The race for council

As the candidates vying for the three open seats on the city council knock on doors around town, they have found that Los Altos is changing. They are finding more families with young children have flocked to the community.

With Los Altos built out long ago, projects coming before the city are denser as developers look to make the most out of limited space. New building proposals downtown reveal the changes in commercial development, while projects like the 5100 El Camino Real and Silverstone condo developments reflect multifamily residential growth.

Commission forwards green amendments, delays Foodland decision

In a meeting that ran nearly until midnight, the Los Altos Planning Commission heard from boosters and critics of a proposed coffee shop in a residential neighborhood, and recommended the first green building amendments to city code.

Approximately 30 residents voiced the pros and cons of returning a food store to Los Altos Avenue near Santa Rita School. The planning commission voted to consider granting a use permit for the Sweet Spot shop at a later meeting, requesting that property owners Stacy and Peter Sullivan respond to several concerns before then. Noise issues, parking and traffic circulation were some of the problems the commission considered. City staff had not recommended granting a use permit, but the commission did not dismiss the idea outright.

Campaign funding depends on strategy

Overall financing for the Los Altos City Council race is comparable in scale to the city’s previous council race two years ago.

All four candidates have cited similar financial targets but with disparate fundraising approaches.

In quest to raise $3.5 million, pool group turns to LAH

Los Altos Hills residents indicated in a recent parks and recreation poll that they would like access to the community pool planned at the Rosita site in Los Altos. The Los Altos Community Pool Foundation has offered to share access for a fee of $1.2 million toward the building expense.

The Los Altos Hills City Council mulled the suggestion at a goal-setting session Sept. 28 but took no action.

LA resident arrested for child porn

A routine probation check turned serious last week when Los Altos police officers found child pornography and a firearm in the home of a convicted sex offender living in Los Altos. Bruce Francis Malerick was convicted of sexual battery and inappropriate touching in Los Altos several years ago and as a condition of his release, police officers regularly check his home for banned items such as pornography.

“That’s why they have probation – to do compliance checks and make sure everyone adheres to the rules,” said Los Altos Police Department Detective Paul Epley.

Police Blotter

Burglary

Oct. 6, 6:29 a.m., 1000 block of Springer Road: A burglar entered an unlocked side door in the night while residents were asleep and stole a laptop and $40 in cash.

Disappearing trees on Page Mill Road show effects of LAH eucalyptus ban

Judy Baker saw one of Los Altos Hills’ oldest eucalyptus trees being cut down on Page Mill Road last week. She was not only distressed, but also felt that with the loss of the trees, a piece of the town’s history was disappearing.

She has hiked alongside the eucalyptus over the last 20 years and said that they connect her to the land.

Turnovers turn game St. Francis pays for interception, fumble in Friday’s home loss to rival Bellarmine

With the help of a critical fourth-quarter interception, the Bells held off the host Lancers 21-16 Friday night before a rabid crowd of more than 8,000 fans. St. Francis sunk to 1-1 in the West Catholic Athletic League and 3-2-1 overall; Bellarmine improved to 2-0, 5-0.

While St. Francis outgained Bellarmine (319 yards to 200) on offense, the most important stat turned out to be the number of turnovers by the Lancers: two. Both came at inopportune times for the home team.

Sports on the Side

‘Juniors Day’ in Hills

Los Altos-Los Altos Hills Little League hosts a “Welcome to Juniors Day” 1 p.m. Sunday at Purissima Field, Los Altos Hills. All Junior-eligible players (born after April 30, 1993, and before May 1, 1995) in the spring of 2008 are invited to sharpen their skills with the coaching staff from reigning Central Coast Section champion Los Altos High, led by head coach Sandy Wihtol. There will be batting, pitching, pick-off and stealing tips. After the 90-minute practice, the players will break for complimentary pizza, hot dogs and soda. To attend, contact Juniors Commissioner Mark Walden at 941-7844 or mwalden@pacbell.net.

LA volleyball team still winless in league, but coach sees progress

The Los Altos High volleyball team is still seeking its first league win, though coach Jason Kennedy said his Eagles are getting closer.

“The team is definitely improving,” Los Altos’ first-year coach said. “We’re starting to compete with other teams a little bit better but typically play to the level of the other team.”

LA boys water polo team muscles its way to wins

The strength of this year’s Los Altos High boys water polo team is power – not speed. That’s led head coach Ed Samuels to implement an offense heavy on setting picks rather than fastbreaks.

“We have a lot of team physical strength,” the Eagles’ second-year coach said.

