With all their ‘Mite’

They’re pint-sized - some would even say puny - but don’t ever say that to the face of a Mountain View Marauder Mighty Mite because you might just get a shoulder in the midsection.

The Mighty Mites are the smallest and youngest tackle football team in Mountain View Marauders, a local Pop Warner league in its 38th year. The Mighty Mites range from ages 7 to 9 and live in either Mountain View or Los Altos.

Day worker center reopens under new management

Pastor Jim Stringer wasn’t surprised when an anonymous resident gave him $2,400 to reopen the day worker center at the Calvary Assembly of God Church last week. Stringer had been strategizing a way for the Mountain View church to operate a center there independently since he shut down St. Joseph the Worker Center two weeks earlier following a feud with operators St. Vincent de Paul.

By Oct. 4, the pastor had everything he needed to reopen the center: a director, a manager and enough money to cover costs for the first month. Stringer said Calvary needs about $60,000 a year - or $5,000 a month - to operate a day worker program. He plans to keep church donations separate from any money raised for the day worker center.

Police address parents’ gang violence concerns

Red or blue shoelaces may seem like the latest fashion trend, but they could put students in harm’s way, parents learned last week at a meeting hosted by the Mountain View Police Department following the possible gang-related murder of a Los Altos High School student.

The colors blue and red are affiliated with two locally dominant gangs: the Norteños and Sureños. (Norteños identify themselves by the color red; Sureños, by blue.)

LA is first stop in inaugural Superior Court program

Typically, few people dare to stand in front of a Superior Court judge and criticize the legal system. That wasn’t the case last week in Los Altos, where a panel of seven judges from the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, encouraged such comments.

The judges, each representing a different court division, hit the road Oct. 6 to educate Peninsula residents about California’s legal system and collect feedback through an inaugural outreach program that kicked off in Los Altos. The judges plan to hold Judicial Town Hall meetings in every city in Santa Clara County.

Purissima Road utility wire to be buried

Part of Purissima Road in Los Altos Hills could be scheduled for a face lift in the near future. The city council is considering burying utility wires as part of a pilot undergrounding project along the section of road near the Los Altos Hills Little League Field and riding ring.

The city will use $423,000 in 20A funds, money set aside annually by utility companies for undergrounding on public streets.

Few leads in LAHS student murder

As of last week, police had not made arrests or identified any suspects in the murder of 17-year-old Alejandro “Alex” Fernandez, a Los Altos High School student gunned down during a drive-by shooting in Mountain View.

“The persons who know what took place and what was involved do not want to step forward, and that is the barrier we are trying to break down,” said Jim Bennett, public information officer for the Mountain View Police Department. “We have not received the vital information needed to identify the person or persons who committed this crime.”

Jobs offers to give away historic Woodside home

Finding a history buff to haul away a historic home before bringing in the wrecking ball isn’t a situation unique to the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, which put its 1901 Griffin House on the market for $1 earlier this year to make room for a new community center.

Another historic home just 20 minutes north of the campus is allegedly on the market - for free.

Community building to replace Griffin House

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees last week unveiled plans for a community center that would be located at the present site of the historic Griffin House on the Foothill College campus in Los Altos Hills.

The project requires the demolition or removal of the home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was identified by the town of Los Altos Hills as a historic site. No one at the board meeting Oct. 4 came forward to support or oppose the project.

Steve Poizner for 21st state Assembly

The race for the 21st state Assembly district, with Los Altos in its confines, is one of the most watched and pivotal contests statewide. The race appears to be a virtual deadheat as we approach the Nov. 2 election.

First, there’s multimillionaire Steve Poizner, a moderate Republican, casting himself as a bipartisan bridge-builder who can and will get things done in Sacramento. Then there’s longtime Redwood City Councilman Ira Ruskin, a Democrat with a long history of community service.

Joe Simitian for 11th state Senate

Back in March, we endorsed Ted Lempert for the 11th state Senate over Joe Simitian. Simitian beat Lempert in the primary. Republican Jon Zellhoefer and Libertarian Allen M. Rice don’t stand a chance against the Simitian juggernaut in November. That’s no reason to endorse him. But there are plenty of other reasons.

