The cycle continues

The Bicycle Outfitter at Loyola Corners may be under new ownership, but the Youthful Seniors Ride, initiated six years ago by the store’s former owner and Los Altos resident Dick Powell, is much the same. The group of devoted riders - who range in age from their 20s to mid-80s - are just as gung-ho as ever.

The cycling group regularly roams Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, frequenting quiet streets and dramatic hillside roads while covering distances between 14 and 22 miles.

Dead birds in LAH yards raise concern about West Nile Virus

Thick patches of briars interspersed with cattails grow in the mucky soil behind Ruth McMahon’s Los Altos Hills home on Burke Road. McMahon and some of her neighbors have voiced concern that the area could be a breeding spot for mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus.

In the past month, she and her neighbors have found three dead birds in addition to a live raven, which later tested positive for the virus, in their back yards. They believe the area behind McMahon’s home is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and are worried because many who live in the area are either elderly or children - two groups susceptible to the disease.

Los Altos emergency personnel commemorate 9-11 with rescue drill

It was no coincidence that Los Altos disaster preparedness personnel scheduled a special drill on the third anniversary of Sept. 11.

More than 20 Los Altos residents participated in Certified Emergency Response Team training, drills and simulated disasters on Saturday at the Los Altos corporation yard on Fremont Avenue.

Verizon drawing up plans for controversial antenna

The Los Altos City Council’s go-ahead on a 45-foot cellular phone antenna tower for Fremont Avenue and Giffin Road and the absence of legal challenge by opposing residents all but ensure its installation. The only remaining question is when.

Verizon spokeswoman Barbara Curl said the wireless company is completing the drawings on plans per council direction for final approval by the planning department. Then the company can pull a permit for installation. But Curl did not offer a timeline on when this might occur.

Los Altos Hills councilman seeks green energy program expansion

When Los Altos Hills Councilman Breene Kerr proposed that the city adopt the goal of a 50 percent reduction in energy used by city offices, at the city council’s Aug. 19 meeting, his idea met a lukewarm reception.

Councilman Bob Fenwick suggested that the council hold off on moving ahead with the proposal and said that Kerr should adopt the plan as one of his goals when he becomes mayor next June.

Multiple government jurisdictions complicate child-care licensing regulations in Los Altos

The recent confusion over the licensing of home child-care centers in Los Altos isn’t surprising. With three government jurisdictions - each with its own philosophy of implementation, regulating one area - some discrepencies and violations are bound to result. In Los Altos, some providers have found themselves in compliance with the state but in violation of city regulations.

The State of California establishes licensing requirements for day care and residential facilities in the state under Title 22, the California Code of Regulations.

San Mateo County coast added to open space district

After a myriad of legal hurdles and seven years developing the Coastside Protection Program, the Los-Altos based Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District won the right to expand its boundaries as part of its Coastside Protection Program, Sept. 3.

The district now encompasses 140,000 acres west of Skyline Boulevard including the San Mateo County coastline.

Pinewood appeals Winbigler demolition

Pinewood School, which failed to keep its part of an agreement with the city of Los Altos Hills to present plans for the Winbigler property by the end of July, is contesting the nuisance abatement order issued by the city.

The city gave the new owner of the 7-acre property, zoned for residential use, 30 days as of Aug. 3 to take care of the unfinished structure classified by the city as “unsightly and abandoned.”

Editorial

Police-city battles: Here we go again
Los Altos police and city management are once again at odds over negotiations for a new contract, and again, a state mediator has been called in to settle the impasse.
This is distressing news for residents concerned with the city retaining a high quality of public safety.
[…]

Letters to the Editor

The other side of stem cell debate
William Heinz

I am writing in response to a letter that appeared Sept. 1 concerning Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. In response to each of the statements made:
Under Proposition 71, there are no general fund expenditures for the first five […]

Strange world we live in

September used to be peaceful. Kids are back in school, the weather is balmy, but this September is wild and woolly. How about the movies? “Passion of the Christ” sold 4.1 million DVDs in one day. “Finding Nemo” sold 8 million in one day, “Spiderman 2″ sold 7 million in one day, “Shrek 2,” when it’s available, may break all records. What does that tell us about the mood of our country? I’m trying to figure it out.

Why did the Republicans choose New York for their convention? Well, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, hero of 9/11, spoke. The convention was held in the huge Madison Square Garden. But the line of angry unemployed stood with signs for more than a block, and hundreds of protesters were arrested, much of which could have been predicted. New Yorkers fled the city, afraid of terrorism and worried by the hordes of fully-armed security guards.

