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Archives » 2007 » Volume 60 , Issue 36, Published on Wednesday, September 5, 2007NewsThe Town Crier celebrates 60 years
Has it already been 60 years since Dave MacKenzie and Warren Goodrich put together the little four-page shopper on Sept. 9, 1947 they called the Los Altos Town Crier? Over the years, the paper has grown bigger, acquired editorial commentary and considerably more color, and is now sent to the printer electronically. But much has remained the same. The paper has consistently maintained an intimate, friendly relationship with the community. City begins to restore radar, excepting two streetsPolice are once again able to use radar guns on Los Altos’ biggest thoroughfares this week. The city wasn’t able to use radar on speeders on its major streets this summer because it had fallen behind on state-mandated speed surveys. But last week the city council adopted a first round of new surveys, which staff had scrambled to complete in recent weeks. Radar still won’t be in use along stretches of El Monte and Fremont avenues, because the council voted to maintain a low speed limit - 25 miles per hour - rather than raise it to the state-mandated threshold for radar use. VTA system overhaul shifts bus lines, avoids cuts in LA
Los Altos and Los Altos Hills escaped sweeping changes to bus service last week when Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) approved a total bus-system overhaul that included compromises on local bus lines. The agency’s revamp of bus service came in response to budget shortfalls and a critical assessment of the organization in March from HayGroup consultants, a firm the VTA hired to assess itself from top to bottom. Most of VTA’s bus routes change in some way under this new plan, and the agency predicts that most riders will benefit from shorter wait-times and increased frequency of bus service, particularly during off-peak hours. An unlucky few will be hit hard by the elimination of under-utilized bus lines, which were sapping funds from the public agency but still provided much-needed transportation for seniors, youths, the disabled and low-income riders. Fire over the Hills
Engines and officers from the Santa Clara County Fire Department headed up into the Foothills last week to assist in fighting a 150-acre wildfire that burned above the Steven’s Creek Reservoir and flamed into the night. The fire, whose cause has not yet been determined, led to the voluntary evacuation of approximately 100 buildings in the area. Cal Fire helicopters and planes teamed up with county resources to fight the blaze. A DC-10 tanker plane dropped 12,000 gallons of water on each overflight, possibly the first time it has been used in northern California, according to Santa Clara County Fire Chief Ken Waldvogel. Firefighters worked through the night from Aug. 27-28 to stop the fire from spreading. News BriefsCivic Center task force to be announced Los Altos City Councilmen David Casas and Lou Becker have a proposal for the makeup of the civic center task force, taking into account its anticipated multi-year timeline. Casas said he envisioned involving representatives of key community organizations as liaisons to the task force. He expected […] LA Council ups fines, adds parking enforcementHigher parking fines went into effect in downtown Los Altos last week as part of the city’s effort to open spaces for shoppers passing through the commercial area. First-time offenders are now charged $50 rather than $30, and fines for habitual offenders and chalk-mark cheaters rose from $30 to $100. Staff reported that the city’s fines were low compared to nearby cities, and noted that the council had not raised fines in more than five years. Parking tickets netted the city almost $80,000 last year, and the staff anticipates a 30 percent increase next year, as a result of the increased enforcement and fines. CommentEditorialAs we celebrate 60 years in business this week at the Town Crier, we pause to reflect on all that has to happen for a successful community newspaper to come together each week. It is a very big “village” or group of “villages.” To begin with, it takes a village of dedicated employees, many working long hours covering council and board meetings and other special events. In our case we have 20 full-time employees and several part timers and volunteers. Plus the important freelance writers and photographers who fill an important niche each week. All are committed to our weekly deadlines - we have not missed publishing on schedule for more than a dozen years. And the proofreaders. Yes, once in a while a mistake slips through, but it is estimated that a 60-page issue of the paper takes 1.2 million key strokes on computer keyboards. A village indeed. Letters to the EditorYes we do have lockers at Blach Regarding the Aug. 29 column, “Schools back and so are the SUVs”: The power of dried chrysanthemum flowersIn conquering Saxon rebels, the Emperor Charlemagne gave them a choice between baptism and execution. When they hesitated, he had 4,500 beheaded in a single morning. • “Aslama” or Islam is Arabic for Abraham’s submission to god. SportsVolleyball overhaulJoe Hu/Town Crier. Los Altos High sophomore Rachel Nelson sets a ball in practice last week. Nelson is one of five new starters for the Eagles. Los Altos High Season Preview Mayor of softball
