Wanted: Schools solution

When Bob Kamanger bicycles around Los Altos Hills with his children, they often ask why they can’t attend school at the Bullis-Purissima campus, located just a few blocks from their home.

“I like to bike my kids to school and I’m never going to have that,” said Kamanger, who favors the controversial effort to form a separate Los Altos Hills K-8 school

Lou Becker: A new look at a familiar face

Hardworking and easy to get along with - those are the traits Lou Becker, newly appointed Los Altos City Council member, say best describe him.

Becker, who previously served on the council from 1995-2003, replaces Kurt Colehower, who resigned Nov. 8. Becker, whom the council appointed Dec. 4, will serve out the remainder of Colehower’s term. He has stated publicly that he has no plan to run for re-election once his three-year stint is up.

Playgrounds undergo upgrades for more safety and fun

By next winter, six Los Altos playgrounds will present new equipment for children to swing and climb on.

The replacement of outmoded equipment at playgrounds throughout the city has been a long time coming. The play structures in six city parks - some as old as 40 years - don’t meet today’s safety standards. In some cases, the city has removed the equipment, leaving little for families to enjoy.

Former Intel CEO Andrew Grove reflects on accomplishments at LAHS event

In a rare public appearance, Los Altos Hills resident Andrew Grove, former CEO of Intel Corporation, participated in a two-hour public question and answer session in the Eagle Theater at Los Altos High School Dec. 4.

Tamarind Grove, a Los Altos-based organization whose mission is to strengthen cultural and business ties between the United States and India, hosted the event.

News Briefs

Wood-burning stove caused house fire
A wood-burning stove caused the two-alarm fire Dec. 3 that almost destroyed a home at 24621 Summerhill Ave. in unincorporated Santa Clara County near Los Altos, according to the Santa Clara County Fire Department.
A problem with the connection between the stove’s flue and the wood-shake roof started a […]

Town Crier names MacVicar ‘Los Altan of the Year’

Jeanne MacVicar, who for three years has led the successful, community-bonding Los Altos Relay For Life events benefiting the American Cancer Society, has been named the Town Crier’s 2006 Los Altan of the Year, publisher Paul Nyberg announced.

An event honoring MacVicar and past recipients is scheduled 6 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club.

Editorials

Sound choice: Becker brings experience
The Los Altos City Council’s Dec. 4 decision to bring Lou Becker back was the right one.
Becker, who served on the council 1995-2003, was appointed to fill an open seat, vacated when Kurt Colehower unexpectedly announced his resignation in early November.
The council selected Becker from among […]

Letters to the Editor

What about mention of Kepler’s?
The Nov. 29 Town Crier had a wonderful review of “To Reach the Clouds,” detailing the story of Philippe Petit’s walk between the Twin Towers.
You then provided information to purchase the book, suggesting Powell’s online bookstore.
Much as I love Powell’s and find it the best brick-and-mortar […]

Chaos in the Christmas aisles

It was chaos in the Christmas aisles at Target the other night. Sunday evening seemed like a good time to buy holiday lights because I figured most people would have strung theirs over the weekend. No such luck.

The crowds were thick and the stress was palpable. I overheard one woman say into her cell phone, “NOT going to the party presents a whole new set of problems!” Another woman on her cell lamented that “it was going to cost over $300.” Who knows what “it” was, but likely it concerned the holidays.

Obituary Notices

CLAY W. BUCKLEY
July 9, 1920 - November 14, 2006
Clay Buckley, popular San Francisco Bay-Area musician died November 14, 2006 at Tacoma General Hospital (Tacoma, WA). He was 86. For the last two decades he directed and played bass with The Jazz Workshop a successful musical octet featuring a wide […]

Chase Rogers, 18, St. Nicholas graduate

Chase Douglas Rogers, a graduate of St. Nicholas School in Los Altos Hills, died Dec. 6. He was 18.

Friends and family described Chase as “a charming, intelligent and dynamic young man who touched more people than he ever imagined. He could always make us laugh, and we all adored this proud warrior. He left his family and friends with a gap in their hearts that can never be filled.”

People

Jennifer Moss

and John-Paul Drysdale

People

Cary Watson

and Russell Clark

Holiday Fund recipients CSA dental, CHAC provide services for needy kids

The Town Crier Holiday Fund annually disburses donations to area non-profit organizations that benefit those in need. This year 15 organizations will receive funds. This week we profile two of these non-profits.

Community Services Agency dental program

Coldwell Banker, local bridge club play cards right to help needy area children

When Chuck Lane and Margot Goodman aren’t helping local residents buy or sell their homes, the two agents for the Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage office in downtown Los Altos enjoy playing a little bridge. Last weekend Lane and Goodman played their cards just right, and needy children were the winners.

