Bullis comes alive

Bullis Charter School opened its doors Aug. 23 with an award-winning principal, intent on teaching children to love learning, and a community of parents united in the desire to establish their own school.

The excitement of a Silicon Valley startup animates the adults. The chairman of the board of directors is a venture capitalist, and entrepreneurs, engineers and financial experts troubleshoot the school’s day-to-day problems and help plan its future.

City amends child-care law to meet state standards

Los Altos lawmakers learned last week that the city will have to adjust its law books rather than enrollment numbers at home child-care centers. A Los Altos ordinance that would have forced as many as 13 child-care operators to cut their enrollments in half is in violation of California law, City Attorney Jolie Houston has determined. The state Department of Social Services challenged the city code last August.

“The Los Altos City Council has agreed to amend the ordinance to reflect state law,” Houston said.

Bullis, LAH withdraw restraint requests

The town of Los Altos Hills and Bullis Charter School withdrew legal action against the Los Altos School District Thursday after a judge said he would not be inclined to grant them the emergency restraining orders they were requesting. Both groups had filed separately for restraining orders to prevent the district from leasing the former Bullis-Purissima campus in Los Altos Hills to three private preschools.

Judge Neal Cabrinha of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County said if the restraining order were imposed, the school district and the preschools could suffer irreparable harm.

Students say goodbye to schoolmate gunned down in drive-by shooting

Teary-eyed students released nearly 100 white balloons over Los Altos High School at a memorial service last week for junior Alejandro “Alex” Fernandez, who died from a gunshot wound to his chest during a drive-by shooting Sept. 24.

“You’ve known a person for four years, it’s like losing a piece of yourself,” said one of his friends.

Purissima board asks LAH to help conserve water supply

The Purissima Hills Water District Sept. 16 asked the Los Altos Hills City Council for the second time in a month to work with them to prevent a crisis by conserving the district’s limited water supply. The district’s supply originates from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park.

The majority of Los Altos Hills residents who draw on district water do not abuse their allotments. The problem lies with a select group of residents who are consuming excessive amounts of water. Those residents are probably using much of the water for landscaping and expansive lawns, board member Jan Fenwick said.

LA students warned to avoid Foothill intersection

Covington students may be prohibited from doing what other Los Altos schoolchildren are encouraged to do nearly every day - walk and bike to school. Roadwork at Foothill Expressway and El Monte Road appears to pose such a safety risk that the Los Altos City Council at its meeting last Tuesday passed an urgency ordinance asking the Los Altos School District to stop children from using the intersection until construction is completed in mid-October.

The city agreed to post a second crossing guard at the intersection through the start of the district’s winter break in December. The intersection is one of the busiest in town.

Fiber optic upgrades leave 46,000 without power

A construction crew working for Santa Clara County accidently cut the power supply to approximately 46,000 customers in Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Los Altos while placing fiber optic cables near Cristo Rey Drive and Foothill Expressway Friday morning. Some customers were without power from 11:55 a.m. until midnight, said PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith.

Smith said the crew used “extremely poor judgment.” He called the outage the “worst non-storm situtation” that he has experienced.

New salons banned from Main and State streets

The Los Altos City Council last week approved zoning changes that will make it essentially impossible for nail and hair salons to obtain a Main Street or State Street address.

The law changes will ban new personal grooming services from opening on the ground floor along Main and State streets in the Commercial-Retail-Sales District - without exception. There are currently 19 salons in a five-block stretch of Main Street. Other services - such as travel agencies, takeout restaurants and dry cleaners - will be restricted but not prohibited.

Editorial

With the Nov. 2 election less than a month away, we turn our attention to matters confronting us at the polls. We’re starting with seven of the 16 propositions, issues that concern us locally although ramifications are felt statewide.

We’re starting with Proposition 1A, which keeps property and sales tax revenues with local government. The benefits are obvious - increased funding for public safety and libraries among other services. Such funding currently goes into the state pot and can be retained in Sacramento to make up the budget deficit. Locals shouldn’t pay because the state can’t get its act together. For more details, see the John Moss piece on 1A on this page. Yes on 1A.

