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Volume 49, Number 13, Published on 03/25/1996

News

Mel Hawley -- Los Altos Renaissance man

Ask 75-year-old Los Altos attorney Mel Hawley what kind of law he practices. "Very good, " he booms back. His eyes twinkle, and he chuckles. He writes wills and trusts, settles probates, does estate planning. He also collects murder weapons. Hawley pulls his letter opener out of a desk drawer. The switch blade slides across his polished wooden desk top in his Main Street office. "Tt's more like a stiletto than a switch blade because it's not spring loaded," he said. From another drawer he hauls out a revolver in a leather holster and thunks it onto the desk. On a closet shelf he keeps a carton of Saturday night specials, possibly relics from his days as sheriff of Santa Clara County. "That's the most fun I ever had," he said of his five years in office as sheriff. In 1954, just two years out of Stanford Law School, he beat out an incumbent and four other candidates to become sheriff. In those two years before his election, he worked in the district attorney's office. While there he said he became aware of how "sloppy and corrupt" the sheriff's office was. He described Santa Clara County at that time as a "cow county. The whole power base was in San Jose. I was just the new kid fresh off the block in Los Altos. In one week there were four headlines just about the sheriff's race. "As a stranger I was swept into a very fraternal organization. I told them they could block me or cooperate and help clean things up and make all of us proud of the place." Cooperation became the theme. Hawley, with his staff of 175 which grew to 350 while he was sheriff, started new programs like work furlough and Friends Outside, which helps families of prisoners. For his second term he finished ahead of six opponents and won the election in the primary. He built a new jail -- "now the old jail" -- in which he said he tried to eliminate as many bars as possible by using 3/4-inch unbreakable glass to create a greater feeling of openness. Six months into his second term he resigned to become deputy director of the Department of Justice for the state of California. He stayed two years before deciding he was "not designed to be a state bureaucrat." In 1961 he was back in Los Altos, never dreaming he would practice here, he said. He began simply, just closing up some things for his brother-in-law who moved out of state. Then Hawley and Paul Myers began to have lunch together. That friendship grew into a law practice which is now Myers, Hawley, Morley, Myers, McDonnell, at 166 Main St. Paul Myers died in 1991. His son Chico Myers joined the firm in 1975 and a second son, Alex Myers, came in 1987. Chico Myers said Hawley is "like our point person, ou'r figurehead. He's gregarious yet courtly at the same time." Hawley courted his wife, Sally, while he was an undergraduate at Yale University and she a student at Smith College in Massachusetts. They met on a blind date. Hawley's sister had already graduated from Smith when he got to Yale, at that time an all male school. But she left him a list of women -- "and Sally's name, Dunn, was high up on the list. "Nancy Reagan was in the class after Sally. If I'd dated Nancy Reagan, maybe I'd be president of the United States," Hawley hooted. Sandra Day O'Connor and Bill Renquist, both justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, were in Hawley's class at Stanford Law School. O'Connor tweaked Hawley last summer at the Stanford Camp at Fallen Leaf Lake about his contribution to the alumni publication, where held written a joke letter about his yachts, airplanes and castles. Hawley's real castle is his home in LoS AltoS HillS which he built himself in 1949 with Sally's help. But it had only one bedroom and one bath. while he was in law school he added three more bedrooms and another bath, to accommodate his growing family. All three adult Hawley children and the six grandchildren live in the area. He said he loves having his family visit his beach house in Rio Del Mar, which he and Sally also built. Hawley calls the cottage their "grandchild trap" because it keeps the grandchildren interested. Now Hawley looks ahead to skydiving on his 76th birthday in June. Maybe. "I'm getting chicken," he said. For Hawley his work now is "a bittersweet job -- tending to the financial affairs of friends no longer with us." Chico Myers said he can't imagine Hawley retiring. He said Hawley has a special sense of caring about his clients. "He p s attention to people and responds to them. He's quite the Renaissance man."

Recovered property linked to LAH home break-ins

Hillsborough Police officers recovered property Friday that had been stolen from homes in Los Altos Hills, Atherton, San Mateo and Santa Clara after serving a search warrant on subjects in the East Bay.The property descriptions match a list of items stolen, but the owners will still need to come in and identify them, said Inspector Ed Boll of the Hillsborough Police Department."For the amounts that have been stolen, a minimal amount has been recovered," Boll said.Daytime residential break-ins have plagued the Los Altos area in the last few months. The count is at 20, seven in the city of Los Altos and 13 in Los Altos Hills and unincorporated parts of Los Altos.Similar daytime residential break-ins have occurred along the 280 corridor from Hillsborough to Los Gatos prompting area law enforcement agencies to collaborate on the investigation.Police said they think more than one group is involved in the break-ins.March 7 Hillsborough police arrested two suspects who have been charged with 12 counts of burglary, one of which was in Los Altos Hills. Authorities did not release the names of the suspects because the investigation is ongoing.During the week of March 18 police arrested a third suspect, a woman."There seem to be a lot more people involved," Boll said. The search warrant served March 22 did not involve the first two suspects who are in custody. Officers will be serving another search warrant, he said.Since the arrests there have been no more residential daytime break-ins in the Los Altos area, said the Los Altos police and the Santa Clara County sheriff.

