Having a ball in Cuba

If there is one thing Cubans seem to love more than baseball, that would be — surprise — Americans. That is the revelation brought home by a group of South Bay high school baseball players and parents, mostly from St. Francis High School, after a recent trip to a country generally off limits to Americans.

In late July, St. Francis baseball coach Chris Bradford, along with nine of his players and two guest players from Bellarmine College Prep and Archbishop Mitty High School, departed for Havana to play baseball. Bradford embarked on the trip with his share of apprehension.

Memorial for popular SFHS teacher, coach set for Friday

St. Francis High School is mourning the loss of popular teacher and aquatics coach Steve Yamamoto.

Yamamoto, 53, was found dead in his San Jose condominium Sept. 29. He died of an aneurysm, according to a press release issued by St. Francis.

New testimony may aid doctor in hit-and-run case

The retired Mountain View pediatrician charged with hit-and-run last February after striking a 6-year-old bicyclist with his car allegedly stopped to aid the boy, according to a witness whose testimony was not included in the initial police report.

Dr. George Kirn, 80, is facing state prison and suspension of his driver’s license for fleeing the accident at the intersection of Miramonte Avenue and Covington Road in Los Altos. He pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges last March when no one could corroborate his story.

Los Altos woman burned in house fire remains critical

The Los Altos woman burned during a fast-moving fire that destroyed her Borderhill Road home last week remained in critical condition Friday at the Valley Medical Center burn unit in San Jose, with severe burns covering 89 percent of her body, according to a spokeswoman from the Santa Clara County Fire Department.

Laura Foley, 47, was home alone when a fire broke out in her cottage at around 1 p.m., Sept. 29. Apparently disoriented by the fire, Foley ran into the flames in an attempt to escape from the house, neighbors told fire investigators. A Life Flight helicopter transported Foley to Valley Medical.

Residents to lobby council over MV reservoir project

From where Mountain View city staffers sit, the plan for a new 2.3 million-gallon reservoir at the site of an existing one on Miramonte Avenue is a done deal. But many Los Altos residents, whose homes surround the site on three sides, are still lobbying city council to do something about it.

Residents along Stanley, Berry and Russell avenues, and Diamond Court, have been worried about the reservoir expansion plans since Mountain View introduced them in 1999.

Reflections after the recall

The results came too late to meet our Monday evening press deadline, but regardless, this entire exercise leaves a lot of food for thought.

First the good: The recall effort, though quite partisan in its origins, quickly spread across party lines including independents. Thirty-seven percent of those signing recall petitions were Democrats. Voter participation is the highest it’s been in recent history, with more expected to cast ballots than at the last presidential election. Santa Clara County increased by 6,500 registered voters in just one month. Perhaps the recall has fueled people’s interest in the issues our state faces.

LETTERS OF OCTOBER 8, 2003

under Prop. 39

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 8

formerly of Los Altos, CA, died of natural causes September 21, 2003, at Grangeville Health & Rehab in Grangeville, Idaho. She was 83.

Jan was born March 15, 1920 to Maurice E. and Gladys L. Salisbury in Minneapolis, MN. She served in the WARDS in Hawaii during WW II. It was there she met Milton W. Magee, who retired as a Marine Corps Lt. Colonel. They were wed April 12, 1946 and later moved to Los Altos where they owned Styler’s Furniture at Rancho Shopping Center.

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

Families should beware of Internet predators

Parents and children believe it is safe for children to be on the Internet. But there is a seedy side to the Internet. It can be a wonderful tool when used for homework, research, shopping and chatting with known friends in chat rooms or through e-mail. The dark side is that children can easily become victims of sexual predators.

The predators choose their victims in chat rooms by watching the children chat with others or by looking at their profiles. Predators are very good at finding children who just want someone to pay attention to them.

Community briefs

for Westwind fund-raiser

Los Altos resident celebrates 25 years of teaching Aerobic Dancing

Before Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons were in the news for their exercise programs, a fitness program was developed using the fun in dancing. It was called Aerobic Dancing and was developed by Jacki Sorensen in the early 1970s.

Sorensen choreographed a set of vigorous dances to music and helped create an exercise revolution called Aerobic Dancing. The exercise program is franchised. Joan Rabin, a longtime Los Altos resident, celebrated teaching the program 25 years last Monday night at the Mountain View Masonic Temple.

