Doctor pleads no contest, brings closure to hit-and-run case

A retired Mountain View pediatrician’s decision last week not to fight a hit-and-run charge brought relief and closure for families of the driver and the victim.

George Kirn, 80, pleaded no contest Friday in Santa Clara County court to hitting a 5-year-old boy in Los Altos and leaving the scene. The charge, plea-bargained down to a misdemeanor, resulted in two years’ probation for Kirn and loss of his driver’s license. Kirn also must perform community service and pay restitution.

LAH Little League fields come into ‘electronic’ age

The Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Little League will soon get a new addition to its home playing field.

The youth baseball organization got approval from the Los Altos Hills City Council Oct. 2 to install two electronic scoreboards at the Purissima Little League fields, replacing the playing area’s outdated, manually operated wooden models.

Another election ahead

To borrow the title from one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films, state voters went for a “Total Recall” of Gov. Gray Davis on Oct. 7. But the election fun is far from over. On Nov. 4, local voters go to the polls again to choose among eight candidates for three open seats on the Los Altos City Council. Voters also have a school board election to decide in the Los Altos School District, with four candidates vying for two seats.

Unlike during the governor’s race, there has been virtually no mudslinging among the council candidates.

Final design for new Town Hall to be unveiled

The Los Altos Hills City Council will unveil final designs for the new town hall building at a public hearing tomorrow. Residents are invited to attend the meeting and comment on schematics for the site and the floor plan of the building, created by Los Altos-based Duxbury Architects.

The “modified rural” design, chosen in April by a vote of Los Altos Hills residents, has low roofs, large windows, exposed rafters and wide overhangs. Councilmember Breene Kerr said, “We’ve maintained an open, inviting feel with a lot of natural lighting.”

Sign stealing is nothing new during campaign season

We are in the “silly season” during which political signs disappear in the dark of night. Removing election candidates’ signs from public property amounts to curtailing free speech. Recently, there were accusations of skulduggery in the Los Altos City Council race.

It is said that under cover of darkness people regularly skulk around neighborhoods and remove political signs placed on private property. There are two more weeks of silly season antics left before the Nov. 5 election.

El Camino Hospital supporters in all-out effort to win public favor for rebuilding

The El Camino Hospital Board of Directors is going all out to pass Measure D. Jon Friedenberg, chief executive officer of the El Camino Hospital Foundation, told the directors last week that the phone bank has made enormous progress informing voters about the importance of Measure D.

“We will have supporters walking the precincts every weekend until Election Day,” Friedenberg said. “We expect a large vote and we want to get every volunteer in the right place.”

Closed campus could mean more public playing fields

Los Altos Hills City Council recently approved a plan to explore the cost and scope of renovating the fields at Bullis-Purissima School.

Last month, the town’s parks and recreation committee requested that council approve an allocation of $5,000 from the town fund to retain a landscape architect for a site development project, which would involve turning the unused land into two soccer fields.

Harrigan, Cooper for LASD board

So this time around, it surprised, even infuriated some, when a third candidate surfaced for two open seats on the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees.

Recent high school graduate Kevin Bella filed, prompting Superintendent Marge Gratiot to ask the young man, now attending UC Davis, if he was serious. That set off a brief public outcry about tampering with the election process. And it inspired another candidate, Albert Hill, to enter the race.

LETTERS OF OCTOBER 15, 2003

was one-sided

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 15

passed away on July 19, 2003. Born February 13, 1915, in Ardmore, Oklahoma. She attended school in Oklahoma City graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1936. Married to the late Karl B. Rusch in 1938, they had three children: Karl G. Rusch (deceased), Peter Rusch and Mary Rusch Moore; four grandchildren: Phillip G. Moore, Laura Rusch, Sarah Moore Malinoski and Amanda Rusch Pandjiris.

During World War II, she spent much of her time photographing children and pets for servicemen stationed away from home. In the 1950’s she and the family lived in many parts of the country coming to California in 1963. Virginia spent the last seven years living in Los Altos after 33 years of living in Atherton, CA. Virginia was dedicated to several service organizations, including the Serra Center and the Quester’s Club. Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and adding to her many collections.

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

Los Altan honored for work on adoption

Susan Lobo of Los Altos was selected by Congressman Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, as one of 150 congressional Angels in Adoption for 2003 honored at a ceremony held in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30 by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

“I am so thrilled to be honored by CCAI for my volunteer work in adoption,” Lobo said. “This award is also a tribute to the outstanding leadership members of our FRUA chapter.”

Los Altos Hills horticulturist Craig Murray’s garden blooms anew

Horticultural consultant and landscape professional Craig Murray believes “There are two things money can’t buy: true love and home-grown tomatoes.”

But for 10 years, Murray’s The Garden, off Dori Lane in Los Altos Hills, has kept the community up to their eyeteeth in plump and juicy home-grown tomatoes.

Make way for a Los Altos melodrama, ‘Virtue in the Valley”

The Creekside Players at the Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Ave. presents its own melodrama, “Virtue In The Valley,” Oct. 24-25, at the church’s Creekside Center.

