New hall to call home

The smell of new carpet, fresh paint and recently cut wood trim was in the air when Los Altos Hills officials unveiled their new town hall last week. The finished building culminates years of planning and debate over cost, design and function.

Those who attended the first city council meeting held in the building last Tuesday were greeted by a light gray, one-story building capped by an overhanging roof. The new town hall seemed to hug the land it was built on.

Extended-day kindergarten to open at Bullis in fall

The arrival of a new extended-day kindergarten pilot program, announced at last week’s Los Altos School District board meeting, met with mixed reaction among district supporters and anger from Los Altos Hills residents supportive of returning K-6 classes to the Bullis-Purissima School site. The kindergarten program is targeted for that site in the fall.

With newly named Superintendent Tim L. Justus looking on, the board approved an extended-day program of three to six classrooms of regular students who will share the campus with the district’s autistic preschool students and at least one commercial preschool. Students from throughout the district, and from other districts, may enroll there. LASD residents will be guaranteed a place in their regular ten lar school when they enter first grade.

Los Altos police finish investigation of San Antonio fatal accident

The driver who struck and killed a pedestrian on San Antonio Road last month faces misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the 19-year-old driver May 2 following a three-week investigation conducted by the Los Altos Police Department.

The investigation concluded that the Los Altos teen was driving 8 mph above the posted speed limit and failed to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. He was not found to be driving outside the norm of other drivers or with gross negligence, police said.

Redistricting back on table for LAH council

When the Los Altos Hills City Council was asked “to give a signal” last week about supporting the redistricting of local schools, the council responded with a mixed message.

The request was made by Public Education Committee spokesman Duncan McMillan during a presentation of “a matrix of options” about reopening a public school at the council’s regular meeting on Thursday. He asked the council to be ready to hear from citizen action groups advocating changing school district boundaries through a ballot measure.

LA takes lead in negotiating more field usage on school campuses

Dodging gopher holes isn’t typically an organized sport, but it could be in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Many local playing fields are in such disrepair team members have learned to avoid such obstacles as part of their regular competition, parents say. And that’s not the only problem. There is not enough field space to handle the volume of local club teams that have recently begun to play year-round. Los Altos’ best-maintained field only ranks fair compared to national industry standards.

While the maintenance and space problems appear obvious, the solution hasn’t been as evident. The fields fall under multiple city and school jurisdictions and are played on by several different user groups. Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, the Los Altos School District, the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District and Pinewood School all hold a stake in local fields. Each operates independently from the other.

Voters approve measure to keep county libraries status quo

Library officials were already working on a plan to beef up the Santa Clara County Library District’s materials collection last week just days after voters approved a May 3 ballot measure to extend the current parcel tax another 10 years.

Without the tax extension, the nine district libraries - including two in Los Altos - would have faced a 20 percent reduction in operational costs at the end of this month. Measure A will keep library services status quo, officials said. The tax appears to be the only option for long-term funding since the state government cut 44 percent of the operational budget in the early 1990s, according to district officials.

LA remains firm on not getting involved in battle between LAH and the Los Altos School District

The Los Altos City Council remained firm on its stance not to get involved in a legal dispute between Los Altos Hills and the Los Altos School District last week when the issue came up at a joint council meeting.

The Hills council appeared to be leveraging redistricting as a political maneuver to gain Los Altos support during the May 3 meeting, but the Los Altos council would not budge. Redistricting would mean redrawing school boundaries so the Hills would no longer be divided between two school districts. Currently, both the Palo Alto Unified School District and the Los Altos School District serve Hills children.

Editorial

On the one hand, last week’s Los Altos School District decision to open an extended-day kindergarten program at the vacant Bullis-Purissima School site seems like a blessing for stressed-out parents who shuttle their children to and from school.

On the other hand, it might not be the best way to meet the needs of local children.

Letters to the Editor

Window of opportunity closing for Bullis
Charlie Amsden

It appears as though Los Altos School District and Bullis Charter School have battled to a standoff. Bullis supporters desperately want the Bullis-Purissima School site, but the school district won’t give it to them, since it’s not “reasonably equivalent” to the other facilities in the […]

Nuts about tomatoes

Picture this: It’s 6:15 a.m. on a Saturday in early May. You’re out walking your dog when something catches your eye as you pass a house. It is a woman in a nightie mumbling to herself as she maniacally shakes a 5-gallon canister of snail bait into her front-yard vegetable garden.

