Bulked up on banks

Those looking for banking options don’t have to travel far in Los Altos. More than a dozen operate within the city itself. And, there are at least another dozen banks located outside the city that compete here, too.

This beefed-up banking environment makes Los Altos somewhat unique. After all, a town the size of Los Altos, with two-dozen banks, all vying for a piece of the action, might seem like overkill. But, for the banks themselves, it’s called market opportunity.

FTC charges Rambus with antitrust violations

A U.S. Federal Trade Commission ruling released Aug. 2 unanimously charged Los Altos-based Rambus Inc. with violating the Sherman antitrust act and illegally monopolizing markets for computer memory technologies.

Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour said that the memory chip company violated antitrust laws when it failed to tell a standard-setting group about Rambus’ patent applications.

LAH weighs chemicals vs. cost for weed control

As Los Altos Hills reduces its use of chemical weed control, costs rise - but some residents believe the benefits are worth the effort and expense.

For Los Altos Hills residents Shari Emling and Karen Lemes, the arrival of a mallard to the boggy stand of cattails near their homes was a reason to celebrate. The duck’s patch of land, at the intersection of Moody and Altamont roads, was once stripped to the ground by herbicides. Its return to green represents, for them, a reason to continue decreasing the amount of chemicals used in the town’s road-clearing program.

News Briefs

Fire on Regent Drive
Santa Clara County firefighters responded Friday to an early morning fire at a Los Altos home on Regent Drive.
The two residents reported the fire at 4 a.m., when flames broke out near their garage. Fire crews from nearby Loyola, Almond and El Monte fire stations responded promptly to […]

Police Blotter

Alleged Internet child molester arrested
Parents of a 15-year-old Los Altos resident reported her missing Saturday morning. Police used phone records to locate her later that day in the company of a 22-year-old man, Randall Cortez of Palmdale.
Cortez was arrested on suspicion of sexual battery, child molestation, contributing to the delinquency […]

Adventure Toys expansion meets city opposition

A dispute over an architectural anomaly may prevent Leslie Chiaverini, owner of Adventure Toys and Teaching Supplies on Main Street, from expanding her toy store into the neighboring building until at least December, if not longer.

Peter Galli, Chiaverini’s landlord and owner of the two adjacent buildings, and city officials are feuding over what amounts to 95 square feet of property. The city planning staff contended that the proposed job would add space downtown that is regulated by strict building codes. Galli and Chiaverini said they’re not adding space but restoring the building to its original appearance.

Residents participate in Cuesta Park Annex plan

Mountain View community members helped prepare designs for the Cuesta Park Annex master planning process at a workshop July 29 at city hall.

Proposals include leaving the annex as is; adding minimal changes, such as all-weather trails and enhanced habitats; using the land for a legacy orchard or community garden; incorporating passive and active uses with multiuse lawns; including a combination of passive and sports uses with a recreational field; and building, fully developed sports ground.

November election deadline Friday

Friday is the filing deadline for local candidates in the Nov. 7 election.

No candidates had filed by press deadline in the race for two seats on the Los Altos Hills City Council. Also on the ballot is one seat on the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Board of Directors and renewal of the Los Altos School District parcel tax.

FHDA receives second complaint

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District has received two complaints challenging the district’s recently approved Measure C bond.

Aaron Katz filed his complaint July 27 stating the district did not comply with any of the pre-election accountability measures required by Proposition 39. Katz said the district is required to be in compliance with Proposition 39 because it received less than a two-thirds vote.

Editorial

It’s official: Later this month, all Los Altos police officers are due to receive Taser guns. Some may fear indiscriminate use, an issue raised in other departments. But Los Altos appears to have done its homework. Under Chief Bob Lacey, police have stricter guidelines in place and more officer training required than in other cities. Because of this, along with the potential for greater safety for officers, we think the Tasers will be a worthy investment.

A Taser X-26 shoots 20-to-25 feet of wire and attaches to the target with small fish hooks, delivering 50,000 volts of electricity to the central nervous system. This eliminates the difficulty of making direct physical contact with a combative suspect, an added protection for both the officer and the citizen.

The Housing Trust - thanks a billion

“What if?” These two words form the cornerstone of Silicon Valley. Whether they challenge the innovators who launched Hewlett-Packard and Apple Computer in their garages, or simply guide a family to ways to secure a home with a garage of their own, “What if?” is often the starting point.

