Time to celebrate fall

The turning back of clocks, trick-or-treaters and leaf peeping may signify the fall season in most parts of the country - but for a growing number of local residents, the Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival has found its place at the top of autumn’s list. For two days every October, the downtown parking plazas overflow with scarecrows, pumpkins, classic cars, children’s games, food, drink and fall revelers during the community festival.

Ever since the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce launched the annual weekend festival in 1991, more and more residents have seemed to embrace the event as a new tradition to kick off the fall season. More than 20,000 people converged in downtown Los Altos for last year’s festival, according to Los Altos police estimates. Organizers counted more than 100 volunteers.

Worker center on the road again

Local laborers who have come to rely on St. Joseph the Worker Center to find temporary day jobs over the past two years found themselves locked out when they arrived at the Mountain View facility Thursday morning. Communication problems with St. Vincent de Paul, the organization that operates the center, prompted the lockout, according to a notice posted on the door by Calvary of God Assembly Church, which owns the building on the corner of California and Escuela avenues in Mountain View.

“I feel just very depressed over the whole thing. I didn’t want to do this,” said Pastor Jim Stringer, who is responsible for changing the locks and posting the notice. St. Vincent left Calvary few options, he added. Stringer said he notified as many workers as possible about the closure and has agreed to let them continue to look for work in the church parking lot until he can secure private funding to reopen the center independent of St. Vincent.

Buick brigade comes to town

Bob Hamro had an eye on his 1957 hardtop Buick for 20 years before the vintage car went up for sale. Word among Buick enthusiasts is that the car once belonged to the manager of the Smothers Brothers, who attended San Jose State College before launching their career in the entertainment industry in the 1960s.

Although Hamro is sentimental about his Buick, built the year he graduated from high school, he’s the first to admit he wouldn’t have been caught riding in that car when he was a teen.

Area wineries to offer taste of premium wines

The Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival has added a Premium Wine Tent to this year’s event. The 30-foot-by-40-foot tent will provide the setting for offerings from eight different local wineries in the Livermore Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles and Mariposa areas.

An entrance fee of $10 provides a souvenir glass and six wine tasting tickets. Catering by Lydia will supply breads and cheeses to accompany the wine tasting. Flowers from Alabastar The Flower Shop will provide additional ambience.

Adoption scammer guilty of faking pregnancy

A con artist who counted among her victims a Los Altos High School graduate looking to adopt a child was convicted last week of faking a pregnancy that had the victim and her husband shelling out thousands of dollars in expenses before getting wise.

Maya-Anne Mays, 33, was convicted in a Contra Costa County court on three counts of grand theft after bilking three couples, including Alette Coble-Temple and her husband, Robert, of Walnut Creek.

LAH cuts ham radio tower down to size

Despite opposition from neighbors, the planning commission approved building a ham radio tower on a Los Altos Hills residential property on Viscaino Road, but not before reducing the proposed 106-foot tower’s height to 40 feet.

Before the tower can be installed, however, it must be approved by the city council, Oct. 7.

Los Altos rejects police contract during 1st round of mediation

The city of Los Altos last week rejected a labor contract that police proposed after meeting with a state mediator, called in when both sides declared an impasse Aug. 20. Police have been working without a contract since June 30.

Both sides had seemed optimistic that they could reach an agreement Sept. 17 after meeting with the mediator.

Jeep takes a dive into Los Altos pool

Cherie Eichhorn, who lives on a quiet cul-de-sac off University and El Monte avenues, was in her bedroom about 9 p.m. Saturday night when she heard a scream followed by a splash. She added her own scream for her son, Steve, a student at Mountain View High School. Her husband, John, was not home at the time.

They cautiously looked for trespassers until they saw the Jeep Wrangler resting in their pool that lies alongside the bedroom. No one was in the Jeep when it rolled into the pool.

Pathways committee continues to work on map

In contrast to the 2002 Master Pathway Map process that some residents allege the former Los Altos Hills City Council bifurcated, the pathways committee is thoroughly checking concerns for the 2004 Master Pathway Map.

After the city council Sept. 16 postponed the second round of public hearings to January, the committee used its window of opportunity to schedule a series of meetings this fall to examine public input gathered during the first round of public hearings held at the end of August. During the August hearings, residents offered feedback on the committee’s 168 recommendations that included 90 suggested removals and 10 additional paths.

Editorial

The divisiveness in the schools community after the closing of Bullis-Purissima School last year is ugly and threatens to get worse, not better. We want it to stop.

