Too many people, too few urban parks

Local residents love Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve perhaps too much. Overcrowded parking lots and busy trails have left park officials encouraging visitors to go someplace else.

Field staff estimate that approximately 1,000 people visit Rancho San Antonio each day, said Kristi Webb, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s public affairs specialist. Webb said the pressure from high use is certainly noticeable.

Uphill battle continues for public school in the Hills

Angry residents of Los Altos Hills said they spend more on local public schools than do residents of Los Altos, then complained that their property values have fallen since the closure of Bullis-Purissima School, at an acrimonious meeting in the Hills.

“I play golf at the country club … with a lot of ladies who are realtors …, and they say property values here have fallen by 3 percent to 5 percent since Bullis closed,” one resident said. There were sounds of assent throughout the packed council chamber on Fremont Road, where the town’s Public Education Committee held the third of three forums last Tuesday night.

Victim of adoption scheme grew up in Los Altos

Karen Coble of Los Altos feels for her daughter, Alette Coble-Temple of Walnut Creek, whose experience with a phony surrogate mother made national headlines last week. However, she’s proud Alette beat the con artist at her own game, which led to the woman’s arrest.

“Police say this is such a rare occasion, where they actually get the person,” Coble said, following the March 19 arrest of Marianne Johnston. Johnston, using the name Maya Anne Mays, allegedly fooled a private adoption facilitator into believing she was pregnant and would be offering up her baby for adoption.

Neighbors challenge El Camino zoning changes

A zoning change allegedly intended to simplify overlapping building codes along El Camino Real may result in bigger complications in the courtroom for the city of Los Altos.

Los Altos resident Chris Croudace, who is an attorney, claims the recent zoning change along El Camino could allow more than 1 million additional square feet of development - 2.5 times the size of East Palo Alto’s Ikea store - on the stretch of corridor that runs adjacent to several residential areas, including his neighborhood. He wants the city to rezone the corridor in a way that will scale down development and keep mixed-use buildings as far away from adjacent residential areas as possible. Croudace may file a lawsuit against the city to require them to conduct an environmental review if residents and the city cannot work out a solution.

Adobe Creek restoration plan up for review

After six months of painstaking compromise, the Adobe Creek Watershed Group has come up with a proposal to alleviate flooding and erosion issues for a quarter-mile stretch of Adobe Creek along the Los Altos-Los Altos Hills border that all groups in the collaborative seem to agree upon.

The collaborative group, which includes city representatives from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, as well as residents from both communities, is scheduled to submit the Proposed Project Plan for Adobe Reach 5 to the Santa Clara Water District for review April 20. The Los Altos City Council agreed to write a letter of support for the project to be presented to the district with the proposal.

On downtown revitalization

The message is clear, as it was on the banner head of the very first issue of the Town Crier in September 1947: “Shop at home.” It certainly makes sense that residents shop downtown to make it better, just as one must water a plant to make it grow. When the downtown improves, so does the community. More tax dollars go toward city services. Downtown becomes a source of pride, and this can’t help but have a positive effect on property values.

We are seeing some positive “signs” (beyond the banner) that a commitment to improving downtown is growing. Mayor John Moss and new councilman Ron Packard, who has a business downtown, have put improving downtown among their highest priorities. The city of Los Altos has helped pave the way for more variety in storefront retail, first by limiting hair and nail salons along State and Main streets, then by restricting restaurants from taking over old retail space along both downtown thoroughfares.

LETTERS OF MARCH 31, 2004

Regardless of their opinion about the Los Altos School District board, I expect that most viewed as ridiculous Theodore Rasmussan’s statement (March 24) that “The preponderance of news stories relating to the charter school seems to suggest that the charter school is riding the crest of a powerful, deep wave of discontent …”

OBITUARIES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 31, 2004

widow of Douglas Whipple, a resident of Los Altos Hills died on March 19, 2004. She was 77.