Ned Mansfield: Tennis his love, volunteering his racket

For Los Altos resident Edward Franklin “Ned” Mansfield, tennis was a passion. But volunteerism was a need. The award-winning activist found plenty of time for both during his long life. Mr. Mansfield died Aug. 31 after a long bout with cancer. He was 85.

The subject of a June 23, 2004, Town Crier cover story, Mr. Mansfield received a lifetime achievement award from Avenidas (formerly Palo Alto Senior Center) in May in recognition of his community service.

Obituaries

COL. FRANK N. YOCHEM, JR.
Col. Frank N. Yochem, Jr. (Ret.), a 35-year resident of Los Altos Hills, passed away on September 3, 2004, after a brief illness.
Col. Yochem began a long and distinguished military career with the 8th Air Force Division as a WW2 bomber pilot stationed in Britain, where […]

Weddings

Nancy Besser and Aaron Reed
Nancy Besser and Aaron Reed were married July 24 in Grass Valley. Their reception was held at the Holbrook Hotel.
The bride is the daughter of Joyce Anderson of Grass Valley and Les Besser of Los Altos. She graduated from Los Altos High and UC Davis with a […]

Former Israeli prime minister Barak: War on terrorism will rage on for years

Celebrity Forum attendees last week experienced unusual security measures, with Israeli security forces seen outside, inside and on the stage of the Flint Center auditorium before and after former Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Barak’s presentation.

Speaking articulately and with passion, Barak said, “I feel here at home. I spent two of my best years as a student at Stanford University and with the Jewish community in Palo Alto.” Barak graduated from Stanford with a master’s degree in economic engineering systems in 1979.

Antiques, collectibles fair set for Sunday

The 24th annual Los Altos Antiques and Collectibles Fair is scheduled 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, in the downtown Los Altos south parking plaza.

The plaza is located between San Antonio Road and Main Street off Third Street.

Artist featured among Hidden Villa gala festivities

Elizabeth Murray’s paintings convey her passion for nature, beauty and what she calls “healing vibrations of the land.” What better artist to be represented in an exhibit during the night of Hidden Villa’s Josephine and Frank Duveneck Humanitarian Awards gala? The event is scheduled Saturday at the Los Altos Hills nature preserve.

Murray, also a successful photographer and author of five books on gardening, worked in famed French Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s garden for 17 years as a photographer, gardener and painter. She will displaying approximately 20 oil paintings and handpainted photographs at the Duveneck House.

Calendar

Ongoing
Los Altos Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave.
Today
Community Health Awareness Council, 3:30 p.m., 711 Church St., Mountain View.
Los Altos Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., city hall, 1 N. San Antonio Road.
Mountain View Planning Commission, 7:30 p.m., city hall, […]

Museum exhibit: Women and unfinished business

The dramatic struggle for American women’s voting rights and the powerful personalities who brought the decades-long effort to fruition are the subject of “Votes for Women: Unfinished Business,” a traveling exhibit from the California Exhibition Resources Alliance hosted at the Los Altos History Museum.

The exhibit will open with a 5-7 p.m. reception on Sept. 23 and is scheduled through Nov. 21.

Deer Hollow ‘Friends’ celebrate early natives with Ohlone Day festival at Deer Hollow Farm

A family festival celebrating the Ohlone, the Bay Area’s American Indians, will be held 1-4 p.m., Oct. 9, at Deer Hollow Farm’s replica Ohlone Village. Deer Hollow Farm is located in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve at the Los Altos-Cupertino border.

The annual Ohlone Day fund-raiser is sponsored by Friends of Deer Hollow Farm, a non-profit organization that supports funding for Deer Hollow Farm’s environmental educational program. The Ohlone, residents of the Bay Area for thousands of years, lived in villages in the area until about 200 years ago.

Local non-profits meet to bolster planned giving

There’s an art to building a successful planned-giving program. Representatives from local non-profit organizations met at Northern Trust last Wednesday to fine-tune theirs.

“There are 2,500 non-profit organizations in Santa Clara County. All want to increase their endowment funds and raise money,” said Colleen R. Lukoff, a certified fund-raising executive (CFRE).