As a 21st district assemblyman, Simitian successfully fought off then-Gov. Gray Davis’ attempt in 2003 to take away basic aid funding from the districts like our own Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. The funding takeaway would have crippled the district. He also has led numerous efforts to increase funding for our local school districts.

Letters to the Editor

Addressing Israel’s position
Woody DeMayo

Sami Ibrahim and Jamai Zeid’s letter in response to Ehud Barak’s speech at the Flint Center (Town Crier, Sept. 29) mentions that Palestinian anger and subsequent terrorism have been fueled by Israel’s actions over the past 50 years.
The truth is that Palestinian anger is the result of […]

The complicated world of youth sports

Remember the good old days when youth sports were uncomplicated? During grade school, there were three primary sports: soccer, basketball and baseball. The kids learned the basics in a fun, relaxed environment. There was plenty of time for league sports because homework was manageable and few children had other outside interests. And there were no after-school sports.

Flash forward a few years to middle school. By this time many dedicated and talented young athletes joined year-round, competitive “club” teams. As the competition and skill levels rose, the emphasis shifted from learning basic skills and having fun to developing a strong team with a common goal of winning.

Calling all vets: We need to hear from you

The Los Altos Town Crier is scheduling special features on veterans in the Nov. 10 edition this year.

Included will be a list, an “honor roll,” of all Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents who wore a uniform in military service from World War II to present.

Scouting News

Boy Scout Troop 30 awarded the rank of Eagle Scout to Joshua Laber, Andrew Galen, David Fetter and Jeremy Baumgartner on Sept. 26 at the Christ Episcopal Church of Los Altos.

Laber, 15, is a sophomore at Homestead High School. For his Eagle Scout project, he planned and led the assembly and refurbishment of 40 picnic benches for the Los Altos School District.

Weddings

Karla Jan Lacey and John Luther Zoglin
Karla Lacey and John Zoglin were married July 4 at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The bride is the daughter of Alice Lacey and the late John Jeremiah (Jerry) Lacey of Abilene, Texas. She graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University and received her master’s […]

LAH parks and recreation department proving more than a fledgling effort

Any parent whose child has participated in the Los Altos Hills Ohlone camp program or summer sports camp knows the value of the city’s parks and recreation department. What most parents may not know, however, is that the department is very much a home-grown institution only recently been made possible after years of hard work by local residents.

Patty Radlo and Rebecca Hickman, co-chairwomen of the parks and recreation committee, are the two driving forces behind the recreation programs. They started Ohlone Summer Camp in 1999 because they were frustrated that there were no local programs for their children.

Kiwanis collecting contributions for ‘Turkey Roundup’

The Los Altos Kiwanis Club is collecting contributions for its annual Turkey Roundup. The club will use the funds to purchase turkeys for Bread of Life in East Palo Alto for Thanksgiving.

To contribute, send a check payable to the Kiwanis Club of Los Altos Foundation, to Los Altos Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 484, Los Altos 94023.

Morning Forum focus on media disenchantment

James Bettinger, director of the John S. Knight Fellows for Professional Journalists at Stanford University and former columnist for the San Jose Mercury News, addressed the Morning Forum of Los Altos Oct. 5 on the subject of the public’s dissatisfaction with the media.

There is a decline in confidence in media among Americans, he said. Although most journalists think of themselves as fair and balanced, the public thinks journalists are self-interested. As a result, there has been a decrease in public esteem. Yet the public prefers to read and hear news that emphasizes and reinforces their own point of view.

Community

Ongoing
Los Altos Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave.
Today
Mountain View Planning Commission, 7:30 p.m., city hall, 500 Castro St.
Thursday
Los Altos Hills Planning Commission, 7 p.m., town hall, 25890 Fremont Ave.
Los Altos Planning Commission, 7 p.m., city hall, 1 N. […]

Apollo 9 astronaut warns of ‘Deep Impact’

The destruction depicted in the movie “Deep Impact” may seem possible only in Hollywood, but in fact such events have occurred numerous times in the course of history and will likely happen again, Apollo 9 astronaut Russell Schweickart said during a lecture at Foothill College last week.

