Festival time in the village

The “Best of the Best” Bay Area family fairs will fill the downtown Saturday and Sunday. The Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival, rated among the top 75 fine arts festivals in the country, is expected to draw more than 150,000 people over the weekend.

In addition to art, handicrafts, wine, food and children’s activities, the festival will present virtually nonstop entertainment on three stages.

Public school survey slated for LAH

In past months, opponents of redistricting to form a public school in Los Altos Hills have dubbed the city’s Public Education Committee a front for the Bullis Charter School. The city council decision, July 1, which approved funds for a survey to measure support of school district consolidation or the creation of a new school district in Los Altos Hills, could further fuel such criticism and controversy.

The city council voted unanimously in favor of an independent public education survey to be conducted by Godbe Research cost no more than $13,000.

Land earmarked for public path may not belong to Los Altos

Four Los Altos residents may control the fate of a controversial public bike path earmarked for a one-third mile section of the Hetch Hetchy right of way that runs parallel to El Camino Real. A recent investigation of land deeds revealed that the property’s surface rights could belong to residents rather than to the city.

Real estate attorney Diane Hanna, representing the residents, said the city must obtain permission from each of the four homeowners abutting the property before making any type of improvements to the land. None of the residents are willing to give the city permission to proceed with the proposed bike path currently on the table, she added.

LA police work eight days without a new labor contract

June 30 came and went without a new labor contract for Los Altos police. Department employees have been working without a contract for eight days now as the city and the Peace Officers Association try to strike a deal.

“There’s still a bit of distance between both sides, but we’re hopeful that the process is ongoing,” said Sgt. John Hughmanick, a spokesman for the Peace Officers Association, which represents 31 members.

LAH town hall groundbreaking scheduled July 15

The city of Los Altos Hills plans to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new town hall at 4:30 p.m., July 15 at 26379 Fremont Road.

The theme of the groundbreaking ceremony is “Los Altos Hills Looks to the Future.”

Westwind Barn’s 4-H ‘Riding for the Handicapped’ no longer in jeopardy

Riding for the Handicapped, a 4-H program run by Westwind Barn, has been saved - for now. The County Board of Supervisors decided June 15 not to cut UC-Cooperative Extension programs, approving $80,000, the minimum funding needed to keep 4-H, Master Gardeners and farm outreach programs running until the next fiscal year. But a statement read by Supervisor Don Gage instructed Cooperative Extension programs including 4-H to line up private donations and fund raising for the 2005-’06 fiscal year.

As a result of the county’s budget deficit, the board considered eliminating funds for Cooperative Extension, a statewide program jointly supported by California counties and the University of California. In 1914 the Smith-Lever Act created a national Cooperative Extension network which established an extension program, coordinated by a land-grant university, in every state.

Big Brother is depositing

Recently I discovered, to my surprise and chagrin, that despite my stated preference for a traditional approach to accounting, my bank and two creditors arranged electronic transfers of funds from my checking account with neither my knowledge nor permission!

This would not raise an eyebrow if I belonged to the growing numbers of householders or corporations who accept electronic billing as the way to go. I have no quarrel with that. What waved the red flag, and found me stamping like a raging bull was the utter presumption of it! It seemed a light-fingered thief had dipped into my purse and stolen my wallet.

Editorial

Guidelines for outdoor furnishings should help revitalize downtown

Outside newspapers and television stations may slant the Los Altos City Council’s prohibition of plastic chairs downtown as a snob appeal move. We find this action appropriate in a commendable effort to improve the downtown atmosphere.

Letters to the Editor

Proud moment for Los Altos
Ron Labetich
Los Altos

Los Altos pride was at its finest at the Relay for Life Event at Los Altos High School on June 26th.
The 200 cancer survivors that participated were the heart and soul of the 24-hour relay. Their energy and enthusiasm was impressive and will remain with […]

Obituaries

AL HUTTS
Al Hutts, age 76, of Los Altos, at rest in Mountain View June 25, 2004. Widower of the late Peggy Rosale Hutts (2002). Father of Steven Hutts of Sunnyvale, Scott A. Hutts of Sunnyvale and Randy Hutts of Poterville, CA. Brother of Francine Mathers of Sonora, CA. Grandfather of […]

Engagement

Jill Moranand Dennis Mullane

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Moran of Mountain View.

Sunny View Retirement Community celebrates 40 years of senior care

In recognition of 40 years of continued service and care for seniors, Sunny View Retirement Community held an anniversary celebration June 30 with over 500 residents and dignitaries in attendance.

“It is a wonderful day,” said Ron Zielske, who came to Sunny View in 1976 and served as executive director for his late mentor, Sunny View founder Oliver Ruud.

Delia’s manager wins makeover, getaway

Toni Holder always greets her customers with a smile. Throughout her six years as an employee at Delia’s Cleaners, of which four years she worked as a manager of the State Street business, Holder gained the reputation among her customers as a “people person.”

Now Holder has another reason to smile - she won Star 101.3 FM’s Extreme Makeover contest June 4.

Spanish-language class graduates from MV citizen police academy

The Mountain View Police Department announced the graduation of its first Spanish-language Citizen Police Academy class on June 7, as 18 participating community members received graduation certificates.

“We’re absolutely as proud as can be of the graduates of this program,” said Jim Bennett, public information officer for the Mountain View Police Department.

