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Volume 50, Number 25, Published on 06/23/1997

News

Cigars: treat or threat?

Town Crier Staff Writer

Citizens stop alleged hit-and-run driver

Isaac Caldwell couldn't believe his eyes. As he waited for the light to change at El Monte Avenue and Foothill Expressway at 7:40 a.m. last Friday, a driver hit a youth on a bicycle, drove over the bicycle - "crunch, crunch, crunch," he said - and sped on her way down Foothill Expressway.

Foothill-De Anza board terminates 12 custodians after hearing appeals

After a six-month investigation of misconduct among the custodial staff, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees terminated 12 of 13 employees who appealed to have their jobs back.

PE teacher to be arraigned on child porn charge

Richard Vargas, 47, seems to be a man who led two lives.

School district likes joint-use for 401 Rosita site, but ...

Folks packed the school board meeting room to hear school trustees react to joint-use development of the city's 401 Rosita site.

Edith and San Antonio park plans on horizon

The residents of the new 57-unit development on the corner of Edith Avenue and San Antonio Road want Los Altos to get on with putting in the park on the city-owned land next to their new condos.

Casey at the bat - but not without a struggle

New LAH mayor challenged for position

LAH Planning Commission to continue with seven members for another year

The Los Altos Hills City Council remained committed last week to reducing the number of members on the town Planning Commission from seven to five, despite commissioners' pleas to keep a seven-member body.

Neighborhood watch: Once not enough

Sure there are Neighborhood Watch signs on the street in your neighborhood. But does that mean there is an active Neighborhood Watch program? Do you know what to do if you see something suspicious?

Comment

Los Altos may be ready to transform 'dust bowl park'

Recreation director Bob Rayl said work will begin in September on a master park plan. Following public input and a review of options, a proposal could come before the city council by December, he said.

My view from left field

Athlete and sport clichés fly around the editorial department all day long. I guess they're necessary because a sportswriter without clichés would be like a Los Altos Hills housewife without a sports van for her children.

Letters to the Editor

How grateful I am that my street, Riverside Drive, is not becoming an "old-age ghetto." I would hate to live on such a street.

Community

TC looking for '50 who made a difference'

Town Crier readers who offer nominations will be eligible for a drawing - the prize is a $50 dinner for two at the Los Altos restaurant.

July 'Chef's Who Care' at Country Gourmet

Country Gourmet Restaurant, at 2098 El Camino Real in Mountain View, will host the next "Chef's Who Care" dinners from 5 to 8 p.m. July 15-19 to benefit The Community Kitchen of local Community Services Agency.

Diverse, unique looks at human figure in Gallery 9

Special to the Town Crier

Pages of the Past

The June 26, 1972, issue of the Town Crier reported that Steven Olsen, a senior at Los Altos High School, had been awarded an eight week scholarship to participate in the Young Artists Program at Tanglewood, Mass.

Mother, daughter join in the fight against lupus

Special to the Town Crier

Bridge, Card Caper® and the games people play

It was a lucky day for Rose Gros de Mange. Not only did she earn the high score for the day at the St. William Women's Bridge Club awards luncheon May 28 at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club. But for her score, she won the new game called Card Caper®.

Celebrities to show for 2nd Women's Fitness Celebration

Last year, approximately 500 runners showed up at Shoreline Park for the first-ever Women'"s Fitness Celebration run. This, year, organizers are looking to repeat that success.

Seniors Briefs

Los Altos Senior Center

Library News

The new collection includes old classics such as Tintin, created by the Belgian author and illustrator Herge, contemporary award winners such as Neil Gaiman's Sandman series and Art Spiegelman's Maus and Maus II, and popular favorites like the Elfquest series and books based on Star Wars.

Community Briefs

Local amateur radio operators will participate this weekend in a nationwide emergency communication practice exercise from a site in the Rancho San Antonio Open space Preserve. They will be joined by hundreds of Bay Area amateur radio operators and approximately 35,000 hams throughout North America particiapting in "Field Day."

Almanac

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board, 7:30 p.m., 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos.

Los Altos Weather

Schools

Foothill-De Anza budget healthy, but finance director urges caution

Starting in September, the Foothill De Anza Community College District will begin its 40th academic anniversary. To prepare for the 1997-1998 budget period, Jim Keller, vice chancellor and finance director, presented the board with a tentative budget for the coming college year and a borderline budget position in 1998-1999.

LASD in the clear with budget, thanks to Measure A funding

The Los Altos School District Board of Trustees was able to approve a $20.3 million balanced budget June 16 with the same level of programs as last year and no identified cuts, thanks to Measure A.

New MV-LA schools chief looking forward to the challenge

Richard Fischer will begin serving as superintendent for the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District July 14, taking over the position from interim superintendent John Duncan. Duncan is temporarily filling the vacancy left by former superintendent Don Phillips, who accepted the superintendent position at the Palo Alto Unified School District last March.