I’ll admit to being the crazy gardener with a nasty snail problem, but it could have been any of us who are both nuts about homegrown tomatoes and inclined to stray outside in pajamas.

Obituary Notices

FERN WINONA ANDREWS
Fern Winona Andrews passed away on April 28, 2005. She was born in Chicago in 1914. In 1934, Fern moved to Southern California with her husband Lester and in 1957 they moved to Los Altos where they resided for 45 yrs. She was an active member of […]

Noteworthies

The 22nd annual Los Altos Chamber of Commerce Salute to the Mayors Banquet will be held June 4, honoring Los Altos Mayor David Casas and Los Altos Hills Mayor Mike O’Malley.

There will also be a presentation of the 13th Walter and Marie Singer Award, Business Volunteer of the Year to Jane Bigelow.

Anniversary

John and Dorothy Stefanki met on a blind date in Atlanta, Ga., in 1943. John was attending Instrument Flight Training School prior to further Navy assignment, and Dorothy worked for the Civil Aeronautics Administration there.

When she was transferred to Miami, Fla., coincidentally, John was transferred to the Navy Night Fighter Base in Vero Beach, Fla.

It’s that time of year again. This weekend animals, artists and aficionados of both will overrun downtown Los Altos. Back-to-back events should make for a big weekend.

The 58th annual Kiwanis Pet Parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., Saturday, at First and Main streets. The parade will march down Main Street, turn left at the Community Plaza to go up State Street to its finish at First and State streets, typically about an hour later.

Rotary Club chooses fishing village for tsunami relief

Since Jan. 13, just three weeks after the Dec. 26 tsunami, the tsunami relief committee (also known as the Big Wave Committee) of The Los Altos Rotary Club has met regularly to explore worthy and reliable relief projects for the club to undertake. Big Wavers include Joe Corral, Bob Adams, Roy Lave, Allart Ligtenberg, Joanna Medin, Emily Taylor and Marlene Cowan, recently joined by Bo Kearns, who has worked in Indonesian banking for years and speaks the language. We’ve intensely searched the Internet, Rotary International’s Tsunami Disaster Management Task Force, Indonesian Rotary Clubs and our own personal contacts.

We have found an excellent project to support. Indonesia is the country hardest hit by the tsunami, with 174,000 people killed, 50,000 more missing and millions displaced indefinitely.

Youth Commission holds tsunami relief dance

The Los Altos Youth Commission has scheduled a high school dance 8-11 p.m., Friday, at 400 University Ave.

The double-level venue will feature DJ A-Wyse throwing down hip-hop tracks upstairs in the Garden House, while House Party DJ Dom will spin house and dance anthems downstairs in the Underground Teen Center.

Forum economist predicts ‘Goldilocks economy’ - not too hot, not too cold

Economist Paul Erdman spoke to a packed audience at the Morning Forum of Los Altos May 3, on the topic “The Economy: The Future Looks Hazy.” Erdman, a contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post and Bloomberg magazines, is a favorite with Morning Forum members. He speaks to the group on a more or less annual basis.

Speaking of the economy, Erdman said that if he were in Washington, he’d let things be as they are. The International Monetary Fund is selling a lot of gold, so that is not a good place to make a bundle of money, but there is not a crisis yet, he said.

Professor to talk on United Kingdom’s political leanings

The World Affairs Council, Peninsula Chapter, and the Los Altos Library invite the community to a talk by Mark Bevir, “Will the UK Lean Toward the US or Europe?” 7:30-9 p.m., May 18, at the Los Altos main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road. Refreshments will be served 7-7:30 p.m.

The new Labour Party has risen from a long period of uncertainty to become the natural leading party in the United Kingdom, while the Conservative party is now in the electoral wilderness. Bevir, a professor of political science at UC Berkeley, will discuss the factors leading to this transformation as well as the major issues in this month’s general election.

Runaway brides join pathways race

About 250 runners came out May 7 for the fourth annual Los Altos Hills Pathways 5K/10K Run along the city’s challenging pathways. About 25 runaway brides wearing white veils entered the Runaway Bride category where the first bride to cross the finish line won a special award - not a bus ticket to Las Vegas. Among those who enjoyed the scenic, but muddy trail course near Westwind Barn were Mayor Mike O’Malley, Brownie Troop 597 and the Los Altos High School Track team. The event raised funds for Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation programs. Above, runners and brides take off from the start line.