Community Briefs

Moffett advisory board meets
The U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command invites the public to attend the former NASA Moffett Field Restoration Advisory Board’s regular meeting, scheduled 7:15-9 p.m., Thursday, at the Mountain View City Hall, fourth floor, 500 Castro St.
The board comprises concerned citizens, business leaders, NASA and regulatory agencies that […]

Rancho hoops it up for parade

“I feel good. I knew I would. So Good! So Good!” As Rens Boorsma played James Brown’s record on Soundtrax, children danced on the grass Friday at Rancho Shopping Center, practiced with their hula-hoops and felt good. And it was all for a good cause. “Rock Back the Clock” raised money for the annual Festival of Lights Parade. The parade is scheduled for Nov. 28 this year. Nancy Schneider, president of the Festival of Lights, said last Friday’s attendance was good. “The merchants all pitched in for this event,” Schnieder said. “I think it’s terrific the way they volunteer for this.” After worrying all day about coordinating the various components of the event, Kevin Sawyer of the Rancho Merchant’s Association appraised the lively final product: “Now it’s perfect. I think I’ll dance,” he said. He had plenty of company.

LA police helping Special Olympics with ‘Tip-A-Cop’

The Los Altos Police Department is sponsoring a Special Olympics “Tip-A-Cop” program today at Marie Calendar’s restaurant, 4710 El Camino Real, Los Altos.

Officers will be assisting the restaurant staff 5-9 p.m. as part of the fund-raising program.

Facilities request process expanded, preschools to lease Bullis-Purissima

Trustees of the Los Altos School District last week unanimously approved a process by which a charter school already established in the district can request space and equipment for its next year of operation, paving the way for Bullis Charter School’s second-year request.

They also instructed district staff to proceed with lease proposals from three preschools for the current school year. The three preschools are Montessori School of Los Altos, located in Palo Alto; Joan Borriague’s Preschool, located in Los Altos Hills; and Creative Learning Center Preschool, located in Mountain View.

Egan journalists get the scoop

Egan Junior High School’s plucky newspaper class, taught by Katie Beman (far right), trooped through record-breaking heat last week to tour the Town Crier’s newsroom and meet the staff. Editor Bruce Barton gave the students an overview of the workings of a weekly community newspaper. The Town Crier returned the visit this week when Barton and schools reporter Kathleen Acuff faced merciless questioning by a roomful of hard-nosed journalists.

Teachers of the Year named

Teachers of the Year from Santa Clara County school districts will be recognized in the 35th Annual Teacher Recognition Day Awards Ceremony to be held 7 p.m., Monday, at the San Jose Repertory Theater.

Teacher of the Year is the most prestigious local award given to classroom teachers.

Noteworthies

Melissa Hoffman, a seventh-grader at Pinewood Middle School and a resident of San Carlos, is a national semifinalist in the 2004 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge.

Her science fair project, “Being Broad Minded: Effects of Size of Angle and Depth on the Ponzo Illusion,” was one of 400 projects selected from more than 75,000 middle school science fair projects.

Girls board at Woodside Priory for first time

Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley began the year by welcoming the first resident female students in its history, 10 new faculty and staff members, and one new baby cat.

The girls - eight of them - are enrolled in the boarding program for the first time in its 47 years. They hail from Taiwan, Hungary, Korea and the Bay Area. Over the summer, a wing of an existing dorm took on new colors, new furniture, a new patio, a separate lounge, a separate entrance and other amenities to make girls feel welcome. The boarding staff has included women for several years, and one female faculty member lives in the girls’ wing of the dorms. Two female resident assistants work especially with the girls, and one is always available on the site.

Who needs offense?

For a prime example of how yardage totals don’t always tell the whole story of a football game, look no further than last Friday’s contest between St. Francis and Oak Grove highs.

The Lancers totaled 75 yards of offense; the Eagles had 215.

Are you or your company in a slump?

Are you or your company in some kind of a slump? Slumps happen. They must. All athletes know about slumps, and most creative people experience them in the form of writer’s block, etc. We cannot enjoy dessert every day unless the Jell-O appears now and then.

The Silicon Valley slump happened very dramatically in 2001 when, after the magical upswing, stocks and companies came crashing down. Such slumps affect individuals who do not have the emotional resiliency to transfer their job skills, continue to market themselves or their products, or find a way to get support for their down times.

Investors buying into an oversold technology sector

A sharp decline in oil prices and a surprise drop in wholesale prices created a positive environment for the stock market last week, and the market went up.

When Alan Greenspan spoke before legislators last week he prepared his words carefully as he geared up the market for another 0.25 percent federal funds rate hike. He indicated inflation was fairly tame and in spite of high oil prices, the economy had “regained some traction,” so look for another interest rate hike this week.

LAVA’s Sunday event leaves a good taste for nibblers

More people ate in Los Altos last Sunday than have in a long time, because they came to “Taste of Los Altos Village.”

Los Altos restaurants provided the delicious food sampling: The smoked salmon at Los Altos Grill was tasty, Maltby’s black bean chili was mouth watering, Ichi’s teriyaki chicken was appetizing, and the sausage and mashed potatoes at Ragusa were delicious.