Noteworthies

Eight Los Altos High School students and one teacher received certificates from the Tandy Technology Scholars program in recognition of their achievements in the areas of math, science, and computer science. David Brunner, Helen Chiang, Adrienne Faillace, Tammy Hwang, Esther Jeng, Priya Rajendran and Julia Sherbakov received certificates. Gregory Stoehr was the school's nominee as outstanding teacher in math, science, or computer science.

Schools Briefs

The Underground, a teen center run by the Los Altos Recreation Department, will be open four-to-five days a week this summer. The Underground is located in the basement of the Garden House at Shoup Park, 400 University Ave. The center is open to all students in grades 7-12 during the 1997-98 school year.Admission is free.

Foothill summer session starts Monday

You can explore a foreign language, check out the Internet, work out with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, learn about creative writing or develop an ornamental horticulture skill by enrolling in a Foothill College summer session course.

Sports

Locals help Priory serve up volleyball success

Featuring sophomores Miles Osborn of Los Altos and Kevin Yost of Mountain View, the Woodside Priory boys volleyball team finished its season with an 11-5 league record and was 12-6 overall this spring.

Los Altos Yankees edge Red Sox 4-3 for title

Special to the Town Crier

School Honors

TENNIS

Sports Shorts

SWIM SCENE: The Los Altos/Mountain View Aquatic Club is offering a professional coaches summer program now through Aug. 8 at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and Eagle Park Pool in Mountain View. Practice times vary between 4-6:30 p.m. depending on location and ability. For more information, call the club office at 428-1269.

Rockies, Knights aim for tournament titles

Town Crier Staff Report

Nick Testa gets hold of CCS coach of the year award

Coach Nick Testa proudly displays the Los Altos High wrestling team's 1995 league championship banner in his Italian Delicatessen on Main Street.

Business & Real Estate

Great Western Financial Corp. merges with Washington Mutual

Great Western Financial Corp. (GWF) and Washington Mutual, Inc. shareholders finally approved a $6.9 billion merger of the two companies that will create the nation's largest savings and loan.

How company managers can recover from wimpdom

Nice guys or gals get no respect. If you are a passive manager or employee, you may be losing some ground each day. I know you don't like conflict. I know you are afraid there will be an uproar.

Adobe drops more than 5 points

During Adobe System's first quarter, per-share net soared 45 percent over the prior year. All divisions posted better-than-expected gains because of a 71-percent increase in sales for applications of its PostScript page description language-based software.

Purdue honors Charles 'Rocky' Rhodes

Los Altos resident Charles C. "Rocky" Rhodes, co-founder of Silicon Graphics, was one of 11 graduates of Purdue University's Schools of Engineering to receive Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Awards April 25 at Purdue.

What the affluent are looking for in new homes

Checking blue prints of new homes being built in the area, and looking at remodeling plans of homes that come before the planning commissions, you recognize what people are looking for when they build a new home. Luxury appointments for homes are hot.

Things to consider when looking for a house on the Internet

Being transferred to the East? Looking for a house in another location ?

Coldwell Banker is ranked No. 1 in the nation

Special to the Town Crier

Transactions

Cupertino

Downtown artist customizes tiles and ceramics

Whether you want a picture of your home painted on a tile ($100 to $175), your home's address in framed tiles ($50-$75) or a unique thank-you tile for the Little League coach, Denise Lees happily obliges.

Weekly Special

Frank Mack, 'Mr. Real Estate,' loved Los Altos

If there was ever a person who enjoyed life, knew everyone in his hometown, and loved Los Altos, it was Frank G. Mack.

Anniversary

Glen and Dorothy Williams, longtime residents of Los Altos Hills, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past Saturday on the island of Kauai.

Obituaries

Robert C. De Mare of Los Altos died June 9. He was 55.

Noteworthy

In 1992, Goss was the first non-World War II commander elected to the Los Altos Post. He served in that position for two years.

Engagements

Pamela Aylesworth and Mark Hunton recently announced their engagement to be married Sept. 19 in Carmel.

Scharrenberg rumbling on rugby field

Special to the Town Crier

Grandma has last word in 'Crossing Delancey'

Special to the Town Crier

Home Briefs

Les Steelle, award-winning fuchsia grower and master in the art of bonsai, will present a lecture and demonstrate how fuchsias can be trained in the bonsai tradition at the 7:30 p.m. meeting next Tuesday of the Santa Clara Valley Branch of the American Fuchsia Society. Bonsai plants, containers, and tools will be on display and visitors are welcome. Location: Room 15, Hillview Community Center, Los Altos. For more information, call Shirley Gunnell, 948-5929.

Art defines life - and their home

Suzanne and George Barnett complement one another in work, interior decorating

Both casual and cutting edge: Rancho Hardware and Garden Shop

What's full of character, located beside a creek, and carries the latest in electrical and electronics communications parts?

Tiptoe through the fuchsias with local fuchsia fanciers

If you have a yen for fuchsias, those graceful, colorful shade lovers, you have lots of local company.