A tribute to valued partners

The monumental achievements of Hewlett-Packard Company co-founder David Packard are well documented – from the modest Palo Alto garage where he and partner William Hewlett got their start to his forays into government and seemingly endless philanthropic contributions that have continued beyond his death in 1996.

Wife Lucile Packard’s accomplishments also are impressive but have not been chronicled nearly as well, especially on the Internet. You’ll find plenty of references to the Stanford-based children’s hospital and Los Altos-based David and Lucile Packard Foundation that bear her name, but details are lacking. She died in 1987.

Suspected burglar foiled by coffee habit

Old-fashioned police work and the suspect’s regrettable taste for frappuccinos appear to have solved the case of Los Altos’ serial burglaries.

Police arrested 37-year-old Sunnyvale resident Augustus Steven Mosley Dec. 16 in San Jose after tracking down his identity based on surveillance footage. Police suspect Mosley is the burglar who raided 80 houses on the Peninsula over the last six months, including up to 22 in Los Altos.

Foundation buys land under Community House

The Los Altos Community Foundation purchased the land on which Community House sits on Hillview Avenue for $1.06 million late last month after discussing the site’s future for more than a year. Foundation Executive Director Roy Lave said that the organization made a down payment of $100,000 from foundation reserves and received a $385,000 donation from the California Water Company towards the purchase.

“We had a very good discussion among the board members about the pros and cons of purchase, and it was a unanimous decision to go ahead,” Foundation Board Chairwoman Coeta Chambers said. “We have a fair amount of money in donations already, the rest is going to be (raised) through bank financing, and we’ll be doing a fundraising effort.”

LAH council to review parks and rec collaboration

Discussion on an ambitious resolution to create a partnership offering Los Altos Hills and Los Altos residents equal access to parks and recreation services is scheduled to highlight the Los Altos Hills City Council meeting Thursday.

At a Dec. 13 parks and recreation public hearing, Los Altos Hills Mayor pro tem Jean Mordo recommended establishing an agreement between the two cities to share recreation facilities and programs. Los Altos was scheduled to discuss inter-city cooperation at its city council meeting after press deadline Tuesday.

Storm soaks Los Altos

Sports games were canceled, police and public works employees hectically busy and streets darkened across the city last weekend as an epic storm crossed over the Peninsula and took out power lines for more than a million regional PG&E customers.

According to PG&E spokesman Keely Wachs, 162 customers in Los Altos and two in Los Altos Hills continued to lack power as of Monday, and said that the multiday outages were due to access-issues the repair crews encountered.

LAHS grads escape fire unscathed

Los Altos’ Siegel family had a hectic but thankful Christmas after sisters Shelley Ash and Perri Tetreoault (both née Siegel) survived a devastating house fire in the Sierra foothills Dec. 23. According to their mother, Los Altos resident Anita Siegel, the fire started when fireplace embers, believed to be extinguished, were placed in a garbage can outside the house. The embers flared and ignited.

Ash, who now lives in San Jose, was visiting Tetreoault at her home in the town of Rescue. When Ash awoke in the night and found the house filling with smoke, she roused her brother-in-law, Stacy Hinson, and the children of both families. Tetreoault was working the night shift as a nurse at Kaiser Hospital and not present.

Letters to the Editor

Not so fast on that LASD name change

As neat as the idea might be to differentiate Bullis Charter School from Bullis-Purissima Elementary School for the name-challenged portions of the Los Altos/Los Altos Hills population, “Fremont” probably isn’t the best choice for either entity (Town Crier editorial suggestion, Dec. 26).

The Living Experiment

Back in the early 1970s, my dad and I could both see at 20 feet what most people could only see at 13. The two of us made quite a smug pair, bragging to my blind-as-bats, horn-rimmed-glasses-wearing mother and sister about our superior vision.

Pinhead Chronicles

• Fifty-thousand years ago, “Homo sapiens,” modern man, abandoned their dead, while Neanderthal man buried their dead with ritual funerals, interring with the body food, weapons and fire charcoal to be used in the next life.

• In 1878, British hairdressers coined the word “shampoo” from the Hindu phrase “chamo,” to massage, to knead.

Plein air artist displays work at cafe

The art of Andre Nobrega, awarded “Best of Show” in the Los Altos plein air competition this past fall, is on exhibit and available for purchase through the end of January at Main Street Cafe & Books in Los Altos.

Nobrega, originally from Brazil, has been studying plein air for more than 20 years.

