Building costs through the roof

Local taxpayers face a deluge of requests to fund public projects, from school district and hospital facilities to sewer systems and regional transportation plans. The two local school districts will seek additional funds and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will place a measure on the June 6 ballot for a half-cent sales tax increase.

Los Altos residents will pay more to bring the sewer system in conformity with the sewer master plan.

Pinewood School wins go-ahead for renovation

Pinewood School won unanimous approval last week to renovate its lower campus at 477 Fremont and 1012 Campbell avenues and to maintain its traditional enrollment of 125 kindergarten, first- and second-grade students at the site.

The Los Altos City Council, meeting March 14, approved the environmental mitigated negative declaration for the project, the design review application and the conditional-use permit, which formally allows 125 students rather than the 108 permitted in the original agreement. Since the school opened in 1985, it has had an annual enrollment of 125 students.

Ex-councilmember threatens legal action against council

Ex-councilman King Lear threatens legal action against the Los Altos City Council, contending members violated state law by arranging for a majority vote prior to meetings this year and last in which they denied local teens’ requests for a Gay Pride Day proclamation.

Lear specifically accused Councilman David Casas of violating Section 54952.2(b) of the Brown Act, California law intended to prevent secret negotiations of public matters. Making an exception for videoconferencing, the section prohibits a majority of a governing body from using “direct communication, personal intermediaries or technological devices … to develop a collective concurrence as to action to be taken on an item.”

News Briefs

Los Altos beefs up claims ordinance
A one-year statute of limitations for all tort claims against the city of Los Altos takes effect April 14. The addition to the tort claims ordinance further requires the filing of an administrative tort claim for a previously exempted category, the taking of or damage to […]

Long-awaited scoreboards to go up in Blach, Egan gyms

The city and the Los Altos School District will split the cost of installing and maintaining scoreboards and backboard winches in their joint-effort gyms on the Blach Intermediate and Egan Junior High school campuses.

Although Recreation Director Dave Brees recommended denying the district’s request for $17,144 to install the much-missed scoreboards, the council voted unanimously to provide the funds.

Police Blotter

Arrest
March 15, 7:50 p.m., 1860 Grant Road: subject arrested for resisting a police officer; taxi with passenger stopped on Grant Road, unknown party jumped into front passenger seat. Subject arrested for resisting police officer who responded to driver’s call. No injuries.
Thefts
March 14, 3:14 p.m., 201 Almond Ave.: cold report, […]

Letters to the Editor

Human pride day
The debate on Gay Pride Day seems to be dividing our community.
Our community, made up of people with many different backgrounds and views, is known for its richness and diversity. Giving special respect or attention to any one particular group can bring other groups to ask for similar attention.
[…]

Let’s talk turkey

Remember “Baghdad Bob,” Iraq’s Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf? He was the guy who spoke to journalists during the early days of the invasion of Iraq, denying any American presence in Baghdad, even as U.S. tanks approached the capital. Or, he’d brag that Saddam Hussein’s army would bring American troops to their knees, while machine-gun fire and heavy artillery rounds blasted the country unopposed by virtually anybody.

“Baghdad Bob” was hilarious. His delusional assessment of reality made him a walking parody of any government representative who tries to convince the public of something that isn’t even remotely true. You could just picture him with microphones shoved up to his chin, Black Hawk helicopters whirling around his head, proclaiming, “We’ve sent the infidel packing! Long live Saddam!” The man was basically a “Saturday Night Live” skit waiting to happen.

Obituary Notices

KATHLEEN THERESE O’CONNOR LUNDBERG RAYMOND
Kathleen was born April 18, 1934 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She was the middle child of five and the daughter of Forrest James O’Connor and Irene M. Smith of Reedsburg and Flatteville, Wisconsin.
Kathleen died March 5, 2006 in Mountain View. Her parents, first husband and oldest […]

Andy Perga shone as business man, family man

Andy Perga was a successful high-tech entrepreneur and tireless worker who, nonetheless, always managed to make his family a priority.

“He never, ever said, ‘Wait, I’m busy,” said wife Cathie of Mr. Perga’s communications with his three daughters. “He always talked to them.”

Barbara Duncan and Garry Hill

Barbara Duncan and Garry Hill have announced their engagement to be married Aug. 5. The wedding and reception celebration will take place on the Yacht Empress out of Sausalito.