Roadrunners need more runners

The El Camino Hospital-based volunteer group, the Roadrunners, whose members provide transportation for seniors who can no longer drive, needs 10-12 more volunteer drivers who can donate a half-day once a week.

“We offer a flexible schedule, the camaraderie of other volunteers and affiliation with one of the most reputable hospitals in the country,” said Coordinator Lila Steiner.

Community Briefs

Brain cancer run to be held May 22
The Future Brain Cancer Institute’s second annual Run for the Future is scheduled May 22 at the Palo Alto Baylands. The 10K run begins at 8:30 a.m., and the 5K run/walk begins at 9 a.m.
The event is a fund-raiser for the Future Brain Cancer […]

Pet of the Week

Palo Alto Animal Services is searching for a proper home for a rooster and hen. Agency workers said the pair are very fond of each other and very talkative. Come and meet them by visiting the shelter, located at 3281 E. Bayshore Road, which is open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, call 496-5971.

Calendar

Today
Los Altos Hills Planning Commission, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall, 25890 Fremont Road.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors, 7:30 p.m., district offices, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos.
Mountain View Parks and Recreation Commission, 7:30 p.m., 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.
Monday
Los Altos Youth Commission, 7 p.m., Hillview Community […]

A Radiophone station in Los Altos that broke ‘all records’

A San Francisco Bulletin headline on Oct. 24, 1921, read, “Waves ignore lofty peaks - Radiophone station at Los Altos, Calif., has broken all records by sending messages 2,000 miles overland to Great Bend, Kansas.” The station, “known officially as 6XAC,” was owned by the Colin B. Kennedy Co. Its chief engineer, Emile A. Portal, accomplished this pioneering radio exchange from his home in Los Altos.

• In 1920 the Betty Jeane Co. was formed in a cottage on San Antonio Road to produce jellies and jams from local fruit. It attained a notable success with restaurants and stores featuring high-quality food. It had incorporated by 1922 when a long article about it appeared in the Palo Alto Times. The cottage still exists.

Abstractionist Marlatt’s ‘Embryo’ featured on poster for Los Altos Rotary Club’s ‘2005 Fine Art in the Park’

The Los Altos Rotary Club has scheduled “2005 Fine Art in the Park,” 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, in Lincoln Park in Los Altos.

Artist Tom Marlatt, whose colorful oil on canvas, “Embryo,” graces this year’s official art poster, will join 200 other artists in Rotary’s 30th annual show in Los Altos.

LAHHA schedules public playday

The Los Altos Hills Horsemen’s Association (LAHHA) has scheduled a Playday and Tack Trade 10 a.m., May 22, at the Los Altos Hills Town Ring. The event is open to all equestrians and spectators.

Registration for the LAHHA junior summer camp, scheduled July 15-17, is open. LAHHA is conducting a membership drive for anyone interested in horses in Los Altos Hills.

Los Altos artists of all styles participate in SV Open Studios event this weekend

Silicon Valley Open Studios brings collectors, artists and affordable art together in a relaxed studio setting. More than 40 Los Altos artists will open their studios 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., this Saturday and Sunday. Guides and maps to studio sites are available at the Los Altos main library and in galleries around town.

Los Altos sites

Students strive to retain Montclaire teacher

Fifth-grader Adrienne Whitlock is so upset about the imminent departure of her Montclaire Elementary School teacher that she took a clipboard to recess last week and collected the signatures of 92 students on a petition protesting what they view as an unfair dismissal.

The Cupertino Union School District views it as a confidential personnel matter that it is not at liberty to discuss.

Los Altan retires as King’s Academy drama director

Chris Cabot, a Los Altos resident and co-founder of the Los Altos-based Peninsula Youth Theatre, is set to retire as drama director of The King’s Academy, a Christian college preparatory junior and senior high school in Sunnyvale. She will hand over the reins to her daughter, Katie Cabot, an alumna of The King’s Academy and Whitman College.

Chris has directed 40 plays and 13 full-scale musicals in her 13 years as the school’s drama director. Several of her students have gone on to professional acting careers.

Los Altos Tiny Tots perform annual spring sing

Los Altos’ Tiny Tots program held its annual Spring Sing May 4 for its 4-year-old class and May 5 for its 3-year-old class. The 20-year tradition provides an opportunity for the children to perform a variety of songs they have learned throughout the year.

