Election time in the hills

With only two weeks before the Nov. 2 election, Los Altos Hills City Council candidates appear to have stuck with their civility pledge. There have been no public smear campaigns, no slanderous mailings and no vandalism or thefts reported.

Lacking the drama of previous contentious council campaigns, this race has allowed candidates to stick to the issues for the most part. Last week’s candidate forum held by the Los Altos-Mountain View Area League of Women Voters was no exception.

Fate of unfinished structure on Winbigler property to be decided in court

The weathered structure on the former Winbigler property in Los Altos Hills that has been pending demolition since August could be torn down as early as Oct. 28.

Attorneys representing the city and the former owners, Maria Ligeti and Gordon Campbell, are scheduled to meet in court Oct. 26 when a judge will decide if the city can issue a demolition permit to Pinewood School, the new owner of the 7-acre property.

Drivers confused over upgrades

The Los Altos City Council, Oct. 12, authorized $25,270 to replace the signal controller and cabinet at the intersection of Covington Road and El Monte Avenue.

According to city staff, the upgrade is necessary for optimal coordination between the city-operated traffic lights at the El Monte-Covington intersection and the Santa Clara County signal at the intersection of El Monte and Foothill Expressway.

Five candidates square off for three seats on LAH council

Mike O’Malley, incumbent
Years in town: 11
Previous experience: Current mayor, four years on city council, member of new town hall committee, council liaison for sewers and finance committee
Top three goals: Preserve the rural nature of the Hills; improve infrastructure by increasing sewer capacity and improving path and road maintenance; place […]

Poizner-Ruskin campaigns for 21st Assembly heat up as election draws near

Joe Simitian, outgoing Assemblyman in the 21st district, is the heavy favorite to win the 11th state Senate and succeed the outgoing distinguished Senator Byron Sher. But as uneventful as Simitian’s race is, the opposite is true of the 21st Assembly contest between Steve Poizner and Ira Ruskin.

As with the Bush-Kerry presidential race, the 21st Assembly is a virtual deadheat between Poizner, the Republican candidate, and Ruskin, the Democrat. And nearly as contentious.

Simitian leads candidates to replace Sher in 11th state Senate

The 11th state senate district, which includes Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, pits current 21st District Assemblyman Joe Simitian against two relative unknowns, Republican Jon Zellhoefer and Libertarian Allen M. Rice. The winner will fill the seat vacated by the retiring Democrat Byron Sher.

The Democrat’s resume includes Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Trustees, Palo Alto City Council and Santa Clara County supervisor. He served in the state Assembly since 2000.

Six candidates vie for three water district seats

Five candidates for the Purissima Hills Water District board voiced opinions last week on the call by some Bay Area environmentalists to un-dam the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, the source of district water.

The candidates addressed the issue at the Mountain View League of Women Voters Candidate Forum Oct. 12.

LAH majority want public school, study finds

The majority of Los Altos Hills residents support reopening a public school within city bounds, but it does not appear to be their top priority.

An independent survey, conducted by Godbe Research, shows varying support for options that could lead to reopening a public school in the city. The study found that 72 percent of residents would support the return of a public school.

LA council expands task of cell tower control

Cellular phone antennas may become more strictly regulated in Los Altos over upcoming months.

After reviewing the report from the Wireless Communications Subcommittee, Oct. 12, the Los Altos City Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance instead of amending existing guidelines regulating the placement, design and safety standards of cellular phone antennas in town. The subcommittee determined an ordinance would be stronger than guidelines.

Editorial

Unlike some races of the past, the 2004 campaign for Los Altos Hills City Council features five strong candidates competing for three seats.

Colette Cranston, Carol Gottlieb, Craig Jones, Jean Mordo and incumbent Mike O’Malley all seem committed and capable at handling the town’s present and future challenges, which range from housing development and the construction of a new town hall to pathways development, water usage and sewer hookups.

Letters to the Editor

Steps to ensure voting fairness
Jane H. Turnbull, President

Four years ago, it took 37 days to decide the outcome of the presidential election - and then it was decided by the Supreme Court.
This year, the League of Women Voters is asking all voters and election officials to do several things […]

The battle between retro and future

The future is pulled by technology and envy: “The Larsons have it, why can’t we?” That means CDs, DVDs, plasma TV screens, iPods, cars that navigate for us, and yada, yada, yada. Strangely enough, there is an opposite pull: vintage clothing, retro colors, hairstyles and finger waves from another era, red steaks and mashed potatoes.