O.J. defense lawyer recounts lessons learned from trial of century

Mystery is a swivel on which all great murder trials pivot. The mystery centers on the defendant: Did he, or didn't he? As the case of Orenthal James Simpson unfolded, a more intriguing set of mysteries swirled around the jurors. Where they split along racial lines? Sequestered for 266 days, how did jurors arrive at a decision in a mere four hours? Gerald F. Ulemen, a law professor at Santa Clara University and a member of the defense team representing O. J. Simpson, provided a legal response to those lingering questions at last week's Los Altos Morning Forum lecture.Long known in legal and academic circles as an outspoken civil libertarian, Uelmen told the March 19 forum audience there are lessons to be learned from the Simpson trial. "Lesson number one is, we all wear tinted lenses, but we don't all wear blinders," Uelmen said. "The trial reporting was through tinted glasses and depending on who commented, it was either a loss for the defense or a gain for the prosecution. "In the meantime, the jurors wore blinders and didn't see the spin of the commentators and only heard the proceedings of the case. The trial was like a three-ring circus and the jurors only saw the center ring," Uelmen said. Uelmen said Simpson jurors gave America something to puzzle over: the possibility that jurors believed O.J. had indeed killed his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman, but that acquitting the star athlete and actor was proper and just.The jurors agreed, Uelmen said, that you need not be proven innocent to be found not guilty. "The verdict carried the public reaction of black America. While whites stood in stunned belief, black Americans were cheering," Uelmen said. "They cheered because the system worked for a black man and it doesn't always do that."Uelmen dismissed the notion that jurors acted rashly, saying the jury was constantly weighing the evidence. "They were bonded together and knew each other well," he said.The second lesson to be learned, Ulemen said, is that journalism abhors a vacuum, therefore bad journalism drives out good journalism."The television coverage was a mistake and as the trial progressed the camera provided sinister results," Uelmen said. The media presence, he said, unduly influenced Judge Lance Ito, Marcia Clark and Chris Darden, yet the cameras discovered significant evidence when Kathleen Bell recognized Mark Fuhrman as a racist.As the trial continued, Uelmen observed the legitimate press began to follow the tabloids. The National Inquirer showed vivid pictures of the murder scene, followed by the New York Times.The third lesson, Uelmen said, is that racism is alive and well in America and so is denial. All along, he said whites and blacks saw the Simpson case differently and its conclusion cast the differences in stone. Fully 83 percent of blacks agreed with the verdict, while only 37 percent of the whites did. For whites, the verdict in Uelmen's words, was based on emotion that overcame reason. The reason the prosecution had to rely so heavily on blood and DNA evidence was that it had no murder weapon, no fingerprints and no eyewitnesses, Ulemen said. Without those factors, winning any murder case is hard and to make it more difficult, the Los Angeles Police Department had been sloppy in collecting and handling the blood evidence, he said."When it was over, the Simpson team had taken a case of overwhelming incriminating physical evidence and transformed it into a case riddled with reasonable doubt," Ulemen said. Simpson may be free, but Ulemen said the road ahead is full of civil suits and custody battles for his children and skepticism of potential employers. He will live a life similar to Lizzie Borden's in the last century, who walked free after allegedly killing her parents with an ax.During a forum question and answer period following the lecture, Ulemen addressed the question, "Does your conscious bother you when you get off a guilty man?""Under our system of law, the jury determines a person's quilt," Ulemen said. "The law allows you to build your case so there is a reasonable doubt. When a system is working properly, the client whose guilt is not reasonably proven should be free. No, it doesn't bother me and I sleep well, thank you."Uelmen's book, "Lessons from the Trial," will be published April 20 by Andrews and McNeil and should be available at all local book stores.

Fire services consolidation not practical, expert says

After almost a year of studying the possibility of consolidating the fire services of Los Altos, the Los Altos County Fire Protection District, Mountain View and Palo Alto, the conclusion is that it's feasible but not practical.

No big surprises in Los Altos budget at midyear

No big surprises. No significant changes.That's the news from the city of Los Altos about its financial status at midyear, said city manager Dianne Gershuny at the March 19 council study session which looked at the city's financial forecast.Los Altos finance director Sherry Lambach said indicators suggest California is coming back into the sunshine economically and that will be good for Los Altos, too.Lambach assumed a three percent inflation in her projections. "There are no provisions for new or increased levels of service, nor reduced service."She shared good news about the city's two main sources of income, property and sales taxes."With the number of first-time turn-overs (in house sales) since Proposition 13, passed in 1978, the Los Altos property tax is a bit higher, at four percent, than the county average (two to three percent)," Lambach said. And "as economic development efforts continue, we are beginning to see the results of those labors," with increases in sales tax. Several new businesses have opened in Los Altos such as Andronico's, Banderas and I Fratelli.The most recent sales tax numbers, which came March 19, are $9,000 above what was projected for the quarter, Lambach said. The McElroy site on First Street and Foothill Expressway is not included in the projections.On the expense side, Lambach reported the current year, 1995-96 to be about $15,000 over budget and 1996-97 to be estimated at $33,000 under budget.The biggest increase this year comes from overtime expense in the fire department. Other increases are from water costs in the parks department from new landscaping and extra help in the planing department during vacancies and the workload related to Parc Regent.The budget includes funding for several areas of community interest:

LAH Council accepts three streets as public

Los Altos Hills City Council again tackled the touchy issue of public versus private street designations at last Wednesday's council meeting, deeming three previously designated private streets as public.The issue has generated resident concerns because the town will not pay for maintenance on private streets.At the March 6 meeting, the council reviewed a map prepared by the staff showing through streets in Los Altos Hills that are privately owned. The council directed the staff to research the status of the right-of-way, whether the street is currently owned, whether the streets are built to town standards and the condition of the streets. The staff recommended a priority be given to situations which require residents to travel over private streets to reach public streets. In a prior meeting, Mayor Bill Siegel gave the staff a guideline to follow: "Is it an important street for collective traffic?" Siegel asked. "If it isn't then we shouldn't accept it. We need to research every street."The Council recommended Tepa Way, Briones Way, and Camino Hermosa be accepted as public streets. Siegel said the property owners should be notified since accepting these streets relieves the residents of the responsibility of street repair.The municipal code requires right-of-way for streets to be 60 feet wide. Pavement width ideally should be 22 feet wide, with a minimum width of 20 feet for the traveled way. "We would not recommend accepting a portion of a road," said City Manager Jeff Peterson. "We need the entire street to be dedicated for maintenance purposes. When we accept a through road, those roads receive a higher level of use."The staff is running into all sorts of road blocks to determine the ownership of certain streets.As an example, Summit Wood was selected as a through street by the council and the staff reported that Summit Wood appears on early maps as El Monte Avenue. The right-of-way appears to vary from 50 to 60 feet. No offers of dedication have been found. The pavement width is 20 feet wide, but there are no shoulders in many areas and the road is in need of a full reconstruction. The council recommended staff continue to research the street at the county level to determine how the road is owned. Staff will also gather construction estimates to determine financial liability to the town if the road is accepted. Council member Sid Hubbard was concerned about cul-de-sacs. He questioned whether the town should accept them or leave them as private streets, since some cul-de-sacs are subdivisions with less than three lots. Streets under consideration for acceptance as public right-of-way are Ursula Lane, La Loma Drive and Summit Wood.

Los Altos police officer surrenders at North County Jail

A Los Altos police officer surrendered Friday morning at the North County Jail in Palo alto after being charges with sexually harassing three women while on duty, including allegedly fondling one he had arrested on drunk driving charges.