LA knocks off two league champs in girls polo

What a week for the Los Altos High girls water polo team. The Eagles last week defeated two defending league champions: Palo Alto and Leland.

Los Altos beat host Palo Alto 11-9 in double overtime Oct. 1 to improve to 3-0 in the SCVAL De Anza Division. In what coach Andrew Maisel called “a back-and-forth battle,” the Eagles rallied from a 3-1 first-quarter deficit to tie the game at 5 by halftime.

Depth drives St. Francis tennis team

The St. Francis High girls tennis team is proving you can win without a dominant player. Coach Lynn Horiye said the Lancers’ 8-7 start is due to a collective effort.

“Our strength is our overall depth,” Horiye said. “We don’t have an outstanding player, but we have good players all the way through.”

Comment

Voters in this year’s Los Altos City Council election can’t go wrong re-electing incumbents David Casas and Ron Packard, and choosing challenger Randall Hull.

Casas, Packard and Hull get our endorsement in this race for three open seats because of their proven expertise and commitment to serving the city.

Comment

Big thanks to Rancho merchants

T-rex

For the past 10 years or so, a tyrannosaurus rex has hovered menacingly over Springer Road. Its body looms above the lanes, and its huge head, open jaws and stubby front legs are ready to pounce on the cars below. The T-rex has been there ever since one of our then-little boys noticed its distinct shape formed by a large tree on the road’s edge. Those boys are now teenagers and may not even notice the T-rex anymore, but I still see the dinosaur every day when I drive by.

When we have kids, their eyes become our eyes, and we see the world through their young, curious, creative lenses. It’s a kick – no, it’s the best thing in the world – to watch them, to be surprised by them, to laugh and explore with them. How lucky we are to witness all the little details and the progression, both pronounced and almost imperceptibly subtle, from one life stage to the next.

Los Altos is changing – but for the better?

Our recent attempts to preserve the character of our 100 percent single-story neighborhood were eye-opening and disheartening. There is a clear disagreement within both the planning commission and the city council as to whether the Los Altos 2002 General Plan or the Single Story Overlay Guidelines should be followed. The General Plan is filed with the state of California, provides overall guidance to local elected officials and is in effect until revised, usually about every 18 years. I believe it is intended to be the overriding document in such issues.

Our neighborhood was 100 percent single story from its development in 1951. After living here for only two years, a new neighbor elected to build a large, two-story house on his very visible lot in our neighborhood. We protested this house at planning commission and city council meetings, but at every meeting our efforts to maintain our “consistent character” were defeated by 2-1 and 3-2 votes.

Weddings - Emily Boone Hagenmaier and Eric Rutledge Hoyt

Emily Boone Hagenmaier and Eric Rutledge Hoyt were married Aug. 12.

Weddings - Iva Trifunovic and Mani Messy

Iva Trifunovic and Mani Messy were married April 17.

The bride is from Los Altos and graduated from Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a double minor in sociology and women’s studies.

Packard Foundation increases funding

The Los Altos-based David and Lucile Packard Foundation is scheduled to increase grant-making funds for local non-profit organizations, according to foundation President and CEO Carol S. Larson.

Larson announced the increase to guests attending a Sept. 27 open house at the foundation’s Second Street headquarters. The foundation expects to increase funding from $8 million to $14 million in 2008, as well as expand funding to San Benito County, where many Hewlett-Packard employees reside.

Club hosts plant exchange

The Garden Club of Los Altos in cooperation with the city of Los Altos held its annual Plant Exchange Sept. 29 at the Bus Barn patio. Between l50 and 200 gardeners participated in the open-to-the-public event.

The state of California provided personnel to inspect donated plants and cuttings to prevent any inadvertent spread of pests such as the light brown apple moth. said Chairwoman Diana Aston. First-time participants said the event reminded them of the friendliness of a small town and they enjoyed attending.

Non-profit celebrates 30 years of service

The Mountain View City Council at their Sept. 25 meeting presented Green Pastures a proclamation declaring Sept. 30 “Green Pastures Day,” in honor of its 30 years of services for handicapped children.

Located on a quiet Mountain View cul-de-sac at 730 Cornelia Court, Green Pastures, a Christian, non-profit group home, has offered quality care for severely handicapped children in a family setting since 1977.

SV foundation holds open house at new quarters

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has scheduled an open house 5-7 p.m. Thursday at its new headquarters, 2440 West El Camino Real, Mountain View.

