Open space district to name new director

The board of directors of the Los Altos-based Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has been one member short since the recent resignation of Deane Little, representative of Mountain View and Los Altos.

The board voted unanimously Aug. 24 to appoint a director to the vacant position rather than call a special election. Little’s resignation came too late to add the position to the Nov. 7 ballot, and calling a special election would cost the district approximately $770,378, the Santa Clara County Elections Office estimated.

One seat on the five-member board, currently filled by Los Altos Hills resident Mary Davey, is already up for grabs on the November ballot.

Little, who had served on the board since 1998, resigned in advance of his move to Colorado, where he said he hoped to spend more time with his family.

Candidates interested in filling the vacancy can submit applications to the Open Space district office, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos, through Sept. 18. Once appointed by the board, the new member would serve until the seat came up in the November 2008 election.

- Eliza Ridgeway

Burglary in progress

Aug. 26, 4:30 p.m., 100 block of Portola Avenue: A resident found his home ransacked and electronic equipment packed into his car, which was running in the resident’s driveway. The suspects appeared to have fled the scene without stealing anything and are still at large, police said.

Battery

Aug. 26, 2:47 p.m., 100 block of Main Street: Two people were engaged in a fistfight but fled the scene by the time police arrived.

- Megan Ma