Maestro of intellectual curiosity

Dick Henning might be mistaken for an ordinary guy as he enjoys dinner with friends at Le Petit Bistro, one of his favorite haunts. But it’s not every Los Altos area resident who peppers his conversations with personal anecdotes about Henry Kissinger, Lauren Bacall and Joe Montana.

The word “treasure” comes up often when talking with local residents about Henning and his life’s work as founder and host of the nationally acclaimed Foothill College Celebrity Forum Speakers Series. His series boasts a roster that reads like a Who’s Who of the 20th and 21st centuries: Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, Jane Goodall and Neil Armstrong, to name a few.

LAH resident monitoring speeds on town road

Local residents may have spotted Betty Kerns wielding a radar gun last month in Los Altos Hills.

Kerns and her husband, Bill, weren’t working for the town, however, when they parked their car, calibrated their radar gun and measured the speed of motorists on two occasions in March. They were challenging speed-control practices in their town.

New structures to fill longtime vacant lots

Los Altos resident and developer Jeff Warmoth received approval from the Los Altos City Council last week to begin two projects expected to change the face of downtown.

Warmoth’s building planned for 45 Main St., significantly more traditional in style than the urban/modern design nixed by the council last winter, is intended to house retail on the first floor and offices – likely Warmoth’s own, he said – on the second.

Local Republicans gather to begin McCain effort

Local Republicans know their party is being overshadowed by the Democratic presidential nomination race, but they don’t seem too worried about it.

Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents peppered a grassroots gathering last week where boosters of Republican nominee Sen. John McCain strategized and forecast what the summer and early fall would bring for Republicans on the campaign trail. The South Peninsula Area Republican Coalition (SPARC) is one of the volunteer organizations prepping to support McCain.

Rambus reigns, court rebukes in antitrust case

Nearly one month after a federal jury exonerated Los Altos-based Rambus Inc. of violating fraud and anti-trust laws, the company reigned victorious again when a federal court of appeals vacated a July 2006 Federal Trade Commission decision that found it guilty of violating the FTC Act.

The April 22 decision from three circuit court judges for the District of Columbia questioned the FTC’s weak case in basing its claim on disclosure properties and guidelines of the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), of which Rambus was a member from December 1991 to December 1995. The group sets industry standards for computer components.

Police Blotter

Hit and run

5:57 a.m. April 28, 1400 block of Marlbarough Avenue: 50-year-old Eric Neumann was booked into county jail on five counts, including possession of methamphetamine and narcotics paraphernalia, hit and run, driving under the influence and resisting arrest. Neumann is suspected of crashing a car into a house on Marlbarough Avenue and fleeing the scene.

City Briefs

Conversation with city council

Residents are invited to meet with the Los Altos City Council 7-9 p.m. Thursday in Room 18 of the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., for a casual community conversation.

Editorial

Dick Henning started his career at Foothill College as a director of student activities. But he currently reigns as the legendary force behind the Celebrity Forum Speakers Series. For 40 years now, Henning has coordinated and moderated the forum, nurturing it into one of the most popular events in the Bay Area. We congratulate the 1996 Town Crier Los Altan of the Year on his milestone.

Ever the diplomat, the soft-spoken forum maestro has managed to charm a diverse array of speakers who are among the world’s most famous people.

Letters to the Editor

City should retain naturalist

I recently read about Keith Gutierrez leaving Redwood Grove. I find the city’s lack of ability to retain his services very disconcerting.

Other Voices

I went to the Solar Summit 1.0 at the Akeena Solar headquarters in Los Gatos because green is hot, both in politics and the investment world.

We are pro-solar in Los Altos Hills, and the city council has done what it could to encourage residential solar energy in town. We provided leadership by being the first town or city to eliminate permit fees for residential solar permits.

Wedding: Linsey Thornton and Matthew Roginski

Linsey Thornton and Matthew Roginski were married in Portola Valley Aug. 11. A reception for the couple was held at Ladera Oaks.

The bride is the daughter of Peggy and Bill Stetler of Mountain View and Paul and Carolyn Thornton of Santa Rosa. She graduated from Mountain View High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Boston College. She is employed as a consultant by Ernst and Young in San Francisco.

Engagement: Erin Darling and Bryan Bibeau

Erin Darling and Bryan Bibeau have announced their engagement to be married Sept. 27. The ceremony and reception will be held at the Bethel Inn in Bethel, Maine.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Judy Darling of Sunnyvale and Joe Darling of San Francisco. She graduated from Los Altos High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and a master’s degree in environmental science and management from UC Santa Barbara. She is employed as an environmental scientist at RMC Water and Environment in Walnut Creek.

