Find it Fast » Archives | Contact Us | Subscribe | Place an Ad | Admin
Inside this week's
|
Archives » 2000 » Volume 53 , Issue 38, Published on Wednesday, September 20, 2000NewsNew at Hidden Villa
Capital campaign providing solid foundation for nature preserve Mingled with the chirping birds and the baying sheep, amid creeping vines and glowing sunflowers, is the unmistakable rumble and clamor of construction at Hidden Villa. The acclaimed environmental and educational open space preserve, after nearly 50 years of programs in rustic facilities, welcomes the construction sounds that promise new and improved structures. Competition sharpens S.W.A.T. teams
S.W.A.T. teams from throughout California, Oregon and Texas tested their tactical skills against one another last week during a two-day competition at the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office Range in San Jose. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has hosted the “Best in the West” competition for the past nine years. It is the largest invitational S.W.A.T. competition in the Western United States. News BriefsThe Los Altos City Council added Safeway to the list of developers asked to submit revised proposals next month for the development of the city-owned land on the corner of First and Main streets. Councilmembers said they were not interested in Safeway’s parking lot expansion plan as a gateway to the city. Members eliminated plans for an office complex, a retail center and the Safeway expansion from its list of six proposals, Sept. 5 and asked developers Barry Swenson Builder, Roxy Rapp & Company and Kelly Associates, who all included either a hotel or a theater element in their plans, to re-submit proposals that included a hotel-theater combination. Public works union reps halt labor talks with Los Altos - strike likelyUnion officials representing the Los Altos Public Works employees walked out of labor talks with city management last week and closed the door to further discussions. Bob Morales, secretary of treasury for the Teamsters union, Local 350, who is representing the Los Altos employees, said he planned to give the Teamsters the go-ahead to strike. El Camino majority opt for new unionEl Camino Hospital employees voted on Sept. 12 to approve Local 715 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as their bargaining unit. The employees participating in the election were the professional, technical and service bargaining units. A fourth unit, business office/clerical, was not involved in the election. The El Camino Hospital Board of Directors accepted the election results at its regular meeting on Sept. 13, thereby recognizing SEIU Local 715 as the exclusive bargaining unit for the three units. LA could cut construction noise back 14 hoursLos Altos neighborhoods should be a little quieter beginning this fall. The Los Altos City Council moved forward on an amended noise ordinance to cut back the number of permitted construction hours from 69 to 55 each week. The 14-hour reduction in permitted residential construction noise each week would place Los Altos at the average number of construction hours permitted by other Peninsula cities. CommentLetters to the EditorIs anybody noticing? It is not sufficient that the shenanigans of our Los Altos Hills government have attracted the national press (see Newsweek, Sept. 4, page 55) but now Mayor Steve Finn must add insult to injury by mailing out a veiled, but nonetheless manipulative, campaign piece to every resident. Shame on him. He uses the official town logos on the replica envelope and letterhead and a phony, mayoral “info report” format - a patent abuse of office - just to extol the virtues of his three favorite names in front of us, purely for political gain. OpinionI have to have my sayReflections The brouhaha over Joseph Lieberman seems to have lost its momentum. I am glad of that because it is rather crazy to have so many commentators in print and on television point out over and over that he’s the first Jew to be nominated for such a high office. And yet, here I am adding my name to those who dwell on the topic. I can’t deny that a quick thrill ran through me when I heard the news. I also can’t deny that I felt defensively ready for any negative comments. My brief sojourn through local politicsOther Voices EDITOR’S NOTE: Los Altos resident John Tompane recently found himself in the middle of contentious negotiations between city employees and management, most notably the recent dispute involving Los Altos police officers. The two sides reached an agreement last month. The following is his account. Los Altos revving up for the annual classic car showOwners of pre-1969 classic automobiles are invited to enter their pride-and-joys in the annual Classic Car Show, which is part of the “Celebrate Los Altos Fall Festival,” Oct. 7 and 8. The annual show, sponsored by the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce, will be held in downtown Los Altos. Robert Mabe, chairman of the classic car show expects 40 or more cars to exhibit both days. To participate in the show, call Mabe at 941-6534. CommunityLibrary NewsThe Santa Clara County Library recently began sending notices, such as titles of holds and overdue notices, to patrons via e-mail. To sign up for e-mail notification, patrons should obtain a form at the Los Altos Library reference desk and turn it in at the circulation desk. At the Woodland Library, patrons should ask at the circulation desk. Patrons who sign up will no longer receive such notices through the post office. When the grapes are ready at Berghoff Vineyards, that’s when the party begins