Library and League of Women Voters co-host ‘Great Decisions’ series

The Los Altos Library and the League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area have scheduled the Foreign Policy Association’s annual Great Decisions series. The series is set to begin 1 p.m. Feb. 7 and continue 1 p.m. Thursdays through March 27 in the Program Room of the main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road.

Discussion topics were chosen for their anticipated importance to U.S. foreign policy in coming months. Each meeting will feature speakers and/or videos followed by questions and discussion by participants.

Los Altos Library hosts immigration story

The Los Altos main library has scheduled a live mini-musical, “Bella’s American Tale,” 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in the library program room, 13 S. San Antonio Road.

“Bella” the tale of a 20-year-old immigrant and her father who escape persecution and find passage on a boat to America in 1911, describes the terrors of Ellis Island, the teeming tenements of New York and the sweet music of Hester Street. The story dramatizes the horrific conditions of the sweatshops, culminating with the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911 and its consequences for Bella and her fellow workers. Bella is a composite of the immigrants who came to this country during that period.

Los Altos History Museum celebrates 30 years

As the last few apricot trees slumber with the onset of winter, the Los Altos History Museum celebrates its 30th anniversary. On Dec. 1, 1977 – the silver anniversary of the incorporation of the city of Los Altos – the shingle-sided little house that once belonged to orchardist J. Gilbert Smith opened as the local history museum in the middle of the civic center.

To commemorate the anniversary, the museum opened a permanent exhibit Dec. 13. With three subjects – the Smith family, the house itself and orchard life – the exhibit panels include never-before-seen images and provide new insights into the area’s agricultural heritage.

Community Briefs

Chefs Who Care dinner set for Cabaña Bistro

The monthly Chefs Who Care dinner fundraiser is scheduled Monday and Tuesday at the Cabaña Bistro and Bar in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. Two seatings – 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – are set on each night.

Los Altos barber moonlights as Monet

There’s an art to cutting hair that doesn’t involve paints, palettes or pastels. But when Gary Beattie puts down his combs and scissors each night and heads home, the Los Altos barber pulls out the tools of his other trade and moonlights as Monet – or Renoir.

His style, though, is all his own.

LA Robotics holds qualifying tournament

Los Altos Robotics held its ninth annual FIRST LEGO League qualifying tournament at Blach Intermediate School Dec. 2, hosting 26 teams including 108 students from 17 local schools.

The teams had to build a robot that performs a predetermined set of tasks in 2.5 minutes. Each team was judged on the performance of its robot as well as the creativity of the design, the quality of the software and the teamwork demonstrated. Additionally, teams had to present a research project. This year’s theme was energy.

Foothill and De Anza colleges praised for smoke-free policy

Breathe California, an organization dedicated to fighting lung disease, awarded the Foothill-De Anza Community College District an official commendation for its leadership in promoting smoke-free campuses. Representatives of the agency presented the award to the board of trustees Nov. 5, commending them for the district’s commitment to protecting student health.

In 2002, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District was one of the first community college districts to institute an outdoor smoking policy for its campuses. Seeking to institute a healthier learning atmosphere, the two colleges banned smoking within 25 feet of doorways, windows and ventilation systems on campus. The state of California has since adopted a similar law for all government buildings.

Eagles show who’s boss

The Los Altos High boys basketball team on Saturday showed why it’s considered a contender – if not the favorite – in the SCVAL El Camino Division. And the Eagles’ opponent, Mountain View High, showed why it isn’t.

The Eagles have scorers, depth and decent size. The Spartans don’t. That was clear in Los Altos’ 54-40 home win.

A rousing rally

In its biggest comeback of the season, the Foothill College women’s basketball team rallied from a 19-point deficit to stun host Ventura 61-54 Saturday.

After falling behind early, the Owls clawed their way back into the game before intermission and went on a devastating run in the second half to secure their 15th win in a row. Foothill scored 20 of the game’s final 26 points to beat a Ventura team ranked fifth in the state.

Los Altos, Mtn. View at a loss for words

Like it or not, expect a surge in karaoke music at high school sporting events.

Songs with lyrics are no longer permitted at games involving Los Altos, Mountain View and the 12 other high schools in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Los Altos, Gunn wrestlers shine at tourneys

Three Los Altos High wrestlers placed at the seventh annual Mat Classic, held Saturday at Granada High in Livermore.

Enrique Calderon finished fourth at 152 pounds, Matt Sell took fifth at 189 and Kevin Tsou came in eighth at 160.