The new building features numerous amenities in its meeting spaces, which will be available for community foundation events, community meetings and conferences. Technological conveniences include high-resolution projectors, wireless networks, system-controlled screens and DVD/CD players.

Community Briefs

History museum sponsors

fashion show fundraiser

Community

October is here, which means Halloween is right around the corner. And so is the Town Crier’s annual spooky stories contest. We’re offering storytellers of all ages the opportunity to weave a Halloween-themed tale in under 400 words. We will award first-, second- and third-place honors to authors, with the first-place winner receiving a prize.

Subject matter is wide open. The story doesn’t have to be scary, nor should it be gory or in bad taste.

Making an impact

If an asteroid causes an impact and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

June 30, 1908, an object believed to be a stony asteroid exploded in the atmosphere above the Tunguska River in Siberia with a force equal to 1,000 Hiroshima bombs. It leveled more than 2,000 square kilometers of forest. Though the area was largely uninhabited, NASA Astrobiology Institute Senior Scientist David Morrison said the scientific impact of the event was significant for future asteroid research.

Local resident collects books for Katrina victims, seeks money for postage

Los Altos resident Sandy Goldstein collected more than 50 boxes of books donated by Los Altos elementary and junior high schools to distribute to children affected by Hurricane Katrina – then tried to ship them to Louisiana. That introduced a problem. The joy on the faces of the children who receive the books might be priceless, but the shipping certainly is not. Shipping companies charge from $1,200 to $1,700 for the lot, putting Goldstein in a difficult situation.

“Channeling these books to the right place has proved to be very expensive,” Goldstein said. “But the important thing is to … get these books shipped.”

Seek out the finest chocolate – while you can still find it

The snootiest of chocolate bars – single varietal, 80 percent cacao, organic, priced roughly equal to their weight in gold – have been landing on the most modest supermarket shelves.

Winter squash sweeten warm fall entrées

Living in a region that lacks color-changing leaves to proclaim autumn, I track my seasons by squash. Summer months fill the stalls in farmer’s markets with delicate pattypan squash and zucchinis in vibrant greens and yellows, begging to be sautéed into the nearest dish. As the weather cools, these tender fruits make way for the hearty, variegated squash of fall.

The name “winter squash” is deceptive. The term encompasses more than 350 varieties of squash that manifest a stunning variety of shapes, sizes and colors – the sweet, creamy, orange flesh of the butternut seems a distant relative to the pale-yellow strands of a spaghetti squash. Moreover, all these squash peak not in the middle of winter, but in the early to mid-fall (hence the Halloween pumpkin). These fruits actually owe their seasonal association to one shared feature – unlike their thin-skinned summer cousins, the hearty winter squashes are picked when fully mature. They exhibit hard, woody exteriors, a feature prized by early Americans who stored their harvest through long winter months.

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage-Butter Sauce

Adapted from the Food Network

Fresh pasta with a rich, butternut filling makes for an elegant and impressive entrée.

Wine and food adventure on Canadian seas

I have written in the past about drinking and tasting wine on boat trips I have taken. My first was on the inland waterway between Moscow and St. Petersburg and, unfortunately, the vodka was smoother than the wine.

The next year I was part of a crew on a private cabin cruiser through the Trent-Severn waterway, a manmade canal cutting through Ontario. There were no fine wines to be found, but there were plenty of inexpensive jug wines. Last summer I took a riverboat up the Danube, and the wines were decent and reasonable.

‘Mistakes, Mishaps & Misbehaving’ at Bus Barn

The 14th annual Los Altos Follies, saluting “Mistakes, Mishaps
&
Misbehaving,” is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Bus Barn Theater.

The show, a musical parody of modern life and politics, features original lyrics to well-known songs. The songs include “Rock Back the Clock,” “Oh, Alberto!,” “Lady of the House,” “Cheap Junk,” “Paris” and “Astro-naughty.”

Cullinan brings the ‘Noize’ to Los Altos this Sunday

Doctor Noize – aka Los Altos native Cory Cullinan – celebrates the release of his new children’s CD with a concert 10 a.m. Sunday at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

The interactive concert will feature Doctor Noize and his band performing songs from the “Ballad of Phineas McBoof” CD.

Doctor Noize – aka Los Altos native Cory Cullinan – celebrates the release of his new children’s CD with a concert 10 a.m. Sunday at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

The interactive concert will feature Doctor Noize and his band performing songs from the “Ballad of Phineas McBoof” CD.

