Help for the holidays

The Los Altos Town Crier Holiday Fund marks its fifth year with increased funding goals for the area non-profit organizations whose work directly benefits the needy.

“We now have all the same challenge grants in place that we had last year, plus an anonymous donor, making the total $60,000,” said Los Altos Town Crier Publisher Paul Nyberg. “Our campaign goal this year is $120,000 total, an 11 percent increase.

Group departure spurs crisis at El Camino

The abrupt departure of a 19-member group of anesthesiologists last Friday had doctors canceling surgeries and hospital administrators scrambling for replacements.

The hospital hired eight anesthesiologists from Washington Hospital in Fremont, another publicly owned hospital, to replace the El Camino staff. Hospital spokeswoman Judy Twitchell said the new group has signed a three-year agreement. She said the new group, although smaller, will meet current hospital needs.

Police still seeking tips on Los Altos high school student’s murder

Mountain View police Friday canvassed the neighborhood where a Los Altos High School student was shot last month, distributing fliers and asking residents for tips about the unsolved crime. A gunman killed Alejandro “Alex” Fernandez in a drive-by shooting as the 17-year-old walked down the 500 block of Rengstorff Avenue with friends Sept. 24. Fernandez died at Stanford Hospital.

Despite a $1,000 reward and an anonymous tip line, police said they have received little information from witnesses.

News Briefs

Special session set for Rosita FEIR approval
The Los Altos City Council is set to discuss the Final Environmental Impact Report on the community pools plan for Rosita Park 7 p.m., Tuesday, at Los Altos City Hall.
The FEIR includes resident comments and responses to those comments regarding mainly traffic and noise impacts.
[…]

Los Altos swears in first Hispanic mayor in town’s history

When Los Altos Councilman David Casas took his seat as city mayor Nov. 23, the event marked more than the passing of a title to the next successor. His leadership signifies the beginning of a historic term for Los Altos.

Casas is the first person of Hispanic descent to become Los Altos mayor. The seven-year resident is scheduled to hold the rotating title for one year, replacing John Moss, who is completing his second term on the council.

Los Altos Hills City Council adopts Adobe Creek guidelines

In past months, the Adobe Creek Watershed Group has made further progress in coordinating local governments and regulatory agencies to restore a stretch of the creek labeled Reach 5 bordered by Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

The Los Altos Hills City Council, involved in the collaborative for more than a year, continued its support of the effort Nov. 4, by voting unanimously to approve guiding principles for the project. In October, the city of Los Altos also adopted the principles.

Winbigler demolition expected to take weeks

In a few months, the unfinished, weathered structure on the former Winbigler property could be gone. The site has plagued neighborhood residents for two years.

Workers for Custom Dreams of Los Altos, a company that builds custom homes, have been dismantling the structure slowly since early November.

Editorial

For years, local sages have been trying to pinpoint the reasons for slumping sales in downtown Los Altos and figure out solutions. A recently completed study by the downtown Revitalization Task Force concluded promoters need to recruit popular chain stores to boost sales.

Other goals include providing a retail and dining mix to appeal to all ages, encouraging longer hours, hosting live performances, building a boutique hotel and movie theater, and closing off streets for pedestrian-only traffic.

Letters to the Editor

Put Rosita vehicle trips in perspective
Roy Presley

At a public hearing on Nov. 30, the city council will consider approving the Final Environmental Impact Report for the swimming pool complex proposed for
Rosita Park. This report is of very serious concern to almost everyone living in the Rosita neighborhood and should be […]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

I am a holiday curmudgeon. Halloween - much ado about nothing. Christmas - often restrictive and obligatory rather than joyful and free. Valentine’s Day - celebrates love as something that issues requirements and expectations, a notion I reject. Easter - great if you’re Christian or dig marshmallow chicks. Fourth of July - more about achievements in barbecue rather than the lofty, ambitious legacy of our Founding Fathers.

But I do love Thanksgiving. I love everything about it: the theme, the story, the gathering of family, the meal. I love how Thanksgiving includes everyone, regardless of ethnicity and religion. I love how it sticks to its original intention: sharing food in praise of the bounty achieved through generosity and the kindness of strangers. I love how the true gift of the holiday isn’t candy or the latest toy craze, but communion with people you love. I love Thanksgiving because I love giving thanks.