LA K-9 makes first arrest

Los Altos Police officers, including the Los Altos canine Disco, arrested four men on charges of burglarizing two cars early Sunday morning in the Springwood Apartment complex on Homestead Court.The four arrested are Oliver Ramos, 31, and Isaac Ramos, 18, both from Sunnyvale; Ismael Ramos, 20, and Joel Ramos 18, both from San Jose, said Los Altos Police Chief Lucy Carlton.A resident noticed three suspicious people using flashlights and looking into cars in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Police responded at 3:24 a.m.When the suspects noticed police arriving, they tried to escape in their car. Police arrested them as they were driving out of the lot. "The suspects probably didn't attempt to flee after being stopped because Disco's presence acted as a deterrent," Carlton said.After further investigation, police found that two cars in the lot had been burgled and had stereo equipment and other items taken. The stolen property was recovered in the suspects' car.All four were charged with burglary, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools and petty theft and were booked into the Santa Clara County Jail early Sunday.Los Altos police responded to a similar call the night before at Springwood Apartments at 12:15 a.m.A resident reported seeing two people wearing full-face black ski masks and standing near a gray Acura which had its door open. They fled when caught in the headlights of the resident's car.Police were unable to find any suspects nor could they find a gray Acura or any cars with signs of being broken into.

Sheriff's Department opens office at LAH Town Hall

The Town of Los Altos Hills formally opened quarters for Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department last Wednesday to maintain a Sheriff's Service Center at the historic Heritage House, located in the Town Hall complex on Fremont Road.With KNTV Channel 11 television cameras scanning the proceedings, Assistant Sheriff Ruben Z. Diaz officially declared the Sheriff's Department was open for business in Los Altos Hills. "It is part of our program to go into cities where we provide services," Diaz said. "This station will provide better protection for the community."Last year, when Santa Clara County decided to build a large substation in Saratoga and transfer the costs to the contract cities, several cities, including Los Altos Hills started to look for alternative police protection. City Manager Jeff Peterson established communication with the Palo Alto and Los Altos police departments to determine if the town could get a better deal.Realizing the move would be too expensive and disruptive to the contract cities, the Sheriff's Department decided to decentralize some of its operations by opening service centers in those cities. "This is a positive move for the town and it will bring a better police presence to the hills," said Paul Jones, the deputy sheriff assigned to the center. "Six officers will be assigned to this station and we will be here during the day and expand as we are needed."Jones said the center will work closely with Los Altos police and exchange information as needed. During hours of operation, residents can come to the center and discuss with a deputy sheriff non-emergency concerns or problems. Emergency calls will continue to be routed through the 911 system. The service center will be staffed by deputies on various days and times, to be posted at Town Hall. Information pertaining to hours of service will be distributed through town and media sources. Council member Robert Johnson, representing the Los Altos Hills City Council at the ceremony, and complemented the Sheriff's Department."We are delighted with this development," he said. "Although the response time is good now, we will have much better responsiveness with police officers located here and residents can come here to talk about police matters." Heritage House, built at the turn of the century, was moved to the Town Hall complex in 1976 as a part of the centennial celebration. The town maintains offices in the building for the Public Works Department, office space and for committee meetings. Los Altos Hills residents can call 941-7222, ext. 220 during business hours to arrange an appointment .

Community

Almanac

TodayLos Altos Hills Planning Commission, 7:30 p.m. Town Hall, 26379 Fremont Road.Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board, 7:30 p.m., district offices, 330 Distel Circle, Los Altos.Los Altos Senior Center 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, 97 Hillview Ave. History House Museum, 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Other times by arrangement. Located at 51 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, behind the library.Senior Service Day, 9:30 a.m., sponsored by the Assistance League, 169 State St.El Camino Hospital District Board, 7:30 p.m. dining room B, El Camino Hospital, 2500 Grant Road.MondayFoothill-De Anza Community College District Board, 8:15 p.m., administrative offices, 12345 S. El Monte Ave., Los Altos Hills.Mountain View Elementary School District Board, 7:30 p.m., Graham School, 1175 Castro St.

CYS Review

Special to the Town Crier

CSMA offers financial assistance for music lessons

23rd annual Easter egg hunt set for Saturday in downtown Los Altos

The Los Altos Village Association will sponsor the 23rd annual Easter Egg Hunt & Children's Entertainment from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Community Plaza.Thousands of brightly colored Easter eggs will be hidden in front of stores on Main and State streets awaiting to be found by children aging from toddlers to 10-year olds. All the eggs will be filled with wrapped candies and 2,000 of the eggs will contain slips of paper good for free children's prizes. More than 20 Village Association merchants and Kidstar Radio have included prize slips. The prizes should be redeemed during business hours on March 30.Immediately following the Easter Egg Hunt, the Los Altos Village Association will host children's entertainment in the Community Plaza (corner of State and Main streets in front of Citibank) at l0:15 a.m. Entertainment will include a puppet show, face painting, a jelly belly bean guessing contest, bunny balloon sculptures, Kidstar Radio giveaways and music by the Los Altos High School Pep Band.This year's event will include carrot tasting demonstrations by renown culinary artist Alison Reich. Reich graduated from Ecole de Gastronomie Ritz-Escoffier and also completed an internship at the Michelin two star restaurant, L'Espadon. Currently, Reich is busy behind the scenes working on projects at Draeger's and demonstrating cooking techniques as a representative for the California Milk Advisory Board. Carrot tasting demonstrations will include minted sweet carrots, Moroccan carrots, carrot coins, zesty orange carrots and baked carrots. Packages of carrot seeds will be given to children participating in the promotion sponsored by Draeger's.As in years past, the, 5,000 Easter eggs were hand filled by volunteers at the Senior Center. Student volunteers from the Los Altos and Mountain View high schools will assist with face painting. The Los Altos police dog, Disco, and the Easter bunny will be on hand for the festivities.The event is sponsored by the Los Altos Village Association. For more information, call 949-5282.