The real estate agents, who work in the company’s Los Altos First Street office, organized a recent holiday party at the Palo Alto Bridge Club and, as part of the price of admission, requested members and guests bring a toy for the Toys for Tots campaign. Members responded generously, donating more than 200 new toys and games.

California Water Service flushing mains as part of annual preventative program

As an ongoing component of its mission to provide safe drinking water for Los Altos residents, the California Water Service Company is performing its annual flushing program.

Flushing in the downtown and north Los Altos areas will take about 11 weeks, said Ron Richardson, district manager for the company.

Foothill-De Anza wins Measure C bond lawsuit

The Santa Clara County Superior Court validated the results of the June bond election held by the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, ruling against two challenges.

Superior Court Judge C. Randall Schneider ruled Dec. 4 that Foothill-De Anza followed and met all legal requirements of its Proposition 39 bond, approved by 65.9 percent of voters. Area residents Aaron Katz and Melvin Emerich challenged the validity of Measure C in response to a judicial validation action filed by the district June 8, obliging the court to address challenges to Measure C.

Rambus, Krause Center honor technology-using teachers

The annual 2006 Rambus-Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) Awards honored five Bay Area teachers, including one from Foothill College, for their creative approaches to incorporating technology in the classroom. The awards ceremony was held at KCI on the Foothill College campus in Los Altos Hills Dec. 6.

Janet Davis, a computer graphics instructor at Foothill College, and Marie Doolittle, a third-grade teacher from Edith Landels Elementary School in Mountain View, received an honorable mention for their project “Sky Systems,” a Web-based learning environment designed to help second-graders learn about the solar system. Using Sky Systems, students created and wrote stories about the planets and the moon, said Doolittle and Davis.

Blach and Egan students profit from handmade crafts

It wasn’t exactly Santa’s well-oiled workshop, but middle-school students in the Los Altos School District learned some practical lessons in business management when they participated in their schools’ annual holiday faires.

Blach Intermediate and Egan Junior High schools opened their doors to the public earlier this month, with students showcasing their creations, promoting the sale of their wares and tracking the profits or losses.

Foothill Commission supports college’s programs

Under the auspices of the Foothill-De Anza Foundation, the Foothill Commission donated $130,000 raised at its 2006 Summer Benefit Gala to a variety of Foothill College initiatives.

The commission allocated $80,000 to the Bernadine Chuck Fong Innovation Fund, bringing the fund’s total endowment to $170,000. The goal of the fund is to support innovative educational initiatives.

Schools Briefs

Foothill begins winter registration
Winter quarter registration has begun for Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. Foothill offers specialized certificates, associate degrees, job-skills courses and general-education course requirements needed to transfer to four-year universities. Most Foothill courses are transferable to California State University and University of California campuses as well as private colleges and […]

Foothill-De Anza hires new communications director

The Foothill-De Anza Community College District has hired Becky Bartindale, an education reporter for the San Jose Mercury News, as director of communications and public affairs, effective Jan. 2.

“We are delighted to have found a person of Becky’s caliber to serve as lead spokesperson for the district,” said Chancellor Martha J. Kanter. “Open communication and transparency about the performance of our students and the goals, accomplishments and challenges facing our district are essential to our future. Becky has an outstanding reputation and the expertise critical for communicating the district’s positions and needs to our local residents as well as state and national leaders.”

St. Francis boys win hard-fought soccer game against Serra

In an emotionally charged West Catholic Athletic League boys soccer match, cooler heads prevailed. Playing through several close calls while its opponent became increasingly undone, St. Francis High emerged with a 1-0 victory over visiting Serra on Saturday.

Taking advantage of a controversial hand-ball call, the Lancers (1-1 league, 4-2-1 overall) scored in the 29th minute off a direct kick deep in Padres’ territory. With several non-calls creating an aggressive match, St. Francis controlled its emotions enough to blanket Serra’s attack and collect a hard-fought league win just one day removed from a tough loss to Bellarmine.

Elevation elates Eagles

After dominating the SCVAL El Camino Division last season, the Los Altos High girls soccer team welcomes the move up to the SCVAL De Anza Division this season.

“We can’t wait,” said coach Erin Montoya, whose Eagles kick off division play with three games this week. “We have so many club players, and they’re used to playing at a high level.”

Whistle woes

As the lone Northern California team at the Rose City Classic in Pasadena, the Foothill College women’s basketball team sensed a definite Southern California bias.