Franz Anderson, 72: Teacher’s aide described as ‘grandfather to each child’

Franz Anderson, a banker and accountant who found his true calling late in life by working with children, died Nov. 11 after a 10-month battle with cancer. The Los Altos resident was 72.

Born in St. Paul, Minn., Mr. Anderson attended the University of Colorado at Boulder before moving to California in the 1960s. He was in banking for 25 years. At one point he was manager of Home Savings & Loan on San Antonio Road.

Obituary Notices

BEATRICE SURBRIDGE
Beatrice Surbridge, long time Los Altos resident, passed away November 13. Beatrice was born in Everett, Massachusetts on September 12, 1924. She was employed at the Bank of America in Mtn. View for over 25 years. Bea is survived by her sons John (Gail) and Tom (Mary); daughters Joanne and Patricia […]

Los Altos seniors enjoy early Thanksgiving dinner

Los Altos Senior Center Director Lydia Bernard talked turkey to seniors during the week, and by last Friday more than 120 seniors arrived for a Pilgrim-style dinner with musical accompaniment.

Los Altos seniors brought guests from other cities and the result was one of the biggest turnouts for early Thanksgiving dinner in senior center history.

LA museum holiday exhibit opens Friday

Los Altos History Museum organizers are opening their new holiday exhibit, “Through the Eyes of a Child: Winter Holidays,” Friday. The exhibit will run through Jan. 2.

“Winter Holidays” explores the culturally and religiously diverse holidays and festivities of Jewish Hanukkah, Hindu Diwali, Iranian Nowruz, African American Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, and Christmas traditions from Europe, the United States and Mexico. A special highlight of the exhibit is the Winter Wonderland train layout, with separate vignettes for each celebration. Many of the vignettes include a hands-on or take-away activity.

Westwind Barn lights up for holidays

Organizers of historic Westwind Barn in Los Altos Hills invite the public to their annual barn-lighting event, 3-5 p.m., Dec. 5, at 27210 Altamont Road.

The event will include refreshments, music, children’s crafts and a special appearance by Santa.

Chocolate maker John Scharffenberger offers a tasteful history for Morning Forum

For good health, eat dark chocolate: That was one of the points made by John Scharffenberger when he spoke to the Morning Forum of Los Altos lecture series Nov. 16.

The co-founder of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker gave a humorous and informative talk on the history of chocolate, going back 7,000 years, when native people in Central America would pick football-sized seedpods off the trunk of the cacao tree to expose a sticky substance that tasted like vanilla pudding. But the seeds, or beans, were so bitter they would discard them (thereby planting a new tree).

‘Backroads’ host McConnell slated to appear in Los Altos

The host of the popular KRON-TV Channel 4 show “Bay Area Backroads,” Doug McConnell, is scheduled to appear 7-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, at Main Street Cafe & Books in Los Altos.

McConnell, the popular guide to area vistas, will discuss his travels and autograph his new offering, “Bay Area Backroads Deck.”

Parade to illuminate downtown Sunday

The 27th annual Festival of Lights Parade is scheduled 7 p.m., Sunday, in downtown Los Altos. The parade route includes Whitney Street along with First, Main and State streets.

Over its 27 years, the event has grown from a small parade to a major presentation featuring 75 or more entries, including floats of familiar storybook characters, all the local school bands and dance groups.

Holiday program to benefit needy seniors

The Los Altos office of Home Instead Senior Care has teamed with senior services agencies and local retailers to provide presents to needy seniors during the holiday season.

The program, “Be A Santa to a Senior,” which begins Friday through Dec. 17 identifies, with the help of local non-profit groups, financially needy and lonely seniors in the community and provide those names to Home Instead Senior Care for this program. Christmas trees at Wal-Mart store at the San Antonio Shopping Center in Mountain View feature ornaments with the first names of seniors and their respective gift requests.

Tree lighting ceremony features variety of festive activities

The downtown Los Altos tree lighting ceremony is scheduled 5:30-7:30 p.m., Dec. 3, at the Community Plaza located at the corner of State and Main streets. The event is sponsored by the Los Altos Village Association.

The Mountain View High School Madrigal Singers and the Pinewood School Choir will perform at the event. The American Legion will offer free train rides, and the Santa Clara County Fire Department will be on hand to show children what to do in a fire emergency. The Kiwanis Club of Los Altos will sell cookies and hot drinks.