Mrs. Whipple was a technical editor for 34 years. For 10 years she worked for the Navy Photographic Interpretation Center and the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. In 1957 her husband was hired by what is now Lockheed Martin Corporation and they were moved to the Bay Area. That same year, Mrs. Whipple was also hired by Lockheed from which she retired in 1982.

Sarah Dunn ‘Sally’ Hawley, 1921-2004: a personal remembrance

Since I have known the Hawley family longer than any reader (over 50 years), it seems perfectly logical that I am the one to tell you what a delightful and treasured friend Sally was. Look, if you want good friends, don’t choose ones who are either dull or lack a sense of humor. Sally was bright, charming and enjoyed a good joke. Case closed.

Sally was the wife of Melvin L. “Mel” Hawley, a partner in the Main Street law firm of Myers, Hawley, Morley and Moore. He also served as the elected sheriff for two terms in the late 1960s.

Wedding announcements

Send your wedding, engagement or anniversary announcements to Myrna Hayes 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. 300, or e-mail myrnah@latc.com.

21st Assembly candidate Steve Poizner casts himself as nonpartisan reformer

After racing through phases as successful high-tech entrepreneur, White House Fellow and celebrated high school teacher, Republican Steve Poizner is onto his ultimate challenge: the 21st state Assembly seat in November.

Poizner, 47, of Los Gatos, held an official kickoff party last week at his campaign offices in Los Altos. A number of politically active local residents, including former Los Altos Councilman Lou Becker, were on hand to wish Poizner well in his underdog role against Democratic candidate Ira Ruskin.

LA prayer breakfast offers two successful speakers steeped in faith

This year’s Los Altos Community Prayer Breakfast features two speakers whose faith remains unwavering despite years of personal and financial success in the tech industry.

On tap for the April 9 event at Hyatt Rickeys are Kevin Compton, one of Silicon Valley’s most acclaimed venture capitalists, and Tess Reynolds, who recently left a secure position in the tech industry to pursue helping the needy through non-profit work.

‘Apricots to Mountain Tops’ hike, scheduled for April 10 and 11

From winding paths along apricot orchards to sun drenched open spaces with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay, the Apricots to Mountain Tops hike in Los Altos Hills promises to take area residents on an adventure amazingly close to home.

A group hike of this moderately challenging route on the town’s pathways is scheduled for April 10 and 11. It features stops at Packard Orchard, Byrne Preserve, Westwind Barn, Hidden Villa, Adobe Creek, and MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District trails.

Aiming for adequacy in education

The challenge facing education in California is to achieve adequacy, said an eminent educator of educators. Not superiority - adequacy.

The way to meet that challenge is to reconfigure education funding, said Michael Kirst, who taught Los Altos School District Superintendent Marge Gratiot and Matt Neely, an assistant principal at Mountain View High School (and the vice mayor of Mountain View), among other local educational lights.

LA boys off to fast start; girls slowed by injuries

So far, Los Altos High’s track and field season isn’t shaping up the way head coach Julia Widstrand expected.

“I thought the girls would do so well this year,” Widstrand said, “but the boys are doing awesome.”

Law firm opens Four Main Street for chamber mixer

The recently completed law office building of Packard, Packard & Johnson, better known as Four Main Street, was the venue of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce social mixer last Wednesday. Several attendees expressed their appreciation of the modern and ornate building.

The two-story design of the approximately 10,500-square-foot building is best classed as Mediterranean, or simply Californian.

House transformed with European décor

Entering Dick and Linda Blanding’s home is a magical journey into the exciting world of model trains. All aboard!

It’s Christmas in March, with the trains still running in the Blandings’ living room. Dick turns on the transformer and several different lines of trains start to move as “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” plays in the background.

Local parishes combining forces to help bring Antiochian church ‘Out of the Ashes’

Once upon a time, faith communities used to keep their distance. Not so now.

Los Altos parishes are joining together to help members of the Antiochian Church of the Redeemer rebuild their sanctuary, which burned down in an arson-related April 2002 fire.