The most important issue in Los Altos today

The most important issue in Los Altos today is getting Proposition 1A passed in November. Here’s why.

The California Legislature, along with the governor, must be stopped from taking local government revenues to fund state programs.

Conversation becoming a thing of the past

As the poem by Lewis Carroll goes, “‘The time has come,’ the walrus said, ‘to talk of many things: Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax - of cabbages, and kings.’”

But, to whom?

Letters to the Editor

Charter school deserves permanent home
Katharine Brady

As a proud Bullis Charter School parent, I can only shake my head at the attitude displayed by the Los Altos School Board at a recent meeting. More than 20 Bullis parents and neighbors from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills asked the board not to enter […]

Scouting News

Troop 33 Scouts Andrew Eglen, James McDaniel, Jeffrey McDaniel and Elliot Swan became Eagle Scouts during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor presentation Sept. 26 at the Los Altos United Methodist Church.

Andrew started his scouting career by joining Cub Scout Pack 501 in 1995, when he was 8 years old.

Weddings & Engagements

Virginia Boster and David Stobb
Virginia Boster and David Stobb were married May 22 in Napa at the home of the bride’s aunt and uncle, Tom and Linda Boster.
The bride is the daughter of Alyce and Dave Boster of Los Altos. She is a graduate of Los Altos High School. She received […]

Former ambassador to Israel visits Beth Am

Former Ambassador Dennis Ross, who worked under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, visited Los Altos Hills last week to discuss his new book, “The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace.” Ross spoke at Congregation Beth Am.

Ross served as U.S. ambassador for more than 12 years and was the chief negotiator for the Middle East peace process. In his 872-page book, he divulges a behind-the-scenes look at negotiations in the early 1990s, the historic handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn in 1993 and the breakdown of talks in 2001.

Ethics of stem cell research topic of forums

Proposition 71, on the Nov. 2 ballot, poses a quandary for California voters. The “California Stem Cells for Research and Cures Initiative” entails two major questions: Should the state of California assume additional debt through a constitutional amendment? Should the state of California fund contentious research and development in an area that has been typically carried by the federal government, biotech, big pharmaceutical companies and venture capital?

Community Connections of Los Altos has scheduled two discussions with experts in the scientific and ethical communities so voters can be better informed.

Shultz meets press in Los Altos

Former Secretary of State George Shultz, who served under President Ronald Reagan from 1982-89, made an appearance at Main Street Cafe & Books in Los Altos last week to stump for 21st Assembly candidate Steve Poizner. Shultz, currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford, is also an economic adviser to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Fun for the family at Los Altos fall festival

Perfect weather made for a pleasant Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival. The 13th annual Los Altos Chamber of Commerce event was held this past weekend.

“Saturday was good and with the beautiful weather on Sunday the festival was crowded,” said Gayle Carter, Chamber of Commerce executive assistant. “I hear the car people were happy and the vendors pleased.”

Historic olive grove at Hidden Villa receives first ‘radical pruning’ in 150 years

When Los Altos resident Judy Baker happened by the historic olive grove at the entrance to Hidden Villa preserve last week, her jaw dropped.

The 150-year-old grove, reportedly planted by Spanish settlers, had received what the preserve’s officials refer to as a “radical pruning.” Approximately three-quarters of the old trees had been shaved off, Baker said.

Community

After a distinguished career in law spanning 38 years, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Charles Hayden is retiring.

But he’s not going quietly. “Chuck,” as his friends call him, is holding a fun-for-all retirement “hearing” Oct. 21 at Lou’s Village restaurant.

Skoll offers $5 million ‘challenge’

Los Altos Hills resident Jeff Skoll gave some financial cause for celebration at last Friday’s 50th anniversary luncheon for Community Foundation Silicon Valley when he announced his foundation’s $5 million matching grant.