Seven years ago, the County Collaborative on Housing and Homeless Issues asked that same question, “What if … we formed a Housing Trust Fund to help families secure an affordable place to live in high-cost Silicon Valley?”

A Grand Prix convert

From the get-go, the San Jose Grand Prix sounded like a really bad idea. Why on earth would San Jose want to subject its streets to the abuse those gas-guzzling, hard-driving racecars would inflict?

Also, if I’m going to spend $35 per ticket, I’m more inclined to spend it on, say, a garden tour where I would feel right at home. I imagined that the Grand Prix attendees would primarily be beer-swigging, cigarette-smoking, pot-bellied, foul-mouthed, tattooed boy-men who should have shaved off those beards, mustaches and mullets back in the early ’80s.

Obituary Notices

Almon W. “Dick” Dickinson
Almon W. “Dick” Dickinson, 78 passed away July 22, 2006. Mr. Dickinson was born in San Fernando, CA. Nov. 21, 1927. He graduated from Hollywood High School. After serving in the United States Coast Guard he moved to Los Altos and married Dorothy Helena, daughter of Los […]

People

Martin and Joan Alter, 5 years

Martin and Joan Alter, longtime residents of Los Altos, celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary. Joan first lived in Los Altos in 1971, then moved to Menlo Park, and returned to Los Altos after her marriage to Martin on May 19, 2001. Martin has lived in Los Altos since 1997.

People

William and Patricia Samuels, 60 years

Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. William and Patricia Samuels celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary July 28 at Ristorante Bella Vita in Los Altos, followed by a dessert reception at their home in Los Altos Hills.

Floral demonstration artfully accents museum exhibit

Jeff Baumgartner, co-proprietor of the floral shop Just For You Florist & Plants, demonstrated his mastery of floral design July 30 at the Los Altos History Museum. Using works from the museum’s first set of “Los Altos Impressions” paintings as inspiration, Baumgartner connected the floral and painted arts.

The museum presents its summer exhibit, “Los Altos Impressions,” in two sections. The current show, running through Aug. 20, features more than 45 original works by 23 local artists depicting local scenes. On Aug. 24, a second set of paintings by artists in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, with no subject limitations, will be on view through Oct. 15.

Wildlife Rescue: Resource for backyard foundlings

As the summer wanes, newborn wildlife are spreading their wings and stretching their legs, and in backyards around the area, stray creatures inevitably appear.

Residents who encounter a hatchling or wayward duckling have a local resource: Wildlife Rescue Inc., a non-profit organization that cares for orphaned and injured wildlife from Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto and Mountain View. A call to their hotline can help determine what to do and how to do it. Sometimes baby animals only look orphaned, and are best left alone.

SV Community Foundation names Carson as its new CEO

One of the nation’s leading non-profit executives will head the new Silicon Valley Community Foundation, created in the wake of the planned landmark merger of two of the Bay Area’s largest foundations, Peninsula Community Foundation and Community Foundation Silicon Valley.

Emmett Carson, currently CEO and president of The Minneapolis Foundation and a nationally recognized leader in philanthropy, was selected by the new foundation’s board of directors after a nationwide search.

Freestyle High receives finishing touches

The Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District is scheduled to unveil its newest campus this month, Freestyle Hig A New Academy of Communication Arts and Technology.

Freestyle is a half-day program, 1-4 p.m., open to juniors and seniors who want to focus on video production, Web design, graphic arts and audio technology.

Local non-profit seeks volunteers and donors

The Coalition for Excellence in Science Education (CESE), is recruiting volunteers and donors to aid in their mission of promoting science in local schools.

The coalition creates and refurbishes science kits for five local school districts, including the Los Altos and Mountain View-Whisman districts. Its projects benefit nearly 750 teachers and 17,000 students in 26 schools. Retirees from Silicon Valley companies such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Agilent Technologies form the volunteer base.

Dreams fufilled and mission accomplished

With a crowd exceeding 3,000 and a sense of excitement in the air, the 7th Annual Silicon Valley Kid’s Triathlon began at De Anza College June 4 when 729 children, 3-15, eagerly awaited the start of their wave.

Participants raced to complete a pool swim, a closed-road bike ride and running on-track. The distances for each segment varied according to the age of the participants.

Pinewood fifth-graders become poets

Twenty-nine Pinewood students will be published poets this fall.

