Sisters around the globe

If you like to travel and enjoy meeting people from other countries, you can do both through Los Altos Sister Cities Inc. (LASCI). Today, more than 100 Los Altans are actively involved in a variety of social, educational and cultural exchange programs with Los Altos’ official sister cities: Bendigo, Australia; Syktyvkar in the Komi Republic of Russia; Shih Lin, Taiwan; and Rustington, England.

LASCI is currently formalizing a new relationship with Bassano, a city just north of Venice, Italy. Delegates from Bassano are expected to visit Los Altos in the summer.

Packard Foundation names Larson as new CEO

Carol S. Larson will become the third President and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation in its 39-year history, announced Susan Packard Orr, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees Monday.

Larson is currently vice president and director of programs at the Los Altos-based foundation, where she has worked for 14 years. She will assume her new role Jan. 1.

Murder victim Condon remembered as independent, a stickler for details

The Los Altos chapel of Spangler Mortuaries was packed with family and friends Saturday, all gathered to pay tribute to a woman whose full life was cut short by a shocking, violent act.

Doris “Dot” Elizabeth Condon was described as a bright, independent woman who loved traveling, eating out, gardening, sewing and being with loved ones. Mrs. Condon died Nov. 28 from injuries suffered after being beaten by two men Oct. 25 at her home on Jardin Drive in Mountain View.

MV police arrrest 3 suspects in Condon murder

Mountain View police announced Monday they have arrested three suspects connected to the brutal attack and murder of Doris Condon. The Jardin Drive resident died Nov. 28 from injuries sustained in the Oct. 25 attack.

Detective Jessica Serb declined to discuss motives for the attack, saying she wanted to protect “the integrity of the investigation.” Through tips, police arrested Leonel J. Cantor, Jose G. Sosa and David A. Olayo, all of San Jose. Cantor was arrested Dec. 3 for auto theft and later identified as one of the participants in the crime. Sosa was arrested at his residence Dec. 5, and Olayo also was arrested at home on Dec. 7.

Los Altos council seats new members, names mayor

Los Altans last week bid farewell to the city council responsible for bringing the first hotel chain to town, adding 19 new units of affordable housing within city limits and dedicating two gymnasiums to the community over the past eight years.

Councilmembers Kris Casto, Lou Becker and Francis La Poll handed over their council roles Dec. 2.

Water district seeks to build new LAH facility

Before groundbreaking on the new Los Altos Hills Town Hall begins next spring, the neighboring Purissima Hills Water District plans to embark on a construction project of its own.

The water district continued its ongoing negotiations with the town last week to gain approval to build a facility separate from the new town hall structure.

Richard G. Bell, former MV-LA trustee, killed in hiking accident in Hawaii

Richard G. Bell, a prominent Los Altos attorney whose community involvement included a stint on the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District board, was killed Friday after falling into a small waterfall while hiking in Hawaii. He was 56.

Mr. Bell and his son, Stephen, were crossing the waterfall on the island of Kauai when both were swept up in a sudden, strong torrent of water. Mr. Bell died before he could be pulled from the water.

Looking to solve the algebra problem

Credit Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District officials for pointing out the problem and not sugar-coating anything. The abysmal results, as one official put it, show only 29 percent of the freshman class at Los Altos High rated as proficient or above in algebra I. At Mountain View High, only 18 percent were rated as proficient or above.

Several factors weigh into this, including the fact that 26 percent of the questions are on material taught after the test is taken.

Public ed group to meet in private?

Last week, members, unhappy their spin was not covered in the local paper, discussed the possibility of holding private meetings. Imagine, a public education committee holding its meetings in private.

We encourage committee members not to entertain this foolish proposition. If what they are really after is public education for children in the hills, holding public meetings is not an option, it’s a necessity.

The Living Experiment - The seeds of service

During the holidays we open our cupboards, wallets and hearts for food and toy drives - all in the spirit of community. We drop coins into the Salvation Army’s little red buckets, and we read stories in the newspaper about those less fortunate. However, it is when the give-and-take of a community is closer to home that we especially realize the value communities have in our lives.

Take Deb, for example. For years she has been an enthusiastic and tireless volunteer in her school community. Deb is the type of gal who always chips in, the gal you can count on to get something done. She has continually sown the seeds of service and has often received friendship in return.

LETTERS OF DECEMBER 3, 2003

I am writing to express my disappointment at a recent decision made by the City of Mountain View. For the past 15 years, the Mountain View Masters Swim Team has been a loyal customer of the city of Mountain View. The team is composed of more than 300 registered swimmers who live and work in Mountain View. Further, these registered swimmers, including myself, pay monthly or annual dues to utilize Eagle Park Pool and other great benefits of being part of the Mountain View Masters Swim Team.