“I felt all weekend that we had to be the way better team or we wouldn’t get any calls,” Owls coach Jody Craig said.

Pinewood wrecks Bentley with flurry of 3-pointers

This season of giving extended to the basketball court Friday night in Los Altos Hills. Bentley High gave the Pinewood School boys team open 3-point shots by playing zone defense, filling the Panthers with cheer.

“As I’ve told the guys: I’m going to smile if teams play zone,” Pinewood coach Andrew Slayton said after his squad’s 53-34 non-league win, “because we can shoot.”

Los Altans lead Menlo to girls water polo title

A championship team from a school in Atherton owes much of its success to Los Altos residents. Four key components of the Menlo School girls water polo team, which captured the Central Coast Section Division II title Nov. 18, live in town.

Kim Krueger, Camy Sullivan and Brittany Westerman started on a squad coached by fellow Los Altan Jenny Booth.

Doughnut shop sprinkles downtown with sweet and fresh treats

People with a constant craving for doughnuts can get a quick fix for the humble, sweet treat at Lucky Donuts on State Street in downtown Los Altos.

Managed by Diana and Jenny Wang, Lucky Donuts offers a wide selection of the traditional breakfast fare.

Markets on roller coaster ride, bonds remain steady

The markets are up one day and down the next as they work to digest the strong move higher following the summer dip. Professionals call this backing and filling. It is a necessary activity for a healthy stock market.

The bond market is steady and the 10-year Treasury bond is in a tight trading range around 4 percent to 5 percent. It remains below the short-term Federal funds rate of 5.25 percent, still in an inverted yield curve.

A Rare Grill

The first part of the Sumika adventure is finding the place - there is no neon sign to point the way. In fact, proprietor Kuniko Ozawa handpicked the obscure location off Third Street in downtown Los Altos so that customers will actively seek the restaurant out.

When you stumble across the modest facade of the new Japanese restaurant, you will discover a new twist on an old tradition. The art of preparing the grilled meats Sumika specializes in - kushiyaki, or grilled skewers - is a finely honed and venerable skill. But for Americans used to sushi and little more, Sumika’s traditional Japanese cuisine, including homestyle soups and rice “casseroles,” offers a novel eating experience.

Family recipes capture simplicity, sweetness of winter baking

With the blink of an eye, winter is upon us. Nights are cold and we readily give up our tomatoes, basil and pasta salads in favor of thick bean soups, rich orange sweet potatoes and cakes warmed with spices. Our seasonal foods are provided at just the right time for what our bodies need. Gone are the barbecues, and we are back in the kitchen, roasting and baking and sharing with friends.

Baking makes us feel good. We find comfort in the sensual mixing and blending of ingredients, the fragrances of cinnamon and butter and flour, and there is nothing like the aroma of something baking in the oven on a winter night. It warms the home, it’s calming and it connects us to our ancestors as we follow the time-tested steps.

Big celebrations call for tiny bubbles

Now is the time of year to celebrate with bottles of the bubbly. In France they call it Champagne; in Italy, Prosecco; in Spain, Cava; in Germany, Sekt; and in most of the rest of the world, including the United States, sparkling wine.

Not everyone drinks Champagne to celebrate - Churchill drank it because it made his “wits more nimble.” He also quipped, “Remember, it is not just France we are fighting for, it is Champagne.”

Holiday gifts for the wine lover

Steve Hicks, the Town Crier’s wine expert, reviews holiday gifts for wine lovers. Some of the novelties will be sure to amuse the dedicated sipper, but for a sure-fire winner, he suggests sticking to oldies-but-goodies like the corkscrew or a wine-club subscription.

• The “Wine Clip” is my nomination for the most bizarre wine catalog item of the year. It clips around the neck of the bottle with an arrow pointing up the neck, as it apparently doesn’t work unless pointed the proper direction. The clip contains six “rare earth magnets” designed to make “big molecules into small molecules, thereby reducing red wine tannins.” I could not bring myself to buy the clip at $34.95 to test it personally. I did find independent reviews and testimonials both pro and con, but I remain skeptical. Find it at www.thewineclip.com.

TheatreWorks’ ‘Learned Ladies’ lacks authenticity

Of the slew of glitzy Nutcracker shows and fuzzy “Christmas Carol”-type options available this month, TheatreWorks’ “The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue” is somewhat of a departure from the rest.

The art-deco set is resplendent, the acting decent and the costumes lavishly Jazz-Age-meets-contemporary-couture. But there’s a hitch. When playwright David Grimm reinvented a classic Molière comedy into a new context, something didn’t translate.