This will happen only when parents and school personnel stop seeing each other as adversaries and work toward their common goal: quality education for the children.

Letters to the Editor

Pinewood site inappropriate
Dr. John Sullivan

I read with dismay “Clearing up Pinewood misconceptions (Aug. 18).” I understand Pinewood’s desire to own its school site, but it has chosen an inappropriate location. The site is too small, too steep and located at the top of the notorious “S” curve in the heart […]

Your cell phone can be a rescue device

It’s 8 p.m. on a Friday, and your blind date is a bummer. The dilemma on most dates gone bad is you have no choice but to stick it out and be nice. Instead, why not plan a little deceit using your cell phone, so you can relax on your next blind date or appointment?

Both Cingular Wireless and Virgin Mobile are having success with their new services, Escape-a-Date and Rescue Ring. They provide the perfect excuse when you want to get out of a sticky situation.

Obituaries

DALE E. STROTMAN
Dale E. Strotman passed away in his Mountain View home, age 74, on August 28th, 2004. He is survived by his wife Doreta; his daughter Sheryl (Tim) Brown and their children Rory and Ryan of Mountain View; his son Scot (Ingrid) Strotman and their children Hannah and Drew […]

Noteworthies

Jim McFadzean of Los Altos has been elected for a three-year term to the board of managers for the YMCA of Santa Clara Valley Southwest Branch, located in Saratoga. McFadzean is an executive search consultant and past president and member of the board of directors for De Anza Cupertino Aquatics. He also serves on the executive committee for Swimmers Promoting Los Altos Swimming and Health, SPLASH.

McFadzean earned undergraduate and law degrees from Loyola University in Chicago.

Engagements

Meg Fisher and Ryan Mason
Meg Fisher and Ryan Mason have announced their engagement to be married Oct. 9 in Lodi.
The ceremony and reception will be held at the Wine and Roses Bed and Breakfast and restaurant.
The bride-to-be is the daughter of Anne Macpherson of Los Altos and Charles Fisher of […]

Women’s suffrage exhibit at museum

Last Thursday’s reception for the new Los Altos History Museum exhibit, “Votes For Women: Unfinished Business,” drew women candidates running for local offices to signify that women play a major role in today’s political landscape.

The traveling exhibit, running through Nov. 21, originated at the Huntington Library in Southern California. The California Exhibition Resources Alliance (CERA) scaled it down for portability and has sponsored its showing throughout California since 1999.

Expert outlines benefits of gene splicing in crops

Dr. Henry I. Miller addressed the Morning Forum of Los Altos on the topic “Designer Genes for Agriculture and Food Production,” Sept. 21. Miller is a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and also worked at the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C.

Miller said there is a lack of clarity over the term “genetic modification.” He began by defining genetic modification as any intentional alteration in an organism’s genetic material, whether by selection, crossing, intentional mutation (such as by X-rays) or manipulation of the genetic material.

LA Follies offer a ’salute to strange bedfellows’

“Strange Bedfellows,” the newest production of the Los Altos Follies, have scheduled three performances, Oct. 14, 15 and 16. Curtain time for each show is 7:30 p.m. at Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

This is the 11th year Follies will take to the stage to benefit Bus Barn Stage Company. The musical parody of life and politics is produced and directed by Vicki Reeder and performed by local volunteers. Master of ceremonies for Follies are John Sylvester and Jim Thurber Jr.

Community Briefs

League of Women Voters forums
The Los Altos-Mountain View League of Women Voters is sponsoring a series of Candidates Forums to provide information about candidates and measures on the Nov. 2 ballot.
A forum for Los Altos Hills City Council candidates is scheduled for 7 p.m., Oct. 12, at temporary Town Hall […]

Take a step to help a child

Help One Child, a Los Altos-based non-profit serving at-risk children and youth, is sponsoring a walkathon/5K run 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday. Proceeds go toward finding homes and helpers for children in foster care or at risk of being in foster care. The non-profit encourages families, schools and youth groups to take a step for a child. Recent budget cuts in state and local governments have left a gap in services to many at-risk children. The walk/run will go through redwoods and quaint neighborhoods. A live band will provide entertainment. There will be snacks, drinks and a raffle. To sign up, call 917-1210 or logon to www.helponechild.org.

Painter exhibits ‘passages’ at Viewpoints Gallery

Cindy Blain, one of Viewpoints Gallery’s newest artists, has scheduled an exhibition “Interior Passages.” It opens Sunday and runs through Oct. 29 at the gallery, 315 State St. An artist reception is scheduled 1-5 p.m., Sunday.