Pig Dance

Something I’ve noticed since moving to a village in Austria is how much closer we live to our food. On the way to and from the local elementary school, my daughter and I pass at least six properties that house livestock along with people. We hear our dinner squealing, observe the chickens as they mill about the front gates, smell the steer manure and pet the 3-week-old baby goats as their mother bleats nervously.

Just outside the village are the fields where grains and legumes are raised – corn for the pigs, rye and wheat for bread. The fields are small and locally owned. Not only do they yield livestock feed, they are fertilized with local animal manure. We know the farmers driving the tractors – they are our neighbors.

Soup and the teacup

Soup-worthy vegetables mark the advent of the new year’s colder months at farmers’ markets and in supermarkets. Roots and tubers – potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams, as well as parsnips and parsley root from the carrot family – are appropriately hibernal in their rough skins and muted palette. The less starchy bulb and stem vegetables that grow on or just below the ground – beets, celery root, turnip from the cabbage family, onions and leeks – lurk on shelves and in baskets like lumpy, bearded prehistoric gnomes. Along with squashes lingering from the autumn harvest, these root vegetables fortify hearty seasonal stews.

The belles of the modest winter garden, however, are leafy greens such as kale and chard. These abundant and nutrient-rich veggies add texture and a touch of freshness to soups and partner well with lentils or white beans and tomato.

Fish and chips by the sea, Mumbai style

The most famous monument in Mumbai – the Gateway of India – is the first thing visitors see if they arrive by boat. Built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V and Queen Mary, monarchs of the British Empire, which included India, the Gateway sports four turrets and intricate latticework carved into yellow basalt stone. Ironically, when British rule ended in 1947, the colonial symbol became a sort of epitaph – the last of the British ships that set sail for England left through the Gateway. Today, this symbol of colonialism has been “Indianized,” drawing droves of sightseers and local citizens. Behind the arch, steps lead down to the water. Here, you can embark on little motor launches for a short cruise through Mumbai’s splendid natural harbor.

I ate one of the best fish and chips meals ever at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Hotel on Apollo Bunder Road, at the famous Sea Lounge cafe. The all-day diner offers scenic views of the Mumbai harbor and the historical Gateway of India. Bright lighting, wooden flooring and high ceilings add to the refreshing atmosphere.

Marvelous markets and fabulous food hidden Down Under

When comes to eating out, Sydney will spoil you with choices. Cafes line suburban and inner-city streets and cheap and cheerful bistros jostle for space alongside their more sophisticated fine-dining cousins. In the last few years I have seen more ethnic markets and restaurants opening as new immigrants move to the land Down Under. Add to this; inventive chefs and award winning winemakers and it’s easy to see why the city is rapidly becoming one of the world’s great “foodie havens.”

What better place to start your discovery than in the city’s major produce markets, the aptly named Sydney Markets in the suburb of Flemington, just 10 miles from the city center? These markets have their roots in the earliest days of European settlement in Australia. At that time, a few ragtag stalls would spring up on the wharves whenever there was food available. Choice was limited and it wasn’t always very fresh. Today it’s very different. Sydney’s produce, flower and growers markets are among the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and operate seven days a week.

Pear goes ‘West’

The Pear Avenue Theatre presents Sam Shepard’s “True West” Jan. 18 through Feb. 3 in Mountain View.

Directed by Ray Renati, the comedy is the saga of sibling rivalry taken to biblical extremes.

Los Altos residents lead benefit concerts this weekend at Atherton’s Menlo School

Los Altos residents Steve and Anne Gill, along with selected alumni and teachers from Menlo School, are featured in two benefit concerts slated for this weekend.

“Medley of Americana and Evening of Gershwin” benefits The Lighthouse for the Blind. Performances are scheduled 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Stent Hall at Menlo School in Atherton.

Akatombo Ensemble to perform Sunday in MV

The Akatombo Ensemble is scheduled to perform a pair of free concerts Sunday afternoon at the Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center in Mountain View.

The Akatombo Ensemble presents classical and folk styles of Japanese music and dance. Learn a graceful Odori dance and hear virtuoso performances on the koto (harplike instrument) and shamisen (Japanese lute).

Laws of attraction

Magnets may not be able to attract gold, but being designated as a “Magnet Hospital” reportedly attracts an even more valuable commodity – nurses. As El Camino Hospital approaches 2009, the designated year of transition into new hospital facilities, it is also facing an on-site visit from American Nurses Credentialing Center surveyors to assess its qualifications to be recertified as a magnet hospital.

