an emotionally charged, win-at-any-cost tennis player once that fuzzy green ball goes into play.

“I’m like a different person,” said Megan Falcon, a top-ranked junior player and former Mountain View resident. “I don’t want to lose — I want to win every single point and every single game. I am a very competitive person.”

Trader Joe’s to open Oct. 3 at Foothill Plaza

Known for its mix of high-quality products and reasonable prices, Trader Joe’s expects to open its next store Oct. 3 at Foothill Plaza on Homestead Road in south Los Altos.

“The building is still in a framed condition,” said Gary Ross of Los Altos, who is the general contractor for the project. “It may appear impossible to complete by the opening; but everyone, including the subcontractors, are cooperating to make this happen.”

Reconstructive surgery nonprofit Interplast elects LAH doctor, venture capitalist to board

Interplast, the nonprofit that provides free reconstructive plastic surgery to needy children in developing countries, announced last week that Dr. Anula K. Jayasuriya, a life science venture capitalist in Los Altos, has been elected to its board of directors.

Jayasuriya brings a blend of expertise in business, basic science, and medicine to the organization as she joins the ranks of such prominent Interplast board members as John Morgridge, chairman of Cisco Systems, Richard L. “Sandy” Alderson, former Oakland A’s general manager and executive vice president of Major League Baseball operations, Mark R. Elconin chairman and CEO of Saratoga Systems, and Michael Levinthal of Mayfield.

Hard on the eyes

You are sitting in front of the computer and you feel that familiar headache. It’s as if your contact lenses are suctioned permanently to your dry eyes, and for the second that you look away from the glaring monitor, all the pictures on the wall look kind of hazy.

These are symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). According to a pilot study conducted at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Optometry, CVS symptoms may affect as many as 70 percent of all computer users.