The center of attention on each of the local high school football teams can be found under center. Los Altos, Mountain View and St. Francis high schools enter the season with a new varsity starter at the most prominent position in the sport – quarterback.

How these passers perform will surely influence how their teams fare in a year in which all three schools expect to contend for league titles and/or playoff berths.

Flat tires and slipped bike chains are not the only challenges Los Altos resident Max Magnuson and buddy Colin Casey have overcome in their quest to cycle from coast to coast.

They’ve biked through severe thunderstorms, in hellacious heat and humidity, against stubborn headwinds and over daunting mountain passes. There’s also been the occasional road-rage motorist to contend with.

Summer is coming to an end, which means that leaves will start changing, the weather will begin cooling and we’ll all spend more time inside. It may also be the time of year when you begin wondering if you truly want to stay in your home.

Just as in Silicon Valley, the “next big thing” is the guiding principle for top-of-the-line luxury automobiles. For 2011, the title goes to the Audi A8.

Completely restyled and incorporating all the latest technological advances, the A8 leapfrogs offerings from BMW, Mercedes and Lexus.

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