Her semi-abstract figures are sometimes shadowy and mysterious, sometimes bold and brash, but certainly thought-provoking, presented in paintings and monotypes.

Preschool leases at Bullis site draw protests from residents of LAH

A joint-use agreement allowing the Los Altos School District to lease space at its Bullis-Purissima campus to three commercial preschools passed unanimously after a few minutes’ discussion and three addresses from the floor at last week’s board meeting.

The first of those leases to be completed, that of the Montessori School of Los Altos, passed unanimously as well - after an hour of protests and appeals from residents of Los Altos Hills, most of whom are either supporters of Bullis Charter School or members of the town’s Public Education Committee.

Bullis Back-to-School Night celebrates first month of charter school’s operation

Principal Wanny Hersey had a full house for Bullis Charter School’s first Back-to-School Night last Thursday.

Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd, a delighted Hersey said the first month of school had been “unbelievably exciting.”

Free lunch program available in Los Altos schools

The Los Altos School District offers free and reduced-price bag lunches every school day for all children whose household income qualifies them for the National School Lunch Program. In addition, any child enrolled in the district may buy a bag lunch for $2.50 any school day without applying for the program. The child’s parent or guardian should first call the district at the number below. The lunches comply with state nutrition standards.

To apply for the program, a parent or guardian needs to fill out the application form sent home the week school started. Forms are also available at each school office and the district office. Applications may be submitted at any time during the school year. The information provided is subject to verification by program officials at any time during the school year. All applications and household information are confidential.

Movie, voter registration at Eagle Theater

The Los Altos division of Girls For A Change and the Los Altos History Museum are working together to educate members of both sexes on how women won the right to vote. They have planned a special event for 6:30-9:30 p.m., Saturday, in the Los Altos High School Eagle Theater.

L.A. Chung will speak, and Girls For a Change will register voters. The highlight of the evening will be the screening of an HBO film on women’s suffrage. The film follows Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, two leaders in the movement, from 1912 to 1920, the year women won the right to vote. Hilary Swank, Frances O’Connor, Julia Ormond and Anjelica Huston star. The movie contains mature topics.

Foothill Briefs

University Transfer Day scheduled
Foothill College has scheduled its annual University Transfer Day, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursday, in the Library Quad. Admission is free and the public is invited.
Admissions representatives from more than 50 colleges and universities, including private, out-of-state, international, California State and the University of California, will be […]

Spartans and Eagles to preview new field shows

The award-winning Mountain View High School Spartan Marching Band and color guard will present a preview performance of their field show “The Right Stuff,” featuring music from the 1983 movie by that name. The Spartan Marching Band played a small but important role in the movie.

This free event is a thank-you to the community for its support, and it marks the beginning of a new season with the band in full uniform. It begins at 4 p.m., Saturday, at the newly renovated Spartan Stadium, 3535 Truman Ave., Mountain View.

Los Altos School District roundup

Search for nextsuperintendent

Oak, Egan construction nearing completion

Schools Briefs

High school needs computers
A local high school needs used PCs and Macs for students who do not have computers for their schoolwork.
To donate a computer, contact Tooran Oshikoji at 941-5877 or tooranoshikoji@yahoo.com.
Time management, organization for students
Diane Spicer, a specialist in learning disabilities and reading, will speak […]

Los Altos art docents put ‘community’ into art education for 35th year

The Los Altos Art Docents have begun the program’s 35th year of taking hands-on art education to students in Los Altos elementary schools.

To celebrate, they took part last week in a workshop in which they made Calderesque mobiles then shared a festive lunch, complete with a cake shaped and decorated like an artist’s palette. Docent Kimberly Dickerson made the cake.

Eagles lay a goose egg

Last Friday’s 17-0 home loss to Palo Alto High was a game of stops for the Los Altos High football team.

The Eagles made a slew of stops on defense - highlighted by a goal-line stand - but continually stopped themselves on offense with turnovers, penalties and fourth-down failures.

At $50 a barrel, crude oil seeps into your wallet

Fasten your seat belts, because the economic road to stability could be an interesting ride this week. The economic calendar is swarming with market-moving reports every day, along with the first presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry Thursday night.

The biggest driver in the equity markets is the price of oil. With crude oil prices nearing $50 a barrel, there is good reason to worry. Energy costs are crimping manufacturing profits, and airlines are considering cutting flights. In turn, consumer spending will be down, affecting corporate profits.

