Taking care of business

When you run your own business, the success or failure of the enterprise comes down to you. You meet the customer. You handle the profit and the loss. You hire. You fire. You juggle it all.

But thankfully, no small-business owner is an island in Los Altos. There are sources and resources to turn to for insight, networking and support.

Los Altos and Los Altos Hills agree on sewer hookups

The Los Altos Hills town government will manage the majority of the town’s sewer connections, including those servicing residents in the unincorporated areas of town, as outlined in a new sewer agreement between the Los Altos and Los Altos Hills city councils.

“It’s a fairly big accomplishment for both sides,” said Jim Porter, public works director in Los Altos.

Ruskin faces Chang Kiraly in local Assembly race

The race for state Assembly District 21, which includes Los Altos, pits incumbent Democrat Ira Ruskin of Redwood City against Republican challenger Virginia Chang Kiraly of Menlo Park.

Both Chang Kiraly, 42, and Ruskin, 52, list improving the state’s education system and protecting the environment as priorities.

Election rhetoric heats up as autumn cools down

A few yard signs on Los Altos Hills streets proclaimed preferences last weekend in the waning days of the campaign for city council.

The most frenetic political activity was evident in the volley of mailers between supporters of John Vidovich, particularly Steve Finn, Toni Casey and the Los Altos Hills Civic Association, and supporters of Breene Kerr and Dean Warshawsky, notably from Councilman Craig Jones and Hills2000, headed by Duffy Price.

Los Altos, foundation finalize Neutra House agreement

Los Altos City Councilmembers unanimously approved a final lease agreement with the Los Altos Community Foundation for operation and maintenance of the Neutra Cottage, a 980-square-foot house transplanted to city land last November.

For the past year, foundation board members and city officials have wrangled, waited and watched to secure a final lease agreement and define how renovations on the home should proceed.

Questions, allegations over sewer charges

In an increasingly acrimonious sewer dispute with the city of Los Altos, more than 700 residents of the San Antonio Hills area are balking at a 70 percent sewer rate surcharge levied on them by the city for sewer maintenance, repair and upkeep.

San Antonio Hills residents have filed claims with the city to recover tax refunds for the surcharges.

News Briefs

Registrar updates election information
Polls for the 2006 general election will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The ballot includes decisions on the next California governor, taxes and propositions that will affect roads, schools, water and the environment.
Voters can locate their polling places by visiting the Santa Clara County Registrar […]

Gutierrez and city find ‘middle ground’

The Los Altos City Council renegotiated the contract of Redwood Grove naturalist Keith Gutierrez Oct. 25, mitigating discord between Gutierrez and Dave Brees, the city’s recreation director.

Councilmembers turned down Gutierrez’ request for a higher salary, opting instead for a compromise that would reimburse him for the exact amount that pushed him over budget.

Editorial

Two years ago, we didn’t endorse Democrat Ira Ruskin for state Assembly District 21. But he was elected, and since then, he has been a hardworking legislator. He gets our nod this time in his re-election bid.

Among his accomplishments, Ruskin co-authored a global warming bill requiring reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. He worked with fellow lawmakers to bring more state money back to public education. He also showed he is not in favor of taxation as a solution to every problem, contrary to opponents’ claims. For example, he opposes the statewide parcel tax for K-12 education proposed under Proposition 88.

Letters to the Editor

No taxation with little representation
In the early days of this nation, the idea of independence was not universally accepted. Then and now, as in the case of school redistricting, there are many valid reasons to go with either side, but the main reason to break away from the status quo is to […]

Obituary Notices

A long time resident of Los Altos, Joseph E. Fitz, died October 21 at the Palo Alto Commons. His wife of 57 years, Annie Knapp Fitz, preceded him in death in 1995.

His survivors are sons’ families: John and Peggy Fitz of Sacramento, CA, Dennis and Harriet Fitz of Temecula, CA, Joseph C. and Sue Fitz of Davis, CA, four grandchildren, and dear friend, Merry Edwardson of Palo Alto, CA.

Fundraiser to benefit RotaCare Free Clinic

The Rotary Clubs of Los Altos, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto have scheduled A Santé, a fundraiser to benefit the RotaCare Free Clinic, 5:30-8 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Historic Del Monte Building, 100 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale.

After years of independently staging fundraisers for the clinic, the Rotary Clubs joined forces to raise money for RotaCare patients, who will soon begin receiving additional specialty vision and ear/nose/throat care at the Camino Medical Group clinic in the El Camino YMCA building in Mountain View.

Local libraries offer free, high-speed wireless Internet service

Patrons of the Los Altos main library and the Woodland branch can now log on to the Internet with their laptop computers, personal digital assistants and other mobile devices while in the library Wi-Fi zone.

“It’s a convenience that our public has requested, and we are pleased we had funding available to add wireless Internet service at all of our libraries,” said Los Altos City Councilman Curtis Cole, chairman of the Santa Clara County Library Joint Powers Authority.

Los Altos square dancers still spinning their wheels - at age 90

Roy and Florence Eckert look like a mild-mannered pair of white-haired Los Altos seniors, but the couple has an inspiring, not so-secret-identity: 90-year-old square dancing aficionados.

And last month other members of the Spinning Wheels, Los Altos’ square dancing club, honored them with a joint birthday celebration. The party added balloons, cake and punch to the dancing, but more specially, 22 retired members of the club, who returned to celebrate the Eckerts.

Two locals honored as Teachers of the Year

It’s not uncommon to see students at Los Altos High School dropping in on Dee Dee Pearce, social studies teacher, for a quick counseling session between classroom periods.