Bad-girl writers recall uncouth behavior

Reading “Bad Girls: 26 Writers Misbehave” edited by Ellen Sussman (W.W. Norton, 2007) has put me in a confessional mood. There was the time. … Or maybe I should tell you the real reason. …

But first, let me tell you what happened at the bookstore. Attracted by the bright-red lips on the book’s cover, I had recognized the name of the editor of the bad-girls anthology, Los Altos Hills writer Ellen Sussman, whom I had met in a Stanford Writer’s Studio class. She agreed to let me interview her.

In the Western Caribbean, enjoy peace in quiet corner

Some 44,000 people arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., every weekend to board the dozen or so cruise ships heading to various Caribbean ports.

I was invited to speak at a conference at sea, and I jumped at the opportunity because it was on the five-star luxury ship, the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, which was sailing to the Western Caribbean, with stops in Cozumel, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Key West.

Vital choices on approaching life as we head into our retirement years and beyond

After age 55, I notice that people choose one of two general directions for their lives. Many look forward to retirement at age 65 with a lessening of responsibilities and activities in their lives. Others look forward to new opportunities to learn, keep active and deepen their live.

The first group feels they made their contribution and the young should take over, while the second group feels that they have contributions still to make. How do you feel about the future?

Foothills Congregational features Pederson

Foothills Congregational Church in Los Altos has scheduled a concert by Greta Pederson 2 p.m. Sunday in the church sanctuary, 461 Orange Ave.

Pedersen is an award-winning performer, songwriter and teaching artist. Tickets are available at the door for a $10 donation; children under 12 are free.

JANE ANN SCHARFEN

Jane Ann Scharfen, 5/9/31 - 10/2/2007, Jane passed away peacefully after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

She is survived by her loving husband William, daughters Linda Wheeless, Carol Mathews and husband Robert, Nanci Scharfen, Judy Kash and husband Richard, and 11 Grandchildren.

JOHN H. MEYER

21 in San Francisco, California and passed away on September 7, 2007. He was the loving husband of Janet Meyer for over 50 years until she passed away in 1995. John is survived by their two children, Carol Meyer and Earl Meyer. He was very proud of his two grandchildren, Doug and Danny Meyer. John is also survived by his brother, Stan Meyer, of Saratoga.

John served in the Navy during World War 2, prior to going to work for Westinghouse in Sunnyvale. After several years of service with Westinghouse, he was persuaded by his father-in-law, to join in a small paint manufacturing business he had started. John spent the rest of his working career in the paint business, the company eventually being bought by Benjamin Moore and Co. After many years of service to Benjamin Moore, John retired as Western Divisional Vice President. One friend jokingly referred to him as “Mr. Paint.”

Fairchild focuses on energy efficiency

With the world’s energy needs expected to increase 50 percent over the next 20 years, Fairchild Semiconductor Corp. is poised to maximize energy efficiency to drive future innovation.

Mark Thompson, Fairchild’s president and CEO, announced the company’s new strategic focus Oct. 5 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, one of several events marking the company’s 50th anniversary.

Revised employment report confirms healthy economy

It was quite amusing to see the major media trot out the recession-bulls in the middle of the summer stock market correction. As we know, the headline “Everything Is Just Fine Today” does not sell papers or entice you to watch CNN rather than Rosie O’Donnell. Fear and panic – now that’s the stuff that makes headlines.

A modern tweak on tradition

It’s not lost on artist Reiko Nakauchi that the Japanese word for sky, “sora,” is an anagram of the English word “soar.” So, it only made sense that she should name her Los Altos studio, located at Rancho Shopping Center, Sora Classic Arts to impart an impression of a creative mind soaring through the skies of unlimited opportunities.

Steeped in the decor of Japanese tradition – wooden floors with mats, simple furniture and potted bamboo plants – the bright-yellow walls of the studio are dotted with Japanese art as classical music plays softly in the background. Her love for art and music is the inspiration that brought Nakauchi to the space she’s in now – a space where she combines her Japanese heritage with a modern twist, and a place where others can learn about different art and cultures.

Stanford Investment heralds 25 years

What started as a conversation over a couple of glasses of wine between two co-workers several years ago flowered into a celebration Oct. 4 when Bob Gee and Don Finsthwait commemorated the 25th anniversary of Stanford Investment Group Inc. with the firm’s employees and clientele at the Los Altos Golf
&
Country Club.

Started in 1982 as a two-man spinoff from San Francisco-based Capital Concepts Investment Corp., Gee said the Mountain View firm’s success stems from the relationships its 23 employees have built with investors through the years.