He described Tunguska, an asteroid that collided with Earth in 1908, as a recent example of the destruction humankind could face. The asteroid, which had a diameter of 164 feet, exploded at 20,000 feet like a giant fireball, flattening more than 1,000 square miles of forest in Siberia. Much like a nuclear weapon, an asteroid airburst is far worse than a ground burst, Schweickart said. If Tunguska had exploded over London, the entire city would have been destroyed and millions would have died.

Community Briefs

Children’s media expert to speak
The Mountain View Parent Nursery School presents James Steyer, author and renowned children’s media expert, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 27, at Foothill College’s Smithwick Theatre. His topic will be “The Other Parent: The Inside Story of the Media’s Effect on Our Children.”
Steyer founded Common Sense Media, designed […]

LA forums on ethics of stem cell research

Proposition 71, if passed, would provide $3 billion in state funding for certain types of stem cell research.

To clarify the issue, the lecture group Community Connections has arranged two discussions in Los Altos: one this coming Sunday and the second planned Oct. 24. Both are scheduled 7-9 p.m. at Main street Café and Books, 134 Main St., Los Altos.

Pathways Hospice Foundation holding annual awards gala

Pathways Hospice Foundation of Mountain View (formerly MidPeninsula) will hold its 14th annual One From the Heart Awards 7:30 a.m., Oct. 21, at Hyatt Rickeys, Palo Alto.

More than 700 guests are expected to attend, to hear the message of author and reporter, Calvin Trillin.

Locals make quilts for soldiers

Lisa and Sarah Shemwell hosted a Sew for our Soldiers event at their house Sept. 17. Lisa, Diane Appler and Sarah of Los Altos, Amy Davis of Palo Alto and (not pictured) Glenda Cascio, Melodee Wade and Denise Andrade worked on patriotic quilts that will be sent to wounded soldiers returning to the United States from Iraq at the Andrews Air Force Base hospital in Maryland. So far this group has made 10 patriotic quilts to comfort and honor returning wounded soldiers.

International Walk to School Day

Los Altos Police Officer Brent Butler gives Almond Elementary School students an official escort down Almond Avenue last week on International Walk to School Day.

LASD looks at reopening Bullis next fall

Los Altos School District seems to be giving serious thought to reopening Bullis-Purissima Elementary School next fall. Trustees, not of one mind on the matter, say they expect to reach a decision in April or May. If they decide to reopen the school, the most essential renovations will be done next summer, and the less pressing fixes will be done the following summer.

About 45 minutes of discussion followed trustee Jay Thomas’ urging to consider the reopening, the focus of his presentation on long-term facilities planning in last week’s board meeting. His presentation was slated for information/action, but trustees took no action beyond informally asking staff to look into the feasibility of reopening the school.

Hills wants Bullis plan before meeting with Los Altos School District

Los Altos Hills City Council members said they will not meet with the Los Altos School District about the Bullis-Purissima Elementary School site until the district presents a plan for bringing public education back to the Hills.

“At such time as the district has a plan, we will have a joint meeting between the two bodies,” Councilman Breene Kerr said Thursday.

FHDA bookstores consider contracting out services

Faced with no longer being able to subsidize their bookstores, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees last week discussed contracting out for bookstore services. Such an action would likely result in increased costs for the students.

“We are exploring contracting out the bookstore for a short time because of construction purposes,” said Mike Brandy, vice chancellor of business services. “This is an option we will consider by January,” he said at the district board meeting, Oct. 4.

Blessed beasts

Father Oscar Tabujara blesses Delaney Kentzel’s one-year-old pug Chula during the annual Blessing of the Animals at St. Joseph Elementary School. The school’s 250 students brought their living and toy pets to be blessed. In addition to living dogs and cats of all kinds, guinea pigs, hamsters, cockatiels and a hermit crab, there were stuffed bears, leopards, a long-necked bird of indeterminate species, dogs and one pink unicorn.

