High hopes for hoops

If the ruler ruled in basketball, the area high schools would be in trouble. Not one of the eight boys and girls teams the Town Crier covers has a player who intimidates simply by having to duck to get through the gym door.

An examination of the team rosters reveals there aren’t many players taller than 6 feet and not one over 6-4 competing in this area.

Becker returns to Los Altos council

Lou Becker will be the fifth city council member, the Los Altos City Council voted Monday night.

Becker, who served on the council from 1995-2003, was selected among three finalists, including planning commissioner Megan Satterlee and resident David Gustavson. The decision was made during the second of two special meetings in which residents were invited to listen to comments from the three candidates.

County committee set to hear Los Altos Hills schools redistricting bid

Proponents and opponents of redistricting will gather at the Santa Clara County Office of Education Thursday to argue their cases formally for the first time.

The fate of the Los Altos Hills City Council-led redistricting bid rests, for now, in the hands of the Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization. The committee is a group of 11 representatives from around the county, elected by the region’s school boards. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the San Jose Room of the office of education at 1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose.

Curtis Cole takes office as new Los Altos mayor

Curtis Cole, the newly appointed mayor of Los Altos, will bring a balanced and logical perspective to the city council, according to fellow council members.

Cole assumed the post at the council’s Nov. 28 meeting, and Councilwoman Val Carpenter was sworn in as the city’s mayor pro tem.

Fire destroys home on Summerhill Avenue

A two-alarm fire Sunday night destroyed a house at 24621 Summerhill Ave. in the unincorporated county area near Los Altos.

No one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and the cause of the blaze has not been determined, said Tom Walsh, spokesman for the Santa Clara County Fire Department.

Young man dies after truck crashes into tree

Speed may have played a role in the Nov. 27 one-vehicle crash in the unincorporated area of Santa Clara County near Los Altos Hills that claimed the life of a young Morgan Hill man.

California Highway Patrol officers are investigating the crash, which occurred at 8:30 p.m. at the corner of Eastbrook Avenue and Partridge Lane. Officer Eric Parsons said the Ford F150 driven by 18-year-old Christopher Michael Quezada left large skid marks on the road. Quezada died after his pickup truck rammed into a tree.

News Briefs

Crane goes native in Los Altos Hills
The exotic crane that has been exploring Los Altos Hills backyards near town hall may be there to stay.
The male crested crane, or East African Gray-Crowned Crane, escaped from resident Patrick Ng’s aviary two weeks ago. The tall, gray and white bird, with a […]

Police Blotter

DUI arrests

Dec. 1, approximately 1 a.m., Fremont Avenue and Grant Road: A 44-year-old San Jose man was arrested, cited and released for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Emergency prep program under way in LAH

In case of a large-scale disaster, area residents must be prepared to fend for themselves for as long as three or four days, according to Mike Sanders, the retired firefighter hired as emergency coordinator for Los Altos Hills and its unincorporated areas.

Sanders was hired by the Los Altos Hills Fire District, which serves the town and unincorporated areas, to coordinate a three-hour Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) class specifically tailored to area residents. The workshop will educate residents on disaster-response resources, how infrastructure can be affected, how to prepare in advance of a disaster and how to identify and respond to hazards during an emergency. He is assembling a seniors’ preparedness course that includes age-specific resources.

Editorial

On Thursday, Los Altos Hills school redistricting supporters are scheduled to appear before the Santa Clara County Committee on School District Reorganization to argue their case for a separate public K-8 district exclusive to the town. This is a major step in what could be a long process to create a town school district.

While redistricting supporters may have good intentions, the impacts of this bid hurt not only schoolchildren across three local districts, but the community as a whole - including many Los Altos Hills families. Here’s why.

Letters to the Editor

Conversation and morality
The Rev. Michael Penfield bemoans the dying art of conversation (Town Crier, Nov. 15). If one were to look only at the last several political campaigns in this country, one would conclude that it is dead.
The Rev. Penfield goes on to say that we must learn the art of conversation, […]

Diabetes, or how I found my cheekbones

I found my cheekbones! They weren’t exactly lost; they were buried under 45 extra pounds that had sneaked up on me over 30 years. It took a big health scare for me to begin the long search to get acquainted again with a slimmer and healthier body.