During his two stints as mayor of Palo Alto, new Los Altos High girls softball coach Mike Cobb encountered difficult situations. Inheriting a last-place team that went 1-17 this past season, Cobb may be facing his biggest challenge yet. Not only will Cobb be asked to improve a team that failed to win an SCVAL El Camino Division game last year, he is also filling the shoes of Los Altos softball coach Bernie Quintero who led the program for 22 years. As Cobb put it, replacing the longtime coach is “a little daunting.” ObituariesJames Danaher III: Legacy of public advocacy included LA councilJames Thomas Danaher III, 77, died unexpectedly but peacefully Aug. 21 while vacationing in New York City with his wife of 29 years, Kathleen. Mr. Danaher, a Los Altos Hills resident, was born Sept. 13, 1929, in West Haven, Conn., to James and Mae Danaher. His father, a bricklayer, struggled to find work to feed his family during the Depression. To help the family, Mr. Danaher held many jobs, including hod carrier for the bricklayers, working on a mail train and delivering heating oil. In his first job at age 9, he shoveled snow for $5 per winter, which he considered good wages if it didn’t snow much. He managed to excel in school and disproved a teacher’s prediction that he would never make it to college by receiving a scholarship to Dartmouth College, and graduating in 1951. He remained loyal to Dartmouth throughout his life. Obituary NoticesRICHARD KENDAL BLISS Loving husband of Agnes, father of Gary of Los Altos, CA and Ken of Fremont, CA, passed away on August 19th at the age of 82 after a lengthy illness. He was surrounded by members of his family who remember him as the warm, caring and generous family patriarch. In […] CommunityLAH resident Adams comes full circle as doctor-artist
Sheila Adams, a Los Altos Hills resident since 1992, was an artist before she earned her doctorate. In fact, it was her art that led her to become a psychologist. Now that she has retired from clinical practice, she has come full circle and returned to her work as an artist. After she began doing art projects with kindergarten children. Adams found she enjoyed working with people more than secluding herself working on her own art. She became fascinated with the creative process and the interpersonal approach to art and decided to study creativity, art therapy and psychology. Fond TC memories for former ad managerEditor’s note: This is the fourth installment in a series of articles featuring former Town Crier staffers in recognition of the paper’s 60th anniversary this year. This week’s spotlight centers on Susan Glaze, who worked at the Town Crier from 1989-2005, and was advertising sales manager from 1993 until she left the paper. I came to work at the Town Crier when the Peninsula Times Tribune purchased several community newspapers. I transferred in 1989 to the Los Altos office from Palo Alto to sell display advertising for the weekly papers and help train the weekly display ad reps to sell for the daily newspaper, the Peninsula Times Tribune, also. At that time, I believe there were 11 community newspapers from San Mateo through Los Gatos plus the daily newspaper in Palo Alto. It was quite a complicated advertising challenge. Seniors to get computers for classes at LA centerThree Los Altos organizations agreed last week to use a $9,400 competitive grant from the Los Altos Community Foundation to buy computers for classes at the Los Altos Senior Center, which has never had computer classes to date. The Los Altos Legacies, the Community Services Agency in Mountain View and the Mountain View-Los Altos Adult Education were awarded one of Los Altos Community Foundation’s largest grants this June. On Aug. 23 leaders of the organizations sat down in the CSA boardroom and signed a memorandum of agreement to purchase five laptops and one desktop to be housed at the LA Senior Center. CSA staff will also be able to use the laptops to help seniors sign up online for government benefits. SchoolsHelping the hungry, feeding the soul
Music will fill the halls 6-11 p.m., Saturday at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N. San Antonio Road. Ten local bands will congregate to raise money for starving people in India. Admission is $7. The concert “Art for Heart’s Sake” is the almost-realized dream of Mountain View High School students and best friends, Serena Anand, 15, and Jennifer Feeney, 16, who started organizing the event in June. Santa Rita School jump-starts its 50th year
Santa Rita School’s golden jubilee year jumped to a rousing start Aug. 24, as a daredevil team of five skydivers swooped in and landed on the school’s playing field. Opened in the fall of 1957, Santa Rita celebrates its 50th birthday this year. During the school assembly last Friday afternoon, the crowd of over 700 students, teachers, administrators, and parents waited quietly and patiently as the small plane droned overhead waiting for the right moment to release its payload. The quiet buzz turned quickly into an excited roar, as heads craned and fingers jabbed skyward pointing at the small objects floating in the day’s gorgeous blue yonder. On the RoadSurvey: drivers clean cars more than they check pressure in tiresAmerican drivers seem more concerned about keeping their cars clean than keeping their tires properly inflated. According to the federal government, 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries occur every year as a result of low-tire-pressure-related crashes. A recent Rubber Manufacturers Association survey found that nearly 70 percent of drivers wash their vehicles at least once a month, while only 15 percent of drivers check their tire pressure. Corvettes to line Main Street this SundaySanta Clara Corvettes has scheduled the Corvette Spectacular Car Show on Main Street Sunday in downtown Los Altos. Main Street will be closed to traffic from morning to 6 p.m. as Corvettes dating from 1953 to the present line both sides of the street. Last year nearly 200 Corvettes and their owners participated. Books‘The Making of a Story’: Reconciling inspiration with techniquePalo Alto writer and creative writing teacher at San Francisco State University and Stanford Alice LaPlante introduced her new book to an overflow crowd at Kepler’s in Menlo Park Aug. 16. Commenting on the unusually large turnout, a woman in front of me said that no one reads anymore. “That’s because nowadays everyone wants to be a writer,” I said, unable to resist the