Westwind Barn: A family affair

Cheryl Acheson

For the last three years our family has found Westwind Barn to be a welcoming place for our entire family. First, our daughter got involved with a beginning rider program which progressed to the barn being her second home. Of course, this meant that one parent would need to be around so, of course, I had to bring the family dog. Hiking with hound in Byrne Preserve has become one of our favorite outings. Then, my husband couldn’t be left out, so now he pursues his passion for outdoor photography at and around Westwind. Even our teenage son finds the holiday events of interest.

The barn is a unique asset to our community. Let’s work to make sure Westwind is here for the future.

Finally, I wonder if anyone else finds irony in that Palo Alto’s Foothills Park (less than 1 mile away) has a controversy regarding letting outsiders in, and down the road and around the corner at Westwind Barn some want to kick the outsiders out! I hope we find a middle ground.

Nonresidents primary users

Shari Emling

You have an excellent editorial on Westwind Barn (Dec. 7) with only one troubling sentence. You state that Los Altos Hills residents, in resenting the power struggle between residents and nonresidents concerning the Barn, exhibit xenophobia as “the same people who don’t think twice about using facilities in other communities.”

Please keep in mind that, yes, we use facilities in other communities - but we are not the majority on the Boards of Directors nor the primary users of your facilities - as we see in the non-residents concerning Westwind Barn.

As our town Barn has non-resident boarders outnumbering residents - and there is a power struggle along these lines with the Board and Friends of Westwind as well - I think this is an unfair comparison, don’t you agree?

The Barn needs to operate in the “light of day” and recognize that it is a town-owned facility that should first and foremost serve its own residents. Others are welcome - but this should not be at the expense of “hometown” people. I’m sure this same process holds true in Los Altos’ consideration of Los Altos Hills’ residents using Los Altos facilities - and it should. I can’t imagine you have a problem with us holding the same philosophy.

Gift ideas? Try Los Altos

Ron Packard

For any last-minute shopping, please consider all the great advantages of shopping in our unique and charming Los Altos Village and other shopping districts:

1. Unique shops. Los Altos Village provides a vast selection of all card and party needs with the Cranberry Scoop, Los Altos Card and Party, and others up and down Main and State streets.

Los Altos Village offers a great variety of children’s and grandchildren’s books, clothing and toys. What mall can offer the great variety that Linden Tree books, Lin’s Toy Cupboard, Marion Jackstons, Young Villagers, Adventure Toys, Kids Only and many others provide? All within walking distance.

Los Altos Village has sprinkled throughout specialty stores unavailable elsewhere, such as real antiques, exceptional home linens and furnishings, thread stores, Italian plates and pottery (which I know are less expensive than those purchased of equal quality in Italy), various shoe stores, unique jewelry offerings, and many more.

Los Altos also has many quality women’s clothing stores, too numerous to name.

2. Quality and variety of restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Begin your shopping experience with a healthy breakfast at Le Boulanger or Village Pantry or with a variety of pasties at Main Street Cafe. For lunch the soups at Maltby’s or Main Street Cafe, and the salads at Cruz’n Cafe are to-die-for. Great Italian at Aldo Los Altos, or Ristorante Bella Vita or A.G. Ferrari, or wonderful sandwiches at the Italian Deli. World-class sushi at our three sushi bars. Elegant French at Beausejour. Various Mexican, Thai, Chinese and other restaurants.

3. Convenient parking. In Los Altos Village you can often find parking in front of your destination or in a convenient parking plaza, striped wider than any of the malls in order to avoid dings from adjacent cars.

4. Testimonial. Just today I was greeted by a successful surgeon and his wife, who were completing all their Christmas shopping this day exclusively in Los Altos. Persons who could afford to shop anywhere selected Los Altos and were enjoying a pleasant lunch. What more can be said?

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Seasons Greetings.