I don’t know why it was such a surprise. Almost every day now a radio or tv announcer broadcasts the statistics: “Because of the obesity epidemic, one out of every three Americans has diabetes but doesn’t know it!”

Obituary Notices

GORDON ALFRED BROWN
Dec 8, 1924 - Nov 29, 2006
On November 29, with his children at his side, Gordon Brown passed away peacefully. Born in San Francisco, his family later returned to New Zealand, where he became a member of the Championship “First 15″ Rugby Team of Christchurch Boy’s High School, and […]

People

RoseEllen Balestri

and Andrew Countiss

People

Stephanie M. Tipping

and Charles L. Withers

Holiday Fund recipient Help One Child matches caring volunteers with foster kids and the needy

Mother Branch still feeding the needy after 52 years

The Town Crier Holiday Fund disburses donations each year to 15 Silicon Valley area non-profits that benefit residents in need. This week, we profile a Los Altos non-profit that supports foster children and another that helps the needy in East Palo Alto.

Nine perennial volunteers honored at joint community awards event

Nine Los Altos and Los Altos Hills volunteers received recognition Friday for their “behind-the-scenes” efforts in areas ranging from the PTA to the local Rotary Club, during the 23rd annual Joint Community Volunteer Service Award luncheon at the Los Altos Youth Center.

Ken Graham, CEO of El Camino Hospital and keynote speaker, estimated some 4 million hours of volunteer service have been logged at the hospital. He saluted volunteers at the RotaCare clinic, a partnership between local Rotary clubs and the hospital that helps low-income, uninsured patients.

Los Altos nurse offers advice for TV-online program

Women’s health expert and Los Altos resident Barbara Dehn is scheduled to join the on-air hosts of iVillage Live, a new television show that incorporates interactive elements accessed through the iVillage Web site.

On Thursday, during the show’s inaugural week, the nurse practitioner will offer advice on issues ranging from ultrasound to pregnancy, on-air and online. After the broadcast, Dehn will participate in a live Webcast on iVillage. After her first appearance, she will return to the program periodically to discuss women’s health issues.

LAH resident’s non-profit ‘INCHing’ toward a healthier community

Los Altos Hills resident Stewart Wobber has a new take on Christian charity: It takes all kinds.

As president of the Los Altos-based Interfaith Network for Community Help (INCH), Wobber organizes volunteer communities of Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Jews and Universalists, all in service to their neighbors.

YES program benefits low-performing readers

Most students at Mariano Castro Elementary School in the Mountain View-Whisman School District come from families that do not speak English as a primary language and consequently have difficulties in the language arts.

In an effort to address the need, Castro has opened its doors to YES Reading, a non-profit group that provides one-on-one tutoring for students reading below grade level. YES Reading partners with under-resourced public schools and uses community volunteers to work with classroom teachers to provide a curriculum-based, results-oriented intervention for low-performing readers.

LA Christian School adds middle-school program

Students attending Los Altos Christian School now have the opportunity to continue their education at the school during their middle-school years.

Los Altos Christian School, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has added a middle school program for grades six through eight. The school formerly served preschool through sixth-grade students.

Foothill mourns the loss of president emeritus

James S. Fitzgerald, Ed.D., the third president of Foothill College (1973-1982), died Nov. 23 at his home in Cambria after an extended illness. He was 80.

Under Dr. Fitzgerald’s leadership, Foothill’s Mountain View campus and Palo Alto off-campus programs prospered. Media-oriented courses, including those that incorporated audiotape and television programming, enabled Foothill courses to delve into multidisciplinary subject matter. He was responsible for expanding the college’s independent study and tutorial programs.

Schools Briefs

Education foundation supports CUSD programs
The Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation Board of Directors has committed $1.8 million to the Cupertino Union School District’s arts and technology programs. The commitment includes a $400,000 annual grant for the next three years to maintain district classroom music and arts programs, and a one-time allocation of $650,000 to […]

Los Altos High boys drop basketball opener to Del Mar

The Los Altos High boys basketball team lost its season opener, falling 53-45 at Del Mar Nov. 29, but the Eagles are optimistic about their chances of returning to respectability under second-year coach James Reilly.