Local couple cope with husband’s rare muscle disorder

Four years ago, longtime Los Altos resident Rich Stevenson realized he was having trouble building his quadricep muscles and went to see his doctor. He and his wife, Carla, were active 67- and 65-year-olds at the time, regularly worked out with their daughters and skied with their grandchildren. They had even run the Los Angeles Marathon. Upon being referred to a specialist, Rich discovered he had a rare incurable disease called inclusion-body myositis.

Inclusion-body myositis, or IBM, is an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys muscle cells. “I was just getting weaker. It was hard to get up out of a chair,” Rich said. At first he assumed that it was caused by arthritis or was a sign of aging, but after a muscle biopsy he was diagnosed with IBM.

Human face of Interplast’s work

View photographic portraits of Interplast’s international humanitarian work in Peru and Vietnam 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekdays through Sept. 22, in the lobby of Mountain View City Hall, 500 Castro St. Based on photos from “The Gift,” a book by renowned photographer and author Phil Borges, the photographs give the viewer a glimpse into the lives of people in developing countries who do not have access to the medical care for congenital deformities, severe burns or other injuries that many in the United States take for granted.

Interplast, the first international humanitarian organization to provide free reconstructive surgery in developing countries, makes a direct and profound difference each year in the lives of 3,000 children who suffer physically or emotionally from a congenital deformity or injury.

Asthma control enables athletic lifestyle

I was diagnosed with asthma during my medical residency. Initially this was a big disappointment to me, since I had been an athlete all my life and I didn’t want to give up the lifestyle. As it turns out, I didn’t have to. Severe asthma has not stopped me from hiking, biking, running and rock climbing.

About 5 percent of Americans have asthma. While increasingly more people are diagnosed with the disease, our ability to recognize and control the symptoms of wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing has also improved dramatically. Unfortunately, unrecognized and undertreated asthma continues to needlessly limit many Americans.

Women’s heart disease symptoms different from men’s

Heart disease is the leading killer of American women. According to the American Heart Association, more than 500,000 women in the United States die of cardiovascular disease each year, more than the next seven causes of death combined.

The symptoms of heart disease and signs of an impending heart attack are not the same in men and women, and once diagnosed, women often do not receive appropriate treatment. Because cardiovascular disease is largely preventable, women who understand their unique symptoms, risk factors and treatment methods could be saving their own lives.

Alcoholism affects entire family

Q: Are my children being horribly affected by the drunken behavior

of their grandparents when we eat out in restaurants?

Pets bring cheer to pediatric patients, seniors

Los Altos Rotary Club President-elect Marlene Cowan, in jest, said if you want a good friend, get a dog. Before last week’s club meeting was over, several members had said they would.

“Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows of the tremendous love and acceptance pets bring,” said Rick Salazar, a member of Pet Assisted Therapy Services (PATS), speaking at the Los Altos Rotary Club luncheon. “Pets don’t care how we look or even how we act. They love us unconditionally.”

Your Health

The late Los Altos resident D.L. Hennessey originally published “Twenty-Five Lessons in Citizenship” in 1925. A former citizenship teacher and director of education in Berkeley, Hennessey published the book for people preparing to take the United States citizenship exam.

His grandson H. Bryan Jones and Erin Elise Eriksson, both Los Altos High School graduates, revised the book to issue the 100th edition in July.

New Los Altos lifestyles calendar

In early summer, local artists accepted a challenge from the Los Altos Cultural Association to set up their easels throughout the community to capture on canvas their vision of life in Los Altos. More than 40 outstanding paintings resulted. The public helped select the 12 paintings featured in this 2005 community calendar - now available at several locations.

Organizations interested in selling the new calendar as a fund-raiser can contact Leverne Cornelius at 948-9000. A list of businesses selling the calendar will be available next week.

Both Los Altos libraries to close on Mondays

The Los Altos main library as well as the Woodland branch library are among the county libraries that will be closed Mondays, beginning Oct. 11, as a result of a $1.1 million budget shortfall this fiscal year for the Santa Clara County Library system.

Also cut back will be the popular Bookmobile, which serves outlying neighborhoods, child- care centers, senior centers and migrant labor camps.

Datebook

THEATER

“Wit.” Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about an English professor hospitalized with terminal cancer who reassesses her life. Bus Barn Stage Company. 8 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays, through Oct. 9; 3 p.m., Sunday and Oct. 3; 7 p.m., Sept. 26. Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave. $20-$25. 941-0551; www.busbarn.org.