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 10, 2003

65, a retired special education schoolteacher, died of pancreatic cancer, November 28, 2003 at her home in Monterey.

She was born 14 June 1938, in Washington, DC, graduated in 1960 from the University of Georgia, formerly lived and taught in Los Altos, CA, and had lived in Monterey for the last 13 years.

Wedding announcements

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 bruceb@latc.com.

Morning Forum speaker: Resolution of ethical crisis depends on individuals

Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, spoke to Morning Forum members last week on “Reversing the Ethical Crisis in America.”

Twenty-one years ago he spoke before the same group, at that time about teaching business ethics, as he was doing at Stanford University. There have been incidents of ethical misconduct in U.S. history, right from the beginning, but never so many as right now.

Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Community Service Award given to 9 new volunteers

Each year the Joint Community Volunteer Service Awards ceremony becomes larger, and last Friday’s 21st annual gathering was a complete sellout.

Tables at the Los Altos Youth Center were decorated with red and green for the holidays, featuring poinsettias and cloth Santa Claus toys.

EPA Kids Foundation offering students and educators more support, cause for hope

An educational marvel is tucked away near the Baylands. Its official title, East Palo Alto Charter School, gives no hint of the wonders taking place there. But the enthusiastic principal, Kristyn Klei, states confidently that all her children will go to college.

The 7-year-old K-8 school is not a remedial program for have-nots, a catch-up plan for the marginalized or a specialized program for children from non-English-speaking homes. It is a positive commitment - a pact among parents, students and teachers. Its 393 students are selected by lottery.

Help One Child rescues at-risk kids

You have probably heard the riddle, “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer: “One bite at a time.”

This must be the approach of JoAnne and Mark Morris, co-founders of Help One Child. They recruit foster parents to provide loving homes for at-risk children in the foster care system - one child at a time.

Hearings scheduled in controversy over autistic student

With the student’s parents and the school district holding their ground, court and special education hearings will soon decide how best to educate one autistic third-grader.

The next steps in the case of the Springer Elementary School student against whom the Los Altos School District brought a restraining order in November are a civil hearing in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Monday and two Special Education Hearing Office due-process hearings in January.

LAH Public Education Committee looks to bar public from meetings

The Los Altos Hills Public Education Committee is pondering whether it is, or should be, a standing committee of the town council or an ad hoc committee not subject to public scrutiny. Steve Hubbell, PEC chairman, suggested asking the committee’s council liaison, Breene Kerr, who was absent, to look into the matter.

The question surfaced several times during the Dec. 2 meeting. According to its official minutes, the Los Altos Hills City Council established PEC as a standing committee Aug. 7. City Clerk Karen Jost has confirmed that the committee is public.

Girl Scouts sew a little love in baby blankets

Seventeen third-graders from Girl Scout Troop 1168 of Springer School delivered homemade blankets to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, last Thursday.

“I think our children need to have a better sense of helping in ways they can understand,” said Rosie Richardson, the troop leader who organized the effort with parent helpers. We as a community have so much, she said. She didn’t want the girls making a craft that would gather dust on a shelf. Richardson was looking for a project that would combine giving with learning something new.

‘One play away’

“One play away; just one play away.” That was the lament uttered over and over by St. Francis High football fans following their team’s bitterly disappointing 17-13 loss to Palma last Saturday night at San Jose City College.

The Lancers were one play away from capturing the Central Coast Section’s most-coveted prize: the Division I championship. They were one play away from returning to CCS preeminence after a five-year absence at the top rung. They had the game - and championship - seemingly tucked away after taking a 13-10 lead on a field goal with a little over two minutes to go.

El Camino Hospital District set for future bond financing

The statement of operations for the El Camino Hospital District and affiliates showed strong returns for the month of October. According to Lee Domanico, chief executive officer for the district, it was one of their better months.

With a total operating revenue of $22,843,809 and expenses at $21,118,014, the net income for the month of October was $1,725,796 leaving a net operating margin of 7.6 percent. Year to date the operating margin is 7.2 percent, higher than the previous year.

Young chefs get lessons in culture

One recent Saturday afternoon, I uncovered one of the Bay Area’s best-kept secrets. Children love to cook, and they are good at it, too.

It might have something to do with former Los Altos elementary school teacher Sharon Barkoff, whose love of cooking, and children, led her to create a home-based cooking class for preteens.