Schools Briefs

Flamingos flock on command
Looking for a special gift for someone special? Send a flock of pink flamingos to roost in that someone’s front yard.
For $35, “flamingo flockers” - Los Altos High School instrumental music students - will secretly deliver a flock of 30 or so pink flamingo lawn ornaments, along […]

Neighbors discuss plans to stop Pinewood expansion on Covington

More than 30 people gathered in the home of Dr. Ed Bough Thursday night to discuss the proposed expansion of Pinewood Lower School at 477 Fremont Ave. onto adjacent property at 450 Covington Road. An attorney, Michael E. Schneider, whose law office is in San Jose, was on hand to advise them.

Scott Riches, president of Pinewood, held a meeting in August for the school’s immediate neighbors at which he gave a preview of his expansion plans and answered questions. Many of residents at Bough’s meeting, who live farther from the school, were worried that the expansion would worsen what they consider a bad traffic situation, increase noise and misuse a highly visible site - chiefly through overbuilding.

Noteworthies

Shawn D. Skaife of Los Altos was among the 123 new medical students in the class of 2008 were welcomed into the University of Nebraska College of Medicine during the schools’ White Coat Ceremony.

This ceremony is a rite of passage into the medical profession. It focuses on professionalism, encompassing ethical behavior, compassionate care and service to others. The students recite an oath then don their first white coats, symbolizing a transition into the field of medicine.

District on ambitious track, administrator says

Trustees of the Los Altos School District are headed in an “ambitious direction” this year, a district official told the Los Altos Kiwanis Club last week.

Patricia Boettcher, the assistant superintendent for instruction and former principal of Bullis-Purissima Elementary School, noted that the school board had “just raised the balloon” on the possibility of renovating the school next summer and reopening it next fall.

Foothill, De Anza learn about employment trends

The Office of Institutional Research and Planning at De Anza College serves the Foothill-De Anza Community College District by providing information and analysis for decision-making and planning. Its latest study on work force gap analysis was presented to the district board Oct. 4.

The report provided a broad overview of the Santa Clara County labor market and ways both colleges can respond to the work force needs of the region’s employers: Do any gaps exist? How can both colleges answer the community’s needs?

Los Altos resident takes first place in literary contest

Christie Cochrell of Los Altos has won the Dorothy Churchill Cappon Creative Nonfiction Award in the 19th annual literary awards competition held by New Letters, the international quarterly magazine of writing and art published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Cochrell’s piece, “Iona,” was judged by Brian Doyle, author of four essay collections and editor of Portland Magazine.

Homestead High selected as Blue Ribbon school

Homestead High School has been selected as a Blue Ribbon School, having first been named a California Distinguished School. The Blue Ribbon award is a national honor, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Shelby Spain, director of testing, assessment and guidance for the Fremont Union High School District, was elated by the news.

Los Altos can’t match up with loaded Los Gatos

Setter Michelle Nelson had a simple yet accurate explanation for why Los Gatos High was able to come to into the Los Altos High gym and beat her volleyball team in straight games last week.

“They’re stacked this year,” the junior said after Los Gatos’ 25-14, 25-14, 25-18 victory.

Stock markets don’t like a close presidential race

The closer we get to the presidential election, the more uncertain the stock market behavior becomes. The market will advance, but there is no indication of stability. There’s an old axiom, “The easy money has been made,” and that is becoming more evident each day.

Last week, three-fifths of the Town Crier stocks declined 1.25 percent. That was in line with the Dow industrials, down 1.34 percent, and the Nasdaq composite, at minus 1.18 percent.

Being a STAR can be fruitful

Networking involves more than handing out your business card, as 15 members of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce have realized. They do their networking by sharing marketing information every other Tuesday morning.

“This is a fun group,” said Richard Yamaguma, CPA. “The idea of sharing referrals and getting to know business issues confronting us makes for an interesting meeting.”

Ristorante Don Giovanni: Little Italy on Castro Street

There are so many new restaurant choices along Castro Street that some diners may forget about Italian food - even on Columbus Day, celebrated Monday. That’s a mistake, because after eight years, Ristorante Don Giovanni is still the premier Italian restaurant in Mountain View.