The bride-to-be has lived in the Los Altos area for many years. She is a human resources executive and the winner of the YWCA’s 2005 Tribute to Women in Industry Award.

Kelsey Hanson and Jacob Woodruff

Kelsey Hanson and Jacob Woodruff have announced their engagement to be married July 1 at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Kathryn and Kirk Hanson of Los Altos. She graduated from Castilleja and Stanford University. She is employed with Teach for America, teaching first grade in the Alum Rock School District.

Author of ‘Distant Land of My Father’ to speak at LA library endowment event

Bo Caldwell, a Cupertino author, is scheduled to speak 3:30 p.m. April 6 at the Los Altos main library as part of the fourth annual “Speaking Volumes” series by leading contemporary authors.

Sponsored by the Los Altos Library Endowment (LALE), the presentation will be held in the Program Room of the library, 13 N. San Antonio Road.

Library program on college financial aid

The Los Altos Library has scheduled Gen and Kelly Tanabe, authors of “How to Pay for College: A Practical Guide for Families,” to provide information for parents and college-bound students on obtaining financial assistance, 7 p.m. Tuesday at the main library.

The presentation - sponsored by CollegeAnswer.com, Sallie Mae’s college-preparation Web site - is designed to explain the financial aid process and give practical instruction on accessing money for college.

Calendar

Ongoing
Los Altos Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave.
Today
MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors, 7:30 p.m., district offices, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos.
Thursday
Los Altos Hills City Council, 6 p.m., town hall, 26379 Fremont Road.
Monday
Los Altos […]

Local volunteers knit for a good cause

Local knitters at Uncommon Threads, 293 State St. in Los Altos, sent 56 handmade sweaters to victims of Hurricane Katrina at a Headstart school in New Orleans in January.

“It is really great to be able to do something person to person,” said Louise Spangler, owner of Uncommon Threads. “It is our hope that a new sweater will bring cheer as well as warmth to the children who have suffered so much because of this devastating storm.”

Town Crier Holiday Fund recipients collect contributions to continue their good deeds

Representatives from 13 non-profit organizations visited the Town Crier offices March 10 to share success stories and receive grants from the 2005 Town Crier Holiday Fund. The holiday fund raised $151,445 all of which goes directly to the selected recipients.

In addition to celebrating some of 2005’s advances, those who attended spoke of the challenges that community support helps them face.

HV campers from the ’70s enjoyed freedom

“Kids thrive if they have space and decision-making ability,” said Carolyn Chan, a Hidden Villa camper and counselor during the late 1960s to 1980. Josephine Duveneck, camp founder and co-owner, with husband Frank, of the Los Altos Hills wilderness preserve, would often echo a similar mantra, Chan said.

“People need space,” Duveneck would say. Campers were always accounted for, Chan remembered, but they were allowed to choose their activities on a daily basis, too.

Community Briefs

‘Celebrating the Muse’ at CSMA
A major new string quartet by award-winning Los Altos composer Sondra Clark, “Celebrating the Muse: Seven Homages to American Composers,” will premiere 7 p.m. April 1 at the Community School of Music and the Arts (CSMA), Finn Center at 230 San Antonio Circle in Mountain View, in […]

BCS placed at Egan Camp School for third year

The Los Altos School District Board unanimously assigned Bullis Charter School to the Egan Camp School facility for the 2006-2007 school year, to much shaking of heads from charter school supporters in the audience. This is the third year the district has reviewed and denied the charter school’s preferred facility option, the Bullis-Purissima campus in Los Altos Hills.

The board prefaced its recommendation with a review of four court decisions from the litigation between the charter school and the district over the last two years, all of which confirmed the legality of the district’s placement of the school in the Egan portables.

Grants benefit East Palo Alto students

In many local elementary schools, a student can take a lot for granted: a well-organized library with the most recent Newbery Award medalists, occasional field trips around the Bay Area, access to basic school supplies.

In the Los Altos School District, parents have tried to ensure these opportunities with projects such as the Los Altos Educational Foundation, which has set a goal of contributing $1.5 million in supplemental funding to the elementary school district in 2005-2006.

Students launch second year of student-led summer BioCamp in Fiji

Science students from Los Altos, Mountain View and St. Francis high schools are scheduled to return to Fiji June 22-July 6 for the second annual BioCamp.