Safire unapologetic over controversial remark about Hillary

Town Crier Publisher

Los Altos resident's camera wins a Hollywood Oscar

While working with Mountain View-based CEI Technology as a consultant and designer, Hazem Nabulsi literally grabbed the spotlight. He developed a small camera that has revolutionized the filmmaking industry and earned him an Oscar.Nabulsi, of Los Altos, and the owners of CEI Technology received the Technical Achievement Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for inventing a self-contained, flicker-free color video assist camera. The award was presented March 2 at the Academy Awards ceremony for technical achievements. The big-name ceremony for actors and movies was held Monday.The camera was introduced in "Apollo 13" and is now used in 80 percent of the films today, Nabulsi said. The tiny video camera is attached to the movie camera and makes a picture of everything the movie camera sees. The difference is the film in the movie camera has to be developed and time is lost. With Nabulsi's camera you can see the action immediately, saving a day's production."When feature movies cost more than $25 million to make, this camera can save them a mint," Nabulsi said. "The camera costs between $8,000 and $10,000, but it's worth it because it saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in production time."Nabulsi, an engineer, works on video products and video cameras. He has worked on scrambling and de-scrambling techniques for surveillance systems for government agencies. He is presently consulting for Macro Vision in Sunnyvale. "When my husband's name was announced by presenter Richard Dreyfus, I was on such a high," said Nabulsi's wife Debra. "Then when Hazem stood up there and thanked me for putting up with his long working hours I broke out in tears. "It was such an honor to see him get his Oscar."Nabulsi is currently spending as much free time as possible on the ski slopes. He said he loves the fresh air and the serenity of the mountains. Along with the exercise, he said it gives him time to think about what he'll do to earn his next award.

Los Altos Online - reviewed and rated by The McKinley Group

James McComb

Dan Dana a soft-spoken, nurturing force behind Hidden Villa

Special to the Town Crier

Community college presidents named women of the year

Bernadine Chuck Fong, president of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills was chosen 1996 "Woman of the Year" for the 21st State Assembly District. Fong was selected for the honor by assembly member Byron D. Sher, the 21st district representative.At the same time, Martha Kanter, president of De Anza College, was selected as "Woman of the Year" by Jim Cunneen, assembly member from the 24h District. The two women were recognized on the Assembly floor in Sacramento March 18.Kanter became the second (and only woman) president of De Anza in 1993. De Anza has more than 22,000 students enrolled each quarter. Fong is the first woman to serve as president of Foothill College in Los Altos Hills. She was inaugurated in 1994 and is the fifth president to serve in the college's nearly 40-year history.

Heavy Los Altos artist participation in Open Studios '96

49ers to play hoops for local drug and alcohol awareness program

San Francisco 49ers fans and non-fans alike may be interested in attending the seventh annual benefit basketball game pitting a 49ers pickup team against the Mountain View/Los Altos/Los Altos Hills Challenge Team. The event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. today at the Whisman Sports Center at Middlefield Road in Mountain View.A silent auction will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m.. Last bids will be taken at 6:30 p.m. so that the winners' names can be announced before the game. Crittenden School Band will be on hand to provide some great entertainment at 5:45 p.m.. Also featured will be Dance Attack! from 6:15-6:45 p.m.. Roundtable Pizza provides food 5:30-7 p.m. before the game. Raffle tickets will also be on sale for a 49ers autographed football. The winner will be announced just before the start of the game at 7 p.m..The Challenge Team is a community-based, non-profit organization designed to assist youth with drug and alcohol awareness programs. The Challenge Team offers a variety of activities, including an after-school activities task force and conflict resolution management program.Tickets cost $10 each or 5 for $40 and are available by calling Elaine Clark at (408) 481-3381.

Just Say Yes! to volunteering at the YMCA

Los Altos Weather

Measured rainfall. ( in inches) .00 Total rainfall to date this season 16. 36Rainfall to date last year.. 22. 23(Rain season 7-1 to 6-30)

Would-be trail builders ¯ Hidden Villa calls

If you'd like to learn how to build trail, lead volunteers, and help keep our trails healthy, come to the Trail Center's crew leader training session. This weekend workshop, scheduled for April 13-14 at Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills, is the first step to becoming a volunteer trail crew leader for the Trail Center, but is open to anyone who cares about our precious open spaces and the trails that traverse them.The Trail Center is a non-profit dedicated to improving access to the Peninsula's open spaces for people of diverse abilities and to fostering a sense of stewardship through volunteer trail projects. By organizing citizens to build new trails, restore beloved old ones, and make maps of trails, the Trail Center not only improves the pathways by which all may discover our precious open spaces, but also builds a strong contingency of people who are for their public lands and are personally invested in their sustenance. You can give back to the land through the Trail Center's Programs: trail information, trail building and restoration, and trail mapping.Costs is $60 per person, including overnight accommodations, crew leader manual, and hands-on training in safety, leadership and technical skills. To register, call 968-7065 by March 26.

Mountain View announces 24-hour Moffett Field hotline

The City of Mountain View has established a 24-hour telephone hotline for information about Moffett Field. The hotline has been created to provide residents with information and periodic updates about Moffett. Residents will be able to hear information as well as leave messages expressing their opinions and concerns.The hotline was placed into service on Feb. 16. The telephone number for the hotline is 903-6616."The city feels it is extremely important to communicate with residents about the future of Moffett. This new hotline is just one way the city plans to provide information to the community," said Mountain View Mayor Ralph Faravelli.The message on the hotline will be updated periodically. To make up for a several million dollar revenue shortfall in the operation of Moffett Field, NASA-Ames has begun discussions with air cargo firms interested in using Moffett Federal Airfield for overnight mail operations.The City of Mountain View is in the process of meeting with NASA officials and gathering information about air cargo flights. Currently, there is no firm proposal being considered by NASA.A community informational meeting on the Moffett complex will be held 10 a.m. to noon March 23 at City Hall, 500 Castro St. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an update on the status of the Moffett.If you have questions about Moffett Field or would like a copy of a briefing paper prepared by the city on air cargo operations at Moffett Federal Airfield, leave a message on the hotline including your name, daytime telephone number and address. The full text of the briefing paper is also available on the city's Internet home page. The web server address is http://www.abag.ca.gov.The hotline says calls will be returned as soon as possible.If you would like to speak with someone during normal business hours, call 903-6301.

Arts in the area

Second Monday of every month: Los Altos Art Club demonstration on painting techniques, 7 p.m., Hal Brady Room, Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Information: (408) 725-8662.

In The Past...

Senior Briefs

Los Altos Senior CenterFriday: 1 p.m., March birthday/bingo party in Room 11. Bingo, sing-along and birthday cake offered.

Community Briefs

Federated womenschedule meetingThe Federated Women's Club of Los Altos will hold its April meeting April 3 at Ristoranti Piatti, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto.Following lunch, the club's afternoon program will feature Aldo & Margie, a well-known husband and wife team who have been entertaining locally for many years. Members are encouraged to bring guests.For more information, call 948-3553.