Pleasant weather helps make fall festival a success

Two days of beautiful fall weather, tasty recipes, 120 classic cars and hundreds of painted faces made the 12th annual Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival a hit for residents.

“This is a local event for local people,” said Juli Rose, president of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce. “You see your friends and your neighbors, and it brings people downtown for a family fun event.”

‘Los Altos Follies’ returns Thursday

When it came time to think of topics to lampoon for the 2003 “Los Altos Follies,” writer Vicki Reeder didn’t have to look too hard for inspiration.

Given all that’s happened this year — the war with Iraq and the gubernatorial recall election, along with other notable events — Reeder said this year’s production of the annual musical satire practically wrote itself.

Downtown Los Altos a training ground for Dogs Against Darkness

On Sept. 29 the Dogs Against Darkness group, the local chapter of Guide Dogs of America, walked downtown Los Altos teaching their puppies such things as greeting children and people, how to walk past objects that would normally frighten dogs (such as mannequins and statues), and walking them through different floorings and steps.

Guide Dogs of America is a non-profit group that dedicates its time and effort to providing guide dogs instruction so that blind and visually impaired men and women in the United States may continue to pursue their goals with increased mobility and independence.

Oak School will get a makeover in 2004, LASD board affirms

Oak School will be getting its $8.6 million face lift, the Los Altos School District board affirmed at its Sept. 29 meeting.

Marge Gratiot, district superintendent, said the elementary school will be the last of the eight schools in the district to be renovated because it has the least number of permanent classrooms to be reconstructed.

Los Altos High School receives an iron mascot

The eagle has landed. The soaring, powerful bird now sits close to the Los Altos High School principal’s office and overlooks the quad. It was officially dedicated as the mascot last Wednesday afternoon.

The eagle sculpture was made by Los Altos resident Dr. Hardy Jones of Found Art Sculpture. A former successful orthopedic surgeon, experienced in matching bones to specifications, Jones now welds interesting creatures from plowshares, faucet handles and railroad yard fittings.

Environmental Volunteers continue to teach wonders of nature to Los Altos students

Why don’t spiders get caught in their own webs? Why is kelp vital to the health of the ocean? Thanks to the Environmental Volunteers, 1,500 elementary and middle school students in Los Altos can answer these and other natural science questions.

Students have participated in volunteer-led educational experiences in area preserves where they learn to identify signs of earthquake activity and see how the various components of the natural world live in relationship to one another.

MV-LA schools chief said he’s pleased with support from local community

Rich Fischer is in his seventh year as superintendent of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, and he’s thrilled about working in the community.

“Do you realize what a powerful community this is?” Fischer asked the members of the Los Altos Kiwanis Club last Tuesday at Beausejour restaurant. “I’m impressed and pleased with the different levels of communication within the agencies, and the response from the community.”

Growing pains

One thing you can say about the Pinewood School boys soccer team: the Panthers have youth on their side.

One side effect of youth, however, can be growing pains, which is exactly what the Panthers are enduring this season.

Togo’s quick-service restaurant opens on First Street

For those who haven’t noticed, last week Togo’s opened in the old Preston’s Candy & Ice Cream location on First Street. The owner, Srini Goli, purchased a Togo’s franchise and is ready to interact with customers and provide good service.

Togo’s is owned by Allied Domecq, the company that owns Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts and familiar wines such as Clos Du Bois, Atlas Peak, William Hill and Mumm Champagne.

Resident takes walk on the wild side with ‘Cold Noses, Warm Hearts’

Tonto is the talk of the town. Everybody seems to love Tonto. Even other dogs love him. He’s that golden retriever who follows his owner around town with the leash in his mouth.

“Tonto was 1 year old when I picked him up as a stray at the Salinas Humane Society,” Lisa Powell said. “He is now 14 and has pulled me through a lot of hard times.”

Fit for a French king

The newly built two-story chateau on the banks of Adobe Creek is grand even by Los Altos Hills standards.

Tailored after French castles in the Loire Valley’s chateau country, the 6,495-square-foot house emulates the grandeur associated with French royalty during the 16th century.

A winning combination

When we journalists first drove the new Bentley Continental GT coupe, to be introduced in the United States early next year, we couldn’t decide how to describe it.

Is it a state-of-the-art performance automobile with luxury touches or a luxury automobile that uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver cutting-edge performance?