Tiny Tots is a social-recreation program offered to children ages 3 and 4 by the Los Altos Recreation Department. The emphasis of the program is to build positive self-image, as well as physical, social and emotional growth in a child-centered environment. Bay Area Parent voted Tiny Tots the “Best of the Best” under the “family favorite” category of best preschool-age programs in 2003.

Homestead Equestriettes to give final show

Homestead High School’s dance team, the Equestriettes, have scheduled their end-of-year fund-raiser, Spring Show, 7 p.m., Saturday.

Along with the Equestriettes, the show features performances by other talented Homestead student dancers, as well as a Homestead teacher dance. Jewelry vendors will sell their wares at the event.

Local tech teams distinguished extinguishers

Los Altos High School’s Team Olympus won the top prize - Best Overall Solution - out of 81 teams in the high school division in the Tech Museum of Innovation’s 18th annual Tech Challenge April 30 in San Jose. The school took the same prize home last year as well.

The goal of each Tech Challenge is for students to collaborate to try to solve problems that stump adults in the real world. This year, teams of nearly 1,000 fifth- through 12th-graders from local schools engineered devices to extinguish a simulated wildfire.

Noteworthies

Los Altos resident Thomas E. Czajkowski, a junior majoring in exercise and sport science, has been named to the honor roll at Oregon State University for the winter term. He has a straight A (4.0) average for 12 or more hours of course work.

Heather McFadzean, daughter of Jim and Donna McFadzean of Los Altos, graduated Dec. 17 from the University of the Pacific with a bachelor’s degree in sport sciences and a minor in Spanish. She has been accepted into the master’s program in sport sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where she will be a graduate assistant, commencing Aug. 1. She graduated from St. Francis High School in 2000.

Teachers, districts benefit from innovative tech classes

Foothill College’s Krause Center for Innovation graduated its fourth class of Earn While You Learn teachers and its second class of fellows last week. It also recognized three Santa Clara County public school superintendents for establishing technology-friendly environments in their districts.

Earn While You Learn takes technology-challenged teachers and sends them back to their schools as evangelical technology adepts.

No suspects in Gunn flooding

No one has come forward to claim responsibility for flooding administrative offices at Gunn High School April 29, and police have no suspects. Principal Noreen Likins said last Friday that she does not yet have a full idea of the extent of the damage.

Palo Alto police have suggested that the vandalism is a replay of a famous Gunn prank in which students flooded a lunch area called the Bat Cave a few years ago. As far as Likins is concerned, the only similarity to the student prank and the recent incident is location.

Schools Briefs

LASD to restore Blach field
Los Altos School District trustees have approved renting three portable kindergarten classrooms at Blach Intermediate School to Stepping Stones Preschool at $11,000 per month. The five-year lease will begin Aug. 1.
All other portables at the camp school will be removed at the end of the school […]

Eagles blank Spartans in CCS tennis playoffs

Last Thursday’s Central Coast Section opener pitting Los Altos High vs. Mountain View High further proved how gigantic the gap is between boys tennis teams in the De Anza Division and those in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL.

Los Altos entered the match at 10-8 after finishing fourth in the upper De Anza Division; Mountain View came in 12-4 after taking second in the lower El Camino Division.

Better than expected employment figures stimulate the markets

Last week ended with an apprehensive rally in the broad-based markets on Friday. There was a surprisingly good employment report showing the economy created 274,000 jobs in April, more than the 175,000 the street had expected. Bond prices tumbled as investors grew more concerned with thoughts of inflation and the Federal Reserve Board’s continuing to raise interest rates. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.27 percent. The dollar closed up against most currencies, while gold prices fell. Crude ended the week at $50.96.

Stocks have sold off since March, and most major indexes are in negative territory for the year, but quietly there has been a great deal of consolidation in the commodity and raw materials areas. While factors like a strong U.S. dollar could be blamed, the fact that oil and other commodities have risen too far too fast is probably the main reason for the pullback. Many traders view this area as still in a longer-term uptrend.

Farmers market celebrates 6th season

Reggae music and the aroma of barbecuing meat filled the air downtown last Thursday evening. The rain stopped in time for the kickoff of the sixth annual Los Altos Farmers Market.

Attendees at this year’s first farmers market may have noticed additional vendors.

Rookie mountain biker finds first race grueling yet exhilarating

Every year the Laguna Seca Racetrack in Monterey becomes a cycling mecca drawing tens of thousands of biking enthusiasts of all ages. For four days in mid-April, the screaming of race-car tires was replaced by the booming voices of announcers and cheering from hordes of fans watching professional cyclists in action.