Holiday Briefs

Harps for the holidays
The Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Ave., will present its “20 Harps for the Holiday” concert 4 p.m., Saturday. More than 20 harps will be on stage for Harpeggio Music’s sixth annual holiday concert.
Tickets are $9-$14. For tickets and information, call Stephanie at (408) 366-8810 […]

Community Briefs

Community Volunteer Service Awards luncheon
The 22nd Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Community Volunteer Service Awards luncheon is scheduled 12:05 p.m., Dec. 3, at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos.
Keynote speakers are King and Ginny Lear.
A joint committee comprising five members from Los Altos and […]

Kiwanis delivers

Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Los Altos and its community effort, more than 160 turkeys were donated to Bread of Life in East Palo Alto in time for Thanksgiving. Victor Castellanos and Bobby Cardoso, above, of the California Water Service Company help the Kiwanis Club transport the birds from Albertson’s in Los Altos. Albertson’s, on Foothill Expressway and Arboretum, is also the site for the Kiwanis Club’s annual Christmas tree lot that opens Saturday. Proceeds from the tree sales go to a variety of local charities and projects.

Strong communities, strong schools go hand in hand

When it comes to public education, Rich Fischer, superintendent of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, is a very positive person. Speaking before the Los Altos Rotary Club last Thursday, Fischer emphasized that the strength of the local high schools is a direct result of the strength of the community.

“There is no more complex organization than a high school,” Fischer said. “Addressing students’ needs and offering first-rate counseling services takes a lot of work.”

Educational foundation strengthens schools

Twenty years ago, parents in Los Altos noticed that their children’s teachers were buying instructional supplies for their classes with their own money. Feeling strongly that teachers shouldn’t have to do that, the parents raised $35,000 for school supplies. This year, Los Altos parents and other members of the community raised $1.35 million for teachers’ salaries in the Los Altos School District.

The Los Altos Educational Foundation asks parents for annual donations of $700 for each child they have in district schools. Donations pay for instructors for music classes and physical education for kindergarten through sixth grade and for technology training that begins with keyboarding in the third grade.

Schools Briefs

Oak School to hold colorful book fair
Oak Elementary School has scheduled its “Read, White and Blue” book fair Tuesday through Dec. 3, in the multipurpose room. Book fair hours will be 2:30-3:30 p.m., Tuesday, and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Dec. 1-3.
Family Shopping Night is Dec. 1, 6:30-8 p.m. The […]

Vintage 2004 Mustangs top-rated in Napa marching band review

At their final competition of the season Nov. 13, the Vintage Reserve Band Review in Napa, the members of the Homestead High School Mighty Mustang Marching Band won the Grand Sweepstakes Award for the highest combined parade and field show score.

In the parade competition for Division A (large bands), the band as a whole won first place with a score of 93. The Mustang color guard won second place with a score of 77.25, and Drum Major Michelle Ho won second place in the Military Baton Division with a score of 87. The band went on to win second place in the Stand Still Percussion Competition with a score of 92.2.

First-graders write to troops in Iraq

First-graders in St. Nicholas Cub Scout Pack 35 are making care packages and notes for U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq. “We wanted to support the troops in a special way,” said Linda Shepherd, mother of a Cub. “We also wanted to create an opportunity for our sons to begin to understand the sacrifices and hardships these soldiers are undergoing. It’s not about high-tech weapons and uniforms. These soldiers are real people - sons, fathers, brothers. We hope this outreach project helps our children realize that.”

Cupertino district’s parcel tax fails, but just barely

Cupertino Union School District’s parcel tax initiative, Measure O, received a final approval rating of 66.17 percent, 0.5 percent less than needed for passage. The results were posted by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters Nov. 19. The final tally was 31,580 yeas and 16,145 nays.

“Although we are disappointed in the outcome, we couldn’t have come as close as we did without the support and dedication of all of our volunteers,” said Board Member and Measure O Co-chairman Gary McCue. “They worked countless hours and really stepped up to help support our children and our schools.”

CSMA receives $100,000 grant from Microsoft

The Community School of Music and Arts has been selected by Microsoft to receive an Unlimited Potential Grant of just over $100,000, a combination of approximately $70,000 in Microsoft software and $30,000 in cash.

