Community

Courtesy of Margaret Petros
Mothers Against Murder executive director Margaret Petros, third from left, hosts an advocacy meeting at her Los Altos home. Pictured with her, from left, are Elsa Lopez, who lost her son, Anthony, to random violence in San Jose in 2013; Rose Luerra, community advocate; and Ann Brownell, whose daughter, Amanda, hanged herself in 2009 after being bullied.

Former Silicon Valley Bank CEO Roger Smith had been retired for a few years when he and his wife became tired of the negative aspect of today’s 24/7 news cycle. They especially lamented the number of murders reported in the local newspapers every morning.

“We were sitting there, reading and bitching, and finally we said, ‘We have to quit bitching or do something,’” he said.

Saito Cleary

The Los Altos History Museum is scheduled to observe International Mother Language Day with a screening of the Japanese documentary “Paper Lanterns,” followed by messages of peace in languages from around the world, 5-7 p.m. Feb 21 at the museum, 51 S. San Antonio Road.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization launched International Mother Language Day in 2000 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and to preserve languages before they disappeared.

The Los Altos Historical Commission and the Los Altos History Museum are accepting entries for the 36th annual Margaret Thompson Historical Essay Contest from local students in grades 3-6.

This year’s theme is “Peek into Your Past.”

Courtesy of Rotary Club of Los Altos
Rotarian Jack Kelly, left, awards Ethan Huang, a junior at Mountain View High School, a certificate for winning first place in the Rotary Club of Los Altos’ speech contest.

Four local high school students competed in the annual Rotary Club of Los Altos speech contest Jan. 16.

Ethan Huang, a junior at Mountain View High School, won first place with his speech “Magic of Connection”; Rose Liu, a sophomore at Los Altos High, took second with “Confirmation Bias”; Los Altos High senior Jiayan Luo captured third with “Strawberries”; and Franklin Ruan, a senior at Los Altos High, presented his speech “Dishwashing: My College Application.”

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of U.S. women’s suffrage, Silicon Valley Reads 2020 will celebrate the achievements of women with its theme “Women Making It Happen.”

Silicon Valley Reads is an annual community engagement program presented by the Santa Clara County Library District, the Santa Clara County Office of Education and the San Jose Public Library. It selects books that reflect a theme relevant to the region and asks residents to read, think, discuss and share their diverse perspectives.

The Los Altos Senior Program has scheduled a free tax-return preparation service Monday mornings through April 13.

The Tax-Aide service, sponsored by the AARP Foundation, is the nation’s largest volunteer tax assistance program, and Los Altos has hosted a Tax-Aide site since 1997.