“I had a very unique class this year,” said Diane McGinley, fifth-grade teacher at Pinewood. “They were very excited about poetry.”

Schools Briefs

Waldorf School sponsors workshop
Waldorf School of the Peninsula has scheduled a hands-on workshop for teachers of kindergarten and grades 1-2 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at its campus, 11311 Mora Dr., Los Altos.
The workshop, which costs $200, is designed to engage participants in the integration […]

LAHS senior travels to help children in need

Katherine Lynch enjoys hanging out with friends, exploring new places and staying active like any 16-year-old. But the Los Altos High School senior has another passion: helping the world’s children, one at a time.

Lynch traveled to Kenya this summer to teach English at By Grace Disabled and Orphans Centre in Nairobi, the country’s capital. She said seeing Kenya’s dilapidated tin-roofed shacks and trash-strewn streets provided both an immediate culture shock and a wake-up call.

Noteworthies

Eric Bradley Garcia of Los Altos, a 2001 graduate of Los Altos High School, has been accepted into the professional veterinary medical program at Colorado State University for the fall 2006 term. Eric received an undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Danielle Marie LeFevre of Los Altos was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Scripps College in Claremont. LeFevre is a junior majoring in sociology. The dean’s list recognizes students who have achieved a grade-point average of at least 11 (A-) in four letter-graded courses in one semester.

On par with the best

Like a 2-foot putt, Lauren Kim is almost a sure thing when it comes to winning golf tournaments.

If Lauren’s in it, she’s probably going to win it. After playing in 13 Bay Area junior tournaments this season, Lauren has 10 championships and three second-place finishes in her age group.

Longtime friends play on different teams at national boys volleyball championships

Friends since elementary school and now playing at different high schools, Los Altos residents Sean Bugée and Collin Mehring were excited about the possibility of their club teams facing off at the USA Volleyball Boys Junior Olympic Championships.

But they never crossed paths - at least on the court - during last month’s tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. And neither player could even brag about being on the better team: Bugée’s Apex team and Mehring’s Bay to Bay squad tied for ninth place in the Boys 15 Club Division.

Mighty Oaks have fallen - out of the playoffs

The Palo Alto Oaks entered the playoffs last weekend with the goal of getting farther than last year. They exited without even matching what they accomplished in 2005.

The semipro baseball team didn’t survive beyond the second day of the Northern California Sectional, which it won a year ago. After splitting two games Friday, the Oaks lost Saturday’s opener to end their run in the double-elimination tournament in Sacramento.

Ice cream shop melts Los Altos hearts

Judy Chang knew business would be good when a burly Los Altos police officer entered her ice cream store and got so excited about the frozen treats, he reverted to childhood.

“It was funny - he started playing with some of the toys in the store,” Chang said with a laugh.

Local realtors tee off for a good cause

The Silicon Valley Realtors Charitable Foundation held its Eighth Annual Charity Golf Tournament July 17 at the Palo Alto Hills Golf and Country Club, with Heritage Bank of Commerce as this year’s Hole-in-One sponsor and the Town Crier as a Tee and Hole sponsor and silent auction donor. Participants raised more than $35,000.

Other Tee and Hole sponsors included 1031 Advance Inc., Alain Pinel Realtors - Los Gatos, Alliance Title Company, Atwood, Haiman & Westerberg - Attorneys at Law, California State Automobile Association, Chicago Title, Coldwell Banker - Los Altos, First Horizon Home Loans, Harrell Remodeling Inc., Lawson & Associates Mortgages Planners, North American Title Company, Palo Alto Affiliate Bank, PRDS Forms, Spinner Mortgage, The Tully-Wihr Company, Washington Mutual and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage - Palo Alto.

Is it smarter to buy than rent?

When you move to a new area, one of your first decisions is whether buying a house or renting is the best decision for you. Since owning a home is the American dream, many assume it is always to their advantage to buy a home. However, under certain circumstances, renting may be a better short-term option.

There is an upside to renting, according to Mickey Shaevitz, a realtor with Coldwell Banker in Los Altos and a member of the Housing Opportunity Committees for the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) and the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR).

Survey reveals Americans concerned about lack of affordable housing

By a 2-to-1 margin, Americans surveyed say high monthly house payments, rather than down payments, are the chief obstacle to buying a home, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

The National Housing Opportunity Pulse Survey of 1,000 adults found six in 10 Americans say high property taxes and rising energy costs could cause them to sell their homes. Almost four in 10 are worried about rising home interest rates. Three in 10 are worried they, or members of their family, could have their homes repossessed because they are unable to pay rising monthly mortgage payments.