“I was impressed by how well we played,” said starting center Brett Perrotta. “We’re in better shape than last year and we’re turning the ball over a lot less than last year.”

Sixth time isn’t the charm for St. Francis

There was just no way of getting around Mitty.

The St. Francis High girls faced the Monarchs for the sixth time this season - in last week’s Northern California Division II volleyball championship - and for the sixth time they went down to defeat.

Lowe leads Owls to title at Shasta Invitational

Jasmine Lowe topped the Foothill College women’s basketball team in points for all three games it played in last weekend’s Shasta Invitational. Yet it wasn’t just her scoring that led the Owls to the title.

The freshman guard can pass, too.

Elephant Pharm unloads its trunk of wellness on Los Altos residents

Elephant Pharm, a wellness store and pharmacy based in Berkeley, held a grand opening event for its new Los Altos location on El Camino Real Saturday.

Los Altos Mayor Curtis Cole and Mountain View Mayor Nick Galiotto attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Economy shows solid growth despite challenges

The third-quarter Gross Domestic Product was revised up to 2.2 percent, pegging the whole year’s growth at a 3 percent rate. This solid growth continued despite spiking oil prices, a precipitous rise in interest rates and a housing market that slowed to a crawl.

The growth rate in the economy has slowed from the fast pace in the first quarter, which clocked in at a sizzling 5.6 percent. The rate hikes by the Federal Reserve Bank were designed to slow the economy and protect it from inflationary pressures - and the success of that technique is evident.

Overcome your fear of public speaking

Public speaking is one of the most anxiety-producing fears. In a business situation, a shy, introverted engineer may be asked to explain his or her slides to hundreds of people. Even behind-the-scenes players can find themselves in a situation where they may be required to address a large audience.

Some extroverts look at public speaking as an opportunity and a challenge; they feed off applause and enjoy the recognition. But stage fright affects many, despite position, experience or personality.

Starting Line

Is there a new, young driver in your house who needs his or her own car, or a student heading off to college who will need to take a car along? What are your options?

You could buy a new car for yourself and pass on the family’s well-used sedan or sport-utility vehicle. If you do that, you may be passing on trouble, and you certainly will be passing on outdated safety technology.

Seeing red: What it means when the ‘check engine light’ turns on

Last month’s article touched briefly on the topic of the “check engine light,” or “malfunction indicator lamp,” what it means and what needs to be done when it comes on. In this installment, I will answer questions drivers ask most frequently when the check engine lamp on their dashboard illuminates.

Q: The light went on, but then went off. So is the problem fixed?

Dancing is the common language in China

“Chin ne eu wau kung wu.” “Please dance with me.” I could tell from his hand and arm motions that the slender, almost 6-foot-tall, young Chinese man was asking me to dance.

A 12-piece orchestra and pretty female singer were playing “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree.” My feet were already tapping out the song’s rhythm, so I was delighted to accept.

Royal Hawaiian Hotel still reigns over Waikiki

The world has many great hotels. Throughout the Pacific Basin there are famous and historical establishments such as the Manila Hotel in the Philippines, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Raffles in Singapore and the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu. All were built during a time of opulence and craftsmanship. Guests came by steamship and stayed for a month, along with their servants.

Today, the Royal’s lovely setting on Waikiki Beach has been overshadowed by a multitude of high-rise hotels, but the style and reputation of the “Pink Palace” remain. Built in 1925, the Royal still has lovely gardens, and my favorite place to dine is under the Banyan tree on the beach. It’s worth going into the lobby and up to the first floor to see the historic photos of the hotel and the display of china and old menus.

Bus Barn’s ‘Binge’ is good holiday fun for the whole family

In a fiendishly funny send-up of Christmas past, present and future, the Bus Barn Stage Company cast of “Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge” raises Christopher Durang’s satire to an uproarious level of fun.

Durang’s popular play parodies some of Christmas’ sacred lambs through a cast of Dickensian characters from “A Christmas Carol.”

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