Schools

Prominent writers featured at LAHS writers' workshop

Fifteen published writers have been invited to share their work and writing experiences during Los Altos High School's 11th annual writers' conference, scheduled for April 1-8.This year's talented group of writers represents a variety of disciplines and includes Stanford Jones Lecturers and Stegner Fellows, poets, short story writers, journalists, novelists and newspaper columnists. Among the authors participating this year are Loretta Green, Sue Hutchison and Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News, poet Alejandro Murguia, poet and performer David Sharp, local author Ellen McKenzie and journalist Anne McCarroll.All students will have an opportunity to read samples of the authors' works prior to the conference in order to become familiar with the speakers and their writing. The conference format is designed to encourage a dialogue between the writers and the students in a comfortable classroom setting.The Writers' Conference was developed in 1985 by English teachers at Los Altos High School. The initial financing for the conference came from the Tracy Cullinan Memorial Fund which had been established with donations from family and friends of Cullinan, a Los Altos High School student, who died of a brain tumor during his senior year. The conference is currently being funded by the Los Altos High School Parent Group and the school Site Council.Members of the community interested in attending the conference on a space available basis should call 941-5926 or 949-0404.

LAHS chess team's only female player also one of its standouts

Intense training and concentration have distinguished 17-year-old Inna Portnova as a queen among kings.Portnova, a senior, is the only female member of the Los Altos High School chess team. She is considered one of the best. Her passion for chess began when she was growing up in Moscow, Russia."When I was 7 years old, my father began to teach me how to play," Portnova said. "My father knew how to play, but he wasn't that great. My grandfather on my mother's side played very well."This is also when she began to train at the Moscow Central School of Olympic Reserves. A typical day of training included a theoretical session where trainees would go over previously played games, played by famous chess players, teammates or themselves, and the tutor would point out what was executed right and wrong. This was followed by practice tournaments designed to let the trainees practice what they just learned. Portnova had four years of intense training at the school before she and her family moved to the United States."Chess is not as odd in Russia as it is here in the United States," she said. "It's not considered strange, it is more accepted. People in Russia are much more serious about the game."People in the United States treat chess as a pastime, according to Portnova."Camaraderie is the most important thing to me," Portnova said. "Winning is not as important to me as is team spirit. When someone on the team loses, it is like a personal loss."Chess team adviser Doug Bailey credits much of Portnova's success at chess to her training and personality."She is able to concentrate on the game and not be distracted," Bailey said. "She practices a lot and her training in Russia has helped her as well."There are nine team members, although usually only seven compete in tournament play, and there is no intimidation for Portnova being the only female."It (being the only female member) makes her a stronger player," Bailey said. "The boys all like her because she has a strong personality and is always very cordial.""There is a great tension at tournaments that makes my mind really concentrate," Portnova said. "I'm not a person who does something without thinking. I'm analytical. Chess suits my nature."Recently, Portnova and the team placed first in the Santa Clara County Chess Tournament. This is the first time the team has ever placed first in a tournament.She has been accepted to two colleges, but is waiting to hear from some others before she makes a decision on where to go. Along with chess, she has a passion for writing and would like to major in English."I enjoy playing chess, but it is not going to be a career for me," Portnova said. "With chess, I feel like I really belong. I've been with it for so long that it always makes me feel comfortable."A myth about chess that Portnova would like to see go away is that the game is not considered a sport."Every muscle is tense when you play," she said. "Chess is a physical game and you have to be in good physical shape to play. Chess also teaches you patience. You are constantly thinking. It is about stamina and how much you can take."

School Briefs

Masons of California sponsor public schools monthPublic Schools Month has been sponsored and promoted by the Masons of California since 1920. The theme selected by the Masons for April 1996 is: Teachers affect eternity; you can never tell where their influence stops.The purpose of Public Schools Month is to encourage communities and schools to set aside one week during the month as a special time for the discussion of public schools and to enlist the support of the general public to the cause of public education. For more information about the statewide Public Schools Week, call John W. Runcie at (408) 978-7483.

Student hopes sketches of Los Altos business districts make an impression

Jon Karlin has tapped into his artistic talents to leave a lasting impression on Los Altos.Karlin, a senior at Los Altos High School, is helping the city's economic development department by creating ink and pencil drawings that represent the seven commercial districts of Los Altos. An adviser at school passed this opportunity on to Karlin who has volunteered his time and services to complete this project."If we had to pay for the services of a professional artist to do this work, it would cost the city several thousand dollars," said Carol Curran, economic development coordinator for the City of Los Altos, "so we are especially appreciative of this young man's interest in leaving something in his hometown when he heads off to a new life as a university student in the fall."Curran told Karlin what the seven business districts were and suggested that he go look at the areas. He went to areas that include the Starbucks Coffee downtown and Andronico's Market in the Rancho Shopping Center."I sketched them (the districts) in pencil and later penned them in," Karlin said. The drawings will be printed onto pages with written descriptions of each and will be sent out to businesses in the hopes that they may look to Los Altos for a location.Karlin, a nine-year resident of Los Altos, is in the final semester of his senior year and is waiting to hear from colleges. He would like to go to school in the Los Angeles area but will not decide until he receives word from the five other colleges he has applied to."I am going in with an undeclared major," Karlin said. "But, I like math, art and English, so I will probably study one of those."His artistic ideas are not only expressed through his drawings. He also is a photographer for the yearbook, member of the National Honor Society and on the school rugby team.Along with finishing high school and completing this project, Karlin also works part-time at a multimedia advertising company."It started as an internship," he said. "Now it is a job where I do everything from deliveries to product testing."He would love to travel and has already visited Europe, Israel, Holland, and Central America."Holland has the most impressive artwork," Karlin said. "There are lots of impressionists and many beautiful castles."He has always enjoyed the classical art tradition, although his own work follows suit with more modern genres."My encouragement from my peers, teachers and parents has kept me going," Karlin said."I hope Jon's work will encourage other young people to get involved in their community," Curran said. "It was interesting to get a young person's view of his hometown. I like the pictures because they have a lot of character."

Dual immersion program adopted at MV school

Castro School in Mountain View is adopting a dual language program on its campus. Dual-language, or two-way language immersion is a new educational program which enables students to develop fluency and literacy in two languages while maintaining a high academic achievement in the core curriculum.Castro School, in the Mountain View School District, will begin the program in the fall with kindergarten students. Native-speaking Spanish and English students will be taught in the same classroom, providing students with an opportunity to talk and learn through teamwork in a cross-cultural setting.The program goals are for students to develop fluency and literacy in two languages, high academic achievement in both languages, understanding and appreciation of their own and other cultures, and positive self-esteem.State and school district curriculum and grade-level competency tests are taught in all subject areas at all levels in this program. Instruction is monolingual at all times. Teachers use a variety strategies to make the language and content understandable for all students. The ratio of daily instruction in English and Spanish changes by grade level.Participation in the program is voluntary and requires parental permission. Enrollment is open to participants who reside outside the Castor School attendance area. For more information, call program coordinator Alien Carmack at 964-7555.