When the future is as frightening as it was in the 1950s, with bomb shelters and “duck under defenses,” I wonder whether science fiction movies will suddenly have no new worlds to conquer. Good grief, they’re remaking “King Kong.”

Herbert Solomon, professor emeritus of statistics and department co-founder, dies at 85

Los Altos Hills resident Herbert Solomon, a professor emeritus who helped found the Stanford University Statistics Department, died Sept. 20 at Stanford Hospital of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 85.

“Herb was instrumental in founding the Stanford Statistics Department, which is considered the leading department in the world,” said Bradley Efron, the Max H. Stein Professor of Statistics and Biostatistics. Mr. Solomon’s work had applications in engineering, behavioral and social sciences, marketing, law, education, health and defense.

Obituary Notices

BERNARD SIMON AARONS
Bernard Simon Aarons, a prominent dentist in Palo Alto, died October 1, 2004 from the infirmities of his age at 85. Born in Fresno on June 16, 1919, his parents moved to Oakland when he was 6. At the age of 16, he attended UC Berkeley and received […]

Noteworthies

Veering from the well-worn tourist path, Katelyn Kerrigan of Mountain View recently embarked on a journey of hope and goodwill to a small fishing village in Ghana, on the west coast of Africa.

For three weeks in July, Kerrigan, a recent graduate of St. Francis High School, was part of a team of volunteers who lent a helping hand on educational, medical and construction projects in the Ghanaian community of Prampram, located near the capital city of Accra. St. Paul, Minn.-based Global Volunteers, a non-profit organization that offers short-term service programs in more than 20 countries coordinated this program.

Weddings & Engagements

Vitina N. Mandella and Mark A. Grimsrud
Vitina Mandella and Mark Grimsrud have announced their engagement to be married Aug. 6. The ceremony and reception will be held in Kaanapali, Hawaii.
The bride-to-be is the daughter of Victor and Loyce Mandella of Los Altos Hills. She is a graduate of Gunn High […]

Huge crowd salutes CSA’s ‘Hometown Heroes’

Last Friday the Community Services Agency presented their Hometown Hero award to three outstanding supporters, Mary-Jo DiMuccio, Brown Taylor and the Coldwell Banker-Seville Office. The annual recognition breakfast, held at the Crown Plaza Cabaña Hotel in Palo Alto, had the largest attendance in its 50-year history.

“This is an extraordinary event when every table is sponsored and almost 300 people come to honor the inductees for their outstanding community support,” said Tom Myers, executive director. “Our client loads are still increasing, but donations are better now that the economy is improving.”

Audience responds favorably to Gorbachev speech

Former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics President Mikhail Gorbachev spoke three nights at the Foothill College Celebrity Forum speaker series last week.

On Friday, he decried the lack of world leadership in general, and specifically criticized the United States’ war and occupation of Iraq as a mistake.

The Garden Club of Los Altos celebrates 75 years of growth

The 250-member Garden Club of Los Altos, the city’s oldest club, will celebrate their 75th anniversary at their meeting Tuesday. Former presidents will be honored at a tea following the scheduled program, “Having Fun With the Holidays” by Seattle-based Steve Lorton, garden editor for Sunset Magazine.

This year, as part of their 75th anniversary, the club contributed to the Environmental Horticulture program at Foothill College, the Los Altos History House for an arbor to be installed this month the club’s scholarship fund which benefits a deserving horticulture student at Foothill College each year, plus an additional one-time scholarship.

Time for spooky stories

The Town Crier is resurrecting its spooky stories contest with winning entries to be published in the Crier’s Halloween issue, Oct. 27.

The contest is open to all ages. Entries should be no more than 400 words and avoid the graphic descriptions associated with bad horror movies. The accents here should be on mystery and suspense.

Ethics, economic impact of stem cell research intiative discussed in Los Altos

More than 70 interested citizens attended a discussion on “The Ethics of Stem Cell Research” Sunday evening at Main Street Café & Books in Los Altos.

Moderator Tom Gutshall introduced two notable experts in the field to discuss pros and cons in light of Proposition 71 on the Nov. 2 ballot. The initiative would provide $6 billion (including interest) for stem cell research.