The man behind the name

In response to suggestions that the reopening of a school on the former Bullis-Purissima site opens an opportunity to select a new name for the campus, the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees is considering proposals.

Some local residents said they want to continue to commemorate Gardner C. Bullis – the man behind the name – when the Los Altos Hills school reopens in August.

Talk on ‘Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace’

Christ Episcopal Church has scheduled psychotherapist Denise Roy, author of “Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace” (John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2007), to speak 6:15 p.m. May 7 at the church, 1040 Border Road, Los Altos.

Roy will offer mindfulness practices for moms to become aware of the present moment; ways to stay calm, even when those around you are not; how to identify negative self-talk that saps energy; and ways to reduce stress and be more compassionate with yourself. A book signing will follow the discussion.

Main Street Cafe showcases works of 40 young CSMA artists in May

The Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center (CSMA) has scheduled “Kids Art on Main Street,” an exhibition of children’s art, Thursday through May 30 at Main Street Cafe & Books, 134 Main St., Los Altos.

An artists’ reception is set for 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday for the artists, their families and friends. Children will receive a certificate in recognition of their artistic achievement.

Rotary fine art show features 50 new artists

The Los Altos Rotary Club has scheduled “Great Art! Great Cause!,” the annual Fine Art in the Park Show, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. May 17 and 18 at Lincoln Park, corner of Main Street and Foothill Expressway, Los Altos.

More than 50 new artists will join 150 returning jury-selected artists to display their original works in a variety of media, including ceramics, glass, jewelry, leather, mixed media, oils, acrylics, pastels, photography, sculpture, textiles, watercolor and wood.

Los Altos Relay For Life: A chance to raise a glass and some money

Regulars at Maltby’s Restaurant & Tavern in downtown Los Altos may notice some new faces behind the bar as owner James Maltby hands over the reins to guest bartenders for nights of fundraising to support Relay For Life of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

Members of local Relay teams will man the bar 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through June. The tips the teams earn will be donated to Relay For Life to help teams meet their pledged fundraising goals.

AAUW science programs targeting young girls

The Los Altos/Mountain View Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has scheduled “A Taste of Technology!” 4-5:45 p.m. May 7 at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

The program will feature Shannon B. Johnson, research technician in the molecular ecology lab at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, speaking on “Exploring the Deep Sea and Finding the Unexpected: Whales, Snails, and Weird Worms.”

CSA fundraiser ‘Empty Bowls’ proves full of success

The Community Services Agency, which provides social services for local low-income individuals and families, raised more than $12,000 at its 17th annual Empty Bowls soup fundraiser April 13 at the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mountain View.

More than 250 attendees selected a handcrafted pottery bowl made by potters from the Orchard Valley Ceramic Guild, and local restaurants donated soup.

Community Briefs

Pilgrim Haven hosts health forum on strokes

Pilgrim Haven retirement community has scheduled a health forum, “Are You Heading for a Stroke?” 7-8:30 p.m. May 15 in Fellowship Hall, 373 Pine Lane, Los Altos.

MV City Council votes to ease MVHS traffic

In an effort to calm parking congestion near Mountain View High School, the Mountain View City Council voted April 22 to rescind parking restrictions on the campus sides of Bryant and Truman avenues.

The parking restrictions, which will be lifted in July, will release 60 additional spaces for student and parent volunteer parking during school hours starting next fall. Currently the curbs are off limits for parking between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays.

Schools Briefs

Local author to speak at support breakfast

Local author Firoozeh Dumas will serve as keynote speaker for the fifth annual Circle of Support Breakfast, scheduled 8:30-10:30 a.m. May 8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto.

Foothill Microcredit Club fights world poverty, shares with college

The Foothill College Microcredit Club, in an effort to offer opportunities for everyone to help fight world poverty, invited Kiva.org co-founder Matt Flannery to speak at a campuswide event last week.

More than 100 students listened to Flannery explain how they could contribute, with as little as $25, to the fight against poverty.

St. Francis breaks ground on performing arts center

A group of St. Francis High School student actors, faculty, parents and community members celebrated the groundbreaking of the school’s Performing Arts Center April 3.

The 20,000-square-foot center will feature the 415-seat Graham Theater, fly space, an orchestra pit, student dressing rooms, a set shop for scene construction and new technology for sound, lighting and video production.