wisecrack. But perhaps I wasn’t far off the mark. “The Making of a Story: A Norton Guide to Writing Fiction and Nonfiction” (W.W. Norton, 2007) is a 650-page how-to guide for students of writing. The title is likely to change to “Method and Madness” in future print runs. Foothill debuts book clubThis fall, Foothill debuts its new One College, One Book, One Community initiative. The concept is to bring the college community together by reading one book, creating a conversation about the text and illuminating it across disciplines and perspectives. The first selection is “The Tortilla Curtain” by T. C. Boyle. Set in California, this novel raises questions about immigration, unemployment, discrimination and social responsibility and is highly relevant to current events and community life. More information will be forthcoming, but if you have ideas or would like to participate, call English instructor Jordana Finnegan at 949-7646 or librarian Mary Thomas at 949-7522. In defense of Stephenie Meyer’s realismAs a 16-year-old girl who picks up a book on occasion, I have no problem admitting that most young adult fiction is trash. I have read many books, fraught with the overuse of terms like “hottie” or “ubercoolio” that appear to be written by adults who don’t seem to understand nor remember adolescence. However, if there is one young adult book that is not trash - and I think you will find many young readers who agree - it was written by Stephenie Meyer. When I read Eliza Ridgeway’s disparaging review of “Eclipse” in the Aug. 22 edition of the Town Crier, I was horrified and confused. Not only did she belittle the work of a writer whom I respect and admire, she insulted the entire teenage population of the world. Contrary to Ridgeway’s implication, Meyer is not in fact the Britney Spears of literature. Her writing is brilliant and thoughtful; few adults can write about adolescence so honestly and insightfully. DatebookDatebookDatebook 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 LifestylesA King-size party
Amid heritage oak trees glittering with twinkling lights, Los Altos History Museum guests enjoyed wine and fatty food on the patio Aug. 17 when they commemorated the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Many were clad in 1950s- and ’60s-style clothing. “It was the attack of the poodle skirts,” said Ellen Gonella, who dressed in poodle skirt, saddle shoes and Elvis fan club buttons. Writer brings Menlo-Atherton High Class of ‘56, full circle
In the newly published “Old Bears,” Dave Newhouse, columnist for the Oakland Tribune and longtime sportswriter, reveals that beneath the façade of smiles, sock hops, hot rods and poodle skirts, the class of ‘56 at Menlo-Atherton High School held painful realities. Menlo-Atherton’s 50th reunion was nearing when Newhouse decided to get in touch with old classmates to see how they were and what was going on in their lives. The result of his curiosity led to a 30-chapter book, which shares 28 classmates’ journeys through life - who they were in high school and how they are 50 years later. You set the bar for your children’s mannersManners are the backbone of your personality. Yes, it is important to have proper manners. It can make a big impact in your everyday life. Stepping Out‘Line’ forms here
The Bus Barn Stage Company this week launches its 12th season with “A Chorus Line,” one of the longest running Broadway musicals of all time. The production runs through Oct. 6 in Los Altos. Created from a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics by Edward Kleban and music by Marvin Hamlisch, “A Chorus Line” centers on 17 finalists at a dance audition for a New York show. On a bare stage, casting for a Broadway musical is almost complete. The contenders must reveal themselves, heart and soul, to the director, showing him what they are made of and that they have what it takes to shine. BusinessEsprit de Core works muscles to make life better
Esprit de Core, a Pilates studio, opened two months ago near San Antonio Road and El Camino Real. The sign isn’t posted outside the office building yet (they’re waiting for signage approval from the city of Los Altos), but inside there’s no mistaking one has entered a dedicated studio space, with lavender walls and a running fountain. “I wanted a sense of peace and calm and serenity,” owner-instructor Vera Szepesi said. Correction was expected, but economy remains strongNo sooner did I take a summer break from this column than the stock market fell out of bed. The June quarter ended with the large company index, the S&P 500, up approximately 6 percent for the year. By mid-July, it had gained another 3 percent. But the party was over even before the corks were popped. The correction that I warned about in June rolled into full force and roiled markets and investors. Days when the market was down 200 points were followed by comparable up days until finally, half or more of the year’s gains eroded from the broad market indexes. The ‘bag lady’ worry syndromeIn the most affluent region in the world, in the homeland of some of the highest paid working women, we still have an amazingly abundant field of women who have the secret “bag lady syndrome.” Men have this worry too, but they don’t have the word-picture as prominently engrained in their working souls as women do. Perhaps women can articulate the worry more easily. |
In Our OpinionEditorialWe’ve recently covered the passing of two of this community’s most involved and committed volunteers, Lee Lynch and Billy Russell. They represented an era when people helped out, not so they could get their name on a building, but because it was simply the right thing to do. There’s a new generation of volunteers hard at work right now in this community who are carrying on their legacy. The level of involvement in the recent Los Altos Relay For Life event bears this out. |
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