The Berghoff Vineyards label says it all: “A small family-owned vineyard nestled in Los Altos Hills, overlooking Santa Clara Valley and the Santa Cruz Mountains.” Driving north on O’Keefe Lane stretched out among other vineyards, you can see Sue and Chuck Berghoff’s acre of Los Altos Hills which they have turned into a vineyard. A venture capitalist, Chuck travels a lot on business, but finds time to do the pruning necessary to maintain a productive vineyard. Sue maintains the records and oversees the wine party at the end of the harvest day. Pages of the Past50 years ago in Los Altos: A citizen’s group formed regarding the issue of local incorporation for Los Altos. Among its backers were Frank Costello, El Monte Avenue, and Frank Quinn of Fremont Avenue. George Lyddane of Nandell Lane circulated petitions urging those residents to oppose becoming a part of an incorporated area. In a published statement, The Community Committee appealed to Los Altans to not sign incorporation petitions. “There’s nothing so urgent” they said, “that incorporation should be rushed through before the people have been given a fair chance to consider all the facts.” The committee said it favors formation of an impartial committee “to study fairly all sides of the question and conduct public hearings as to which areas should be included, which excluded.” The appeal closed with the admonition, “Why try to force a lot of people into incorporation in order to ease the tax load from those who want incorporation to those who don’t want it, and can’t see that they would benefit from it?” Vertical wine tasting benefiting Red Cross has aficionados standing up, taking noticeWhat is a vertical wine tasting? A: You get to stand up for the entire event. B: You have to lie down after you are done. C: You get to sample one wine from several different vintages and taste the difference. If your final answer was A or B, then you need to get more wine savvy. Community BriefsDiscussion of a new AARP chapter for Los Altos residents is scheduled for a 1 p.m., Sept. 28, meeting at the Hillview Community Center’s multipurpose room, 97 Hillview Ave. Los Altos. The meeting is free and open to all area residents 50 or older. History Museum scheduling open house to attract more volunteersAs the new Los Altos History Museum building nears completion, a volunteer open house has been scheduled 5-7 p.m., Sept. 28. Volunteers are needed to serve in the museum store, give docent tours, do data entry, catalog the collection and for administrative work. Upcoming EventsCelebrate Los Altos Fall Festival, south parking plazas, downtown Los Altos. Oct. 19 Police ReportSept. 15, 2:57 p.m., Almond Avenue and San Antonio Road: At least 20 juveniles were tearing down the bus stop on San Antonio Road, police said. Fire NoteworthiesMeg Tung, Mountain View High School graduate, was one of six recipients of the Dr. Bruce B. Pharriss Science Scholarship from Community Foundation Silicon Valley. The scholarship, worth $2,000, is awarded to recent high school graduates who will major in the life sciences. Mala Prasanna of Los Altos Hills was awarded a master’s of science degree in electrical and computer engineering by Purdue University during commencement ceremonies in May. LASD considers Covington camp school, delays decisionAs scheduled, the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees discussed facilities projects, specifically the impact of using Covington as a camp school, during their Sept. 11 meeting. Dave McNulty, director of facilities construction, addressed two major questions following discussion with the Construction Oversight Committee (COC) on Aug. 31: could the district sell enough bonds to support a shortened construction schedule and what would be the cost of adding Covington as a camp school? SchoolsFoothill-De Anza budget picture in good shapeBetween the community voting favorably for a $248 million general obligation bond issue last November, and the State of California budget providing $498 million funding for community colleges, the Foothill De Anza Community College District’s financial picture looks promising. Foothill-De Anza Community College District Vice Chancellor James W. Keller presented the 2000-2001 budget to the Board of Trustees in a public session Aug. 28. Schools BriefsThe Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District at their meeting Sept. 11 passed a resolution to support the passage “of Measure C, the merger of the Whisman and the Mountain View school districts, for the benefit of the children of Mountain View.” This endorsement added the weight of the high school district to the approval of both elementary school districts. Dave Williams, co-chairperson with Mountain View Councilwoman Sally Lieber of the committee for passage of Measure C, is a member of the high school board of trustees. Summer in Costa Rica