Pinewood students build house in Mexico

Thirty high school students and six teachers from Pinewood School’s Upper Campus in Los Altos Hills spent their spring break building a house for a mother and her six children in Tijuana, Mexico.

Spanish teacher David Campbell led the group, which prepared for the trip by meeting 7 a.m. Thursdays for eight weeks. During the breakfast meetings, students and staff studied the history and culture of Mexico as well as how to hammer, nail, saw and measure.

Mountain View High School instrumentalists hit all the right notes

Mountain View High School instrumentalists are at the top of their game, with more than a dozen individuals achieving honors and recognition.

“I am continually amazed by our musicians’ self-motivated drive for success,” said Jason Kneebone, assistant music director. “They voluntarily take on tasks that many students would tackle only with an extra push from a teacher or parent. That work ethic and dedication makes the whole process more fun, and allows us to consistently produce quality performances and events.”

Putting the ‘K’ in Erik

The playoffs are nearing, which means Erik Johnson is peaking.

Los Altos High’s ace pitcher struck out 13 batters, allowed three hits and pitched all eight innings of Friday’s 1-0 win at Milpitas.

Mtn. View hires club coaches for girls volleyball & soccer teams

Although they have yet to coach a game for Mountain View High, athletic director Dan Navarro is confident he’s made solid hires in Jason Trip and Simon Cook. Trip takes over the girls volleyball program and Cook girls soccer.

“I think they’ll both do very well,” Navarro said of the new coaches he hired last week. “I think they’ll fit the school well.”

Spartans sweep Matadors

Led by triple-winners Kayvon Sotoudeh and Kelly Thom, the Mountain View High track and field team routed visiting Monta Vista Thursday.

Sotoudeh and the Spartan boys prevailed 88-37, while Thom and the Mountain View girls won 99-27. The girls improved to 6-0 in the SCVAL De Anza Division; the boys went to 5-1.

Local gymnast floors competition

The floor belonged to Camilla Opperman.

The Los Altos resident and level 8 gymnast won the floor exercise at the Northern California State Championships earlier this month in Oroville.

Hayward leads MV softball team in shutout of Lynbrook

Victoria Hayward pitched and hit the Mountain View High softball team to a 10-0 rout of Lynbrook Friday.

The sophomore allowed just one hit in the SCVAL De Anza Division game – shortened to five innings on the mercy rule – to improve to 6-4 for the season.

Bay Area home sales reach 20-year low

The subprime mortgage crisis causing financial woes to homeowners is slowing down the sales volume for realtors as March Bay Area home sales reached their lowest levels in 20 years. Home sales in the nine area counties were down an average of 41 percent compared with March 2007 sales, according to DataQuick Information Systems, which has been monitoring real estate activity nationwide since 1988.

Santa Clara County home-sales volume dipped even lower than the Bay Area average – 2,052 sales were recorded last year and 1,105 this year, a 46 percent decrease.

Astrologer advises real estate agents be clever in the Year of the Rat

At a time when the housing market isn’t booming, real estate agents must be clever like the rat and learn to get by. In the meantime, they should improve themselves, focus on building and nurturing relationships, build trust and wait out the tough year, according to popular Chinese astrologer Y.C. Sun.

“2008 is the Year of Rat, an animal that is smart, clever and versatile in getting around obstacles,” Sun said recently to members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors.

FHA loans provide window of opportunity for homebuyers

Thanks to the passage of the economic stimulus package, homebuyers now have a window of opportunity with Federal Home Administration (FHA) loans, according to area loan specialists.

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Regional Diverse Segments manager Grace Mejia and Senior Home Mortgage consultant Jimmy Kang shared this information at meetings with Bay Area realtors, explaining the advantages of FHA loans for buyers. They recently presented the topic to members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors and the South Asian Real Estate Association of America.

‘Predictably Irrational’ challenges Adam Smith’s economic theory

It’s about time someone challenged conventional economic theory and exposed some of its central tenets as the myths they are.

In “Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” (HarperCollins, 2008), Dan Ariely, professor of behavioral economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presents a series of fascinating experiments that stand economist Adam Smith’s “rational actor” on his head. The myth of the rational actor holds that human beings compute the value of all the options available to them, then choose the best one. Further, if people make a mistake, market forces will offer the correction needed to force them back to rationality.

‘All Kinds of Dance’ coming to Mtn. View

As part of National Dance Week, The Lively Foundation presents a free concert 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Mountain View Masonic Temple Auditorium.