The Magnet award certifies that a hospital meets 14 standards of nursing that the credentialing center claims foster a positive and professional workplace for nurses. The credential center is a branch of the American Nurses Association.

January barometer not yet registered

Winston Churchill, British prime minister during World War II, once told the story of an old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life – most of which had never happened. It reminds me of a number of hyper-issues going on right now.

Negativity sells and politicians have made an industry of bad-mouthing a robust economy. A recent online article from an unnamed source, beginning with “Y” and synonymous with “yippie,” recently spread the gloom by proclaiming consumer spending is falling due to high oil prices and declining home prices.

St. Simon Catholic Church schedules Spiritual Life Series

St. Simon Catholic Church has scheduled a Spiritual Life Series for the new year. All sessions are held at St. Simon, 1860 Grant Road, Los Altos, and are open to the public. The following programs are scheduled:

• L.I.F.E. (Living in Faith Experiences) Sessions – 1-2:30 p.m. today in the Simon Room. Sister Rebecca will discuss “The Beatitudes: Living Daily Compassion With Gratitude,” an insight into what the Aramaic Jesus can teach us about compassion and sacred unity.

St. Mark’s church to celebrate 50 years of music from Casavant pipe organ

Members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their large Casavant pipe organ at a Sunday service scheduled 4 p.m., Feb. 10.

The organ, a gift of Dr. Norman Philbrick and his wife Geraldine, was installed in 1957, and received its dedicatory recital by Stanford’s University Organist Herbert Nanney on Feb. 11, 1958.

Mary ‘Dolores’ Carlson, longtime Los Altos volunteer

Former Los Altos resident Mary “Dolores” Carlson died Jan. 1 in Folsom, surrounded by family. She was 84.

Mrs. Carlson was born in Alton, Iowa, July 10, 1923. Her father, Herman “Hy” Bell, pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants during the 1920s and 1930s. After her father retired from baseball in 1934, the family moved to Glendale.

ROCHELLE S. PRATT

On December 16, 2007, Rochelle S. Pratt, better known as Shelly, died peacefully at her home in Los Altos after a six month battle with ovarian cancer. She was a young and beautiful 61 years of age.

Shelly is survived by her husband, William K. Pratt, her sister Elaine Glazer of Santa Monica, California, her sister in law, Claire Sherman of Laguna Hills, California, three step daughters, a step son, three nieces and a nephew.

JOANNE MORTON CLARK September 9, 1940 - December 23, 2007

Joanne Morton Clark passed away at her home in Bend, Oregon on December 23, 2007. She had been battling ovarian cancer with courage and grace for two years.

Jo was born in Wellesley, Mass. September 9, 1940. She graduated From Wellesley Highschool and then earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Skidmore College in 1962.

WILLIAM CLEMENT AVELLINO

William Clement Avellino, 45 yrs, passed away peacefully in his San Jose home on Wednesday morning, December 26th 2007. Born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Los Altos Hills, CA by father William and mother, Sara. Bill was a loving husband to Elizabeth and proud father of Monica & Anthony. Brother to Joy, Melissa and John. Bill had a 23 yr career at Lockheed Martin in Mtn. View, CA. In his spare time he loved to BBQ for his family, hunt, fish & enjoyed being outdoors. He was very loving & kind to all those who crossed his path, especially children and his dog Coby. Bill also leaves behind a large family of in-laws, cousins, nephews, nieces & close family friends who will truly feel a void in their lives.

HELEN BELES

Born March 22, 1915. Died December 31, 2007 with her family at her side. Predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Joseph F. Beles and granddaughter Suzanne Racz. Survived by daughter Barbara (John) Racz, sons Robert (Sally) Beles and Craig (Lynnette) Beles, niece, Christine Zampach, grandchildren, Richard Racz, Elizabeth (T.J.) Tucciarone, Annie Beles, Kathryn Beles, Victoria Beles and Nicholas Beles, great grand child, Juliana Helena Tucciarone.

Helen was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she lived for her first 35 years. During WWII, while her husband Joe was an officer in the U.S. Army, Helen worked as a welder at the local defense plant. The family then moved to San Mateo, California, and after seven years, on to Ohio where Helen received her certificate as a practical nurse.

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. Submit items via e-mail (peteb@latc.com); fax (948-6647); or post (138 Main St., Los Altos, CA 94022).

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