The students study coral reefs, rainforests, southern-hemisphere astronomy and waterfalls from their campsite, which is only accessible by boat. The site includes hot showers, restrooms and an open-air kitchen. Tents, mattresses, BBQs, eating utensils, emergency kits and Fijian cell phones further provide the comforts of home.

Hyland will not return to MVHS

Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District Superintendent Rich Fischer announced last week the appointment of Mountain View High School’s Interim Principal Keith Moody as principal.

Former MVHS principal Pat Hyland will remain as director of research and accountability for the Mountain View-Los Altos Union School District for the 2006-2007 school year.

Superintendent search continues for MVLA

Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District continues its search to replace outgoing superintendent Rich Fischer. The district contracted the firm Leadership Associates to assist with the task.

Potential applicants will be interviewed on April 7. The district hopes to select Fischer’s successor by May 1.

Student actress wins national award

Jessica Uher, a Los Altos resident and fourth-year drama student at St. Francis High School, placed in the top 10 percent of the national Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS) program. Jessica was selected from more than 6,500 registrants to the 2006 ARTS program for her exceptional artistic accomplishments, and was among 650 award recipients nationwide. She received a certificate and a $250 cash prize.

Watching a program on KQED that showcased the winning artists from the previous year’s ARTS competition inspired Jessica to apply. She sent in a video clip featuring her performance of two contrasting monologues, one classical, one modern. She delivered one monologue from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and another from a play called “Catholic School Girls” by Casey Kurtii.

School Briefs

Multicultural Night benefits Zimbabwe
A Multicultural Night is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. March 31 at the Los Altos Youth Center to raise money for Pump Aid, a non-profit organization based in Zimbabwe that installs water pumps in rural communities. The evening will feature an ethnic buffet, high school performers and a keynote speaker. Money […]

Panthers repeat as state champs

SACRAMENTO - Maybe after Pacific Hills watches the game film it will better understand - and appreciate - the impact Pinewood’s Sami Field-Polisso had in the state Division V high school girls basketball final.

The Bruins may see more clearly how Field-Polisso’s driving, dishing and scoring led the Panthers to a 58-52 win Saturday morning at Arco Arena.

Whither goes the interest rate is the question

A revered market pundit once said that it’s not the level of the interest rate that matters, it’s the direction.

He meant that it didn’t matter so much if rates were at 12 percent or 6 percent but whether they were rising or falling and where they would be next. Well, just between you and me, it does matter whether they are at 12 percent or 6 percent if you are getting a mortgage or financing a remodel or business inventory.

Hedge funds are not for the faint of heart

The 2005 Standard & Poor’s 500’s total return was 5 percent. In an effort to increase earnings, some investment advisers put clients’ money into “alternative investments” (such as hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, timber farms, emerging markets, mortgage notes, real estate, oil and gas drilling ventures, commodity futures and collectables) instead of traditional stocks and bonds.

One strategy of a hedge fund is to do a “paired trade” where they “short sell” one security and buy another similar security, profiting on the convergence between the two securities, while keeping risk under control with the “long-short” strategy.

Medical devices

My uncle, a man in his late 40s, was on his way to work one morning when be began to feel weak and dizzy. Moments later, he fainted.

A physician, he decided to drag his feeble body a few blocks to the hospital where he worked. He was evaluated in the emergency room and found to have bradycardia, a condition that causes the heart to beat much more slowly than normal.

Stanford prof known for prison study joins psychology school

Philip G. Zimbardo, a renowned scholar and educator famed for the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, has joined the faculty of the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, a private professional school in Palo Alto.

Zimbardo, professor emeritus of psychology at Stanford University, has earned national recognition for, among other things, his 300 publications and the PBS-TV series “Discovering Psychology.”

Follow these tips for good communication with doctor

Ordinary people sometimes struggle to communicate with doctors about their medical problems. But for people with neurological problems, communication can be an even more overwhelming task.

I am a senior and have had epilepsy, or seizure disorder, my entire life. I suffered a head injury at a gym in 1992, which caused traumatic brain injury that exacerbated the seizure condition. I have found that education and communication are truly important, especially for a senior patient.