MVHS student of month spreads word about AIDS epidemic

Mountain View High School's student of the month for January Laurie Phillips devotes much of her time to helping others.Her multitude of extracurricular school activities illustrates this. Phillips believes it's her duty to educate and increase others' awareness of the HIV and AIDS epidemic."A close friend of mine had a friend who was dying from AIDS," Phillips said. "Watching my friend go through the pain was very emotional and when her friend died I decided that I wanted to help."So, she decided to join the HIV/AIDS Peer Education Group at Mountain View High School. Phillips, along with the other 14 educators, work to spread accurate information about the virus to students on campus. The group is currently planning an AIDS Awareness Week from April 29 to May 3. "We have been working with the Names Project to get a section of the AIDS quilt on display at school," she said.The Names Project, which maintains the quilt sections out of San Francisco, are supplying the school with two 12-foot panels. The group will also be distributing red ribbons and invite guest speakers.Along with informing her fellow students about AIDS, Phillips is the editor of the International Perspectives page on the student newspaper "The Oracle." As editor of this section she is responsible for meeting with English As A Second Language (ESL) students and staff members to generate story ideas and translate articles."I work closely with the ESL department to get ideas," Phillips said. "All stories are published in English and another language. The other language depends on the ethnicity of the person who wrote it.""I am pleased with the section because it has made ESL students more part of the school mainstream," she said. "Many teachers have told me the students feel more a part of the school."Phillips has had extensive experience in the news reporting field. Her experience includes reporter and editor for her school newspaper and a summer internship at her local paper, The Los Altos Town Crier."I hope to attend the honors college at the University of Oregon and study print journalism," she said.Phillips, 18, was born and raised in Los Altos, living in the same house the entire time.When Phillips isn't helping others through distributing information, she is entertaining them with her flute playing. Phillips has been involved in the school's music programs for the past four years. She has been a member of the school's marching band since she was a freshman and a member of the wind ensemble for the last two years."The band has been really fun and I would encourage anyone to get involved," Phillips said.

CSMA offers April vacation Arts & Music Day Camp

Egan math students dominate Notre Dame contest

Egan Intermediate School swept the seventh and eighth grade division of the Notre Dame High School math contest on March 9 in Belmont.David Wong won first place in the seventh grade division and Jack Chou was the first place winner in the eighth grade division. In addition, he had the highest score overall for his grade."I skipped two of the problems so I didn't think that I would win," Wong said."Jack had to go to a basketball game right after the test so we were really surprised to heard that he did so well," said Jack's mother.The contest, offered by the Notre Dame High School mathematics department, is open to local sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Each school is asked to send a team of three members from each grade level. Twenty-six schools participated in the contest. In the sixth grade division, Simone Manganelli of Santa Rita School of Los Altos finished in fourth place and Andy Wiener from Bullis-Purissima School in Los Altos Hills finished fifth. Students made the team by scoring well on a series of seven tests."I knew they were all very good students," said Nancy Seeman, volunteer coach for the Egan math team. "I am very pleased."

Honor Roll - Los Altos High School

Jennifer AllooDarya AnsariChris BagleyAshleigh BarretoPete BjorklundRebecca BostwickCristo CastilloJinwha ChoiKasey ClarkAndrew CohenJulie CollinsonPeter DinhKathy DunnDavid ElliottPeter EllsworthMark Adrian FaustinoAmanda FleischmanJayme FulfordGraciela GarciaMaria GarciaStephen GardnerHilary HeddenBrian HenryTanya HixsonMarie HolstTamika HurdLaura HwangJoseph JaquetteJudith JimenezBryan JonesMatthew JosephBenjamin KahnJonathan KarlinKathy KelemenPeter KhairolomourGrace KlineJessica KlinkeJason KneeboneKira KwanMelissa LanderLinda LindtnerovaEdward LiouCecilia MakPik(Maggie) MakErik MannJennifer MarshallLauren McfallChad McmillsNoble MillieChristina NietoInna PortnovaJaleh PourmandJoyce ReidAndreas RiterJacqueline RouxNoelle RouxBrian RutkinKevin SearlesDavid ShurAlex ShyeJim StapletonAnnemarie StoudtHuei-Hsien SuTrista TollesKatie TuttleRabindra WatsonBenjamin WilsonKimberly WoodmanHigh Honors Students - Los Altos High School1st Semester

Teachers, staff discuss tech factor at MV-LA district conference

Special to the Town Crier

Women pilots descend on Foothill to make mark on aviation history

As the closing event for Women's History Month celebrations last Thursday, Foothill College assembled a group of women aviators landing on parking lot T in a Jet Ranger 206 helicopter. The stunt was a tribute to the unsung role women pilots have played in U.S. aviation history."A woman in the cockpit was considered weird and strange and men thought they didn't belong there," said Jean Tinsley, the helicopter pilot who piloted the other women aviators to Foothill College."I have been a pilot since 1945 with fixed wing planes and a helicopter pilot since 1965," Tinsley said. "I started to fly when I needed to sit on phone books to see out of the cockpit."Tinsley said women played a big role in aviation during World War II.The current international executive director of the Whirly Girls Association of Women Helicopter Pilots, Tinsley said that during World War II, the W.A.S.P. (Women Air Force Service Pilots) program was born from visions women had in trying to help the war effort. "I never had any gender problems as a woman pilot," Tinsley said. "However, when I applied to PanAm to be a pilot, they offered me a stewardess position."I have been successful in the field because in order to be successful you have to have fun and flying is fun," Tinsley said. "My expectations have been exceeded. I'm almost 70 years old and I can tie my own shoe laces and I still fly."Also participating was Ann Elsbach, general manager and chief executive officer of the West Valley Flying Club in Palo Alto. The flying school has 62 aircraft and 1,100 pilots or student pilots. She has more than 10,000 hours flying. Elsbach offered some tips for women who want a career and become a pilot. "Focus on critical thinking by including good elements with the bad," Elsbach said. "Acquire all the communication skills you can get, but most important, pick a career that draws you to it. Don't go into something that someone else want you to do."Other pilots included on the panel of women aviators were: Cecilia Aragon, the 1993 U.S. aerobatics champion and Laine Tammer, a private pilot studying to become a flight instructor. The program was promoted by the Foothill College Aviation Department faculty with Jeanne McElhatton moderating the panel of women pilots.