It’s also not uncommon to see Roberta Pyne, second-grade teacher at Oak Avenue Elementary School, sporting a crown, playing “Queen of Carryover” to teach regrouping in math to her students.

Schools Briefs

Santa Rita Elementary holds book fair
Santa Rita Elementary School has scheduled a Reading Rainforest Scholastic Book Fair, Saturday through Nov. 9 in the multipurpose room of Santa Rita Elementary, 700 Los Altos Ave. The fair will be open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Nov. […]

LASD works with committees to plan for Bullis-Purissima School reopening

The Los Altos School District continues on its path toward reopening Bullis-Purissima Elementary School by organizing design and construction oversight committees, which will play integral roles in planning the first stages of the renovation.

The design committee has met several times with district architect Lisa Gelfand of Gelfand Partners Architects. The committee includes teachers, parents, community members, Los Altos Hills neighbors, board members and district staff.

Montecito integrates nature-based curriculum

Montecito School of Los Altos, founded in 1961 and one of the largest private preschools in Northern California, has refocused its efforts to make a stronger connection between children and nature.

Beginning this year, Erin Matthews Mobley, daughter of Montecito co-founders Jim and Molly Matthews, became the fifth director of the preschool. Mobley said she is passionate about continuing her family’s devotion to early education. Like her mother and father before her, Mobley said, she is committed to sharing the Grant Road property and Montecito’s new nature-based curriculum with generations of young children in the Bay Area.

Energetic Eagles having fun and winning games

They’re rambunctious. They’re mischievous. And they’re winning.

The spunk shown by the players on the Los Altos High boys water polo team may not be the reason for their success, yet new coach Ed Samuels revels in it just the same.

Los Altos tops Paly in girls water polo, earns share of league title

A game the Los Altos High girls water polo team had been anxious to play since August proved worth the wait.

Los Altos edged Palo Alto 6-5 in overtime Oct. 25 to snare at least a share of the SCVAL De Anza Division title for the first time this decade.

A winning weekend

The Los Alto High football team blanked Lynbrook 31-0 Saturday night to remain atop the SCVAL El Camino Division.

The visiting Eagles improved to 4-0 in league, staying a game ahead of both Saratoga and Monta Vista. Los Altos went to 7-1 overall.

Los Altos company offers product to protect records in emergencies

In the background of our busy lives, we rely on vital records: insurance policy numbers, doctors’ phone numbers, bank account and credit card numbers. Everyone has a technique to keep this information at hand. The trouble is, most of us file this information in willy-nilly fashion.

What do you do if a major disaster forces you from your home? You might have five minutes to grab your clothes. What personal records do you take? Would you know where to find them?

Stock values reflect mixed market but steady climb

Interest rates were left unchanged last week as the Federal Reserve Bank declined to move the short-term rate up or down from the 5.25 percent rate set in late August. Economic reports are varied, as expected, so some sectors are gaining and others are waning. The housing group got a boost last week when new home starts were reported up almost 6 percent in September. Oil keeps dropping, making your trip to the gas station not quite so painful. This drop in energy costs immediately put more money in the hands of consumers, giving the overall economy a shot in the arm.

Time to buy all that stuff for Christmas that you can’t live without? Retailers expect each person to spend nearly $800 this year during the holiday season. The lower gas prices will help achieve that lofty goal.

Women making strides in employment ranks

In its Oct. 16 issue, Fortune Magazine named the top 50 women in U.S. companies. Of the 50, 28 were CEOs, presidents or chairwomen of their boards. In the same week, the Wall Street Journal reported that public companies are seeking more women for public board positions.

While strides have been made, women still have a long way to go. Only 16 percent of women, by some counts, are in decision-making positions. Locals such as Carol Bartz of AutoDesk, Meg Whitman of eBay and Ann Livermore of Hewlett-Packard have raised the bar for women by taking on major responsibilities within their companies.

Dream cars

For gearheads, sports cars are the stuff of which dreams are made. The Z4 Coupe recently introduced by BMW is a dream that we could actually bring into our waking lives. Beyond the realities of most of us is the Ferrari F430, considered the ultimate dream car by many enthusiasts.

The Z4 Coupe is a great car at a reasonable price if you’re serious about high performance and don’t mind a little sacrifice in pursuit of your dreams. The F430 is, well, everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and maybe even a little more.

Warranty is safe no matter who does repairs

Q: I’m in the market for a new car. At one dealership, I was told that I am required to bring the car back to the dealer for all maintenance and repairs or my manufacturer’s warranty will be voided. Is this true?

A: In a word, NO! Federal law prohibits new-car dealers from denying warranty service and from even implying that warranty service will be voided if servicing or repairs are not performed at the dealership.

When ‘check engine’ light goes on, see technician for diagnosis

An older man came into the shop the other day asking for help, saying that his “check engine” light was on. He opened the hood to check the engine, then realized that he didn’t know what exactly he was supposed to be checking. The oil? The coolant? What was that light trying to tell him?

“I need another hint,” he said.

Golfers, try Scotland for a taste of the traditional sport

The strength and popularity of Scottish golf lies, perhaps surprisingly, in the country’s ordinary, mediocre courses. Restricting oneself to only the elite courses is similar to traveling to France only to see the Eiffel Tower. You owe it to yourself to test your game farther from the tourist traps, on the courses the locals play, week in and week out.

Perthshire is a smashing place to play, and if you have a partner who is not quite the golfer, there is plenty for him or her to do. It is best to buy a Green Card ticket, giving you access to five l8-hole rounds of golf on any of l8 courses for 82 pounds. Because it is nowhere near a seaside, there will be no risk of being blown away.

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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