Low interest rates guarantee record housing sales

Despite widespread predictions of higher interest rates, average rates for long-term mortgages have dropped below 6 percent again. This provides a second chance for home buyers hoping to get into the market as well as homeowners trying to refinance higher mortgages.

“Economic forecasters said mortgage rates would rise steadily for the remainder of 2004 and cool off the red-hot housing market,” said Fred Hibbert, manager of the Coldwell Banker office on First Street. “Actually the reverse has happened, as rates are heading south again.”

‘The Jane Austen Book Club’ offers stimulating fodder for literary minds

In his brilliant essay “Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote,” Jorge Luis Borges satirizes the impossibility of recreating “Don Quixote,” even if the recreation were identical to the original. One might just as well ask whether Karen Joy Fowler is attempting the impossible in telling a contemporary story the way Jane Austen might have told it had she lived around the turn of the millennium.

Fowler’s “The Jane Austen Book Club” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004) is the story of five women and one man in various states of single- and coupledom - determinedly single to newly separated to divorced to somewhat married. Set in the Central Valley, the story meanders through six book club meetings, one for each of Austen’s novels.

Allende’s teen novel stands on its own in fantasy series

“Kingdom of the Golden Dragon” (HarperCollins, 2004), the second book in Isabel Allende’s series for young teens (grades 6-9) featuring Alexander Cold, starts a little slower than the first, “City of the Beasts” (2003). Alexander’s grandmother Kate, an intrepid journalist writing for International Geographic magazine, is off to the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon, an isolated country in the Himalayas to which few tourists are admitted. She invites Alexander, who has just turned 16, and, as a surprise to him, his friend Nadia, whom he met in the Amazon jungle in the earlier book. Kate and the International Geographic photographers are to find and report on the Golden Dragon, a bejeweled sacred gold statue reputed to foretell the future of the kingdom and advise the ruling monarch.

The story begins with two figures climbing high in the Himalayas. They are a Buddhist monk, Tensing, and his disciple, Prince Dil Bahadur, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of the Golden Dragon. As the pair trek through the mountainous landscape, the reader learns a lot about the people, history, society and Buddhist philosophy of this secluded kingdom.

Books Briefs

Climber who cut off arm to sign book
Aron Ralston is scheduled to sign copies of his book “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” 1 p.m., Saturday, at Costco Wholesale.
On May 1, 2003, Ralston made the most horrifying decision of his life. After more than five agonizing days stranded in […]

Home in the Hills evolves with family

Some people enjoy living by the shore and watching the waves for hours. Charlene and Jim Geers prefer a view of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the fog rolls in like a tidal wave.

“When we returned to the Bay Area 33 years ago, we knew we wanted to live in Los Altos Hills,” Charlene said. “This house had all the lovely views of the western hills. We bought it for the right reasons and not for love.”

Kitchen designs that warm the soul and inspire cooking

The kitchen will always be the heart of the home; it should be in harmony with the rest of the house. It also must be an entertainment center, because everyone eventually settles there.

Gina Viscusi-Elson, owner and designer of the Rutt Collection showroom in downtown Los Altos, said the primary function when designing a kitchen is functional space planning.

Home design specialists apply their ‘Kraft’ with pleasing results

Remodeling and constructing houses is Joe Kraft’s passion. Earlier this year, his passion was rewarded.

Kraft Design Build Associates, Kraft’s construction firm in Mountain View, received the 2004 Big 50 Award given by Remodeling magazine - a trendsetter in the home improvement industry.

Some home improvements add to house value

No matter where they go, people continue to make changes to their houses. A report by Wells Fargo & Co. said 70 percent of those who have home improvements completed say they did the work to enhance their quality of life and obtain personal enjoyment.

Appraisers look for home improvements when they appraise a house for resale, but they are quick to report that such improvements often don’t add enough value to the home to cover all of the project costs.

Local student redoes master bedroom for TV show

Taking your final examination in a bedroom on national television could cause nervous tension for some, but Chris Irvine passed with flying colors. The Los Altos resident, a student at Academy of Art University, San Francisco, graduated and is ready to take on bigger projects.

Irvine was a finalist on “Designer Finals,” Home & Garden Television’s new weekly series where students redo a room for television. The series features interior design students nationwide, including several from the Bay Area.

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., Sunday. Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave. $20-$25. 941-0551; www.busbarn.org.