A reopening for Bullis?

It’s been a volatile three years since the closing of Bullis-Purissima Elementary School in Los Altos Hills.

But the climate seems to be improving in recent weeks. The one-month “negotiate or we redistrict” deadline imposed by Los Altos Hills councilmembers in March forced parties from the town, the charter school and the affected school districts to the table to work out a compromise solution. The outcome of these negotiations, presented at two town meetings last week, has given some people cause for hope - so much so that town councilmembers last week extended their deadline for pursuing redistricting to June 8.

Los Altos City Council approves compromise plan: one pool for Rosita site

After eight years of adversarial discussions over the site and size of a community pool, the Los Altos City Council approved one pool at the Rosita site at its April 25 meeting.

The council voted 3-2 to adopt the Community Swimming Pool Task Force recommendation for one 25-yard-by-25-meter competition pool, including a water feature/wading pool. Councilmembers Val Carpenter and Curtis Cole dissented in favor of a two-pool complex.

MV-LA names new schools chief

The Board of Trustees of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District has named Barry Groves as the district’s new superintendent effective July 1.

Groves is no stranger to the area; he was an assistant principal at Crittenden Middle School in Mountain View. Since 1992, he has been superintendent of the Cambrian School District in San Jose. Groves began his career in education as a high school teacher of English and history.

Council to vote on Gay/Straight Alliance Parade

The Los Altos City Council will consider Tuesday whether to approve and partly fund a youth-oriented parade with the 20-member Los Altos High School Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) as its centerpiece.

Plans for the June 4 parade are in early development, according to Henry Roux, co-chairman of the Los Altos Alliance for Youth, a group of former mayors, business leaders and other residents pushing for the parade. The Los Altos Community Foundation is sponsoring the parade.

Witnesses sought in fatal collision

A woman was killed early April 26 when her car collided with a truck at the intersection of Grant Road and El Camino Real.

The Mountain View resident, believed to be in her 50s, was driving a maroon Chrysler PT Cruiser east on El Camino Real.

Local youth arrested after cocaine, weapons found

A Los Altos High School student was arrested Friday just after 9 a.m., after cocaine, illegal weapons, marijuana and fireworks were found at his home, police said. Clinton Milliken, 18, of Los Altos Hills, was in police custody.

Police were following up reports of drug problems at LAHS, said Sgt. Scott McCrossin. Milliken was on probation for a recent conviction of driving under the influence. His home was searched as part of routine probation searches, McCrossin said.

Neutra House restorations to get started

By fall, everything old will be new again at the Neutra House.

Neutra House supporters said major renovations and landscaping were put on hold due to winter rains, but are slated to begin this spring. Although the studio-sized home is not one of Neutra’s larger, more impressive schemes, it stills holds architectural significance, supporters said.

El Camino Hospital’s CEO search narrows

The El Camino Hospital Board of Directors interviewed six candidates for the position of chief executive officer at special meetings last weekend at Los Altos Golf & Country Club. The board will schedule a public meeting later this month to introduce the finalists before making the appointment.

The interviews took place in closed sessions Friday through Sunday and were followed by an open session where members of the public had an opportunity to address hospital board members. The hospital declined to release any information about the applicants until the announcement of the final candidates.

Rambus wins $306 million suit against Hynix Semiconductor

A jury awarded Rambus Inc., a Los Altos-based designer of high-speed computer chip interfaces, $306.9 million in damages in a patent infringement lawsuit against South Korea’s Hynix Semiconductor Inc. on April 24.

The six patents under contest involved standard PC memory chip technology known as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), which increases the speed of memory in computer chips. The jury found all 10 Rambus patent claims relative to the six patents at issue in the trial valid and infringed.

Police Blotter

Robbery
April 30, 11:42 p.m., El Monte and Almond avenues: An elderly female was approached by a male who stole her walking cane and lured her into bushes. She called for help and flagged down motorists who dialed 911 and provided police with a description of the suspect. Mountain View Police Department located […]

Letters to the Editor

Forget redistricting, reopen Bullis
As a new resident of Los Altos Hills, I am quite dismayed at the ongoing struggle between the Los Altos School District and the Bullis School supporters.
I can truly see and sympathize with both sides, but I think it is time to resolve this issue once and for all […]

Editorials

Bullis proposal needs more balance
While we’re encouraged by the recent diplomatic efforts to reopen the Bullis-Purissima School site and fend off a Los Altos Hills redistricting bid, we ask that all school communities involved look over any proposal carefully before signing on the dotted line.
As we understand it, the current proposal […]

Why I live alone

I love tea or coffee in the morning as soon as I awake. I pad into my bright little kitchen over hardwood floors, reach for a cup and prepare my brew at a tap that delivers water piping hot. I am far from ready to bathe, dress and venture forth to meet and greet the world.