Docents present LASD student art show

The annual student art show, featuring artwork by students in the Los Altos School District elementary schools, will be held Thursday through Sunday at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. Teachers, children, parents and the general public are welcome. Admission is free.Viewing times are 3-5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 1-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.Art work by Blach and Egan Intermediate School students and by Los Altos and Mountain View High School students will also be on display.On Saturday from 1-3 p.m., children are invited to participate in a variety of hands-on art activities.The event is presented by the Los Altos Art Docents, with support from the Los Altos Recreation Department, the Los Altos Art Club, and the PTAs of the elementary schools.The art docents are volunteers who for 25 years have been bringing both appreciation and hands-on art lessons into the classrooms of all six Los Altos elementary schools. For more information about the program, call 941-4010, ext. 18.

Budget problems and AP physics curriculum examined at CAC meeting

The Community Advisory Council (CAC) talked last week about budget concerns in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District and possible curriculum changes in the advanced placement (AP) physics program at Los Altos High School.District Superintendent Don Phillips and Bob Golton, assistant superintendent for business services, gave the audience of parents, faculty and students at the March 20 meeting projections for next year's budget. They said enrollment growth is an important factor on budget figuring.Los Altos High School is a basic aid school, Phillips and Golton said, meaning the district receives money from city property taxes and partial state funding. Most schools are in a revenue limit district that has an allotted amount of money given to the school for each student: this year it is $4,055.A basic aid district fills out the revenue limit form, the administrators said, lists the amount of students at the school site, puts in the amount of property tax money they will receive. The state multiplies those numbers and will fill in the money per student that the property taxes do not cover, Phillips and Golton said.With current property tax revenue, each student receives $120. This money is to cover the cost of teachers and necessary supplies. "There are two factors that will affect the budget for next year," Golton said, "the projected enrollment growth and the fact that the property tax growth has leveled off."The property tax is still high but since it has leveled off, meaning no increase, it would not be able to accommodate the student increase, according to Phillips and Golton. The projected student increase at the high school level is 154 students. "Those 154 students would put a $300,000 dent into our budget," Phillips said.The budget for the 1996-97 school year is not due until the end of June but Phillips and Golton feel it is time to prioritize and get some ideas going to head off this potential problem.Trustees were scheduled to review budget recommendations at Monday's board meeting. One recommendation concerns controlling the inter-district transfers by allowing children of feeder-district employees that live out the district boundaries to attend schools in the district and students who will be seniors next year could finish at their current high school. There are currently 65 inter-district student in the high school system now and 44 who are in eighth grade."With this recommendation there would only be about 19 inter-districts students, which would save a substantial amount of money," Phillips said.Phillips said the district is interested in any ideas parents or students may have. Contact the district offices with information or questions at 940-4650.AP physicsIn the fall of 1995, physics instructors John Keller, Kendall Aldous and department coordinator Craig Seran told principal David Brazer they were interested in teaching an AP physics C class. Brazer was impressed with the proposal.But at the February CAC meeting, parents voiced concerns when Brazer announced the proposed changes. So, Brazer felt clarification should be presented at the next CAC meeting.The three instructors presented an information packet at the meeting that listed the differences between the current AP physics B course and the proposed AP physics C course."We want to provide a class that doesn't rush through the topics of physics," Keller said. "The C course can prepare students better for college physics."The reason is that college physics requires a strong base in calculus and the topics in the C course are concentrated in calculus, instructors said. The two main topics of the C course are Newtonian mechanics and electricity and magnetism. The B course also offers heat, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, and waves and optics.Much of the student and parent concern is that a student who has taken the first year AP physics B course will have an advantage over the students entering the C course without the B topic background."We are expecting any student who wants to take an AP physics course will have very strong math skills," Aldous said. "Without them they will not do well in physics. Calculus can be taken concurrently with the AP physics course and the calculus problems will solve the physics problems the student will be doing.""No definite decision has been made yet," Brazer said.For more information, call Los Altos High School at 968-6571.

Sports

Prep baseball

Special to the Town Crier

Prep baseball

Town Crier Sports Editor

Athlete profile

Special to the Town Crier

Sabrina QuinteroIn three wins last week, Los Altos High's senior softballer pitched two no-hitters (one perfect game) and a two-hitter. Quintero (9-2) struck out 44 batters, bringing her season total to 126 in 67 innings worked. So far this season, she's hurled four no-hitters and two perfect games."Sabrina is a strong element to our softball program. By the time she graduates from high school, she will own every pitching record at Los Altos, and some records in the county. As a coach, I am honored and grateful to have her on the team. As a father, I am very proud of her," said Bernie Quintero.

By Andy Nystrom

It's been six years since Los Altos' gymnasts last won a Central Coast Section title. But a member of that championship team, Annemarie Harker Christie, is back as head coach and just may give an extra edge of experience to the Eagles as competition opens this week.Los Altos, which finished fifth in CCS last year, faced three-time defending section champs Gunn on Monday and hosts Gilroy 4:30 p.m. Friday."We have a lot of depth, not just one standout. That's what it takes (to succeed)," Christie said.The Eagles' "solid" top five includes: Lisa Maino, Miranda Rodoni, Emily Jen, Carla Raassi and Anna Lewis.All-arounder Maino, a senior and four-year varsity competitor, shows strong tumbling and dancing skills in the floor exercise. "She's experienced and confident, and has a really clean routine," Christie said.Rodoni, also a senior, is at her best on the bars; junior Raassi shines on the floor and beam; and sophomore Lewis favors the bars.And Christie said Jen, a sophomore, is one of the team's top all-around performers. "She works out at Twisters, too, so she's got a lot of experience for a sophomore."Other Eagles looking to score some important points in their events are Lindsey Kurtz and newcomer Orly Cooper, who recently moved to the West Coast from Pennsylvania.First-year coach Christie said the Eagles have the potential to hang with powerful Gunn and the rest of the competition come CCS time. "The team can do it," she said. "We have the skills and ability to do well if we stick all our beam routines."

