2006: A year in review

The year 2006 saw a slew of important stories that are certain to have deep, lasting impact for Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents.

Los Altos announced another increase in sewer rates, and residents likely will be paying increases for years to come. El Camino Hospital finally settled a legal challenge to its 2003 voter-approved bonds for its rebuilding project, but not before losing millions in construction delays. And in perhaps the year’s biggest story, the Los Altos Hills City Council led a bid to form an independent town school district - a bid that holds financial repercussions for surrounding districts as the debate heads for a fateful Jan. 25 decision with the county school district organization committee.

News Brief

Hospital district sells bond authorization
The El Camino Hospital District sold $148 million of general obligation bonds through a negotiated sale with Citigroup Global Markets Nov. 29. Voters of the El Camino Hospital District authorized the general obligation bonds in an election held Nov. 4, 2003.
The bonds have a final maturity of Aug. […]

Police Blotter

Drug arrest
Dec. 15, 9:10 p.m., El Camino Real, Palo Alto: Los Altos police arrested a 27-year-old woman for possession of a narcotic and narcotic paraphernalia. She was booked into Santa Clara County jail.
Construction site burglary
Dec. 15-16, between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m., 1600 block of Holt Avenue: Unknown suspects broke […]

LAH, LASD shuffle toward redistricting negotiations

While both sides of the school redistricting debate have agreed to meet for another round of negotiations, neither side has kicked off the conversation with a significant change in policy that might alleviate the current stalemate.

The Santa Clara County Committee on School District Organization closed its first hearing on the issue earlier this month with the strongly worded suggestion that Los Altos Hills, the Los Altos School District and the other affected school districts negotiate a solution before the committee meets again on Jan. 25. Some of the key issues at stake include the nature and permanence of the elementary school Los Altos School District plans to reopen at the Bullis-Purissima site and the option for LAH students living within the current Palo Alto Unified School District boundary to transfer to that school.

Packard Foundation helps fund Mozart project

Fledgling musicians and maniacal Mozart fans alike can now access the immortal composer’s entire catalogue in sheet music form through a free online database, thanks in part to the Los Altos-based Packard Foundation’s Humanities Institute.

The works come from Bahrenreiter’s New Mozart Edition, for which the International Mozart Foundation paid $400,000 for digital publication rights, with the financial help of the Packard Humanities Institute.

Utility imposter burglaries on the rise, police say

A rash of unusual burglaries - where men posing as utility workers dupe homeowners - is on the rise, Mountain View Police Chief Scott Vermeer said. According to Vermeer, two or three heavyset Hispanic men, dressed in gray and orange utility worker vests or plain blue work shirts, knock at the residence door and request entry.

More than 30 burglary incidents have occurred on the Peninsula and in the South Bay in the last two months. Police believe the same suspects could be involved in many of the incidents, said Jim Bennett, Mountain View police spokesman.

LAH council defers environmental ordinance

The Los Altos Hills City Council decided to pursue voluntary energy-saving incentives before imposing

additional mandatory requirements. At its Dec. 14 meeting, the council tabled the efficiency amendment introduced last spring until voluntary efforts are evaluated, and turned to the energy initiatives committee for alternatives.

LA office building sold for $44.5 million

Behringer Harvard, a Dallas-based commercial real estate company, purchased 4440 El Camino Real, a three-story office building in Los Altos, for $44.5 million, the company announced last month.

The building, leased to Rambus Inc., has 96,562 square feet of rentable space on approximately 1.6 acres of land. Built in 2000, the building has a two-story underground parking garage with more than 350 spaces and ample additional surface parking.

Editorials

Council bank drive-thru decision correct
The Los Altos City Council’s Dec. 12 decision to discontinue drive-through teller services at Bank of the West on Main Street wasn’t a good decision for the bank, but it was the right one for the future of the downtown.
The council denied extension of a use permit […]

Letters to the Editor

Main Street Singers offer high hopes
We recently had the privilege of hearing a performance by the Los Altos High School Main Street Singers.
Their performance, harmonies and choral discipline were outstanding. The selection of holiday-related music was classic.
This group of young persons is a credit to the high school and our […]

It’s his Christmas, too

When Christmas is over, my husband and daughter shop Target’s after-holiday sale and, among other things, purchase Parker’s Christmas present for the following year. Last year at this time they snagged a boxed gift set - complete with bowl, chew toy, biscuits and blanket - $30 worth of merchandise for under $10.

Storing it away, my dilemma was this: Should I split up the items and make individually wrapped presents for Parker, or should I keep everything in the box? Which would Parker prefer? Quality or quantity? I posed the question aloud to the family. “Hey, should I open this up and separate everything so Parker thinks he’s getting lots of stuff, or should I leave it intact so he can have one huge present?”

Can we count on numbers?

Can we be defined by letters and numbers? I’m not sure, but now that I’ve taken several online tests, I’m certainly curious.

I recently took a test to see if I were left- or right-brained. Because I’m left-handed (as is 10 percent to 13 percent of the population), I assumed I’d test as right-brained. My results, however, show that I am, in fact, left-brained and visual. Right-brained and auditory came in a close second. I guess my brain skips a lot, because I seem to spend time in both hemispheres.

Obituary Notices

JOHN J. RHODES
John J. Rhodes, devoted husband, father and grandfather, died on December 9th at the age of 84.
A native of Missouri, he attended William Jewell College and the University of Missouri and graduated from the University of Denver.
He began his lifelong world travels while dutifully serving the United States […]

Los Altans invited to join New Year’s Day ‘Fun Run’

The Los Altos Recreation Department has scheduled its 2007 New Year’s Day 5K Fun Run, Walk & Roll 9 a.m. Monday. The New Year’s

Day run starts at the Community Plaza located at the corner of State and Main streets in downtown Los Altos.

Los Altos resident receives education awards

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) conferred the Meritorious Achievement Award in Continuing Education on Les Besser of Los Altos.

The IEEE recognized Besser “for leadership excellence in teaching, and worldwide coverage of continuing education training for radiofrequency/microwave technology at all levels and for teaching more than 10,000 engineers in 30 years.”

The best of ‘06

The problem with selecting the top 10 local sports stories of the year is that several worthy items won’t make the cut. But like all lists, this one has to end somewhere. With apologies to the teams, coaches and athletes who didn’t make it, here it is:

10. A fabulous fall at Los Altos. In what may be a first at Los Altos High, every varsity fall sport participated in the Central Coast Section playoffs. The football, girls water polo and field hockey teams qualified by winning division titles; the volleyball, girls tennis and boys water polo teams earned at-large berths. All but the field hockey team won at least one postseason game. Members of the Eagles’ cross country team made CCS individually.

Post players come up big in Owls’ win over Butte

There’s no doubt guard Jasmine Lowe’s 31 points were crucial to the Foothill College women’s basketball team beating Butte 68-53 last week to reach the finals of the Delta Classic in Stockton.

However, the Owls’ post players had just as big of an impact, according to coach Jody Craig.

Family fitness center exercises women’s right to stay fit

Debbie Brown, owner of the women’s-only Fitness Connection in Los Altos, believes that exercise should never be boring. And equally important, it should not be done in a gym filled with smelly, sweaty men.

Instead, women should have a place where they can “exercise and accessorize,” Brown said, referring to the purses, jewelry and cashmere scarves that are for sale and adorn the walls at her fitness center.

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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