Colorectal cancer is preventable, curable with enough knowledge

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, occurs equally in men and women. Colorectal cancer is both preventable and curable, yet more people die from it in the United States than die from either breast or prostate cancer.

The key to survival is regular screening and early treatment when diagnosed. Because it is a cancer with vague symptoms and a subject many people are embarrassed to talk about, colorectal cancer often goes undetected and untreated.

Being aware of latex products first step to dealing with allergy

Is your skin irritated by gloves or Band-Aids? These products and many others may contain latex and you may be allergic to them.

Natural rubber latex is a milky extract from a variety of tropical plants but primarily from the Brazilian tree Hevea brasiliensis. People who use products containing latex may develop hypersensitivity and become symptomatic upon exposure. Healthcare providers, housekeepers, cooks, food handlers and toy manufacturers are among those affected.

New treatments can reduce danger of sleep apnea

Do you snore loudly? Are you tired all day despite spending 8-10 hours in bed? Do you fall asleep unexpectedly while working, watching TV or driving? Do you have high blood pressure or feel depressed? If so, you may be one of the 30 million Americans suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Affecting approximately 24 percent of American men and 9 percent of American women, obstructive sleep apnea is among the most common chronic illnesses in the country, yet it is underdiagnosed. Obstructive sleep apnea is estimated to be responsible for 50,000 preventable deaths each year, usually caused by heart attacks, strokes and accidents.

Heart failure very treatable once diagnosed

With the major advances in cardiac treatment, it is not surprising that more people are living longer with heart disease. Unfortunately, many patients with heart disease begin to experience heart failure over time. Heart failure affects nearly five million Americans and is the most common reason adults over age 65 are admitted to the hospital.

Heart failure develops when the heart muscle is damaged from a heart attack or grows weak from hypertension, valve problems or a condition called cardiomyopathy. Heart muscle weakness reduces the heart output and that leads to heart failure symptoms.

Infertility treatments give hope to more couples

More than 2 million Americans have problems conceiving a child. As women wait longer to begin their families, the problem is on the rise because a woman’s fertility declines with age, particularly after age 35.

Infertility is defined as having unprotected sex for more than one year without becoming pregnant. This can be a very difficult experience for the couple, leading to feelings of anger, guilt, frustration and jealousy.

Research urges cancer treatment

New research from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia involving data from 48,000 men shows that prostate cancer patients older than 65 who treat the disease with surgery or radiation live three years longer than those who opt for watchful waiting.

Because prostate cancer is slow growing, many doctors recommend no treatment at all to men of this age group. The new research, reported at a conference sponsored by American Society of Clinical Oncologists earlier this month, counters that.

Health Briefs

Rheumatology experttalks on arthritis

More than 100 different types of arthritis affect more than 66 million people of all ages, including children.

Author sees need for 10th circle in hell

Fathers turn into superheroes when it comes to protecting their daughters - that’s the theme of “The Tenth Circle” (Atria/Simon & Schuster, 2006) by best-selling author Jodi Picoult.

Scenes from Dante’s “Inferno” recur throughout the book. “The Inferno” is about the nine circles of hell, each reserved for a different type of sinner. In Picoult’s book, the tenth circle is for an additional sin: “If the worst sin of all was betraying others, then what about people who lied to themselves?”

Recent obituaries provide Lenten reflections for this thoughtful Christian

Right now, Christians are in the 40-day period of Lent when we remember the last days of Jesus’ life, the days when he knew that his words and actions would lead to his certain death. It’s a time for introspection about our own words and actions. This year, my thoughts have been sparked by the juxtaposition of two contrasting obituaries in the San Jose Mercury News, Feb 25.

One was of 84-year-old Paul C. Marcinkus, “Prominent American archbishop and longtime head of the Vatican Bank, who was linked to a major Italian banking scandal in the 1980s … The stuff of international thrillers, the scandal would ultimately involve Machiavellian intrigue, mysterious death and the loss of more than $1 billion.”

Spiritual Life Briefs

SV prayer breakfast March 30
Silicon Valley Prayer Breakfast, formerly called the Los Altos Community Prayer Breakfast, features speakers Kim Woody and John Sage at the 12th annual event, scheduled for 7-8:30 a.m. March 30 at Santa Clara Marriott.
This year’s theme, “Finding Purpose in Your Life,” features two speakers who will […]

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 the 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).

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