Skoll, the first full-time employee and president of eBay, has been a strong contributor to Community Foundation Silicon Valley as a board member and through his own Skoll Foundation. The foundation has already raised $3 million of the $5 million needed to match Skoll’s donation.

Calendar

Thursday
Los Altos Hills City Council, 6 p.m., town hall, 25890 Fremont Ave.
Los Altos Planning Commission, 7 p.m., city hall, 1 N. San Antonio Road.
Monday
Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District Board of Trustees, 7 p.m., district offices, 1299 Bryant Ave., MountainView.
Tuesday
Los Altos City Council, 7 […]

Community Briefs

LAH walks this weekend
The Open Space Committee of the city of Los Altos Hills has scheduled two of its popular “Apricots to Mountain Tops” series hikes this weekend.
On Sunday, the 6-mile, three-hour, moderate hike climbs to Byrne Preserve and Westwind Barn. From there, hikers will walk along the Artemas […]

Schools Briefs

Rick Bell memorial tournament scheduled
A golf tournament in memory of Los Altos resident Rick Bell will be held Oct. 11 at Los Altos Golf and Country Club, 1560 Country Club Drive. Registration starts at 10 a.m., and tee-off is at 12:30 p.m.
Contributions to the tournament will go to the donor-advised […]

Noteworthies

Sarah Boster, daughter of Alyce and Dave Boster of Los Altos, received her bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College, Claremont, graduating with honors in linguistics and a minor in French. She is completing her certification to teach English to speakers of other languages at Language Advance Training in Barcelona, Spain.

Sonia Feldstein, daughter of Steven and Darlene Feldstein of Los Altos, has been accepted for the fall 2004 internship program with the Washington, D.C., Office of Attorney General, Juvenile Justice. Feldstein is a 2004 graduate of University of California at Davis with a double major in political science and psychology.

Waldorf School’s curriculum follows students’ developmental path

The arts are woven into the fabric of Waldorf schools. One visit to Waldorf School of the Peninsula proves as much.

“We want to reach a child’s mind but also his inner sense of beauty and reverence,” said Mary Jane Di Piero, enrollment director, in September.

Spartans beat Bruins in ‘must-win game’

Mountain View High football coach Dan Navarro couldn’t recall ever making the plea to his players this early in the season.

As the host Spartans prepared for last Friday’s league opener against Santa Clara, Navarro - sensing the season was slipping away after a 1-2 start - uttered those six words often saved for games in November when a playoff spot is on the line.

Stocks start fourth quarter with big jump despite high oil prices

We certainly hope last Friday wasn’t as good as it gets, but our three stock market indicators jumped big time. It provided a nice start to the fourth quarter.

Only a romantic would expect this trend to continue till the end of the year, because we have too many uncertainties over war, oil prices and the presidential campaign.

New owners revamp Fiesta Vallarta with authentic Mexican cuisine and margaritas

Edgar Orellana, the new owner of Fiesta Vallarta restaurant in Los Altos, knows his Mexican food. The native of El Salvador has been working in Mexican restaurants throughout the Bay Area for more than nine years.

The restaurant’s chef, Mario Paz, and Orellana have been friends for years. They have taken this opportunity to combine their talents in the joint venture, Fiesta Vallarta.

Preparation key to small businesses surviving the death of a partner

Feb. 6, 2003, I arrived at the office ready for the day. I was not expecting the phone call that I received. It was my business partner’s husband telling me that she had passed away unexpectedly the night before. She had been ill, but a life-threatening illness had not been diagnosed.

Suddenly, everything changed. Clients and staff needed to be attended to and a business strategy formulated. Now, 16 months later, the practice is healthy and growing.

These vehicles aren’t for everyone

The new 2005 Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 are proof that the Chrysler Corporation has a different idea from most manufacturers about marketing automobiles.

Chrysler isn’t trying to please everybody with each design. Instead, it is designing cars that appeal to a specific type of customer, even if they turn off other potential buyers.