LAH resident Barnholt named Gardner corporate leader

American Leadership Forum-Silicon Valley (ALF) honored Los Altos Hills resident Ned Barnholt among three outstanding individuals at its 15th annual Exemplary Leader Dinner Oct. 14 at the Rotary Summit Center in San Jose.

“There has never been a time when collaborative leadership was more important in the Valley,” said ALF CEO Ann Skeet. “Leon Panetta, Ned Barnholt and Fred Ferrer embody the standard for their respective sectors in the government, corporate and non-profit arenas.”

A ‘Spooktacular’ downtown promised for next week

The annual Halloween Spooktacular, sponsored by the Los Altos Village Association, is scheduled 1-3 p.m., Oct. 29, on Second Street between State and Main streets in downtown Los Altos.

The Spooktacular features a variety of activities to celebrate the Halloween traditions:

Community Briefs

Pathways Hospice ‘Heart’ awards
Pathways Hospice Foundation of Mountain View (formerly MidPeninsula) will hold its 14th annual One From the Heart Awards 7:30 a.m., Thursday, at Hyatt Rickey’s, Palo Alto. More than 700 guests are expected to attend and hear the keynote speaker, author and reporter Calvin Trillin. Called the […]

MV arts event promises batty entertainment

Just in time for Halloween, the Lively Foundation presents “Bat Tales,” music, comedy, theater and dance all about bats, 3 p.m., Sunday, at the Mountain View Masonic Temple auditorium, 890 Church St.

Given a bad reputation by those who take Bela Lugosi too seriously, the bat is actually a creature beneficial to humans. Bats pollinate about 90 percent of tropical rain forests and eat large quantities of mosquitoes in more temperate climates.

Calendar

Today
Los Altos Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission, 7 p.m., community chambers, city hall, 1 N. San Antonio Road.
Community Health Awareness Council, 3:30 p.m., 711 Church St., Mountain View.
Mountain View Planning Commission, 7:30 p.m., city hall, 500 Castro St.
Thursday
Los Altos Hills Town Council, 6 p.m., town hall, 25890 […]

Four MVLA high school students expelled

Teen gangs are on the minds of local residents since Los Altos High School junior Alejandro (Alex) Fernandez was gunned down on Rengstorff Avenue in Mountain View Sept. 24.

Four youths were expelled from local high schools last week but not for involvement in gang activity, according to officials of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. District administrators and Mountain View High School Principal Pat Hyland declined to say what the students had done to merit expulsion.

Two of four preschools now operating at Bullis

Susan Cretekos, director of J.B. Preschool, and her students took possession of her classroom in the former Bullis-Purissima Elementary School last week. An unexpected visitor found eight lively children playing in the courtyard under Cretekos’ eye Friday morning.

“The playgrounds here are great,” Cretekos said.

Bell memorial tournament raised $25,000

The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and a lot of people had a lot of fun raising a lot of money for a good cause. The Rick Bell Memorial Golf Tournament, held recently at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club, left participants and organizers already looking forward to next year. This will be an annual event.

The event raised more than $25,000 for a memorial scholarship fund for Los Altos High School students.

Covington gets learning help from scarecrow

Project-based learning takes many forms. Sometimes it has button eyes and lampstand feet, like Lampy, who looms above Covington Elementary School kindergartners.

The 20 girls and boys in Tara Hart’s class decided a few weeks ago that their garden needed a scarecrow.

Schools

Children, parents, teachers, staff and friends of several schools in the Los Altos Elementary School District held walkathons Saturday to supplement funding for programs and supplies at the schools. Loyola and Oak schools walked Around the World in 80 Laps. Springer students Went for the Gold, and Covington students Rocked On. In the photo above, Loyola fifth-graders Lauren McAllister, Jasmine Flake and Amanda Chron make tracks to raise funds for PTA-funded school projects.

Schools Briefs

Parents Nursery School plans fall carnival
Parents Nursery School announces its fall carnival, a day of entertainment, games, prizes and fun for the whole family. The carnival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday, at the school, 2328 Louis Road, Palo Alto (between Oregon Expressway and Embarcadero Road).
The carnival […]

Noteworthy

Los Altos resident Jan Hustler, an educator in the Palo Alto Unified School District, has been selected to participate in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program in Tokyo. This program allows 200 distinguished primary and secondary educators in the United States to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations.

When they return, the educators will share what they have learned about Japan with their students and communities through outreach projects.