The concert, “A.K.O.D! – All Kinds of Dance!” will feature tap dance, classical Indian-Bharatanatyam dance, belly dance, tribal dance, jazz, hip-hop and modern ballet.

Piano concert set for Sunday at CSMA

The first Young Artists’ Piano Duo Concert, associated with this summer’s Silicon Valley International Music Festival, will showcase a dozen promising local young artists, 9 to 17, Sunday in Mountain View.

The free performance is scheduled 4 p.m. Sunday in Tateuchi Hall, Community School of Music & Arts at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. The program includes works by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Debussy, Gershwin and Sondra Clark, a Los Altos composer. A reception follows.

Bus Barn’s ‘Complete Works’ completes run this weekend

This is the last week to catch Bus Barn Stage Company’s production of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged).”

The comedy is scheduled to close Saturday night at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos.

True stories of the obstacles, blessings and amazing facts of adoptions

“Chicken Soup for the Adopted Soul” (HCI, 2008) is a compilation of personal writings that cover every aspect of adopting and being adopted. Authors Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and LeAnn Thiemen, L.P.N., offer stories of many differing adoptions involving children who have been years in foster care, international adoptions and birth adoptions. Some happened almost overnight and many show the role of faith. They cover a range of human emotions but, overall, they are about love and family.

Palo Alto writer Ana Hays alerted me to the book. In her own story, “It Was You” Hays tells her apprehensive journey to a distant hospital to meet, for the first time, her birth mother, Anita. Before her mother died three hours later, Ana was able to thank Anita for giving her up for adoption and said, “I want you to know that I am happy and I love you for your courage.” Then, like several of the other stories, there is a surprise twist to the ending.

Community Briefs

Spring bazaar returns to Aldersgate Methodist

Aldersgate United Methodist Church has scheduled its annual spring bazaar 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the church, 423 Manuela Ave., Palo Alto.

Kevin Perry: inspired his swimmers in and out of the water

Kevin Perry, a respected swim coach with the Los Altos Aquatics Club among other local teams in the 1980s, died April 9 after a battle with cancer. He was 56.

Mr. Perry, who grew up in San Jose, coached teams at Los Altos and Mountain View high schools and at Foothill College before becoming coach for the Fullerton-based FAST swim club in Southern California. The club, made famous by swimming legend Janet Evans in the 1980s, had fallen on hard times by the time Mr. Perry took over in 1993. He revived the club, whose success culminated in earning a gold medal this year with USA Swimming.

THERESA YOUNG

Theresa Young, a former member of the Los Altos Kiwanis Club and award winning Kiwanis editor, crossed over peacefully after a long battle with cancer. Mrs. Young, who was 81, died March 7th with her close friends Jannett Beels and Sonja Avila at her side. Terry faced her death as she lived her life-on her own terms.

Theresa and her husband James Young moved to Los Altos in 1957 where they started Jay-Tec International and worked the business until they retired.

THOMAS JOSEPH “T.J.” SONDGROTH 1918-2008

The Lord called Tom back to His home on April 21, 2008.

Tom was born on August 19, 1918 in Bonesteel, South Dakota, In 1929, the family moved to Charleston Road in Mountain View California to establish a family dairy.

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).

THEATER

Next to EXPO – nothing like it

If empty bowls of candy and vacant trays of catered cuisine are signs of success, then the 20th annual Business EXPO April 24 awarded a crown of achievement to the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event.

Local businesses and non-profit organizations set up shop at tables 4-7 p.m. as guests visited, gathered brochures and gobbled goodies that merchants offered.

Oil prices spark wake-up call

I feel like Rip Van Winkle today. You know, the guy who took a short nap under a tree, woke up 20 years later and everything had changed.
For me, it wasn’t a nap but a two-week vacation from this column that lasted seven weeks. What can I say? I got lazy.
[…]

Home market ‘enviable’ in Valley, says economist

More than 150 realtors and affiliate members listened to the latest California Association of Realtors housing market outlook delivered by its deputy chief economist, Robert Kleinhenz, earlier this month at the Quinlan Center in Cupertino.

“I may not bring good news, but I bring hopeful news,” Kleinhenz said.

Assessor’s office warns of scam

The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office is cautioning local property owners to beware of the company Aim Best Appraisals, which is charging $99 for a service provided free by the county.

“It’s disgraceful,” said Larry Stone, county assessor. “There’s simply no reason at all for a property owner to pay a fee to a private company for a service taxpayers receive from the assessor’s office without charge.”