I thrive on and love family, friends and neighbors. But I need an hour of private prayer, or reading before I begin the day. Radios, telephones and television are excruciatingly painful to me in the morning.

Lillian Krause, 74, longtime Los Altos resident, community volunteer

Town Crier Report

Lillian Ruth Powers Krause, 74, died Feb. 2 at El Camino Hospital after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. She was in good health until her sudden death.

Michael J. Bradshaw, son-in-law to Jim and Nina Steiner of LAH

Michael J. Bradshaw, 57, son-in-law of Jim and Nina Steiner of Los Altos Hills, died peacefully April 24 at his home in Eagle, Idaho. Family members recall Mr. Bradshaw as a “loving and generous man who will be missed by all who were blessed to know him.” Funeral services were held April 29 in Meridian, Idaho. Mr. Bradshaw will be buried in McCall, Idaho.

Mr. Bradshaw was born in Miami, Fla., March 28, 1949, the son of Neoma Ruth Snoddy. During his youth he lived in Texas and spent many summers with “Momma Jayne,” his grandmother, helping on her farm in Oklahoma. He was proud to be adopted by John Barrows “Barry” Bradshaw when Barry married Mike’s mother.

Firooz Ghaffari, former Los Altos Rotary president who lived his life with a smile

Firooz Ghaffari, a former president of the Rotary Club of Los Altos and an active community volunteer, died April 29 at his home in Los Altos. Mr. Ghaffari was 63.

Mr. Ghaffari had been battling colon cancer that had metastasized for the past year.

People

Marie and Charles Piozet, 60 years

Charlie attended the University of Maryland and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He flew for Slick Airways, which became Airlift International, until his retirement in 1980.

Challenge Team honors two locals for service

The Challenge Team, a community-based, non-profit partnership of students, school districts, police departments, community organizations, parent groups and health service groups, is honoring youth leaders Bob Adams of Los Altos and Oscar Garcia of Mountain View at a breakfast 7-8:30 a.m. May 11 at Michaels at Shoreline restaurant.

Adams and Garcia will be presented Champions of Youth awards for their service in the community. The keynote speaker will be Richard Santana, former gang member turned Harvard graduate, talking on “Motivation, Change, Diversity, Education.”

Quota International installs new officers

Quota International of Mountain View/Los Altos, a service organization that supports disadvantaged women and children and hearing-impaired infants and children, held its annual installation of officers for 2006-2007 April 20 at Don Giovanni restaurant in Mountain View.

Incoming President Sarah Perez chose the theme “Share Our Spirit” for the year. Other officers include Willie Crosslin, president- elect; Vivian Schatz, recording secretary; Melba Williams Swanson, corresponding secretary; Vi Sullivan, treasurer; and Laura Brown and Pat Figueroa, directors.

Sewing machine veteran ties together threads of history

The Los Altos History Museum sponsored “A Thread of History,” a lecture by Richard “Rich” Douglas, Thursday at the museum. The full audience sat amid vintage sewing machines that are part of the current exhibit, “Stitches in Time - 100 Years of Machines and Sewing,” scheduled to run through May 21.

The 74-year-old Douglas is the former owner of the family-run Douglas Sewing Machines and Fabrics, a landmark retail institution in downtown Palo Alto for seven decades.

CSMA purchases adjoining land for expansion

The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) at Finn Center has purchased additional property adjacent to its facility on San Antonio Circle in Mountain View. The 3/4-acre parcel will eventually provide much-needed parking space and an opportunity for expansion to provide rooms for classes, meetings and storage.

“Purchasing this land is an extraordinary opportunity for CSMA, as it marks the final phase of development for Finn Center,” said Executive Director Angela McConnell. “The land will ensure adequate parking for parents, students and the entire community and will support accessibility to all of our programs.”