Los Altos student spends summer in mountain village The traditional greeting after summer vacation is: “What did you do all summer?” Meg George, 17, a Los Altos senior at Menlo School, can respond with the usual California answer: “I went to the beach.” But the beach George went to wasn’t Santa Cruz or Malibu or even Lahaina and it was only one day, not all summer. Tennis greats McEnroe, Connors and Bjorg at Stanford University this week for Siebel ChampionsThe Success Magazine Tour makes its Silicon Valley debut today through Sunday with the eight-man, round-robin Siebel Champions at Stanford University’s Taube Family Tennis Stadium. Stanford tennis legend John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors headline a field that owns 34 Grand Slam singles titles. SportsSports On The SideFox Sports Net & San Jose Sharks have teamed up for the Stay In School Challenge, an incentive program that rewards students in grades 7-12 for having perfect school attendance (no unexcused absences). Students who send in a copy of their perfect attendance record between now and Oct. 23 are eligible to receive a pair of complimentary tickets to the San Jose Sharks Dodge/NHL Superskills Challenge, set for Nov. 26 at the San Jose Arena. Send entries to Fox Sports Net, 901 Battery St., Suite 204, San Francisco, CA 94111. Call for coaches Lightning Bolt wins a shockerThe Mountain View-Los Altos Lightning Bolt, an under-14 California Youth Soccer Association team, captured the South San Jose Blossom Valley Tournament in Morgan Hill over Labor Day weekend. The 12-team field consisted of teams from Northern and Central California. Deep St. Francis team too much for MittyPrep Volleyball Roundup The St. Francis High girls volleyball team proved last Thursday that depth kills. Youthful Spartans squash SequoiaPrep Football Digest With a lack of experience and plenty of youth, every win for the Mountain View High football program this season is big. Homestead blanks Mtn. View in tennis
Field hockey The St. Francis High field hockey team opened its season by winning the Willow Glen Jamboree. The two-day competition, held Sept. 8 and 9, featured 30 teams from across the state. LA Eagles overcome errors to beat 76ers
Football Game Of The Week The Los Altos High football team was flying high after last Friday’s 14-6 home win over Independence. Local players help Lady Sharks softball team finish 13th in national tournamentWith key contributions from four local players, the San Jose Lady Sharks placed 13th in the American Softball Association’s 2000 USA Nationals. Eighty-four teams from across the country took part in the 18-and-under division of the tournament, held last month in Normal, Ill. And Sharks coach Dave Montalbano said “thousands of other teams nationwide” competed for a spot in the tourney. Silicon Valley benefited by several little-known factorsThe following is a hypothetical exchange between a student and his professor. Last week’s article explored the early technological development of the Santa Clara Valley with a focus on Stanford University and the legendary Fred Terman. Q: Where’s that big turning point you’ve hinted at? Business BriefsA one evening class on “Staging Your Home For Sale” will be offered 7-9 p.m., Sept. 27, at the Palo Alto Adult School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. The fee is $25. For more information, call Kit Davey at 367-7370. Local among the big 50 BusinessAll SIGNS point to having a banner year
Business Profile When you walk into the SIGNS Here showroom, it’s an introduction to business in Silicon Valley. Hanging on the wall are banners for Holiday Inn, IBM, Radio Shack and Stanford University. The banners are copies of previous work completed by SIGNS Here that also includes local customers, such as the Los Altos Little League. Investors survive bone-crushing week on stock marketThe bone-crushing drop suffered by stock market investors last Friday emphasized the risks in a portfolio, especially on a triple-witching day when everything comes together. Monday, the crush continued. Triple witching happens four times a year - when the S&P futures contract expires at the same time as the S&P 100 index option contract expires. The option contracts on individual stocks also expire. The markets are typically very volatile on these days. ‘Memories of Los Altos’ and ‘Silicon Valley Handbook’Book reviews The Los Altos main library recently displayed local history books, a favorite category for me. While happily browsing among familiar titles, I found a wonderful book, self-published, I believe, in 1982 by Joseph Salameda, then managing director of the Los Altos Historical Association. Mr. Salameda was Los Altos’ first building inspector and worked for the city until his retirement. He tirelessly collected oral reminiscences of early Los Altos-area residents, historic photos and memorabilia of all kinds. Weddings & EngagementsPenny Brabb and Steve Turilli were married Sept. 3 in Vail, Colo., with a reception at the Sonnenalp Resort. The bride is the daughter of Maria Brabb of Los Altos. She graduated from Homestead High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University, Fort Collins. PeopleObituariesFlorence Carter died Sept. 9. A native of Columbia, she was 90. Mrs. Carter was a member of the Quota Club and a volunteer at CAR and the Retarded Children’s Guild of Palo Alto. Noteworthiesin Orlando, Florida. More than $20,000 in cash scholarships and prizes will be presented to award winners and runners-up in more than 10 categories of competition at six age groups. Catherine “Kitty” Hislop of Los Altos, Alice “Sis” Lussier of Menlo Park and Betty White of Menlo Park were honored for their longtime service to the Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary as part of the 50th year celebration of the Tally Ho fund-raiser held Sept. 10. Hislop and White joined in 1946 and Lussier joined in 1950. Spiritual LifeA look at Truck of Love’s two main drivers: Pete and Sue FullertonAlong the Spiritual Path My June column described the local organization, Truck of Love, which started in 1967 taking clothes and toys to a reservation in Arizona. This developed into a much wider mission extending into Mexico and here in the Bay Area. Many volunteers come from St. Nicholas and St. William Catholic churches in Los Altos. Now it’s time to introduce the Truck’s main “drivers,” Pete and Sue Fullerton. Spiritual Life BriefsDr. Eugene W. Ness, who pastored in Sunnyvale during the 