October is National Car Care Month; time to prepare vehicles for winter

Fall has arrived, meaning Americans are preparing to turn back their clocks. Experts advise they should also prepare their vehicles for the cold months ahead.

“An ounce of prevention can result in trouble-free driving through autumn and winter,” said Joel Burrows, an executive vice president at Precision Tune Auto Care.

Larry’s recognized as model shop by EPA

Larry’s Automotive in Mountain View has been recognized as a Model Pollution Prevention Auto Repair Shop by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Department of Toxic Substances.

This comes as a result of Larry’s Automotive’s helping the California EPA develop the environmental processes and standards used to judge Model Shops. Approximately 20 shops in California qualify for this honor, according to Larry Moore, owner of Larry’s Automotive.

Tips for surviving freeway driving

In the course of testing our press cars, we spend a lot of time on the Bay Area’s freeways. In our driving, we probably see all the same bonehead practices of abrupt lane changes, tailgating, cell phone use and clustering that you do.

We believe that the best way to stay alive is to stay out of harm’s way through defensive driving. Here is our list of some good practices:

AAA survey reveals cost of driving new car

The American Automobile Association’s annual Your Driving Costs study shows the average cost of driving a new passenger car in 2004 is 56.2 cents per mile, or $8,431 per year.

That is up from the last study, revealing $7,754 per year or 51.7 cents per mile in 2003.

Vintage racing for charity event scheduled for this weekend

If you like classic cars and enjoy seeing them racing at speed instead of at a concours d’elegance, consider traveling up to Infineon Raceway at Sears Point near Sonoma next weekend.

The Classic Sports Racing Group - a vintage racing organization active in the Bay Area for nearly 40 years - will stage the Charity Challenge as its midfall racing event, set for Saturday and Sunday.

Columnist Jarmy autobiography absorbing

“The work of an author is to catch readers’ attention, pull them into the story and let the story create questions the reader can mull over long after the book is finished,” wrote Charlotte Jarmy.

Jarmy’s 225-page softcover book, “Reflections: A Columnist’s Journey Through Time (Walk With Me),” offers fans and those new to her writing an absorbing autobiography. Her tone is lyrical as she takes readers into her confidence and shares - with disarming honesty - intimate details of her thoughts and feelings about her life. The book comprises personal essays that appeared in the Los Altos Town Crier from 1993 to 2003.

Alan Cranston’s last testament on world affairs

Former California U.S. Senator Alan Cranston completed “The Sovereignty Revolution” just before his death in 2000. Alan’s son, Kim, a Los Altos Hills resident, edited and completed the hardcover publication of his father’s last work this past month.

The senior Cranston was a native Los Altan who served for 24 years in the Senate, during which time he became friends with countless world leaders, including former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, who wrote the book’s introduction.

Take steps to avoid traveler’s thrombosis

Everybody knows that traveling by plane, car or bus can be uncomfortable. But many people don’t realize that the prolonged inactivity of such trips can trigger a serious health problem called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

DVT can occur when a person is sedentary for long periods of time. Blood clots can form in veins deep within the body, interfering with blood flow. A clot may than detach from the vein and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, blocking the oxygen supply. This is called a pulmonary embolism, and it can result in a heart attack or death.

Travel Briefs

‘Adventures in Travel’ arrives in Bay Area
Don’t just dream about your ultimate adventure. Experience it. Adventures in Travel Expo, an adventure travel show, will make its way to the San Mateo Convention Center this fall, Oct. 8-10.
Whether it’s a safari in Africa or diving the Great Barrier Reef, a walking tour […]

Postcards from Abroad

The Town Crier wants to hear from you about your travel experiences.

Send Travel

Datebook

THEATER

“Brave Irene.” The adventures of a plucky girl who courageously braves the winter weather to help her mother by delivering a new dress for the duchess ball. California Theatre Center. 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday. Sunnyvale Community Center Theater. $11-$12. (408) 245-2978; www.ctcinc.org.