Los Altos has top-ranking restaurant franchisee

The Restaurant Finance Monitor, a national industry publication, ranked Los Altos-based Harman Management Corporation No. 2 in the top 200 multiunit restaurant franchisees in the nation. According to the rankings, Harman Management, one of the largest franchisees of KFC, earned the position with revenue of approximately $424.5 million in 2005.

The annual ranking of franchisees, known as the Monitor 200, tracks the top 200 restaurant franchisees according to annualized revenue. Franchisees needed to generate at least $28 million in revenue to make the list in 2005.

Mountain View native recounts history through pictures, anecdotes

In “Images of America: Mountain View” (Arcadia, 2006), fourth-generation Mountain View resident Nicholas Perry tells the story of his community primarily through pictures with narrative captions. Newcomers to the area are likely to appreciate this quirky, colorful spin through the town’s 150-year history, while longtime residents can savor Perry’s scrupulous record of buildings, schools and businesses long gone but still remembered in anecdote.

Mountain View’s earliest boundaries can be traced to an 8,800-acre land grant the Mexican government made to rancher Francisco Estrada in 1842. After Estrada’s death, the land passed to his father-in-law, Mariano Castro, the head of one of Mountain View’s founding families. In the next decade, the United States took control of California, and an influx of settlers inhabited the Castro rancho. Mountain View incorporated in 1902 with 610 residents.

Indiana, surprise home to the famous

Following in the footsteps of a celebrity doesn’t require putting up with the stress and grime of Hollywood - not when you are hip to Fairmount, Ind., population 3,000.

The east-central Indiana town may appear to be just another farming community, but a look at past residents shows why the town’s motto is “Home of Distinguished People.” Actor and cultural icon James Dean sprung from Fairmount, along with Garfield creator Jim Davis, Emmy Award-winning CBS news correspondent Phil Jones and “The Snake Pit” author Mary Jane Ward. The fact that so many big personalities were born in a town where all of the action happens on Main Street is remarkable.

Prophetic messages of Armageddon can be misused

A recent CNN report asked whether current events in the Middle East are the start of Armageddon. The news channel reported on the idea held by some Christians that there will be a “rapture” where believers will be taken to heaven, followed by seven years of distress (the tribulation) and a final battle between good and evil (Armageddon).

What CNN unfortunately failed to report is that this teaching is a novel idea in Christian history, unique to certain forms of Christianity in America, expressed in a number of sometimes contradictory variations, and based on a reading of the ancient texts that fails to take into account the historical context, culture and language from which they arose.

Get a move on

With the start of school rapidly approaching, it is increasingly important for parents and children to put physical activity, health and wellness at the top of their priority lists. While budgeting for time and organizing schedules, set aside at least an hour a day for physical activity outside of school and work.

The American College of Sports Medicine and the federal Department of Health and Human Services suggest choosing a variety of activities at a moderate to high level of intensity for children to do every day.

Prepare your child for kindergarten

One of the best ways to prepare children for anything - going to kindergarten, going to the supermarket or anywhere else - is to help them understand what to expect.

“In the case of kindergarten, a parent should definitely take his or her child on a visit to the school so that he or she can see the classroom he or she will be attending,” said Malinda Jo Muzi, a psychologist and author of “Your Kids, Their Lives: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Happy, Competent, Caring Children” (Pink Roses Publishing, 2006).

School fashion dials down as temperatures drop

In this stylish town, no one is too young for fashion. From toddlers to teens, kids go to school in high style, although their parents might wonder how high style can be so casual.

You may be relieved to know that this year’s back-to-school fashions are somewhat conservative. Skirts are getting a little bit longer. (If they had gotten any shorter, they would have been belts.) Classic styles like pleated skirts and argyle vests are coming back in updated colors such as lime green and hot pink.

Foothill’s ‘Gun’ hits the target

If, indeed, “there’s no business like show business,” then perhaps there’s also no local musical theater like Foothill Music Theatre - at least one that performs song and dance as engagingly and with as much clever panache.

Foothill’s latest production is Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun,” and yes, it features that song - many times over, practically beaten into your spurs.

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).

THEATER