The melodrama explores villainy in a vineyard, a vanity vineyard, to be explicit, with comedic characters and the requisite hero and heroine bringing love, excitement and “the chase” to life on stage. The melodrama also introduces the intrigue of computer technology to bring an authentic Silicon Valley touch to the stage.

Morning Forum speaker rues erosion of civil liberties

“Unless there’s justice for all, there’s no justice at all.” That was the theme of last week’s Los Altos Morning Forum meeting, held on election day. Promising to mention only one election — that of 1800 — the speaker, Bruce Neckers, of Grand Rapids, Mich., analyzed the state of civil liberties in our country today.

Neckers, former president of the State Bar of Michigan and a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers, told of instances of the erosion of liberties through the years, especially in times of crisis. In the 1800 election, President John Adams had French journalists jailed for reporting critical views about him. At the time of the Civil War, President Lincoln did away with habeas corpus. During World War I, Germans were incarcerated. Japanese citizens met the same fate during World War II. Those were all actions taken in violation of the Bill of Rights. And history has not been kind to those presidents for those actions. “Using race has never served politicians well,” Neckers declared.

Teen school board candidate aims for defeat

Nearly two months after feeling pressured to drop out of the Los Altos School District Board race, 18-year-old Kevin Bella now says he’s worried about actually getting elected.

Bella, who graduated from Mountain View High School in June and recently started college at the University of California at Davis, admitted last week that the duties of serving on the school board “might be a little more than I could handle.”

Principal to leave LAHS at end of school year

Los Altos High School Principal George Perez has announced he will resign at the end of the school year due to health problems.

Perez, in his fourth year as principal, declined to specify what is ailing him. He is quitting at the advice of his doctor because the job involves “a lot of hours, a lot of work.”

Gang concerns prompt student flap over red clothing restrictions at MVHS

Concern over gang activity had administrators at Mountain View High School seeing red last week when they asked students not to wear that color. But it was the students who expressed anger over what they felt was a First Amendment issue.

Principal Pat Hyland said the commotion began two weeks ago when a “drive-by” took place. It involved suspected gang members threatening students from neighboring Alta Vista High School. Then a fight took place last week. Hyland said school officials and parents met with some students and were told the red clothing put them in potential danger because gangs use similar colors and clothing.

Almond School Walks ‘N Rolls!

Differing tastes of 7 up

Two high school football teams seemingly heading in opposite directions renewed their annual rivalry Friday night at Foothill College. The scoreboard showed no winner or loser; but one could hardly be sure, judging by the players’ reactions after the game.

The Los Altos High Eagles — entering the contest at 0-4 — stayed winless, but they were a jubilant bunch after the game, with grins all around.

Subway restaurant looking for space on Main Street

Dennis Rich’s clothing store in downtown Los Altos is closing. It joins many other retail establishments that have departed Main Street — or plan to in the near future — including Calla women’s clothing and GNC nutritional center.

“I’m closing because there isn’t enough traffic to support a men’s store in Los Altos,” Rich said. “There are days the only people walking past the store are going to get a cup of coffee.”

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.”

Quality with simplicity

Kate Chomko has always been a food addict. It took moving to Belgium and experiencing the “quality food” in Europe to inspire her to pursue her aspiration of becoming a chef.

“I was hooked and ate my way through Europe,” Chomko said. “The fish, fruit and vegetable markets, bread, wine - every day was a feast.”

My favorite varietal is pinot noir

I am often asked what my favorite type of wine is. I used to say red Burgundy. I now add there are many California and Oregon pinot noirs close to being in the same league as Burgundy. If you are confused, Burgundy is a generic term used in the United States; any red wine blend can be in a bottle of Burgundy.

Gallo’s hearty Burgundy was always a good buy; we just didn’t know what was in the bottle. French red Burgundy is made only from the pinot noir grape from the Burgundy region of France. The same pinot noir grape is used in the United States. Out of respect for the Burgundian winemakers and to avoid confusion, we call the wine, pinot noir, as the grapes are not grown in Burgundy.

Not over the hill

Each week more than 40 rugged seniors pack their lunch, lace up their hiking boots and take off to the Bay Area open space preserves. Walking sticks in hand, they participate in a class called “Hike for Health.” Last Thursday, they started their hike in the Long Ridge Open Space Preserve.

Hike for Health was started in 1985 by Los Altos environmentalists Mildred and Tony Look. Mildred led the group for years, until the couple moved to Davis, and then Paula McFall and Joan Spannagel assumed the class leadership.

Los Altos Senior Center has new director

Pamela Reliford is the new activities director of the Los Altos Senior Center. She replaces Joe Karpanty, who went to Burlingame as a recreation manager.

“It’s going to be fun here because the atmosphere is friendly,” Reliford said. “The board of directors is active and eager to get into fund raising. I can see the problem is getting more of a turnout for senior activities that include Dollar Day lunches.”