Mountain View Spartans comeback clips Eagles’ wings, 12-10

Down 10-0, the Mountain View Spartans came back to score two touchdowns within three minutes in the fourth quarter, handing the Los Altos Eagles a 12-10 loss on Saturday at Tom Burt Field.

“They’re a very tough team,” said Mountain View head coach Dan Navarro of Los Altos. “We knew we were going to have trouble moving the ball, as we’ve had most of the season, but the defense came up and played tough football. Things just went our way finally, in the end, and we won.”

Los Altos girls water polo needs to dunk PA to gain playoffs

With eight seniors among its 12 players, there is a sense of urgency swirling around the Los Altos High girls water polo team. The time to win is now, and the Eagles know it.

“This will be our best chance,” coach Travis Wyckoff said. “They’ve been together for awhile.”

The net result: Pinewood girls wield quite a racket

The Pinewood School girls tennis team has gone through some significant changes since last season, yet the Panthers’ remain as competitive as ever.

Despite losing two key players and its longtime coach, Pinewood appears headed for another undefeated league season and deep run into the playoffs.

Sports

Coach Jon Wiener went into last week’s match-up with Gunn expecting his Los Altos High boys water polo team “to be challenged in a league game for the first time in four years.”

He was right.

Seven Days of Sports: the local high school and community college schedule

HIGH SCHOOL

Football

Market gets spoofed as oil prices continue to rise

Let’s get ready to rumble! The gloves are off as the big showdown between Bush and Kerry continues, with support and resistance depending on party affiliation.

Neither candidate is mentioning what is pushing oil prices higher. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan delivered an upbeat assessment of the economy’s ability to withstand the spike in oil prices, but he said it could become seriously negative if oil prices were to move materially higher.

An inside look at Los Altos real estate

Having lunch with Gary Wheeler means a couple of stories, some laughs and a long discourse on the importance of owning your home.

Vice President and Manager of Alain Pinel Realtors in Los Altos, Wheeler spoke to the Los Altos Kiwanis Club last Tuesday on why there won’t be a real estate balloon bust for Los Altos.

Los Altos brings ‘Something Special’ to British transplants

Londoners Terry Jordan and her husband, David, looked for a suitable flower and gift business in the United Kingdom. But the joint enticements of California weather and the imminent birth of a grandchild lured them to Silicon Valley, where their son Richard and his Texan wife, Kim, were living.

They found Something Special in downtown Los Altos, next door to Peet’s Coffee & Tea on State Street, where they raised the Union Jack in September 2002.

Fair keeps residents up-to-date on health care

Health fairs have proven an effective way to provide valuable health information and offer screening devices to a large number of people. Case in point was such an event last Thursday at Pilgrim Haven Retirement Community that drew a full house.

“We invite health educators and pharmaceutical company representatives to exhibit their products to our residents,” said Terry Morrison, director of admissions and social services. “We believe in healthy living, and we want the companies to educate our people about the resources available to get healthy and stay healthy.”

Flu shots may be offered at community center Nov. 15

Flu shots to be administered by the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health have tentatively been scheduled at the Hillview Community Center 8:30-11:30 a.m., Nov. 15. There will be a limited number of doses available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Cost is $15 by cash or check made out to the SCC Department of Public Health.

Come up with creative ways to get children to read

Q: How can I get my 8-year-old twins to read more? Their teacher

says they are too smart to be so far behind in reading. He suspects them of being lazy. I think he’s right, but I’m tired of the daily battle. Any suggestions?

Incidence of diabetes on the rise, statistics show

Diabetes is an increasingly common disease in the United States. An estimated 18 million people have it. Of these, at least 5 million have not been diagnosed.

Diabetic patients who have had the disease over a long period of time are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, nerve damage and gum disease. Diabetic patients have twice the risk of heart attack and stroke, and heart disease is the leading cause of death among diabetics. Diabetes is also the leading cause of kidney failure and blindness in the United States.

Health author offers advice on what to do if you find breast lump

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and women everywhere are encouraged to perform a breast self-examination and to get a mammogram in the interest of detecting possible cancer. But what is a woman to do if she finds a lump?

Breast health specialist Judy C. Kneece, RN, provides direction for these women in her book “Finding a Lump in Your Breast: Where to Go … What to Do” (Educare Publishing, 1996). In the book, available for loan from the Stanford Health Library, she answers questions such as, “What does cancer feel like?” “How do you know if what you feel is normal?” “Why do my breasts feel different at different times?” “Does breast cancer occur suddenly?”