By Andy Nystrom

Prep softball

Swimming

March 21Los Altos 101, Lynbrook 75LA (1-2 league) winners: Chung - 200 free (1:57.40), 500 free (5:22.19); Joh - 100 fly (55.86), 100 back (1:00.92)

Girls Basketball

Varsity ­Best offensive: Jennifer SantosMost outstanding: Cynthia SamMost improved: Jenny Andrade

Sports Shorts

HERE'S THE PITCH: Los Altos native Neal Swank, a senior starting pitcher for the UC-Davis baseball team, was named the Northern California Athletic Conference's pitcher of the week for his complete-game, three-hit shutout of CSU-Chico on March 1. Swank, a former St. Francis High star, so far has compiled a 3-1 record and 2.25 earned-run average. During his career at Davis, Swank's honors include: all-conference for two years; all-Western Region one year.

Softball

Today, March 27Homestead at Los Altos, St. Francis vs. Mountain View at Cooper Park, both games at 4 p.m.

Business & Real Estate

By Clyde Noel

Trees and landscaping add value to a house when selling

Loyola Corners Farmers Market

Requests for an application and rules should be addressed to Loyola Corner's Business Improvement District, 101 First Street Suite 484, Los Altos, 94022. Deadline for opening market request is April 10.

Los Altos Realtor receives national honors

Fletcher was recognized as a member of the 1995 CB Commercial Colbert Coldwell Circle that represents the top 3 percent of producers from the company nationwide.

Total Sales: 18

1401 Aster Lane - E. Axelsen/N. Axelsen to J. & R. Morgan for $395,000.00

CSA and Bank of Los Altos combine for golf tournament fund-raiser

Community Services Agency (CSA) is joining Bank of Los Altos to host the first Invitational Golf Tournament May 6 at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club.The event will raise funds to help CSA's programs for low-income and homeless individuals and families, as well as needy senior citizens in Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Sponsors and foursomes are lining up to help make the event a fun and profitable fund-raiser for CSA. Officials at Bank of Los Altos, the major sponsor, said the upcoming tourney is a good opportunity to support the local community. "Last year, the bank was purchased by a local investor group connected to the community and the CSA service area is exactly the same as our area," said Jim Wall, president of Bank of Los Altos. "It seems fitting to use this event to support the community."Other organizations sponsoring a hole on the course include Bob Lewis Volkswagen, Christ Episcopal Church, Graphicstat and Discovery Printing. In addition, a growing list of local businesses will sponsor prizes to be awarded at a ceremony on tournament day. The tournament begins with registration at 11 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Prizes will be given at a cocktail and hors d'oeuvres time beginning at 5:30 p.m. Golfers are invited to register now at $175 per person. The Rev. Curtis Church of Mountain View Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, tournament coordinator, has put out the challenge to other local congregations to field a foursome and Christ Episcopal Church has signed on. There will be a special "Halo Award" for the winning church foursome.

New PenWest president says real estate is exciting right now

Phyllis Carmichael is the new president of the Peninsula West Valley Board of Directors and her real estate associates think it couldn't happen to a nicer person. With a nursing degree from San Jose State University, Carmichael worked as a public health official for several years before getting her real estate license in 1976. Her first real estate address was Bell Realtors in downtown Los Altos. When Seville Properties opened, she moved over to the new company because she said she liked the Seville owners. She said she wanted to be associated with successful agents. Three of the original owners are still principals at Seville Properties and Carmichael will celebrate her 17th year with Seville this year. "I think everything Phyllis has, she earned and deserves," said Buzz Thayer, manager of Coldwell Banker. "She paid her dues in the industry by working with her clients and working for people in the industry."Carmichael has a long history of helping other people. She is past president of the Los Altos Board of Realtors, Realtor of the Year in 1990 and served as a director for the California Association of Realtors for the last two years. She is also a member of the board of governors for RE Infolink. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as second vice president of the Chamber. For the past four years, she has co-chaired the Chamber's money making trade fair and was instrumental in building the gazebo at Lincoln Park.A Los Altos Hills resident, Carmichael likes the sense of working in a small community. "I like the small town atmosphere where most of the people know you when you walk down the street," Carmichael said. "When you know the people, you become concerned and try to help make things as comfortable and nice for your community as you can. That's why I get involved and take part in community activities." Carmichael was one of the original Realtors involved in starting PenWest. Before the start of PenWest, big companies like Cornish & Carey and Coldwell Banker had to join 15 different board of Realtors and that became expensive. Realtors started to look how to consolidate the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and establish an income source that would be less expensive for agents and real estate companies. Carmichael said a good way to save money was consolidation of the five local boards along the western portion of Santa Clara County and include the Menlo Park board to form the current PenWest.When it was organized, Carmichael became president-elect and this year she is president of the six-board coalition. "PenWest is excited about how it is going this year," she said. "The membership is expanding and anyone can join the entire area now. And, we are making money by providing a lot of services for the agents."One of the reasons PenWest is doing well is the condition of the real estate industry this spring. "This is a wonderful time to sell your house," Carmichael said. She said the interest rates are low and homes may draw multiple offers within the first 10 days. Carmichael resides in Los Altos Hills with her husband, Steve. They have two children, a daughter Sheri, an engineer with Apple Computer in Sacramento, and a son, Stephen, who lives in Los Altos Hills.

Weekly Special

Soy-glazed Steaks With Spicy Pineapple Fried Rice

When you invite friends over for a casual supper, you want a meal that's easy, yet special, and you might also want to keep it lean. Entertain the lean and easy way with this nutritious steak meal.Steak, either grilled or broiled, is a special company-pleasing entree that's easy on the cook. Start with boneless beef top sirloin steak and add an Asian twist with a soy-pineapple glaze, for soy glazed steaks. Add Spicy Pineapple Fried Rice flavored with ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper for a quick, nutritious meal.Save time by cooking the rice ahead for the fried rice and refrigerating it overnight. On the evening of the get-together, first stir-fry the rice, then keep it warm while making the glaze and grilling the beef. For best grilling results, make sure the coals are medium temperature (coals should be covered with gray ash). If the coals are too hot, the steak can char on the outside before the inside is cooked to the desired doneness. Oven broiling the steak is another easy option. The glaze is brushed on during the last 5 minutes of grilling, so that it doesn't burn.Carve the steak and drizzle it with the glaze for a delicious finish to the smoky grilled beef. Serve with the rice and crisp-tender snow peas.

Restaurateurs Of The Week

Type of business.Distinctive Chinese food of the Provinces.

Mary Vidovich

View March 17. She was 100.

Best, Sellers

and plan to married July 21 at Los Altos United Methodist Church.