Historic Anza Trail opens at Rancho San Antonio

The Santa Clara County Parks Department has announced the opening of a historic section of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail at Rancho San Antonio County Park in Cupertino. Ceremonies to commemorate the trail opening were held Saturday.

The program, co-hosted by the city of Cupertino, featured Cupertino Mayor Richard Lowenthal and Santa Clara County Parks Director Lisa Killough.

Organizers hoping for big response to Bike to Work Day

The Bay Area Bicycle Coalition (BABC) has scheduled the 12th annual “Bike-to-Work Day” May 18. The celebration promotes bicycling as a healthful, fun and viable form of transportation. It is part of a range of activities associated with National Bike Month.

“There’s been a great deal of organization which has gone into this,” said Cole Portocarrero, executive director of the BABC. “We’ve basically spent the entire year planning this one day.”

Nominations sought for CSA award

Nominations for the 43rd annual Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR) Community Service Award (CSA) for the Los Altos Mountain View District are now being accepted.

The CSA recipient and sponsor will be honored at the annual awards luncheon, which will be held this year Sept. 12 at Michaels at Shoreline in Mountain View.

Community Briefs

Open Studios features artists
Silicon Valley Open Studios 2006 will feature 21 area artists among the approximately 330 artists participating in this year’s event. Local residents will display their artwork in their homes Saturday and Sunday, the first of the event’s three weekends in May.
Members of the Open Studios board and […]

Blach principal succumbs to cancer at 61

Arthur Harris, the 13-year Blach Intermediate School principal known for his intellect, humor and passion for his staff and students, died Thursday after a long battle with cancer. A resident of Cupertino, Mr. Harris was 61.

Mr. Harris had sent a letter to parents in early April announcing he was stepping down from his position for health reasons. His passing was met with shock and sadness among members of the Los Altos School District community who praised his leadership and outstanding relationships with students.

Schools Briefs

LAHS hosts discussion about teens and drugs
Joe Connolly, CEO and co-founder of Goodparents, will give a presentation on how parents can talk to their children about drug abuse tonight in the Los Altos High School Auditorium.
Audience members will hear what teens say influences their decisions so that parents can help their teens […]

Covington celebrates ‘distinguished’ award

Covington Elementary School exploded with cheers April 25 when Principal Leslie Crane announced that the school had been recognized as a California Distinguished School. The award from the California Department of Education honors California’s most exemplary and inspiring schools.

Covington was reopened as an elementary school only three years ago. The new community school has built a unique learning environment. It joins Los Altos’ other elementaries, which have been named distinguished schools, according to Crane. The 21-year-old program received 997 applications this year from schools with test scores high enough to qualify and honored 337.

Local students speak out via Day of Silence

Local high school students celebrated the 10th annual Day of Silence April 26 by keeping their mouths shut. Throughout the day, students respectfully remained silent while wearing a note explaining their choice. The day is intended to bring attention to groups who have been silenced in the United States, particularly homosexual and transgender communities.

“In the U.S. the voice is always emphasized, particularly the political voice - the vote. But the political voice starts out with the literal voice, with talking about an issue,” junior Julie Ershadi said.

AVID program steers students toward college

“Who wants to go to a four-year college?” Roma Hammel asked her junior class at Los Altos High School. Every hand shot into the air as a cheer erupted.

The energy and enthusiasm was, perhaps, surprising. But these are AVID kids, students who are part of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, an in-school support system for grades 5-12, designed to prepare academically average children for college eligibility.

Meeting expectations

There are three games remaining in the season, and Jake McKenzie has already accomplished what he set out to do in his first year as Mountain View High softball coach.

“They’ve met my expectations, to tell you the truth. They were 12-12 last year and I wanted to at least match that,” said McKenzie, whose Spartans entered this final week of league play with a 12-11 overall record. “Everything from here on in is frosting on the cake.”

Exit Lodge, enter Cave

Kim Cave will be a new face at Los Altos High, though many at the school are probably already familiar with her family.

The school’s incoming athletic director is married to Ralph Cave, an assistant principal at Los Altos. Their son Robert is a sophomore who plays football and baseball for the school.

Wall Street wants Fed to step rates just ‘One More Time’

“One and done,” that’s the cry on Wall Street these days. They are talking about the Federal Reserve’s raising short-term interest rates only one more time, possibly at its May 10 meeting.