The number of professional athletes, vendors, spectators and members of the media who attended April’s event reached nearly 60,000. With every hotel in the area booked, the racetrack’s campground swelled to a tent city of 5,000 inhabitants. This year I happened to be among the thousands of visitors, and for the first time I watched professional mountain bike races that weren’t on a TV screen.

Physics, plants and superstition the topics of Exploratorium exhibits

Town Crier Report

Who’s afraid of Friday the 13th? For many people, Friday the 13th suggests bad luck - but is it really tempting fate to break a mirror? Are you courting disaster by walking under a ladder? And what will really happen to mom if you step squarely on that crack in the sidewalk?

Tai chi improves mind and body for seniors

Peter Feng, a tai chi instructor at the Los Altos Senior Center, attests to the multiple benefits of this traditional, centuries-old Chinese form of exercise.

“It is a whole-body exercise. It rests your mind. You get rid of all your worries,” said Feng, currently teaching a class with 22 students. “This sort of exercise is a great

Senior workshop sheds light into dark corners of aging

Four experts on services for seniors got together recently to present a seminar, “Planning for the Future: Issues for Seniors, Their Families and Caregivers,” at the Los Altos Senior Center.

The event, co-sponsored by the senior center, the Community Services Agency and Senior New Ways, offered informative advice on financial organization, memory loss, home care options and case management.

Well-known Bay Area chef named executive chef at Hyatt’s Classic Residence

When Classic Residence by Hyatt in Palo Alto opens this summer, residents will be able to enjoy the culinary skills of popular local chef Gary Roth. Well-known for his work at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club, Roth will serve as the executive chef for one of the most prestigious luxury senior living communities in the country.

“This is a great opportunity,” said Roth, who lives in Los Altos. “It’s quite a large

These sirs at SIRS enjoy retirement by getting together

The guys from Sons In Retirement (SIRS) know how to have a good time. They socialize and have lunch the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Fremont Country Club in Los Altos Hills where they listen to some of the best speakers around. This month, Dave Price, co-publisher of the Palo Alto Daily News, will speak to SIRS about how he got into the publishing business.

The group hosts speakers of all varieties and types. Santa Clara County Superior Court judge Joe Huber is next month’s speaker.

Seniors use home equity for retirement planning

With shrinking portfolios and diminished retirement funds, baby boomers are taking a second look at the equity in their homes as they begin the retirement planning process.

With a strong real estate market continuing to boost appreciation, many homeowners have built up a significant nest egg over time. Now that the children are out on their own, the equity in their home might be the best bet for a secure future.

Start planning for retirement early, expert advises

Profit sharing plans. 401(k) plans. IRAs. ESOPS. SARSEPS. The myriad of retirement options can be confusing when planning for your golden years. Don’t forget the IRS has different regulations for different plans, which can take a bite out of your nest egg. And now, with Social Security reform a contentious topic of national debate, saving for retirement has become as bewildering as ever.

Sam Harding, the president of Retirement Administration Inc., spoke to the Los Altos Kiwanis Club May 3 to clarify the options.

‘Sleeping Beauty’ rises in Mtn. View

Katherine Wells of Mountain View and Jekyns Pelaez play the lead roles in Western Ballet’s “Sleeping Beauty” this weekend.

Performances are scheduled 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.

CSMA offers free concerts Sunday

The Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center presents Quinteto Latino in free concerts set for 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday, in Tateuchi Hall at CSMA, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View.

Quinteto Latino is a classically trained woodwind quintet led by Armando Castellano.

Theater review Palo Alto Players’ ‘Zombie Prom’ is mindless fun

Palo Alto Players’ production of “Zombie Prom,” closing Sunday at the Lucie Stern Theater in Palo Alto, is a musical that appears at the outset to be so trivial and amateurish, I wondered if I should review it.

At first it seems to be a high school production badly satirizing “B” horror films and the problems and social structure of the Eisenhower era. Then I realized it is really a satire of a high school production that is badly satirizing the horror movies and nuclear fears of the era. Release the mind from the constraints of logic and it begins to get funny.

Datebook

Datebook items are run on a space-available basis for entertainment, non-profit events, low-cost classes and groups of wide interest in our circulation area. The deadline is noon, Tuesday, for next week’s paper. Notices must be typed and include a contact name and phone number. Items may be submitted via e-mail (peteb@latc.com); fax (948-6647) or post (138 Main St., Los Altos, CA 94022).

THEATER