What is that ringing in your ears? It could be tinnitus

Many people have experienced a strange “ringing” in their ears - called tinnitus - at some point in their lives. Individuals may experience tinnitus infrequently or constantly, and its volume can range from subtle to incapacitating. In severe cases, an individual may have problems sleeping and performing regular daily activities.

Tinnitus affects more than 50 million Americans of all ages and races. The condition is generally described as a “ringing in the ears” when there is no external source of the noise. Individuals say they hear noises such as hissing, buzzing, humming, roaring, whistling or chirping.

Cranston foretells terrorist threats in new book

In 1939, a young Alan Cranston proved himself a prophet when he warned the world of Adolf Hitler’s quest for world domination by publishing an unabridged version of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” In the process, he earned the distinction as the only American sued by Hitler - for copyright infringement.

Just before his death in 2000, the former U.S. senator showed his knack for prophecy again when he named Osama Bin Laden as a major terrorist threat and talked of the very real danger of U.S. cities susceptible to attack through weapons of mass destruction. Cranston’s insights are included in a just-released book, “The Sovereignty Revolution,” edited and seen through to publication by his son, Kim, of Los Altos Hills.

U.S. v. Elias an environmental horror story

Two lawyers - one a cop’s son from Pittsburgh, the other one of 10 siblings from Burlingame - met at a party. Joseph Hilldorfer, the cop’s son, had left the FBI to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division. Robert Dugoni had won prizes for two novels. When Hilldorfer described one of his cases, Dugoni knew it had the elements of a great story. Together, they decided to tell it in “The Cyanide Canary” (Simon & Schuster, 2004).

Smarting from the devastating loss of a court case - involving illegal dumping of thousands of gallons of carcinogenic hexavalent chromium - that resulted in no more than a slap on the wrist, Hilldorfer had been called out to investigate an incident in Soda Springs, Idaho. Two men had been ordered by their boss, Allan Elias, owner of Evergreen Resources, to clean sludge out of a 25,000-gallon tank. Elias sent them into the tank without safety equipment, claiming it contained only mud and water.

Honors for trailblazing resident

Los Altos resident Mary Ross smiled when she discussed the grand opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Recalling the grandeur and joy of the celebrations, she said, “I still haven’t come down from cloud nine.”

Ross, whose distinguished career at Lockheed earned her a place in the Silicon Valley Hall of Fame, participated in the opening ceremonies. Now 96, she was the first female Native American professional engineer.

Informal senior men groups offer comfort, conversation

There are several senior men’s groups in Los Altos who gather on a regular basis to deal with issues relating to today’s society. Some of these senior groups act as support groups. Women are welcome, but they have their own organized groups.

Confined to a wheelchair as a result of “the last case of polio in the Santa Clara County,” Ron Incerpi seldom leaves his Los Altos home. Instead, his senior friends from the Los Altos Rotary Club come to him on Thursday before the Rotary meeting.

Setting the stage

Jeanne Smith knows firsthand the value of being organized - not just day to day, but also having one’s life affairs in order.

Smith’s first husband, Dave Kline, was meticulous about preparedness. In 1978, prior to his scheduled appointment for a hernia operation, Kline prepared for the prospect that he could die from the operation. He pulled Smith aside to go over his estate, veterans and Social Security benefits, cremation plans and other affairs. He even had their taxes prepared and told her he wanted her to remarry.

Seven habits help relieve stress for family caregivers

It’s stressful enough for parents to manage their family’s busy schedules, especially now with children back in school; but add in the responsibility of caring for an elderly family member, and you often find overwhelmed families.

To help reduce the stress, world-renowned time management guru Stephen Covey and Home Instead Senior Care partnered to develop The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Caregivers.

The Forum begins expansion to Health Care Center

Board members and residents of The Forum at Rancho San Antonio, a resident-owned continuing care retirement community located on 55-landscaped acres in the foothills where Los Altos meets Cupertino, recently gathered to break ground for a 24-unit addition to the Health Care Center as part of a Phase II expansion.

Marian Melendy, board president of The Forum’s Retirement Services Inc., and Alan Hubbard, board president of The Forum’s Retirement Housing Corporation, shared groundbreaking duties using the shovel from The Forum’s Phase I groundbreaking in November 1989.