Community Briefs

Teens can go ‘Underground’
The Underground, a city of Los Altos recreation center for teens, offers a variety of free activities for the summer.
The center offers free entrance, supervision, entertainment, gaming systems, barbecues, contests and prizes. The facility includes a basketball court, large park, computers, Playstation 2, big screen television, music, arts […]

LA artists receive awards from SV Arts Council

Marta Thoma of Los Altos and Barbara Cannon of the Bus Barn Stage Company are two of six artists receiving highly coveted fellowship awards given by Arts Council Silicon Valley.

Thoma, who has a showing of sculptures on display in the “Direction Dimension” exhibition at the Triton Museum through August, was awarded for her three-dimensional works that include whimsical pieces such as “Go Mama,” a bronze sculpture of a running girl on display at the corner of Ash Street and California Avenue in Palo Alto. Thoma, who moved to Los Altos a year ago, has five large sculptures on display at the Triton.

Renovations progressing

The modernization program for all the campuses in the Los Altos School District has reached Oak Avenue Elementary School. In the fall, Oak students will attend Camp Cougar at Blach Intermediate School, 1120 Covington Road.

Hazmat removal was scheduled to begin Tuesday at Oak. Demolition is scheduled for July 19. During construction, field access will be through the Foothill Covenant Church parking lot.

A will to win

Kira Sarkisian didn’t travel to Los Angeles just to play in the McDonald’s High School All-American Soccer Game; she was there to win.

The recent St. Francis High graduate trained for several weeks to get in tip-top shape for the June 13 game - pitting 18 standout senior girls from the West against 18 from the East - and even missed a class trip to Hawaii in order to participate.

Toy store with a personal touch

Tired of the same old line of corporate-created playthings for children? A preferred alternative just might be “Their Own Toys,” a new personalized gift store for children opening this week in Los Altos.

Owner Lauren Herbstman, a Los Altos resident, has assembled plenty of personal gifts for children, but she also has available items a mother or grandmother can appreciate.

Stocks in doldrums starting during second half of the year

Equities continued their slide from last Thursday through the three-day holiday weekend. Stocks fell on Friday after a sharp decline in the pace of U.S. job hiring in June that caused worries about the economy. Apple Computer also dragged on the market after delaying introduction of a new iMac model for the back-to-school trade.

The half-year ended on a satisfactory level for equities considering the many global problems, but the start of the second half has been disastrous after only two days because of uncertainty. So far this month, value stocks are doing better than growth stocks.

A little more of a good thing

When BMW introduced the Mini Cooper to the United States in 2002, it was bringing back memories of a fun little car that had been marketed in the United States for only eight years (1959-67).

In that short time span, only 10,000 or so were sold here, but the memories had been etched so indelibly that car enthusiasts took to the new version immediately.

From cruising in the Cooper to driving the sheriff’s way, all in a day

The week we drove the Mini Cooper, we took the one-day safe driving course offered regularly by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Emergency Vehicle Operations Center near the Interstate 580-680 interchange in Pleasanton.

We recommend this course for drivers of all ages who want to become better and safer drivers while having some fun behind the wheel of their own car. The course is less expensive than the race track-based courses, and many insurance companies will reduce the rates for drivers who have completed the course.

Preparing your vehicle for summer vacations

Summer is vacation time, and it’s probably a good idea to make sure your vehicle is ready for long road trips.

Here are some tips for getting your automobile prepared for such journeys:

Acura suffering from identity crisis

If you’re planning on becoming rich, you might as well start now, but hold off on the three-story house. At the moment, the action is in commodities of a more animate variety.

Cars from Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus are as excellent as ever, and for a change, they have company. Interest in Infiniti exploded overnight, with good reason. Audi is in again. Jaguar is pouncing close behind. Porsche pushed its way to profitability, never mind some sacrilegious methods (ahem, Cayenne). Some even ponder the possibility of Cadillac renewing its right to call itself “the standard of the world.” Never before has there been such wealth of choice in the market of transportation toys. There’s a party at the Rockefellers all right, and everyone’s invited. But a certain guest keeps violating the dress code and getting sent home.

‘Truth & Beauty,’ a chronicle of a friendship

When I turned around to say hello, (Lucy) shot through the door with a howl. In a second she was in my arms, leaping up onto me, her arms locked around my neck, her legs wrapped around my waist, ninety-five pounds that felt no more than thirty. She was crying into my hair. She squeezed her legs tighter. It was not a greeting as much as it was a claim: she was staking out this spot on my chest as her own and I was to hold her for as long as she wanted to stay.

“What happened?” I said.

The all-American road trip Costa Rican style

The rain finally stopped after days of relentless downpour. At last I felt the legendary equatorial sun sizzling my pasty white shoulders. With help from our guides, I strapped on the weight belt, the vest and compressed air tank, pulled the goggles over my head, popped the regulator in my mouth and submerged myself … into the hotel swimming pool. This was my introduction to the underwater wonders of Costa Rica, a tiny Central American country sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama.

Apart from the urban hustle and bustle of the capital San Jose, the countryside is remarkably simple. Even in uncompromising rain, uniformed children walk to school, farmers ride their bikes on potholed dirt roads and mothers carry their children to dilapidated bus stops.

Datebook

THEATER

“Arcadia.” Tom Stoppard’s drama about eccentric inhabitants of an elegant 19th-century estate and the pair of modern-day historians who probe their every move. TheatreWorks. 8 p.m., today-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday; 7:30 p.m., Tuesday. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St. $20-$50. 903-6000; www.theatreworks.org.