1970s, has returned after 20 years as a missionary-evangelist in the Far East and will be the featured speaker this weekend at Foothill Christian Center’s Missions Emphasis Weekend. Dr. Ness will open the weekend at a banquet scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Friday. Reservations are required for the banquet. Stepping OutBus Barn opening season with ‘Arcadia’Bus Barn Stage Company this week opens its sixth season with “Arcadia,” a time-traveling drama by Tom Stoppard. The play previews Thursday and opens Friday at the Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. “Arcadia” runs through Oct. 21. Early Music Society presenting the Newberry ConsortThe San Francisco Early Music Society opens its 24th season Friday with a performance by the Newberry Consort. Titled “Cosmology and the Occult in the Middle Ages,” the performance is set for 8 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto. The Newberry Consort was founded nearly 20 years ago by current director Mary Springfels, following her appointment as musician-in-residence at the Newberry Library in Chicago. The music of late medieval Europe is one of their specialties. BooksAward-winning poet scheduled for Linden Tree visitBook Beat Upcoming events at Linden Tree Children’s Records and Books on State Street include a visit by award-winning poet Jack Prelutsky, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Friday. Local teachers are invited to call the shop to discuss bringing their classes to hear him. Your HealthNew patient tracking system may make life easier for patients, doctors at El CaminoEl Camino Hospital is leaping into the 21st Century with a new patient tracking system. Although the hospital has had an internal, Medical Information System (MIS) in place since the 1970s, a resource committee is forming to develop a Local Healthcare Information System (LHIS). “This system,” said Dominick Curatola, a member of the El Camino Hospital District Board of Directors, “will be an outpatient care-based information system … something that addresses the broader needs of the community.” Web site offers comprehensive look at disabled and the lawHealth Library at Stanford In the 10 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), most of us have become familiar with some of the more obvious requirements of the law, such as the provision for disabled parking places and curb cuts in city sidewalks. However, the ADA is a much farther-reaching law than just those two obvious examples of prescribed changes. Beyond the requirements for providing physical accessibility to public buildings, the ADA provides those with disabilities recourse to federal action wherever their disability is used as a barrier to prevent them from participating as fully as possible. A new Web site, disABILITY.gov, is a wonderful, upbeat resource that provides the public with all kinds of information relating to disabilities and the ADA. Does your child’s shoe fit?By Amol Saxena, D.P.M.; and Arian Dasmalchi The school year has begun for most Bay Area children. Parents have been bombarded with information about how important regular exercise is to their child’s health. They don’t, however, hear as much about how to care for the part of a child’s body that bears the brunt of this physical activity - his or her feet. Boutique helps cancer victimsBusiness Profile Siloette has women looking, feeling good after the mastectomy Health BriefsThe Spinal and Sports Care Center/A Chiropractic - Medical Network located in Mountain View, will be providing a back school class. The class provides instruction in proper lifting, carrying and sitting mechanics, ergonomic workstation advice and exercises to increase back strength. The classes are offered on weekday evenings on an on-going basis. Cleaning out garbage is fair punishment for dumping trashKeys to Parenting Question: What thoughts do you have on disciplining our 16-year-old son who had a party in our home when we were out-of-town? Because the house was in perfect order, we never would have known about the party - except for the fact that the school’s maintenance man found our trash in the school bin! TIME magazine, with our name and address on it, was in the garbage bag along with the empty beer bottles and snack bags. Alliance plans seminar on longevity and healthy agingThe Alliance of Aging Independently, Palo Alto and the department of counseling psychology and gerontology at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont will host a seminar on longevity and healthy aging 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Oracle Conference Center in Redwood Shores. “Aging with Vitality” is a day designed to educate and celebrate all phases of the aging process. Speakers will focus on how to maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit throughout all phases of one’s life span. |
In Our OpinionEditorialFor the first time in five years, a public elementary school, Gardner Bullis, opened its doors last week in Los Altos Hills. For some, it was, metaphorically speaking, the last stitch removed from the old wound following the closure of the original Bullis-Purissima School in 2003. For others, including the diehards who formed the successful Bullis Charter School, the sting of the Bullis closure lingers. But our sense is that for most Hills residents not part of the Loyola School coverage area, the opening of Gardner Bullis means the resurrection of a long-sought-after neighborhood school and the community benefits that come with it. |
Los Altos Guide | Town Crier Archives | Classified | Subscribe | Place an Ad | Contact
2008 © Los Altos Online by Los Altos Town Crier .