It has a romantic atmosphere as well as consistently good service and first-rate food. Owner John Akkaya is always available and greets his customers personally. He has worked at Italian restaurants the past 25 years.

Mediterranean diet can be low-carb depending on selected menu

Q: Is a Mediterranean-style diet high in carbohydrates? What about its fat content?

A: It depends upon the food choices you make. A Mediterranean diet usually refers to a plant-based diet, in which vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans play the largest role, with animal proteins - especially meat - taking a back seat. If you make grain products such as pasta, bread and rice the largest part of your meals, the diet will be higher in carbohydrates. It’s possible, however, to give grains a smaller role in a Mediterranean diet, emphasizing a variety of vegetables.

More than one way to design a meatloaf, especially near Halloween night

With Halloween approaching, Town Crier staff members decided to try some of their cooking tricks during a friendly “scary meatloaf” competition last week.

One by one, homemade meatloafs with varied ingredients and in different shapes, made their way to the kitchen table. The assortment included a floating ghost, yellow pumpkin and ghoulish face.

Deux Euro Chateau Charles

I have been busy tasting and reading in my constant quest to stay informed on what good wine buys are out there for us, the consumers, to enjoy.

It is time to broaden our wine base. Wines are classified as Old World (Europe) and New World (the rest of the world). There is a lot of quality wine from countries other than Spain, France and Italy. Australia, Chile, the United States and South Africa, to mention a few, produce huge quantities of quality inexpensive juice.

Spiders, ghosts and goblins add a festive touch to Halloween

Spider Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Page Mill Winery leaving Los Altos Hills for Livermore

Twenty eight years ago Dick and Ome Stark founded the Page Mill Winery at their home on Page Mill Road. It has been there ever since; and the only major change was when their youngest son, Dane, took over the operation in 1992. Grapes have been crushed and vinified at this location since day one. The basement of the house has served as the tasting and barrel room.

Dane, wife Angela, 3-month-old daughter, Stella, and dog Syrah plan to pack up lock, stock and literally barrel and move to a 100-year-old Victorian home in Livermore.

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• Crust:

Cranston’s ‘Sovereignty Revolution,’ the subject of Friday book signing

A native of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, Alan Cranston made his mark on the world through politics and his writings. He represented California in the U.S. Senate for 24 years before retiring to his cottage on Fremont Avenue in Los Altos Hills in the mid-1990s.

This new book, written just before he died in 2000, is short, and tightly edited but full of history and worth reading.

Local author writes about humor in her life

“By Thanksgiving It’ll be Funny” covers eight decades of life from a woman’s perspective. Polly Tooker, a Los Altos resident, writes about her memoirs with humor and a keen perception of the people she encountered during her years as a farm girl in Vermont and right up to her current California experiences.

Tooker’s book is an autobiography in five parts. The best way to know and understand the author’s life is to read Part 5 first. Then go back to Part 1, starting with her wonderful New England family life.

Books Brief

Hollywood’s glamorous golden age at library
Friends of the Los Altos Library have scheduled a presentation by Benjamin McKendall, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 20, at the Los Altos main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road..
McKendall will review perceptions of glamour from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” down to […]

Local residents visit Ashland by train

Thirty area residents boarded Amtrak’s Coast Starlight bound for Ashland, Ore., to attend the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Sept. 20-24. The trip was the inaugural offering of Town Crier Train Tours.

Some members of the group, such as Janet Harding, had been to Ashland before and had even stayed at the Ashland Springs Hotel, but not since it has been remodeled into its present splendor.

Datebook

THEATER

“Strange Bedfellows.” Los Altos Follies. Musical salute to 21st century life and politics. 7:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday. Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave. $40-$90; proceeds benefit Bus Barn Stage Company. 941-8353.

Obituary Notices

LOUISE GARDNER BLAKEY
Louise Gardner Blakey, 88, of Los Altos, CA, died peacefully Sunday, September 20, 2004 at El Camino Hospital, Mt. View, at 3:40 pm after 67 years of loving partnership and shared memories.
Louise was born of Emma and Ralph Garden who were living in Redding, CA but having no money, […]