The mysterious spiders who wove the paper webs were frequently caught, according to Police Chief Roland Renshaw, usually around 3 a.m. The penalty was cleaning up the mess.
Officially treated as "malicious mischief," the paper jobs were often meant as compliments to the teenagers residing in the homes.
Los Altos Hills Town Councilman Ross Aiken resigned his position effective August 31, 1970. Aiken had to submit his resignation twice at the council meeting, however, as fellow council members refused to let him resign the first time around.
"After 7,000 hours and 10 years of town service, I feel it's time to spend more time with my children," Aiken said. Comments from Hills residents ranged from almost indispensable to "so fair, just and gentle in listening."
The downtown Safeway store on First Street was robbed on July 23, 1970 at 8:30 p.m., just before the store's closing time.
The robber used a snub-nosed .38 revolver in forcing Leo Roberts, the assistant manager, to hand over approximately $2,250. Most of the cash was in one, $5, $10 and $20 bills.
50 years ago in the Los Altos News
According to the July 16, 1945 issue of the Los Altos News, George Ramsey, owner of the Los Altos Garage at State and First Streets, attended a dealers meeting in San Francisco at which availability of new cars was discussed.
It would be 1947 before any new cars were available, Ramsey said. His company, the Chrysler Corporation, was still in war production to a great extent. He urged Los Altans to take care of their automobiles and be prepared to wait a long time for a new car.
"The killing of the Peace," a story of the League of Nations by Los Altan Alan Cranston, son of William Cranston of Villa Warec, was scheduled for release August 10, 1945.
Viking Press, in commenting on the book, said: "Never before has this story been told in all its appalling criminal details ... Will history be made to repeat itself or can these unhappy tactics of yesterday be a lesson to men of good will?"
The local Town Council, seeking information on a proposed highway through Los Altos, learned plans were stymied by disagreements in San Mateo, Burlingame and Redwood City.
Plans for such a highway had been proposed 15 years earlier by Los Altan Tom Woodworth and backed by many Los Altos residents.
By 1945, the Southern Pacific had under consideration, abandonment of its right-of-way to the County of Santa Clara because of the highway, foreshadowing discontinuation of train service through Los Altos.
- Compiled by Ellen Shaw of the Los Altos History House Association.