CSMA will use the grant to support its new digital arts lab and its outreach to low-income residents and at-risk youth who do not have access to high-quality music and arts technology education.

Egan’s new track no turkey

Egan Junior High School students and staff had more than usual to celebrate at their annual Turkey Trot Nov. 19 as the wrapping came off their new track. Superintendent Marge Gratiot, Assistant Superintendent Patty Boettcher, and Trustees Victor Reid III, Duane Roberts and Margot Harrigan cut the ribbon, ably assisted by the man who made the track, Kurt Weaver, director of modernization. As always, students dressed in costumes and competed for turkeys and gift certificates. Left, students enjoy Popsicles and cookies after their lap around the field. Right, eighth-grade U.S. history teacher Jon Hayman (left) and seventh-grade world history teacher Reed Smith dressed as Cal and Stanford cheerleaders to cheer the Turkey Trotters on.

Mtn. View’s failed drive keeps Westmont alive

The third-seeded Mountain View High football team didn’t necessarily lose last Saturday’s Central Coast Section playoff game in the second half, despite being outscored 21-0 by No. 6 Westmont.

It was a drive at the end of the first half that may have actually sealed the Spartans’ fate, a 27-19 setback in the CCS Middle School Division quarterfinals.

Greenspan cuts short Republican-induced stock market rally

The Republican-induced rally has come to an end. It took a hit last Friday when investors were jolted by a gush in oil prices and comments by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Greenspan said the rest of the world is financing the United States and “We cannot continue to keep on spending like we have, because sooner or later, we have to pay down our debt.”

Exotic gift store opens on State Street

An eclectic gift shop recently opened on State Street. Its name, Zanzibar Market, reflects the spirit of the store.

Co-owners Barry Devlin and his wife Mala collected and searched for items during the last three months. They opened the store several days before the Holiday Stroll Nov. 12.

Wish you were here

The acclaimed author of “Good Scent from a Strange Mountain,” Robert Olen Butler read from his latest book, “Had a Good Time” (Grove Press, 2004), Nov. 10, to an audience that included Tobias Wolff and Adam Johnson. He was introduced by Johnson, who mentioned Butler’s adept management of point of view, “the lever through which the writer moves the world.” As an example, Johnson cited Butler’s story “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot,” which first appeared in The New Yorker, then in Best American Short Stories (1996).

In “Had a Good Time,” Butler inhabits the personas found in 15 of his extensive collection of postcards from the early 20th century. He started haunting antiques fairs 14 year ago in search of old postcards, the

Books Briefs

Children’s programs at the library
Dancers from Western Ballet, of Mountain View, will perform scenes from “The Nutcracker,” 7 p.m., Dec. 2, in the Program Room at the Los Altos main library. The performance is appropriate for children of all ages.
Word-for-Word Performing Arts Company of San Francisco will perform “The […]

Golfing with a view

Hidden golf courses are carved from hillside acreage that some might classify as wilderness. Paul Wahl’s golf course is such a place. Few residents know of its existence, and fewer have played the course.

Wahl’s Los Altos Hills property overlooks the old Neary Quarry, now filled with water, and has a two-hole golf course a few steps away from his home office.

Know your contractor when you renovate your home

When Irina and Herman Zaks bought their house behind Los Altos High School in 1999, it was more than 50 years old. A typical 1,500-square-foot Los Altos-area ranch-style house, it had three bedrooms and 1.5 baths like the rest of the residences in the neighborhood.

“It was a cozy place for a small family,” Irina said. “Now that we have three children, we wanted a kitchen where people don’t bump into each other. We needed to remodel.”

Bloomin’ value!

I won’t go so far as to say that my mother is a shopaholic, but she is determinedly from the school of Get-Your-Dollar’s-Worth. Unfortunately, I am the anti-Christ of “retail therapy.” As the only child still in the area, I am her usual shopping partner, and the experience is epitomized by this infamous shopping experience.

Costco: practical cotton panties in assorted prints and colors; six pairs per package; 40 packages per case; 12 cases.

Datebook

THEATER

“The Laramie Project.” Drama chronicling the aftermath of the attack and subsequent death of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student. Los Altos High School Drama Department and Broken Box Theater Company. 7 p.m,, Dec. 2-3; 2 and 7 p.m., Dec. 4. Eagle Theater, Los Altos High School, 201 Almond Ave. $6-$10. 960-8301.