Truvy, Pippin, Oreo, Mabel, Olive, Lula, Zack, Benjy, Spuds, Sage, Kai, Tipsy and Emmie. At first, it was all about taking my dog, Maverick, to see his friends and release his boundless energy so that I wouldn’t feel as guilty leaving him at home as I went about my day. We would head to Lincoln Park or Shoup Park early in the morning before the kids arrived to play. The moment we turned on University Avenue, Maverick would know where we were going and start barking uncontrollably. By the time I parked the car, he would be practically sitting in my lap preparing to leap out to greet his friends.

Last month I wrote about attending a discussion on how to remedy the shortage of affordable housing in Los Altos before the state steps in with mandates. One of the proposals was “form-based zoning” to make multiplex housing blend in with existing neighborhoods.

I said “that train has already left the station” because so many of the new multimillion-dollar homes being built in Los Altos have abandoned the once-ubiquitous California ranch-style home in favor of Craftsman, French Chateau, Mission and Modern two-story models. What is one to blend with?

Last week’s surprising announcement of a major facilities deal between Bullis Charter School and the Los Altos School District has far-reaching implications, to say the least.

If the boards of both entities agree to the proposal, Bullis Charter School would get the Egan Junior High campus and most of its 18 acres, beginning as early as 2023, and operate under an enrollment cap of just over 1,100 students. Egan would occupy the new 10th-site campus in the San Antonio neighborhood of Mountain View.

Age of retirement becoming younger

Artie Green wrote an interesting article about retirement at 65 or older (“Why is 65 the national default retirement age?” March 6).

But the California debt related to teachers’ retirement versus contributions indicates that teachers’ retirement ages except for colleges may be significantly lower than 65, although years of employment also may be considered. I believe that police and firefighter retirement ages may be a lot younger.

Reader preaches tolerance

Regarding John Stephan’s letter (“God established moral guidelines” March 13):

I doubt that the Bible says that we should be intolerant to homosexuals and their need, like all of us, to seek understanding.

Last month, I read that because they couldn’t handle the volume of donations, charitable organizations were forced to set limits on the amount of goods people were bringing in.

This unusual surge in American household spring cleaning was attributed to organizing guru Marie Kondo, who wrote the 2014 best-seller “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying-Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” and hosts her own Netflix series, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.”