Recent meeting notes indicate that most members see additional rate increases as possibly going too far and choking off economic growth. The rate stands at 4.75 percent after 15 increases since June 2004. This short-term bank rate had been as low as 1 percent.

More than 40 showcased at 18th LA Expo

The 18th annual Los Altos Chamber of Commerce Business EXPO hosted over 40 exhibitors Thursday. Local businesses ranging from high-tech to massage and acupuncture therapy and non-profit organizations shared the floor space with Los Altos restaurant favorites. State Assemblyman Ira Ruskin made a brief appearance.

Chamber president Julie Rose was happy with the turnout this year. “This is a great opportunity to make connections,” she said. “Businesses talk to other businesses and organizations. There is a healthy cross-fertilization that goes on.”

Fix my ride

Auto shop class is in session at Los Altos High School, and the popular and gregarious teacher Greg Ely is busily preparing while a stream of chattering students filters in. The large, well-organized garage that is the classroom is marked by personal touches - nostalgic reminders of simpler times. Classic car models line the shelves, and a “Death before Disco” shirt is neatly flattened on one wall. Hand-made posters deliver safety instructions to the young mechanics: “Are the lug nuts tight? Is the drain pipe tight?”

Every year, experienced auto shop students who have taken at least three quarters of the class get the chance to showcase their hard work and knowledge. On May 21, six high school students with their class hot rods will face off against professional car enthusiasts and their cars at the Duel at De Anza racetrack competition in Cupertino. Two-hundred-thirty vehicles - from vintage Porsches to more fiercely tricked-out drag-racers will compete. Judges will evaluate drivers’ handling and maneuvering abilities.

2006 BMW M3 convertible, coupe: Last chance to buy a future classic

There are cars that are destined for classic status from the day they’re produced. Fortunate are the few who recognize this trait and buy the car when it’s new, then treasure and enjoy the car as it acquires the patina of enthusiastic use. Two cars we’ve driven recently qualify for this distinction, the 2006 BMW M3 convertible and coupe.

A few weeks ago, our motoring journalist group spent a day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to test a wide range of new cars; among them was the M3 Coupe equipped with the track competition package. Last week we had the opportunity to enjoy the M3 convertible with a sequential manual gearbox.

Get to know your owner’s manual, note problems as they occur

Last month, we offered some ideas to help you find a quality repair shop.

Now that you’ve found that perfect shop, we have some suggestions to help you obtain maximum value for your maintenance and repair dollar.

Get advice before buying car

Let me start off with a little history: I was the little kid who took everything apart. My mother would walk into a room and find her Kirby vacuum cleaner disassembled on the floor - and I do not mean just the handle and the bag. I was inspired when I overheard her tell her friends that she was impressed that I could actually put such household appliances back together. After childhood, I moved on to bigger and better things.

I have been operating Sunnyvale Foreign Car Service Inc. for about 15 years. Most auto service I have performed in that time has been fairly routine. But occasionally I’ve come across some interesting customers with even more interesting problems.

Organic produce pioneer

Celebrated chef Jesse Ziff Cool’s passion for organic food has taken her from a hippie commune to hip cuisine.

For more than 30 years, through personal and business endeavors, from commune to Palo Alto cottage, she has been dedicated to sustainable agriculture and cuisine. She and the organic movement have come a long way since she hitchhiked across the country in 1968 with her son, Josh, then 4, and put down roots on the Peninsula.

Latest Beaton series as cozy as old slippers

Sometimes a charming book brings out my mean streak - I fail to be charmed. I apologize to the many fans of M. C. Beaton, whose “Death of a Dreamer” (Mysterious Press/Warner Books, 2006) is part of a best-selling series and the basis for six episodes of a TV show aired on the BBC.

M. C. Beaton is a pseudonym for Marion Chesney, who has published several successful mystery series and more than 100 Regency romances. Romance novels make my skin crawl. But this is a free country, and all readers get to choose their favorite authors and genres.

The Western Hebrides offer a haven rich in history and beauty for the traveler

I love staying on the islands in Scotland. I try to visit one every time I go home. I’ll share information about some of my favorite hotels that I have visited many times.

Kilmichael Country House Hotel on the Isle of Arran is the oldest house on the island. It offers seven elegant and rather beautiful bedrooms. The house is set in magnificent gardens and the chef is outstanding. Each of the seven rooms is unique and Arran is a lovely place to visit.

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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